#mineru (mentioned)

[onefey]

it is so so SO funny how totk's reveal of the ancient hero leaves us with more questions than it answers

[maz-koshia]

lisstennnnnn listen i love mineru shes my favourite....but i have a Brand to maintain here ok... and hes already so good at being dead

(bonus Attack Mode under the cut)

bweee hes ready

[veggiecorner]

The first person to find out about Link during the past was actually Mineru because she took the Sheikah Slate and ended up finding like. 60 pictures of him

[isa-ah]

have there been any official statements on totks timeline bc it sure seems like it's a creation all its own with very little tie in with established mythos at all

[tumblingdowntheway2019]

Master List Here!!

Ao3 Version Here!!

Yoooooo!! Chapter Two (2) of 'To Cherish These Moments." This was inspired by art drawn by @hyrulerbnb, an awesome artist I recommend checking out!!

A bit of a trigger warning due to what Rhoam will be saying in flashbacks. He's a right jerk in this chapter and it's why I'm saying now.

Other than that, enjoy the read and have an awesome day!!

💪😎💕

Word count - Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty-Three. (7223).

To Cherish These Moments - Chapter Two (2) - Hearty Soup.

If you were to tell Zelda a hundred (100) years ago that she would have been given the opportunity to freely arrange a picnic for her friends and fellow Champions/Sages, she would have told you that you're mistaken and her father would never allow anything so trivial as a picnic.

No, when meals were prepared for those of high status, fellow royalty, elders, nobles, sirs, and ladies, no matter their age of being granted responsibility for their people, they would just have to sit there, shut up, and only talk politics and regional topics. There was no such thing as idle chitchat at the dinner table. No catching up, no banter, no nothing. It had been like that ever since the Queen, unfortunately, passed away.

There was to be no help in understanding the powers of a goddess that flow in her vein. How the people of Hyrule would come to respect her, but she shouldn't let that get to her head, as the true power is the love of those closest to her. But it was all just empty words in the end. Zelda was thrust into the training her mother had promised to help her with, alone and struggling.

She would never forget how she spent hours upon hours studying all she could—the detailed accounts of the queen's of the past, the accounts of previous Zelda's, and their struggles against a great evil. How the Heroes of Courage wielded the sword that sealed the darkness assisted in their fights. They all made it seem so easy. From what she understood, they weren't forced to spend all day praying to the Goddess, Hylia, at the springs to the point of blackout exhaustion. They were able to unlock their powers fairly quickly due to their freedom to explore and build relationships with the people they met.

Zelda often wondered to herself if she was cursed to have unlocked her powers so late, when everyone she truly cared for died to ensure she had fulfilled her "sworn duty to the kingdom," as her father made sure she remembered. He was long gone now, but oftentimes she heard his harsh reminders of her duty.

--------

"You are the one (1) people look to for protection, Zelda!" King Rhoam was scolding her. "You have no time to waste hovering over a cooking pot. What do you expect to happen? That the Calamity would just happily saunter over to stop for a hearty soup?! Ludicrous."

Hearty soup, that's right. It was something Urbosa had taught them to make, or rather, at that point in time, was still teaching them to. Rhoam couldn't handle the quick temper of Urbosa when it came to her protectiveness of them. Purah had quoted exactly what Urbosa told them to say should Rhoam ever try to discourage it.

She was only ten (10) years old at the time. Purah had invited her over to the kitchen area to check out a new cooking skill they'd learned when Rhoam happened to have passed by and caught them. Purah, ever the rebel a thirteen (13) year old could be as she stood between the King and the Princess, tried to defend her, saying that they only wanted to show off what they learned and it wasn't a big deal to share skills. It could be beneficial to everyone to know at least one (1) fact and skill from different subjects after all.

"Out of respect for your father being my head researcher in the castle, I shall leave him to deal with your punishment himself." Rhoam replied coldly. "Until then, I-"

"Will be allowing them to continue to learn what I have been teaching them." Boomed a confident voice. "The Queen of Hyrule, may Hylia bless her soul, did not get the chance to. I intend to keep the promise I made to her about teaching Zelda some necessary skills."

There, standing confidently with her hands on her hips in the archway, was Chief Urbosa of the Gerudo. The second mother of Zelda, although it was never declared out loud as such. Hiding behind her leg was little Impa, the younger sister of Purah and the same age as Zelda. They hadn't realized she had snuck off until Urbosa's arrival.

"Chieftan Urbosa, you know as well as I do that the day of calamity will soon be upon us. These skills are unnecessary." He tried to defend himself.

"I do, as well as everyone else in this castle, King Rhoam." Urbosa countered. "Zelda is still a child; to have her exert herself to such an extent would mean causing the most harm to her before Calamity would ever get the chance to do so itself."

The king froze. Zelda didn't know whether he truly realized the truth in her words or not, but it worked. Without another word but a defeated and annoyed look on his face, King Rhoam leaves the room. Once his footsteps were out of earshot, Impa scurried back over to the comfort of her sister's side.

"Great job, Sis!" Purah praised her as she held her little sister's hands and excitedly jumped a little. "Even I didn't hear you leave, you'll make a great fighter amongst the Shiekah yet!"

"Little Warrior certainly took me by surprise as well." Urbosa was praised as she placed a hand on the little Shiekah's head. "I'm relieved to have you on our side; the way you snuck up on me would have meant my defeat."

"Ya hear that! You could have beat the Queen of Lightning herself!!" Purah was even more proud of Impa. The shy girl was only able to quietly laugh in response, even if it was just at her sister's goofy behaviour.

Urbosa used this opportunity to turn to Zelda. "Little Bird. Are you okay?"

Zelda, having grown used to her father's reactions, just nodded as she looked at her guardian. She was unable to defend her best friends against him. Why are they still with her? Even after he had just scolded her again too,

"It's ok not to be. To show that you are upset about a situation shows strength to acknowledge the wrongs of what happened. It shows your compassion to people around you.

"But he told Purah off." Zelda blurts it out. She didn't know how to word it any better than that. "All she was doing was just showing me how she was able to make the hearty soup, and she got told off for it."

"Hey now, Zel. I'm ok, see?" Purah was now in front of her, holding her hands. "I get told off all the time; your jerk dad is no different."

"To be fair, Eccentric Genius, your experiments do go haywire more often than not." Urbosa gently reminded the teenager. "Explosions and lab equipment are not a good combination."

"I'm just finding out ways to not to do those things. Then that means that they won't do it because they know the consequences." Purah replied with her "Check It!" pose. "You never know until you try!"

Impa just shook her head with a defeated smile, already resigned to probably having to fix her sister's chaos in the future when she qualifies to join the Royal Advisors.

"I'm still sorry." Zelda apologises. "It's not fair that you all should get in trouble because I am neglecting my duties."

At that, the Gerudo Chief and Shiekah children look between each other and the young princess. A hand places itself on her shoulder, and she looks up to see the warm smile.

"Why don't we continue where we left off then, shall we?" She gently nudges the young girls toward the cooking pot. "I am happy to see that you all seem to have made a good batch here."

"Purah added Monster Extract to it." Impa finally chimes in. "She got it from a strange guy in a hot air balloon."

"........What?" Urbosa was, excuse the pun, shocked. "Uuhh. It's different, I suppose? But I don't think that's going to make it as appetizing as it appears."

"Oh yeah? Just watch!" Before anyone could stop her, Purah had gotten a spoonful of the monster soup and eaten it. The normally pale Shiekah girl was quickly going green as she tried not to gag. "Guh. S-see. Delicious. I could go for another bite right now."

Zelda began to laugh, trusting Purah to always try and bring a smile to her face, even at her own risk. "Why don't you have it?"

Purah, trying not to gag, tried to excuse the reason for not being able to stop herself from eating it all up should she do that. Impa facepalmed as Urbosa placed a hand over her mouth to hide her laughter.

"Why don't we just make another batch for ourselves then?'

The girls, well, mainly Impa and Zelda, as Purah curled up on the nearby bench, did just that. Despite the sour mood just minutes ago, it was all washed away and replaced by a warm, comforting feeling.

--------

"Now, what do you think should be added to stop sickness?" A warm voice asked.

Zelda opened her eyes and found herself outside. She was in a little veranda nearby a garden. Hearty radishes, rice, endura carrots, and all kinds of food and herbs were growing here. She turns to the woman standing beside her, who was patiently waiting for an answer.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch your question." She replied sheepishly.

"Do not worry, dear. It seems you were a world away just now. Do you wish to speak about it?" Queen Sonia asked, gently stirring the soup at a low heat.

"I was just reminiscing about my childhood." She began, hearing an "oh?" from Sonia. "I was learning to make this very soup under the guidance of a dear friend of mine."

