#sees link and zelda being cute together 'man that's just like spirit tracks'

[spirit-tracks]

My brother's first game was spirit tracks (same as me!) And right now he's playing Skyward Sword for the first time and he keeps saying "WOW this is so much like spirit tracks!"

[xayneimagines]

The Importance of the Past

Fandom: Legend of Zelda

Pairing:  (BOTW) Link x reader

Warnings: None I think

Genres: Barely Angst, Fluff

Summary: Link and Reader talking about what little he knows of his past, specifically Mipha. Reader offers him some much needed comfort and words of wisdom. Here are some character HC this time around. -The reader is still learning how to fight. Link is mute. The reader knows Hylian sign language, though they still have some learning to do.

Word Count: 1313

Y/N had been traveling with Link for a month or so, having lost count of the days a little after a week of adventuring. Day tracking had proved to be a complicated and, for that matter, unnecessary task. Now they focused on much more useful habits such as cooking and slightly fawning over Link whenever Y/N could. Speaking of…

           Link appeared over the edge of the hill, meat in one hand and sword in the other, chopping at any vines that seemed to stand in his way. Y/N smiled and waved at him, having been left to keep an eye on the fire and let their ankle rest. Link smiled in return, sheathing his sword to take out one of his shields and use it as a resting place for the meat. He sat down on the grown beside them, glad to be off his feet for the moment. 

           ‘How is your ankle doing?’ His hands easily formed the words, slowly his usual pace to help them read along. 

           “It’s doing great. And stop slowing down on my account. I need to practice. If anything I should accommodate you, not the other way around.” Y/N smiled, moving their hands along with their own speech, finding it helped them memorize the signs easier. 

           ‘Oh, please. If I signed and my normal pace, you would never understand me. This is more me accommodating for myself so that I don’t have to repeat myself.’ He smirked lightly, laughing when Y/N thumped his arm with their fist.

“You know, you’re being a bit sassy today. What’s gotten into you, huh? Picking on me.” Y/N grinned before grabbing the meat along with a collection of seasonings and vegetables to start cooking. At this point, they were still getting used to watching him sign while doing other tasks, but they were luckily good at multitasking. 

‘What can I say? You bring the sass out of me. Plus, you’re cute when you’re angry.’ Despite the confidence in his expression, his ears and cheeks still turned a light pink at his minor confession. 

At this point they had already established their attraction to each other, though nothing was technically considered official just yet. With the threat of Calamity-Gannon and the unsureness behind even having a tomorrow, they were both apprehensive about how far things should be taken. This did not stop them from enjoying each other’s company and flirting. 

“Cute? I’ll have you know I’m a vicious warrior with a long history of violence and other...warrior...things.” Their eyebrows furrowed together while they tried to piece together their sentence, but a smile stayed just as clear on their face as it always seemed to do when dealing with him. 

‘Ah yes, warrior things. I know them well. Forgive me, oh great warrior.’

“Okay, haha, laugh it up. You know, you just wait till I’m the one saving you. Then we will see if you can keep that sarcastic face.” Y/N grinned as they flipped the meat in the pan before sitting fully back down. 

‘Alright, I’ll stop teasing you for an hour. How about that?’

“Well, that is the least you can do. So where are we headed in the morning?”

‘The Zora domain. I need to get a weapon of mine fixed…’ As he signed his expression turned into one that held despondent, though towards what was still a mystery to Y/N. 

“Link...You know...you can tell me anything…” Y/N’s soft expression and gentle touch to Link’s arm was meant to show comfort. They had genuine concern, noticing his change in demanor whenever the Zora would first come up. Granted the full conversations about the land and the people weren’t laced with sadness, positive memories involving his friend Sidon and fighting Lynels usually bringing him some joy. Still, that flicker of sadness was clearly there in his eyes, something that Y/N could not ignore. 

‘...I don’t want to worry you with my past. Not that I even remember all of it…It’s just I lost someone.’ He tried to give them a reassuring smile which was met with a shake of Y/N’s head. 

“Why don’t you tell me about them?”

‘Y/n...Um...I was...with them I don’t wan-’

Y/n grabbed his hands lightly to stop him, a smile on their face before they let go to continue their own thought. 

“I figured. Don’t worry, I’m not the type of person that gets jealous over the past. I’m sure they were an amazing person and, no matter how many years pass, they will be an important part of your life...and I want to know about your life...all of it if I can.” Their smile was sheepish as their small rambling came to an end. 

Link smiled and moved a hand to cup their face, a thumb rubbing over the skin there lightly. For a moment they just enjoyed each other’s quiet company, eyes focused on one another. Link slowly pulled his hands away, not wanting to let go but also wanting to communicate his thoughts. 

‘Thank you...That means a lot...Her name was M.I.P.H.A. She was a princess...and was kind. Ever since I was a child she was healing my wounds and doing all she could for her people. I couldn’t save her...I couldn’t really save anyone...She um...she designed my Zora armor...The women in their line do that for the people they plan on marrying...We were close.’

