#this is the answer zelda gets after years and years of praying

[goddessofliiight]

@regnantlight: Hylia, promoting the Female Gaze since the Beginning of Time 😌😂

You have been blessed with food, my child. Enjoy

[beamattack]

Hi omg i love your loz idea so so much they live in my head rent free for real!! I have a question tho; what happened to my girl hylia?? Like you said the faceless statue in the village might have crumbled or been destroyed somehow but is that the ONLY statue there is? Are there others? Are they also destroyed somehow? Has the whole concept of the godess hylia faded from hylian memory??

Also as someone who lives in the arctic sircle you got the vibes perfect btw!! Love the frozen wasteland it is my natural habitat ^_^

Thank you so much!! :^D I'm glad you like it, and that you like the vibes! I don't live in the arctic circle but i do live pretty close to it, so we usually get quite cold snowy winters as well!! I love snowy landscapes, they can be more beautiful & have more variety than many might think!!

As for if the concept of Hylia have disappeared from hylian memory - both yes & no! Just as with Din, Nayru & Farore, whose names have been lost to history and are now just known as ”The Three” or ”The Creators”, Hylia's name and visage has been forgotten & warped over time. The statue of the Faceless is the only one known by the villagers, so for them it's normal that that's just the way she looks. There are stories about both her and The Three that have survived and transformed over time - about how after The Three created the world, The Faceless brought down people from the heavens to live on it, and about how the Faceless herself battled an unspeakable evil but had to retreat to the heavens after she had sealed it away, as her wounds were severe. This period in Hyrule is almost exclusively reliant on oral tradition & retellings to tell history, so stories change naturally over time (only Zelda, Impa and a few others can read & write since it's important for the work they do! And no, Link can't 👍).

So in the end, it IS still Hylia that the villagers pray and ask for guidance to, even if it's by another name, but much about her have been forgotten and retold over many, many years.

There is one other statue of the Faceless that can be found out in the middle of nowhere, but just as the one in Link & Zelda's village, its face/head has been destroyed in some way. As for why both statues are like that, I like to keep that to everyone's own interpretations :^) If this really WAS a game there never would be an answer for it in-game either, haha!

(loz idea masterpost)

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Breath of the Sky Ch 13 (Skyward Sword meets BotW)

Summary: When Princess Zelda goes to the Spring of Courage to pray, accompanied by her appointed knight, a giant magical cog spitting out a goddess is the last thing she expects, but it is what she gets. Meanwhile, the Spirit Maiden Zelda is trying to figure out what the heck is happening and where her missing chosen hero is.

AO3 link

Chapter 13 - The Failure

They needed to talk. They needed to plan.

Despite the overwhelming despair and uncertainty, despite the fear and pain, Zelda found herself growing motivated the longer she held the princess. She felt the fire returning, the stubborn determination that made a goddess let herself die and be reborn, the steadfastness that pushed her to seal herself away for thousands of years, the protectiveness that had led to the creation of Skyloft.

And so, after wiping the princess’ tears, Zelda had told her they were going to talk to Link. Both of them.

The champion had been easy to locate. He had been hovering outside, trying his best to look calm but easily giving away his concern with the way his eyes lingered too long on the princess, the speed at which he walked to her. Zelda had explained quickly that they needed to find her Link next, and they set about that goal quickly.

The conviction of a goddess mixed with the nervousness of a teenager, though, and Zelda fell into her habit of worrying when it concerned those she cared about… particularly Link.

“Okay,” she said as she marched ahead, nearly dragging the other two with her. “Okay. So. The plan—the plan is to seal him away. We can sort out killing him after. We can do that. We just need to figure out what’s going on with your ability to seal him away. And you—” here she turned to the champion, finger pointing with enough ferocity to be a dagger “You get to kick his ass, but I’m helping do that too because I want to punch his stupid face. I’m sure Link—my Link—uh, Cloud can help with that too, but we need to find him. This is just—this is fine. This is fine. We don’t need the Triforce yet, it’ll be okay. This is fine.”

The look exchanged between the princess and the champion implied that her ramblings were not, in fact, fine, but Zelda ignored it.

Her anxious energy began to grow frustrated as they wandered the castle. Link’s plight of constantly chasing her down was becoming extremely relatable at the moment. As they rounded yet another corner, Zelda felt relief at seeing a familiar colorful uniform with sandy blonde hair peeking out of the navy blue cap.

“Excuse me!” Zelda called, running towards the familiar guard. He genuflected when he turned and saw her. “Have you seen Link? My Link?”

“I know his location, Your Grace,” he answered. “I was actually heading his way. Would you like me to take you to him?”

Given all the information she’d been dealing with, and given all the running around she’d already done, the sheer comfort and happiness at not only hearing that someone could help her locate her husband, but that it was the one person who reminded her of Impa, made Zelda laugh and fall to her knees to be at eye level with the guard. She hugged him tightly. “Thank goodness! Thank you so much, I would love that!”

The guard stiffened under her hold, just as Impa had the first time she’d hugged her, but she didn’t care. Goddesses she needed some kind of stable rock to rely on in this place, and she didn’t have one, but this guard came close. She saw the reflection of the window ahead of her that he was looking at the princess and the champion, the former holding a hand over her mouth to cover a gasp while the latter watched the guard worriedly.

Honestly, these people. How did any society develop to be so emotionally stifled, anyway?

“I need to teach all of you that hugs are a good thing, good grief,” she chuckled as she pulled away. “But anyway, please do show us where Link is.”

The guard took a deep breath, nodding and rising. He guided them in silence, though the sights of the castle kept Zelda preoccupied – they were heading somewhere she hadn’t been yet, and though the stone walls all blended into each other to create a massive maze, she saw light from outside and grew hopeful. It seemed Link, just like her, didn’t care for being cooped up in this stone prison of sorts, as beautiful as it was.

Zelda had to admit that, though she wanted to help her people grow on the Surface, she was a child of the Sky nonetheless.

They wandered a path that seemed vaguely familiar from their expedition into the nearby large town, though the guard guided them down a road that Link and Zelda had pointedly avoided due to the place flooding with people. Eventually, they wound up near a tower farthest from the castle, overlooking a good portion of land and the town below. The sun was high in the sky now, and Zelda turned to the guard as they approached the tower.

“Is there somewhere we can get food in town?” she asked. She was well aware the castle had food too, but she… didn’t want to go back there.

“We can arrange to have lunch brought to you here, if you wish,” the guard replied. “But yes, there are many places in Castle Town where you can get food.”

Upon their arrival to the structure, the guard dismissed the two colorfully clad knights who had been standing post in the entranceway. He turned to face the group. “The Hero is inside, Your Grace. I’ll ensure no one enters.” His gaze moved beyond her, settling on the champion, and he spoke with a softer tone, “When time allows, Link, Princess Mipha wished to speak with you.”

With that, the knight moved aside to let them pass, standing guard. Zelda looked back at the other two, temporarily distracted—was there another princess? Did Princess Zelda have a sister that they hadn’t met yet? She shook her head, returning her focus to the task at hand. She could only gather so many people together at once, after all. It had taken half the day just to get to this point.

Motioning to the two behind her, she walked into the cavernous structure, hearing Link’s footsteps scraping the stone up above. They climbed a ladder to reach the upper level, the bright daylight dazzling Zelda’s eyes for a moment, and she saw the silhouette of her husband pacing back and forth, clearly agitated.

“Link,” she called with a smile, relieved they were all finally together. Her smile fell, however, at the distressed look on her husband’s face.

Link froze, facing away from her, holding himself with trembling hands. She approached him slowly, worry eating away at her already weary heart. When she was close enough to touch him, she wrapped her arms slowly around him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder. “What’s the matter, Dove?”

Link felt tense under her arms, but then he draped his arms over hers and squeezed her wrists lovingly, stroking her hands with his thumbs. She shifted so she could stand beside him, peeking around his arm with a curious glance. His expression was soft, enchanted by what he saw, but his eyes were dark and stormy. He glanced at her, his heavy brow relaxing a little. “We started all this.”

There was wonder and a quiet timidity to his voice, awe and disbelief and acceptance settling into him. Zelda squeezed him reassuringly, cocking her head to the side and giving him a soft smile. “Yeah. We did.”

Link let out a shaky breath, and then he let her go, looking down. Zelda’s arms fell to her sides, and she grew worried as she watched him ruminate.

His mouth became a thin line. “And I… I screwed it all up. I cursed everything, everyone. I cursed them.”

