#its great. sheik is doing great

[kagoutiss]

“what does sheik actually do in this au” fair question. everything

[rawliverandgoronspice]

Gantober #27 - An Aria For Pigs

[Downfall Timeline, Death, Grief, Mild Description of a Dead Body, Mild Body Horror]

The Hero of Time is nowhere to be found. The princess of a doomed kingdom takes matters into her own hands. As always, Impa follows right behind.

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You can read it on Archive of Our Own Here!

I haven't beta'ed it, it's kind of weird and very Unhallowed Vespers' related, but it's also some weird Impa and Ganondorf and it's also spooky and also Impa almost says fuck. :>

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It is unknown when or how, or even if, the Hero of Time had died.

Most people left in Hyrule still believe in heroes. They trust that a mythical figure will rise from the ashes of a golden age long since consumed, and put an end to their common misery. They are hylians after all —unused to the idea of coping with despair, its prolonged chafing. Impa can hardly blame them for it. But she knows.

She has known for a long time.

The princess had fidgeted with the idea herself, independently, but had refused to accept it for as long as she could. Denial curdled into obvious delusion until it suffocated her. Impa chose to keep her mouth shut and let her process this on her own terms. The absence of light may be Impa’s domain, but Zelda still clings to its presence, seeking it sometimes beyond reason. At seventeen, Zelda no longer identifies as a princess —princess of what? Her kingdom had been stolen, her lands scorched and torn into crude, uneven parts— and now she hid in dusty clothes Impa pulled from secret crevices near Kakariko. Bandages, daggers and bones. Zelda is now known as Sheik. Why the hell not. They had picked the name together; a title rather than a name, not that anyone still alive would know but Impa. And yet, despite that process of reshaping her identity for protection and safekeeping, the poor girl still knows to embrace her divine role within the fate of the world. So does Impa. This is what she tells the girl, in great detail: everything known about the course of time, godliness, destiny. The rules of the holy land they were born to preserve.

Perhaps this is what had convinced the princess to take the matter into her own blessed hand.

Impa arrives alone at the empty castle. Ganondorf the usurper had destroyed the old one. White stone turned to black, vulgar work. Charred oxygen and the rancidness of unearthed magma; and yet the halls are so cold.

Places Impa used to know were mangled. She had haunted these halls long before they’d been dead; and she expected some measure of longing, some heartache for the perfect gardens of green, for the flowers in bloom and the careless laughter of a content crowd. But the old thing had been obliterated. There is nothing to recognize. As always, its new master cares for dominance and symbols in a way that never once proved anything.

Impa walks through the new meaningless construction at a steady pace. Ignored by monsters, of course. Not only is she quiet, but hardly ever recognized as something worth killing. Fairies ignore her wounds just the same. She walks one step removed from reality. Shadows draping her, always.

As she rises towards the central tower through endless stairways, Impa notices the press of something against the inside of her throat.

She enters a cavernous room, cathedral-like, bathed in sickening sunset-light, and sees her.

Impa walks to the bundle of cloth, slowly. Kneels. She traces the exposed throat. Cold.

Dead.

Zelda had been dead for hours.

Impa takes it in. The off-colored, wax-like sheen of a perfect skin. Blue eyes, pale and glossy. Blonde hair, tangled in a way she thinks needs brushing. Half-open mouth. She had seen so many bodies before, just like this, or worse. Somehow, Impa had never really prepared herself to welcome this one into her memories; even though she had spent so much, so much, so much of her existence shielding the girl’s fragile life from harm. Cupping candlelight between burning fingers. But it is over now. A sheikah knife lays next to the princess, and arrows, and a bow, and Impa doubts the fight, if there had ever been any, had lasted more than a minute.

She breathes in, and out, and closes the girl’s eyes with her thumbs, rolling loose fabric under her chin to keep her lips mended together, soft and asleep. Impa tries to look inward, with idle curiosity. She finds space between her ribs, a newfound clarity to the oxygen she breathes. She presses small hands together across her chest, across the single eye of her people, and thinks: after everything, the sheikahs and Hyrule died together as one.

Everything she ever upheld as meaningful, now tepid on the lush crimson carpet. Belief, mistakes, restraint, self-abandon. Love. Gone. It is over. It is over, and yet Impa cannot process it as defeat. Not her defeat —even though she had categorically failed at everything of import ever devised for her by fate.

The girl’s right hand no longer glows.

A guttural sound echoes from the depths of the large room, where pillars overcast the surreal gleam in strange moving shadows. Something large and grotesque. A thrill, on the edge between a demonic hiss, a human voice, and something far worse than both.

Impa lets go of the girl and stands. She breathes unburdened. No tension left in her besides the simple mechanics of motion. Taking the blade out of its sheath has nothing to do with self preservation. At most, it feels like a social cue, expected from her by a crowd she can’t see and didn’t really care for.

She walks towards the moving shadows. A quiet pace. No need to rush. Anything about to happen now is but an epilogue.

The darkness itself seems to pulse. Large shapes overlapping, the smell like untouched depths of a cave beyond cracks in the floor, fizzling char, nearly suffocating her. Something gags with labored breathing. A man. A thing . Impa focuses, invoking her perception of truth among the pit of organic tar.

A shape. Human.

Ganondorf, or rather the imprint of him, has one knee to the floor, much like the first time they spoke to each other seven years ago. His face is hidden behind bloodied hands, long hair. Light shudders underneath his fingers: a map of his veins and bones backlit with divine fire. The limits of his flesh aren’t clear anymore. His body blurs, swept away and redefined amid the moving darkness.

“So you won,” Impa says.

A hiccup, hidden behind shaky hands.

“You should have known,” replies a voice, booming and strained and breathless, surrounding her yet pinned to a singular, fragile point. “Y-y-you should have guessed I had. Reclaimed. Courage already.”

The silhouette heaves, each word like a stab wound to himself. The fingers slip; Impa sees the eyes then, the nostrils and mouth, the fine lines embedded in his dark skin.

All of them burning from within.

“W-w-what does it. Feel like.” He groans, trying to look at Impa directly; but there is so much push-and-pull of darkness, pure light, and skin that focusing on the person behind is near impossible. “To know. To know you bowed to your masters. For this.” He tries to laugh, but the voice is too broken, his effort too blinding. “Hyrule. Is. Nothing now. I am…” He gasps. His defiance almost sounds like despair. “I am all that is left.”

A shadow on the walls behind him takes a strange form; hulking, something with claws and tusks and a gaping maw. But the shadow refuses to stay put, refuses to commit yet. The old Hyrule might be dead, but it has yet to be replaced by anything new.

“You still haven’t made your wish,” Impa notes.

Blackened nails ram their points into the flood of light threatening to bubble out of his flesh. “The Triforce is mine ,” he spits out, and Impa watches on as the sad spectacle of Ganondorf’s victory leads her to the only possible conclusion she can draw.

“You’re holding the pieces together by force.” Her breath constricts, half-stuck inside her throat. “The Triforce still wants away from you.”

Ganondorf writhes, his body lined in boiling gold. The cracks of a vase about to shatter. And yet, and yet…

With a groan, the gerudo’s face shifts back together, looking somewhat human through all the searing glow. Enough for Impa to recognize a bloodshot eye. Pupil blown wide.

“I can do it,” he rasps, fractured. “I will make the gods. Obey me.”

Impa can’t help the cruel smile carved across her skin.

“The Goddesses are long gone,” she says. “No one can make them do anything.” Impa watches him struggle some more, grasping for focus to remain enough of a body to reply, or react. A shape lost in a storm of his own making. She cocks her head to the side, curious. “You’re not drawing out the full strength of the Power you secured. Why is that?”

He hurls forward with a spasm —already bestial, already a monster. “I won’t. Debase myself. For their entertainment.” He tries to stand. Fails. “Or for yours.”

“Debasing yourself,” Impa repeats, ears ringing. “You killed a child today.”

She catches the glint of a mean grin among the sizzling chaos. Impa imagines reaching for the usurper, no matter the pain; coiling both hands through the man’s fiery scalp, and pulling the skull apart. The weakened flesh would cede to any kind of pressure. She could do this, and he wouldn’t be capable of stopping her.

But she doesn’t need to do this. All she has to do is watch this man torture himself, and pretend this feels like vindication.

“This is my victory,” Ganondorf grunts, squirming inside his rupturing skin. “It’s mine . I-I-I need to rule, as myself. I won’t let them…”

“You don’t want godhood to change you,” Impa concludes. A horrible cough-like laughter shoots out of her throat. She has not laughed like this in over a decade. “Do you even hear yourself? The gods hate you. Everything sacred hates you. Hyrule will never stop resisting your claim. The Triforce will fight you like one fights a disease. Whatever you think you are… They’ve already scraped it clean off. You’re clinging to a corpse.”

He makes a sound, that he must have hoped dismissive instead of agonizing. “I c-can’t. I can’t let them overwrite me.”

“Then stop trying to assemble the Triforce inside your body.”

“No. ”

He had barked this at her, like a child. A pang knocks behind Impa’s armor. She can’t name its cause; if it is simply anger, or a different kind of urge to scream.

“I c-c-can’t let the pieces back out,” He chokes, holding each side of his blinding face. Brute force against cosmic chaos. Somehow , he is still winning. “If I do… If I do...”

“You will be shattered,” Impa says, flatly. “Maybe you should die, then, if you can’t handle it. You should let it kill you.”

He looks at her, his smarting expression almost taken aback. The blade between her teeth had slashed thoughtlessly; the vicious evidence in her words pouring out of her like a fetid sigh, held back for far too long. There are no consequences for her cruelty anymore. She no longer has to pretend she was ever more than a body groomed to inflict pain. Light had been blotted out. And shadows always were her domain.

She allows the blade to drop; slipping from her open fingers and clanging against the muffled floor. One step. Two steps. His gaze fixates on her as she makes her way to the abomination; the warlord who had killed the only girl she had ever loved; the man who had set the ruins of her life on fire, cleansing all that remained until nothing was left . She stands tall, and he crawls.

Impa had never felt more free.

She drives her fingers through his hair —static jolts of fire and thunder and raw pain, and Impa welcomes each sensation with abandon. She yanks him closer to her; he doesn’t yelp, reaches for her wrist when she kneels besides him. His grip, for all its godlike power, is weak, unfocused, completely lost. He fights her as much as he clings to the concreteness of her body. His patheticness, not her grief, is what makes Impa want to cry.

“You wanted this, didn’t you?” she murmurs through her teeth, so close to his deformed pointy ear she could bite off the excess if she wanted to. “Then do it. Go on. Become a god. Rewrite the world. Who cares what you make of it. Who cares what you once wished this would mean to you. Go on. Rip yourself apart, my lord.” He makes a choking sound, an echo of the grief she doesn't feel. He burns so bright against her. Impa stares ahead, right at the wall, at the sunset far behind, as each of her fingers sizzles and chars and fuses with him. “Do it,” she says, as her lungs threaten to collapse. “Do it, you coward, do it. ” Ganondorf’s essence shakes and sputters besides her. She can’t feel her arm anymore as he curls, as tension rises, as something wild and manic wrenches out from her accursed throat. “DO IT.”

Golden light erupts beside her in a shriek. Tears of relief boil right through her waterline.

She doesn’t close her eyes as Ganondorf implodes, blinding her.

Blinding everything.

At last, the Shape arises.

The golden light is weakened now, after the flash. Not mended together, but contained under endless blackened fur. A maw unhinges. More darkness than flesh. Timeless eyes open for the first time, pale and emptied and quieter. The walls of the castle are blown open to a darkened sky. Inky. Alive.

Ashes coat everything.

The Shape looks down at itself. Bones cling to its arm, tangled there, bleached clean off.

With terrible claws, the Shape plucks the skull off its dark fibrils. It is so small inside the palm of its hand. Boar-like eyes, fueled by divine violence and impossible dreams, stare mindlessly at the empty sockets.

The wind howls behind them both.

[mariasparrow]

Warriors is Hyrule's successor and Artemis is Hyrule's granddaughter!

So I've been doing some thinking, and I've come to believe that after all the blood, sweat, and tears Hyrule shed for his country, the end result is the prosperous kingdom we see in Hyrule Warriors! And that Artemis is his granddaughter!

I think we have strong evidence for it as well! During Hyrule's second adventure, he reads from a scroll that only a "Great King" could. Zelda II legendary difficulty could be seen, in-universe, as a trial of Hyrule's worthiness to receive Kingship. Which the Downfall Era desperately needs after its Prince was corrupted and his sister cursed.

Through his skill and refusal to give up, Hyrule triumphs over both the monsters and the dark side of his own soul. And he retrieves the Triforce of Courage needed to awaken Aurora (the Sleeping Princess of AoL).

Judging from the kiss she gave him at the end, I'd say she's rather smittened!

(Art by Kikker-Oma for me from Fan Joy July, used with her permission- isn't she great!)

With the Triforce in one hand, his Fae-blood in the other, and Aurora at his side, Hyrule brings his kingdom out of the Downfall and into a new golden age with his power and street smarts. He is called the Fae-King and the Traveling King because he rarely stays in one castle to long -he loves traveling to much, and uses it to help expand Hyrule while Aurora minds court and their kids. She's called the Gentle Queen for bring back the old culture. Hyrule's Fae blood is why faeries are such allies in Warriors Era, in remembrance of their brother.

But of course, evil is lingering. Remember Ganon floating spirit fragments, and how they were locked under heavy duty chains all through out Hyrule Warriors? I'll bet that was Hyrule's attempt to beat his blood curse (TM), and that upon his death, he ordered his body to be split apart and lain to rest in separate locations.

Needless to say, Aurora didn't help with this, she couldn't take it. But she managed the seal to buy time...

Until their granddaughter came of age.

Art belongs to @linkeduniverse

I can't be the only one who thinks Artemis seems a little more...Fae-like than Goddess in Hyrule Warriors. She's wild, bold, hands-on and leads from the front, and has STRONG magic. I like to think a great deal of that comes from her grandfather. Maybe her parents died young, so Artemis was raised by Hyrule and Aurora, who adored her and taught her everything they knew. Aurora taught her music magic, ancient history and legends (and fashion, cause that didn't come from Hyrule). Hyrule taught her battle magic, fencing, and survival skills that come in handy when she's disguised as Sheik (he also taught her his thunder spell). That's how she can do Hyrule's sword beams with her kunai in the game. His pet name for her was "Little Fairy." She adored them right back.

It would be rather poetic, if the granddaughter of the most passive Zelda (but still interesting and one of my favorite!) ends up the most active.

When Artemis saw that Ganon's forces had defiled her grandfather's resting places to retrieve his spirit fragments she was inconsolable...and FURIOUS. She loved her grandparents and vows that evil will not destroy all they suffered and bled to build. She will defend their legacy will all the magic and will power she has. Fortunately, she has her own Hero to help her seal evil right back where it belongs.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Blood of the Hero Ch 15 (Link’s parents play BotW)

Summary: The Soul of the Hero will always be there to save Hyrule. But when Calamity Ganon is nearly victorious in killing him, it's those that bear the Blood of the Hero who will prevail. Ten years after the Great Calamity, the Shrine of Resurrection is damaged and Link's parents fight to save their son and Hyrule along with him.

i.e. Link's parents play BotW while protecting their boy and they are ready to take on Ganon himself if they have to.

Chapter 15: Fallen Knight - The Chase

Tilieth knew Abel didn’t really pray anymore.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t prayed at all since the Calamity. She’d found him speaking softly to Hylia a mere fortnight before the Shrine of Resurrection had been damaged. She’d heard his voice quiver as he’d asked to see his son again. She remembered her own throat tightening up listening to it.

But it had been a difficult night. It had been a holiday they’d used to celebrate. Abel usually refused to pray unless at the breaking point.

Tilieth was always sad to see it.

How was it that her dear husband couldn’t understand that the goddesses didn’t interfere as he thought they did? The ancient goddesses created the world, leaving its care to Hylia. And Hylia would not force people to do anything they didn’t want to. She acted through others, through their choices to help. Abel seemed convinced that she could have just snapped her divine fingers and just fixed everything, but that wasn’t how it worked.

But in either case, Tilieth knew that when her husband said he just wanted to pray, it was a blatant lie. Abel was up to something.

She lay in bed for a long time, watching Link sleep peacefully. She listened, wondering what exactly her husband was doing. He’d reassured her gently and lovingly and lied to her face. She’d decided not to confront him immediately, waiting to see, waiting to catch him in the act so he couldn’t deny it. She didn’t want to argue. They had enough going on in their lives; she didn’t need to add an argument between them to it. She knew Abel was trying not to cause friction, either, but…

What are you doing, Abel?

She heard a horse. Ama, probably. So he was going somewhere.

Tilieth remembered the last time Abel had been off somewhere in the night and hadn’t told her. He’d gotten hurt. He might have almost gotten killed if it hadn’t been for Sheik.

She wasn’t letting that happen this time. It was time to talk sense into her husband.

Rising, she tucked Link in a little better, kissing his head softly. He would be safe here. She felt confident in that, at least. She crept outside, heading to Epona, who was grazing peacefully.

“Sorry, old girl,” she apologized as the horse perked up, ears pointing forward as she watched her approach. “We have an idiot to rescue, I’m afraid.”

Epona huffed out a breath as if amused. Tilieth chuckled at it before putting the saddle on her. It didn’t take long to finish gearing her up, and Tilieth was soon out in the open field. She gazed up at the sky a moment, distracted by the array of stars, admiring the beauty of it, before she looked back down, focusing. Abel couldn’t have gotten too far ahead, and she had a good vantage point from the top of this hill.

She could hear it in the distance. A horse cantering. Tilieth squinted, trying to figure out where Abel had snuck off to. She had a sudden, insanely strong sense of déjà vu, remembering years ago when she’d have to search for her children when they snuck out in the night.

Honestly, and Abel claimed they got all their mischievous tendencies from her.

The melancholy that came with the memory pulled at her heart a little, but she didn’t have time to focus on it. Instead, she swallowed and held on to her resolve, making Epona walk forward a little as she finally caught sight of something.

She traced the movement a while, recognizing that its rhythmic motions matched the sound of the horse hooves she was hearing. That had to be him. He was down at the bottom of the hill and around the corner, heading down a different trail, and—

Wait a second. That was Eagus Bridge, wasn’t it?

He’s going to Central Hyrule?! Is he insane?!

Tilieth froze up instantly. Central Hyrule was… well, she didn’t know! Neither of them knew what dangers awaited there! What was he thinking?! She recalled how barren it had looked yesterday, how nothing had grown back yet – if nothing was growing, that implied something was still there preventing it, right?

Panic seized her body. She couldn’t move for a moment, couldn’t urge Epona ahead, couldn’t think. But as terrified as she was of what dangers there might be, she was even more terrified of the fact that Abel was heading into it. She caught her breath, she gave a command and Epona was racing—she’d always been a fast horse—and the wind was blowing through her hair, and it was starting to rain, splashing clarity into her face like a slap.

It didn’t take long to reach the point of no return. She abruptly pulled back on the reins.

Tilieth stared ahead at the bridge. Epona waited patiently as she listened to her heart race, as her thoughts spun in circles dizzyingly, worries whittling away at her sanity and resolve.

There could be guardians!

But Abel was there.

There could be monsters!

But Abel was there.

Abel had always been the strong one between the two of them. Tilieth knew that. She’d pulled her weight as best she could on the plateau, hunting on occasion, learning to use a bow. But she knew she was useless against formidable foes.

She should wait for him to return.

No! Tilieth shook her head, squeezing tightly on Epona’s reins. She wouldn’t let her husband get himself hurt. He was exhausted, and he was stressed, and he wasn’t thinking straight.

Abel always protected her. It was her turn to protect him.

Glaring into the darkness, Tilieth spurred Epona forward as thunder crashed overhead. Despite her resolve, she trembled from head to toe, but she would not stop.

I can do this. Abel needs me.

The rain was growing heavier, curtains cascading from the sky, making it difficult to see anything at all. Tilieth stayed alert, downright skittish, really, when she heard a horse whinny up ahead. Breathless, she urged Epona to move, feeling entirely too exposed.

And then she saw them.

Abel was frantic, and he—he and Ama were on the ground! Tilieth leapt off Epona, rushing towards them, and called out to her husband, when—

When… what?

Rain splashed her face. She shivered. Her stomach churned. Her head pounded.

Heavy breaths, screaming, sobs.

Worried voices, warmth, softness.

“She’ll be alright, Sir Abel, I promise. She just needs a potion when she wakes up.”

When she woke up? But she was awake, right?

Good heavens, why did her head hurt so much?

Tilieth slowly opened her eyes, squinting and grimacing as the candlelight was entirely too much. She vaguely made out fuzzy shapes, trying to focus on anything. She was in a bed; she registered that much. But how? Wasn’t she somewhere else? She thought she’d been somewhere else.

Outside. She’d been outside, right?

There were people here. Two or three, from what she could tell. One stood in the distance, watching. Another paced the length of the room. Wait, was there a third? Maybe not. It was probably the pacing one that caught her attention.

Why had she been outside?

Tilieth shifted a little, moaning as her head throbbed. The pacing person stopped immediately before practically materializing beside her in an instant.

