#despite everything its still zelda

[ganondoodle]

after i finally do the big botw2 ganondorf design post- what next? (more polls bc polls be polling)

*you dont have to specify if anything of it is fine with you, but its useful to know whats interesting to others

(to be clear, i want to do/finish all of this!!! question is if or how to mix it up and what the priority should be; like i want to do everything at the same time but obviously cant)

[prisiidon]

Rare Chroma and Khira crumbs! 🐟 belated NPC prompt from @werewolfsister's list!

[devotedlystrangewizard]

me?? juggling two hyperfixations and two special interests?? its more likely than you think

[snzydarling]

Primrose

link, zelda, implied ze/link ( BOTW / TOTK )

cw: snz kink !! brief mentions of mess, implied chara with kink

notes: hi!!! this one was a lot of fun to write(^_^) im in my totk era again let's see if i finally finish the game. this takes place pre-totk, but a few years after botw. this was inspired by this post when I saw it and went ok reverse that and also by the flower sanctuary in totk I found a few days ago doing the Penn quests !!! I hope u enjoy ( ´∀`) rbs and any tips very welcome!!

It was beautiful. 

Endless rows of flowers. Buds she had only seen in ancient texts, species’ even the royal labs couldn’t get to thrive, all displayed in a stunning show of color. Some, more adapted to the moonlight, were hiding away in their leaves, but they still stood tall. Others, newly discovered, were just beginning to peak through the soil. Zelda was speechless.

Magda didn’t hesitate to fill in the gap, rushing towards her the moment she spotted the princess. “Aren’t they so beautiful?” She asks, flitting about. She stops only to give Link an out-of-place glare. “Be careful with them.” She warns, before flipping back to Zelda, who’s yet to actually register any of it. 

”While the two of you are here, I need some muscle. There’s been such little help.” It’s, sadly, true. Most farmers are focusing their efforts on returning the agriculture to its former state, so there have been so few hands for something like this. As important to the ecosystem as these flowers are, food takes priority. Zelda remembers enough of her lectures to know that much. 

She would love to. This project is hers. But both she and Link had taken the day off from major projects. They’ve spent the day on a relaxing horse ride along quiet roads when Zelda remembered Magda’s gardens about an hour previous, and realized she hadn’t visited in months. She really ought to help, just as an apology for forgetting. 

On the other hand, Link had been seeming a bit tired. He was placed front and center at the monster clearing effort, and it was definitely taking a toll. When she looks over at him, at her right side as always, he’s looking right back with a neutral expression. 

“Would you like to?” Zelda dares to ask, trying her very best not to let any emotion seep into it. They’ve been running into a roadblock where Link struggles with individualistic things. A lot of minor details are still fuzzy for him, but Zelda suspects he hasn't had much time to think about himself anyway. They’re working through it together. 

But to her immense relief, Link nods. And again, before Zelda can say anything, maybe praise for the choice or just simple acknowledgment, she’s cut off. Magda grabs Link’s arm and drags him off in a whirlwind of argumentative noises and a “you just relax, princess!”

There’s not much else to do, so she stays. Maybe not relaxes, because she feels a bit too bad when Link is being put to work, but she finds a nearby stool and sits. Rehabilitation efforts have been successful but slow, and the princess (Queen? The line is still a bit blurred, and she’s not in any rush to clarify it, despite Impa’s nagging.) She’s in charge of everything. Zelda can’t really remember the last time she slept in a bed or house that belonged to her, and the warmth on her back here feels delightful. It looks like a dream. The whole area feels like the royal gardens, with its stone pathways and well-trimmed bushes. If Zelda unfocuses her eyes, watching Link as he hauls bags of soil, it feels like simpler times. Like the Calamity never happened. 

Halfway across the island, Link jerks forward. Does it again. What’s wrong with him- could it be a monster attack? Is he grabbing for a weapon?  Magda, who’s directing him animatedly, pauses and says something Zelda isn’t able to hear. Link waves her off with his free hand and piles another bag onto his shoulders. Stray dirt tumbles down his back, dirtying royal blues. 

Zelda’s hands are shaking. It’s a shock when Link appears near her, still hauling the bags. He looks annoyed and focused. It’s the kind of look he gets in a battle, brow furrowed and shoulders tense. Something must be wrong. It’s a monster attack just like she thought. 

Zelda can’t hide the worry on her face when the expression deepens. They must be closer. His hearing is better than hers- he’s surely listening to the thundering footsteps, war chants in the distance. When he takes in a breath, Zelda’s ready to jump from her seat. He’s about to yell, she’s sure of it. Tell them to run, or duck, or something. Then he jerks forward. Once. Twice. 

Oh. That makes more sense. Her heart’s pounding in her chest. Link straightens up, flipping hair out of his face, and sniffles, looking a little sheepish, but still slightly bothered. They lock eyes, and he smiles, but it doesn’t look genuine when his brows are creased. His face falls a little into a concern she’s too familiar with when she doesn’t move, but her heartbeat is still thundering. She has to swallow past a lump in her throat to talk. 

“Goddess, bless you.” Is what she manages, and it's a relief when his smile comes back. Despite her and many others’ pestering, she’s never been able to get him to sneeze properly. She’s adjusted to his restraint, even though she wishes he would let himself relax. 

Link sets the bags down with a thud a few feet away from her, wiping beads of sweat from his brow. Before she's able to offer him her stool, he sits down right in the grass, smiling at her again. She recently discovered that he has dimples. She observes as he takes a bottle from his belt and drinks. There’s a small scar on his neck, the edge of it just peeking out from his hair. His throat bobs as he drinks. After so long apart, she’s always trying to drink in any detail she can of him. His nose is a little pink, and when he scrunches it again she can’t help but giggle a little bit, because he looks like a wild fox like that. But then he does it again, and his breath gets pitchy, and he wretches away from her in a flurry of motion. 

“h’nGT-! e’nDT-! hi’nGKT-!” She can only watch his back tense with each release, but she’s certain that it can’t feel good. Something must be wrong if he’s sneezing so much. He can’t be sick- they’ve been together for the whole morning, and he’d been fine. He'd slept in as late as he could, eaten his usual heaping for breakfast, gotten the horses ready with his usual care, and hadn’t so much as sniffled for their entire ride. Link isn't sensitive to anything, either, and has never had a reaction to pollen. Could he have been hiding an illness this whole time? How could she-

“nKT - e’NGT-hh! ” Suddenly, Link jerks forward into his lap. He looks up, blinking at the sky as his shoulders tremble, lips parted. His expression crumples again and he jerks back down. “eH’TZCHh-iewh!”

Zelda’s face explodes with heat. 

Hearing something so - natural. So raw, out of Link, put an odd feeling in her stomach. He rights himself, sniffling, and Zelda can’t miss the wetness dripping down his lip before he wipes it off with his sleeve. It must’ve made it worse, because his nose starts twitching and twitching again. Like everything before wasn’t enough to cleanse whatever tickle he has. Zelda’s enamoured watching this silent battle- his breaths are uneven, his eyes squinty, brow furrowed. He looks up at her through his eyelashes and tears his eyes away with a new pink on his cheeks. Even his ears are twitching. He gasps again, finally, because Zelda can’t take this anticipation anymore. 

“ ‘tTZCHh-!   hiA'CHht- i'TZCHhih-!” Seeing his princess’s face must have brought back some kind of etiquette, because these ones are muffled into his elbow. They’re itchy. Needy. Strong enough that he can’t fight them. Zelda feels all tingly. Something must be wrong with both of them. 

“May Hylia bless you.” She says, and prays that he’s too indisposed to recognize whatever emotion is coating her words. “What’s wrong?”

Once again, he waves the concern off, this time with an expression so tickly it makes her own nose itch in sympathy. She wants him to sneeze again. She wants to study every reaction, every twitch in his face, and understand whatever is making her knight unravel like this. What she needs is to get a grip. 

“You’re certain you aren’t sick?” Why is the idea of that enough to make her feel too hot all of a sudden? Would he look just like this? Face flushed, hints of his voice peaking through raspy and low? Zelda must be the sick one. Link shakes his head a little wildly, like he might be able to get rid of the itch with it. Thankfully he doesn’t. Instead, he whines.

“ hI‘iISHHihh-yU! hI’TSCHh -e’TCHhih-! hiH’tZCHh-iew!” Four times, Five. Zelda’s dizzy. Warm in all the wrong places. She’s never seen anything like this from Link. He looks so desperate. He tilts his head back with stray tears tracking down his cheeks, chest heaving, before he sneezes again. Mist sprays down his front, glimmering in the springtime sun, his hands raised but not close enough. There’s warmth between her legs. Every release makes her spine tingle. This isn’t the usual thrill that experiments bring her. Watching him sniffle desperately, pawing at his face, red with irritation and maybe embarrassment, is unraveling something within her. It also allows her to see flecks of yellow covering his hands and tunic. 

“Link, stop!” She yelps, ignoring the part of her that doesn't really want him to stop at all. He freezes, looking at her through red-rimmed eyes. Now is the part where she has to explain herself and seem normal. Get it together. She’s done things much harder- she can say the words sneeze and allergy when referring to Link. 

“You’re, um” She's so, so warm. She clears her throat. “You’re allergic to something here, I think. There are several rare flowers here that you wouldn’t be used to.” Link gives her an owlish blink and she thinks, oh, she’s been caught. He’s too perceptive. But then his facial expression crumbles again and he buries himself in his elbow with a gasp that’s so unrestrained that she can’t think.

“ hyIHT'SHHhih-! ‘iISZHh-! hih - hE'ISHh-iewh!” They’ve taken on a wet quality. His nose is streaming when he comes back up. Hair unkempt and in his eyes. He looks tired. Undone. Natural. Sexy, Purah might say. She’s struck with these sudden, conflicting desires to wash him off and feed him tea, and to watch him unravel with sneeze after sneeze while her hands disappear under her skirt. She’s been away from civilization too long. Thank Hylia she doesn’t need to be much of a princess right now. The royal court would be in shambles. 

The first idea sounds a little more plausible. So she finds Mgda quickly, where she’s kneeling over a tiled bed of soil with her sleeves rolled up. She looks determined. Zelda, not for the first time, is overwhelmingly thankful that somebody so passionate gets to do this work, even if she can’t. 

Magda sends them off with well-wishes for Zelda and a promise to call for more help soon for Link, and the horses are already prepared once she comes back. He’s adjusting the reins and his hair is soaked, plastered to his forehead and dripping wet. He looks over when she comes closer and blinks at her, and he looks so pathetic like that that she just bursts into giggles. It gets worse when he shakes himself off like a dog, probably to make her laugh, and sends droplets splattering around that make the horses whinny with irritation. 

They’re both quiet for a few minutes, until they’re trotting down the path to the stables. Zelda tries to distract herself with the scenery and the rhythmic clack of horseshoes, and it works until Link comes up to her, rubbing his nose on his shoulder. While she’s trying not to think about the implications of that he brings up his right first and rubs a circle around his chest. Sorry. 