“Link,” Zelda said, caught off guard. Although the guilt was gnawing at her as well, she wasn’t entirely blaming herself in such a manner. Demise had outplayed them, and it made her angry and scared and mournful, it made her question how they could actually defeat him if she hadn’t been able to as a goddess or with the Triforce, but she’d still placed the majority of the blame on the demon king himself, not her or Link. Her husband’s worries were clearly eating him alive. He hadn’t even noticed that they weren’t alone.

“Don’t,” Link immediately hissed, growing stormy. “Don’t even try it. You did everything right, you did your part, you trusted me to finish things and I didn’t.”

“What are you talking about?” Zelda asked, putting a hand to his cheek. “Link, you defeated him. We had no way of knowing—”

“I did,” Link spat, pulling out of her reach and turning away, his hands shaking as he clenched his fists. His shoulders hunched and his entire body was so tense it was ready to snap. “He said it himself. I thought—I was such an idiot, Zelda, I—I thought—he started speaking about how his hatred would follow my spirit and your bloodline, and it sounded like the dying words of a monster, I—I didn’t realize it was a promise, a curse, that he was—I didn’t—I d-didn’t—”

Link’s body stiffened even further as shuddering gasps and hiccups interrupted his words, and he bowed his head, hugging himself. Zelda immediately rushed around him to face him fully once more, dragging him into the tightest hug she could muster, willing all of her love into it as her mind whirled.

“You had no way of knowing,” she repeated as she processed what he’d said. What promise was he speaking of? Did it even matter? “And who’s to say it was a curse right in that moment? Who’s to say it wouldn’t have happened whether he spoke it or not? Who’s to say there was any stopping it? Link, I was a goddess. I was a goddess and I couldn’t stop him. You did everything you were meant to do – you solved the puzzles, you tempered the Goddess Sword and made it into the Blade of Evil’s Bane, you traveled through time, you got the Triforce and used it to kill him. You beat him. It was Ghirahim who screwed everything up.”

Ghirahim. It was Ghirahim.

Was that truly why they were in this mess? The realization struck her as she spoke the words, because they were true – she’d exited her slumber because Demise had been killed, after all. Ghirahim was the one who sabotaged it, but Link had ensured that…

“What exactly did he say?” she asked, pulling away to look her husband in the eye.

“He said… he said his hatred never dies. That it would be born again and again, that those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero would forever be bound to this curse: an incarnation of his hatred would follow our kind forever, dooming them to darkness and bloodshed.” Link said slowly, refusing to look at her.

Zelda stared at him, dumbfounded. Why… why hadn’t he ever mentioned this before?

As if reading her mind, he stepped away from her, shaking his head and saying, “I—I thought—he was defeated, Zel, I stabbed him in the chest, I thought it was over. The amount of times Ghirahim would give some speech or another despite being defeated, the words were meaningless at that point. Just some other enemy spouting hatred while he bleeds to death. The sword… Fi told me to raise the sword, that it would absorb the remaining evil, that she would seal him away as designed. I didn’t—I didn’t realize—what did I do wrong?”

The trembling of his tone tore at her heart, and Zelda tried to walk towards him again. She couldn’t fathom why Link wouldn’t have mentioned this, but at the same time, his words made sense—and brought so many more questions to mind. How many times had he fought Ghirahim, anyway? The more she considered it, the more she realized she hadn’t really asked much about his adventure. Their time after that journey had been spent recovering and then pointedly avoiding the topic altogether.

Goddesses above, this was all a mess.

“Impa was right,” Link said suddenly, his voice no longer trembling, but so, so dark. “You were wrong. Hylia was wrong. I’m no Hero. Even Fi has decided that! She already chose a successor, after all.”

“Link,” Zelda tried to argue, immediately growing agitated. This sort of talk wasn’t going to do them any good, and she hated seeing him like this. “This isn’t—I know—”

Link’s eyes narrowed at her as if she were an enemy. The look stole her voice from her throat and made her blood freeze. She’d never seen Link this upset. “Yes, you know. Your Grace knows everything. You always did, stringing me along without ever telling me everything until it was too late to even stop you from—from—How does it feel to not have all the pieces until it’s too late? You were wrong.”

Zelda took a step back, her breath sucking in like a gasp as if she’d just been smacked. Link sighed, sensing the change in atmosphere, immediate regret flashing across his face before he finally seemed to notice the other two, who at this point were practically trying to disappear into the walls.

Link’s eyes fixed on the champion, and then he shook his head. The fight quickly drained out of him, but so did any desire to continue talking. He moved quickly towards one of the openings and leapt out of it. Zelda didn’t follow.

The champion ran across the way to peer over where Link had jumped. The princess slowly walked towards Zelda, who was still trying to catch her breath.

There was silence for a long time as the princess hovered near her, as she tried to catch her breath, as Link’s words played over and over in her head.

“Your Grace…?” The princess began hesitantly, a tenderness and shyness to her voice.

Zelda burst into tears.

You always did, stringing me along without ever telling me everything until it was too late.

Guilt sprang forth anew, revitalized by her husband’s accusations, having been squished again and again by both her and Link. It reared its ugly head, reminding her that the fact that Link had been dragged into all of this was very much her fault. Despite being the best fighter among the knights of Skyloft, Link was a softhearted young man through and through. She should have never—but—what choice did she—

Zelda continued to cry, bending over and hugging herself and falling to her knees. Her hiccups and sobs echoed in the area, lost to her own whirling mind but very much laying heavily on the other two occupants.

Link, Champion of Hyrule, felt very much out of place. But he also felt very desperate to try and help. He made his way to the goddess, crumpled on the floor, and his heart hurt to see her like that. He knelt carefully, gently resting a hand on her shoulder, desperately looking at the princess for help.

His own mind was whirling as much as everyone else’s likely was. The words that had been spat out by the Hero of Myth and Legend no longer held the same sting to them. Instead, they rang with such a heartbreaking familiarity, all the way down to the misplaced vitriol.

Zelda. He’d sounded like Zelda.

Never in his life had Link considered that if he ever met the Spirit of the Hero, it would act exactly as his dejected princess did.

He wanted nothing more than to reassure the weeping goddess that it wasn’t her fault at all, just as it wasn’t his fault that Zelda struggled to fulfill her destiny while his came easily. He wanted to tell her that the Hero just needed time and help, just as his princess did. But he was in absolutely no position to do so – he didn’t know what words he could say to reassure Hylia herself, nor could he brainstorm such a conversation with the princess as she herself was just as much a culprit of such behavior as the Hero was. Though, to her credit, she was trying to improve that, hence their budding friendship. But…

Desperate, Link looked pleadingly at Zelda, motioning to the goddess with his head. Do something.

The princess held her hands in front of her chest anxiously, one hand playing with the her wrist. “Your Grace… I… I’m sure he didn’t…”

Hylia continued to cry, not acknowledging either of them. At least she wasn’t upset that Link was touching her. He really wished he could do more.

Link thought of suggesting that they get lunch, but he had a feeling his own love for food would not help the matter. Hylia didn’t seem like the thought of a delicious meal would cheer her up.

The champion was quickly running out of ideas, just as his friend seemed equally clueless. However, Zelda finally knelt down as well, ignoring the dirt she was getting on her dress, and placed her hand on Hylia’s other shoulder. “Your Grace, I’m… I’m sorry.”

Hylia glanced up, eyes puffy, tears staining her flushed cheeks. It was… not a look Link would expect from a goddess.

He supposed he had never thought a goddess could get upset like this. He remembered her radiant smile and eagerness to befriend earlier in the day, and his heart ached even more.

He opened his mouth to speak, but still found himself choking on words. He didn’t know what he could say to help her, what would be appropriate, what would be helpful. Hylia’s gaze was fixed on the princess instead, and Link hesitantly pulled away to give the two some space. Zelda’s eyes quickly darted to his, pleading for support, but he didn’t know what to do.

Hylia stole Zelda’s attention anyway as she hiccupped and shook her head, her gaze dropping to the floor again as she squeezed her eyes shut. The princess shuffled a little closer. Link stepped further away, trying to figure out how he could help, what he could do. He could at least maybe get them some food, giving Hylia and her descendant time to regain composure, and then he could help them in that regard.

Sliding down the ladder, Link continued to hesitate as he dragged his feet to the exit of the guard house. His father was surprisingly missing, despite having been standing guard, leaving Link a little disappointed. He doubted his father could give him advice on the matter, but it would have been nice to at least see him. Instead, Link fumbled to follow through on his decision, feeling like it wasn’t helpful but not knowing what else to do.

“Oh, Link! There you are!”

Startled, Link turned to see his friend, Mipha, approaching, looking relieved. She smiled, red scales glowing in the noon sun, and Link felt like he was drowning in the ocean and just finally saw a lighthouse guiding him.