“Til,” a shaky voice whispered, and Tilieth recognized it in a heartbeat. Her husband’s features came into focus as he hovered over her, eyes bloodshot, cheeks flushed, hair a mess, soaking wet. He practically fell onto the bed where she was, pulling her into a hug, trembling.

Tilieth… didn’t know what to do with this turn of events. Clearly something was wrong, right? What was wrong? “Abel…?”

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice muffled in her shoulder, his hug nearly painful with how tight it was. It made her head hurt even more. “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry—”

Why was he apologizing? What was— “Is Link okay?”

Abel pulled away a little, breath coming in shallow rasps, and to her alarm she saw he was on the verge of tears. “Link’s fine. He’s fine. I promise.”

Then why was he…?

Before Tilieth could get another word out, Abel was shoving a bottle into her face. “Drink this.”

She listened, wondering what it was she was drinking. It had a syrupy flavor and consistency with a strangely bitter aftertaste, and she made a somewhat disgusted face after swallowing it. Her headache dulled, though, and she had enough energy in her now to cough and protest, “Oh, honey, that was disgusting, what did you give me?”

Abel’s face lit up a little with relief, and he pulled her into another bone crushing hug. Tilieth was infinitely more aware of the fact that he was drenched, how he shivered, how he’d—

Been outside too. They’d both been—

Central Hyrule. They’d been in Central Hyrule! What had happened? Had a monster attacked?

“What happened?” she asked, wrapping her arms around her husband. Her body was sluggish to respond, and it was frustrating, but she didn’t feel dizzy or nauseous now, and her vision had cleared up. Behind Abel, she could see the Sheikah healer, Kollin, standing in the entranceway to wherever they were.

Oh! The inn! That was where they were. She looked to her right, and sure enough, Link was sleeping beside them in the next bed over. She could hear the rainfall on the thatched roof. Behind Kollin, Lady Impa watched them as well.

She tried to piece together what really had happened. Surely… wait, Abel and his horse had been on the ground! She remembered that. There had to have been some kind of attack. She must have gotten her head hit at some point.

“Oh, honey,” she said softly, holding her husband as much as she could. Abel hadn’t spoken to explain anything, and that nearly scared her just as much as not knowing. “Tell me what happened.”

Slowly, Abel pulled away, watching her. He no longer looked on the verge of tears. Some strange resolve was in his eyes now, a fire of conviction that steadily turned him to stone. He leaned in, kissing her on the lips with a tenderness she hadn’t felt from him in a while, and then he pulled away, rising. “Get some sleep, love.”

Tilieth really would rather just know how in the world they’d ended up back in Kakariko, but she supposed it could wait until morning. She did still feel exhausted. Sighing, she pat the bed, trying to give him a smile. “Will you join me?”

Her husband was silent, shadows casting over his face. He looked so far away all of a sudden. “Later, Til.”

A pang of annoyance sparked within her, but she didn’t have the energy to argue with him. Her husband could be so blasted stubborn sometimes. She’d get on his case later. In the morning. When she wasn’t quite so… tired…

Tilieth slipped into sleep faster than she anticipated, and the world faded around her.

XXX

Impa watched Sir Abel with heaviness and dread in her heart.

The night had been eventful enough. The man had come into the village at a full canter on his horse, calling for help. Impa had responded immediately, alongside many others, and she’d retrieved Kollin to assist once they’d realized Tilieth had been hurt. When Impa had asked what had happened, the knight was dismissive at every turn.

It wouldn’t have bothered Impa so much if it weren’t for the look on his face.

It had been ten years. Impa had seen her people suffer through the aftereffects of the Calamity. She had suffered through it. She’d been the royal advisor back then, Zelda’s best friend and confidante, a capable warrior but always on the sidelines. When everything had burned, her parents had died, Purah had left the village, her friends had been brutally murdered, and her dearest friend had to hold back horrors unimaginable by herself with the promise of hope that no one had any way of knowing would come. Impa had to cope with the unimaginable, and she had no way of knowing how to do so.

Impa had waited with anticipation for Link’s arrival for days, weeks, months, despite Robbie’s words predicting that it would take approximately fifty years (because there was no way that was true, there was no way they would have to wait that long, there was no way Zelda could hold out that long). By the fifth year, she’d realized this was going to take far longer than she’d initially anticipated.

It had been strange, to be in such a holding pattern, to wait for a continuation of a horrific event, before realizing that she had to close that chapter of her life.

She had a sinking suspicion Sir Abel had not yet done so. She could hardly blame him, but…

She’d seen the trembling hands before, the jumpiness, the lack of trust. Those who had survived the massacre were all scarred from its wounds.

Sir Abel was not doing well. But he would not listen to her, no matter what kind of argument she might throw at him. Impa had dealt with his son, understood the kind of quiet resolve her friend had, and was quickly observing who he had gotten it from.

The knight was pacing Impa’s home. It was no longer the frantic, worried steps he’d had earlier before his wife had awoken and drank some potion. This was slower, contemplative, brooding, heavy and dangerous.

Impa glanced to the side as Kollin watched them both with concern. Her fiancé was always a bit of a worrier. She smiled and nodded towards the door.

The healer sighed and nodded. “I’m going to retrieve some more potions for you wife. She should be fine with some rest – one more elixir will fix her right up in the morning, I think.”

Sir Abel looked at him briefly, eyes dull, and nodded.

Impa shuffled uncertainly, wondering how to proceed. She’d seen the captain of the royal guard prior to the Calamity, and it was still terrifyingly striking how different he was now. Although she and the royal knight had never been particularly close, she at least knew him, she’d seen the gentle way he’d watch his son, the neutral stoicism he’d bear, the strength yet warmth he’d convey in his posture, impervious to pain or fear or worry.

The broken, cold, paranoid survivor before her was not the same man, and she didn’t know how to reach him.

She didn’t even know what she should say if she could. She wanted to reassure him that everything would be fine, but her own heart filled with worry as well. She had to have faith that Hylia would ensure everything worked out – when the two had carried her mutilated friend, still so broken and weak, into her village, she’d nearly fallen apart.

The Shrine of Resurrection is broken. The Shrine was their one hope, yet here these two had found a new avenue to pursue, maintaining the light that would join Zelda in defeating Ganon. But the Shrine wasn’t the only thing that was broken in Link’s life, clearly, and the more Sir Abel paced, the more worried Impa became.

She needed this tension to release. Why had the knight chosen to come to her as if to speak with her, and then done this instead?

“Sir Abel,” she started uncertainly, speaking softly as if to a cornered animal. “I know you’re worried—”

“I need your word,” Sir Abel interrupted, finally pausing, dark eyes boring into her soul. They were Link’s eyes, but their blue was like the sea before a storm.

“M-my… my word?”

“You were friends with the princess,” the knight continued, facing her fully, and the air felt heavier all of a sudden. Impa felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up, rather like it did just before a fight. She tried to look as nonthreatening as possible, not wanting to provoke anything. Of all her warriors, she’d never seen one quite as on edge as him. “You traveled with Link. You’re a Sheikah.”

“Yes,” she agreed slowly. “My loyalty is absolute, good knight. I assure you.”

Why was he doing this line of questioning? His lack of trust from the past few days had never been this… she didn’t even know how to describe it. Something was different about the man, something desperate and wild. What had happened out there?

“That loyalty,” Sir Abel continued. “How far does it extend? I need your word…”

“We’ve done nothing that would imply we would hurt Link,” Impa tried to help him parse out the logic. “Link’s my friend.”

“And his mother?” Sir Abel questioned, his voice breaking a moment, face darkening.

What? Had a Sheikah hurt Tilieth? “I promise, she’s safe here. You all are.”

“Give me your word,” Sir Abel growled.

“I swear on my honor as a Sheikah,” Impa said easily, wondering if this was what was causing his behavior. “But please, if one of my people did this, tell me. I’ll ensure there’s justice, Sir Abel. I promise you’re all safe here.”

The knight swallowed, breath suddenly shaky, eyes flicking down to the floor and unable to look at her anymore.

So… not a Sheikah, then? Or…? What was happening?

“Promise me you’ll protect her,” he finally said quietly, fists clenching.

Impa felt the dread grow heavier in her chest. “Sir Abel… I… I swear on my parents’ graves, on my life that she is safe. Please… trust that she and your son are going to be okay. What is the matter?”

Sir Abel was silent, his breathing measured but heavy, loud enough to be heard over the rain on the roof.

Finally, he looked her in the eye once more, dark heaviness dissipating, frozen over by a cold, impenetrable resolve. “I have a favor to ask of you, Lady Impa.”

The rain grew heavier. Thunder rumbled as lightning tore across the sky. The door to the chief’s home slid open some time later, revealing the battered former knight as he purposefully walked down the stairs towards his black mare. He pet the horse a little, whispering an apology to her for all the trouble he’d been putting her through, geared up with a soldier’s sword and shield, and then mounted the saddle.

Kakariko was so quiet in the middle of this cold, stormy night. Abel shivered in the rain, glancing at the inn. Tightening the climber’s bandana he was wearing, he willed all his love towards the small building, body trembling, heart a pile of ash.

Nudging Ama’s sides with his feet, he guided the horse out of the village as thunder roared, covering the sounds of the horse’s hooves. They headed north, disappearing into the curtains of rain, slow and steady, and the sad eyes of the knight hardened, heart turning to stone, determination and self-loathing drowning him more than any downpour ever could.

XXX

Tilieth felt like she must have been sleeping for a year with how sluggish her body was.

The daylight was barely spilling indoors as she fluttered her eyes open blearily. She was on her side, and the first thing she saw was a red elixir on the nightstand, and just beyond that, Link sleeping peacefully on the bed beside her.

Smiling sleepily, Tilieth reached for her baby boy, but she couldn’t quite get to him. Sighing a little, she shuffled towards the edge of the bed, too tired to want to get up but still wanting to reach him. Tilieth stretched farther, head half resting on the nightstand to give her more distance, and her fingers finally tickled Link’s ear.

Her son sniffled, nose scrunching, and she giggled at it. He didn’t quite wake up, but it was still wonderful to see him reacting. Yawning, Tilieth twisted in the blankets, facing the other way to see—

An empty bed.

Tilieth blinked, confused a moment, listening to crickets and birds compete for song as night and day intermingled at dawn.

And then she remembered last night.

Or, well, most of it. She remembered looking for Abel, she remembered seeing him down on the ground alongside Ama, she remembered waking up in this bed injured and Abel being on the verge of a breakdown. Based on the elixir on the table, she assumed she… ah, that must have been what he made her drink last night?

Great heavens, that stuff tasted horrible. She’d need to flavor it some way for poor Link.

But never mind that, where was Abel? She’d never gotten the full story out of him, and he’d said he’d sleep!

Groaning a little, Tilieth tried to wiggle out of the blanket, grumbling as she got tangled in it instead. Huffing, she threw her head back into her pillow in exasperation and then winced. Maybe she shouldn’t do that.

Tilieth moved slowly this time, pulling the blanket here, untwisting it there, until she was finally detangled and standing up. The world tilted a little, but not too terribly, and Tilieth rubbed her face tiredly as her body struggled to keep up. She was a little thankful she couldn’t remember whatever fight she and Abel must have endured that ended with her receiving such a head injury.

But then she remembered Abel’s expression, and she suddenly wondered if she really should feel that way.

Tilieth shuffled towards the entrance when the innkeeper, an elderly woman named Liyah, walked hesitantly towards her. “Hello, dear. That elixir on the nightstand is for you.”

Glancing back at the nightstand, Tilieth bit the inside of her cheek, not particularly interested in tasting that awful concoction again. But given how she felt, she supposed it was reasonable. She walked over to it, sitting on the bed to brace herself as she knocked back the liquid, coughing a little as it went down.

The world sharpened into a clarity so intense it almost made her head hurt. Warmth filled her all the way to her fingertips, and she felt a little more energized. She wondered if Link felt any of this when they gave him some the other day.

Details she hadn’t noticed before became easily apparent. She was wearing something different from her usual attire, a robe wrapped around her like the Sheikah wore, except overly simple in its design, beige in color with no variation in the collar. Her clothes and traveling pouch were missing.

“Have you seen my husband?” she asked the innkeeper.

“I’m afraid not,” the woman answered. “He hasn’t been here since you fell back asleep.”

Of course he hasn’t. Tilieth sighed heavily, a different kind of exhaustion pulling at her. She wished her husband would just listen to her and rest.

Bracing herself for a potentially unpleasant confrontation, Tilieth rose, kissed Link with a promise to feed him breakfast and clean him up soon, and went to seek out the Sheikah chief.

When she recognized that the world was bathed in pale light, she thought it might have been too early to pay a visit to the young woman. But Lady Impa herself was outside, sitting cross legged in front of the statue of Hylia.

Tilieth hesitated, not wanting to interrupt her prayer. Instead, she sat a little bit behind her, saying a few prayers of her own.

Good morning, she greeted a little informally, smiling, before she continued, Oh great goddess, I… I want to thank you. Thank you for taking care of Link, for helping him heal. Thank you for getting us to Kakariko. Thank you for helping me and Abel escape whatever happened last night. Please… I know Abel isn’t… isn’t really talking to you much, but… please look out for him. Please continue to look out for Link and help him heal. Please give me the patience, the energy, the words to get through to Abel so he can rest.

Tilieth took a deep breath, letting the world around her relax her and quiet her mind. She couldn’t quite achieve it, never really able to pray too well, but she felt a little more at peace nonetheless. Her eyes drifted to the water, watching it play and reflect the light as the sun steadily climbed in the sky. Perhaps she should just make some breakfast and bathe Link before bothering Impa – maybe she’d run into Abel in that time anyway.

Resolving herself to the matter, Tilieth rose, leaving Lady Impa to her prayers, when the Sheikah turned a little, just noticing her.

“Tilieth,” she called, standing, face a little worried.

Tilieth smiled at the kind woman. “I’m okay. I’m feeling much better this morning. I was just wondering… do you know where my husband is? Or my things?”

“Your clothes were being washed from the blood,” Lady Impa explained. “I apologize they haven’t been returned to you in time. I believe your pouch is with the Sheikah slate – Sir Abel left them near Link.”

Well, Tilieth supposed that explained a few things. She hadn’t searched too hard beside Link. But still… “And my husband?”

Lady Impa shifted uncomfortably, and the peace Tilieth had been feeling started to fade.

“He… has a message for you,” the Sheikah chief said slowly. “He said you were right. About splitting up. He asked me to protect you while he goes to Akkala. He said he was going to talk to my sister about the slate.”

Tilieth stared. He… he what?

He left?

But—what had happened to—they were going to go to the—and Link—he just—what?!

This wasn’t… this wasn’t just him agreeing to her plan, something was—something was wrong, something was terribly wrong, Abel had been so against this plan!

“What happened?” she asked, she demanded, she choked out of the horror and shock and fear that was squeezing her lungs. “What happened last night?”

Lady Impa’s expression grew more somber, more worried. “I… don’t honestly know. He never explained.”

Tilieth swallowed thickly, trying to think it through. Whatever it was, Abel blamed himself. She knew that. She knew that. There was no way the man would do something so completely—he—what—

“I need my clothes,” Tilieth said. “I need them now.”

Lady Impa hesitated a moment, and Tilieth frantically insisted, “I said now! Please! I need them!”

Urgency and terror were filling her and making the world spin. As the Sheikah complied, Tilieth dashed back to the inn, nearly sending the innkeeper into the ceiling with fright as she slammed the door open. Link had the Sheikah slate tucked under his arm in the blankets, alongside Tilieth’s pouch. She grabbed the slate immediately, looking at the map, desperate to see what route Abel might be taking.

How much headway had he gotten? When did he leave? Had he rested at all? What had happened? What had happened?

“Your clothes,” Lady Impa announced as she held them out, standing just behind her. Tilieth quickly rushed to the corner where a privacy screen was and changed, hastened out, slate in hand, and then froze, looking at Link.

He needed to eat. He needed to be cleaned. He needed to be cared for. She trusted the Sheikah, but she couldn’t ask everything of them, and they didn’t know what to do with him.

But Abel—

Tilieth reached into her pouch, looking for whatever leftover broth she had, and quickly shook Link. “I’m sorry, love, I’m so sorry, you’re going to have to endure a little longer without freshening up, but eat quickly, okay? I have to find your papa.”

Link drank, not seeming to care, as per usual, but once she laid him back down to rest, he continued to stare off at nothing, looking tired but not nodding off. She watched him a moment, a little caught off guard. Was he uncomfortable? He’d hardly noticed anything about his body since the initial shrines on the plateau, whether it was his wounds, the rashes from the harness, the jostling from going everywhere, any bodily needs he might have… anything.

Tilieth snapped her fingers in his face. Link blinked, but he didn’t really flinch from it.

When he still didn’t fall asleep, Tilieth hesitantly tried for more broth. He drank for a little while before starting to choke on it a little bit, and she immediately stopped.

Why was he…? She didn’t know. But she couldn’t wait any longer.

“Please be okay,” she pleaded, kissing him on the forehead. “I’ll be back soon, okay? Hopefully with your father.”

Hopefully. Oh goddess, Abel, what have you done?

Reaching for the slate, Tilieth looked at the map. She’d never been to the Akkala Province, but she knew it was up north, somewhere near Death Mountain. Based on the routes they’d already taken, the shrines they’d been to…

That shrine near Zora’s Domain. That would be her best bet. But what if he hadn’t gotten that far? What then?

Well. It was better to overshoot than undershoot, she supposed.

Wait! The towers! She could probably try to find him with the scope feature Impa had talked about!

With that in mind the only tower that was feasible for such a use was the Lanayru Tower.

Lady Impa stared. “What are you, HEY WAIT—”

Tilieth pressed on the screen, feeling the magic of the slate encircle her, but Lady Impa yelped, reaching out to grab her. Tilieth squealed in response, and both women nearly fell over as they were encased in light. The lightness of the magic carried them before they could actually topple over, plopping them on the hard, cold stone of Sheikah design.

The women groaned, trying to get their bearings, when cool water plopped on Tilieth’s head, startling her. It was drizzling here, but as she scrambled towards the edge, she found that her view wasn’t all that obscured.

“What just—where are—” Lady Impa stammered, looking around in bewilderment and fright.

“Why did you grab me?” Tilieth asked as she looked around, hands shakily maneuvering the slate so she could figure out how to use its scope.

“I swore to Sir Abel I’d protect you,” Lady Impa pointed out, looking around, disoriented. “I can’t do that if you try to disappear into thin air! Where even are we?”

“Lanayru Tower,” Tilieth answered quickly, only half paying attention. “How do you get this slate to—”

Lady Impa snatched it, clicking something, and suddenly the slate showed the world around it with heightened intensity and clarity, zooming in on different points. “I’m assuming we’re looking for Sir Abel?”

Tilieth squinted through the drizzle before looking at the slate as the two women huddled beside each other to stare at it. “Yes. I have to find him.”

Lady Impa sighed heavily.

“He can’t have gotten too far, right?” Tilieth wondered aloud, tracing the path from what she could see of the mountains around Kakariko. The road disappeared occasionally, but for the most part she could see nearly all of it. “When did he leave?”

“During the night. He…” Lady Impa shuffled hesitantly. “He definitely didn’t look well. But I knew I couldn’t stop him. I’m sorry, Tilieth.”

Tilieth bit her lip, anxiety eating her alive. Her worry for her husband increased tenfold. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t already suspected, but…

Please be okay, Abel. Please be okay.

She felt so incredibly alone all of a sudden. She was thankful Lady Impa had tagged along.

As Tilieth looked through the scope, she felt her heart leap to her throat.

There was a person! There was a person on a black horse at a destroyed bridge, staring at the river, trying to find a way to cross.

“Abel,” she whispered before looking frantically at the slate, trying to find a point that was closer to his current location. As she did so, she could vaguely see the figure turn his steed and start to canter away. No, no, no no no no!

“With Thims Bridge gone, he’ll probably try to head farther north,” Lady Impa said breathlessly, trying to track his progress as well. “Let me see—why is the rest of it blank?”

“We haven’t mapped it out!” Tilieth said frantically. “What if we lose him?!”

“I don’t remember exactly where the next crossing is, but I’m pretty sure it’s close to the castle,” the Sheikah chief noted anxiously. “He—Sir Abel knows that, right?”

The castle?!

“Wait, wait, he’s coming back,” Lady Impa interrupted her panicked thoughts, eyes wide and both women nearly headbutted each other to look through the scope. Abel had indeed turned around, seeming to come to the same conclusion, and was instead heading for a set of ruins that were overrun by monsters.

“We have to help him!” Lady Impa immediately said.

“Sheh Rata Shrine,” Tilieth pointed to it. “It’s close enough. Hold on!”

The pair disappeared in streams of light once more.

Meanwhile, in Moor Garrison, Abel circled the area, fire in his blood as he snarled at the horde of monsters that had taken residence in his fallen brothers-in-arms’ home. He eliminated one easily by letting Ama knock it over before he stabbed it. Then he leapt off his horse, climbing the ruined wall to peek over and aim a bomb arrow at the two archers who were keeping lookout. The explosion caught the attention of the rest of the monsters, and Abel descended upon them from above, slamming his sword down on them. There were four in total, though only three had managed to reach him quite yet, allowing him to dodge and weave around them well enough. His shield took a few hits, knocking him against the wall, but he ignored the screaming of his mind and muscles, instead letting all of his anger broil over and fuel him.