Zelda’s not quick enough to hide her frown. She really needs to get back into etiquette lessons. This has been another struggle in this uncharted time of peace. He’s guilty about so many things. Big things, like not being fast enough and remembering her enough, and little things, too. Tearing the champion's tunic in battle and having nightmares and being tired. It hurts her heart. “You can’t help it, link. It isn’t your fault.” She wisely elects not to mention that seeing him like that had awoken new feelings in her. “If it will make you feel better, you could cook me something?” He lights up at that. With a small smile on his face, Zelda can see how his under-eyes crinkle, like he has a headache. Even though he was looking better, his nose is a bit red again, too. It may just be sunburn. Her stomach does not get any sort of feeling of the possibility that he's still itchy. 

She can't hide the noise she makes a few moments later, when a “e'tSZHHhi-!” from behind catches her off guard. Her horse jerks to the side, caught off guard, and it takes a second too long to get her bearings back and fix their course. She tries to cover it up with an only slightly shaky “Goddess, bless you!”A moment later, when the click of horseshoes behind her stops, she tugs the reins of her own mare and chances a glance behind her. 

He's quivering silently, nose pinched in his hand. The sight of it does not bring back that warm and tingly feeling in her stomach. She's very collected when she says “Just let them out, Link. I don't mind,” and prays and prays that he can't sense any ulterior motives. To continue, she does not nearly fall from her horse when he obeys instantly. There must be some knightly manners still left in him. They're lying in wait, Link caught in a desperate, hitchy buildup and Zelda trying to suppress this too sensitive, wanting feeling in her body. His breath finally catches in his throat, whiny and needy, and Zelda nearly shudders. Finally, his body gives in. 

“e’EITZCHh-et’TZCHh’yu-!! hI'tSCHHh! hiA'tTZCHh-ieww!! hi’IDTCHHiew-!” They're back to that itchy and needy quality that makes her head spin. He washed off and should be alright now, but he sounds so allergic. So at mercy to his own body. He aims another needy release towards the grass, almost doubled over. Zelda does not feel any need to close her legs. 

She fumbles for a handkerchief, something to busy her hands and eyes. When she looks back up at him, his face is wet again, stray strands of golden-blond plastered to his cheeks. She hops off the horse and quickly presses whatever fabric she'd managed to come up with into his palm. If he doesn't get himself under control now Zelda doesn't know what will happen to her. 

This close, she can see pollen on his horse's chestnut brown coat. She clicks her tongue. The horses must have been rolling around in the fields. She tells as much to Link, watching him dab at the moisture on his face. She can't help but think about how sensitive he is, especially not when he rubs his nose a little too much and trembles into the fabric with a rapid “ ‘dschh-‘tszhhiew!” Warmth spreads across her stomach, even though she's too hot already. She needs to take off some layers, but she's already in a simple dress. Link will get suspicious if she dunks herself in some nearby water, too. She's trapped. “You both can wash off once we get to the stables.” Link nods and tucks the fabric, now useless and covered in wet spots, into his pocket and takes up the reins with more needy sniffles. 

Zelda has to wipe the sweat from her palms before getting on her own horse. It flicks its ears and throws her a look like it can see right through her, and that's how she knows that she's truly lost it. 

She’s infinitely lucky that a knight traditionally rides and walks behind his princess, because just the sound of another prickly sneeze leaves her white-knuckling the leather reins. If she'd seen it, that jolt of want would've run through her even worse and overwhelmed every too-sensitive nerve ending she had. 

When they make it to the stables, after both too much and not enough sniffling and stray one-off releases, Zelda orders her knight to the lake to bathe and seats herself near the fire. The sun, already setting, lights Link's hair aflame in gold as he leads his mare away. When his shoulders twitch once, twice, and he jerks forward, Zelda most certainly does not feel anything about it.  

[wayfayrr]

Love like you ✧*.⚝⋆

Here's the 400 follower raffle grand prize for @wailing-whaler!! Got Sky and reader collecting rocks <3 This went a little off of the initial base, but they do definitely collect rocks together (what a geologist not going utterly obsessed with rocks? it's a miracle) But this was very fun to write!! just soft soft fluff with the soft sleepy boy himself.

[masterlist]

“I’m still sorry for dragging you into this by the way.”

“You aren’t, and you don’t need to keep apologising for something you would happily do again in a heartbeat.”

“I am - I really am, I didn’t mean to drag you here.”

“You are an awful liar.”

He drooped like a puppet cut from its strings at that, offended I bet for calling him out. Despite it being the truth, he knows as well as I do that he was bouncing from the walls when I was brought into the game, happier than I’ve ever seen anyone before in my life. And emotions are new for him, kinda. 

“No- I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Hmph.” 

“Come on, I’ve already said that I really don’t mind it, why are you still so pouty?”

“Cause I wanted to get out rather than trapping you here with me.”

Oh, that admission is new. He’s dodged the reason why he brought me here since it happened, so that makes sense more than anything… The way that he’s leaning on me is also new though, and nice despite his grumbles, which come to a halt as he snakes his arms around me and buries his head into my neck from behind with a soft sigh. 

“Look it doesn’t really matter right now, you’ve got to save zelda right? So we should really get going, gaepora asked me to help you and I really don’t want to make a bad impression.”

That got me a squeeze and a little whine, does - does he not want to save her?

“But no matter how fast I am impa is going to tell me I’m late anyway, so why does it matter… I just wanna spend time with you.”

…

How does he know that..?How does he know what will happen??? He - this is his first time going through this journey… right? But it isn’t is it, even though he’s been trying to act like it is it’s not. I’ve played through this game once already, and he can remember that. The acceptance of it is like a cold chill down my spine, Link already knows me and has been pretending that he doesn’t, half-heartedly but still pretending. Or has he? Just because he hasn’t said it outright doesn’t mean that he’s trying to hide it, maybe he just assumed I knew already. Either way, would I be bothered by him hiding it? It’s not insidious or anything, he’s just like a lovesick puppy. 

“...Love? You - are you alright? I didn’t say something wrong did I?”  

“I was just thinking… link did you know about before?”

“Before? You mean your other playthrough right?”

Well that settles that, he wasn’t trying to hide it. It was just never mentioned, no reason for it to be honest. No one on skyloft needs to know their entire life is a game which could be very easily overheard on the tiny island and sky thought that I knew he knew so why reiterate the obvious already. 

“Sure I didn’t remember completely right away but going through Faron with you here- here brought everything crashing back so quickly.”

His grip on my waist tightened for a split second before loosening, like he’s not sure if I’ll want to be held close now that he’s sharing this. It’s only made clearer by the sigh he lets out as he takes a step away from me.

“I mean I remember remembering you when I tried to get out now, it was like… like when you fell here, on skyloft that is, everything got locked away but since we met the elder kikwi, everything has come back including how felt about it all and how I fell in l-!”

“How you ‘fell in l-’, why’d you cut yourself off there link, I’d love to know what you were going to say.” 

Almost by instinct, my head turns to follow him as he’s fumbling about in his own flustered embarrassment, having said just a tiny bit more than he’d probably meant. Stopping himself mid-word so sharply you’d think he’d bit his tongue to force himself to stop, but not soon enough that I didn’t know what he meant anyway.  

I won’t lie to myself. It’s something strange to know, and honestly all of this is making way more questions than it answers. Questions that it will be pretty hard to get answers too really, for one he and I both know this is a game and yet I’m here - he’s practically a person and… and he’s said it himself. He fell in love with me. But, I don’t dislike that. I really don’t dislike that. 

“I - I fell in love with you, and how you act and all the little things you do and how you make even the smallest things seem exciting, and it’s why I wanted out so badly so that I could hold you close and tell you how much I love every part of you, from the way your hair falls, to the way you smile, how you collect things that others wouldn’t see worth in but you give them so much worth. I can’t even tell you just how much I’ve wanted to get out even if just for a second to hand you a crystal or even a cute pebble I think would bring a smile to your face - even if it meant I’d go back to being trapped in this hell afterwards.”

My face feels like it’s about to set alight, and not from being on an active volcano. He’s still rambling about what made him fall for me, and it’s only getting more and more natural, he’s getting more and more human over time. More real. As with all good things though, it has to come to an end with him looking up only to realise that he’s been going on for a good few minutes now. Ceasing up like a deer in headlights as he struggles to move his mouth again, almost reflexively licking his lips before glancing down confusedly. Better to break through the awkwardness now so that it won’t get any worse. 

“You know, I wouldn’t be against having a relationship with you…”

“- You wouldn’t - I thought that you… you’d… you’d-”

“But.”

“...b-but?”

“I think I’d like to get to know you first link.”

“Wh - What..?”

“Well, right now I haven’t spent much time with ‘you’ you, and I don’t think it’s fair for you if I’m dating you expecting to you to be exactly like the character the game had you as.”

It’s easy to tell he’s thinking about it, with the hurt but pensive look on his face from being denied something he so clearly wanted a yes to. 

“But, I think I’ve been starting to fall for you too, for who you are link. I’d like to spend some more time with you before we have anything romantic.”

He perked up at that, a lot. Which I don’t blame him for. 

“There’s plenty of time for that then, we aren’t in any rush are we?”

“But zelda-?”

“Even if we were to teleport to the end of the dungeon we’d still be too late. Why not take it slow?”

Despite his leather gauntlets his hands are still nice to hold with how he’s intertwined ours, sneaking his fingers so that they snake between mine. Pulling my hand up to rest up on his cheek, leaning into it with a gentle sigh. 

“You’ve talked about wanting rocks from Eldin to study before, how it looked like a different volcano to anything you’ve ever seen. What if we just I don't know, went off and got you as many as you could ever want of them?”

His eyes look almost pleading, begging for me just to say yes, to give him this precious time so that he can win me over to being with him romantically. And really, how could I dream of saying no? Since ending up in skyloft those few weeks ago he’s been nothing but kind, patient and caring towards me and plus even though I said I wouldn’t compare him to the character he’s come to life around, he’s still link. Still the kind-hearted hero that I fell in love with when playing the game for the very first time, who i grew to wish was real when reading comics about his journey, why shouldn’t I be a little selfish when he cares for me as much as I do for him?

“I-”

Biting down hard on his lip now, the pleading look in his eyes switching to something more akin to outright begging. Just for me to say yes. As if there were any other options available to me. 

“I think I’d love to do that with you sky, as long as you’re certain we have the time.”

No words needed to be said after that, his face lighting up like the sky at a new years celebration. I swear if you looked closely you’d be able to see the very fireworks he was initiating in his own eyes. All the while his face was graced with the softest grin I could have hoped to see. It was definitely the right thing to say. 

“So, do you have anywhere that you think would be good places to collect some?”

“You really think after all this I wouldn’t have somewhere nearby in mind?”

“It doesn’t hurt to ask though, does it?”