Link strode up to her immediately, hands gesturing frantically with words he couldn’t piece together, and his friend quickly noticed his distress. “Link, what’s wrong?”

“He—she—” Link spat out, his chest about to burst, trying desperately to hold the words in but unable to do so. He wasn’t sure this was appropriate to share, but by the goddesses he needed to say something. “He’s just like Zelda.”

The words flew out of his mouth like an arrow released from a bow, and he nearly collapsed onto the nearest bench, overwhelmed and exhausted at holding it in for so long, at the sheer relief that nearly drowned him and screamed he doesn’t actually hate me. Mipha slowly sat beside him, watching him hesitantly. He shook his head, leaning over until his face was buried in his hands. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Well…” Mipha said slowly. “You… could start by telling me what you mean.”

Oh. He supposed she needed context.

“The Hero,” he started slowly. “He… feels bad about himself. Like… like the princess. But he… and Hylia… he made… she’s crying, and I…”

Mipha jumped a little. “Hylia’s crying?”

“I don’t know what to do,” Link shook his head. “Mipha, what am I supposed to do?”

“Why is she crying?” Mipha asked.

“She—he—” Link stopped himself and took a breath to reorganize his thoughts. “The Hero. He… he got upset. Really upset. Like… remember when I… when I mentioned… I mean, you kind of dragged it out of me, but…”

Mipha, bless her, remained patient, knowing how Link could struggle to express himself. He’d barely spoken to anyone these last few months, but he’d finally started opening back up to his friend, even if it was just a little. She was the only one who knew that Zelda had yelled at Link in their first weeks together, although the other Champions had clearly sensed the tension.

“He got angry at her,” Link explained slowly. “He got angry. He’s… he said he was a failure, that he wasn’t worthy of being the Hero of Legend. Mipha, it’s… he sounded just like Zelda. But he… he got angry at Hylia about it, and now she’s crying.”

“Oh, my,” Mipha said softly, hand over her mouth. “I… didn’t realize a goddess could cry. That’s… awful.”

“It is awful,” Link agreed, the words spilling out of him now as his emotions mixed with them. “Mipha, what do I do? How do you cheer up a goddess?”

His friend was quiet for a long time, ruminating the matter. “Well… I suppose the same way you cheer anyone up. She cries just like the rest of us… perhaps she just needs kindness like the rest of us too.”

Link thought about the words, remembering all the rituals they did for the goddess. But then he remembered once, when he was very little, when he’d offered flowers to the goddess statue in Hateno, to the warmth that had filled his heart and soul when he’d done so, to the smile that always pulled at his lips whenever he saw silent princesses ever since.

Silent Princess. Zelda’s favorite flower. It always put a smile on the princess’ face too.

Link’s eyes lingered on the one garden that had tried to cultivate the flower, the only one that had succeeded so far, though herbalists hardly called it a success as only one or two flowers grew from the entire batch, and one was wilting already.

Filled with relief and hope, Link dragged Mipha into a hug. “Thank you.”

His friend was stiff under his embrace, and he felt her heart fluttering against his chest. Suddenly, the embrace felt too intimate, too personal, too close, and Link felt his own cheeks blush as he quickly pulled away. Before either party could speak, he hastily made his way to the flower bed, fingers reaching for the healthier of the two specimens.

“Link, wait, isn’t that endangered—”

The silent princess yielded easily to his fingers as he pointedly ignored how the tips of his ears burned, but as he reoriented to his original excitement, he stared at the beautiful, delicate blue-and-white petals with determination.

He turned and smiled at Mipha, nodding in gratitude, before rushing back to the guard house. By the time he reached the top, Hylia’s sobs had evened out, though she was still crumped on the ground. Zelda was on the floor beside her, arm halfway across her shoulders in a hesitant but heartfelt hug. Link took a steadying breath and walked towards the pair, kneeling in front of them. When the two looked up at him, he offered the flower quietly, eyes trying to convey everything his mouth refused to speak.

Hylia stared at him a moment before her gaze lingered on the flower. She reached out slowly, carefully taking the plant from his grasp and turning it in her own calloused fingers.

Her eyes watered, but a smile pulled at her trembling lips. The heaviness of the air seemed to dissipate, and Link smiled back at her.

“It’ll be all right,” he finally said softly.

“We’re here for you,” Zelda added on, growing bolder. “Just as you are for us, Your Grace. I… I may not… I may not have my powers, but I…”

The princess sighed shakily and continued, “I will still do my duty, and I will support you just as you’re trying to do for us.”

Hylia let out another sob, brow pulling together, but the way her face glowed, the way her cheeks puffed and lips pulled conveyed it for the emotional, relieved laugh that it was.

XXX

Abel supposed it was time to break protocol.

He ignored the anxious words warding him away from his goal as he walked down the stone path towards the city. He could practically hear the drill sergeants from his youth telling him to listen to superiors at all costs, to respect those in charge, to fulfill his duty and never question those above his station.

He could hear his heart telling him to do otherwise, his mind set in stone in his path, his beloved wife encouraging him to keep walking forward.

The Hero of Myth and Legend sat on the wall dividing the castle from Castle Town. Abel leaned against the stone beside him, staring out as the sun began to descend from its zenith.

The Hero glanced at him, startled, and moved to get up, but Abel ordered immediately, “Stay put.”

Oh, how his decades of training balked at ordering such a figure around. But mostly, it felt familiar, like when he was talking to his son. Perhaps the fact that they shared a name and a destiny helped.

The Hero slowly resumed his previous posture, bolstering Abel’s confidence on the matter. Now the captain of the guard just had to figure out what to say.

He’d honestly tried not to listen to the conversations in the guard tower. It wasn’t his business – his son, the princess, the goddess, and the mythical hero were all far above him in importance. Although he would always cherish Link, he respected the role his boy had to play, and he wasn’t going to interfere or be so immature as to eavesdrop on important discussions.

It was hard not to hear it, though, when the Immortal Hero was shouting.

Words of a curse, of a demon king, of blame and failure and guilt – they’d all spilled down into Abel’s ears as easily as rain. And it was hard to get them out of his head once heard.

Abel once again found himself wondering what the benefit was in having heroes so young. He still had plenty of strength and endurance in him at the ripe age of thirty-seven, and he didn’t have the emotional issues he’d had when hew as a teenager. Experience was as good a weapon as any.

Not to mention it assisted in cutting through drama and getting to the heart of the matter.

Of course, it still didn’t prepare Abel for such a conversation. It hadn’t prepared him for any of the conversations he’d had with his son once Hyrule had noticed a Hero had arisen. The words the Hero had hissed rang in his ears once more, thoughts of demon kings hunting down his son buzzing before he pushed them away. His son had been preparing for years had the support of all of Hyrule, and Abel would double his efforts in protecting the castle. This one, on the other hand, was a soldier in an eternal war, and Abel and even Link were simply another battlefield on which he had to fight. It seemed he was only just realizing that too, which was... odd and... heartbreaking.

He really had no frame of reference for this person, young and ancient, magical and so unbelievably normal. But he could speak to what he’d seen, and… he dearly hoped it was enough. He hoped it was enough and would be taken in the right spirit. The fact that the—the boy had listened was a promising start, after all.

“I don’t understand what it could possibly be like, being created by the goddess Hylia for the sole purpose of fighting off a demon king,” Abel started honestly, bluntly. “You look as Hylian as anyone else.”

The Ancient One glanced at him, tired and hurting and confused all at once. “I… I don’t know what that is.”

He didn’t know what a Hylian was? Abel supposed he wouldn’t. He was created to fight. Yet he was just like any other teenager. It still made no sense to the captain, but… a boy was a boy. Abel motioned towards the boy’s ears, small and curved like leaves, unique and honestly a little cute. It had always been said that Hylians’ ears were the way they were to better help them hear the goddess – perhaps his were shaped so differently so only he could hear her whispers, so only he could be privileged to her song. It… honestly made Abel’s skin crawl a little. He wished the Hero didn’t look so young – the thought of a child being molded to fight and married off to the goddess… it felt…

Abel didn’t dare say the sacrilegious word, but the ill feeling in his stomach lingered nonetheless. He tried to remind himself that this strange figure was ancient and not actually a teenager, even if he seemed to act like one.

“Your ears,” he commented. “They’re as Hylian as anyone else’s.”

The Hero instinctively reached up to touch his own ears, staring at Abel with wide, genuinely curious eyes now. The traces of guilt and sorrow were fading away in wake of his bemusement, and in that moment he really, truly looked like a kid.