Abel swiped out just as a bokoblin tried to aim for his head, leaving an opening, and he killed it quickly. The other two fell in succession, though his sword broke clean in half with the final blow. He scrambled to switch weapons as the last bokoblin came running into sight, and the guardian sword was the only other one he had brought with him.

The beast fell in one blow.

Abel glanced at the bluish blade, huffing. He supposed it certainly was useful. His stomach twisted a little as he stared at it too long, its hue hauntingly familiar, and he sheathed it, exiting the structure and picking up what arrows and weapons he could find as he whistled for Ama. He heard her running up from behind him, and he glanced back to see her gaining ground quickly. Just as she got within reach, he tore across her path, hand on her chest to try to avoid startling her. He traced his hand alongside her until it gripped her saddle, and the moment of the sharp turn in conjunction with the horse’s speed allowed Abel to leap into the air and onto her back seamlessly.

They moved expediently. He knew the next crossover point he could take that didn’t require a bridge.

Well. It did later. But he remembered seeing the structures from Lanayru Tower. A monster encampment of its own making was tolerable enough. He just had to tear through it while he still had the strength to do so. Staying up for two nights hadn’t done him many favors, after all.

But he was determined. He would get to Akkala quickly. He would accomplish this. And he prayed Tilieth would resolve to go to the Gerudo Desert like she’d originally planned so that he wouldn’t be anywhere near her.

How could he be anywhere near her? After what he’d—what he’d—

Abel bit his tongue, urging Ama to run faster. She couldn’t go fast enough. He had to move. Killing more beasts would help.

A fair distance behind the former knight and his steed light coalesced into two figures, and Tilieth and Impa looked around wildly in search of the man.

“ABEL!” Tilieth yelled as she caught sight of him, rushing ahead. Lady Impa gasped and hurried to keep up, managing to catch up to her companion quickly as the two attempted to call the man’s attention.

She’d never run so fast in her life. She couldn’t even call out to her husband anymore with as breathless as she was, but she refused to slow down. She had to reach him.

She had to reach him.

The blood rushed through Abel’s ears. His breathing was in tandem with Ama’s, both panting with exertion, readying for battle.

Tilieth felt her body starting to give out. She growled, pushing harder, until she felt like her chest would burst if she kept going.

Abel drew his sword once more as Ama crossed the haphazard bridge into the monster camp. Tilieth fell to the ground, Lady Impa dropping on one knee at her side to check on her.

She couldn’t get to him.

Abel focused intently, blind and deaf to everything outside of the battle. But when his first quarry leapt out at him, his heart skipped a beat.

It was a Hylian.

The horror of the last twenty-four hours screamed through his head for an instant before he followed through on the move automatically. The Hylian was clearly moving to attack. His guardian blade pierced through the man’s defenses quickly.

Tilieth screamed in horror from the shore. Lady Impa stood quickly, drawing her kodachi to protect her charge. More Hylians appeared out of different hiding places in the encampment, bearing monster and Hyrulian weapons alike, as well as strange foreign blades that looked vaguely similar to Impa’s. Tilieth covered her mouth quickly to stop herself gasping, horrified as her husband moved to defend himself from the sudden ambush.

“Stay out of sight,” Impa hissed, running ahead to assist him. Tilieth didn’t dare protest, heart racing.

There were more enemies than Abel could count. Ama lended him some protection, but it put her at risk, and he had no armor for her. She kicked when one bandit got too close, sending him flying into the water. Abel leapt off her saddle at that point, letting her buck more without throwing him off balance. There wasn’t a lot of room to maneuver on these rickety pontoon bridges, and Abel nearly got knocked into the water from a blocked blow. He dug his sword into another enemy, ignoring the warmth of the blood that saturated his gloves, and kicked yet another away to create some distance. Ama neighed in distress, running a few paces ahead to get away from the pandemonium, distracting the former knight.

Maybe he wasn’t distracted from her. Maybe the sleep deprivation was just catching up. Either way, he moved too slowly, and next thing he knew fire seared through his left shoulder as one of the Hylians managed to sink his spear into him. Abel grabbed the handle of the spear quickly, jerking it out of the man’s grip and kicking him back. He moved his left arm to try and grip the wooden handle so he could chop most of it off with his sword, preventing it from impeding him, but he could hardly move his arm. He yelled out in pain instead, stumbling back, feeling his world spin as his left arm tingled and burned.

The Hylians parted ways a little, strangely, until Abel saw the cause of the ruckus. A Sheikah warrior—Lady Impa—charged in, knives at the ready, already bloodied from taking on an unseen opponent.

What was—but Tilieth—

Abel burst into motion quickly, frantic now, mind and body both reaching their limits as he fought desperately.

Tilieth watched, terrified, hiding behind some trees, praying over and over and over, begging for this to end.

The remainder of the Hylians fell or fled, but before there could be any kind of reprieve in the fighting, Abel swiped his sword threateningly towards Impa, making her yelp and leap back.

“You promised,” he hissed, stumbling, face flushed with both fury and anguish, a broken trust and hopeless, desperate, terrifying energy in his eyes. “You promised.”

“She’s safe, she’s safe!” Impa insisted.

Tilieth heard the words carry across the bridges, and she gasped, running in. “Abel!”

The world froze between the couple as they took the sight of each other in.

Abel felt indescribable pain and relief mixing in a dizzying whirlwind. Seeing Impa here alone had scared him enough, but seeing Tilieth in the midst of this bloodshed, so soon after she’d—after he’d—he couldn’t even finish the thought, the panic of last night still so present within him that seeing her made him nearly stumble backwards and fall into the water. Tilieth looked completely winded, beautiful curls a frizzy mess, brown eyes glassy, sweat stains saturating through her tunic. Abel ached to comfort her, and his arm twitched a moment, but his shoulder hurt so damn much, and he saw blood leaking around where the spear had entered, pulsating a little. His wife shouldn’t be here, this place was dangerous, he was dangerous, he couldn’t be trusted for anything with her or Link, he was terrified.

Tilieth felt utterly out of control, helplessly looking at her husband unraveling before her. He was exhausted, dark circles under his eyes practically passing for bruises, face pallid and sweaty, hair and clothes disheveled, torn, bloodied and filthy, breathing ragged. His green doublet was steadily staining red from his shoulder as he guarded it with his right hand, hovering just over the spear’s entry. She didn’t know what to say, what to do, she just wanted to hold him and make him rest and stop the entire world from hurting him and Link, to stop everything.

The dead Hylians around her made her shudder, hugging herself as she trembled. Impa knelt down, examining one of them, finger tracing a symbol that looked strangely like the Sheikah one.

Abel took another step away. “Go back to Kakariko.”

Tilieth shook her head, choking on her tears and worry. I won’t leave you! Tell me what’s wrong!

Her silence wasn’t helping, and she knew it. Abel usually would pick up on it, would recognize that she was overwhelmed and step in to take over, but this time he was the one who needed someone to step in, and she—

Tilieth gritted her teeth, swallowing hard, taking a step forward. If she couldn’t find her words, she could at least do something.

The movement made everything worse, though, as Abel took several steps away, eying Ama.

“What’s wrong?” she finally desperately burst out, voice raw and breaking. She started to cry, hesitating to step forward but wanting so desperately to do so. “Abel, what happened? Why did you leave me?”

“I—I didn’t—I—” Abel stammered, sounding hoarse. “Tilieth it’s my fault—”

She knew he blamed himself for her injury. “Honey, don’t you understand—”

“I’m the one who hurt you!” Abel yelled, continuing to step away, backing himself near into a corner like a terrified animal. “Til, don’t you—don’t you see, I—I set that hinox on a rampage on the plateau that led to the shrine’s destruction, I gave you that concussion – I can’t be near you two, I’m going to get you killed, I—”

He cut himself off, right hand snaking around the spearhead, entire body shaking.

Tilieth felt the blood drain out of her face, mind numbing at the words and pushing them aside as she saw what he was doing, what he was planning. “Abel, no—”

“Go back to Kakariko,” he said, his voice lower, growling, threatening. Go or I’ll pull it out.

Her world was spinning, and her fingers and toes were tingling with how shallow and quickly she was breathing. What had—

Her injury had been from… him? How?!

What had happened?!

He was slipping. Her husband was slipping, and she was suddenly terrified for him, terrified of him, and she hated everything about this.

This wasn’t the man she knew, the man she fell in love with and married.

But it is, her heart cried. It is, he’s buried in there, buried in fear and grief and hurt.

But how could she reach him if he wouldn’t let her?!

A risk popped in her mind. A prayer, a hope, a desperation, an insane idea, putting such a precious life on the line.

But that life was already on the line.

Tilieth said a prayer. She said a prayer over and over and over. She mustered up all the courage she could, she grappled with every ounce of spontaneous, fiery, daring energy she had within her.

And she rushed for him.

Abel froze for a heart stopping moment, giving her hope, his eyes widening. But the surprise was quickly supplanted by absolute terror, and he ripped the spearhead out with a desperate, pained cry.

Tilieth couldn’t even get a scream out of her throat at this point, but oh her heart did so as the blood poured, excessive in its flow, increasing and decreasing in pulsating rhythm, bright red and entirely too much.

Lady Impa was faster than Tilieth could ever be, tackling the man and slamming her hand on the wound. “What are you thinking?!”

Tilieth stumbled to a halt in front of the pair, falling to her knees, hands gripping her husband’s tunic desperately, tears falling, sobs scraping out of her. Abel watched her, eyebrows pinched together, looking so much like a scared child, crying, eyes begging and apologizing more than any words could ever convey.

“The slate!” Lady Impa hissed. “Get him back to Kakariko – Kollin can help him! I’ll get the horse.”

Tilieth quickly pulled it out, numb fingers fumbling to pull up the shrine in the village. She put pressure on the wound, garnering a whimper of pain from her husband, his hand reaching for hers. She expected a fight of some sort, she expected that he’d completely lost his senses at this point, but instead of pulling her off him, his hand simply rested over hers, weak and trying and failing to grip. Their eyes locked as she finally selected the right shrine, and for a heart stopping moment, the world froze all around them.

She could see her husband, young and shy, smiling at her with a little nod of his head as he visited Hateno with other soldiers. She could see the brave young man who marched off to his next assignment after their marriage, holding her so closely, telling her how much he loved her. She could see the relief on his face when he returned to see her after his multiple year mission to Zora’s Domain, the joy that radiated from him and their son as they finally got to see her healthy again. She remembered his whispers in their most intimate moments, the way he held her to comfort her through the years, his promises to keep her safe after the world fell apart and burned, his silent vigil at Link’s shrine.

Tilieth leaned in, kissing him as the Sheikah magic carried them away, her tears intermingling with his own, falling to his cheeks as they trailed through the dirt together, carrying the blood away. She didn’t notice as the world came back to life, as birdsong replaced the sound of the water, as sunlight warmed the chilly drizzle that had soaked both of them. Abel hiccuped against her, falling apart at the tenderness of her touch, whispering over and over until the words sank into Tilieth’s mind.

“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Til. I love you, I love you, I love you—”

She found her voice. “You’re going to be okay, Abel. You’re going to be okay.”

[palmolli]

While on the topic of link ocs pls tell me more about urs 🥺🫶 and if there's any tags dedicated to them do let me know so I can go and stare

I SQUEALED!!!!

This is Daisy!!! MY LITTLE GUY AAAAAUUUUFHHHHHHHHH 💔💔💔💔💔 I WANNA SHAKE HIM VIOLENTLY

The AU he's in, the Sands of Time/The Sand Sea, I CANNOT for the life of me just PICK ONE. is currently in its beta goo goo ga ga development stage, so things could change, and there's not many tags or posts about it rn 💔 (I can't stop using that emoji I'm sorry lol)

Daisy was born on a farm to some not so great family, so he made the decision to pack up and leave one day. (Right now, I don't have a concrete reason as to why they're sucky, but they're sucky, source: trust me, bro) Eventually he wandered into the lost woods, found by a Kokiri, Morika. She's basically the oldest sister of the forest, doing what the Deku tree can't do, since... the man is a tree 💔. Tree papa 💔

Most of the Kokiri completely baby him and get extremely upset whenever he shows ANY signs of aging whatsoever. Because to them, he's just a little flower, withering away more and more every second, since he isn't forever a child like they are. But they also bully the shiitaki mushrooms out of him. Popping out of trees and shrubbery to jumpscare him, hiding his things and making him search the whole forest for them, typical older sibling activities.

He's good friends with the fairies, despite not having one of his own. And yes, they treat him like a baby brother, too. He's an animal lover, specifically a horse lover. He's shy, but he does like people, and he's very empathetic and sees the best in everyone.

His dark world/beast form would be a goat. (He eats grass 💔)

One day, he saw an injured child about his age that had wandered into the forest, and he called upon his fairy friends to help them out. They told him their name was Sheik, and the two of them became fast friends. Sheik would occasionally visit the forest, and they both would play together, pranking the kokiri or pretending to be heroes. Eventually, he learned Sheik was really the princess, but he didn't really care that much.

Sheik snuck him into the castle one day... but that would prove to be his demise. Ganondorf planned a massacre that very day. Daisy was caught in the crossfire and killed.

So.... he's dead 💔💔💔💔 spoileurs

[secular-jew]

So you admit that even when a holy book instructs or excuses horrific acts to other people that doesn’t make the religion itself or its followers inherently evil?

Because for every fucked up thing in Muslim holy books I’m sure I can find something similar in other holy books or stories, just because one religion “doesn’t do it anymore” doesn’t mean the religion is inherently one of peace.

If your problem is solely with people’s actions then direct your ire towards those actions

But if you hate the beliefs behind these actions, then be consistent and hate ALL similar beliefs

There are people trying to fulfill a cow based prophecy in Israel right now so it’s not like wacko’s don’t exist in Judaism to.

There is a difference. Muslim caliphs, mullahs, and sheiks are constantly preaching the Quran to their flocks every week, and they are repeating the calls to Jihad, the destruction of an Israel, attacks on Jews and other Kafirs. And so, there are 5 murderous attacks, per day, documented, by those shouting Allahu Akbar, our Islamic God is Great, we are killing the unbelievers in Allah's name." 5 per day, 2,000 per year since these attacks have been documented starting in 2001, post 9-11, an Allahu Akbar event I witnessed personally, and lost 2 female colleagues who were killed in barbaric manner while doing their day jobs in the World Trade Center. Some of these 46.262 Allahu Akbar attacks have resulted in 1-5 deaths, some 200, and some 3,000.

This is not happening in Christianity or in Judaism, nor in Buddhism or Taoism.

Maybe you can tell me, how many Jews have blown up airplanes or flown them into civilian buildings? How many Buddhists have killed 200 people dancing at a beach bar? How many upset or ultra-orthodox Protestants kidnapped hundreds of Nigerian or Yazidi girls, and used them as personal sex slaves? How many Zoroastrians have blown up buses and pizzerias? Sure, Jews have wackos - every religion does.

I used to think that all religions were peaceful save for a few extremists, up until 9-11, after which I did an intense amount of research into the history of Islam and of Jihad (both are intensely and deliberately intertwined). Also, it turns out, Mohammad was no Moses and no Jesus. He's not like other actual prophets.

What I learned is that the effed up Islamic trilogy (Quran, Hadiths, Sirah) is very dangerous, is militaristic and political, and ~60% of the texts instruct Muslims, specifically, how to treat others (non-Muslims, Kafirs, unbelievers) as 2nd class citizens at best, and corpses at worst. This is a major and defining difference. I won't get into all the nuances bc it would take an entire book.

[zelbits]

Chapter 1: A Mysterious Shade

Rating: M at its worst, I'm trying to keep it T. Depictions of gore, violence, themes of depression, war, battles, and some steamy scenes later on but nothing outright spicy, some strong language but nothing too explicit

Summary: Sheik, Link, Asahi, and Zelda depart from Hateno at dawn, but Zelda shall go no farther than Kakariko. A full day of travel lies ahead of them as they make their way to the Temple of Time, and the weight of Link's decision is heavy on them all as Sheik tells them all that he can. But on the final stretch of their journey, on the edge of the Forest of Time, they encounter someone strange and dangerous...

Trigger Warnings: PTSD, gore, violence, mild steam, angst, forbidden/taboo love, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, probably more I haven't thought of yet.

Word Count: Unsure

A/N: Asahi's appearance and name are loosely based off of Asahi from The Water Dragon's Bride, my favorite manga (besides Zelda, ofc). I've had this story in my head for a very, very, very long time and I'm really excited to finally be putting it out there, even if it's not in the comic form that I had originally wanted to do.

Media: Written for now, with some art and hopefully redrawn in manga form later on when I learn how to do it well.

Releases: Monthly to bi-monthly, if possible. I work full-time and am in the midst of preparing for college, so I'll try to release chapters alongside my usual content.

Anytime you see an embedded link (pun intended), it leads to related soundtrack.

While Asahi made preparations to take Zelda to Kakariko Village, Link spoke with Sheik about what their course of action would be.

"Our first stop is the Temple of Time," Said Sheik, pointing to the Great Plateau on his traditional map. "It will be easiest for me to open a portal from there. Our journey will take us across many eras, many worlds... Are you sure you're up for this?"

"If it means the end of future incarnations suffering," Link answered firmly, although the thought of time travel made him a bit queasy. "What era are we going to first? What era do you come from?"

Sheik seemed to smile beneath his mask. "One that happens a millennia before now, a mere myth in your time. As for what era I'm from... That is something I shall keep to myself."

Link didn't bother prying. Instead, he asked a different question, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "What exactly are we doing in these other eras?"

Sheik hummed thoughtfully, pulling the poem out of his pocket. "Clearly, we must have ended the Curse somehow. I say we solely because this implies that the weapon used to defeat him involved trips through different times and realms, which you could not possibly have done without my help... But I have no idea how we did it. My best guess is going to the Temple of Time in all eras that we can; it is one of few consistent locations in Hyrule throughout time. If I was with you, perhaps we left a clue at one of them."

"So are we going back to the beginning?" Link questioned.

"In a way, yes," Sheik responded. "Our destination is not the beginning, but it is a beginning. The hero of that era faced three destinies: victory as a hero, a forgotten victory, and failure. Hopefully, once there, we can narrow down the timelines a bit and try to shrink our search area."

Link rubbed his temples. The thought of traveling through eras made him sick to his stomach. "If we leave at dawn, we should make it to the Great Plateau by nightfall, so long as we don't encounter any setbacks... But I don't want Zelda to accompany us, not in her current state. You saw her this morning. If an episode strikes her in the middle of a battle or on the open road... it could be disastrous."

"It could indeed," Sheik agreed, "But where will she be safe? This new Ganondorf will surely seek to find her."

"The Sheikah will take care of her," Said Link with the utmost certainty. He stood, pushing back his chair and regarding the mysterious figure with a mixture of caution and apprehension. He had so many questions, but he knew Sheik wouldn't answer any of them. He wondered if he could even trust any of what was being said. Is any of this a good idea? But if there was any chance of stopping the Cycle... "I'm going to go help Asahi prepare."

"She's already agreed to this?" Sheik sounded surprised.

Link didn't answer. He didn't feel as though it were his place to explain Asahi's reasoning. Instead he simply walked away, through the rain back to the house.

When he arrived, Zelda was still fast asleep, but Asahi was lounging on their haphazard couch, several rucksacks and saddlebags packed around her. When she saw Link, she didn't really move, only glancing at him with her sharp amber eyes from underneath her reddish bangs.

She'd changed her clothes again-- she was always so uncertain about herself. Now she wore her traditional Sheikah attire: snug-fitting leggings; a collared Sheikah tunic fastened closed at her waist, bearing a blazing crimson eye motif on the front; a longsleeved tunic underneath that also covered her neck; a sash around her waist, concealing her many daggers; fingerless gloves; and of course the bandages around her forearms and the crown of her head, keeping on her cap. All of it was black, save for the Sheikah eye, her cap, and some highlights on the hems of her sleeves and tunic. Her deep red hair, almost purple, hung in bangs out the front of her cap, concealing most of her face that wasn't already hidden by the mask she wore.

For a moment, Link was surprised how much she resembled Sheik.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Did you put your full armor on earlier because you thought we were leaving right away?"

She regarded him with an air of mock-coldness. To anyone else she might be intimidating, but Link knew she wouldn't hurt a fly. "...Shut up, Link."

"That's no way to talk to the princess's husband."

"That make you a prince?"

"No."

"I think it does. It's not like you're not already in charge of everything anyway." Asahi stretched, much like a cat. "So what'd big bad mystery guy have to say?"

"We leave for the Temple of Time tomorrow," Link sighed, running a hand through his long hair. "If we leave at dawn, we should make it there by nightfall."

"And?"

Link hesitated, then sat down beside her in defeat and told her everything. About the Curse, the new incarnation of Ganondorf, the fact that they'll have to travel through dimensions. "Are you sure you still want to come?"