“Well my pride might have gotten a little bruised, but that’ll heal in time.”

“...Do you reckon a kiss could help speed up that healing?”

“...”

“Link? Are you alright?”

“Are- would you do that for me?”

“If it’ll help fix your pride then, of course… wouldn’t want an injured hero would we?”

That shut him up well and truly, not even his usual confused soft stutters could be hurt as it seemed his code bluescreened at that idea. A full reboot happening in the time it took his face to go through a multitude of different emotions, settling on a gentle, yet mildly confused, look of contentment. Kinda spelling out his answer for me, but still, I’ll wait for clear consent before doing anything more forward than a suggestion. 

“...”

“Take your time, there’s no rush on an answer.”

A nod. Clearly he doesn’t feel comfortable speaking right now, but that's more than fine. It’s not exactly like I’m not used to him being mute again, if anything it’s not an awkward silence as he leads me over to the spot he was thinking of. A small patch to the south of Eldin, littered with just so many different stones. A dream spot for any collector, so close to an active volcano to get fresh samples well as fresh as you can get without quenching the lava. 

Will they even be able to come back out with me? Link seems to think he would have been able to come out of the game, but that only dragged me in here instead. Can I even get - don't ruin this moment with that line of thinking. We can figure that out later. 

“Hey [name], mind coming over here for a moment?” 

“Hmm? Sure, it isn't an issue.”

Speaking again now is a good sign, clearly his brain - does he have one? - has finished dealing with the bombshell I dropped on it earlier. Moving over to him isn’t a bad thing to do though, with whatever he’s holding seemingly a pleasant surprise. As soon as I’m back in front of him, he takes my chin in his hand delicately tilting it upright as he stares into my eyes. Biting down on his lips as he thinks of what to say, lifting up his other hand to my eye level, like he’s comparing whatever he’s holding to them. 

“...It really is the same colour.”

“Oh, why didn’t you tell me we were doing that, I would have been looking as well.”

“No, no collect whatever you’d like for your own collection, I just… wanted to do something where I could still just um… admire your beauty really. If you don’t want this one then, I- I can just keep it instead.”

“I’ll keep it. Thank you link, but really now we've got to get you one too.”

[spadeprincesss]

OK I'll bite, I wanna know more about the Roleswap AU

so i know i begged people to ask about my AU but i’m still really happy you sent this in so thank you!

• Basically the plot of this story is after the events of the manga Vio attempts to bring Shadow back, with very little success.

• He tries method after method until he comes across a forbidden ritual that allows you to bend reality to an extent, this isn’t the triforce however, so doing so has a price (is there some sinister force behind this ritual that decides the price? perhaps).

• This means that when Vio wishes for Shadow to be free of the Dark World and live among them he ends up taking Shadow’s place instead, being transported there. He tries not to panic, figuring he can get himself out of this, and when the others realize he’s missing they’ll come to help right?

• However that’s not what happens.

• Shadow wakes up suddenly in a soft and warm bed, the curtains in the room drawn and letting very little of the morning sun drift in through the cracks.

• He’s a little disoriented, but as he gets up he starts to remember: he’s one of the four heroes of hyrule, they defeated Vaati and now they’ve all gone back to their lives as knights of hyrule. Yeah that sounds right.

• Everything seems fine for a few days until eventually he starts to have dreams he can never recall, but that leaves him feeling empty and anxious. Something was missing, out of place, but he never knows what.

• And it chases him, that feeling. Whenever he’d train in their private grounds and would find old dummies with arrow holes despite none of them having ever used a bow. Whenever he’d pass by the library, the old librarian would ask him in that shaky voice of hers when his friend would be coming over again. And even when he’s in his room and he’ll find old papers and vials he never remembers collecting in the first place.

• And worst of all is his weird reaction to the color purple, all of their reactions really. Last time Shadow had tried to wear the purple scarf Zelda knit him it had made the tension in the room incredibly awkward. They laughed it off as it not being his color but he could see it in their eyes: the confusion, the pain, they felt the same as him. Shadow had put the scarf in his drawer since then, but anytime he sees something– anything– of that damned color it's like a stab to the heart.

• It takes a few weeks, maybe months, all throughout where Vio tries to reach for him, trying to make him remember to no avail. Until eventually it all clicks and Shadow knows what’s wrong… this isn’t his life, its Vio’s life, and they’ve somehow swapped.

• At this point though its too late, because the longer Vio spent in the Dark World the more he starts to get poisoned by it, the magic he used trying to bring balance by turning him into the monster Shadow used to be. Until eventually he too forgets who he was and plays the role of the villain that was defeated by the heroes and now wants revenge.

• It takes a lot but Shadow does manage to find Vio, using his old notes still in his room to create window into the Dark World, but this time there’s someone on the other side who’s powerful enough to get out. So out comes Vio, newly reborn and taunting the heroes who defeated him, but now he’s stronger, he has more power and he’ll kill them all for what they’ve done.

• Vio’s usage of dark magic is much different than Shadow’s, he breaks them all down psychologically, forcing them into trances and hallucinations that have them fighting each other, but Shadow knows these tricks, grew up with them, so he breaks free and tells Vio to remember, to go back to being the hero he was.

• Vio laughs at the prospect and asks why he would ever trust a word he says ever again? However their encounter is cut short by Zelda and the maidens who drive him away, which leads to many questions like “is this what you were working on? reviving one of our foes we almost lost to when fighting Vaati and Ganon?”

• Shadow pleads, hoping maybe at least Zelda remembers, but she doesn’t, it must be Violet tampering with his memories. He’s a master of mind manipulation, you can never be too careful with him.

That’s all I’ll share for now cuz this is long enough but I do have more HAHAHA ♥️

[alternate-triforce]

I promised you all a map, so here is a map of Castle Town (for now)

Some descriptions of areas and an overview under the cut.

CASTLE TOWN

The largest city in all of Hyrule, and the only one not significantly damaged by the Mage War. It is separated into five color-coded "corners," each with their own function. Hyrule Castle is, of course, at the center. It has a rivalry with the second-largest city, Loomington, located in southwestern Hyrule.

Adventurer's Emporium: A one-stop shop for potions, shields, weapons, and anything one might need on a long trek through the Hyrulean wilds. Though most of its goods are of fine quality, they tend to be on the expensive side…maybe try one of those other stores first.

Mystic Violet Market: More of an event than an actual place of interest, but by most tourists it’s treated like one anyway. Merchants from all over Hyrule come here to buy and sell exotic wares, from enchanted stones to strange meats to rushroom oil and anything in between. Entertainers will squeeze in between stalls looking for a generous person to give them some rupees for their time. There are even some special games to play, like bombchu bowling and digging for treasure. After you get past all that glamour, wagons of fresh food from local farms, prepared food and snacks from bakeries and candy shops all across town are usually towards the back. Make sure to watch your purse, though: pickpockets love to sneak into crowds here.

Rogue Soldier Plaque: A large, decorated plaque commemorating the capture of Castle Town's first enemy after Rebirth, a renegade soldier that sacked buildings and burned them with his group of vagabonds.

Flowering Square: Some like to call this the prettiest part of Castle Town. Several years ago a well-respected member of town made it her mission to beautify the Red Corner with flowers cultivated from the nearby mountains, and this is the result of her efforts.

National Library: A large, ornate building with most of the records and knowledge to be had before Rebirth. It has large swaths of resources concerning magic, history, biology, architecture, engineering, and everything in between. Some of the greatest minds in Hyrule linger for long hours here studying, as well as printers transcribing some of the more popular tomes to be printed and sold. The library doesn't allow books to be taken out of its walls, and damaging or destroying an original copy is considered a great crime.

Old Prison: A dingy-looking collection of cells and a connected guardhouse with a small armory, one floor above-ground and the other below. Despite its humble appearance it's contained some of Hyrule's most dangerous criminals. Contrary to the name, this is actually a jail: ALT!Hyrule does not have prisons or a proper prison system.

Old Barracks: If soldiers from the nearby training camp don't have a place to stay, they can cheaply reside here, if they choose. After Rebirth, this was the place where the last remaining soldiers from the Mage War were found.

Magic College: A place of great learning for those interested in becoming mages! Students from all across Hyrule come here to study both magic and how to use it responsibly. The professors here are on the cutting edge of magic, always developing novel ways to apply it to everyday life.

Hyrule Castle: The epicenter of Castle Town, this mysterious building was attacked by Ganon twelve years ago, and it's where he was sealed away yet again by Zelda and the True Mages (or so they say.) Some of its many towers and nooks still remain hidden from the public eye.

Reformatory: To keep people off the streets and give them work to do, the True Mages have developed a system of rounding up the poor and sending them here until they have another place to stay. Despite the apparent good intentions of the project, it's rumored that the Reformatory doesn't treat its residents well.

[leciraofthewilderness]

So, despite some faults, I really enjoyed totk, and on its anniversary I want to say something about it. Other people have said similar things before but it’s really important to me and actually a big part of why the story of totk was meaningful to me, so I want to also say it:

Zelda needed to come back from draconification. The story needed that. It wasn’t lazy and just ignoring “consequences” because (imo) that was the *point*

The point is to feel like there are going to be terrible consequences and then say actually, no. You can come back from this, with the help of other people.

To me at least, that was the theme of the whole story.

If botw was about how the world goes on past loss and grief and starts to heal (how flowers grow in the ruins and the world can be beautiful again, be worth saving, even if it has changed)…then totk was about a more personal kind of healing.

The weight of the world should not be on your shoulders alone…you, alone, should not have to fix everything…you should not have to sacrifice yourself, but when you do, someone will be there to save you from it.

This turned into a really long ramble so:

You (Link) gained so much and now it’s gone. It feels like you’re back to where you started and yet you know you have to do it all again…you were weak and you failed and you’re weaker now…but

You go down to the surface. Monsters swarm across it once again. Other people are fighting them too though. You help, but it’s not just you…

You go to the Rito, the Gorons, the Zora, the Gerudo…just like with the divine beasts, there are friends who help you save each region. But this time, part of them comes along with you when you leave. It’s nice, you realize, the first time one of them protects you from a monster you weren’t prepared for. You’re still weaker than you were before, but someone has your back…

When you go up to the sky you see a strange new dragon there. There’s something about them that feels familiar. You try not to think about it.

You go down to the depths too. It’s terrifying at first. You hate it. You only want to get what you came for and get out of the dark….but slowly, the light grows. You get stronger. The dark feels like a challenge you can face (and someone has your back).

There are spirits down there. You don’t know when they’re from, but some part of you wonders…are these all the people you let die in the Calamity? (You help them find rest from their wandering. The weight on your shoulders feels a little less heavy).

There’s so much gloom. The first few times the sky turns red and hands chase you (a reminder of what you’ve lost, how you failed) you just run. Eventually though, you have to fight. It feels like the (second) worst day of your life again. But you manage to get free of the grasping gloom and stand and fight, as wild and desperate as it is. Beneath the manifestation of your worst fears, there’s another thing to fight, but this time it has a face (a voice in the back of your head says…you know this isn’t all on you and your failure…it’s really Ganon’s fault right?). You get through it.