Abel swallowed, trying to get to his point. “You’re… different, perhaps, but you still seem pretty Hylian to me, if you’ll pardon my ignorance on the matter. And if that is the case… then it seems such pressure that you’re putting on yourself is unrealistic.”

Hylia’s Chosen stiffened, though he didn’t comment.

“Calamity Ganon is a scourge that has plagued this land for millennia,” Abel said carefully. “And each time it has come, it has taken all of Hyrule to fight it. Though the Spirit of the Hero and the power of the Goddess are required to vanquish it, they have never fought alone. It seems… unreasonable to expect any different of yourself.”

The Hero bit his lip, his hands falling to his lap as he looked down. “But I was supposed to.”

“Did you defeat him?” Abel asked.

The Hero glanced at him, and though he held guilt in his gaze, he nodded.

“So you defeated him alone, which no one has ever accomplished before or since then,” Abel pointed out. “Yet you blame yourself for his return? If you fought him before and won, this should be easy, should it not?”

“But I—”

“But what?” Abel pressed on. “You can’t change that he’s here. Only that you’re here to stop him. Are you going to fight him or not?”

The Hero stared at him for a long while, eyes growing weary. Abel recognized the look, the exhaustion of war, the scars hidden within. He faced the boy fully.

“You won’t be alone this time,” he told him firmly. “Link will fight alongside you, as well as all the Champions, the guardians, and Hyrule’s army.”

“Sounds rather like I’m not needed,” the Hero said softly, a sad smile pulling at his lips.

“I am not one to waste resources,” Abel replied perhaps a bit too curtly, but he was tired of the adolescent’s moping. This was what the ancient child had been created for, after all, was it not? “You defeated Calamity Ganon long before any army ever could be raised against him. If you fight alongside our forces, if you support Link, then it makes the likelihood of actually killing it all the higher.”

Hylia’s Chosen perked up at the idea given to him, though he still looked a bit uncertain.

“Will you fight alongside Link?” Abel prompted. “Will you help him? Or are you going to drown in your sorrows instead while the rest of Hyrule tries to fight?”

“I’m the only one who can,” the Hero muttered, eyes darkening once more, shoulders set in resignation. “That’s what he said. That’s… what they always say. It’s my destiny.”

Abel waited, unsure what to say to such a remark. The ancient one’s words held a pain and exhaustion to them, but also a bite, and the captain of the guard was suddenly reminded that he was a nobody speaking to a legend.

The Hero of Myth and Legend stared out at Hyrule, sitting up straighter. “I won’t let him destroy this place. I won’t let him hurt Link, or Zelda. Or the princess. I promise.”

“I thank you for your protection,” Abel said genuinely with a bow of his head, catching the Hero’s attention.

“But I…” the Hero continued hesitantly. “I shouldn’t have said what I did. She’s… I know I upset her.”

Abel hadn’t heard Hylia’s reply to any of the words the Hero had said, but he supposed accusing her of being wrong would be upsetting. She seemed too kind to get angry, though, and the hurt on the magical boy’s face implied it as well.

Well. This was certainly a topic he could relate to. He was rather short tempered compared to others, after all. “We’re not perfect, Hero. We will say things that hurt those we love. What matters is that we apologize for them.”

Hylia’s Chosen watched him with a look so eerily similar to Link’s own when his son had been younger—so eager for wisdom from his father, so desperate for guidance—that it almost made Abel falter. Then the boy sighed and nodded in agreement.

Abel smiled as best he could. “Now, I believe Her Grace is waiting for you, great Hero. And if I may be so bold as to say… as a married man, I advise you be quick – our wives don’t like to wait for long.”

The smile that broke out on the Hero’s face was unexpectedly soft and sweet, his eyes glittering as if he was coming back to life, and the Immortal One leapt off the wall, much to Abel’s shock. The captain reached out hastily before seeing the Hero deploy some sort of paraglider, and he sighed heavily, realizing that now he had yet another hero who was going to give him heart attacks on a regular basis.

Oh, how he wished he could hold his son in that moment. But duty called, and he had strayed from it for long enough.

XXX

Admittedly, despite how his heart warmed at the thought of being with Zelda again, Link felt guilt crushing him the closer he got back to the structure he’d run from.

He knew what he’d said was hurtful. He’d chosen his words very particularly so that they would sting. He hadn’t wanted Zelda’s reassurances because he’d known they’d be empty, and suddenly hurt and resentment that had been long forgotten and shoved into the dark recesses of his mind had snarled into the light.

Link was ashamed to even get near his beloved. But he’d be damned if he didn’t own up to it.

And he missed her. He missed her smile, he missed her warmth, he missed her embrace. He was drowning and he wanted nothing more than to hold on to her. He supposed after what he’d said earlier it was a selfish thought at this point, but… if there was one constant in his life, no matter the storm, it had always been her.

He wasn’t going to be the one to lose her again. He wasn’t going to be the one to push her away.

The walk felt like it took an eternity, even though it was only a few minutes. Link hesitantly stared at the ladder leading up to the top, and then he climbed it, steeling himself.

When he got to the top, he found only a couple guards.

Link didn’t bother to speak with them, sliding down once more, and nearly jumped out of his skin as he was met with one of the stranger looking people from the festival. Their skin was red and shimmering, eyes nearly the same shade of amber as the crystal that had held Zelda in a trance for millennia. Their fingers were delicate but held sharp claws, and a blue sash was the only clothing they wore, though their body was adorned in glimmering jewelry.

“Hello, Hero,” the person said in a soft, feminine tone.

Wait, he’d seen her before. She had been sparring with the new Hero that morning.

“Do you—do you know where Zelda is?” he asked quickly, nearly laughing at the irony of such a question given his history with it.

“The princess is with Her Grace and Sir Link,” the woman answered. “They decided to head out into Hyrule Field, I believe. They were going to pick up lunch on the way.”

Hyrule Field? “Where’s that?”

The woman pointed back to the direction where he’d just come from. “It’s just beyond Castle Town. If I were them, I would go to the Sacred Grounds. It’s a pleasant place for a picnic. It’s close to the center of Hyrule Field, you can’t miss it. Would you… like me to take you there?”

Out of a nearly gone habit, Link nearly said no, as if he would find it on his map and could dowse for Zelda beyond that. Goddess. He shook his head, and then hastily said, “Yes, please.”

The strange looking woman—girl? Woman??—smiled and asked him to walk with her. Link tried to ignore the people staring at them as they progressed, feeling the number of eyes on them grow as they entered the big town he and Zelda had explored a few nights ago.

The joy of that exploration felt so far away now. He felt so empty, so unbelievably alone. But the guard had promised he wasn’t, and he…

He just wanted to go home. But it was just like his original journey, wasn’t it? He hadn’t wanted the weight of the world on his shoulders then. He’d just wanted to find Zelda. Headmaster Gaepora had said that the destiny of the world was his to bear, and his alone. No one could know.

Just as now, it was his destiny to fight Demise once more. But… the guard had said it himself.

Link wasn’t alone. Even if he deserved to be, after somehow managing to mess this up.

He would be alone if he continued to push everyone away, though, and he knew it. He remembered just after the world had nearly ended, remembered how isolated he was, and how Zelda had been the only one who could reach him in those dark moments.

Link hardly noticed that they’d reached the fields, hardly noticed that the woman he was with kept glancing at him to make sure he was okay. She seemed to understand he didn’t want to talk and was somehow blessedly fine with it, making the occasional remark about the weather or anything else to ensure it didn’t get too awkwardly quiet.

The awkwardness did linger, though, when Link realized he didn’t know her name. When she stopped and pointed straight ahead, he said, “Thank you… I… didn’t get your name.”

The woman’s eyes widened, suddenly embarrassed. “O-oh! I’m—I’m so very sorry, I—my name is Mipha, Princess of the Zora. I beg your pardon for my lack of manners!”

Another princess? Link stared at her, curious, but then smiled. “Thank you, Mipha.”

The woman’s shame faded, and she nodded, heading back towards Castle Town. Link took a fortifying breath and walked towards the Sacred Grounds. The trees hid some of the area and his approach, allowing him to see the new Hero sitting on the ground alongside Zellie and his wife. His successor was eating away cheerily, garnering a chuckle from Zellie, and Zelda… picked at her food quietly. She smiled when acknowledged, but didn’t seem to have much of an appetite.

Link wanted to kick himself. He also kind of wished the other two weren’t there.

Miraculously, Zelda alone seemed to notice his approach. She paused from holding her food, watching him with a little trepidation. Her eyebrows wrinkled together, and the hurt and worry on her face made Link want to melt into the earth. Zellie seemed to notice something was up, but before she could speak, Zelda rose and walked slowly in his direction.