She thought for a moment. "...Well, Link, I feel like you're gonna need someone with extensive historical knowledge on this adventure. Quest. Thing. Listen, if Zelda can't do it, I'm the next best thing, not to toot my own horn, but she said it herself. I don't want Zelda traveling through time when she can barely go down the stairs on a bad day. But who's gonna take care of her?"

"The Sheikah, if you still want to come."

"I'm sure Purah and Paya can handle it. The princess would want me to come with you."

"And why would I do that?" The princess's voice made Link jump to his feet. Asahi stayed seated but her head shot up at the sound of her voice. At the top of the stairs, Zelda stood in her nightgown, hair disheveled and tears in her eyes. She looked so lost. But she was coherent. Link's heart leapt into his throat as he raced to her. "Where are you going?" Zelda breathed, immediately falling into his arms when he reached her. "You're leaving?"

Her voice cracked, and it broke his heart. "Zelda, I need to tell you something. If you don't want me to go, I won't, but I'll explain everything to you."

He glanced back at Asahi, who hadn't budged from her spot. "Why don't you make sure the horses are ready?"

Taking that as her cue, Asahi bolted out the door. Link turned and led Zelda to the bed, where he made her sit while he fetched her tea and some food. When she had eaten, she thanked him, and Link told her about Sheik, and the quest, and Asahi's participation in it.

"Like I told you before," Link took her hand in both of his, bowing his head to hide his face and holding it to his forehead. "If you don't want me to go, I'll stay with you, Zelda. There's a chance everything he's saying is a lie. Maybe he just works for this new Ganondorf, if there even is one, and is luring me into a trap. But if you tell me to go, I will. I'll go and I'll defeat this Ganondorf, and any other afterward."

For a long moment, Zelda was silent. He thought she maybe lapsed into her trance state, and he started to lose hope. How could he leave her if she didn't even know about it?

"...Link... Look at me." He did, immediately, regardless of whatever was on his face. He couldn't hide anything from her. Her emerald eyes locked on his and she smiled. "...I think you should go." He was speechless, and she continued softly, "When I was... When I was up there... I had no idea where I was. Who I was. Sometimes, I was aware of your presence, but I didn't know it was you then. I just knew you were important. Just like I know now that this is important. I don't know why." Her cold hand caressed his face, and he leaned into her touch, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "You need to go. If what he says is true, and, I feel in my heart it may be, then you could not only save this Hyrule, but every Hyrule. All of our descendants. Everyone. I hate this burden is on you alone, but... like Asahi said, I can barely go down the stairs some days."

He involuntarily flinched. "We didn't mean--"

"It's the truth," Zelda interrupted. "I can help you from here. I will do all of the research I possibly can, find any sources I can think of to help you. Maybe you'll return intermittently, or I can tell you everything when you've returned."

Link bowed his head into her lap, holding her hand tighter. Uncontrollably, his shoulders began to shake. Despite how hard he tried, Link couldn't hold himself together as his heart tore itself apart. Zelda gently called his name, and he couldn't even be strong for her. He gasped through his sobs but refused to lift his head. "I don't want to leave you again."

"Neither do I," She admitted, and slid off the bed to kneel in front of him, mirroring his position. She took his face in her hands and made her look at him. "Just make me a promise--"

"I'll come back to you," He breathed, "I swear to you, Zelda, I will come back to you."

Her gaze softened, and she let the tears fall. "That's all I could ask for. I will wait for you." She kissed him sweetly before he pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her like it was their last day on earth.

It very well could be.

Together they mourned a normal life, dreading when dawn comes.

Outside, Asahi sat by the cooking pot, warming herself by the fire. She didn't want to go back inside unless she was called to, because she didn't want to interrupt them, but she'd already "checked the horses" (she stood out there and petted them for awhile, feeding them apples) and she'd walked around the property a couple of times. The sun was long gone, it was cold, and it was raining. Under the tree granted her some protection from the wet, and as long as the fire stayed lit, she was warm.

"So you are Asahi."

She leapt to her feet and spun around. It was Sheik, leaning against the tree. She inwardly chastised herself. She'd been trained for this. How could he have snuck up on her so easily? "...Sheik, is it?" She didn't relax, but she would be friendly. After all, she'd be stuck with him for who knows how long?

"Yes." His golden hair and tanned skin were warped by firelight, turning a dusky orange color, and his armor yellowish-gold. "Where do you come from, Asahi?"

She tilted her head. "I'm a Sheikah. Like you, I guess."

"You don't look like a Sheikah."

Unlike the bullies of her childhood, it didn't sound like an insult, but more of a curiosity. She subconsciously ran her fingers through the hair at the base of her neck, instinctively hating everything about it: its deep magenta color, its red highlights, the black tips. She'd tried to dye it white so many times, but it always washed away within a day. It took her a moment to remember that she'd embraced her differences with her people. Years of bullying in her youth had hardwired her brain to automatically hate it, but since meeting Zelda, she'd learned to accept it. "...I'm adopted," She managed, shrugging.

"From where?"

What's with all the questions? "I dunno. I guess I'm Hylian. I was found by a Sheikah couple in an orphanage."

"You guess you're Hylian?"

"Well, what else would I be? A Goron?" She waved her arms at herself. Tall, lanky, smooth skin, pointy ears: definitely a Goron.

Sheik regarded her carefully before smirking. "I like you. You're fascinating."

"Okay?"

Sheik approached her and Asahi's hand fell to her belt automatically. She didn't draw a weapon, but she was prepared to. Sheik seemed to take no notice, drawing something out of his pocket. It was a shard of glass. He handed it to her, and she stared at him blankly for a minute. "Oh. Cool. Glass. I love it, thank you."

"You jest, but this is a very powerful item."

"...Is it a very powerful paperweight?"

Sheik shook his head. "Call upon it in your time of need. It will show you that which you desire most to see. It can be used as many times as you wish, but be warned: what you see may upset you."

"This is all rather sudden. Will it show me what I want for breakfast? I feel like that'll just upset me. If I want cake for breakfast and we've had bacon only for weeks that just feels like torture. That's exactly it, Torture-Shard. Why doesn't Link get a Torture-Shard? Am I special? Have I been chosen to be tortured by the sight of a breakfast I can't have?"

"Link has enough to deal with. This is specifically for you. I was meant to give it to you. It will be useful later on."

"Sure. When I want to see where the nearest place I can get cake is."

Sheik lifted his chin, staring down at her with narrowed eyes. "For a Sheikah, you make lightly of quite a bit."

Asahi grinned under her mask, sighing theatrically. "Oh, well, if I didn't, I would fall into the pit of existential dread that is my heritage, so."

Sheik was silent for a moment. "Asahi of Kakariko, I look forward to seeing how you develop on this journey."

She stared at him with wide yellow eyes. "Am I gonna become like a legend or something?"

Sheik shook his head. "I will see you in the morning."

Asahi blinked, and he was gone. "Whoa..." She spun around in circles, but couldn't see any trace of him. She held up the shard and looked at it from all angles. One side was reflective, like a mirror. It was a very thick, dark piece of glass, inscribed with ancient markings she couldn't decipher. They looked familiar, though. Perhaps she had some reference in her notes. "Hm..." Why doesn't Link get one of these? Why me? Is it a cursed item? Should I throw it away? Should I keep it? Should I tell Link? Why isn't it sharp?

Confused, she stuffed it in her rucksack with everything else. Maybe she could chuck it at someone if they were attacked or something. Maybe that's what Sheik meant by it coming in handy later. But what did he mean when he said it'll show me what I want to see? Snickering to herself, she thought, Maybe because it's a mirror.

Her stomach growled. She hadn't eaten since lunchtime. Glancing up at the house, she noticed that the lights were off. Gee, thanks for letting me know. She kicked some dirt over the fire and ensured it was completely out before going back to her own little abode.

Well, now I want cake.

They left at dawn the next morning, and Asahi indulged in a breakfast of cake before grabbing her rucksack and leaving her house. She probably wouldn't have cake again for awhile.

She glanced back at her house once, wondering when she'd see it again. Travel between times and dimensions? She inwardly laughed. I bet we're going to the Temple of Time and watch this guy do some fake magic before realizing he's nuts.

But on the off-chance that it was real, she would come with Link anywhere. Whether it was or wasn't, she didn't want him to be without backup if something happened. Although she'd never been in a true fight before, unless you counted going against the ancient Sheikah automations.

Link and Zelda were in the stables when she arrived, and they both turned when she approached. "Morning," Said Link groggily.

"Asahi," Zelda hugged her friend, and Asahi beamed. Sometimes it was hard to remember she was a princess. "Thank you for yesterday."

"Anything for you, Zelda. You guys are my best friends." She really was. Asahi had never had many friends until she met the blond-haired hero beside them seven years ago, on assignment in Zora's Domain. She had been investigating the disturbances of Vah Ruta when she found herself face-to-face with a Lynel on Ploymus Mountain.

Link had saved her life. They didn't defeat that Lynel, nowhere close. Instead, they ran to the edge and jumped into the lake. Unexpectedly, Asahi found herself wrapped up in trying to help Link and Sidon get past the Divine Beast's defenses, although she never entered it. That part Link faced alone.

While he was in Vah Ruta, Sidon told her who he was. This wasn't just any Hylian, it was the knight who had defended Princess Zelda until his very last breath, come back to life after 100 years in the Shrine of Resurrection. And he had no idea who he was. Struggling with severe amnesia, Link could only remember bits and pieces of his past, recovering more each day.

Sidon and Asahi had waited outside of Vah Ruta until he returned, quite safe, and the Divine Beast made its way to the top of a mountain and beamed a laser at Calamity Ganon.

Traveling with her research group, she ran into Link quite often before finally suggesting they team up together. "No," He'd told her, quite firmly, "I've lost enough friends."

That didn't stop her from going to Goron City and helping him and Yunobo to Vah Rudania, informing them of what it was capable of before they approached. The same with Vah Medoh, although he and Teba both were very adamant about her staying as far away as possible. She helped from the ground beforehand, telling them everything she could about it and even producing schematics. After Vah Naboris, where her help was pivotal in even getting him inside of Gerudo Town, she told him she was coming with him to Hyrule Castle whether he liked it or not.

Somehow, she'd never encountered a Guardian up close before then. They were absolutely terrifying. Link did most of the fighting, while Asahi would hurl explosive bottles of potions into rooms to clear them a bit before Link ran in. He refused to let her fight, insisting she stay safely back and using her knowledge to guide him to the Throne Room, where Zelda was apparently trapped.

Then he'd warped her away. Just like that, he teleported her to Hyrule Field. Asahi had hopped on her horse and made to go back into the castle, but she'd barely gotten to the gates when the Guardians attacked her. She'd fled, intending to try a back entrance when it happened: the sky turned red, and a hog made of malice and larger than life spawned in Hyrule Field.

Asahi and her trusted horse, a chestnut mare named Dusty, served as a distraction for the monster while Link, armed with arrows of light, fought it off. It was the scariest moment of Asahi's life. When it was defeated, they watched in awe as Zelda, unharmed, was returned to them. She felt really awkward just standing there as Link rushed to embrace Zelda. It was the only time she'd ever seen him cry.

Then there was peace, and they all moved to Hateno village, their base of operations. Hyrule moved on. Zelda, Purah, Paya, Link, and Asahi worked on rebuilding Hyrule. Things were going well. She watched her best friends fall in love.

Until the Upheaval.

She still remembered how the world trembled, and how she'd thought she'd lost Link and Zelda; then Link returned, and again refused to let her outright come with him. She had more responsibilities now, though, assigned to her by Zelda herself. She had been targeted by puppet Zelda, who came to her in her tent. She knew something was off, but she didn't remember anything after that until she woke up in the mud with a bloodied face with Link standing over her. According to him, the puppet had coerced her to lead the Yiga remaining on the surface in Kohga's absence, but thankfully she didn't do a very good job of it.

He told her about Zelda's transformation. Somehow, that was the second and last time she'd seen him cry as he revealed that he found out that Zelda was gone, and may never return. She had tracked him down to the East Akkala stable, and it was after dark. His weapons were laid haphazardly on one of the beds, and he (shockingly) was drinking. "What has you so upset that you decided to drink like one of us normal folk?"

"Zelda's gone."

Asahi's heart hit her boots. "What?"

Suddenly, Link shot to his feet, dragged her to the door, and pointed a finger at a long, thin shape in the distant sky. It was that new dragon that appeared after the Upheaval. "She's gone." After he'd explained the fact that she'd been snatched back in time 10,000 years and had been a dragon ever since, Asahi had sank to her knees, watching the faraway shape of the dragon fly away.

She forced Link to accept her company after that, and they vowed to destroy Ganon together; except, again, he teleported her out of harm's way before he descended to the Depths, and before she could return in time, she again was left on the fringes of Hyrule Field while watching an epic battle of gods play out. The Demon Dragon and the Light Dragon fought brutally overhead, until both were extinguished.

It took two days for her to learn that not only Link, but Zelda, were both alive.

Ever since, Link and Asahi have banded together to help the princess recover from her ordeal in any way possible. She was doing much better than she had been when she was normal again, that's for sure. Yesterday's episode had been the first one since four weeks ago, making for a good record of recovery. And even now, so soon afterward, she seemed fit and ready for anything.

"I wish I could go with you," Zelda sighed.

"No you don't, princess," Asahi laughed, "We're gonna be uncomfortable and sore and we won't have any cake. Plus, think of the bugs."

"But I like bugs."

"Oh, yeah, sorry. You can find Kakariko's bugs?"

"I've already documented all of them..."

"...Well, find a new one you haven't documented yet. Better yet, breed one."

Link interjected gently, "Do you have Dusty ready, Asahi? We need to leave as soon as possible."

"I paid a stable hand to get her tacked up for me this morning," Asahi answered, "I'll go and get her." As she left, she passed Sheik on the bridge, leading his own horse, a dapple gray. She simply nodded to him. Weird mirror man. Sheik returned the nod.

Once she had Dusty properly tacked up, she met the others at the entrance to Hateno and they set off without hesitation, following Link. Asahi and Zelda made small talk, avoiding the realities of their adventure: if they really did need to travel through time, how would they come home?

"Here we are," Sighed Zelda. "The crossroads."

It was just after high noon. Thus far their trip had been rather boring, and Asahi shifted her seat bones to try and get the blood flowing back to her legs.

Ahead of her, Link and Zelda dismounted. Sheik turned away, giving them their privacy. Asahi, however, subtly pulled her Purah Pad out of her rucksack. She tried not to listen too closely, but her sharp hearing still caught their conversation.

"I'll help from here, as much as I can. Who knows? Maybe the Purah Pad will work across timelines this time." Zelda's voice was gentle, concealing the depth of pain she felt. "Just... Remember your promise, Link. Please... come home."

"Alive," Link added, "I will come back to you alive, I swear it."

He hugged her tightly, breathing in the scent of her hair one final time. Briskly, they kissed, and Asahi sprung into action, snapping a picture of the moment. He'll need this. At some point in this adventure, he's going to need reminded why he's doing this.

"I'll see you soon," Link breathed.

Zelda spared Asahi a glance and a smile. "Take care of him, Asahi."

"I'm right here," Link grumbled, but Asahi only laughed.

And it was then, without Zelda, that they set off once more. They paused at the Dueling Peaks Stable about thirty minutes down the road, where they stretched their legs, relieved themselves, and ate their lunch of bread and cheese.

They didn't stop again for the rest of the day. Asahi quickly grew bored, and often walked alongside Dusty to keep her legs from growing numb. She hadn't ridden this far in years. Dusty, ever loyal, was an aging horse; she wasn't particularly slower, but she definitely should have been retired long ago. Maybe I should have chosen a different horse for this adventure... It was selfish of her to bring Dusty along just because she was comfortable with her. But, then again, Link was bringing Prince, and he must be even older.

It was just past nightfall when they reached the Outpost Ruins. Asahi had only ever been through here once, and she had been alone and had been ambushed. She had managed to escape, but only barely. Ever since she detested them and would go around if she needed to travel this way at all, and she never did so alone.

Especially at night, they felt haunted with the soldiers who had been slain in the Great Calamity. She swore she could hear whispers and catch glimpses of shadows moving quickly. Out of the corner of her eye, she swore she saw a man leaning against a wall with his arms crossed before pushing off and disappearing.

Asahi felt like she was being watched. Her skin crawled and her heart pounded against her chest. Her yellow eyes darted around wildly as she tried to pinpoint the sense. Every hidden alley and corner felt like it was hiding a threat. Sensing her unease, Dusty began to fuss beneath her.

The trees whispered in the nighttime breeze. The ruins were eerily silent as the sun fully set and the birds hid away for the night. The sky darkened quickly, gold hints swallowed by a black swathe of stars. She didn't even hear any crickets. Asahi tensed as they followed the path; her horse chuffed nervously. "C-can't we just go around?" She didn't want to sound like a coward, but if they were ambushed here, they were surely at a disadvantage.

"It is faster to go through," Said Sheik, without turning back.

Link pulled Prince's reins a bit to slow him, coming to walk beside her. "I feel it, too. Something's off." Link's confirmations of her feelings didn't help her any. After everything he'd been through, he was certainly more experienced in asserting threats.

"Like I said," Sheik insisted, unmoving in his resolve, "We must go through. We will make camp on the other side." Asahi felt a flash of disdain. Who does he think he is, bossing us around? Link only tightened his jaw and inclined his head to her. If Link didn't say anything, then neither would she. She kept her thoughts to herself and settled for glaring at Sheik's back.

"Stay vigilant. If something does happen, we'll be well prepared."

All through the ruins, Asahi was near paranoid. Every little noise or scuffle had her attention. Her gaze swiveled back-and-forth as she tried to pinpoint scattering pebbles or faint groans of wind through cracks of old cobblestones. When they made it through unscathed and the sound of crickets drew closer, she finally relaxed.

"How far away are we from the Temple of Time?" Sheik asked, pulling his own horse to a stop.

"Still a couple of hours away, at least," Link answered, "But not terribly far."

"Show me again." Sheik dismounted, giving his horse a pat on the neck as he pulled out his traditional map. Link followed, leaving Prince by Sheik's dappled mare. Asahi did the same, rushing over to them.

They were about to start a fire when the crickets stopped singing. The air grew still. Asahi's heart dropped. A chill swept through her body.

Link, sensing the danger, drew his blade first. Then she heard it: the snort of bokoblins. Not one, not two, but many, lingering on the shadowed treeline and all of them stark white as they melted out of the darkness. Shakily, Asahi drew her weapons.

In the center of their midst, a pair of glowing crimson eyes opened. Hylian-height. Yiga? Asahi's heart was pounding in her throat. Her palms began to sweat.

"Hello, Hero," Mocked Link's own voice, warped and distorted. They shared brief, confused glances. Sheik and Link stood side-by-side in fighting stances, ready for whatever may come. Asahi's mind raced to remember all of her training, over all of her life. I should know what to do. I should know what to do. "Ganondorf sends his regards."

The shadow leapt first, a spitting image of Link, a wild grin on his gray-skinned face and red smoke curling from his eyes. Link met him in the middle, unafraid, and their blades clashed in sparks of white light.

The bokoblins attacked at the shadow's first blow, and Asahi's heart plummeted.

Everything happened so fast. Her body froze as her mind raced. Bokoblins came at them from all angles. She couldn't breathe. With Link occupied with the shadow, Sheik lunged for the bokoblins, a flash of pale color and purple blood as he sliced its throat clean open. "Conquer yourself!" He yelled at Link.

Link and the shadow furiously exchanged blows, sparks flying everywhere as their blades clashed. As the bokoblins, slow and clumsy compared to the shadow, shambled forward, Asahi's body began to tremble uncontrollably. Her hands shook, and tears of fear, unbidden, sprang to her eyes. She felt trapped in her own skin. Why can't I move?!

"Asahi! Fight back!"

Sheik's cry forced Asahi back to reality. Her kunai flew to her palms, and while her fear didn't dissipate, it was rightfully turned to fuel for the battle.

Asahi charged with a wild cry. Her blades were a blur before her eyes. Violet blood and bits of flesh flew this way and that as she hacked through the fray. The screams of the bokos rang in her ears. With every one she knocked down, two more sprang up in its place.

She tried to ignore the sensation of gore on her body. Her sleeves were soaked in blood that wasn't hers. Her stomach rolled and her footwork faltered. Inwardly, she cursed herself as she stumbled, allowing a bokoblin to slash far too close. She bent backward, avoiding the blade by inches. Her heart leapt at the proximity, but she managed to regain her footing quickly and attack the opening left behind. As the bokoblins fell, she realized her mistake.

Link had been distracted by her. Tripping on his own feet, he fell backward. Goddesses, this was why he never wanted me around. The shadow took advantage of the moment, driving his blade straight for Link's heart--

--Asahi moved before she realized she was. By only a few inches, she deflected his blade with hers, sending them into the bloodsoaked earth beside Link. The shadow growled with frustation, and their eyes locked: blazing crimson and fierce yellow-gold. He didn't notice her free hand until it was too late.

In between her fingers were three dazzlefruit, and she hurled them into the ground between them as hard as she could, closing her eyes. The shadow roared in agony as the light exploded, blindingly brilliant. The bokoblins shrieked as they too were affected by it, falling victim to Sheik's whirlwind of attacks. Asahi, however, didn't let up on the shadow.