At every turn in your travels, it seems like something reminds you of Zelda. Her passion, her curiosity, her kindness. You miss her.

At first, the tears you find reassure you. She may be in the past, but she’s safe. She’ll come back somehow…but then you hear the word draconification for the first time. You want to believe she wouldn’t do it but you know her and the fear sits cold inside you. (Zelda is a lot of things. She’s been allowed to be more of them, since she was freed from her hundred year battle, without her father holding her back. But deep down inside her, there’s a vein of self-sacrifice that still runs strong. It’s what saved the world before, after all).

She did it. She really did it. She’s gone from you (from Hyrule) forever, and it’s all your fault. If only you hadn’t failed so utterly in the battle (you can hardly even call it that) under the castle. If only you’d caught her. If only you hadn’t let the sword break. You should have protected her you should have been better it’s all your fault and now she has to live with the consequences, forever. Everything really is on you, you should have been better.

(Zelda POV: you couldn’t call upon Hylia’s power in time, you were too content to let it wither and fade away from you, ready to be free of it. You shouldn’t have. He got hurt, the sword got hurt, it’s your fault…Sonia and Rauru help you channel it again, Sonia helps you learn how to turn back time…but you don’t save her. She dies because you couldn’t save her. Rauru dies not long after. There is no one left to guide you, once again. You could spend years trying to figure it out on your own. But you did that last time. It didn’t work. Self-sacrifice, stepping in front of someone you love, that worked. (You do what you can, to call upon the sages, to help Link in the future, first). And then you swallow the stone. You’ve come a long way, in the past five years, allowing yourself to exist. But in the end, self-sacrifice worked last time. It’ll work this time too.)

You (Link) go down beneath the castle. You were supposed to bring the sages but you didn’t. It’s nice, for someone to have your back. But no one else should get hurt to fix your mistakes.

They follow you anyway. They fight with you, against the hordes, against the greatest enemies you defeated together, along the way. They’ll have your back, even if you don’t think you deserve it.

You fight Ganondorf, and then the demon king, in the hardest battle of your life. You think it’s over and then the demon king decides it’s better to lose himself completely than let you win. You’re exhausted and afraid of yet another battle, but up there in the sky, when you’re falling, the Light Dragon catches you (you wonder why she changed her path to catch you, you wonder if there’s still something of Zelda left in there to save). With her help, you win.

And then you’re in some other realm. The spirits of Sonia and Rauru are there. You remember how the two of them and Zelda channeled such incredible power together. You think about Recall. Turning something back to the memory of what it was before, like Sonia said. You stand with them and you allow yourself to hope. Maybe the Light Dragon can remember the form she took so long ago, the person that she was.

And then you’re falling, and Zelda is falling, but this time you catch her. You catch her. She’s back home with you, finally, finally.

And maybe, one mistake doesn’t have to be the end of the world. You don’t have to be perfect. Sometimes, someone else can stand with you, and it’ll all turn out alright. (You can put the weight of the world on your shoulders, you can sacrifice yourself, but someone will be there to catch you, someone will be there to pull you back to yourself, when all is said and done).

[lazulian-devil]

Does anyone remember Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks? You know. The one with the train.

Point is. This was my first Zelda and I have so many good memories of it. But I know people hated it so I went back in, just to see how much I liked it.

And oh boy. Oh fucking boy.

Is the train riding a little obnoxious? Sure. Especially in the endgame. We all know that.

But the story is so good? The characters are either wonderful or wonderfully stupid? Zelda is such a cool companion character and I still love her as much as I used to. The mechanics are fun, the fucking Dungeons are amazing (and theres so so soooo many!!) and my heart is just so happy.

Everyone mocked me as a child but I love this game. I played for five straight hours yesterday and everything was just so fun. So incredibly, wonderfully fun.

Look, you dont have to care about it. Its a silly spin off. But the writing is genuinely funny, the graphics are absolutely "You get used to it", the fact that you basically control the entire game with your stylus is something that I dont remember ever having to do in a game, the Puzzles are fun, the pacing is (at least for the first five to six hours, meaning that I managed to unlock three of the slates, went through two dungeons and finished three tower dungeons) pretty damn good, the quests I know to be stupid and time consuming but I was also like a child. Anything Ive struggled with or remembered to be hard isnt actually that bad. The map marking mechanic is such a cute idea and I love it. Stamps. The enemies. The characters. The Dungeons!!! Oh my god, the dungeon bosses. They arent hard or mind boggling or all that jazz, but they're fun! And still a little challenging, despite having played the game twice as a child and now having leveled up a few levels in videogame skill. The camera is never annoying. The SOUNDTRACK. The riddles I found overwhelming as a kid are actually pretty easy to solve from context clues. The world has so much intrigue and I know it all gets answered. I never managed to beat the final boss, but I cant fucking wait. I know you can grind your train pieces into oblivion, but I dont think I will (unless I notice that Im majorly struggling). THE SOUNDTRACK.

I wish there was any way to emulate it so I could Show it to other people. Im playing it on a crappy DS Lite that doesnt close properly anymore. Its just...

This is a Nostalgia win, my dudes. An absolute nostalgia win. My heart is singing. I am so Happy. If you own this game or stumble over it, please give it a try. Its so damn charming. Stupid, maybe. But charming. Might write a proper Essay on it because my heart. My poor child heart. Its overflowing.

[yinichigo]

Zelda: Light Enraged

A version of TOTK Zelda where Zelda; upon losing Sonia, snaps, temporarily forsaking her guiding principles of kindness and wisdom in a blind attempt to take out the man who keeps taking away everything she loves.

(little Free writing excerpt below for view into the Mindset of this little au.) (it's gonna be cringe but I gotta share the brainrot with someone. Don't worry it will be below the keep reading line.) (there's a reason I'm an artist not a writer)

____________________________________________

Red. Red like the tainted moon that bathed the world with its horrid light.

Red like Sonia's blood that now stained the late queen's gown.

Red that flowed onto Zelda's arms as she held a woman who she held the lifeless body of one she had come to see almost like a mother close.

Red like the light shining from the now crimson moon that reflected off the tears pouring down Zelda's face as her chest tightened and her body became paralyzed with grief.

Red like the Demon on the Balcony, laughing in victory at it all.

Despite the Demons horrid laugh and shrieking of monsters as they came to life echoed in this distance, Zelda could only hear silence as reality seemed to come to a halt as she looked upon the late queen. It was as if reality was closing in around her, the weight of all her past mistakes holding her like chains. It was as if she was not only looking at Sonia, but Daruk, Mipha, Urbosa, Revali, and even her own father. It was as if they were all looming over her judging her for her inability to save anyone she loved. Zelda snapped back to reality momentarily as Rauru call out to Sonia as he entered the room. "You are too late Rauru." the demon said, Self-satisfaction dripping from his voice. "You took for granted the god-like power you had in your hands. Do you see the potential you squandered? As for her, she is merely the first victim of your arrogance." The words were aimed at Rauru, but neither king could how the words would strike the other person still in the room. Taking one hand from Sonia, Zelda slowly reached for the Secret Stone that lay on her chest. This was no demon in front of them, and it definitely was no god. It was just a power-hungry brute who was flaunting stolen might. Might she and Rauru still had. Might that rightfully belonged to sonia. "You tried to control me, Rauru, and you will die knowing that you failed." Ganondorf laughed as he ready to fire his dark magic as the group. "No." the word was barely a breath as it escaped Zelda. "What was that?" Ganon sneered in disgust "I said No" Zelda repeated as she started to stand, "We have given you mercy and in turn you have taken everything we love. Despite your aggression, we gave you mercy, but that is not a mistake we will make again. It is my duty to protect Hyrule, and that's exactly what Intend to do." The smile on Ganondorfs face twisted into a sick grin as the small woman rose and began to approach, "If that is your wish, I would love to see you try." And fired off the spell he had been preparing.

The dark blast approached Zelda, but just as it would consume her, the growing light from the Secret Stone between her fingers deflected it like a shield. When the darkness and smoke cleared, the once gentle Zelda standing had taken on a new appearance; one as powerful as the demon king standing before her and as dark as her rage.

Rauru called out to her but she could no longer hear. For the time being he or she had become just as lost to him as the late queen. Though he didn't want Rauru knew he had to retreat without Zelda, and though he may be able to lay Sonia to rest, a part of him feared that Zelda may never rest again so long as Ganondorf yet lived. He just hoped that perhaps Zelda's lapse in judgement may yet buy him enough time to rally the nations to aid their fight to save Hyrule, and hopefully save Zelda as well.

[captaincreative]

To Keep Going, Despite It All: Chapter 1

I wanted to transfer this over blink blink hi people.