She paused just out of his reach, and the pair watched each other quietly. A wind stirred between them, trying to push Link away, and he nearly gave in to it, shaking like a leaf.

“Link…?” Zelda called quietly, almost timidly.

Link wasn’t sure if it was the stress of everything catching up to him again, or if it was the way his own wife was scared to approach him as if he were shatter or explode on her… all he knew was that he was crying.

“I’m sorry,” he immediately said, shaking his head, taking a frightened step away. “I’m sorry, Zelda, I’m sorry I’m sorry—”

Zelda’s eyes widened, and she immediately covered the ground between them, nearly tackling him in a hug, carrying him with strong but trembling arms, easing him down to the earth as the world spun around him. He couldn’t get anything else out aside from apologies that stumbled over each other, words only stopping when he hiccupped or gasped for air, his tears endlessly staining her shoulder.

“It’s okay,” she soothed, tightening her hug.

“No it’s not!” Link sobbed. “None of it is, I’m so sorry, I’m—”

Again and again the apologies came forth until he’d exhausted himself, until he found himself clinging to her with as much desperation as he had when she’d awoken from her trance months ago.

He heard Zelda take a shaky breath, her exhale tickling his ear. “I am too.”

The words were raw, the sentiment so genuine it ached. Link didn’t have the emotional energy to reply, couldn’t defend her after trying so many times to reassure her and then eating his own words due to his outburst. He had nothing left to offer except himself, broken and worthless and idiotic as he was, and he just held her all the more.

The sun shone brightly on the pair as the other two slowly rose and watched in silence.

[linktheacehero]

Zelinktines Day 5: Secret

@zelinktines23

Pairing: Ocarina of Time Zelink

Rating: General audiences

Words: 1533

Link was hiding something. And Zelda was determined to figure out what. Every moment the princess asked to spend time with him in their courtyard he would always find some sort of excuse to decline her invitation. She had found him multiple times hunched over his desk with frightened reactions and embarrassed smiles after she asked him what he was working on, never getting a real answer. And what puzzled her the most was finding him rushing across the castle, clearly avoiding her whenever he spotted her, with multiple sacks. Each fleeting greeting and skittering action from him left her curiosity burning, and the princess set on a quest to quench it.  

Which is why it bothered her so that he seemed so persistent to avoid her the past couple of days.

Her hero had returned to her some months prior from his journey across the land- riddled with injuries and scars that tormented him both physically and mentally. The last five years had not been kind to him, and it pained her heart to see how much he had been hurt. She had prayed to the goddesses that she could alleviate his sorrows, and soon they answered with Link allowing his walls to descend and letting her within his broken heart. It was not long after that the two grew much closer than they had ever been before and decided to court one another.

Zelda could swear that not once she had ever felt more complete than being with Link. The way his hand molded perfectly into hers, how with a simple look she could just tell what he was thinking, and how their souls seemed to sing each time they were near. It felt to her almost as though they had been lovers in a past life, reunited once more. 

“I just can’t seem to understand why, we haven’t kept many secrets from each other since we both began courting, and whatever it is he’s hiding he is quite intent that I don’t find out.” Zelda explained to her friends, Malon and Princess Ruto, one afternoon over tea. Malon put a reassuring hand on her friend’s shoulder while she gave the zoran princess a subtle nod that Zelda did not catch.

“Maybe it could be something personal? Perhaps he was writing in his diary those times you kept catching him on his desk,” suggested Malon. That did sound possible. But it still did not explain the avoidance of the courtyard nor the bags of mystery items.

Ruto then spoke, “You don’t suppose he might have caught an allergy for a plant in the courtyard? One of those seasonal allergy things?” But Zelda merely shook her head. Her garden hadn’t changed much since she was a girl, despite her pleas to her father to get new flowers, and if Link had caught some sort of allergy he certainly would have gotten sick at some point. Nor would they have spent so much time in the courtyard in the past.

“What about Farore’s Day?” Malon said. The princess tilted her head.

“What about it?”

“The king is hosting a celebration for it right? Maybe he’s helping out with that?”

My princess,

Ruto nodded in agreement. “It sounds like something he would do.”

Zelda gave them a small smile. Yes, it did sound like something her hero would do. Even after he had retired the blade she found him being a hero nonetheless. It didn’t matter how big or small one’s problem was, Link would always do his best to help. It was one of the many things she loved about him.

She left her ponderings about his mysterious behavior at that for the time being.

Soon Farore’s Day arrived, and the kingdom celebrated in full vigor. It was a day in which the people commemorated the goddess who had brought life upon the world. They would put on plays, hold a grand ball where anyone was welcomed, and have a great time. It was also said that couples who professed their love for each other on Farore’s Day would be granted good luck from the Goddess of Courage herself.

Zelda awoke to the morning sun and spotted a mysterious note by her bedside. And though it held no signature, the princess knew exactly who it was from. 

Happy Farore’s Day! I am so sorry that we haven’t spent much time 

together much recently, but I hope that with the surprise I have 

in store for you will remedy our lost time. Meet me at our place.

“Morning, my princess.”

So he had a surprise for her. She could feel excitement fluttering in her chest at the thought of what he had prepared. Was this the reason why he had been so avoidant? It had to be. The princess quickly dressed herself into an emerald green dress lined with gold along with the pauldrons from her ceremonial armor. She was practically bouncing on her feet as she finished her hair and put on her crown. Her heart did not stop its drumming since reading the note, not even after she arrived at the meeting place and saw her beloved.

Her hero stood by a gorgeous garden that she had never seen before. It held a diverse array of flora from all over the kingdom that she had only seen in books or brief visits to those locations.

A crimson blush washed upon her as she took in the handsome young man before her. Link was dressed in a forest green outfit with a black vest that had golden trims along with black gloves and boots. His hair was neatly brushed into a ponytail, though his bangs and locks still flowed free. He looked absolutely beautiful.

She walked closer to him, with the softest look on her face that mirrored his, and placed a palm to his cheek before kissing his forehead. “Morning, my love.” She could never grow tired of how his ears twitched with giddiness and cheeks flared from her affections. “Did you do all of this?” she asked, gazing back to the garden.

Link hummed in response. “It’s the first part of the surprise. I know how much you’ve wanted to add more flowers so I went ahead to get them for you.” He took her hand, and guided her towards the little garden. “There’s the Sun orchids from Death Mountain, Nayru’s irises from Zora’s Domain, Shadow shade from Kakariko, Golden dusters from Gerudo Desert and last but not least, Deku lilies from my home.”

Zelda could only stare in awe at his work. He had done all of this, traveled across the entire kingdom to find these plants, just for her. It made her heart swell just at the thought of it.

“I love it, Link.” I love you.

It was then that her mind registered what he had said earlier. “Wait, first part? What’s the seco-” before she could even finish her sentence, Link pulled out a glowing blue stone from his pocket that hung from a silver chain.

“This is,” he said with a soft look in his eyes. Zelda placed her hands over her mouth as a gasp escaped her lips. Where did he even acquire such a rare gem? How long did it take him to create it? So many questions ran through her head but figured it would be best to ask later.

“It’s beautiful,” she told him, and  lifted her hair, “help me put it on?”

He gave her a nod and carefully put the necklace around her neck. “It’s called the Moon’s Tear,” he explained, his breath tickling her ear from the proximity. “In Termina, they say it holds the love that the Moon holds for the Sun, which is why it glows like a beating heart.” The stone rested on top of her heart, and for a moment Zelda could see its light beat in sync with hers. She looked up to meet her beloved’s eyes, filled with love and shined like the stars. He leaned closer, their foreheads touching as his hand lingered on her cheek.

“I am your Moon, while you are my Sun. And I will love you even after our souls become a part of the stars and our tales forgotten across time.” 

Zelda was speechless. The devotion that her hero had would never cease to amaze her, and she hoped that she was able to show him how much she cared for him in the same vigor. Her eyes flitted down to his lips, staying there before leaning in to press her lips against his. Link’s squeak of surprise made her smile through the kiss, and then melt into it as he reciprocated with his own. Her fingers found their way to his hair, intertwining with the golden locks as he cupped her chin.  

They could’ve stayed like that forever. But the need for air broke them apart, though they remained close. His smile was a mirror of her own, of every giddy emotion she was feeling in that moment. For once in their lives, the two truly felt goddess blessed and prayed that it would last until the sun set on their lives for the final time. 