Sonia continued to stir. Rather than a judgmental look at how Zelda had distracted herself from the task at hand, she instead gave her a knowing look. She didn't push her to continue, allowing Zelda to gather her thoughts on what she was willing to share with the Queen.

"When they were children, she and my mother learned how to make this soup. It didn't always go according to plan, but eventually they perfected their own unique version of it. The Gerudo believe this soup helps them attract the attention of the Voe of their interest." Zelda gives a soft chuckle.

"A tradition that lives on, then!" Sonia happily laughs. "I learned from Naboris how to make this very soup for Rauru after we first met." Sonia looks at the cooking pot, her smile growing. "Though when it came to giving it to him, I seem to have neglected care as I picked up the bad batch in my haste."

"Let me guess, this batch had Monster Extract, and it made him sick?" The princess laughed. When given a surprised look as confirmation, she added "Another dear friend thought it wise to do just that. It's safe to say she spent the next hour trying not to throw up after one (1) bite."

"That lines up with Rauru's reaction as well. Except he tried to continue eating it so as not to offend me." Looking towards the clouds above, she added, "The look of relief he had when I told him it wasn't mine and to not finish it. Never before had I moved so fast to get my batch."

They both laughed at their shared memory of the misfortune of a loved one. Sonia added in a Mighty Thistle.

"A herb with medicinal properties It can be used to allow those that consume to gain more strength." Zelda then says sheepishly. "I assume this is the answer to the question I had missed."

Sonia's smile grew slightly as she nodded. It didn't take long before the soup was ready and a bowl was handed to her.

That's right, Zelda felt unwell that morning. She thought she had been doing well to hide it so as not to get scolded for slacking her duties no matter what time period she was in, but was caught by Sonia's eagle-eyed observation at breakfast this morning.

'Just chew on some herbs and get back to training.' She can hear her father order.

There was no gentle coaxing to sleep it off that day or to take it easy; it was just buck up and get on with it.

It was why she and the sisters were in the kitchen that day; Impa had told Purah, who stopped her studying right there and then, to help her and cheer her up. Pangs of regret crawled their way up in her gut when they had all gotten into trouble, but the sisters never held it against her. If anything, it caused Purah to continue pushing her luck in secret.

But her ancestors were not her father. The moment the King of that era also took notice, he immediately began asking if there was anything to help her feel comfortable. If she required some more water for her sore throat or more sleep for her drowsiness, along with an extra blanket for the chill, Mineru also insisted that she could survive without Zelda for that day; she could also use that chance to read a book she's been neglecting.

"We started constructing the Golem together; it would be rude of me to continue it without you." Mineru had insisted.

And this was how Zelda got here, a bowl of hearty soup in hand, with a blanket over her shoulders and her loving ancestor at her side, ready to give seconds should Zelda want some more and not judge her like she was being greedy.

It was times like this where she just wished to stay at that very moment. To stay in the past before all went wrong.

--------

Zelda grounded herself. She looked around, and here she was. In the present day, At her home in Hateno Village. The Demon King of Calamity, Ganondorf, had been slain thanks to the Hero of Hyrule and the Sages.

She had observed how under the weather her friends had been and decided the hearty soup was the perfect meal to have for the picnic. The Mighty Thistle was just perfect to help them perk up and regain their strength. Each Sage had been effected by the Gloom at one (1) point or another before peace had returned to the Land of Hyrule; this mixed in with some Sundelions, just like Sonia had taught her, would do the trick.

Beside her on a makeshift table, boxes filled with various ChuChu jellies had a different purpose.

The Orange ChuChu would keep the soup and the cooked meats and fish warm without the loss of the juiciness that Zelda had taken a few attempts to keep thanks to Rhondson's tips and tricks from having to cook for the whole of Tarrey Town for celebrations.

The White ChuChu Jellies kept the other fish and meats frozen and the vegetables and mushrooms cool for when they had skewers later on.

The blue ones were so they could cool down, and maybe she can throw them at Link when she hears what silly little things he did on his adventures.

Currently, he is doing his latest task in the Hebra Mountains. Teba had been wanting help teaching the latest flock of Trainee Rito Warriors archery skills and how even a Hylian, a species without wings, is able to do it, as well as how to work together with fellow warriors, like Link and Teba did when reclaiming Divine Beast Vah Medoh.

Saki, Teba's wife and mother of The Sage of Wind Tulin, had been working on new clothing for the travellers who assisted them during the Snowstorm Crisis, so Riju decided to accompany Link on his visit there to assist along with Gerudo Tailors to assess what materials may be needed, such as rubies and felts. They are also updating their information so they can set up a system for how often certain materials can be transported and traded.

Zelda remembered how confused she was when she first had to figure out the item exchanges possible for each region, so she was proud when the young girl seemed to have had a handle on things fairly quickly when Zelda visited Gerudo Town not long after the end of the calamity. It was simple; they saw what items were needed and could arrange who would meet where and the number of guards needed for the path they would take.

If Zelda was being honest, she was glad that Hyrule had been able to establish trading routes and methods during her hundred (100) years of holding Calamity Ganon back. She never really liked the stress of having to run back and forth with so much information that needed to be remembered. Her father didn't really approve of everyone meeting in the middle as frequently as she suggested. So she had to be the middleman.

There were many duties of a princess she was glad to not be thrust back into or needed to do at all. All her life, she wanted to be a scholar. To be able to teach people the history of Hyrule and many various topics. Essential, as an understanding mind can be stronger than any warrior. Words can resolve better than a battle. Well, sometimes. Being sent back to the era of Hyrule's founding gave her a brutal reminder that her father had been right on many things as well. This new generation gave her a chance to find a middle ground, and with no war between any of the races, her scholar career finally lifted off. She didn't have to be the princess all the time, at least.

It was most likely due to the fact that now that it had been a couple of months since the Demon Kings defeat, Link and her companions were still hesitant to leave her side. Before, a century (100) ago, she would have scolded the overbearing guards. She did so with Link many times, something that was regretted ever since he saved her from the Yiga Clan in the harsh sands of the Gerudo Desert. No hesitation. Her friends, no, her family, had no hesitation in protecting her. Back then and even now, she just has to work a little harder to show how much she truly appreciated it. She can't make the same mistakes.

Voices brought Zelda out of her jumbled thoughts. Oh right, Buliara was stationed nearby; she wasn't a fan of the cold, nevermind the snow. Riju appointed her guardian to be Zelda's temporary guardian for the time being. Totally not, because she would be causing some chaos with Link and Tulin and didn't want to get into too much trouble for it yet. Right now, Buliara is protecting a friend, not a princess. She had not long returned to her time. They just wanted to be sure she'd be safe when Link wasn't around.

Behind her, Buliara was talking with Karin, one (1) of Zelda's students at the Hateno School and daughter of the Mayor, who originally came after Zelda promised that she could help cook the meals. It wasn't the original plan; Buliara was patrolling around the school grounds, and when the children asked about it, Zelda took it as an opportunity to bring her in and give more lessons about Gerudo culture and compare it to the traditions of the past now that she got to see and experience them firsthand. It actually amazed Zelda to hear how soft the hardened warrior's tone can be. Then again, she did help raise Riju.

During their walk home, Karin was told that Hearty Soup was going to be on the menu for the picnic, but it caused the Scholar to wonder if she still had the knack to make it again after the Imprisoning War and being a literal dragon for thousands of years. Karin eagerly said that she remembered making it with her grandmother and would be happy to help refresh her culinary skills. When most of it was done, Karin was allowed to wander around; this was how she ended up outside with the guard and, by complete surprise, an unexpected guest.

*One (1) and a half hour ago.*

"Sarqso again for the lesson, Captain Buliara!" Karin had been dancing around them since leaving the school. "It was so cool to learn that the Gerudo can make jewellery so easily!"

"It is now a problem, Vevhi. It was a pleasure to help."

Karin then stopped right in front of them, causing both the older women to stop as well.

"Hey! I'm not a Vevhi; I'm nearly 13, so I'm grown up!" The child tried to scold. Key word being tried as she leaned forward with her hands on her hips as she put on a pout.

The façade didn't last as they all began to laugh.

"Your Gerudo language is near the spot on Karin. How did you learn it? As far as I'm aware, no Gerudo has lived here before."Zelda inquired.

"You're right! My mother and father have a friend who's from Gerudo Town. I believe she was a travelling merchant at the time when they met at one (1) of the stables on their way to Rito Village, long before I was born. We get to meet up every so often, and she's been teaching me Gerudo since I was young!" Again, with her hands on her hips, she puffs out her chest proudly. "So don't think I don't know when you're calling me a baby!"