Fic Masterlist | Next Chapter

~~~

"Hey, now, we're matching!!"

"We're only matching because you found some weird chest with that weird ass tunic in it."

"Hush, Benny Boo."

"Please stop calling me that."

-----

It had been an adventure of sorts. Benny Boo, as you lovingly called him, had been your best friend since you picked up your dad's 3DS to play Majora's Mask. After the initial scare, you both became inseparable. He practically lived inside your phone when you left the house, not wanting to be perceived by others.  And at home, he lived in your room when he wasn't wherever it is he went to talk to some Jeff guy. When it happened, you were 17, and were playing something or other on your Switch. Though, sometimes you did play any Zelda game you could get your hands on, or let Ben play it. He still seemed to love Majora's Mask, but you really liked Twilight Princess. You especially found it funny how the fandom assumes that Link in specific is ambidextrous because of how they can never seem to stick with him being left or right handed. 

The last thing you remember before dropping from the sky is booting up Tears of the Kingdom for the first time on your Switch, with Ben watching over your shoulder. Then, a bright light overtook your room, and the Switch dropped to the floor.

When you and Ben came to, you both figured out pretty quickly what had happened. you had fallen just a ways away from the Temple of Time, Rauru's old and withered arm landing not too far. You had to drag Ben out of the water while he panicked about not being able to touch the floor of the deepish pond. The hand felt like it would crumble at the slightest pressure.

After some more exploring, and everything else you and Ben had to do, you finally got to jump from the Great Sky Island. It was now or never. Ben could float around, so he had nothing to worry about. You, on the other hand, would go splat if you hit anything going down, even the water. And no, you were not taking your chances to see if the water would keep you from getting hurt (forgetting that you landed in a semi-deep pond after a long fall and nothing happened). Though, when you felt hands on your back with enough pressure to send you over the edge, it didn't seem like you had much of a choice to be apprehensive.

-----

It had been almost a year since the two of you had beaten Ganon. You were still looking for anything you missed, helping out anyone you came across that needed help, and hunting Lynels (much to Ben's utter dismay). Recently, you had found the Tunic of Time, which now had you and Ben matching tunics. He did not like this, mumbling about how "this was going to be annoying" with you talking about matching tunics with him. First you had found Midna's Helmet, and now this?? Yeah, he was gonna go insane. But, being your best friend, Ben powered through his annoyance.

Seeing another rushroom hanging on the side of another cliff, you started the climb to get it. Ben had decided to float away to somewhere. When you climbed to the top to put the rushroom in the bag you carried around, you were stopped with a sword pointed at you, and a suspiciously blonde man holding the other end of it. The sword also glowed blue. Which gave away both the sword and its wielder.

"....Alright buddy, let's um, not point a sword and my neck please," you nervously force out, pushing the blade to the side with a finger. All you had to do is figure out which Link this was, since the Link that left this world behind didn't wear green like this one did. Or a blue cape thing. Hyrule Warriors, maybe. You'd pull out your phone right now if Ben didn't take it from you.

The Link, Hyrule Warriors Link that is, pointed the tip of the blade back at you. Wait, did he even have that blade in his game?? He probably doesn't even know what games are. Another Link, also in green, wanders over and looks between both you and HW Link. He looks concerned, and reaches for his own sword just in case.

"Guys, I'm not a threat. If anything, you guys are the threat to me. I was just grabbing a rushroom!!"

"How do we know that??" the Link in front of you questions. Valid, too. You were kinda feral after all the shit you went through. You wouldn't trust you either. So what do you do?? Yeah, you put on the Thunder Helm, and grabbed your bow. Neither of the boys in front of you knew what the helmet was for, but did understand you were not going down easy when you pulled out your bow. It wasn't anything you'd use normally, but the Lizal Bow was all you had on you. Thankfully, you keep enough arrows to kill a Gleeok, and you were not ashamed of it. Before you could even reach for an arrow, you were tackled to the ground by another Link. Okay, you understood that there were a lot of games and most of them had different Links, but this was just absurd. None of them should be here, in Tears of the Kingdom. Only the Link from Breath of the Wild, and apparently, he dropped off the face of the Earth when you and Ben showed up. Him and Zelda, but you know what happened to her, now.

The Link on top of you (not like that) didn't wear green. Odd. But you did see red instead, which made you think of Triforce Heroes. Where was Ben when you needed him?? He should have followed you, that little shit. You doubt he'd like seeing this, but he'd also try his absolute best to get you out of your current situation.

"I'm going to take that off of you, and the traveler is going to take your weapon," the Link in red voices, and the unidentifiable Link starts moving closer to your bow. Hands pulled on the Thunder Helm, pulling it off of your head. You stayed still. Struggling seemed like it would only make the situation worse. The boy in red got off of you with the Thunder Helm in hand, and walked closer to the other Link in green. You stayed put. Again, fighting back would just make things worse.

Well, fighting back against actual people. The gloom hands can go fuck off. You hated those things with a burning passion. It's funny how you have a chunk of one in a jar that you bit off. You almost passed out getting that chunk, Ben scolded you for it, and you had to eat food with two Sundelions cooked into it. But you both did agree it was worth it, and you had bragging rights for surviving that. Honestly, you think you could survive anything, now.

Back on topic, though.

Maybe you should start yelling for Ben. It would be a good idea, but he might just freak out and not be as helpful. He could scare them off, maybe. Or whatever he might do. Hyrule Warriors Link pulls you up by your hair (which hurt like a bitch) and forces you to stand in front of him. Turning to the other two, he asks, "What should we do with them?? I don't think we should allow this thing to run rampant around the champion's Hyrule."

The one in red answers with, "Bring them with us, then."

And, how fun, you're now being dragged somewhere by the hair by Hyrule Warriors Link.

What a great way to get separated, huh??

~~~

Transferred this over, getting the other chapters.

Chapter 1 on AO3

[ganondoodle]

(idk if anyone wants to keep hearing my opinions on totk book stuff but-)

apparently it says that rauru DID have kids, multiple even, which yeah... is kinda necessary for zelda to even be connected to them so much so that sonia can SENSE a blood connection (which, even with all the excuses with magic, is just a little too far for me to suspend my disbelief bc its over, OVER, ten thousand years worth of generations that seperate her from them that one lil touch of the hand can sense that (feels more like an attempt to make you care about them or .. see them as zeldas "better" parents just bc they exchange a few nice words, i never got the feeling they were 'better' parents and its also kinda disrespectful to her actual parents, like sure rhoam wasnt the best but i wouldnt call rauru better just bc he was polite)- i could see maybe the light power of hylia or sth but since its the coolest dude that ever lived rauru now that had it which still doesnt make sense and makes me unreasonably annoyed and she can sense BOTH of their powers in her? nah) the fact theres NOTHING about them in the game itself is just so ... no way they planned any of this

i dont think theres anything they can do or say that wont make be believe they either

are making it up alla 'fix it in post' mentality trying to hastily explain stuff the game never bothers to do to try and appease fans or let it appear as if they thought about it at all

something went really REALLY wrong during development, which kinda seems likely given how the game turned out (im sorry i cannot let go, its not just the writing, the game design too and how little was changed in the map while being so damn expensive, i dont know how people dont feel scammed q_q)

given that they (allegedly) spent the last entire year of development on polish (where??? where????? huh??? like it would make it more understandable (EXCEPT for the price) if there was alot of trouble, which was also bc it got delayed and ... turned out like this, but they dont want to say it, especially given their reputation, with that quote i have heard way too many times 'a delayed game blah blah') i just??

are they just gonna go and do it like they did with kashiwa (kass)? "they uuuh where flying around the whole time ony cool sonau tech maschines, you just dont see or hear from them ooooorrr they were uuuuh out of the country at the time" (sending invitations to other continents to join their glorious kingdom ;) )

(bet they are also gonna say they did all the stuff like ... moving the shrines around (lol?) and lifting the islands up into the sky- which is still weird bc ... didnt they also say they were living in the sky before coming to the surface?? so where?? did they park all their islands on the surface and the mystery kids had the keys so they had to repark them back into the sky after they returned off camera?? xD also why are the islands so different as an environment if they where from the surface? like even the STONE up there is different- and if they were first in the sky then on the surface and the nback in the sky .. why is there not a single yellow tree or grass in the past- you cant really argue that it changed bc they were up there so long bc .. nothing else changed, the suddendly and totally always there sonau buildings are largely in prime condition, only some slightly moldy, and what we see of the glorious past looks barely any different from the present, aside from like ... some standard trees shuffled, no castle yet and that glowy uwu filter DESPITE that stupidly long time frame between it)

[nolongerapileofashprobably]

Should the dev team have committed to Zelda's draconification being permanent and have her stay a dragon at the end, and would that have made for a more honest and poignant ending than the one we got? Some fans think that the ending we got renders her sacrifice completely meaningless and devoid of impact.

The dev team absolutely should NOT have committed to Zelda’s draconification. It would have ruined the entire story and narrative for Zelda’s character and Hyrule itself.

Some people think it made the sacrifice meaningless and devoid of impact. . . But it didn’t. Her choice was her own and it was a statement of dedication to Link and Hyrule as a whole. It was also utterly tragic that she had to do this in order to heal the Master Sword. I am still in utter distress whenever I play the game and watch the memories, despite knowing the ending. Because it’s the tragedy she endured willingly that makes the sacrifice meaningful, not the permanence of it. The sacrifice would hold no value had it been a choice Zelda made knowing she would be reverted.

She didn’t. She thought it was permanent.

And I’m honestly tired of some of these fans just not wanting a happy ending for her character. She deserves peace and a happy life. That’s what she got, which is absolutely justified. And those who think of a story so plainly and only at the big picture miss the details and narratives that point directly towards the ending we actually got.

Let’s talk about if she didn’t turn back.

Firstly, we can start with simple things that personally can be reworked in the future but would create a hurdle for the devs in the future— Zelda would never die as a dragon, she is an immortal being. The Zelda series is quite literally founded upon a reincarnation cycle between Zelda, Link, and Ganon. And only one of them is linked through blood: Zelda. That would cause a bump in the whole reincarnation foundation.

Beyond that, Zelda’s character development would suffer with this choice becoming permanent.

Any fan upset by the ending doesn’t understand the implications of Zelda being granted a second chance. She dedicated her entire life before the calamity to training and praying, only to have her magic awaken AFTER the champions, her father, and nearly Link are killed. Her efforts for the next century keep her body suspended in time and keeps Ganon at bay through her light power. When she wakes up, she is granted a ‘second chance’. In reality, it is simply the life she fought for and rightfully deserved.

So after she made Hyrule her home again, unifying the scarcely populated land and invigorating its culture, she is once again forced to sacrifice everything. This time, she does so as a leader and as one who holds such strong power. Her journey as a Queen leads her to become the very leader she WANTS to be, not the one she was constantly reprimanded to be by her father and the old kingdom. And she learns this throughout her time in the past, with Rauru as her guide.

And that leads us to this point: the belief that to rule is to give up everything.

But where others are punished for this choice (despite Zelda’s warnings, Rauru’s ignorance of Ganondorf’s power leads to Sonia and his own death), Zelda is REWARDED for her choices.

Because she did not just claim that another will defeat Ganondorf and seal him away until present day like Rauru.

Zelda did much more. She raised the sky islands, made a promise with Mineru, solidified the aid of the sages, collected the Master Sword and chose to give LINK the best chance he could have against Ganondorf. Zelda did every single thing she could to ensure Ganondorf would be defeated. She even aids in the final battle, as her will is to end that evil and grant Hyrule the peace she herself will (presumably, to her own knowledge) never experience.

So when she is rewarded for her efforts, by being bathed in sacred light and her body reversed to its previous state. . . It is entirely in line with the narrative thus far. Additionally, Rauru and Sonia present themselves as a ‘second chance parents’ for Zelda. A supportive, patient father in Rauru. A guiding teacher and mother in Sonia.

Tears of the Kingdom mirrors Breath of the Wild in terms of Zelda’s development and story. To give an ending where Zelda remains a dragon. . . It would have been tragic and dishonest to the story that we got.

If you want to read something more in depth and not written by someone with one eye open, this post grants a well rounded answer to this question.

[gimliss]

The Face in the Stone

(Sky Centric)

Sky finds a Ganon carving that looks way too much like Groose, and suddenly he's questioning everything. His friends remind him that Groose was his buddy, curse or not. Sky decides to remember him, because, well, what else can you do?

> --- <

It was just another dungeon, another ruin long since abandoned by time. The stone walls were cracked, ancient carvings worn by the ages, yet some etchings remained untouched, clear as if they'd been carved yesterday. The Chain moved cautiously through the space, wary of lingering traps or enemies, the flickering light of their lanterns casting eerie shadows over the walls.

Sky trailed behind slightly, his fingers absently brushing against the carvings as he walked. He’d always had a deep respect for history—especially the parts connected to Hylia—but something about these carvings unsettled him.

Then he saw it.