She was more reluctant to hurt him than she was the monsters: he was Hylian-shaped, if that made sense. While the edges of her blade kissed his sides, she was sure she wasn't even leaving scratches. She put most of her force into blunt attacks: kicking, punching, slamming the butt of her kunai into his ribs. She even knocked his blade out of his grip. In retrospect, that was probably a bad idea.

The shadow's hand snatched her wrist with an icy, painful grip; she had been so occupied with taking the opportunity of his blindness, she hadn't realized it had worn off quicker than it should have. Swinging her around, the mimicry of Link slammed her into a ruined wall, pinning her to it effortlessly. Her free arm was wedged between them at a painful angle, and he had a firm grip on her wrist. He was standing in such a way that she couldn't even kick out, and he was far too strong for a normal Hylian. His eyes blazed with fury. "Now why would you go and use cheap tricks like that?"

Fear bubbled up in Asahi's chest. His body was ice-cold. His voice made her skin crawl. It was Link's, but it wasn't, and she was in a very vulnerable spot right now. If the shadow didn't kill her, her instructor would for letting herself get into this position in the first place.

The shadow slammed her wrist into the stone, hard. Asahi cried out and dropped her blade, allowing the shadow to grab it. Shit, Asahi gasped and closed her eyes, bracing herself as the shadow made to stab her between her ribs. When the blow didn't come, she cracked her eyes open and found the shadow narrowing his eyes at her, brow furrowed. His grip, so tight before, had loosened slightly. His bright crimson irises, barely discernible from the rest of his glowing eyes, flicked back and forth as his gaze seemed to search hers.

"...Do I know you...?" She didn't know if he meant to say those words allowed. She could only stare at him silently. Yeah, from your nightmares! She wished she could have quipped, pushing him off of her and doing some epic move that would leave even Sheik impressed. But she couldn't. It was like his gaze had frozen her to this very spot. She couldn't move. The eerie familiarity of his face unsettled her. It was just Link, but a dark, shadowed copy. But where does he know me from?

She didn't have to worry about it long. Taking advantage of the shadow's pause, Link slammed the hilt of his sword into the back of his head. The shadow's eyes stopped glowing instantly, rolling to the back of his skull as he collapsed to the side with a groan. Asahi stumbled as she regained her footing, snatching up her kunai. "Yeah, that's right! Don't mess with me!"

"We all saw you, Asahi," Link sighed, rolling his eyes.

Around them lay a dozen white bokoblin corpses, each one taking a minute to explode into a cloud of purple dust and leaving behind their most powerful parts. She waited for the shadow to do the same, but nothing happened yet. "Oh, he's not dead?"

"He's about to be."

Sheik stopped him before he could put an end to his copy. "Don't. He could be of value to us."

Link gave Sheik a sidelong glance of disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Yes," From his pouch, Sheik produced a pair of glowing, beautifully-engraved shackles.

"Oooh," Asahi breathed, immediately entranced. "Sparkly. Wait, why do you even have those?"

Link glared as the Sheikah warrior bent down to place the restraints on the shadow's wrist. "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? That's why you pushed for us to go through the ruins. You needed to capture this thing."

Sheik took his sweet time ensuring the restraints were properly attached. Asahi wasn't sure what kind of magic was taking place, but the wispy darkness surrounding the shadow disappeared, almost as though he were becoming solid. Experimentally, Asahi bent down and poked his forehead with her fingertip. Hm. He's warm now. "Asahi," Sheik warned, and the shadow stirred slightly. With a squeak of alarm, Asahi jumped back.

To Link, Sheik said quietly, "I knew he would be of use to us." His gaze locked on Asahi, making her uncomfortable. "He has a very special purpose to serve." As Link's gaze followed Sheik's, Asahi fidgeted nervously.

"What? Stop looking at me like that."

"You will be in charge of him," Sheik ordered. Her stomach dropped.

"What?!"

"He is physical now. He will require care to his wounds, and a portion of food, and water. He is our prisoner, but we must not let him die."

"We can't?" Link questioned sourly.

"No. Like I said, he is required for this mission. He has key information on Ganondorf that we will need. We cannot kill him, or the entire point of this quest will be useless. And if we let him go, he will only report to Ganondorf about our location. With those shackles, he is no more powerful than your average warrior. He can access none of his dark magics, he cannot harm us, and he cannot leave us." He bent down and grabbed the shadow's ankles. "Help me get him onto Dusty."

"I'm sorry? No one requested her permission?" Asahi huffed, but she went ignored. "I'm not riding with him behind me. He's just gonna wake up and stab me in the leg."

"I just said he can't hurt us," Sheik glared at her.

"Just push him off," Link mouthed, earning himself a sharp look.

As they carried him away, Asahi picked up the shadow's blade. It looked like a copy of the Master Sword, but it couldn't be nearly as powerful. She carried it over to her horse, ensuring it would be safely packed so it wouldn't hurt Dusty.

Once the shadow was secured on Dusty's saddle, Asahi opted for walking alongside her precious horse. She needed to stretch her legs anyhow. After Link confirmed the location of the Temple of Time, they continued their journey.

Asahi led Dusty along, her mind racing. I fought horribly. Goddesses, I've been trained, why didn't I react better? She thought she reacted pretty well to Link being in danger, but her thoughts kept going over her interaction with the shadow. Why didn't he stab me? Why did he think he knew me?

"He said I can't kill you," The not-voice of Link said from behind her, and she jumped. She almost shrieked. The shadow was barely-conscious, eyes half-open and a lazy grin on his face. He couldn't even sit up. Asahi was deeply unsettled. He looks exactly like Link, but he isn't. "But I wonder what would happen if I tried."

Asahi took a deep breath. I won't let him scare me. "Your hand would incinerate. Probably."

The shadow looked surprised that she'd even deigned to respond. "Nice. Then I could just slide that shackle off and reform my hand with darkness. Then I could stab you."

"You didn't when you had the chance, like, twenty minutes ago. I'm just too pretty to be stabbed."

The shadow let out a weak chuckle. "I can't even see your face besides your eyes. It was a moment of weakness on my part, my bad."

Asahi just shrugged. "Do you have a name?" She was getting really tired not having a way to refer to him besides the other Link in her head. "Link 2? Dark Link?"

The shadow only frowned. "I don't need a name. I'm meant to kill the hero, and that's all. Why would anyone need a name for a weapon?"

For some reason, that thought made her incredibly sad. She knew Link would scold her for feeling sympathy with the thing that had almost killed them, but she couldn't help it. "Were you ever a kid?"

"What?"

"A kid? Were you ever like, really short and always wanting candy?"

The shadow hesitated. "...I've been training to kill the hero since I was little, if that counts. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"And you never had a name?"

"I don't need a--"

"Well, too bad. I guess I'm in charge of keeping you in check from now on, and I don't want to keep calling you Link 2. That sucks. So I guess I have to give you a name. Any preferences?"

The shadow stared at her blankly. "...Are you serious right now? Goddesses, I wish I could stab you. I should've stabbed you."

"I'm calling you Shadow," She told him, and he sighed heavily, closing his eyes.

"In a few days, Ganondorf will send someone to get me. Once I'm free, you'll be the second person I kill."

"Asahi," Said Link, the real Link, and she perked up immediately. "Don't even talk to it. There's no point."

She didn't really respond. She couldn't not talk to him. When her gaze went back to Shadow, he was watching her with lidded eyes like a cat. She wondered if he had a concussion. "...That's your name, huh? I'll remember that as I slit your throat, Asahi."

She turned away, holding Dusty's reins tighter. She couldn't think of anything quick to snap back at him.

They reached the Temple of Time around moonhigh. By this time, Shadow had recovered and now sat in Dusty's saddle as though he was riding her himself. Asahi wasn't sure if they had horses wherever he came from, but he sat with a kind of familiarity that implied that they did. He hadn't said anything at all, only watching the darkness like he expected Ganondorf's minions to appear at any moment to help him out of his predicament.

They stood before the Temple, and Asahi marveled at its splendor. She'd only ever been here one time before, but she still couldn't believe that it was still standing after so long. She admired every arch and brick, entranced by its beauty.

"We will camp inside the Temple," Said Sheik, "And tomorrow, we will set out after we eat a hearty breakfast. Traveling like this on an empty stomach could lead to adverse--"

"Asahi!" Link yelled, making her jump out of her trance; Shadow was gone. Looking around wildly, she spotted him a few yards away, bolting for freedom.

"Hey!" She cried, and made to chase after him, but Sheik raised a hand to stop both her and Link.

"Wait. He can't leave, like I said."

Sure enough, Shadow had hardly gotten a hundred yards away before being yanked violently back. A chain, glowing golden, snapped into existence. It connected his shackles to Sheik, who gripped one end of the chain tightly. "Are you going to come back now? You are physical: it will rain soon, and you will catch your death."

Very reluctantly, Shadow begrudgingly returned. Asahi wondered what it might feel like to go from a formless shadow to a Hylian so suddenly. He was probably feeling exhaustion, hunger, and thirst for the first time in his life. Shadow stayed as far away as possible while the group dismantled their horses' tack and made a fire in the Temple, preparing to cook stew. The entire time, Asahi knew that Shadow had holed himself up in the small room off to the side, refusing to be near his captors even if he wasn't traditionally bound.

"...Why do you keep calling me 'the hero of wilds'?" Link asked, breaking the silence around their campfire.

Asahi listened carefully as she stirred the pot, not wanting to miss a single detail of Sheik's response.

For a long time, Sheik didn't speak. Then, after deep consideration, he began, "Every hero of every timeline I have ever visited has faced a different sort of evil that defines their era. Our next destination, we are meeting a hero that was forced to travel between past, present, and even future, but his quests are not remembered by the people. He is called the Hero of Time." Gooseflesh marched up Asahi's arms. "There is a hero who journeyed between worlds of light and twilight; the Hero of Twilight. The very first hero comes from an era where Hylians live in beautiful islands in the sky, much like these ones now. He is the Hero of the Skies. You, Link, are in a Hyrule without government, without a Triforce, and where nature has reclaimed much of what was. Hence, you are the Hero of the Wild."

"Are you a hero?" Asahi questioned. "Are you one of the incarnations?"

Sheik smiled beneath his mask. "If only. I am only a traveler seeking to end the Cycle and the Curse of Demise." He nodded to the pot. "Don't burn the soup."

Asahi hurriedly removed it from the heat, preparing bowls enough for all of them; even Shadow. Grabbing an extra flask and his portion of the food along with some extra supplies, she went down the hallway and into the side-room, making the dozing shade nearly jump out of his skin. "What happened?"

She couldn't help but chuckle as she sat down the bowl and flask a safe distance away. "Not used to being tired, huh? It's normal. It's what happens to use Hylians."

"It's a weakness," The Shadow corrected, "And what is that?"

"Food. And water. And if you insist on staying so far away from everyone--" She placed a couple of sticks before pulling a piece of flint out of her pocket and striking it with her blade, creating a small, but very warm, fire. "--Here. So you don't get cold." She tossed her bangs out of her eyes. "There. You gonna remember that when you slit my throat?"

The Shadow regarded her carefully. "Maybe. I might make it a little quicker."

"Good," Asahi tossed him one of the blankets from the saddlebags. He caught it, frowning. "Remember that, too. I like that blanket, so don't ruin it. Sorry if it smells like flowers." With that, she spun on her heel and left the room.

What she didn't see was Shadow take the food and water almost greedily. It was good, he had to admit, but he'd never even had food before, so how would he know? The water was heavenly to his dry throat. And the blanket... He had no idea what flowers smelled like. But whatever it was, it did smell nice. He laid there for hours, examining his physical body with the utmost scrutiny. Everything felt alien, and he hated it. He hated it so much that he couldn't melt into the darkness and disappear when he liked.

He didn't mean to, but he fell asleep quickly, knowing that he would be safe as long as he was useful.

He just wished that Ganondorf would hurry up and send somebody to get him.

When Shadow woke up, his pounding heart scared him to full wakefulness. He thought it might be some creature digging into his chest and bit back a yelp as he scrambled to get out of the blanket, unbuckling his straps to tear off his tunic. He stared at his chest, dumbfounded. There's nothing there. Is this normal? He placed his hand over the place he felt the beating, even as it calmed. Oh. Goddesses, how do Hylians live like this?

He had always been semi-physical. He could take a physical form, but he was still a shadow. He didn't have hunger, or thirst, or a heartbeat. All of this was new to him.

He pulled his hair tie out of his hair and ran his fingers through it, pulling out the tangles and knots that had developed while he'd been sleeping. He was used to doing this after a battle, but he'd never needed to sleep before. There seemed to be more knots than if he were fixing it after training. And his eyes still felt so heavy. He poured out a little bit of the water from his flask and splashed it on his face. Hylians do this, right? It helps them wake up. He'd never needed to sleep before. He had, but mainly just... to escape.

A noise from the door made him whip around. It was the girl. What was her name? It had started with an A. She seemed surprised to see him up and about. Her freckled cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink. "What?" Shadow demanded, impatient.

"It's about time to leave," The girl said. Asahi. That was her name. He'd promised to remember it, after all. He took in her traditional Sheikah attire, pitch black save for some crimson highlights, realizing how easy it would have been to stab her last night. Why didn't I?

"Fine. I'll be ready."

She nodded, her yellow eyes still wide even as she hurriedly turned to leave. That was it. Her eyes. That's why he hadn't stabbed her, why she looked so familiar. He'd never met another Hylian. He knew that for certain. But her eyes... He'd seen yellow eyes like her so many times before, in dreams that he would have when he did. Flashes of yellow eyes on a pale freckled face. He hadn't meant to voice his reasoning. Do I know you slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. A mistake.

It was just fate. He was destined to defeat the hero, it must simply have been a sign from the goddesses that Asahi would have stopped him. That's all it was.

He pulled his hair back and dressed himself before leaving the room. He didn't grab anything or kick out the embers of the fire, forcing Asahi to. She grumbled as she rushed past him, earning himself glares from the hero and their companion. He only smirked at the idea of getting under their skin.

He expected the sunrise to burn him, but it didn't. It was bright, far too bright for his sensitive eyes, but he didn't wither away so that was something. It felt warm. Link stood beside him on his right, holding the reins of his stupidly white horse. Shadow was distinctly aware of being a perfect copy of him, except darkened by gloom and malice and Ganondorf's influence. Golden hair, sharp blue eyes, tanned skin, the hero in blue glared at the Shadow, who grinned right back.

Briefly, he wondered what it felt like to be an original person.

"Thank you for not tearing up my blanket," Asahi managed when she returned, standing on his left and guiding her and Sheik's horses.

"I should have. I just didn't want to hear any of you complaining about it."

"Are you ready?" Sheik asked them.

Asahi and Link nodded. Shadow said "no" just to say it.

Sheik began to play. Shadow shuddered as the notes filled the air. They were beautiful, hypnotizing, otherwordly. Every note jarred Shadow to his core. When the final note rang, it seemed to echo through the halls of the Temple, almost as though the structure itself were holding on to the melody. At first, nothing happened...

Then, behind Sheik and in front of the goddess statue, a pinpoint of bright light formed. In moments it exploded violently into a glowing circle, its edges rippling with energy like lightning. Sheik turned to face the group, and Shadow eyed the portal with uncertainty. Just yesterday he had been a nameless, formless entity with nothing expected of him except bringing about the death of the hero. Now he was captured by the very one he sought to destroy, in a physical body, and he bore a name. Things were changing far too quickly, and he didn't like it. How would Ganondorf find him if he was wherever this was taking them?

"I will go first," Sheik hooked the harp on his belt and came to retrieve his horse, calmly and slowly making his way through the portal until there was nothing left of him. Shadow briefly felt a sense of relief, expecting to be able to run now-- but that damned golden chain reappeared, tugging him toward the portal. He fought it, planting his boots firmly on the ground.

"No way in hell am I--"

"Too bad." With a shove, Link knocked him to the ground. Shadow yelped, cursing the hero as his elbows and knees bit the stone and he was dragged roughly across the ground. The portal swallowed his hands first; it was cold, and felt like water. Shadow gasped as he was fully yanked through the portal. His last thought before his head disappeared was if he would come out the other side, or if he would simply cease to exist.

As Asahi watched Shadow's boots disappearing into the white glow of the portal, she glanced sidelong at Link. "...Do I have to go?"

"No," He replied honestly, "You can stay here if you want."

She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. "No, I'm staying. I made a promise to Zelda."

"Just stay calm," Link told her, beginning to lead Prince to the portal. "That's what Sheik said. But you won't be able to go back if you come through, Asahi." When he reached the edge, he looked back once. "If I don't see you, be careful. Tell Zelda I love her." With that, he stepped through. Prince snorted defiantly once before following his master.

Asahi scratched Dusty underneath the chin. "...I guess we better get going, huh?" Butterflies flip-flopped in her stomach. Her palms were sweating. Taking a deep, nervous breath, Asahi led Dusty to the edge and hesitated. Tentatively, she touched the glow; with a gasp, she yanked her hand back. It's so cold. She shook the nerves off. I made Zelda a promise.

She stepped through the portal, closing her eyes. Please, Hylia, let this work. Let me see the other side.

And she did. When she stepped through, she and Dusty were still very much in the Temple of Time. But it was new.

Marble floors and arched ceilings, carpets of pure red velvet, hanging chandeliers, and tall, arching windows. She glanced around a bit, noticing everyone else had made it through safely, and realized that Sheik had been telling the truth. He wasn't simply some fanciful sorcerer. He truly had taken them back a very, very long time ago. Asahi's heart dropped.

"Welcome to the Era of Time," Sheik said, his voice echoing off of the pristine walls. "In this era, all of Hyrule's most precious records are kept within Hyrule Castle. The Temple will act as our waypoint. We are to meet our contact shortly; it is nearly noon here, if you were wondering." The portal closed with a sense of finality. Asahi fought the chills that ran up her spine. She glanced at Link, who gripped his belt so tightly she was surprised he hadn't broken it yet. We might need to look at that picture daily. Goddesses, please help us have a safe journey and get home safely.

Shadow stood, taking in the sight of the Temple with wide red eyes. His eyes fell on Asahi, on top of the stairs with Dusty. She couldn't help but stare back, trying to figure out why this felt... odd... All of a sudden. Well we just traveled how many years back in time, of course it's gonna feel a bit off. But with Shadow standing at the stairs below her, she felt a sense of deja vu she couldn't shake. Have we... done this before? Sheik said he knew we'd need him. Maybe future-us is standing in this same place, just like this, at some point.

A sound in the door brought everyone's attention to the person who had just entered.

He was tall. His blond hair fell in two sides to frame his face. His eyes were blue, startlingly so. He wore golden armor, covered in scratches and scrapes from previous battles. A scar ran the length of his face, showing the path of the blade that took his right eye. Under his arm he held a horned helmet, although the left one had been snapped off. "I see you all made it safely," He said. His rough voice resonated in the open space, and he inclined his head to the group. "I was worried. You took longer than you said you would."

"We ran into a new friend," Sheik jerked his head toward Shadow, who had frozen in his place. The newcomer narrowed his eyes at him.

"Hm. So I gathered."

Asahi watched, dumbfounded. She didn't dare to move or breathe, afraid someone would notice her. As though the thought summoned it, Sheik began, "This is the Hero of Wilds, and our researcher, Asahi. She is of the Sheikah tribe." He didn't care to introduce Shadow. She was pretty sure everyone was just going to ignore him. Link, however, had taken up his knightly persona, stoic and straight-faced. She had no idea if the sight of the newcomer affected him as deeply as it was her.

"What of Zelda?" He asked, "Is she safe?"

"Yes," Link answered, "Just in no condition to travel after recent events."

The newcomer regarded him carefully before nodding. "Sheik told me a bit about your era before he left. I am very sorry for everything you and your people have been put through." Link didn't respond. He probably didn't know what to say. Asahi certainly didn't. He sounded like he was actually remorseful. Like it was somehow his fault...

Realization hit Asahi like a moblin's club. Oh. That's why. That's why his presence is so powerful. That's--

"Well," Sheik began to lead his horse to the door. "Are you ready to take us to your castle now, hero?"

Finally. After weeks of setbacks it's FINALLY out!!! I hope you guys enjoy and if you want to be added to the tag list, please let me know!

[tokiro07]

Still thinking about past Zeldas getting their own games

Obviously not all of them have enough going on to really warrant their own games, though that shouldn't stop anyone from giving them something to do, but which ones lend themselves to getting new stories the best?