Another round of laughter before continuing on their way.

"May I ask? Why is Buliara allowed to walk beside you, Miss Zelda? I always thought guards always had to be behind or in front of you.

Zelda was surprised at the question. Simply because she knew she had never taught the children the understanding of royal etiquette yet. Buliara, most likely out of habit around other royals, was made to stand behind Zelda before she was stopped. Zelda placed a hand on Buliara's arm with an assuring smile.

Hand still on the captain's arm, she answered, "You are correct. For the protection of royal members of the family or nobles, a guard would typically be behind or in front of them. However," Zelda took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I learned that during times like the calamity or the upheaval, rank didn't matter much in a crisis. Yes, ranks are needed for giving orders in battle, but I have learned that, besides that, I am no greater than the people of Hyrule. I live to serve you all and assure you that you are all taken care of. You have all done an amazing job without me, but you also welcomed me home and allowed me to teach you all, as was my dream, just as much as you all taught me. You have all cared for me just as much as I have cared for you. Therefore, I am no greater than you all. I will gladly walk beside those who have stood by my side after all this time. We all fought the same battles after all."

When Zelda opened her eyes again, she could have sworn she saw stars in the young girl's eyes in admiration. A warm hand covered her own, and she saw that Buliara was giving her a motherly smile. It was unusual for the hardened captain to show this much expression, but those closest to her got to see her for who she really was. It was why she was respected so much back home.

With a silent nod, they continued their trek. It wasn't long before Zelda noticed an unusual shape at the bridge that separates them from her home. Cautiously, with Buliara leading the way, they approach the strange, dark mass. It was making an unusual sound. It was then, when they got close enough, that they saw a...

"A flipper?" Karin asks quietly. All were confused.

This was when the mass caught onto their approach and rolled over, hopping into the air in excitement as it dragged or hopped towards them as it barks out happily.

"Patricia?!" Buliara exclaimed. "You were with Chieftan Riju; is everything okay?"

The Sand Seal, now happily leaning against the Hateno Child for more hugs and scratches, turned slightly to reveal three (3) rolled-up letters tied to her harness. One (1) was red, another was teal, and the last was a light shade of blue.

Sitting at the stumps outside the house now and around the cooking pot, Zelda and Buliara read the letters that were addressed to them. Buliara read the red letter first, red being the main colour of the Gerudo. As confirmed when seeing who it was from, In neat and nearly cursive writing, the letter read:

"Dear Buliara and Zelda,

We have safely arrived at Rito Village and confirmed the stocks needed for trading in the coming weeks. They are requesting a small amount of rubies required for clothing that will be used against the cold. They accidentally requested too many clothing materials in their previous order, so they would like to make more in case the need arises.

In return, the Gerudo will be receiving various arrows and fish for our markets. I feel it is necessary to also have the jewellers make some elemental resistance jewellery as a gesture of thanks for the many types of arrows provided.

Should you receive a letter from Link and Tulin, let it be known that I, on my pride as a Gerudo, won that snow surfing race with no issue what so ever. It's no different from seal surfing—just no seal.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, however, Patricia has been sent to deliver these letters, and I request that you please take care of her for me until my return tomorrow. I also apologize to Buliara for the extended wait.

If Young Karin is there, I have some brushes and ribbons in the stable next to Zelda's house. Patricia would love it if you would brush her again.

Kind regards,

Chief Makeela Riju."

How odd for that last part to be added in. However, Karin was excited at the idea of getting to brush Patrica again. Karin had initially been afraid of the Sand Seal, but they quickly grew a bond when the Chief allowed her to do such a simple task. Karin understood what the red bow meant to Riju, so she took extra care of it when cleaning it and tying it back in with the other ribbons.

On to the teal letter: bluey green, which is the perfect mix for Link and Tulin's known colours. Green represents Link for his courage status, like his ancestors before him, and the main colour is baby blueish grey for Tulin for his wind element.

Looking at the contents of this letter, it was clear who wrote what. Link seemed to have almost print-like writing, while Tulin wrote in all capitals just so they could be told apart here. Zelda read out:

"Hello Zelda,

As you may have read in another letter, we have safely arrived in Rito Village. Chief Riju and I had come across Tulin about halfway into our journey, and we all travelled the rest of the way together. His flying skills have been coming along very nicely; they remind me of Revali as he grows. I'm sure he would be proud of Tulin. Bird Brain, as he may have been, never stopped encouraging his fellow Rito when it came to them honing their skills. Even if it did boost his ego, as you may remember.

Training the new recruits went well; they even had a few Hylian and Zora come train too, and they learned to work together. I may have to request some new paragliders; I can't have the Rito carry them around all the time.

Chief Riju and I then proceeded to have a snowboard race. It was close, but I had won, though Tulin didn't seem sure when he was flying from above.

Yours truly,

Link.

P.S. Buliara, please don't get mad that I won this race; it's not my fault that Riju fell off her shield."

Next to the extra message was a drawn-out stick figure with Link's hair, laughing at a pair of stick figure legs sticking out of a snow pile with a shield beside it, it seems.

The bottom half of the paper was Tulin's letter.

"HEY ZELDA!

TRAINING HAS BEEN GOING REALLY WELL HERE. I'M NOT AS GOOD AS LINK YET, BUT HE SAID IF I KEEP IT UP, I COULD BE LIKE THE GREAT REVALI IN NO TIME, AND HE WOULD BE PROUD OF ME! I HOPE TO LIVE UP TO HIS LEGACY IN MY DUTIES AS A SAGE, LIKE HE DID AS A CHAMPION.

ALSO, FUNNY STORY, LINK, AND RIJU CHALLENGED EACH OTHER TO A SNOW-SURFING RACE. THEY WERE REALLY CLOSE, BUT I THINK IT ENDED IN A TIE? I COULDN'T SEE BECAUSE THEY KICKED UP SO MUCH SNOW. BUT NOW MOM WOULDN'T LET THEM LEAVE THE HUT AND IS MAKING THEM HEARTY SOUP WITH WARM SAFFLINA. I THINK THEY CAUGHT A COLD OR SOMETHING.

ALSO, WE GOT TO MEET A REALLY NICE ZORA TOO. SHE HELPED US GET HOME FAST TOO. I DIDN'T NEED HELP BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO NOT GET COVERED IN SNOW. BUT I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SOUP!

ALSO, TO BULIARA, MOM SAYS THAT RIJU WILL NEED TO STAY HERE UNTIL TOMORROW INSTEAD OF WARPING HOME LIKE PLANNED. THE SNOW MAY HAVE GIVEN HER A START OF COLD, WHICH IS WHY THE WARM SAFFLINA IS ADDED TO DINNER TODAY. RIJU WOULDN'T GET IT IF SHE HAS IT QUICK ENOUGH, BUT SHE WANTS TO BE SURE.

SEE YOU SOON,

TULIN."

Buliara and Zelda facepalmed; they have a gut feeling for what the last letter may contain. Those three (3) always end up in chaotic situations when not on duty. Not so much Riju, but she's been known to be the mastermind of a few incidents and pranks against Link and Tulin when no one was around. The Gerudo were known to get a cold pretty quickly if they weren't properly prepared for the cold climates due to the fact they lived in the scorching heat. Now even more curious, the three (3) Vai looked at the blue letter, the elemental colour for water. The handwriting was even more cursive than Riju's but legible for Karin to read.

"Greeting Princess Zelda and Captain Buliara.

I feel it is necessary to write to you about what may have happened to Chief Riju, Sir Link, and Young Tulin.

Myself and my guards were travelling to Rito village to speak to the Elder about possible Zora trading. I was travelling by swimming in the rivers and happened to have witnessed the Chief and Sir Link racing down the mountainscapes. It was very impressive, especially since I have heard of the Gerudo skills in sand seal surfing.

However, it seemed that it went awry when they misjudged a turn, and they both must have hit a rock because they were both rolling down the rest of the way, thankfully not far but far enough that they somehow caught Young Tulin and became a sort of snowball on their way down. The best way I can describe it is as a total wipeout.

I have provided healing to all three (3), and they thankfully only had minor injuries. However, they do seem to not be developing a cold. Between my healing abilities and Mrs. Saki's soup, they should be as right as rain in the morning. Unfortunately, I had no other means of getting these letters to you other than teleporting Patricia to Hateno Village. The young chief did say that she was getting angsty in this cold climate.

Enclosed are some wildberries as my way of saying thanks to Patricia for her help.

Wishing you well,

Queen Yona."

"Awww, then that means Patricia fell asleep while waiting for us. Isn't that right, girl?" She was scratching Patricia with both hands until she rolled over for belly scratches. "Did we make you wait? I'm sorry, cuteest sand seal ever."