A massive engraving, larger than the rest, depicting a monstrous figure with piercing eyes and a mane of flowing hair. A battle was immortalized in stone—warriors clashing against this beast, swords raised high. It was unmistakably a depiction of Ganon.

That in itself wasn’t surprising. Ganon's legend stretched through countless generations, and many ancient dungeons carried his mark. But Sky’s breath hitched in his throat as his eyes traced the features of the monster.

No…

The shape of the jaw. The nose. The hair that, despite its wild and unkempt nature, still bore an uncanny resemblance to—

Sky took an unconscious step back, suddenly lightheaded. His chest tightened, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

No. No, no, no. That didn’t make sense.

But he knew those features. He knew that face.

Groose.

The resemblance was uncanny. Too uncanny. And suddenly, pieces started clicking together in his mind, pieces he had never once considered, pieces he never wanted to.

Demise’s curse. The hatred that would follow him and Zelda forever.

Had Demise… chosen Groose to be that hatred?

A sharp gasp left Sky’s lips, a choked sound that made the others whip their heads toward him.

“Sky?” Time’s voice was firm, but there was a thread of concern woven into it. The others looked at him warily, noting his paled complexion, the way his breath had turned ragged.

Wild stepped forward, looking between Sky and the carving. “What is it?”

Sky’s fingers trembled as he lifted them to the stone, brushing over the engraved jawline as if the act alone could disprove what he was seeing. “This face…” he whispered.

Wind squinted at the carving. “What, Ganon? Yeah, we kinda figured he’d show up down here.”

“No,” Sky murmured, his voice nearly inaudible. “No, you don’t understand. He… I know him.”

The room went silent.

Hyrule frowned, stepping closer. “You know him?”

Sky swallowed, his throat dry. He tore his gaze from the stone and turned to face the others. “He looks just like someone I knew. Someone from my time. A friend.”

There was a pause.

“...Sky,” Legend said slowly, watching him carefully, “do you know what you’re saying?”

Sky laughed, but it was a hollow, breathless thing. “I think I do. And I hate it.” He ran a shaking hand through his hair, looking back at the carving. “Demise’s hatred was supposed to follow me and Zelda forever. But I thought— I thought it was just his spirit, not—” His voice caught. “Not someone I knew.”

Realization dawned across the group, horror settling in.

“He was cursed into being Ganon,” Warriors muttered. “Or at least, into being his reincarnation.”

Time stepped forward, his expression unreadable, but his eyes betrayed his concern. “Are you sure?”

Sky let out a bitter, almost hysterical laugh. “He had red hair. His jaw, his nose— It’s him, Time. I know it’s him.” He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but his chest felt tight, his lungs unwilling to expand properly. “Every time we—” He stopped, swallowed. “Every time a Link has killed Ganon, they were killing him. Killimg a version of Groose.”

A heavy silence filled the room.

Sky’s hands clenched into fists, his breath shuddering. “Does that mean that in the future, he betrays me? That he turns into that?” He gestured sharply at the carving, his voice cracking. “Is that what happens to him?”

His vision blurred for a second, and he realized his eyes were burning. He quickly wiped at them, pressing his palms into his face. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.

Twilight was the first to move, stepping up and placing a hand on Sky’s shoulder. “Sky,” he said softly. “We don’t know if that’s what happened.”

Sky let out a sharp exhale, shaking his head. “But what if it is? What if Demise’s curse twisted him into—” He gestured to the carving again, unable to even finish the sentence.

Twilight crossed his arms, his face grim. “If that’s true, then it means he never had a choice.”

“And neither did we,” Hyrule murmured.

The weight of the realization hit them all at once. Every Link here had fought Ganon in some form. Every Link had killed him. If what Sky was saying was true, then every single one of them had played a part in this curse.

Legend, the first to snap out of his shock, immediately put a hand on Sky’s other shoulder, squeezing firmly. “Look at me,” he said.

Sky didn’t move.

“Sky.”

Slowly, Sky met his gaze.

“We don’t know the whole story,” Legend said. “Even if this is true, even if Groose ended up being tied to the curse somehow… that doesn’t mean he betrayed you. And it doesn’t mean you betrayed him.”

Sky took a shaky breath, but he still looked lost.

Time finally stepped in, placing a firm hand on Sky’s back. “You said he was a friend,” he stated.

Sky nodded weakly.

“Then remember that,” Time said. “No matter what Demise did, no matyer what fate may have forced upon him, Groose was your friend. That is not something that can be erased by a curse.”

Sky’s breath hitched, but he nodded again, a bit more firmly this time.

There was a long moment of silence before Warriors spoke. “And…” he said carefully, “even if Demise did set this up, even if Groose was tied into this—” He looked at the carving, then back to Sky. “We can’t change it.”

Sky flinched.

Warriors hesitated, then pressed on. “I’m not saying that to be cruel. I wish there was a way. But we all know better than to think curses that old—curses from a god—can just be undone.”

The words settled over them, heavy and suffocating.

Sky inhaled sharply, his fingers curling at his sides. “So that’s it, then?” he whispered. “Groose is just… doomed? Every cycle?”

No one answered.

And maybe that was the answer in itself.

Sky felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Legend was the first to step in again, his grip on Sky’s shoulder tightening. “Listen,” he said, voice firm. “You may not be able to change the curse. But you can still remember him. You still have him. You can still make sure that he and his name, isn’t lost. You can still be there.”

Sky swallowed hard.

“We can’t fix this. We don't know how,” Wild admitted, voice soft. “But you don’t have to bear it alone.”

Sky took another breath, deeper this time, though it still felt like there was a weight pressing on his chest. Slowly, he nodded.

Legend gave his shoulder a final squeeze before stepping back. “Alright,” he said, clearing his throat. “I think we’ve had enough horrifying revelations for one dungeon. Let’s get out of here before something else decides to shatter our worldviews.”

Twilight snorted. “Agreed.”

The group slowly gathered themselves, but the air still hung heavy.

Sky lingered near the back, looking at the carving one last time.

He couldn’t fix it.

But he wouldn’t forget.

[smilesrobotlover]

Chapter 2- The Upheaval

First|| -> next

AO3

Summary: it’s been three years since Calamity Ganon attacked Hyrule, and everyone was recovering well from it. Until the strange substance gloom appeared, making people sick when they touched it. Wanting to find answers, Zelda and the champions went beneath the castle against her father’s wishes to try to solve the problem. Meanwhile, the King of Hyrule is desperately trying to figure out more about the gloom, though no one knows the true danger lurking beneath Hyrule…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The world was bathed in golden sunlight, with bright green trees scattered across the town and the castle courtyards. It was warm, with a gentle breeze that rustled the leaves and grass, making a quiet shh sound through the air. The birds were chirping cheerily as they flew through the wind, and it overall was a beautiful day. Yet none of it calmed the unease Rhoam had lurking in his heart. He felt nauseous as he walked through the halls of the castle, his chest feeling as if it were constricted which made his breathing shallow. Sweat dripped down his forehead as a lump remained in his throat, but he made an effort in hiding his true feelings from everyone that saw him as they passed down the halls. Fortunately there weren’t a lot of maids or guards in the hallways, and he was mostly alone with his two bodyguards: a Hylian from Hateno named Ammon and a Hylian from Lurelin named Orman. But even then he didn’t let his true emotions out. He needed to be strong right now, to be an anchor and a sign of hope for his people. Especially now more than ever.

Three years. Three years have passed since the calamity, yet Hyrule was already showing signs of danger. A strange substance called gloom had appeared in the castle; it stuck to the walls, the floors, and poisoned the trees that were nearby. The gloom was only there for a month, yet it spread all the way to Castle town, wreaking havoc on the people. Zelda made an effort to research the gloom, sending out researchers to make sure it wasn’t malice. To their relief, it wasn’t, yet to their despair it was far worse than malice. Anyone who came into contact with malice would get severe burns from the substance—it was painful, but easily treatable. Gloom, however, fatigued those who touched it. It sucked all hope and life out of them, and all they could do was to lay there until the terrible feelings went away. It took weeks for the first person infected to feel well, and the hospitals were being filled quickly with patients who remained stagnant in their recovery. Many researchers, Zelda included, had theories that the substance was a strange fungi or mold, but none of its characteristics matched such things. It was becoming overwhelming, and a dreadful thought of another disaster striking their fragile and recovering kingdom was becoming too much for Rhoam. The calamity took its toll on him, and he’s surprised he didn’t suffer a heart attack during it.

He took over every responsibility he was able to during the calamity in an attempt to get Zelda to focus on awakening her power. It was the only piece they needed, therefore it was top priority. Everyday being met with scorn, stress, criticism, and fear over what would befall his kingdom.

Her kingdom.

His wife’s responsibility, soon to be his daughter’s. He’d done everything he could to make sure she still had a kingdom to inherit. But now he feared it was going to crumble at their feet with this new threat. They couldn’t handle another calamity.

And Rhoam could feel himself growing ill from the fear.

A desire to take over everything again so his daughter wouldn’t have to endure any of the stress almost overtook him, but he knew he couldn’t do it this time. Zelda was twenty now—she was capable, strong, and despite still being timid, she was a remarkable leader. He didn’t trust her back then and it nearly cost him his life. He couldn’t make that same mistake now. He couldn’t hurt her again.

Rhoam made it to his room and he nodded at his bodyguards, who understood that he wished to be left alone. They remained outside his door as he entered, ignoring the strong desire to fall onto his soft bed. Instead, he walked across the large room, opened the door to his balcony, and looked out across his kingdom, soon to be Zelda’s. He allowed his mind to go blank as he stared, Castle town almost looking like a ghost town as most of its inhabitants were either inside or moved out.

It was far too similar to the calamity.

A gentle knock came at his door, and he turned as it opened slowly. To his surprise, his daughter peeked her head through, her brows drawn together as she nervously eyed Rhoam. She rarely came into his room.

“Zelda,” he greeted, forcing a smile as he went to greet her. “And to what do I owe this pleasure?”

Zelda also forced a small smile back and stepped inside. She stopped right in front of him and stood up straight as if she were a soldier awaiting orders. It hurt Rhoam’s heart to see his own daughter acting in such a way around him, but he couldn’t blame her. It was his own fault for such a dynamic happening.

“Father, I came to ask you something,” she started, her voice soft and nervous. She was going to ask him something he didn’t approve of. It was all too familiar to him. “This gloom is growing dangerous, and we need to find a way to deal with it.” she shifted slightly, her hands fidgeting with each other. “But the only way we can do that is to find out where it’s coming from.”

Rhoam let out an exasperated sigh. He knew it. “Zelda, going beneath the castle is forbidden. It has been for thousands of years.”

“I-I know, but the further we go under the castle, the more gloom that shows up.” She straightened herself again, clearly trying to appear confident. “It’s not just on the walls, but it’s in the air.”

“Then it is no place for you, my daughter,” Rhoam said simply. Even if the gloom originated from beneath the castle, he wasn’t going to let his daughter of all people explore it. She frowned slightly and sighed.