Ocarina of Time is a pretty easy one with a seven-year gap for her to train herself up as Sheik. Sheik is extremely popular and has a lot of demand for her own game, even getting optioned for one by Retro once, so it's both the easiest to pitch and seems like the most likely to happen

Wind Waker's Tetra is similar, being super popular and having a large gap in her history that could easily house any number of adventures. Tetra spent who knows how many years at sea, and could easily have fought all kinds of monsters or discovered all kinds of treasures. We could even get her and Link finding the land that will become New Hyrule, defeating some kind of evil before its founding, like Malladus perhaps

Skyward Sword also provides ample opportunity with Zelda going on her own adventure one step ahead of Link at pretty much all times, though literally "Skyward Sword's levels but playing as Zelda" doesn't sound like a very worthwhile story. If they can find a way to keep it fresh, I'm all for it, but it may be better to have her exploring the Surface after the people of Skyloft begin migrating down to it

Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom has a gap between games, while also having the events of the Imprisoning War, though neither seems much like something they're interested in continuing to explore since we got to see so much of it already. It might be easier to just continue exploring the Depths or the lands surrounding Hyrule to get a deeper understanding of the Zonai's culture and historical impact

Pretty much all of the other Zeldas weren't very active in their own stories and don't leave a lot to the imagination, so any stories involving them would definitively have to be post-game rather than mid- or pre-game. Of these, the most interesting candidates would likely be:

Twilight Princess's Zelda investigating the Twilight Realm and looking for a way to reunite Link and Midna to repay them for their help in saving Hyrule. This could give us an opportunity to see more of the Twilight Realm and understand its ecology and culture while also giving us more insight into Midna herself. Personally I'd rather have a Midna game than a Twilight Zelda game, but I have a harder time seeing that pitch going through

Link Between Worlds, same thing, but Hilda and Lorule; Zelda may go back to check on how reviving their Triforce worked out and may end up facing some new villain who's trying to steal it. Again, I'd like to play a Hilda (or Ravio) game, but I'll accept any excuse to spend more time in Lorule and expand on its history and it's version of the Triforce; does it symbolize different traits, does it have its own goddesses, what?

Adventure of Link's Zelda I is definitely not a well-remembered or beloved character, but I think that the story angle of a princess waking up after countless years to find her descendant has taken the throne provides an excellent opportunity for characterization. Perhaps she feels out of touch with her kingdom having been away for so long, or maybe she feels unneeded since there's already a reigning princess? A search to find herself and possibly a confrontation with the spirit of the wizard who cursed her would make for a great plot, especially if they can find a way to incorporate the other Zelda like having the player control both with different abilities to help differentiate them. Unlikely, but certainly the most novel and the one I personally want to see most

Spirit Tracks's Zelda returned to her body in the end, presumably removing her ability to control Phantoms, so it's harder to see how she'd get to go on further adventures. However, it was stated that Byrne would reincarnate sooner or later, so that would at least provide a story opportunity even if new mechanics would be necessary

Minish Cap, Four Swords, and Four Swords Adventures don't really give Zelda much reason to go on an adventure post-game, but again, neither did Link to the Past, and if I'm right Echoes of Wisdom is branching off of a hypothetical ending where Ganon took Link with him as he was defeated, so I'm sure any number of excuses could be given for them

Minish Cap's Zelda had the most personality, but FSA's story is a little easier to see continuing, since Vaati or Ganon could well be revived again afterwards. Still, they're both pretty weak as inspirations for new stories, even if more Vaati content would be wholeheartedly appreciated

It's not very surprising that the biggest name Zelda games have the clearest routes for expanding on their stories, but since the opportunities still exist in all of the others, I would hope that Nintendo would try to do more than just the most obvious options

Or they might just make up new Zeldas and eras entirely without any regard for the timeline or previously undeveloped story segments, that seems like something they'd do

[benwalkerupdates]

19 April 2007 - Ben in an interview for broadway.com with Katie Riegel. Read the original HERE

Age: "Can I plead the fifth?"

Currently: Making his Broadway debut in Inherit the Wind as Bertram Cates, the dramatized version of schoolteacher John Scopes, who was put on trial in 1925 for teaching evolution in the notorious "monkey trial."

Hometown: Cartersville, Georgia.

Training Days: As a teen, Walker attended the famed Interlochen summer arts camp in Michigan to test whether his hankering for acting was just a phase. "I thought, 'If I can handle this, I must really like it,'" he says. "I got bitten by the bug there, and that was that." He then attended Juilliard's prestigious acting program, an experience that elicits a burst of adjectives from the playful actor: "Fantastic. Hard. Beyond hard. Challenging. Some of the best teachers and directors and writers in the world are there," he says pausing reflectively. "And then me," he cracks. "I don't know how I got in."

Nose No Bounds: While in his final year at Juilliard, Walker landed his first film, playing the 19-year-old version of Liam Neeson's title character in Kinsey. "I was so over-stimulated that I don't really remember much of it," he says of the film shoot. "I had no idea what I was doing. They had a prosthetic nose glued to my face, and here I was running around with my pants down on a movie set. I was petrified. It was truly wild." Following post-grad roles in a few indie flicks and The Notorious Bettie Page, Walker landed the part of Harlon Block, one of the six famous Iwo Jima flag-raisers in Clint Eastwood's Flags of our Fathers, and shipped out to Iceland to film. "It was more work than you'd imagine," he says. "Not that I thought it was going to be playtime. But the physical rigor of it was intense: enduring cold and simple things like that, as opposed to…my character's motivation," he says with a grin.

Spring-time: While honing his on-screen skills, Walker also chalked up some nice theater roles, including a well-reviewed turn last summer as Mercutio in eyeliner and a dress, no less in Williamstown's production of Romeo and Juliet. "Mercutio's the only part to play in that show," he declares. "Sword fight, shout, die…sleep 'till curtain call!" He's also the unlikely source for a trivia tidbit for Spring Awakening buffs: Walker starred as Melchior in the 2005 Lincoln Center workshop of the popular Duncan Sheik/Steven Sater tuner. So is he disappointed that he didn't get to see the show to its Broadway bow? "No," he says simply. "I mean, I couldn't. Look at me. I'm six feet tall! And as much as I want to bare my ass to the Broadway fan base…no. I think it works so well now. I saw it, and [Jonathan Groff] can take it! You got it, bud. It's that good."

Find Me Funny: "Yeah, I tell dirty jokes," Walker says with a wink when asked about his surprising side gig as a stand-up comedian. "The first two years of Juilliard, they don't allow you to perform for the public, and that was bothersome," he explains. "So I started doing open mics. It was a little late-night thing I could do and not tell anybody about. I don't think any teachers are going to show up at Gladys' Comedy Hole! But it's kind of grown into this beast." Showing off a hoodie emblazoned with the logo of his group, "Find the Funny," he says, "We have some of the best young stand-ups in the city doing our [bi-monthly] show. I don't know that I'm a comic, but it's a challenge. That's the great thing about being an actor: You can be anything. 'Could I be on trial? I dunno. Let's do the show tonight!'"

Learning from Legends: "I'm livin' the dream," Walker says, shifting tone to discuss making his Broadway debut in Inherit the Wind. "I heard Doug Hughes was directing it. When I was in school I was watching these theatrical events take place—Doubt, Frozen—and Doug's name was always attached. He and the fates smiled on me with this." How about his legendary co-stars, Brian Dennehy and Christopher Plummer? "Who?" he says playfully. "Their track records are more than impressive, and their skill and craft are unprecedented, but at the same time, they're genuine, kind men who love telling a story with a group of people. Period." Sharing scenes with Plummer, who plays Henry Drummond, the lawyer defending Walker's character for teaching evolution, has taught him tons. "Regardless of the amount of experience he's had, he's continually trying to rediscover himself as an actor," Walker says. "Every night, you'd better be on your game, because it's going to be different. And that's impressive, given the amount of experience he's bringing to this—that he's still doing it every day; that he's still playful. [My character] is lucky to have a lawyer like Drummond…and I'm lucky to have an actor like Christopher Plummer to sit next to."

[bloobluebloo]

gan, linky and zellie for the bingo ✨✨✨

Ganondorf:

Ganondorf makes me go through the entire spectrum of human emotions on the regular. This blog is but a glimpse of that.

Hmm…maybe I do want his gender doe idk

(Look at all those bingos)

Link:

I like Link, obviously not in the same way I love Ganondorf, the blond blue-eyed twink is not really my type. I think he has the ultimate gender, where he feels confident as a man but will present as either masculine or feminine with no issue at all. I don’t know why so many people in this fandom portray Link as a crybaby, like this is such a petpeeve of mine that I will literally abandon a fic almost immediately when it happens. While I do see Link as a man of the people, I do also see him as Hyrule’s ultimate tool and defender, that he will, at the end, always side with Hyrule and Princess Zelda. Fanfic has to make a compelling reason for me to believe otherwise. That being said, there is so much for me to like about Link and he makes a great foil to write against Ganondorf.

Make him MORE gremlin fandom.

Zelda:

When I say I want her gender, I am thinking of OoT Zelda. When I encountered the Gossip Stone, as a kid playing OoT, where it said she was a tomboy I was giddy af about it like “ME TOOOOOOO” and then she was Sheik and I was like “this princess is living out my dreams”. What the fandom gets wrong about Zelda is that whole thing about her not wanting to be a princess like cmon guys. While Zelda has her personal interests her ultimate love belongs to Hyrule, and she will put herself at its helm to protect it at whatever cost. Maybe canon wants to trap her all the time but Zelda is a beast in her own right, like she is the ultimate key in imprisoning Ganondorf. She held back the Calamity for 100 years!!! She should have obliterated Ganondorf on the spot!!! She gave Midna her spirit and lifeforce, got possessed by Ganondorf, and got up behind Link on horseback to shoot arrows!!! She’s a pirate!!!

Zelda is a force to be reckoned with get out of here with the damsel in distress 😩

[i-love-zelda-16]

Hi!

I'm curious, what are your fav zelda songs from throughout the series?

Some of mine are:

Sacred Grove (TP)

Cave (BOTW)

Skyloft (SWS)

Dark World (ALTTP/ALBW)

Temple Theme (LOZ 2)

Faron Woods (TP)

Sheik's Theme (OOT)

also, do you associate certain (in-game) songs with certain Links or is that just me?

Like, I don't quite know why but my brain will associate songs with characters that aren't normally 'theirs' so to speak. Like I can give 2 examples of what I mean (i would give more but then i'd be here all day lol):

Time: Sacred Grove - The base song sounds both empty but peaceful in a way, yet it still has tension, not to mention the whole 'lost woods' part of it. I feel like it represents Time almost perfectly in a way, at peace and calm, yet full of sorrow and regrets, yearning for the memories of childhood he never had.

Wild: Cave Theme - The song itself is both happy but sad. A bittersweet song for a hero with a bittersweet tale. The melody can be calming when you listen when you're happy or content, but it can feel painful almost when you're sad. The resolution at the end, when it repeats twice feels as if its replaying a memory or trying to resolve, it almost sounds like a pattern of a deep breath, trying to ground itself to repeat the song.

Sorry for the long ask- It started out fine and ended up with me ranting lol

HEH THAT’S SO UNIQUE!! i mean, I sorta do that, but not to the extent that you do it. i’ve played 16/23 games (including warriors games) so here are my favs rn, but they’re always changing.

- Frazz fight (ST)

- Malladus fight (ST)

- Credits (OoT)

- Credits (LA)

- Sea Zora Village (EoW)

- Great Palace (AoL)

- Crimson Loftwing (SkSw)

- Memory 16 ~ Critical Decisions (TotK)

- Main Theme (BotW) (I’m currently learning on piano rn!!)

- Palace of Winds (MC)

- Hyrule Town (MC)

and MANY MANY more. i don’t listen to other music other than loz music lol. i’d say ik at least 75% of the ost in the franchise.

thanks for the ask!!!! <3

[voicesunified]

Shadow Magic.

   The Sheikah are the Shadow Folk of Hyrule, and as their name and title implies, they are creatures of shadows. 

   The magic changes over the generations, dwindling down as the Sheikah are repeatedly dwindled down and their genes are mixed more with Hylians. For Sheik, whose the son of a pure Sheikah and a Hylian, his shadow magic is a lot stronger than most. More closely linked to his mother who was a master of the magic that their Tribe possesses. Impa was the Great Impa, one of the Sheikah Tribe Leaders who infamously goes down through history as a great leader, soldier and defender of the Royal Family. 

   Their magic, wrapped in the shadows, allows them to use it in a varying amount of ways. By its very nature it is the power to create, shape and manipulate darkness as well shadows. By accessing a dimension of dark energy it can be channeled to a variety of effects, both as an absence of light or as solid substance such as being able to project beams and rays of darkness. Those who wield this power can also control and manipulate beings that dwell in the shadows, can create and dispel shields of darkness, as well as create constructs, weapons and even teleport long distances through shadows. 

   The Sheikah are long since masters of this magic, people who thrive in the shadows and can mold into them. They use them to mask themselves a lot, and to mask the things they create, warping them in shadows and making them vanish. The Shadow Temple, bathed repeatedly in the magic they’re known for, is a place where it’s very easy to see what the Sheikah are capable of when pushed to the very limit. 

   For Sheik he isn’t as great at using the shadow magic as previous members of his tribe. His time with Impa was fairly short, her having to escape with Princess Zelda when he was just twelve. She trained him primarily in physical combat and then using the harp. As a result, most of the shadow magic he does know is tied in very deeply with his instrument. He can channel his magic with it, use the harp as a conduit and then throw his magic through the music to attack people. As the Goddess's Harp the light it naturally possesses actually balances out the use of his shadow magic and makes it easier to wield for longer periods of time.

   When at the breaking point and no other choice, no harp or other weapons, Sheik can use the shadow magic as a weapon itself. However, letting the shadows in the way that the Sheikah do has a very negative effect. 

   Letting darkness inside you isn’t always an easy thing.

[themattress]

Ranking Link+Zelda and Ganon Incarnations

1. Hyrule Warriors - The more time has passed, the more I realize just how fucking good Hyrule Warriors was as a celebration of the Zelda series, which includes how superbly designed and characterized its Link and Zelda are. There are aspects of many past incarnations mixed in them, but they still manage to stand out as their own individuals. I especially love how Link is given actual character flaws, growing arrogant and believing himself to be the great lone hero of the story only to recognize that he, like all Links, never save the day purely on their own, and how Zelda is an absolute badass in combat as both herself and as Sheik, something that’s rarely seen outside of the Super Smash Bros. series.

2. Skyward Sword - Chronologically the first Link and Zelda, these two are some of the most human feeling. You really connect with them in all of their expressiveness and vulnerabilities. The relationships they forge with the likes of Impa and Groose only add to the sensation. It feels like they were written to be relatable people first and mythical figures of legend second.

3. Breath of the Wild / Tears of the Kingdom / Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - There’s been much talk of this version of Zelda and how interesting, endearing and relatable she is in all of her scientific nerdiness and feelings of inadequacy when placed with heavy burdens, and how admirable she is in her courage and self-sacrificial nature, and all of that is true. But I think that across all three games Link also shapes up into a surprisingly complex character that was unexpected given his initial stoic front in Breath of the Wild. And give both of them credit: they’re the first Link and Zelda to have a radical design overhaul in three decades.

4. Ocarina of Time / Majora’s Mask - The first 3D Link and Zelda were also the first to truly showcase some semblance of characterization and character development, as we watch them go from children to adults and gain great strength at the cost of losing their innocence.

5. The Wind Waker / Phantom Hourglass - I greatly enjoy these two in The Wind Waker, where they are very expressive and funny and sympathetic. But they lose some points due to Phantom Hourglass, which did them kind of dirty in favor of becoming the Linebeck Show.

6. Spirit Tracks - They look the same as their ancestors from The Wind Waker, but they’ve got a different, unique feel to them, with Link being a working class guy instead of some island bumpkin in over his head, and Zelda being a sheltered princess who has to learn to come into her own rather than an Action Girl from the beginning. They also have one of the tightest (and cutest) bonds of friendship out of any Link and Zelda given their circumstances.

7. Twilight Princess - Both of them are in service of the real protagonist Midna, whom they share an excellent bond with, but they still have distinguishing factors that make them stand out, with Zelda being more of a Queen than a Princess this time around and Link having his own arc of going from simple farmboy to Hero of Hyrule carrying forth his ancestor’s legacy.

8. A Link Between Worlds - Virtually clones of the next Link and Zelda pair on this list, but with somewhat more personality and agency, helped along by their Lorulian counterparts.

9. A Link to the Past / Link’s Awakening / Oracle of Ages & Seasons - The “classic” Link and Zelda who provided the template for the others. No real personality to speak of, sadly.

10. The Minish Cap - These two, who are childhood friends, have slightly more personality than the above...but I’m sorry, the “toon” designs do not fit beyond The Wind Waker and its direct follow-ups. It’s a freaking Game Boy Advance game, why give them these expressive designs if we aren’t going to actually see any expressions? Also, Link’s birb hat is distracting. 

11. The Legend of Zelda / Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - Basic blank slates that existed before the franchise truly got solidified on the SNES. Zelda especially just looks wrong now.

12/13. Four Swords & Four Swords Adventures - These are technically two separate incarnations of Link and Zelda, but they’re essentially carbon copies of each other. I can’t find myself giving the remotest shit about Link when there are four of him, and what the fuck is up with this different “toon” Zelda design? That giant red bow she’s wearing looks hideous!

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

1. Hyrule Warriors - Again, this game nabs the top spot and gives us the definitive version of the character. Ganondorf in this game has it all: the active villainy and terrifying chimera beast form like in Ocarina of Time, the capacity for self-reflection and self-awareness like in The Wind Waker, the manipulative usage of other villains as pawns like in A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventures, and even the mastery over his Demise rooted elements before Tears of the Kingdom. We even get three whole chapters of him as the playable protagonist, where he gets to show off his non-inherently evil qualities such as his tactical brilliance, good leadership skills, and sheer determination to achieve his goals.

2. Tears of the Kingdom - The latest Ganondorf, who is also the first in the series’ timeline, has been met with great acclaim, and rightfully so. Not only does he (mercifully) usurp Demise’s position as Demon King whose hatred fuels almost every great evil in the series, but he feels like Ocarina of Time’s Ganondorf on steroids: an active, omnipresent villain despite not being on screen that much but this time not even needing to be mobile to do so thanks to the horrific Gloom ecosystem under his control. And like the corresponding versions of Link and Zelda, he bucks tradition hard design-wise by having a dragon as his beast form rather than a giant pig. Add to this Matt Mercer’s epic voice and you’ve got a fantastic villain.

3. Ocarina of Time - The first ever Ganondorf created, this is the character that took Ganon from an average villain to one of the greatest villains in video game history. He actively drives every major crisis over the course of the game, lending him an aura of omnipresence despite his actual limited screentime, and is shown to be as cunning as he is powerful by tricking Link and Zelda into helping him conquer Hyrule, turning it into a dystopian nightmare. He’s also deliciously theatrical - the man plays his own theme music on a pipe organ, for crying out loud! The cherry on top is his horrifying Ganon form taken in an unforgettable final boss fight.

4. The Wind Waker - Ganondorf is kept at a distance throughout this game, locked away in his tower and pulling strings, more of a McGuffin than a nemesis. After Ocarina of Time, this is a disappointment, but it could be made up for with good pay-off. And man, does the game ever deliver. When Ganondorf takes action, he is terrifying, both animalistically psychotic enough to do anything yet humanely wizened enough to control this madness at the same time, giving Link the worst of both worlds to contend with. And not only do we get yet another epic final boss fight against him, but he even ends up as a tragic figure: a wretched old soul full of regrets but too full of greed and pride to act upon them, desperately clinging to his dreams rooted in the past while raging against the future that threatens to leave him behind.

5. Twilight Princess - Being just the power behind Zant until the very end, Ganondorf is just here to be the final boss. Again, this would disappoint if the game didn’t make him a worthy final boss, and it more than delivers in this regard. You fight this bastard in just about every way you possibly could fight him, all while he displays a chilling malevolence in every word and action. He really does feel like what he is: an aged-up version of Ocarina of Time’s Ganondorf whose goal is still well in sight and thus he’s able to play the long game to get it.

6. A Link Between Worlds - As many others have observed, Yuga-Ganon of Lorule ended up being a greater menace than his Hylian counterpart who comes directly below him on this list. Not only does he have a unique design and personality of his own, but he is an even more formidable opponent in battle, full of tactical creativity that is difficult for Link to counter.

7. A Link to the Past / Oracle of Ages & Seasons - The “classic” Ganon. He’s big, he’s got magic powers, and he’s got a wicked trident. Unfortunately, you barely ever see him, much less get a feel for any personality beyond baseline evil. Oh well, he still gets the job done.

8. Breath of the Wild / Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - He’s more of an evil force of nature than a proper character, especially in Breath of the Wild where he has been rendered mindless. What he lacks in substance he makes up for in style, as he is visually stunning.

9. Four Swords Adventures - The problem with this incarnation of the character is that he entered development as one thing and ended it as another. He was supposed to be the same version of Ganon as two spots above and this game would show his origin. But when Shigeru Miyamoto nixed that, we end up with a Ganondorf who is completely offscreen, and a Ganon who still just feels exactly like that version but with a different color scheme. The best that can be said about him is that he finally allowed there to be a truly gigantic 2D sprite of Ganon.

10. The Legend of Zelda - Ganon is one of video gaming’s greatest villains, but man would you not be able to tell that from his debut. All the build-up and mystery surrounding him, presented so well in the instruction manual (”no one knows how he looks like, for none have lived to tell”), and what do we get? A teleporting blue pig in a red jersey. That is SO LAME.

[candy8448]

It is done!