“She sounds wonderful. I’m sorry things turned out the way they did. You can’t blame yourself for the loss though. No matter what, it was the fault of Gannon...not you.”

‘I know, but…still...When I took on the divine beast, Vah Ruta, I managed to free her spirit...That’s how, when I fall in battle, I can get back up so quickly...But I can’t help but think of how alone she was all those years...and the fact I can only remember somethings of our past. The feelings are there, but...all these gaps.’

“Are also things you couldn’t have helped. When you freed her...what did she tell you?”

‘She thanked me...and told me she would support me in my fight.’

“Funny...None of that sounds like her blaming you, Link.”

‘Well she is kind...I don’t think she would say that even if-’

“Don’t live your life on what if’s and re-imagining the past, Link. That will only bring more heartache and pain.” Y/n turned to the pan on the fire, checking on the meat and vegetables before turning their attention back to Link. 

“Link, you’re a good man. You and the champions knew the danger and still risked it all. None of you failed. If you all failed, then we wouldn’t be working towards saving the world right now.”

‘Thank you, Y/N...Hey, when did you get so wise?’

“Well, as a child I slipped down some stairs and hit my head. I think that’s when.” Y/N joked, a wide smile on their face as they finally took the food out of the pot, handing link a plate before plating their own half. 

The food was eaten in silence, both Link and Y/N lost in their own thoughts at the conversation they just had. When the food was finished and they sat it aside, Link tapped their arm to get their attention. When Y/N turned their head, they were met with chapped lips covering their own and a sense of bliss filling their mind. 

Hands moved to bring them closer, one around their neck while the other rested gently on their side. Y/N returned the affection, wrapping their arms around the champion tightly. The kiss did not need to be deepened in order for either of them to get their emotions through to each other. The stopping of the world around them and the love that warmed their chest was proof enough of the love they felt. Link pulled away and rested his forehead against Y/N who happened to be grinning from ear to ear. 

[dipshitcoyote]

Breath of the Wild Daemon!AU

Ok so! I’m working on an actual fic using these concepts and this version of the BotW world, but I thought that maybe some of you might be interested in my ideas so here! I’m putting pretty much everything under a readmore, because this is copypasted from my planning document, which got very long and doesn’t even have anything to do with the plot of what I’m writing ^^’

Enjoy!

Link’s daemon is a Hyrule Field Mouse (lol get it) named Firielore (fih-REE-ehl-ohr), Firi for short. From Fi, Ciela, and Farore. They settled early, when Link first drew the Master Sword. Historically, the Hero most often settles as a wolf, but other forms are not unheard of and he isn’t the first Hero to settle as something more unassuming.

Pre-Calamity, most people, even other knights, thought that Link and Firi’s behavior was odd. Neither of them ever spoke (Link is mute, but Firi can speak and just doesn’t), and Firi was just as stoic and inexpressive as her human. As a mouse daemon, she was always on his person, usually on his left shoulder as was uniform for smaller daemons of knights and soldiers, but was rarely seen out of that position except for when she would turn to increase their field of view or leave him briefly to scout stealthily around corners/over boulders and the like.

Relating to the issues that make him canonically selectively mute, Link’s lack of self preservation re: his Duty translated to Firi as well. Things like stretching their bond too far for too long for the sake of getting the scope of a situation or enemy, but not letting the pain show externally where someone else might be brought to their knees with it. Other things like Firi using herself as a distraction, running from Link’s arm to the Moblin’s to divide its attention and leaving them both exposed to give Link a chance to strike. The monsters don’t know the difference between hitting a daemon vs. its Hylian, and that makes the contact less bad, but not insignificant. There were rumors throughout the castle that Link and Firi had been separated traumatically or that the Master Sword allowed them the distance, but both are untrue- their bond was no different than any other Hylian, they just pushed it further in the name of duty.

Link and Firi’s character development (in the memories) is subtle just like in canon. Through the Yiga attack she is always on Link’s left shoulder, even when they and Zelda are just traveling. On the hill with the Silent Princess is the first time she’s not there- she hops off his shoulder when he crawls forward to look at the flower and she moves closer to it. After Zelda’s failure at the Spring of Power, Firi touches Zelda’s daemon to comfort him, just for a moment.

Firi had and has (Impa gave it to them with the Champion’s Tunic) a small set of custom armor for protection, but rarely wore/wears it; she’s fast enough that any attack that would possibly hit her in battle would probably kill Link as well. On the battlefield she would either deftly scurry around Link and warn him silently about attacks from behind, or slip into a small armored pouch that existed to protect her in one-on-one combat unless an opportunity to assist presented itself. In the present, she doesn’t participate in battle the same way she would 100 years ago (with the aggressive distraction and the like), moreso providing Link extra ears and eyes in a fight.

Post-Calamity, she is considerably more physically active, but she still doesn’t speak out loud- except very occasionally to Link himself. I.e when they first wake up in the Shrine of Resurrection, Link hears Zelda’s voice first and opens his eyes to Firi sitting on his chest, also saying his name. However, she’s still a very quiet daemon, especially considering that Link communicates via signing and it would be considered acceptable for her to talk for him. In Post-Calamity Hyrule she’s more outgoing towards other daemons and will greet them physically if appropriate.