“Haven’t you ever wondered why we’re not allowed down there? Nothing from my studies answered why, none of the kings and queens before us answered why. Why must we follow their directions blindly when clearly the answer to the gloom is where it’s forbidden?”

Rhoam thought for a moment. He couldn’t blame Zelda for wanting answers; he remembered he was the same way when he first married into the family. But his wife made it very clear to not travel below the castle. He found it silly, but he knew better than to question the royal family. After a moment of thinking, he finally shook his head.

“We must look into it more before we break the most ancient rule,” he finally said, and Zelda’s frown deepened.

“We won’t have time. I have a feeling that something is going to happen. Don’t you feel it too? The air isn’t right today.”

Rhoam closed his eyes and nodded. He was too tired to argue this further. “I fear disaster will strike if we were to go down there. My decision is final, Zelda. Give it more time.”

Zelda’s glare melted away, and instead of her usual upset response to rejection, it was a resigned acceptance.

“Very well, father,” she muttered, turning away to leave the room.

“I’m sorry,” Rhoam quickly called out, wanting to ease the tension slightly, but Zelda only forced another smile. She left the room quickly and Rhoam let out a sigh, allowing himself to finally lay on the bed. The tension in his head cleared slightly as he rubbed his temples and he groaned. He hated it, he hated being king, he hated seeing Zelda look at him the way she did, he hated feeling like every action he took was a mistake, he just hated it all.

Rhoam laid there for a moment, staring at the ceiling blankly. He almost couldn’t wait for Zelda to become queen so he didn’t have to tell her “no” anymore, but he knew he needed to wait. She needed to feel ready for taking on such a tremendous responsibility unlike him when his wife died. But he felt years of his life being stripped away from the stress of it all, and he didn’t know how much longer he could take it.

A beeping sound broke him from his thoughts, and he sat up, looking for where the sound came from. He heard it again and he looked down at himself, spotting his Sheikah slate that was glowing. Since the three years, Purah and Robbie wasted no time in developing more of the slates for those of importance. They only made a few; one for Zelda, Impa, the champions, the first knight, and of course, himself. They were developing more slates for the leaders of the different towns and villages, that way they could have quick contact in case disaster struck, but production was paused to find a cure for gloom. Rhoam admittedly used to find the bits of technology that weren’t the guardians or divine beasts rather childish, but since the calamity, he grew to have a greater appreciation of all of it. Quick communication (though it was rather finicky depending on where they were) was remarkably convenient, and teleporting to the different towers across Hyrule saved days of time. The things technology was capable of doing were incredible.

He only wished it wasn’t so confusing.

Rhoam frowned at the screen as he tapped several buttons, opening the map at least twelve times before finally getting to what beeped at him in the first place. To his surprise and dread, it was a message from Impa. Her message read:

I found something at the Great Plateau. Come quickly.

He reread the short message, rubbing his head tiredly. It was a concerning message to receive from Impa. Why did she need him of all people? What did she find that required the king’s attention? He was also frustrated at how vague it was—Impa normally gave very detailed explanations in her messages, so what did she find that caused her to be so vague? He hopped off his bed, not wanting to waste anymore time. Rhoam trusted Impa, and he knew that she needed him if she requested him personally.

He left his room, giving his guards a nod and pulling out his Sheikah slate. It took a long moment until Rhoam figured out how to teleport both him and his guards to the Great Plateau, but soon they disappeared in a blue light. The feeling of his body dissipating then materializing in a new area made him far more nauseous than before, and he stumbled slightly on the tower. Orman rested his hand on his shoulder to steady him, which helped.

“I’m alright,” he muttered after his vision cleared, and he straightened his back despite the slight vertigo. He faced the Great Plateau, a place he grew all too familiar with during the calamity. Glancing down at his Sheikah slate, Rhoam opened Impa’s message again, using his pointer finger to type his own message to her.

Where are you?

His bodyguards watched amused as he fumbled with the thing, finally sending the message before letting out a sigh. The air was calm here, but he did feel the unease in the world that Zelda had mentioned. Nausea built up in him again, and he decided to sit down on the tower while he waited for Impa to respond. His guards stared for a moment, standing in front of him with their weapons in their hands as if an attack were to happen at any moment. Eventually, Orman stepped closer to the king, his spear put away.

“Are you alright, my King?” He asked, and Rhoam only waved his concern away. He was always so compassionate.

“I’m alright… I’m just tired.”

“Is it the gloom?”

Rhoam didn’t respond, but he didn’t need to. The gloom was worrying everyone after all. But still, he didn’t want to seem… vulnerable to his own guards. He was always a hardened soldier, being the first knight of Hyrule before becoming the prince consort. Yet here he was, on the verge of a breakdown.

Orman didn’t press further to Rhoam’s relief, and his Sheikah slate finally beeped in his hands. The king scrambled to open the message, excitedly reading what Impa said.

At the cabin by Owa Daim Shrine.

He let out a sigh and stood up, facing the direction to the shrine. If he recalled correctly, the shrine was on a cliff side, which then led to the cabin across the cliff. He supposed it’d be quicker to teleport there, but…

No, figuring out how to teleport would take too long, as would trying to get down from the cliffside safely. Rhoam had a paraglider on him at all times, but his guards didn’t. It would be better to walk.

“Let’s go,” he said, walking to the opening in the ground on the tower. It took a long moment to get down since they had to climb to different platforms surrounding the tower, and Rhoam made a note to have his guards carry around paragliders to make traveling easier (though Rhoam rarely traveled out of the castle). He finally landed on the ground, stretching out his sore arms with Ammon close behind. Orman took the longest, losing his patience when he finally reached the platform and opting to jump off instead of climbing. Rhoam felt his heart stop when he landed from such a height, but the tall man was perfectly fine, simply brushing himself off. He let out a relieved sigh and faced south, marching towards the cabin with his guards behind him.

The Great Plateau was a place Rhoam and his guards grew familiar with since it was where they escaped to during the calamity. Many soldiers were wounded and left behind in battles throughout the kingdom, and Rhoam, having just escaped the castle, made an effort to gather them to the Temple of Time where they could get help. The healers in the sacred place helped his soldiers, meanwhile the king traveled around the plateau, killing all monsters and guardians that threatened his men. He remembered the days staring at the castle that was overflowing with malice, with red glowing lights of guardians surrounding what was once his home, praying to Hylia that Zelda was somewhere safe. The memories from the plateau weren’t entirely pleasant since Rhoam was filled with anxiety over his kingdom and daughter, but he couldn’t help but feel strangely nostalgic as he passed by Eastern Abbey. During the hardest moment of his life, it was the first time his world was quiet, and he was alone. Sometimes he missed the quiet nights he spent in the Forest of Spirits, or the peaceful mornings on Mount Hylia, but he supposed it was the price for being King.

He only hoped Zelda would at least get those quiet moments when she became queen.

Almost on instinct, he sent a prayer to Hylia, something he did so often during the calamity. He prayed that Zelda would not have to suffer the same way he did, that she would be safe, and that she would be a powerful queen to her people. The prayer was quick, but it filled him with some peace. The goddesses did well watching over her after all.

It didn’t take long for the group to reach the cabin, and Rhoam quickly refocused his attention on the task at hand. It was silent save for the rustle of leaves on the trees, and the cabin seemed strangely empty. He walked up to the door and let out a sigh, knocking on it three times.

“Impa,” he called out, opening the door, “it’s King Rhoam, I—”

Rhoam stopped when he peeked inside the room. It was messy in the cabin, with some papers scattered about and random decorations on the table and dressers. But at the end of the table, he found a large man clad in red, with a mask covering his face.

“Kohga?” Rhoam blurted out, stepping into the room fully. Ammon quickly squeezed past Rhoam, putting himself in front of the king protectively.

“That’s Master Kohga to you, thank you very much,” the Yiga clan leader corrected, leaning against the chair casually. “About time you’d get here, you sure kept me waiting.”

Rhoam stared for a moment, blinking at him in disbelief. “You—did you send the message?”

Kohga took out a Sheikah slate, waving it around. “Yes.”

Fury bubbled within Rhoam. Of course. Goddesses of course this would happen to him. Amongst the catastrophe that is the gloom, of course something would happen that would waste his time.

“I don’t believe this,” he muttered, spinning around and leaving the cabin abruptly.

“W-wait! Your Highness–” Kohga suddenly appeared right in front of Rhoam, smoke and talismans fluttering in the king’s face. “You came all this way and now you’re gonna leave—”

“I don’t have time for your pranks, Kohga,” Rhoam snapped, “I’m going back to the castle.”

“Hold on!” Kogha put his hands on Rhoam’s shoulders to stop him from walking, but a smack from Orman’s spear made them draw back. Ammon once again put himself between the two despite being half their size, and Kohga finally backed away with an annoyed huff.

“What do you want, Kohga?” Rhoam finally asked, fury apparent in his voice. “How did you get Impa’s Sheikah slate? Did you steal it from her?”

“No no no!” Kohga denied. “I would never steal from Impa! Maybe if it was Link or someone else, yes I would, but I would never steal from Impa—”

“Then why do you have her Sheikah slate? Where is she?”

“She’s fine. She’s with her sister right now, calm down. I just needed her slate so I could message you,” Kogha poked Rhoam in the chest harshly, and the king’s glare deepened. “Y’see, I found something on this plateau that requires the king’s attention. Obviously.”

“Why didn’t you just request an audience with me?” Rhoam asked, watching as Kohga began pacing in front of him.

“Oh come on, that would’ve taken weeks! You’re a popular guy, you know that? And besides, why would anyone let me, the master of the Yiga, into the castle? Think about it,” Kohga glanced down at Ammon. “Short-stack right here would’ve gutted me alive.”

Rhoam sighed and put his hand on Ammon’s shoulder to calm him, and he stepped closer to Kohga. “Alright. What is so important that you took a classified piece of technology from my daughter’s advisor to contact me?”

Kohga was suddenly at his side, his arm wrapped tightly around his shoulder. “Well I’m glad you asked, ‘ol Rhoam-y boy.”

Rhoam pulled away and glared at him. “Don’t call me that. And stop touching me.”

Kohga ignored him and pointed back to the north. “The Forest of Spirits! That’s where I need to show you!”

Rhoam groaned, rubbing his aching head. “ And why didn’t you just ask me to meet you there?”

“Because I need to exercise my legs. Now come on, Rhoam-y boy!”

Rhoam only watched as Kohga ran ahead, who was already losing his breath.

“Are you seriously going to humor this guy?” Orman asked as he walked up next to Rhoam. The king only sighed. He knew better than to trust the Yiga; they helped save the kingdom, which couldn’t be ignored, but it didn’t erase the things they did in the past. Admittedly, he didn’t know if he could trust Kohga, but his daughter trusted him… so…

“Maybe he does have something important to show me,” Rhoam simply answered, not wanting to argue further, and he began to walk to Kohga who was panting for air. He heard his guards’ footsteps behind him, but they sounded reluctant as they crunched the dead leaves beneath them.