When Karin gave the berries to Patricia, the seal happily gobbled them up and gave a few barks.

"The items you require are to the left of where the Chief said they would be. The -! No, Patricia, I am not adding that pun in. Sneaky Seal." Buliara translated before nearly slipping up. "This seal and her puns, I swear."

"I'm sorry you have to put up with me for another night, Buliara. I honestly don't mind sleeping on the floor; it must be uncomfortable sleeping on a chair or some blankets all night." Zelda apologises.

"Nonsense! We warriors have grown accustomed to being able to sleep in various conditions. I will not allow you to sleep on the floor of all places just for my comfort." Buliara assures, her sword point slightly hitting off the dirt in protest of the idea.

Zelda failed to convince her. So while Buliara was reminding Karin of different brushing techniques for Patricia, she was able to get the innkeepers attention to request more pillows and blankets.

*END OF FLASHBACK.*

Zelda listened in on their conversation as she debated whether another Hearty Radish was needed.

"So your hair isn't hard to brush too? What if you get sand in it?"

"We use special blends to keep our hair soft; daily brushing helps as well. Sand is no match for frequent care. The same goes for our beloved Sand Seals."

"Is it true that Patricia is psychic?"

"Clairvoyant, yes." Buliara gently corrects her. "When offered fruit, Patricia can offer words of advice or even coordinates. Like what I translated when you gave her wildberries."

"With seal puns!" Karin happily added.

"With seal puns." Buliara parroted with a mockingly tired tone.

"Will Miss Riju be okay? Having a cold is not fun." Zelda's heart melted at the child's concern. She was always a kind-hearted soul.

"Lady Riju will be just fine. Like you read out, some soup and herbs, and she'll be right as rain by morning. Though that won't stop me from making her do extra training when we get home for the careless action. Link and Tulin also!"

"Isn't she your boss?"

"Not when training, she's not."

Zelda had to hunch over slightly and make it look like she was grabbing an herb in order to cover her laughter. It was almost easy to forget that it was Buliara who became Riju's mother figure after the passing of the late Chief. That alone can grant her more authority when needed. The mention of training brought up another question.

"Isn't that sword heavy? It's way taller than me!

A hearty laugh. "I wasn't able to before, but now wielding it gives no challenge to me."

Karin must have been wanting to see how heavy it is herself, because a moment later Zelda heard, "So heavy!" Then a surprised "Whoa!" accompanied it.

Zelda placed the lid over the pot as she grabbed a towel to wipe her hands before turning around. It made her chuckle when she saw the difference between the Hylian child and a Gerudo warrior as Karin sat comfortably on one (1) shoulder and trusted Claymore over the other. Zelda was reminded of when her father had done the same with her. One (1) morning, she awoke from a nightmare and waddled her way to her parents chambers. Her mother was sitting in the bed laughing as her father placed her on his shoulder and aimed his claymore out the window, proclaiming that no evil will get by them so long as they are around.

How terrifying that it was one eighty (180) when her mother passed.

"Dinner is just about ready." Zelda starts, clapping her hands together. It was more so to help snap herself out of her thoughts. "Karin, would you like to join us? You will have to let your parents know if you want to.

It was a definite 'YES!' as Zelda watched Karin practically beg to get down so she can run like a Kleese out of Hell towards her house to let her parents know. It wouldn't take her long, so Zelda took this as an opportunity to check the picnic supplies in the house.

"That must be the tenth (10th) time you have checked them, Zelda." The captain observed. "They won't be going anywhere prematurely if I can help it."

"I just worry that this isn't enough for them." She admits. "Everyone has been working so hard to help bring peace and order to Hyrule. I don't want to make them feel like I don't appreciate it. Especially when I made them work on all that paperwork a few days ago."

Zelda had spent the better part of yesterday making sure the foods that needed overnight cooking and steaming were as perfect as they could be. Even waking up in the middle of the night to rotate them as needed, the lack of need for sleep was still evident from her time as the Light Dragon.

Buliara, who had been sitting at the stairs on cushions with a blanket over her shoulders as she checked the condition of her blade in case it's in need of a clean or repair, offered many a time to do the tasks herself. But Zelda insisted that she could do it—just go to sleep for a little bit, at least.

The Scholar is convinced the Captain was more so meditating; instead, despite having her eyes closed and breath evened out, she never actually laid down to sleep. The blade was still gripped tightly. The Yiga incidents, the calamity, and the phenomenon must have made this a growing habit that stuck over the years. How many more are like this? To have their peace suddenly disrupted once again just as they were finally getting somewhere with their lives.

Once again, she was brought out of her thoughts by young Karin's return, a large bag of fruits for Patricia in hand. She got extra cuddles from the happy sand seal for her kind gesture. There weren't really many predictions or visions from the Sand Seal, other than seal puns that the Captain refuses to translate unless given the puppy dog eyes from the Mayor's Daughter and Sand Seal. It was so peaceful; they all enjoyed their soup, confirming that it will be perfect for everyone tomorrow.

Zelda kept notes on all the measurements she used. She knows she'll need double the number of ingredients for it to feed everyone, but that's no problem. Until it was.

"Oh no! I'm all out of hearty radishes!" She exclaimed. "I thought I had more in storage."

She just about died inside. Everything was going so well, and now the main meal is not going to happen. Her father's voice in the back of her mind about poor planning took over once again. Chastising her for her lack of planning over something simple ingredient management. Before she could fully fall into the worst habit of freezing in place when panicking, Karin saved the day.

"I heard Mrs. Rhondson say that Tarrey Town started selling them when she was talking to my dad in a meeting last week. You could get some there!"

"Oh Karin, you little life saver, you." Zelda couldn't help but hug the girl in gratitude, getting giggles and a hug in return. "I shall warp there now. Would you be so kind as to keep watch over the rest of the stuff until I return? I won't be long."

"Will do, Miss Zelda. But what about Patricia?"

Patricia was hopping her way toward Zelda when the town was mentioned, quite eagerly as well. "She will accompany me to town. From what I recall, Rhondson used to care for Patricia before becoming a tailor. You wish to see her again, yes?" With a few barks of happiness and confirmation, Zelda added "Then it's settled. Karin, you're in charge of making sure Buliara gets a nap. Patricia can accompany me to Tarrey Town. There are some new books on my bookshelf if you wish to read or borrow in the meantime."

"Are you sure, Zelda? I am tasked with guarding you after all." Buliara questioned, surprised at the sudden task for the child.

"Patricia is also battle-hardened and guards Riju as well, yes? I saw you yawning while we ate, so please get some shut-eye. The shrine is right next to town, so it'll be a short walk there, and I will warp right back." Zelda countered. It was true; she knew how warriors would hide their tiredness through certain actions.

Link would stretch a little as he adjusted the hold on his weapons and shield. His head would tilt forward slightly as he tried to keep his eyes open. When sitting, he would place his head on folded arms that rested on the knees of pulled-up legs. Buliara had similar actions. Like previously mentioned, she sat cross-legged as if she were meditating. Despite Hateno being warm during the day at this time of year, Buliara had her blanket still over her shoulders when she was guarded in the house. Tiredness making her slightly colder and Hateno having cooler temperatures than the Gerudo Desert made it more evident, like how Riju was wrapped in a blanket before Zelda dismissed them all a few days ago at Lookout Landing.

"Without proper rest, you won't be able to function. There's always a solution to your problems; just remain calm, and they will make themselves known." She heard both Sonia and Urbosa say it, drowning out her father's voice.

She left for Tarrey Town and returned less than an hour later, plenty of hearty radishes in the box in her hands and laughing as she spoke to Patricia about having a funny story to tell at the picnic now. Karin met her at the entrance to tell her that she'd need to be quiet now. When she entered the house, she saw why.

There, on all the cushions and wrapped up in the blankets, Buliara was quietly snoring away. Claymore lay within arms reach of her. Finally relaxed after months of tension and work.

Zelda turns her head toward Karin and Patricia. "It looks like the extra bedding and Hearty Soup worked."

They smiled, and Karin got to give Patricia a few more scratches before returning home for the evening. When all was settled and set to go, it was time to try and sleep. She gave Patricia a Hearty Radish, who quietly barks after gobbling it up.

"Those closest to your heart will always have you in theirs. You're doing great." Buliara translated out of sheer instinct in her sleep.

Zelda was shocked, and with the feeling of tension she tried to push back all day had lifted off her shoulders. Looking at the Sand Seal and not realizing that she was shedding tears of relief and happiness, she crouched down and gave Patricia a tight hug, the Sand Seal snuggling up against her in return.

"Thank you."

They both got some peaceful sleep that night.