Zelda’s daemon, Hylayrune (hih-LAE-roon), Layrune or Rune for short, is unsettled until the moment she awakens her power, when he settles as a Snowcoat Fox (Real life equivalent: Arctic Fox). His name comes from Hylia (all Zeldas daemons’ names start with ‘Hy’), (La)Nayru, Hyrule, and rune/ruin. Before he settled, he took atypical forms for the sacred princess’ daemon that were more representative of Zelda’s scientific pursuits, such as bugs (usually a bee), frogs, and lizards. Almost always, the Princess settles as a bird of prey (often owl, occasionally eagle or loftwing), or in some cases a small dragon (as the three dragons Dinraal, Farosh, and Naydra are said to be the daemons of the three Goddesses, with Hylia’s being most often depicted as a golden dragon or occasionally a huge, golden Loftwing).

Rune’s late settling, and his preferred forms before settling, were a huge cause of anxiety for him, Zelda, and their father. This is all tied into their self-doubt about awakening their sealing power and being able to fulfill her duty as the sacred princess, but it’s also personal for the King. His daemon is a Mountain Crow, which though known to be clever and resourceful are seen as a bad omen, even a curse, within Hyrule. It puts stress on his regime, and the idea that his daughter prefers frogs and lizards over forms that have become symbolic of the royal family and the sealing power is deeply troubling. Rune takes “appropriate” forms only at official appearances and ceremonies, and even then, usually a more wild hawk over an owl, eagle, or dragon.

Other characters:

The Old Man/King: Mountain Crow (real life equivalent: Raven)

Urbosa: Islander Hawk (with kind of a more desert coloration. real life equivalent: Harris Hawk)

Riju: Unsettled, usually a Sand Seal bc they love them

Impa: Blue-Winged Heron (real life equivalent: Great/Little Blue Heron).

Beedle: Hylian Retriever (A golden one, fight me)

Other random stuff/past Links:

- The Princess traditionally settles when she first unlocks/uses her powers, and the Hero traditionally settles when he draws the Master Sword. There are some exceptions, like the Hero of Twilight being old enough to have already been settled, and the Links in games without the Master Sword settling in other ways.

-Hero of Time and Twilight both had Wolf daemons. Their wolf forms are kind of a combination of them and their daemons’ appearances. Time had a lighter colored wolf and Twilight had a darker colored wolf.

    - BUT Hero of Time’s daemon is usually a mouse as a child, when he’s unsettled, alluding to past and future heroes.

    - The mouse thing (here and for the Hero of the Wild) comes less from personality and more from the feeling of facing an enormous dungeon boss as Link, like a mouse about to fight a lion.

-Both the Hero of Wind and Four Swords/Minish Cap Link also had mouse daemons.

    - For Wind this is because of the mobility he needed re: moving on a ship (also kind of like a ship rat? Disclaimer: I’ve never played WW)

    - For Four Swords/Minish this is because he shrinks down and is pretty much the same size as his daemon (she’d have to shrink a little bit too but not as much) and I just think that’d be really cute

-I’m not sure what Skyward Sword!Link’s daemon would be. Not a loftwing because it isn’t possible for anyone but a Goddess or a sacred princess (with Goddess blood) to settle as one, but I’ve never played SS so I can’t really say. It would have to be small enough to ride on a loftwing with him, or a bird of some sort- probably all of the people in Skyloft settled like that, now that I think about it. Maybe a beetle?

-Link from the original games probably has a wolf daemon, as well as LttP/LBW Link.

- Spirit Tracks!Link has a white dove daemon and she rides on his head like the birds in the game and its adorable

-Ganondorf always has a boar daemon in any iteration. When he transforms into Ganon they merge, similar to Wolf Link, but grotesquely instead of dissolving together in Twilight.

-Only the Hylians, Sheikah, and Gerudo have daemons

    -The Sheikah have mostly same-sex daemons, with opposite-sex daemons being about as rare as same-sex daemons among the Hylians and Gerudo. No one’s quite sure why.

    -The Zora have sort of a connection to their jewelry and weapons, but not necessarily a physical one. More of a literal “put your soul into your craft” type thing, which is why Zora armor is the way it is and most of the Zora have specialized livelihoods like sculpting and smithing.

    -The Gorons don’t have a physical Thing, they have a special brotherhood with other Gorons. It’s why you rarely see Gorons traveling too far from Goron City, and almost never alone. They can be alone, like a Zora can be without their craft and affects, but it negatively effects them after a while.

    -The Rito have their songs; though not all of them are musically inclined, its a cultural thing and not a physical requirement. Kass would be considered very spiritually aware and expressive, whereas Revali would not, but a non-musician Rito doesn’t suffer for it. There would only be an issue if there were no bards among the entire Rito race, and the songs faded from memory.