I've finally completed many month (maybe even over a year) mission of listening to all the zelda OSTs in release order (now it did take ages cuz i would spend forever between each ost and the longer ones would take so long to get through)

I compiled all my favorite tracks into one massive playlist, as well as covers that i like!

Now i am going to go over each ost and say my thoughts on them! Ill also be mentioning one or two tracks from each game that were really notable for me

(I didn't listen to Twilight princess or Spirit tracks because i dont want spoilers for when i play them)

The legend of Zelda:

The ost for this game is 9 mins long, drastic difference to totk with many MANY hours of music

Obviously a classic, the overworld theme. I really like the "game over" theme, its nice but the ringing of the NES boops hurts my ears so much

Adventure of Link:

I really like the final dungeon theme and the battle theme, so good to just jam to

A Link to the past:

Not much to say here, it set a bunch of classics, dark world theme is super good though and the great fairy fountain theme will always be welcome whenever i hear it, either as the great fairy or as the title screen (tbh i prefer it more as the title screen theme) and the title screen theme! When that bursts out i wanna scream, It fills me with so much nostalgia for this series as a whole

Link's awakening:

Now this one is difficult, because this game is my favorite game out of the games i haven't played just plot wise, but for some reason listening to the music was just super tiring for no reason. Now i was listening to the gameboy version but i tried the swith version and it was also tiring and tedious to listen to?? Im going to go through the switch version ost at some point in time.

You can never go wrong with tal tal hights though, and the ballad of the windfish is just 😭

Ocarina of time:

Im afraid to say anything on it because of the fans of it XD i did play a tiny bit of the game but got to Zora's domain as a child and stopped

Obviously it has a great soundtrack, it has a ton more classics like gerudo valley and such. I like Sheik's theme. The fire temple i am aware is controversial and i think that's the reason it makes me so unnerved when i listen to either version of it

My absolute favorite though is Song of storms (or windmill hut). The first time i heard it, it just stuck with me and i am taken in by it, it luls me, its like magic, im enraptured by it. I don't know what it is about this 20 second theme but i can listen to this on repeat for hours, its one of the first things i learned on piano, when i played the game i just stood in the windmil hut for ages. Such a good track...

Majora's mask:

SUCH an earie ost! I have been wanting to play this game forever. The vibes the ost is just perfect for this game. Clock town is obviously good and its cool how it gets more and more frantic as time goes on, you really feel like time is running out. Overall i think the whole soundtrack does amazingly at embodying this idea.

Oracle of Ages and Seasons:

The two tracks are very similar rhat i can't eeally do these two games separately. For some reason i have a bias towards seasons despite not playing either or really knowing the story??

I love that seasons has song of storms (for some reason), skull pirate's escape is good (oos), ambi's place (ooa) noice, Nayru's song is so nice, and i adore the "Zelda awakens" theme that's in both of them

I love how the tracks for these went back to the boopy style, it makes the themes just has a certain feel that i cannot put words to that feels so right. I have the feeling that when i play these games im going to have a great time with them

Wind waker:

Tbh, not for me, the style of the music is just not the kind of thing i like. Doesnt mean it doesnt have really good tracks though!! Cannot go wrong with dragon roost and molgera and i do like "hero of the wind" (but tbh that is just mostly because i really like the beat) and the Great Sea sailing theme does sound so freeing, you can feel the wind in your hair with that track. Its just that the rest of the music style is just not something i dig so much, its just a personal opinion.

Four swords:

I forgot about this game, and could not recall the ost at all. Had to open sime tracks again to listen to and tbh all i can say is... meh? The ost isn't too great... gotta give it credit for it's version of the overworld theme thoug, possibly one of the better different renditions?

Minish cap:

A cute little game, dont remember much of the soundtrack but i have quite a few saved from it so it must count for something, and i really like the "story" theme whenever i hear it and Mt. Crenel is okay

Phantom hourglass:

Again, it has a similar style to wind waker and i didn't really like it. Linebeck's theme though, what a wonderful character! ("Return of the Ocean King" is also decent)

Spirit tracks:

I did not listen to this soundtrack but the ost is just *chefs kiss* from the ones ive heard. The tracks "the sacred duet" and "battle with king Malladus" are the tracks that made me desperately want to play this game and i am still longing to play it because of these two tracks. I love how throughout the Malladus battle theme there is the constant chugging of the train on the track. I have no doupt that the rest of the ost will be this amazing. (The title theme is perfect, you really feel like you are on a racing train) ive since listened to "in the fields" and ooooooh i love ittttt i so cannot wait to play this game!

Skyward sword:

Man you KNOW i can ramble about this forever. My favorite Zelda game! I cannot put into words how much this game's ost makes me feel all of the emotions in the world, i can only list a few tracks that make me feel so much oooough

Ballad of the goddess (obviously), Romance in the air makes me all fluttery and happy, skyloft theme always feels like home, any version of fi's theme puts me in tears, Groose's theme he is such a silly guy, the loftwing flying theme is so nostalgic, Ghirahim's theme is so menacing, all the Lanayru tracks have such a certain zen feel, silent realm theme's have such a frantic echoey empty perfect feel to them which fit so well, and the guardians awaken theme will make me have a heart attack, and the song of the hero has so many feelings ive talked about before, so much that this track alone made me make a painting for the scene.

This game just stepped into another feel of zelda music with the orchestra, and it captures the grandios of this big, timeline setting adventure so amazingly. I cannot get enough of this game. Arguably one of the best Zelda OSTs in my opinion.

A Link between worlds:

Such a good ost in this game. Dunno what i can say apart for it is one of the better ost's in the series for some tracks alone. Ravio's theme, Hilda's theme, Yuga's theme, Lorule overworld, all the milkbar tracks (the fact that there is also ballad of the godess in there makes me so happy as well), so much of the game's ost is so good!

Triforce heroes:

Such a surprisingly great ost for a game that sounds so much like a fever dream. The main theme?!?!? The woodlands?!?!?!?!? I cannot stop listening to these two such a bop, go listen to them!

Breath of the wild:

Botw has no music???? What the heck???

The tracks are so good! Even all the ambient piano flourishes! It fits the atmosphere so well, but you've probably heared people saying all this before so onto some of my favorite tracks

All the champion's themes fit each one so well, main theme cannot not be good, i lobe how Tarrey Town's theme builds up with each character's home town. The divine beast themes are really cool sounding. Parasailing minigame theme is so fun! Guardian theme will also give me a heart attack, the memory get jingle, i miss Kass and his music so much, Korok forest is so :D, HYRULE CASTLE IS SO GOOD OH MY i love the marching feel. Dark. Beast. Ganon. THIS THEME IS CRAZY BRO that piano!??!!?? All the everything going together?!??!!? This fight may be a victory lap and super easy but it sure as hell has some fire music!!!

Tears of the kingdom:

I finally finished this ost today. It reuses a lot from botw, and tbh it is a little dissapointing how none of the village themes changed even if it does feel safe and familiar, and the surface is largely the exact same even though it is where we spend so much of our time.

There are obviously amazing tracks original to this game though. The main theme was so amazing to hear in full after so long of waiting! So was the prologue theme ("poor Hyrule, for Link has found the body" remember that???) All the dungeon themes have me in awe alongside the sage themes. Each one just fills me with so much ough. The dungeons and their themes were definatly a massive step up from the previous game. I ranked all the sage themes before in another post and go deeper into each one. Link humming while cooking is so cute! The big "BWAAA" when diving into the depths feels so cool and creepy. One of my favorite details is that in the forgotten temple, next to the goddess statue you can hear a broken up version of Fi's theme which im so happy for the sksw ref! It also supports my favorite hc that the forgotten temple is the sealed grounds from sksw! (As well as the reward you get fron that quest but we aren't talking abiut that)

!!!!End spoilers next!!!!!

In the lead up to the final dive into ganondorf's army, the track reminds me of Skyrim and it really does not fit in Zelda. I feel like they shouldn't have used that track. Ganondorf's fight theme is so cool, how at first it is quiet to just hear you two dueling in an echoey room and them builds up. AND HOW CAN YOU FORGET THE FINAL FALL?!?!?!? Such a PERFECT END its amazing how is blends so smoothly to create the perfect scene, all your emotions building up to the end!!! Such a perfect ending to the game. All the music in the end sequence in the Hyrule castle chasm really does do an amazing job of dialing up and down the tension and emotions at the right moments and building up everything until the very end when the credits start rolling.

Overall the ost is great considering all the new tracks!

So that is all the games (other than tp and st)!

Now on to all of the non-cannon games! 🥲

[crosslinks]

This is CrossLinks, an AU where all the various heroes of the LoZ series get to be chaotic together. At the moment- just some fics exploring these characters and their dynamics. 

There will be spoilers for TotK and EoW as well as most of the other games. You have been warned. 

Before we get started- a few quick things:

⚔️Is this Linked Universe?

It’s not Linked Universe or associated with any other Link-meet AU (though it is inspired by a lot of those sorts of projects)- it’s a secret third thing that isn’t quite as good! Same basic concept though: all the different Links are assembled together and chaos ensues. There really isn’t a plot, it’s just a series of fun episodic stuff aiming to expand on each of Link's personalities, and have them interact. Sometimes focusing on one or two, sometimes as a group. I’ve made this sort of its own thing because I’ll be giving my own takes on a lot of the characters plus maybe incorporate some new ones- and I wanted the freedom to really go off in my own direction without associating it with an existing AU. So expect to see a few differences, such as how I use different names to refer to each of the Links, or the way in which some of them are characterized. 

⚔️What is this then?

Fics, currently. I can’t draw, or do much creatively, but I can write! How often I do this is going to vary a lot, depending on time/motivation/etc. 

The gist is: all the Links (plus a few others like Ravio or some incarnations of Zelda) have started working together, operating out of a big house somewhere in the Sacred Realm, going between their various universes as needed to help upkeep the timelines. Chaos and found family ensues. As to how/why this all happened- who knows? 

⚔️This seems very light on plot 

You’re right! So far I don’t have plans for a big overarching plot, since I already expect updates to be kinda sporadic. The actual stuff I do have planned is primarily low-stakes, episodic stuff more about exploring the characters and their dynamics- usually either comedic or just plain lighthearted. But who knows, later on I might start delving a bit more into some of the Link’s backstories, or start working in a bit more of an actual narrative, but that remains to be seen. 

⚔️What’s up with your version of the Links' names?

Yes- they each have names now! It takes some getting used to, but I personally prefer it to referring to each one by their title. Nothing against those that prefer titles- but having characters called ‘Legend’, ‘Hyrule’ or ‘Time’ just seemed awkward when I tried to write it. It’s a purely personal preference, but it does mean that I’ll be calling them different things. They are still named ‘Link’- they just picked nicknames for convenience; and they all start with L because ~theming~ and the same goes for the Zelda's with 'Z'. Characters with existing names (like Tetra, Ravio or Sheik) are kept the same.

⚔️Do the Links speak?

Mostly, no. Really, the only verbal Links are Luca (Wind), Leon (4 swords), The hero’s shade and… ugh… Larry from the CDI games (don’t worry, he’s a joke character). The ancient hero can probably speak Zonai but there’s nobody else left who speaks it. For the others, it’s a mixture of those who can speak but stay silent (Time, Wild, Twilight) and those who cannot (Trains, Minish, Legend, Wisdom). Most of the Zeldas, and Ravio, all speak. 

Echoes of Wisdom is the first time a Link is 100% canonically mute, with a formal explanation. Him besides, I’m not going to dwell on how they each communicate a great deal- they either say it, sign it, write it, or use gestures.

⚔️What about other characters?

It’s not just the Links- the group is made of all the Heroes of Hyrule; and that would include the likes of Ravio, Linkelle, Sheik, Tetra, and other incarnations of Zelda like those seen in EoW or BotW. Characters like Aryll from WW or Hilda from LbtW; the champions from BotW; or the various other reincarnating characters like Impa might also show up. As for the Ganons/Gannondorfs- no plans yet but I’m not ruling them out. Same goes for other villains like Vaati or Majora. 

I may add some new Links and Zeldas over time, if I can think of some good ideas of how to use them, but I am conscious the cast is already on the bigger side. 

⚔️Any content warnings?

Anything that might need a warning will be clearly labelled with one- but generally no, I’m trying to keep this as generally accessible as possible. There may be depictions of fantasy violence, and if I decide to go into the Link’s backstory, some slightly darker/more angsty themes might crop up, but again– anything like that will be labelled, and I don’t have any plans for that sort of stuff at the minute. Read at your discretion, and please have fun! 

⚔️ Asks and inbox rules?

To an extent- this functions as an ask blog- and asks should be open! Whether that's asking a question aimed at a specific Link, a general one aimed at any of them, or even a question for myself (I don't bite)- please just be polite and patient. I have no schedule, and so if it takes me a while to respond, my apologies. That being said, keep it respectful. SFW stuff only, for general audiences.

If you do reach out- know that I usually won’t respond to just ‘hello’.

⚔️ Who are you?

You can call me 'Cross', and I go by he/him, and I'm an adult.

No real DNI- but if you're rude or weirding me out, be prepared that I will block you. And if you don't like my stuff- just block me!

The pixel art and dividers are all made by yours truly, using various existing assets from the games themselves (primarily Minish Cap), sourced on The Spriter's Resource. The game-accurate font is called 'Hylian Serif Beta'. Any additional stuff will all be credited appropriately.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I hope you enjoy the AU and, most importantly, have fun!

[zelbits]

Prologue: The Cycle Must End

Rating: M at its worst, I'm trying to keep it T. Depictions of gore, violence, themes of depression, war, battles, and some steamy scenes later on but nothing outright spicy, some strong language but nothing too explicit

Summary: One year after the events of Tears of the Kingdom, a mysterious man by the name of Sheik shows up on Link's doorstep telling him of a new incarnation of Ganondorf-- a once-great man being transformed into a wicked warlord in present time. Unwilling to allow the cycle to continue if he can stop it, Link recruits Zelda's head researcher and caretaker Asahi, a Sheikah warrior, to their cause. On the first leg of their journey, they are ambushed by bokoblins led by a shadow version of Link, who can match his every move. His knowledge too great to simply allow him to leave or end him, they decide to bring him along and limit his power with the use of Sheik's magic. Despite the warnings, Asahi and "Dark Link" find themselves drawn to one another. Unbeknownst to Asahi, her closeness to the shadow brings out a side she never knew she had, a side which may reveal that she's more than just the caretaker of the princess. For Dark Link, their growing bond may ruin his hidden agenda, the very reason for his existence. As far as Sheik is concerned, their relationship may spell the destruction of the entire quest, which may have been doomed from the start: After all, in order to stop the Curse of Demise, they need more than one incarnation of the Triforce and a weapon that never existed.

TL;DR: Link decides to put an end to the Curse of Demise with the help of a strange time-traveler Sheik, his best friend Asahi and a shadow-version of himself; Asahi and the Shadow are growing dangerously close while unlocking secrets that could end their quest to find a weapon to end the Curse.

Trigger Warnings: PTSD, gore, violence, mild steam, angst, forbidden/taboo love, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, probably more I haven't thought of yet.

Word Count: Unsure

A/N: Asahi's appearance and name are loosely based off of Asahi from The Water Dragon's Bride, my favorite manga (besides Zelda, ofc). I've had this story in my head for a very, very, very long time and I'm really excited to finally be putting it out there, even if it's not in the comic form that I had originally wanted to do.

Media: Written for now, with some art and hopefully redrawn in manga form later on when I learn how to do it well.

Releases: Monthly, if possible. I work full-time and am in the midst of preparing for college, so I'll try to release chapters every other weekend alongside my usual content.

Anytime you see an embedded link (pun intended), it leads to related soundtrack.

The sky was a deep, soft orange when Link stepped out in the morning.

Sunrise was always his favorite time of day. It reminded him of peaceful mornings spent with Zelda before... everything. He stretched his arms over his head until his spine popped before he let them fall to his sides. Ruffling his hands through his long hair, he pulled out the tangles, enjoying the sensation of the dewy grass underfoot as he walked to the pond behind the house.

The little spring was warm compared to the chilly morning air, and as Link washed his hair and soaked in the early morning sunlight, his mind wandered.

It had been a long, difficult year, especially for Zelda. He was still getting used to his new arm, and sometimes he still got confused when he looked down and saw fur and claws, or when he felt phantom pains from an arm long gone. He was also still trying to process that he'd had to save Hyrule not once, but twice. He wondered if any of the other past heroes had slept for 100 years, defeated an eldritch abomination, then did it again barely seven years later. A bitter smirk played on his face before he dunked beneath the water.

But Zelda, gods, poor Zelda. She wasn't herself even now. After so long of being a dragon, she had lost much of who she once was. She complained of feeling her body dying, and of missing something. He would catch her staring at the sky for hours with an emotionless expression on her face. Not even researching interested her anymore, not for long. Sometimes something small would spark excitement, but it rarely lasted more than an hour.

In her dreamlike, catatonic state, she was in absolutely no place to run their kingdom, and neither was he. He needed to care for her 24/7, and he would. He appointed Purah and Paya to look after their affairs, trusting them enough to form a responsible council and make good decisions. So far, he hadn't had any complaints about the way they ran things; Hyrule was peaceful.

Not only were they reliable enough to run the country, but they had also appointed Link some much-needed help that he was too prideful to ask for. A young Sheikah girl had been assigned to help Link care for Zelda, and thankfully they had all been friends long before that fateful night. Asahi was probably the one person from the modern age that Zelda had been friends with, having met on an expedition three years prior to the Upheaval. An expert on Hyrulean history, her knowledge had been a great help to him during the whole ordeal, although he'd refused every attempt of hers to join him. He didn't want her to get hurt.

A bright, lovely young woman with deep red hair with black ends, and golden eyes, she looked nothing like the Sheikah; even her attire was different. Unsatisfied with the typical whites, reds, and beiges of Sheikah wear, Asahi wore deep mauves, reds, and browns. Purah told him that she had been adopted by a Sheikah couple who couldn't have children, and that she had been in an orphanage until she was three. The reclusive tribe never treated her any differently, however. Asahi was a capable warrior as well as a scholar, her knowledge on par with what Zelda's would have been if she were back to her old self.

Asahi's presence, teachings, and therapeutic sessions had certainly helped Zelda to cope. She smiled a bit more now.

Link left the bath, allowing his body to air-dry as he went back inside. He didn't have much planned for today. Besides some menial work in the gardens and cleaning the tack for their horses, Link had nothing to do but spend time with Zelda, which gave Asahi a much-needed day off. He glanced out his windows at the Bolson houses across the bridge. The smaller one, on the right from where he was standing, was Asahi's. Her lights were off, and he saw no movement; he chuckled a bit. She must be sleeping in.

Like someone else he knew. Turning around, Zelda was fast sleep in the bed, in her cozy pajamas and snoring ever so softly-- although she would vehemently deny that if he ever had the audacity to bring it up to her. Link dressed in some comfortable clothes and gave Zelda a kiss on the cheek before heading back downstairs.

Outside, it was already warming up. Summer in Hateno was still chilly thanks to the breeze from the frozen Lanayru mountains, but it was decent today. Link paused in the doorway and smiled in the sunlight, enjoying the sensation of the warmth on his skin. The sound of commotion across the bridge drew his attention to the Hateno children recklessly chasing some hot-footed frogs. At least they had an excuse today, more often than not they would linger on the other end of the bridge until Link or Asahi shooed them away, worried about the status of their teacher. Before the Upheaval, Zelda treated them as though they were her own children, and now...

She just didn't seem to care.

Link shook his head to clear his mind as the children followed the frogs down the path, making his own way to the stalls against the house. Here were there horses, comfortable in their own stalls: Prince, Link's white stallion, and Star, Zelda's golden mare. They both nickered eagerly at Link's approach, excited for breakfast. Happily, Link fed them each their own mixture of oats and hay flakes, petted them a bit, then made his way to the shed behind the house, where their tack was stored.

He had only just started cleaning it when movement near the pond caught his eye. His head shot up, and he froze. Zelda. Hair disheveled from sleep, still in her nightgown, she slowly walked across the field, as though in a trance.

Immediately, Link put his tools away. So not to scare her, he snuck up quickly behind her so that he could follow closely, unsure if she was sleepwalking or experiencing an episode-- it had been a week since her last one, and Link had started to get hopeful. His heart hammered in his chest as he followed her all the way to the edge of the cliff-- where she let out a sudden, violent scream as she tried to walk off the edge.

Link lunged, snatching her by the waist and yanking her back, causing them both to fall. Zelda instantly snapped out of her trance, sobbing profusely. "I was flying, Link, I was flying--" she inhaled sharply, burying her face in her hands as Link held her close. "Link... Help me... I'm dying! I'm dying!"

"Asahi!" Link's shout hopefully carried far enough to wake her; often, it took Asahi and Link both to calm her after an episode like this. Link squeezed Zelda's frail body, knowing that the sensation grounded her in reality sometimes.

The sound of running footsteps brought his attention to Asahi. She too was still in her pajamas-- a pair of old, worn trousers cut off at the knees and an old shirt. Her odd hair, short like Zelda's, was sticking in all directions. She had clearly been asleep, and Link thought it odd she was here so quickly. "I heard her scream," Asahi breathlessly explained, kneeling beside them. "What happened?"