[alphascorpiixx]

I’ve gotten most of the way through totk (i think) and I’m pretty sure at this point the sages are never going to get names/face reveals

like before the game’s release I didn’t want the champions to return because they died a hundred years ago and their spirits are at peace now they don’t need to be brought back for some plot contrivance

but in comparison the sages preform the same narrative role (warriors from the past who fought ganon and are now passing on their powers to help the future generation suceed this time) yet they’re such a downgrade to the champions. Like at this point I’d rather have beloved established characters return then have them replaced with lackluster characters who don’t even have names

[charrfie]

Finished totk. I need to make art for it

[blue-likethebird]

Reusing the memory system from botw for the tears of the dragon storyline in totk was such a terrible decision on so many different levels that it’s honestly kind of impressive.

While the botw memory system had flaws of its own, there was one small but significant thing that worked in its favour: botw’s memories were largely separate from the main plot in the past, and have absolutely no bearing on the story being told in the present. Aside from a few specific instances (ie the calamity striking, the ceremony, Link and Zelda becoming closer) the memories are all self-contained moments that emphasize character development over driving the story. Because there’s no major narrative throughline between them, it gives players more freedom to discover in any order regardless of how much they’ve progressed through the main quest without running the risk of stumbling across a memory that ruins something else later on in the game.

(This got long so the rest of my analysis is going under the cut.)

The biggest change between the memories from botw and the dragon’s tears from totk is definitely what kind of information these cutscenes relay to you as the player. Botw’s memories are primarily snapshots of small interpersonal moments that hold very little significance to the greater narrative taking place in the past. Totk’s memories are the greater narrative. With only one major exception -that I’ll touch on in a sec-, every cutscene in the dragon’s tears shows a crucial moment of story development with no time left to explore the characters driving that story forwards. There’s no organic moment revealing, say, a quirk of Rauru’s that Mineru finds annoying, or Sonia’s sense of humour, or any of our literal Main Villain Ganondorf’s motivations for going to war with Hyrule. If there’s any moments of character focus they only happen in ways that advance the plot (meaning the only real character focus is on the characters totk wants the entire universe to orbit around, namely Rauru and Zelda), and as such it’s harder to bring myself to care about what happens to anyone.

To illustrate the point I’m trying to make here, compare the memories of the champions Link regains during the divine beast quests to the conversations with the ancient sages at the end of each temple. The memories make passing mentions of the ongoing preparations for the calamity, but the real purpose of those scenes is to showcase who the champions were as people before their deaths and give us a reason to mourn them, even though we know at the start of our journey that they’re all long gone. In contrast, the conversations with the ancient sages are all about the events of the imprisoning war and their promise to Zelda that their descendants will come to Link’s aid in the future, very obviously copy pasted for each of the five times that cutscene is brought up (which is a particularly egregious moment of bad quest design but that’s a rant for another time) in such a way that none of the 5 incarnations of that cutscene reveal anything new about the ancient sages as characters, to the point where none of them even show their faces. I care about Daruk because the game shows me that he cares deeply about the wellbeing of his fellow champions and brings out the best in others. So why should I care about the nameless, faceless sage of water? What’s there to move me about their struggles if my only interactions with the sages are a series of exposition dumps? If the game can’t give me a reason to sincerely care about its main characters, the whole rest of the story is meaningless.

(As an aside, I get the feeling someone on the dev team caught on to the issue I’m describing here, because the tea party memory sticks out like a sore thumb from the rest of the dragon tear cutscenes. It’s such a jarring change of pace to have the otherwise plot-heavy dragon’s tears come screeching to a halt for a scene where Sonia sits down with Zelda to have a cute little tea party and talk about absolutely nothing of significance that the whole thing almost seems like it was hastily tacked on to the story later. Given that the next (chronological) memory sees Sonia fall victim to an unceremonious death by chiropractor, it feels like someone realized that Sonia really doesn’t do or say much in the scenes before she dies and threw together the tea party scene so players would have at least one moment to look back on fondly when she’s fridged. But I digress)

The story told in the dragon’s tears is a highly linear one. But the open-ended nature of botw’s memory system remains, meaning that these tears can be found and viewed in any order. At first this doesn’t seem so bad, since the first two tears you’re likely to find if you follow the game’s intended path are also the chronological first and second of the memories you can discover through these geoglyph tears. But after those first two, the game kinda gives up on guiding you towards these tears in a way that flows well with the story they wrote: the closest tear geographically to the two the game initially guides you towards correlates to one of the penultimate scenes of that entire storyline, while the next scene chronologically is found almost halfway across the map. As such, it’s all but guaranteed that you’ll spoil yourself in some way without using either a guide or the (somewhat unintuitive and never fully explained by the game) little map in the forgotten temple. Finding memories in order didn’t matter so much in botw because the scenes you could find still worked well as standalone scenes before you discovered every memory and pieced together the full picture, and the game is never trying to surprise me about the characters’ fates at the end of this storyline: hell the first memory you’re guided to shows the calamity striking. But in contrast, viewing a dragon’s tear at the wrong time can completely ruin the story they’re trying to tell in those cutscenes. During my playthrough, for example, the first tear I found after the game stopped guiding me to them showed Ganondorf removing Sonia’s stone from her dead body. At this point I had known Sonia existed for all of like an hour, so every subsequent appearance she made was ruined for me by the fact that I already knew she was nothing but cannon fodder to be killed off for the sake of another character’s pain (Rauru and Zelda a-fucking-gain). I expected to be pissed that it was so easy to spoil myself, or maybe sad in passing that a character with her potential was so underutilized, but instead I just felt… tired. I wasn’t even halfway to the first settlement and already I was completely numb to the story the game was trying to tell.

But the worst was yet to come. And oh boy was it ever a low point for storytelling in the Zelda series. Remember how I said up above that the memories in botw had no connection to the story in the present? Let’s just say the same cannot be said for the dragon’s tears.

It’s May 2023. I’ve just finished the sage of wind questline. I still have hope that the story the game is trying to tell will be good. Deciding that I’ll go to Goron city next, I head towards the Thyplo skyview tower to expand my map, catch a glimpse of a nearby geoglyph from the air, and glide over to check it out. This geoglyph shows me a memory that not only recaps the entire dragon tear storyline, but also ends on a bit of foreshadowing about Zelda’s fate that’s about as subtle as a brick to the fucking face. By exploring -the thing the game claims it prioritized above all else in the design of its world and quests- I’d once again been hit with spoilers for a major story detail.

My main objective in this game is to find Zelda. It’s the only driving factor behind my journey towards all these different regions. The current big mystery I’m supposed to solve is why Zelda’s causing so much hell for the people of Hyrule. I now knew exactly where she was and what the deal with her appearances in other parts of Hyrule was, and I’d found it completely by accident by doing something the game says over and over again that it wants me to do. Unlike with Sonia’s death, this time I was a mess of emotions. I was pissed the fuck off that this open-world game had punished me twice already for trying to explore. More than that, I was disappointed that a game I had been so excited to play, from a series I had so many fond memories of, had let me down like this. With every subsequent quest where the sages and I chased a Zelda I knew was fake to our next objective, and every NPC wondering where she was that I couldn’t tell the truth to, that disappointment grew. The entire rest of the main story was ruined for me before I had progressed past 1/4th of the regional quests and a third of the dragon’s tears. There was no more sense of anticipation or mystery. I finished the rest of the game with a bitter taste in my mouth and haven’t touched it again since.

Do I think this story could have been good? Honestly, I don’t know, and by now I don’t really care either (that’s a lie. I care so so much and that’s probably why I hate totk as much as I do). But it’s all irrelevant, because like Cinderella’s stepsister cutting off her own heel so she can cram her foot into a glass slipper that’s never going to fit, totk is sabotaged by the devs’ insistence that everything fit itself into a world they custom-made for botw. This isn’t a new formula that the series is following, it’s Nintendo slapping a new coat of paint on an existing skeleton, and I’m not optimistic to see what this particular approach has in store for the Zelda series. Especially not at the price they’re charging for it.