[michpat6]

any hcs on why hylia denied zelda her powers for so long?

hi anon, thank you for sending this! sorry it’s taken me so long to answer 😭

so BASICALLY, I think hylia denied zelda her powers (if we’re under the assumption that it wasn’t zelda subconsciously holding herself back for whatever reason AND that hylia is an Active Force, two ideas that I think can coexist) for a few reasons:

1. Hylia thinks Zelda doesn’t “mean” it

by this I mean that in the spring of power memory, the way that zelda prays is very monotone and fast, like she just wants to get it over with. then she starts airing her grievances to the goddess, asking why her powers haven’t come to her and that heartbreaking, “what is it? what’s wrong with me?”

so if before the goddess statue zelda appears to rush through her prayers, if all she cares about is herself and not hylia at hylia’s altar, why would hylia give her what she wants in the form of her powers?

(yes I do like the morally gray hylia approach, no I don’t think hylia is a villain. she’s a goddess, so to expect her to act like a human and be nice all of the time/perfect is something I personally disagree with)

I’m also not zelda bashing, I LOVE botw zelda, but it’s just a fact of the story that she is just the littlest bit selfish when it comes to how she approaches her prayers, spending time with the ancient tech and whatnot, which she totally should be able to do, she’s a kid and she is doing everything she possibly can to unlock her powers, but the reason those powers unlock when they do, while motivated by her love for link, is because she commits the act of total selflessness in sacrificing her life for his (this is the crux of her character arc)

so, to say that hylia finally smiled upon her in that moment because of her selflessness isn’t the most insane idea, but it depends on how you view hylia as a character

2. Hylia was testing Zelda

this is kind of the first headcanon but a little bit to the left

instead of teaching zelda a lesson about selfishness/selflessness/godly devotion, hylia was testing her patience. how long can you survive on nothing but your own intelligence and willpower? how long are you willing to wait for salvation to fall into your lap?

why was she doing this? i think because she knew the Divine Beasts would fail, that the calamity would win and that link would fall and that the only way to possibly stop Hyrule from being totally destroyed is if zelda held it back for as long as it took the shrine of resurrection to heal him and wake him up.

and if zelda was willing to wait her entire life for her powers to manifest, if she was willing to die without them just to Hyrule could have a chance in the form of link, why not give them to her? why not reward her? why not let her wait the hundred years for her Hero to wake up and save her? she’s been patient this entire time, what’s a little more waiting?

3. Hylia wanted Calamity Ganon to win

“but michpat6, you just said you think that hylia isn’t a villain!” and I don’t think she is! I’m just thinking about breath of the wild 2

because, like, say zelda did unlock her powers the first time she prayed for them, she would have a mastery of them by the time the Calamity hit on her 17th birthday. she and link defeat it and the champions live and everyone lives happily ever after.

ganondorf’s skeleton is still under the castle. because the calamity has been sealed away, im sure that no one thinks to look for the reason why it sprouted from hyrule castle in the first place, because all of the damage we see in botw comes from the guardians and such. if it came from the calamity itself, the sanctum wouldn’t be as intact as it is 100 years later.

if no one finds dehydrated ganon, whenever he wakes up after what triggers him to start moving again (I think it’s the proximity of Zelda’s powers but that’s a whole separate thought), then another calamity is free to start OR ganondorf himself starts causing problems

how this is all prevented, of course, is that zelda unlocks her powers at the last second and waits for link for a hundred years, and she gets the time to think about everything and realize, “hey, why did the Calamity come from under the castle?”, so that when she’s free she can check it out herself and then botw2 starts

this one is the reachiest reach every lmao but until botw2 comes out I can’t be proven wrong 😂

those are my main headcanons, and thank you for wanting to hear about them!! i love going deep into the meta of zelda and theorizing about hylia 😍

[shade-pup-cub]

Old Ao3 posting from 'A Deity's Son', chapter 7 for todays emotional hurt/want to comfort whump. Going to be posting my fave hurt moments from this fic for the next few days.

Note: "Dametrius" is FD's Hylian name.

Tags: Parent/child argument, Dark Beast Ganon fight, animal death (she come back to life later).

It was the final memory that Zelda left for him. He asked to go alone, leaving Twilight with Dametrius. They understood and respected his wishes, even though Dametrius knew what memory it was. He didn't think Link should have gone by himself to witness his own death and the brutality of it. He did manage to get Link to promise to come right back to the house afterwards.

Warning Twilight of Link's return to the house started the flips in his stomach. Link slowly opened the door and closed it, still facing away from them. His lack of movement was concerning since he was normally constantly full of energy. He was holding onto the door knob, white knuckles clearly seen. "Link?" Link said something enaudiable back. "What?"

"I asked, how long did you plan on lying to me?" His tone was still somewhat calm when he asked, turning around to face them.

He saw Link's red rimmed eyes, tear tracks through the dirt and grime on his face, claw marks on some of his scars and his red tipped nose. He had been crying and not just a little bit. "Lying about what, exactly?"

"That you are my father."

His heart sank, he dreaded this reaction. "Who told you?"

"The last memory triggered a different one. After I was taken to the shrine, you rushed in demanding to see me, saying that I was your son. I saw you leaning over me, cursing Hylia for what happened to me."

"Link I-"

"Answer me!!" Link's anger increased drastically. He had never talked like this to him. Maybe holler to him, but never at him. "How long?!"

"Until you remembered."

"So what, this whole time you just left me in the dark? You always said that I could come to you about anything. And I came to you about this multiple times! You didn't even have the decency to tell me the truth!"

"I never lied to you."

"Only telling half truths is still not telling the truth. I have trusted you with my whole self. With my worries, insecurities, my guilt and shame. I have trusted you to teach and guide me through this. You took advantage of the fact that I didn't remember you and brought me into your home, so you could get closure or comfort. What about me?! You said that you had a son and he was traveling all over Hyrule. It seemed a little strange that this whole time, this whole year, I never once encountered him on the road or here. Oh right, maybe that's because I'm him!"

Dametrius just stood there, not knowing where to go with this.

"You led me to believe that my parents and unborn sibling were dead. I needed family, someone who knew me and you never gave me that. I kept hearing your voice in my memories, thinking I was going crazy for it. Then, I kill the Waterblight… I saw my reflection in the water. Red and blue markings adorn my face. I knew right there something wasn't adding up. Something was missing. I gave you the perfect chance to tell me and instead you kept lying! You even said that I was yours at one point and I prayed that you would come back and confirm it, but you never did." He sucked in a breath to keep from crying, rubbing his face with both hands.

"I swear, my intentions were not to manipulate or mislead you in any way." Dametrius treaded lightly towards Link, who glared at him with rage, making him stop in his tracks.

“But you did! You did and it hurts! It hurts worst that the burn of a guardian or getting struck by lightning! It hurts to think that everything was some phony front. An act that I fell right into. You played me for a fool and maybe I am one for not seeing it all sooner. I spent so many nights in bed thinking about what it would be like to call you my father because I felt like I needed one, because you were acting like one towards me. You made sure I had food, shelter, weapons, a safe place to rest and heal my wounds. I came here over and over again, in need. I needed you!”

“And I gave you myself! Nothing was an act, it was all real! You're right, I should have told you at some point and I’m sorry I didn’t. I’m sorry that my sister is so cruel and chose you. I’m sorry for the sorrow, guilt, shame and pain you carry. That you carry the reminder of your death on your body and you hate it. I’m sorry that I tried to protect your mind as it healed from your slumber by not coming right out and telling you who I was, but I made sure to show it every day!” He hated this. He hated everything about it. “I gave you every bit of love that I could considering the circumstances.”

“Love… is this what love is supposed to feel like? Like betrayal?” Link’s tone was of ice and fire. Ice to cut deep and fire to burn away everything inside.

“What can I do to make this better? What can I give, what do you need of me to understand that I didn’t mean for it to be like this?”

“I only needed you!”

“And you have me.”

“But I don’t trust you.”

The pain from those five words felt like a knife being slipped between his ribs and plunging into his heart. His emotions clogged his throat, “Link, please-” He tried to step closer, but Link lashed out.

The boy shoved against his fathers torso to get him to back away, but Dametrius took another step forward. “I don’t need you anymore! I don’t want you around me!” He shoved again, this time actually forcing the other to step back. “I hate you! I wish it was Mom that lived instead of you! She would have done better, been better!” Angry tears were now making new tracks down his cheeks, the shorter fangs showed as he practically growled at him as a sob broke from him.

The heart that had mended over the last year, turned to dust. His face lost all emotions as it hardened to stone. His hands balled at his sides to keep them from twitching. Link flinched away when he took multiple strides past him. He reached for the door and opened it to make his next words hit hard, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” It was cruel and he knew it and that he may regret it, but he was furious. He marched to the steps and up to his room.