Rhoam made sure to keep his distance from Kohga as they walked, which wasn’t very easy seeing how the man could barely run. Though Rhoam couldn’t judge him too much, since he found himself out of breath as they walked up a few slopes.

It felt like hours until the group finally reached the Forest of Spirits, time feeling like it was being thrown away the longer they took. The more he walked, the more anxious he felt, and he couldn’t help but eye the trees around him. Kohga was rambling ahead of them, talking about walking trees, cave monsters, and Talus’s with bokoblins making camp on them. Absurd things no doubt, and Rhoam couldn’t tell if it had anything to do with what he was going to show him, but he chose to ignore him anyways. After a few minutes of walking through the woods, Rhoam finally stopped, his patience growing thin.

“Kohga, where in these woods are we headed to?”

Kohga stopped and turned around, his hand on his chest as if he were offended. “Patience Rhoam-y boy, goddesses.”

“I told you to stop calling me that—”

“A-HA!” Over there!” Kohga suddenly shouted, sprinting to the north of the plateau. Rhoam only glanced back at his guards, who gave him uncomfortable looks. The group jogged to keep up with Kohga, who went back to rambling.

“You see, I was walking around these woods… where I found a strange structure built by nature,” he panted in between breaths, turning his head back occasionally. “It’s not actually in the woods, but it’s closeby. A strange structure that may mean something important!”

It was clear that Kohga was amping up the dramatics, but Rhoam couldn’t tell if it was because the Yiga leader was just a dramatic person, or if he was being genuine. He just prayed that this wasn’t a waste of time. Kohga suddenly sprinted ahead and ran out of the trees, continuing to ramble as Rhoam pumped his legs to keep up.

“Personally I think it’s truly a piece of art, but I had to see what the king would say if he were to see it—”

Kohga abruptly stopped, and Rhoam rammed right into his back. He peeled himself away from the man, huffing as he straightened his beard. Kohga only shuffled his feet as if nothing happened, growing noticeably uncomfortable.

“Uh-oh.”

Rhoam frowned at the strange behavior Kohga was now exhibiting, and he moved to his side.

“What are you—” Rhoam began to ask, but he turned his head to see what Kohga was staring at, and dread sank into his stomach.

Gloom. Gloom that covered the cobblestones and grass in large puddles, gloom that covered the shrine, turning the ethereal blue light into a sick red, gloom that was a mist coming out of the ground around the shrine.

No.

It was spreading.

The silence was heavy as Rhoam stepped ahead, staring at the puddles of gloom that was scattered across the ground. He felt his throat close up as he got closer to one, nausea assaulting his stomach. Goddesses, it was spreading. It was no longer in Castle town, it was on the Great Plateau.

Where else had it spread? How far would it go?

“Well, this is not what I wanted to show you,” Kohga suddenly spoke up, staring at the ground around him. “This uh… wasn’t here an hour ago.”

Rhoam turned to stare at Kohga, his brows pinched together. It was spreading fast, it seemed. Goddesses…. What could he do? There wasn’t a cure from gloom poisoning, there wasn’t a way to remove the gloom, he felt… helpless.

Except…

Beneath the Castle…

Of course—of course, how could he be so foolish?

Zelda was right. It seemed the only way to deal with the gloom was to explore where it was forbidden. They needed to get down there, to find answers…. Maybe there was a way to remove the horrid gloom. Maybe there was a way to save the kingdom once again. The king found himself by the shrine, the panel flickering as gloom covered most of it. He still felt a strong sense of dread, but he had to push it away, they needed to act now.

“King Rhoam?” Orman called out. He was across the pond where Rhoam stood, with Ammon and Kohga further back. Rhoam took a deep breath and nodded at his guard, pushing the ill feelings back to make way for the motivation.

“We’re going back to the castle, and we’re going to explore deep into its depths,” he explained simply. “Zelda is right, the answer to this gloom may be down there. We cannot dawdle any longer.” He turned back to the shrine, staring at the gloom infecting it. “This gloom will spread further throughout the kingdom. We must stop it before it gets to that point.”

“Well it’s a good thing I did call for you then, huh?” Kohga called out, but Rhoam glared at him. He truthfully didn’t want to admit that whatever Kohga had planned was actually useful, and he simply turned to look at his guards.

“Let’s head back to the castle so we can—”

A sudden heave of the earth cut him off, and he fell back onto the panel of the shrine. His vision went white for a moment as his head smacked the panel, and his hand planted itself onto a gloom puddle. The strange sensation of the gloom beginning to worm its way into him caused him to flinch back, and he sat up away from the horrid substance. His head was aching worse than before, his hands felt numb, but from what he felt he wasn’t actually poisoned with gloom to his relief. When he glanced to see if the others were alright, he saw that Kohga was still standing, though looking confused, while his guards were on the ground. Rhoam attempted to scramble to his feet, but the earth heaved again, this time shaking violently. Dust flew into his eyes, immediately blinding him, and he covered his face with his sleeve. The earth roared around him, the sound of shaking trees, rocks, and the shrine flooding his ears, so much so he could barely hear his guards shouting for him. The king grabbed onto the shrine behind him, pulling himself up, but his hand once again touched the gloom covering the shrine. Dread clenched his heart, and he pulled away, only to fall back to the ground. He looked up again to see his guards sprawled out on the ground, Kohga missing, and rocks falling out of the sky.

“Oh goddesses,” he prayed, watching in horror as he spotted figures of islands in the clouds appearing as rocks fell from them, being trailed by a mysterious green light. Many of the rocks fell around them, which made the shaking worse for them. They were unsafe here and they needed to get away. Somehow.

“A-Ammon! Orman!” He called out, scrambling to his feet so he could meet with his guards. “We need to get out of h—”

Before he could finish, a loud crack from the ground interrupted him, and the ground suddenly gave way. Rhoam could only gasp as he fell backwards, plunging into darkness, with the light of the world growing smaller and smaller.

[jettermelon]

I think this is a week or two late, but there was some fantastic discussion happening on TTRPG Tumblr earlier this month about incentive systems in rpgs - @thydungeongal, @imsobadatnicknames2, and @cavegirlpoems all have good posts that you should read. I’m here though to talk about incentive systems in games more generally. I’m seeing a lot of confusion in the notes of those posts about why they’re used in the first place (and also because I’m trying to articulate my own thoughts about them! I’m still a baby designer trying to figure out how all this works).

So real quick, let’s all get on the same page. Games are a voluntary limitation of agency, right? While playing the game, participants agree that certain arbitrary actions are off limits, while other actions are desirable. Which actions are off limits and which are desirable then create a certain experience. Go Fish and Texas Hold ‘em play fundamentally differently, and create a different emotional experience in their players, despite literally using the same components. The only difference is which actions are off limits, and which are desirable. We then play those games because the emotional space that play creates is... well fun. The whole point of rules in games is to put players in a specific emotional space. 

This same idea can then be applied to more complex or thematic games. For example classic board game Clue loosely simulates the experience of being an old school mystery novel detective. It drip feeds you clues, and because the first player to correctly guess whodunit wins, players are encouraged to make their guess before they’ve mathematically “proven” the solution. Winning at Clue, then, requires some deductive reasoning skills, and when everything’s working it makes you feel like the hero in an Agatha Christie novel. That feeling is the goal of Clue’s design.

Okay, sweet, so we all agree that systems when voluntarily engaged with can create certain emotional states in the player - and those systems can be deliberately designed to invoke specific fantasies (this is what folks mean when they say “game design is real” btw!). Now I want to take a look at incentive systems specifically. So far the games I’ve used as examples all have the same, very simple incentive system: do a specific Thing and you win. Even with such a simple system, you can get a lot of mileage. Again, to win at Clue you have to name the murderer before anyone else. That “before anyone else” bit is key here. It encourages the player to be risky - to try and deduce what the other players know. That way they can make a call before anyone else has the chance to gather enough clues to solve the puzzle through process of elimination. That single incentive system contains most of the game’s fantasy. Change how you win a bit, and the game no longer fulfills its fantasy. If multiple players could win, you would no longer have incentive to make a call before you had literally all the information and therefore no deduction would be necessary. 

Now obviously “winning” doesn’t have to be the only incentive, especially as your game gets more complex. Let's take a step out of the tabletop realm for a sec (there are other board games I could use here, but all that’s coming to mind are fucking Nerd Games™ and I want to keep my examples accessible) and take a look at the most recent Legend of Zelda games. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have incentive systems a lot closer to your typical TTRPG than something like Clue does. Sure, there’s the main quest to win the game (kill Matthew Mercer), but that’s really difficult to do at the start. And also like... not really the fun part of those games. The fun part is exploring Hyrule. And whether you realized it or not, the Zelda designers bribed you into engaging with the fun part of their game. 

Imagine for a second if Breath of the Wild was missing its Shrines, Korok Seeds and sidequests. Literally the exact same game, same level geometry, same backstory, same enemy placement, just no rewards out in the wild. It would kind of suck yeah? You’d get tired of exploring right away, and just play it like an action game. Even if you added back in the parts of the game most of us consider fun (Shrines, Korok puzzles, actual content to find out in the wild) but withheld the rewards which make Link stronger (loot, Spirit Orbs, Korok seeds, etc), only completionists would bother doing any of that. The rewards are what lured us into the fun part of the game - without the rewards the game would have been less fun. Not only that, but it would have lost its core fantasy. It would have stopped being a game about exploring the wild, and turned into a game about killing an evil pig. All you had to change was the incentive system.

I think you're seeing how this applies to TTRPGs now. The things which make a player character stronger (that is to say, gives them more agency over the gameworld) are the things your players will gun for. A smart designer is going to make sure their incentive system rewards play which guides players to the game’s core fantasy. If your game is about being a badass monster hunter, XP for killing monsters is a fine reward structure. If the game is about making your and your friend’s OCs kiss, then you need a reward structure that incentivizes OC smooching. 

Now some of you are protesting “but my friend’s OC and my OC smooch in D&D sometimes! What gives Lucy?” What you’re doing there is called playing pretend (a fantastic pastime, this is not meant as a knock on playing pretend. I do it all the time actually), but you shouldn’t give D&D or its designers credit for that. YOU AND YOUR FRIEND are responsible for that cool story - not WotC. Take credit for the cool shit you and your friends make, don’t give it to some corporation. 

Idfk how to end this uhhhh.... Game design is really cool, and it can incentivize real neat stories when properly utilized. If you’re ignoring your game’s designed reward structure, then the cool stories that come out of it are a result of you and your friends being good at telling stories (seriously go give your GM a big ol’ hug if you haven’t already), not the game. If you are the GM and regularly ignore your game’s incentive systems, there are probably other games which better reward the style of play you want. Love yourself more than you love D&D and life is good. Or whatever