[ganondoodle]

so im not sure if anyones interested, but, i went through quite a bunch of totk critiques by people who were also very disappointed with it and thought id share my favorite videos i found (granted, i only really wachted those that youtube recommened and its mostly .. white men... things like the orientalism problem are not mentioned at all for example, maybe ill update this post if i find any more diverse voices)

i dont agree with every single point and also dont know most of the channels (aside from the big zelda theory guys) so i judged solely by what they mentioned in those videos and the quality of it (like the audio .. bc i cant listen to bad audio)

in no particular order, also they talk about or use footage of the literal ending stuff so if you arent done with the game yet, better leave these for now

(the following one is a podcast thing by multiple zelda theory guys, there some stuff you can skip at the start thats just kidna random things, but the video is marked with chapters)

(theres some mention of some things not making sense, like the sonau only being two, and ithink thats kinda bc the english translation was weirdly vague about that, in the german version its much more directly said that they all died out and only rauru and mineru were left of them;

also mentions of how unfitting it is to call the enigma stones "secret"stones in english might come from a similar thing; in german they where called "Mysterienstein" which would be translated as mystic/mysterious/enigma- stone

just wanted to mention that since the vast majority are gonna play it in english only and the stuff online is also dominated by english)

[sciencelings-arts]

Post totk Lu Wild concept where he comes back to the group six years later with one less arm, a magic rock, and even more patches added to his champions tunic. Also I wanted to add concepts for what the light bow and arrow would look like when made with parts from the light dragon, since light arrows are infinite and appear in the bow when it’s being drawn, so that would make it easier for a single armed Wild to still participate in archery, he just has to use his teeth to draw it back.

More lore and close ups under the cut

Someone had to inherit Mineru’s secret stone, and we all know how I’m a fan of giving it to Link. Also I hate the way the batteries are clumped together in the game so I changed it. The flames are based on poes and the other beaded waist part is made of dragon parts, they have a minor healing effect.

The bottom of Wilds tunic embroidery is based on the astral observatory and the master sword room in the master sword trials, where all around the room there are landmarks from Hyrule pointing where they are on the map. So I wanted to have the post totk floating Hyrule castle as the main thing, mostly because it looks cool and bc I wanted Wilds perspective to be from the great plateau kinda. Anyway I worked hard to make it recognizable lmao.

One more thing I want to bring up is the new golden sleeve(s), the one(s) that Ganondorf burned off, replaced by fabric made of the light dragons hair. I just thought it would be neat and I feel like she would shed after not having her hair brushed in thousands of years. It glows in the dark and helps with the pain management in his amputated arm.

Edit: I forgot to mention but the placement of the secret stone is also something I thought about. I realized that since the other members of the triforce had their secret stones aligned with the center of their body (forehead, chest) I figured that it would make sense for Link to have his following the same rule. So I decided on his belt. Otherwise, it would've been lower on his chest, maybe where the triforce would be on his master sword embroidery but I didn't want to crowd the space too much and I really wanted to doodle that part to my heart's content lmao. The belt just seemed a little bare so it made sense to me lol.

[neverchecking]

Hi I love you wirk

And I love how you call totk link sage

Also the cold attack boost outfit I love it my favorite The open back and showing his hips 🤤😋 hot

And I love the zonia

And I have a request

Can I request yandere sage x ruyla ( autocorrect Keeps fixing his name) king of the zonia daughter reader

Smut

Like the reader was sent to the future from her dad with out anyone knowing

And tells link to find his daughter who asleep not to far away from his shrine and go to a the time temple top and the zonia worker will show him the way

And they reade is a sweet flower but looks up to Link.

And link falls for her.

And won't let anyone take her even if it mean Baby trapping her please and thank you

And I love you.

At first I was like Raylu???? Then I noticed you mentioned autocorrect and I was like ah- Rauru.

You absolutely can. I love every part of this idea. I feel like a perfect companion to Sage is one that is just such a sunshiney baby.

Anyway, I meant to get this out last night after work, but I got high instead and spent an hour watching the ceiling fan. I also wrote like the weirdest draft ideas and I'm deciding if they're worth fleshing out at all.

(Sage is TotK Link!)

Also smut so MDNI! 18+

Smut CW: Breeding kink, baby trapping, reader is a little naive. Sage. He's a crusty little bastard. (affectionately) Dumbification.

It had many names, the Legend of the Dragon's Daughter. Many of which titled it as either a legend or a story. A myth. Some warned of great dangers surrounding the aura of the spirit the legend told about. Other's told of the pure divinity that this being held in the palm of their hand. The grace and adroitness that lined their very pores was spoken of so fondly by the older generations who had heard the story from their own grandparents, who had heard it from theirs and so on and so forth. The older Zora especially spoke of her in such a tone he found himself lending a little belief to the legend.

The story told of a daughter, blessed to the first King and Queen of Hyrule by the Three Goddesses themselves. A princess bestowed with the gift of beauty and grace, a beacon to the budding kingdom. There were even carvings under Hyrule Castle, hidden by toppled boulders, that portrayed her image.

And he would admit. She looked like a being having been blessed by the heavens above.

The carvings had showed an ugly side to an already bitter story. How this princess, this goddess sculpted muse, was struck down by the Demon King as a means to get back at both King Rauru and Queen Sonia. The carvings from there had been too worn down to get a clear reading, but it was enough to pique his interest. Besides, what else did he have to do? Save a princess who had no issues with leaving him to die? Deal with monsters that the people of Hyrule already knew damn well how to deal with and were no longer scared of them? Traverse the depths and all the lightroots he had already found?

At least this way, he may get some new power out of it. If nothing else, at least he had a good story for Traysi.

His first area to investigate was the sky island he woke up on. He could still spot Rauru's spirit in certain areas, understanding the solemn look he seemed to wear much more than he previously did.

It was also much easier to travel around the island this time around, which was a bonus.

When prodded for answers, something complicated flashed over the spirit's face before it settled into a Grim acceptance. One Link had worn too often right after remembering the untimely demise of the Champions.

"She was gravely injured. My precious sunshine. I almost lost her that day." He had spoken in a grave echo, eyes glazed and far off, as if seeing his daughter right in front of him. "My sister, Mineru, had offered her services in an effort to preserve her soul. I am unsure if it had worked. I haven't had the heart to look. I would be such a disappointment to her fiery heart and iron strong will to shine in the brightest ways possible. She was kept in the Temple of Time if you are at all curious."

He was. He was curious. He wanted to see this being for himself. If Rauru spoke so highly of you, it had to be worth it. And it was either this or go save Zelda, and he figured she was fine doing what she currently was for a little while longer.

At least until he looked further into this.

Walking into the temple, he hummed to himself as he looked around, spotting the blue glow of Rauru near a wall closer to the exit. He nodded solemnly when Link approached. The hand that matched his own raised to the wall, pulling forth one of those green symbols that chimed at his hand. The bricks shuffled and moved while Rauru faded out, leaving an unactive construct in front of him. It rattled to life, chirping up at him before recognizing that he was friend and not foe. The Construct explained that he was designed to protect the chasm the Princess was being kept in, but since Rauru had deemed him worthy, he would escort the blond to the place. It wasn't a long journey, not at all, just down a spiraling staircase with stone walls curtained by moss.

But the moment he laid eyes on you, he understood why you were hidden.

You face was lax in such a peaceful expression as your body remained weightless, suspended in a bubble of seafoam green and ocean blue. Your hair was splaying up behind you as if you were underwater with your hands clasped around a hilt of a sword. Even the sword itself was divinity in a blade, glowing a bright white from it's place in front of you. You were clad in white robes trimmed in cold with a stone necklace laced around your delicate neck, those same white earrings hanging from your ears.

You were...ethereal. From the curve of your jawbone to the plump flesh of your cheeks, he was enthralled by your very essence. The curve of your shoulders and the toned flow of your arms, even the dip in your collarbone-- all of it had his eyes trailing every bend and curve of your body.

What he wouldn't do to get a piece of you.

He ached to just touch your sun-kissed skin, to feel it under his palms as he held you. To feel the run of your hips, fingers gripping at the dips that decorated them. To paint them a splattering of blues and purples in a lasting reminder of who he was and what he had done to you. To bite and nibble at the flesh just to hear the kind of cries you would make.

Goddess, he couldn't imagine what your voice sounded like, but he wanted to. He wanted to hear what it sounded like while you breathlessly gasped out. To hear what it sounded like when you cried out his name in pure ecstasy as you withered underneath of him. To hear you give yourself to him entirely.

He wanted to feel your weight on top of him, to experience your hands in his hair (Or cupping his cheeks if he chose to allow himself that vulnerability), to live in your orbit, worshipping you as his one true Goddess.

His eyes landed on the same green symbol that unlocked everything pertaining to the Zonai. He raised his hand in response. It lit up a bright green before fading. The bubble shined brightly before growing, eventually popping and exposing you to the elements. Which why? You were so vulnerable like that? Why not just give you to him directly? You were at risk like this. Couldn't they SEE THAT-

Whatever invisible force keeping you suspended gently laid you on your feet, which were bare, only adorned with an anklet matching your necklace. The tip of the sword in your hand clinked against the stone floor. The echo of it made your eyes, your gorgeous, gorgeous eyes, snap open. If he thought seeing you before was captivating, this was downright...enchanting. The light of your irises positively glowed as your silently gasped, hands tightening around the hilt of the weapon. He rushed to your side as he saw your balance falter, cradling you in his arms as one of your hands came to gently hold your own temple. Even just the sound of your groan made him swallow hard, fighting the blood threatening to rush to his (dick-) cheeks.