“Fine.” Link whispered, still audible to Dametrius. “I’m going after Ganon. If I die, don’t put me in the shine again. Maybe that will make everything better for you.”

He heard Link rummage through the cabinets to get his supplies for the fight. He knew he should stop him, fix everything, but he stood frozen in his room. Link was too emotional to just walk into the castle and take on Ganon. He looked outside his window to see Link petting Epona. He had gotten used to Link teleporting to where he needed to be then summoning Twilight and Epona to him with the slate. Seeing the boy and the horse together made his guilt rise. It reminded him of another boy that was much younger, riding his own Epona and the song he played on his ocarina that he learned from a sweet, young, redheaded girl.

He didn’t know if Link was still in the yard, not that it mattered. He needed an outlet and he didn’t care what it was. His sword materialized in his hands. With a roar of absolute heart shattering pain he swung his blade, cutting deeply into the wooden wall above his bed. He fell to his knees next to the bed. He held his chest with a quivering hand. His breathing was frantic as he slumped forward, needing to use his free hand to keep himself from collapsing to the floor.

Still unable to breathe properly, he went to his elbows, forehead on the floor. All the memories of Link as a child playing, laughing and loving life went through his mind. Memories of Link singing in the kitchen with his mother, talking to his unborn sister with his little hands on the very pregnant stomach. Of Link racing over excitedly with arms wide open to be picked up by him. His little voice calling out, “Daddy, Daddy!”. Flashes of his son growing up after his mother’s passing, still smiling and laughing, growing into the fine young man she said he would be. The new memories of the past year raced forward. Of Link’s crazy fishing techniques: bombs, bomb arrows, electro arrows or just jumping in after them. Seeing his son being chased by Twilight for doing something stupid. Twilight dragging the teen by his pant leg to bed when he refused to sleep, then lay on him to keep him there. Seeing Link’s confidence grow in himself. Bantering with the boy, only to get into a playful wrestling match in the living room or grass; making Link work to get up as he held him down by his shoulders. The best time of doing that was when he was on his back, arms and legs locking Link in and Twilight laying out on them both. They laughed for hours.

The last thing he thought of was the day Link was born. How he stood next to his crib while he slept and thought of how perfect he was just lying there sleeping. He swore to protect him and to be there always. "Freya…" he whispered out loud as he looked at his wedding band that he refused to take off. "What do I do?"

The whole house shook, rattling picture frames to the floor, windows threatened to crack. "Link… no. No!" He teleported to the castle's courtyard. He got there just in time to see the blast from all four Divine Beasts engulf the castle in light. He shielded himself from the blue and white light as he tried to avoid stepping in malice.

He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve to make them stop running. He looked around, trying to find any sign of his son. "LINK?!" he called out. He ran up to and through the gates, desperate for any sign of him. He entered the castle, walking into the sanctum where the king once sat. The red carpet and drapes were fading to a dimmed red-ish pink, worn out over time. What used to be an ornate center floor design, was now a dark pit that he couldn't see into, but could hear the war between Ganon and Link. It was all too familiar.

Barking caught his attention. He turned and saw Twilight trying to enter through the gate, but unable to due to an unnatural force. He looked down at the pit again before going to the wolf's side. "Twilight?"

The young hero went to two feet. "I tried to go with him, but I couldn't get past here and then this, thing , fell from some kind of glowing sack. The floor gave way, taking Cub with it." Twilight took to calling Link by the nickname since they had the same name. Fitting for the wild child and wolf. "That was the Calamity?"

"What did it look like?" He kept scanning their surroundings as they talked.

"Like all the Blights put together with guardian legs."

"That's only the first form of it. Much like most of the other heroes, you have a human form then the beast form. Unfortunately, he isn't lucky enough to go against a Gerudo Ganondorf."

"What do we do?"

"As of right now-!" He grabbed Twilight by the front of his tunic and pulled him backwards. A Guardian was flying overhead, red spot light catching them in its sight. He unhooked his helix blade, aimed and launched it into the flying hunk of metal. As it crashed to the ground, exploding on impact, he summoned his blade back to him. "We get to a better looking point. We are sitting ducks with the guardians still activated. We won't be able to do much, but at least we can see the castle and the land around it. Come on, there is a tower close by."

Keeping to the trees near Central Hyrule Tower, Twilight stayed as a wolf while Dametrius easily took out the stationary guardians keeping guard over the tower. Could they have just landed at the top? Sure, but it was a pain to have to duck down every few minutes because a red dot found you from below.

The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but he could see Twilight becoming restless, picking at the hem of his green tunic he wore under the black pelt. "He will be fine, Twi."

"Right now, sure, but that's not why I'm fidgeting." Dametrius waved his hand for him to continue. "What happens afterwards, after he has won and I have to leave? Outside of you and me, he has been alone. He may have places to go and friends to visit, but he is wild. He belongs to nature and I'm worried about him. He has had you and me constantly, and after this morning…"

He was trying to not think about that.

"Are you okay?"

Dametrius looked down at the hero who was sitting against the pedestal. He sighed, letting his head fall forward, long hair following the movement. "No."

“What are you going to do?”

“I could wait for him. Stay away if he wants me to, or we can try again and make amends. Until then I’ll just have to pretend that I’m okay.” He ran a hand through his down hair.

“You don’t have to pretend. You are allowed to feel pain. It was clear that he hurt you and if the sight of you when he said it didn’t prove it, the holler you made did. We were still there when you did and Cub cried knowing that he did that to you. When we landed outside the castle, he was so angry with himself that he made himself sick. The last thing I heard him say before he ran off was: I’m so sorry, Dad. I will make this right, I promise. Dametrius, he is fighting for his life and everyone else's just to get back to you and right a wrong.”

He wanted to believe him with his whole self, but he needed to hear it from Link and he doubted he would any time soon.

“May I ask why you didn’t tell him?”

“I have learned to heed my sister's warnings when it comes to her heroes.”

Left to his thoughts, he lost track of time until a tortuous bellow echoed across Hyrule Field. Both of them stood side by side at the railing of the tower. A golden orb landed in the field, revealing Link next to Epona. Dametrius’s breath hitched, seeing his son again. His eye sight showed him that Link was sporting a few new burns and his shirt was red in some areas. In a flash of blue, he was out of his Champions tunic and in an almost full set of armor, missing the helmet he never wore as it was.

A swirling mass of pure energy had Link turning around. From the purple and black maliced fog hooves stepped out, each one was at least twenty times bigger than the hero that stood against it. The rest of the Dark Beast came forward. Fire so hot that it was pure white enveloped the monster's head and flowed down its backstraps. It was nothing like Dametrius, or Twilight, had ever seen. It radiated power. It felt so close to Demise that the god could have been tricked to think it was if his eyes were closed. Epoan startled, but didn’t move from where she stood when the colossal monster stomped its hooves, eyes locked on the boy in front of him.

“Ordona help him.” Twilight whispered. “What the hell is that?!”

Dametrius’s voice was haunted. “ Hatred and malice reincarnated. That, is Dark Beast Ganon. This is the end of the Calamity or every single being in Hyrule is about to be wiped from the surface of this country.” Twilight looked up at him with a distressed and dire expression. “I can’t do much against it if Link fails, though I believe he will succeed. If I was restored into my full form then I would be able to help, but not as I am now.”

What he recognized to be the Bow of Light, Hylia’s bow, coming from the sky, hovering between the hero and his final adversary. Even with the apocalyptic beast in front of Link, he still held his courage and mounted Epona. She reared up, ready to follow orders given to her. She truly was the greatest war horse, reincarnated through time next to the heroes in the original timeline that were related by blood.

Link spurred her on as he leaned half way out of his saddle to grab the bow. He put her into a full stride to avoid the extreme fire beam that, if it wasn’t so massive could have been compared to a guardian’s beam, was expelled from the beast’s mouth. The Beast flung his head up, throwing the beam through the air, towards the tower.

Dametrius grabbed Twilight, shoved him to the ground and curled his body over him to cover the Hylian. When the blast missed the tower, he looked the boy over. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah.Thanks” He was helped to his feet.

Zelda’s presence could be felt as three glowing points appeared on the pig-beast’s side, indicating where Link needed to shoot his Light Arrows. The pig shook its head while Zelda was trying to contain the monster long enough for Link to get his shots in.

Over the last year, Link had trained Epona to listen to his commands through his feet. Each foot position with both feet meant a different command. He had a red strap attached to both sides of the saddle to keep him from completely falling off, but allowed him to straddle the saddle backwards if he needed to shoot behind him. Even if Link didn’t fully remember it, he thrived on the back of a horse. It was one of his greatest passions and it was one reason he wished he was in the calvary instead of infantry before.