"Another episode," Link managed to say around the lump in his throat. Goddess, please save her...

Asahi gently pulled Zelda's hands away from her face beaming at her-- he wasn't sure if it was her Sheikah training, or simply her personality, but she could hide her worry better than he could. "Princess, are you troubled again?" Her voice was soft and gentle, soothing even to Link.

"I'm dying!" Zelda cried, slumping over into Link's arms. His heart shattered as he pulled her close.

"We all die, princess," Asahi said softly, "I'm dying, too." It was all Link could do not to start sobbing alongside the princess. Often, he felt like he never should have rescued her from her dragonic form. She would not have known who she was, or even that she used to be a Hylian. She would simply be, for eternity, and wouldn't have to feel any of this pain. As though sensing his guilt, Asahi laid a hand gently on his arm and said softly, "Let's take her inside."

Without hesitation, Link scooped the grieving princess in his arms and carried her back into the house, Asahi following close behind.

It took them nearly all day to calm Zelda.

Asahi made a soup of mushrooms and Sheikah spices, techniques used by her people to cure madness. He didn't like the idea of using such things, implying Zelda was mad, but... She almost was. After several hours, Link had made Asahi leave so that she could eat and properly dress while he watched over Zelda, who, when she finally did stop crying, laid on the bed and stared out of the window, straight at the bleak, stormy sky in a catatonic state.

Ever since her episodes began, they had moved the bed so that she could easily see out of the windows. Sometimes the sight of the sky calmed her.

Others, it made her frantic.

In her lucid moments, Zelda couldn't remember her episodes at all. She didn't even want to try to think about it. She would make food, then stay snuggled against Link until she ultimately fell into a peaceful sleep.

It was as though she were asleep even now. Her eyes were open, but even if Link started yelling he very much doubted if she would be able to respond. He watched her, eyes trailing along her face and taking in every detail. It should be me. He was the hero. He was the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. Why couldn't he have been thrown back in time, forced to turn into a dragon to restore the Master Sword? If given the chance, he would switch places with her in a heartbeat.

A knock at the door got his attention. Asahi must be back. With one final glance at Zelda, he jogged downstairs and opened the door, wincing against the sudden onslaught of rain, expecting her arms to be full as she rarely ever knocks--

--his hand went to his blade at once. "Do I know you?"

The mysterious visitor only narrowed his eyes. "No, you do not. Not yet."

Link tensed his body, preparing to strike if needed. The man was clothed fully from head-to-toe in close-fitting, off-white clothes, leather, and light armor; the Sheikah eye was emblazoned in gold on his chest. Deep brown eyes cut through Link like daggers, and sandy blond hair hung from his tight-bandaged, sky-blue cap, falling to his shoulders and in front of his covered face. A curved, golden harp hung at his lower back, and a long, faded blue scarf was wrapped around his neck. "Who are you?" Link knew pretty much all of the Sheikah in Kakariko, and they never wore attire like this. Yiga, maybe? But here? Now?

"Hello, Hero of Wilds," Answered the visitor, his voice deep and smooth. Link tensed, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. "I have waited a very long time for our meeting." He showed Link his gloved palms. "I am no threat to you, nor your princess. I come bearing a message... and a request. You may choose to hear me, just as you may choose to deny my request. This is up to you, hero."

Link regarded the visitor carefully. "Where do you come from?"

The man replied, "I will happily explain everything. I am willing to meet you elsewhere if it comforts you."

Slowly, Link nodded. "I'm waiting on someone. When she returns, I will hear you." He wasn't sure why he agreed. Maybe some small part of him hoped that this message wasn't bad news, although he felt in his heart that it could be no other kind. He refused to move from the doorway, however; he stood on the balls of his feet, prepared to strike if necessary. Whatever happened, this stranger would not take Zelda. He trusted Asahi's capabilities to keep her safe in his absence.

As promised, she hastily returned, carrying a couple of books and a half-eaten sandwich which she still munched on as she hurried across the bridge and up the path to the house. She paused behind the visitor, brow furrowed; he turned, breaking the staredown with Link. Much taller than her, he glowered down at her; Link braced himself, but Asahi only turned to Link, a bit confused. "Link, who's this?"

"I don't know," He answered, ignoring the visitor as he snatched his cloak. "But I'm about to find out. Can you take care of Zelda while I'm away? I'm sorry to drop her solely on--"

"Shut up. Go." She brushed past him, eyeing the visitor with a suspicious glance before closing the door behind Link. Unwilling to risk a brawl in front of the citizens of Hateno, Link escorted the visitor to the beach, empty due to the weather. The rain was lighter now, but still dreary enough to keep people away.

"So who are you?" Link demanded. "First I would know your name, and where you're from."

"I am called Sheik," Said the visitor, to which Link turned to face him. The name sounded... poorly imagined, at best. Why would he only take the first part of "Sheikah?" What's his real name? "And I am from very far away."

"What does that mean?" Link challenged.

"If I wanted you to know, I would tell you," Sheik responded coldly, to which Link balked.

"You said you'd explain everyth--"

Sheik interrupted him swiftly. "I said that I would explain everything, yes, but about my purpose here, not my personal details."

A spark of anger ignited in Link's chest, the emotion bellowing out before he could stop it. He took a couple of menacing steps toward Sheik, and in an explosion of light like he'd thrown a dazzlefruit, the warrior disappeared. Link gasped and struggled to regain his eyesight, furiously blinking away the afterimage of the flash. He drew his blade. "Where are you?!"

"I told you I wasn't here to harm anyone," Sheik reiterated, from behind him now. Link whipped around. The warrior was standing a short distance away, on top of a massive pile of driftwood that the villagers had been gathering for months. Lazily, he plucked at the harp, a single, beautiful note pealing from the instrument before fading into silence. The calls of the gulls overwhelmed the ending. "But if you come at me with violence, then I shall return the favor." His amber eyes, alight with a deep ferocity, cut through Link like a blade. The warrior shook his head, evoking another note from his harp. "Do you know of the Cycle of Resurrection?"

Link didn't sheath his blade just yet. He had no idea what this man was capable of. Instead, he stayed right where he was. "...Yes." How could he not? 10,000 years ago, Ganondorf became the Demon King, and was sealed before returning as Calamity Ganon, and then again in his newly revitalized form after that. And apparently, it had been happening for far longer than just 10,000 years, if Asahi's deep dives into Hyrulean history were to be believed.

Another note, this time off-key. "Do you know how it started?" When Link was silent, Sheik glanced at him before closing his eyes, then began to play a beautiful, haunting melody. Softly, Sheik began to sing.

"Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess,

Unite Earth and Sky

And bring light to the land."

Sheik glanced at Link, whose body had frozen in place. Link's skin crawled with chills, a deep knot of nostalgia rolling in his core. "...Sound familiar, hero?" Link could only stare, speechless. Where have I... heard that before? "Music is powerful in Hyrule. More so in the ancient ages. It could turn night to day, summon violent storms, heal a soul, change the season... Reverse time itself. Hyrule has forgotten its roots."

Link swallowed hard. "You mentioned the Cycle of Resurrection. What of its beginning?"

Sheik stared at Link for a moment longer before turning his gaze to the ocean. "In the beginning, there was no such thing as Hyrule. The world's citizens simply coexisted peacefully after the Golden Goddesses created the land. Din, Nayru, Farore; they left, leaving in their wake a legendary artifact with a power that would destroy the world time and time again. This artifact--" He plucked a string, "Was called the Triforce."

Link's heart skipped a beat. His mind went to the motifs present in the throne room of Hyrule Castle, even the champion's gear and Zelda's royal attire. The symbols, the statues of golden triangles with three parts. Wisdom, courage, and power. Granted, he knew very little about it until he came to know Zelda more, and they both learned more from Asahi, but knowledge on the Triforce was limited indeed. He said nothing, allowing Sheik to continue.

"The gods could not touch it. The Triforce and the Kingdom was watched over by a lesser goddess, Hylia. Peace lasted for many years, until a vengeful Demon King known as Demise brought forth his armies in a vicious battle for the Triforce's power. He was defeated by a hero clad in green chosen by the Goddess, and sealed away. Knowing that he would return, Hylia shed her holy form and was reborn as a mortal girl, able to wield the Triforce against the Demon King.

"Reborn alongside her was the Chosen Hero. His name," here Sheik turned, meeting his gaze. "Was Link."

Link's heart dropped. "When Link and the goddess reborn, Zelda, faced the Demon King, he was defeated once and for all; or so they thought. With his dying breath, Demise swore that he would return time and time again to confront those with the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero. For eons, this cycle of bloodshed has continued ceaselessly." Sheik began to play a mournful ballad; Link sucked in a breath.

How long has this been going on for?

Sheik continued without pause. "Through time, twilight, floods, even the Calamity, Demise's own chosen one-- a Gerudo boy, born very rarely-- is entirely unable to resist the influence of the demon, just as the hero is unable to fight the goddess's lead. Again and again, individuals are used by the gods to battle for an artifact they recklessly left behind. This, Hero of Wilds, is where you come in.

"In all of my travels, I have not yet met an incarnation of the hero and the goddess so similar to the original. Many incarnations have been deeply bonded; the Era of Time was a distinctly pivotal moment in Hyrule's history--"

"Hold on," Link interrupted breathlessly, trying to process everything he was hearing, "What do you mean, that you've met? What sort of travels?"

Sheik regarded him carefully, then rolled his eyes. "I wasn't finished, but... You recall me informing you that music has power-- or rather, had power. It seems that this era of Hyrule has forgotten that, as I've said." He rested a hand on the top of one of his harp's arms. "This harp is a replica of the one that the first incarnation of Zelda used. It is what allows me to travel so effortlessly across vast distances of land, sea, sky... and time."

Resentment, cold and ugly, reared its head. What was so difficult, nigh impossible, for him and Zelda to overcome, what effects her even still, is so easily done for this mysterious newcomer. With a harp. Link wanted to scream. He wanted to activate ultra-hand and send the pile of debris flying with Sheik on top. His growing anger didn't stop Sheik from continuing as though nothing happened.

"Your extensive trials, and Zelda's transformation into the dragon, has made for an impressive duo. You both have obtained new powers, the likes of which few incarnations have seen. You are also one of few heroes to witness the rise of Ganondorf twice-- soon to be three times, if we do not act fast."

"Stop!" Link cried, heart racing. "What are you talking about?! You're insane!" Surely this was some Yiga's ploy to frighten and disorient him. No way in Hylia is anything he's saying true.

"Am I?" Sheik hopped down from the debris pile. "You do not trust me, clearly. But shall I show you?" He extended a hand toward Link. His hand tightened on his blade.

"What exactly are you going to show me?"

Sheik was silent. "I could show you the first battle that started it all, the Imprisoning War, or take you to meet one of your predecessors. It's entirely up to you, hero. I will give you your choice."

Link hesitated. If this was a Yiga...

But if it wasn't, and what he was saying was true, then there may be a way to end the cycle. Their descendants would never have to worry about Ganon again. Sheik's hand remained extended. Link did not take it, did not sheath his blade. "Show me what I did this morning."

"Very well," Said Sheik, and played a melody on his instrument that chilled Link to the bone. The world flashed a deep, slate gray, and it was over in the blink of an eye. Physically, he felt no different, but something was definitely... off. The sky had darkened.

It was dawn again.

The rain was gone, and all was dry.

Link shuddered. Simple Yiga magic, probably. He's just trying to scare me.

"Come with me, hero." Sheik led him back up the way they had came. "Your past self cannot see your present self. It is one of the many rules of traveling through time."

Reluctantly, Link sheathed his blade and followed Sheik through the streets, wondering how in the world the warrior could navigate them so well, especially the back roads. Eventually they came to crest a ridge, where Link and Sheik could look down on the village of Hateno. At first, he saw nothing out of the ordinary besides the change in day; until he saw Zelda, leaving the house. She drifted across the field as though in a trance, and he recognized the events of this morning playing out before his very eyes.

Link flinched and turned away as Zelda's cry rang in his ears. I'm dying! He hated hearing her say those words. "Traveling through time is not easy, hero. If you decide to join me, see if our first recruit will tell you of his own travels. He waits for us at the edge of two eras."

Link whipped around. "So what exactly is your plan, then? Just gather a bunch of incarnations of the hero and fight this new Ganon one-on-one?"

"If it were that easy, we would have already done so," Sheik countered, following Link down the hill. "My travels have led me down many paths, and in all my years I have found only one lead. It is this one lead which has led me to take action." Link heard the rustling of old parchment and turned, finding Sheik pulling a small scroll out of his pocket. He unrolled it and read it, a shimmer of hope in the warrior's eyes.

"In realms unseen, where monsters dispel,

Fragments of courage, wisdom dwell.

Gather them, a scattered gleam,

An army born, a mighty feat.

The Demon King, a shadow's blight,

Seeks to consume the fading light.

But hope remains, a flicker bright,

A weapon forged in darkest night.

No blade of steel, no arrow's flight,

But whispers born of ancient might.

Find it in a place beyond time,

Following the spirit guide.

A bond unbreakable, a love so true,

To break the curse, and see it through.

The cycle ends, the blood shall cease,

When courage finds its final piece.

Wisdom's light, a guiding hand,

Will lead the way to a free land."

"It is poorly written," Sheik admitted, "But it is the only reference to the end of the cycle that I've found. I discovered it quite by chance; centuries after your era, and Hyrule still knows peace. It appears that something must have happened to stop the demon's spirit from continuing its hateful wrath."

"Can't we just wait for it to happen, then?" Link countered.

"It's not that simple," Sheik told him, and showed him the parchment, pointing to a corner in the bottom of the page.

Link's heart dropped. "That's--"

"Your signature, yes?" He wasn't sure if he imagined it or not, but Sheik smirked. "You wrote this, hero. But not yet. When you write it, we will have already long since undertaken this journey, discovered what we needed, and found an end to the Cycle. But your cryptic message makes it impossible to simply translate and find what we need."

Link sank to the ground, sitting on a rock and letting his head fall into his hands. The sensation of claws on his right hand made him want to throw up. "So you're telling me I have no choice?"

"You have the illusion of choice," Sheik corrected, "But the gods have plans for you yet, hero. And that princess of yours."

Link jumped to his feet, immediately defensive. "Zelda is in no condition to travel."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Sheik returned his harp to its place on his back. "But what of the girl?"

"Asahi?" He wished he hadn't said her name, who knows what this traveler might try to do with that information? "What about her?"

Sheik shook his head. "Do not think you are the only one I've been watching, Hero of Wilds. Asahi is a Sheikah. Not only does her combative prowess make her a prime candidate for an adventure such as this, but her knowledge of Hyrulean history nearly rivals that of Zelda's; and your princess is in no way up to the task. We cannot wait for her recovery, either."

"You said that I'd face three incarnations of Ganondorf," Link breathed, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "What did you mean by that?"

Sheik paused briefly, then explained, "Due to the Calamity, the Gerudo were very careful about having a male child. Their efforts were in vain. A boy was born, Ganondorf, around sixty years after the Calamity. He was banished as an infant and raised by twin witches in a hut in the middle of nowhere. He went by a different name and started as a good person. He traveled Hyrule, was well-read, and had many friends. No one knew he was a male Gerudo. Recently, however, due in part to the Calamity's return and the Upheaval, Demise's grasp has taken hold of him and is slowly crushing his humanity. He is building an army in the Depths, though he does not understand why. He is losing himself to the madness of the curse, and he cannot stop it. If we do not, then he will rise as another incarnation of the Demon King, and your blade will be called upon once more."

Link's stomach churned. He felt like he was going to be sick. His skin felt cold and clammy, his vision swam. Not again. Sheik patted Link on the shoulder as he walked by. "This would be a difficult decision for anyone, hero. Do not think your predecessors leapt at the chance, either. I will be in the inn for three days. If you do decide to join me, find me there."

Before he left, he played another quick song; Link grimaced as the sun violently shot from one place in the sky to the next before being hidden by cloud cover. Rain came pelting down. Sheik pulled up the hood of his scarf and headed back toward the village, leaving Link to wrestle with his own conflicted feelings.

Hylia, what do I do now?

When Link returned home, it was nearly nightfall. His heart and head heavy with everything he had learned-- and been shown-- by Sheik, he spilled all of the information to Asahi, his only source of friendship. Zelda, thankfully, was asleep finally. He told Asahi in the tool shed, unwilling to allow Zelda to overhear anything that might upset her.

Asahi stood in the doorway, chewing anxiously on her lip and curling the rope necklace she wore around the fingers of one hand, stroking the amber pendant with the other. "Goddesses, even though he used that powerful of magic, how are we supposed to be believe he's being truthful about everything? What if he's just a really powerful sorcerer looking to trap you in the past so that he can get rid of you and Zelda?" Her eyes widened. "And he knows I'd protect her in your absence."

"But if what he says is true," Link pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Then Ganon is coming back for another round, and I honestly don't know if either of us can handle another battle like that. Zelda certainly can't. Not right now. And if I know Ganon, he'll strike before she's ready at all."

"So what do we do?" Asahi questioned softly.

Silence filled the shed, broken only by the soft pattering of rain. Link and Asahi dwelled on their choice of options... or, rather, the illusion of choice, as Sheik had so wonderfully put it. "That... prophecy, or whatever it was... It really did have my signature on it."

Asahi couldn't stifle her smirk. "He said it was 'poorly written,' so, I believe it."

With an exaggerated roll of his eyes, Link stood. "Should we sleep on it?"

Asahi shrugged, letting her arms fall to her sides. "I'm with you, Link, whatever you decide to do. If that weirdo wants me along too, then... Oh well. Purah and Paya are more than capable of protecting Zelda."

"They aren't the most deadly Sheikah in over 100 years," Link countered playfully-- Asahi beamed, her eyes squinting shut as she did so. Her bubbly nature hid a very powerful, bone-crushing kick, sharp skill with a blade, and an array of Sheikah magic. "Still... I'll try to sleep on it."

Asahi only shrugged again; she gathered her things before she left, and Link patrolled the house dutifully for hours-- no, who was he fooling? He was pacing, up and down the stairs, around his living room in circles, up in the bedroom... That paper had his signature on it. Even if Sheik was watching for much longer than he let on, how would he have gotten close enough to copy Link's signature when he'd only used it a handful of times in his life? He paused at the top of the stairs, freezing as Zelda stirred. Her brow furrowed and she whimpered softly; the beginnings of a nightmare, but hopefully it would pass.

His mind wandered to all those before them, if what Sheik says is true. How much pain and agony they must have suffered. If Ganon really does come again, how would Zelda survive such an onslaught? She wouldn't, he realized grimly, I doubt if she would even be able to summon an ounce of power. Link couldn't do it by himself. If Ganon came again, Hyrule would fall, for good this time.

His heart skipped a beat.

Link snatched his cloak, locked the door, and ran across the bridge. He raced up to Asahi's door, raising a fist to knock, when it opened--

Asahi, but not in the comfortable tunic and leggings she had worn earlier. Already, she wore the snug Sheikah attire, built for stealth and dyed a deep black. Her face was concealed by a mask, a crimson wrapping around her head and fingertips. An armament of kunai blades hung at her hips, and he knew hidden in her gear was an assortment of weapons and tools galore besides that. A bit of her reddish hair stuck out from under the cap, and Link was struck by how similar her attire resembled Sheik's. "Figured you'd decide to join him, buddy. Decided I might as well get prepared."

A smile slowly spread across Link's face. "We could be going straight to our deaths, y'know."

Asahi raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to deter me?" She waved him on. "Go get the warrior. I'll make preparations to teleport Zelda to the Sheikah village in the morning."

At her words, Link tossed her the key to his house and raced through the empty streets. Rainwater splashed from puddles, soaking his legs and the hem of his tunic. He was nearly out of breath when he pushed open the doors of the inn, lungs heaving for air as he scanned the room, ignoring the surprised stare of the innkeeper as he jolted from his sleep. Sheik wasn't hard to find; in his white and blue armor, he stood out like a sore thumb. He sat at one of the tables, calmly sipping on his drink, as Link rapidly approached and plopped down on the seat across from him. "We'll join you," Link rasped, struggling to regain his stamina from the sprint down the road, "But we leave tomorrow, after we send Zelda somewhere safe."

Sheik leaned back, lounging in his seat. "Excellent," His amber eyes crinkled as he smiled beneath his mask. "What changed your mind, hero?"

Zelda. Our ancestors. Our descendants. If there really is a way to stop this... "The cycle must end."

"I make no promises," Sheik told him. "None whatsoever. We have a mere glimmer of hope that we can even put an end to this cycle at all. This letter could mean nothing, or we may not figure it out, leading to a branch in the timeline... Regardless of the outcome, I will return you to this time, hero, and I will help you stop Ganondorf if it comes to that."

Link felt a bit of relief, but he tried not to show it. Sheik extended his hand to Link once more. "Are you still so sure about this decision?"

This time, Link took it, shaking his hand firmly. "I will do whatever it takes to keep any incarnation of Zelda from facing this suffering again."

Sheik smiled. "Then we will leave as soon as you are ready."

Link's heart hammered in his chest with the adrenaline of such a hasty decision. He could only hope that he made the right choice; for everyone's sakes.

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