You blinked before realizing that he was not someone you knew, pushing him away with much more force than he would expect from someone fresh out of a comatose state. The only thing stopping him from wrapping his arms around you once more was the tip of the very blade now prodding at his neck. He swallowed.

"Who are you?" You demanded, hold on the weapon shaking just a tad.

(Which was so adorable. How someone like you, all soft skin and doe eyes, expected to make someone like him, rugged scars and gnarled morals, bend to you was beyond him.)

(But he'd love to see you try anyway.)

"Where are my people?! Or Queen Sonia and King Rauru?!" Oh, you were so cute.

He wanted to decimate that innocence you carried.

With a careful hand, he gently pushed the blade aside with the back of a hand, letting a smug smirk settle on his lips. Your cheeks immediately reddened as your attention remained on him. Just as he liked it, he decided then and there. He liked having your attention (and only yours) on him. But having you acting so hostile towards him just wouldn't stand. But you didn't know any better, not yet anyway, so he'd let it slide.

He gently explained that you had been fatally wounded protecting your people, something that your parents were endlessly proud of you for-- even in death. While it was a direct shot in his, admittedly lacking, heart to be the one to tell you of the passed time and the death of your parents (The sacrifice of your father and the betrayal that lead to your mother's death), he was evidently the best and only option. He understood, on an intimate level, what it was like to loose so much time, healing yourself, while the rest of the world carried on, carrying the loss of friends and family with it. He knew what it was like. It had to be why you two were so perfect for each other.

He held you as your cried, soothing down your hair as your tears (Which should never have been shed) soaked his shoulder. While he was never interested in defeating the Demon King for Zelda's sake, he may have just found another motive.

One much more worthy of his time and attention.

<><><><>

When he first saw you, he understood why you were hidden, on a surface level.

He understood why much more on a deeper, more intimate one now.

You were so bubbly. Even when faced with the devastation of your home, you remained optimistic, greeting the constructs that roamed around happily. Bestowing your cherished kisses (Those should belong to him.) upon their cold exterior while wiping them free of dirt. Even the wildlife that had squawked and charged at him crooned and chirped under your touch, hankering for the scratches you gifted them under the chin. You saw beauty in the overrun weeds and fauna, taking great interest in the new species that had popped up.

When he took to the mainland, via shrine travel because he would be damned before you got down the same way he originally did, it seemed like you couldn't see everything fast enough. You loved exploring the caves, despite the Like-Likes baring their disgusting teeth and innards (Which he quickly disposed of), ached to get as close as possible to the chasms (Which wasn't very as he refused to risk you falling in), yearned to traverse the mountain peaks and snow dunes of the mainland (Which killed him on the inside since didn't you know how dangerous those were?!).

You were quite the adventurer, full of inexperienced naivety and unpoised curiosity. The exact opposite of the princess he knew. He forgot you were royalty have the time with your mannerisms, nothing like Zelda. Which was so refreshing.

If only you weren't so fragile. He would never admit it (Too your face at least) that he's thought of just tying you down and keeping you in his (He saw it as your shared home these days) home. It was on the far outskirts of Tarrey town (Far enough no one would hear your cries for help should it come to that) with a pasture out front so you could keep a horse nearby as a friend (Should you behave).

(It wouldn't be a young, steady horse. No, most likely an older horse who had long since retired from any sort of running or getaway attempts.)

He just needed a way to keep you stationary.

And it hit him like a Hinox. You two were walking around Hateno (It was deemed safe and far enough from Tarry Town that it was still new to you), when you stopped, let out a high enough squeal his ears pinned to his head as his head snapped towards you. You were always in his peripheral, but now you were right in front of him with his hands quickly holding your arms, checking you over for injury. There were none, but you were beaming like someone had handed you a million rupees (He would. He could. He'd do it just for you), instead redirecting his attention with a call of 'Link, look!'. He had followed your line of sight just as you began squeezing his own hands, expecting you to be aweing over a cow or goat or, Goddess forbid, a dog again (You very nearly took one of stable dogs home last time). But you weren't.

And that's when it hit him.

You were loosing any semblance of a mind you had over a small infant, strapped to their mother's back by a wrap of some sort. The babe smiled at your reaction, letting out a small cascade of giggles that had you squealing in pure joy.

That was it.

The answer was right there! How could he have been so blind?! It was right there. If he gave you a baby, his baby no less, you would have no choice but to remain dormant. You would have to stay right where he put you to not only protect yourself, but to your protect your child. He had no doubt you would do it. You were too kind, too naive, for any other option. Once you figured out you were carrying his child, you'd fall for thing, claiming it as your own before it was any bigger than an apple seed.

And from then on it would just be a matter of formalities. You'd be his for the rest of your lives.

Exactly what he wanted.

Exactly what had led up to this moment. You were nothing but a babbling, crying mess underneath of him, pulling at the roots of his hair as he folded your legs against your chest. You were pleading with him, some mindless demand that he wasn't even sure you knew what you were asking, but it was background noise. He was too focused on watching the way he disappearing into your cunt, a milky sheen coating the shaft of his cock as heavy dollops of past loads dripped past your gaping opening. It was mesmerizing the way your body reacted to him, sucking him in and fighting him every time he pulled out. Even on an unconscious level, you ached for him. Not nearly as much as he breathed for you, but that would come with time. He knew it would. He'd ensure it.

The cry of his name on your lips had the coil in his gut steadily tightening as his pace picked up, thoroughly hammering your insides. He needed to make sure he was prodded right against your cervix for this to work. He needed to get this right. He needed to father any and all of your children. Starting here and now.

Whether you knew about it or not.

You had babbled something about him pulling out too long ago, but he had...distracted you with long laps at your clit and soft nipples along your thighs. He didn't even think of truly ruining you until you were clenching your thighs around his head and drenching his bottom jaw, too gone to properly process anything going on around you.

And he'd keep it that way.

His thumb, rough and calloused, rubbed harsh little circles into your clit, feeling it pulse in time with his ministrations. You whimpered beneath him, chest arching up to push against his own as you cried out, squeezing around him. You were positively milking him for every drop he had to offer.

There was no way you didn't want his children. Not with the way you were clenching around him as he jutted as far as he could go, filling your womb once more. You laid boneless beneath him, hands dropping to hang around his neck as he took a moment to breath. Your cunt spasmed once more and his cock twitched inside of you.

"You're not done yet, are you, Princess?" He purred into your ear, making it flicker as he rolled his hips against yours, even if overstimulation rocked his entire system in a flash of shot nerves.

None of that mattered to him. He had a mission. A mission he would do anything to accomplish.

Anything to keep you as his.

Yes, the reader was holding the Light Sword. Yes, I know that's not how you get it. I just thought it would be a cool tidbit bc YES, Sage seems like the type to get turned on by a hot princess threatening with a sword.

[pallisia]

so, final thoughts on totk? answer with spoilers please

sure.

first: i enjoyed totk a whole lot. even if its charm wore off quicker, it recaptured the joy of early botw for a bit. i've finished the story, but i'll probably continue idly checking off shrines and running around caves for a while longer. if the game had just been that, i'd probably have no significant complaints.

totk has the same problem as botw where all the main dungeons feel like homework. you might have seen me gripe about the fire temple early on, but the spirit temple was probably the most tedious stretch of the game. (like, the least they could have done was make mineru fun to use, surely??)

the story disappointed me most, not because i went in expecting much, but because it was actually engaging for a while. watching zelda aimlessly fly off after getting the master sword back was a devastating moment. but even as i was gushing about it with my friends, i knew they weren't going to commit.

and they didn't! you might call me a cynic, but zelda should have stayed a dragon. i didn't realistically expect her to, but i was at least hoping for a more convincing reason than "rauru and sonia suddenly appeared and blasted her with energy til she got better." also, why retroactively lessen the weight of her big sacrifice by clarifying that she didn't remember being a dragon at all? why give link his arm back instead of a cool new prosthetic from purah? why reset absolutely everything back to zero?

i also have to mention ganondorf. it's a shame that they (nintendo) made a big fuss about bringing him back, but neglected to make him interesting. isn't that why people missed him in botw? the geoglyph scenes made me expect some kind of fun backstory between him and rauru, but...no, he's just the evil desert man? that's it?

the fake zelda took the wind out of my sails too… there was a lot of potential for fun storytelling with her, but we didn't even get to wonder "could that really be zelda…?" for a moment because she acted like a cartoon villain from the beginning. and! i wanted to fight her!! it was a no-brainer!!!

anyway, i'm getting incoherent. good game overall in spite of my disappointments. i am simply fatigued by stories that pull their punches to avoid upsetting the audience. i don't want the happy ending if it's not the most interesting ending! let me have fun!

[vivinavina]

Sage of Swords: A TotK Roleswap AU

Edit: This AU now has a fic, read it here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48501826

Basic Roleswap AU between Zelda and Link, with the twist being mostly on Link’s side of things after he gets sent back in time to ancient Hyrule. Lots of people have Link’s Secret Stone be like the Champion’s Blessings, or Time powers in an echo of canon. In this AU, Link’s Secret Stone enhances his resilience, forming an arm brace to keep the gloom at bay, keeping it from killing him but leaving the arm mostly usable, though not strong enough to wield a sword.

Cue Link having an existential crisis as the thing they spent the last five years of their resurrected life and most of their pre-Calamity life training for: being a soldier. Link does not take it well, kind of rejects Sonia and Rauru for a while, training to try and overcome the literal demon energy in their arm even though it’s awful and painful and self-destructive, despite them trying to get him to rest and heal.

Sonia and Rauru take Link to ask Mineru for advice, but they go to her before and go like, “Hey Sis, this feral child will kill themself at literally a 0.1% chance of going home. Maybe don’t mention draconification.” This leaves Link with no hope of going home (Zelda had the hope of improvising her time powers, Link doesn’t even have that), and has to come to terms with figuring who Link is without the sword.

After much tears and bonding with Sonia and Rauru, Link finds out a lot of things about herself, most crucially that she’s a girl. Adjusting and becoming happier with herself, learning little things and hobbies she missed out on.

(Meanwhile, in the present, instead of chasing visions of Link like you chase Zelda in canon, Zelda is chasing sightings of a mysterious “Thief,” a woman in archaic dress and an arm brace like Link left her in the Temple of Time. A “Thief” who carries the Master Sword and might know what happened to Link.)

But of course, things have to end tragically. Ganondorf plans on taking a secret stone, and Link, Rauru and Sonia’s little… adopted daughter? advisor? confidant? Ganondorf’s not sure but she would be the easiest to overpower and steal a stone from. No magic or martial skill to stop him from getting what he rightfully deserves. And he almost succeeds, but (Sonia? Rauru? Unsure which atm, both are juicy drama) step in to take the blow meant for Link.

Link realizes, “Oh, this is what happens when I don’t be a soldier, people die,” and almost all of her character growth gets undone. She fuses her Secret Stone to the Master Sword and uses its evil-sealing properties to forcibly and violently purge the gloom from her body, swearing herself as the Sage of Swords, and begins a self-destructive vengeance that lasts the Imprisoning War.

Will link a Part 2 if I decide to continue this.

[bunnakit]

hey fellow zonai enthusiasts, this is for you 💚

I mentioned it on stream but bc we only have Mineru and Rauru (two related, opposite sex subjects) as examples there's A LOT we can't definitively discern because it's unknown what's sexual dimorphism, racial, individual, or familial.

Also unmentioned in the image but something I think is important to note is I named Vasru using the naming conventions we can easily discern - Mineru and Rauru both end in 'ru' but it's unknown if this is a title, family naming conventions, or simply a convention applied to all Zonai.

I'm just begging Nintendo for more Zonai content PLS.

[darlingseraa]

GUYS I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE NOTICED, RIGHT ???

Ok so, I had this epiphany the other day and wanted to share it, but like, I forgor because if I don't do something I think of immediately in the moment, then I forget to do it. BUT, here we are.

I'm just gonna mark this down as a huge spoiler for The Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom, so if y'all don't want to be spoiled on some (albeit small) details from the game's canon, please do move on lol.

Okay so, as I was rewatching the cutscenes in Tears of the Kingdom the other day, I noticed that both Rauru and Mineru have this tear-shaped white mark on the bridge of their nose. Quite innocent, right? Maybe just a Zonai trait?

But then– then I realized they also have a third eye. On their foreheads.

Now, what really baffles me is, if you look closely at these screenshots (I believe Rauru's is taken from the official Collector's Edition Artbook, and Mineru's is straight from the game itself), then you'll also realize that both Rauru and Mineru's third eye have exactly three lashes.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, hear me out.

You know what other "race" in Hyrule displays these traits or make use of that sort of symbolism?

Yeah.

The Sheikah.

They're also the only "race" in Hyrule that doesn't appear in the flashbacks where we see all the Sages.

Now, it can and will certainly be argued that the Sheikah are not a seperate race from the Hylians and yeah, I completely agree with that (it's even stated in game in the profiles of the Sheikah characters, like Paya or Impa, that they are "Hylian (Sheikah)"). In a sense, even if they are the same race, they still belong to a different people or culture than the rest of the Hylian characters, and can therefore be considered "seperate". It was the case in Ocarina of Time where the Six Sages included both a Hylian (Zelda herself) and a Sheikah (Impa, as the Sage of Shadows, I believe).

So why not include a Sage who was part of the Sheikah tribe, like Nintendo did in Ocarina of Time?

Sure, I'm going off a super subtle detail here, but I have a theory and I will die on this hill if I must : I think the Zonai were actually the ancestors of the Sheikah tribe (and of the Royal Family of Hyrule, as Sonia mentions a "blood connection" between her and Zelda, as well as the fact that she sensed both her power over Time and Rauru's power over Light within Zelda).

Now, as I said, this theory of mine is based off a few small details, as well as off of the absence of the Sheikah in the distant past of Tears of the Kingdom. However, even if Nintendo haven't done this on purpose and the marks on Rauru and Mineru's noses are only meant to be decorative, I still think there's something there that we're just not seeing.

Either the Zonai are meant to be part of the Sheikah tribe's ancestry (which would, in turn, explain why the tribe has always been close to the Royal Family as they share common ancestors in both Hylians and Zonai), or the Sheikah were just like "Oh hey, that's a really cool idea for a logo. Wanna make that our tribe's symbol??" and their leader at the time was like "Yeah, let's go boooiiiiis" and that's that.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Sorry for the long post! I just absolutely had to share. I can't be the only one to have seen this detail, right???

[skyloftsword]

Understanding Tears of the Kingdom

I'm seeing a lot of hate being thrown at Tears of the Kingdom again that really just gets disproven by the game itself. Yes I know this is like my 400000th post defending the game but its fun. I have in game evidence so spoiler warning!

TotK is a SEQUEL! It is NOT an alternate timeline nor is it an alternate universe! People who say this stuff clearly did not pay attention to literally anything considering...

As you can see, there is a lot of evidence that this game is connected to Breath of the Wild as a SEQUEL. Here's the biggest connection.

Breath of the Wild is summarized in its entirety! Symin even acknowledges the fact that Link already knows all of this because of his experience with the Calamity.

Now onto why Zelda was transported back in time. As we know, Zelda is a descendant of Rauru and Sonia (yes they have at least one child, they just aren't mentioned or brought up at all from what I have seen so far in my time with the game, nothing disproves them having a child however) so Sonia is where she got her time powers from. Now why did Zelda get sent back to that era specifically? Well its because that era was still in her mind. Link and her were just done looking at the murals from the past, not to mention the Demon King himself from that era was right there. So of course, all Zelda was thinking about was the ancient past of THIS Hyrule.

Moving on, the Sheikah tech excuse Aonuma/Fujibayashi stated in an interview is actually brought up within Breath of the Wild itself.

This of course specifically referencing the Shrines/Towers, now what would excuse the Divine Beasts? Easy. They were breaking down at the end of Breath of the Wild, meaning they were getting ready to disappear alongside the rest of the Sheikah tech now that their roles were fulfilled as well as them being broken.

I have gone over the ending in SEVERAL posts so I'm going to keep this section brief. According to the Molduga geoglyph Tear, others can amplify a person's power by putting their hands out. Because of this, Rauru and Sonia amplified Link's Recall ability and not only brought back Zelda's mental and physical state to right before transformation, but they also brought Link's arm back from pre-Ganondorf attack and got Rauru his arm back from Link. This was only possible due to the amplified Recall.

Now, the Triforce is actually in game and the Secret Stones do NOT replace it. The Triforce is the source of Zelda's light powers just like how it was in Breath of the Wild.

Its hard to see, but you can see it on her hand on the left. The Secret Stones themselves only AMPLIFY a person's powers (it also doesn't grant them sudden mastery of their powers). This is mentioned during the Mineru's Counsel Tear. So yeah, the Triforce is still very relevant and extremely important to the game.

So yeah, that's my millionth TotK defense post. Thanks for reading.