Link’s depth perception looked off as his first two arrows fell short of its mark. He raised his bow higher, releasing the projectile. The golden circle exploded from the pigs side, causing it to whither and roar. With a patient aim, another arrow met its mark.

The third marker flickered before it disappeared. The beast looked towards Link and stomped around to turn. He avoided its mouth and the hell fire that came from it. He rode under the beast, stopped Epona under it, confusing the monster.

“What is he doing?” Twilight still hadn’t let go of Dametrius’s arm, only squeezing it tighter.

“Waiting it out in its blind spot. Probably doesn’t want to tire Epona, though that is almost impossible.”

Sure enough, three new markers appeared on the other side and Link was back at it again, facing the other direction and Epona galloped forward. The middle marked was met with an arrow easily. Link turned back around in his saddle, directed Epona to turn around and flank the creature. The shoulder marker shattered, leaving the final one on that side. Bullseye!

He again went under the belly of the beast to wait. The one target he didn't get to on the other side appeared and he didn't waste the opportunity to shoot.

He shouldn't have stuck to a pattern. The Dark Beast turned, forcing Link from his hiding spot. He grabbed the saddle horn and slid out of the center of the saddle, keeping the far leg somewhat over the horse's back. It kept him hidden from the beast long enough for a glowing mark to show on the underside of the pig. Somehow, still hanging on how he was, he fired an arrow into the golden marker.

He sat back up in the saddle, spurring Epon. He went between the Beast's front legs for the shot that would end it all. As fast as Epona was or the change in directions she went, the hellfire beam scorched the field, catching the horse and rider in it.

"CUB!!" Twilight screamed out when they watched Epona roll over him.

The sky became red as it would during a blood moon and a heavy rain poured down. The Dark Beast was stomping closer to where Link was sprawled out on the ground, Epona's lifeless body trapped his right foot under her. He was shoving at the saddle, trying to get it to move so he could finish the fight. He cut away the red strap that was tangled around him while still wiggling around to get up.

With enough rocking back and forth with his left foot against the saddle, his right foot was freed. He landed on one knee when he tried to stand, clear that the pain had forced him down. Dametrius would never say the words out loud and was hating them in his mind, but he was thankful for the damn Pigeon and the gale he gave Link. He used the gift and flew into the air and when the beast opened the center, golden eye, Link used his born ability and slowed down time as he pulled the bow.

One shot… just one… Link's job was done.

He was exhausted, if him falling to the ground at too fast of a rate meant anything, pulling out his paraglider yet still smacked hard on the ground.

Zelda burst from the last spot Link shot and landed on the ground. Golden light surrounded her and she was a holy sight to see. The Dark Beast tried to intimidate her by ramming its tusks into the ground at her feet, but she stood emotionless against it, standing her ground. In all her glory, Zelda brought forth the light she held inside her. The light of Hylia. The beast startled and stepped back. It threw its head back with an earthquaking roar, turning into the flying form it once held as it circled the castle.

To Dametrius’s right, Twilight grabbed his head with a groan. Dark magic lived inside him from the Twilight Realm and this evil was trying to attach to anything it could. He side stepped while stepping back. He nearly fell over, but was caught in strong arms. Dametrius sat down with the struggling hero between his legs, back to chest. As Twilight grappled with the pain, the god rubbed small circles against his chest while the other hand was laid across the younger’s forehead to hold his head up since he was having difficulty doing it alone. From where they sat, the fight could still be seen.

The monster circled around to fly at Zelda, but she raised her hand that held the full Triforce. Her sealing light glowed in her palm, only getting bigger and brighter as the beast raced towards her. The Dark Beast was no match for Goddess’s blood born child. She exorcized the embodiment of evil from the world just as her predecessors and ancestors did before her.

The skies cleared, rain stopped to unveil the triumphant Hero and Princess after one hundred years.

Twilight stilled in his arms with a sigh. “Twi, they won. Look.” They watched Link get to his feet, her look at him then him going to a knee to bow. When Link stood up, the Princess looked guarded. She probably didn’t know if he truly remembered her after only a few memories she left him to find. The father had a smile as Link raced forward and wrapped his arms around the girl, lifting her off her feet. Her arms were around his neck and from the tower, Dametrius could see the tears and relief on her face.

“Come on, Link will want to see you.” Dametrius stood, helping the other up. When the hero turned into his four-legged form, they teleported to behind Link. Dametrius didn’t show himself, only dropped off the wolf. He stuck to the shadows of the nearby trees like he once had, still in hearing range of the three.

He crossed his arms and leaned against a tree when Zelda gasped. Link unwrapped his arms from her and turned around to see his companion. Zelda laughed when Twilight bowed to her. “Hero of Twilight, thank you for staying by my hero’s side all this time. You may resume your Hylian form if you wish.”

The wolf shifted uncomfortably before the black squares covered him and he was on two feet, sheepish grin on his face.

“Twilight?” Link asked.

“Hey Cub."

“I knew it!” Link sounded more excited than anything else. “I knew there was no way a wolf could be that intelligent and not have a secret to tell!” Link ran and jumped into the other boy’s arms.

“I’m so proud of you, even if you did reduce the years of my life by half.”

“I was not that bad… Was I?”

Twilight put him down on his feet, ruffled his hair and gave a look of ‘your kidding’, “Yes, you were. Wouldn’t trade it though.”

The three laughed for a short time. Link looked down at his boots, toeing at the dirt under them. “Did… Is-?” He seemed to be struggling with his words. “Where is he? Did he-? I have so much to apologize for.”

Dametrius straightened up, realizing that Link was asking about him. He walked half to the three when Twilight smiled at his cub, then up to him.

Link turned to see what Twilight was looking at. The father and son locked eyes, stopping the father in his tracks. “Dad…” Dametrius’s heart skipped a few beats hearing that one word. When Link took a step in his direction, he let out a holler, grabbed at his head and fell to the ground.

“Link!” Dametrius turned his boy over only to see his face scrunched up in pain, eyes closed, breathing heavy. He took the slate from Link’s belt and handed it to Zelda. “Go to Hateno, we will be right behind you.” She nodded and was gone in a stream of blue.

[fatefulfaerie]

I posted 739 times in 2022

221 posts created (30%)

518 posts reblogged (70%)

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I tagged 339 of my posts in 2022

#writing improv - 114 posts

#zelink - 65 posts

#link's pov - 39 posts

#botw - 27 posts

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Longest Tag: 136 characters

#not me adding drama to my own writing like robert pattinson riding the tram to the graveyard set in harry potter and making ghost sounds

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Botw AU where everything is the same except when this happens:

Link breathes out a very sincere, slightly heartbroken, and completely infatuated “You’re beautiful”

YES I JUST WATCHED PRINCESS MONONOKE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER WHAT ABOUT IT?

Also yes he would have said that in canon if he wasn’t so exhausted change my mind

116 notes - Posted January 14, 2022

#4

Bargain

Direct continuation of this comic by @chimpukampu

“Now then, shall we strike a bargain?”

Link’s eyes burned like the blue flame atop the hill to the east as he clutched Zelda’s limp form. Hylia’s smile did not change, her soft smile that was menacing when coupled with horns and an ebbing purple energy.

“What deal did she make?” Link growled, his anger making his words slow and clear. He knew the boundaries of the evil spirit in this statue, knew it’s malice was limited to the rules of fair trade. His glare demanded an answer from the statue.

“A simple one,” the statue replied. “She asked that I leave her alone. I said I would, if I could take something precious from her. She agreed, thinking I wanted jewels or rupees.”

The statue paused.

“Such a precious, precious soul...”

Link seethed with anger, breaths heavy and furious.

“Her soul for mine!” Link exclaimed, without hesitation.

The statue stood silent, readily ignoring Link.

“Did you hear me?!” He asked loudly with a cry in his heart and an approaching soreness in his throat. “Her soul for mine!”

Tagging @embyrinitalics to continue. Hoping to get a string of people to participate. Yes, I did turn this into a tag game. I’m interested to see where it goes! If you’ve been tagged, write a couple lines (or paragraphs if it strikes your fancy) and then tag some one else to continue the story. 🤞🏻 this actually works.

Edit: If you don’t have the time to participate, embyr, just let me know and I’ll tag someone else. No worries!

119 notes - Posted March 16, 2022

#3

Poor Timing

Calamity drills.

She hated calamity drills

They happened at least once a month, but were never consistent. They had to be a surprise, to prepare the castle for the actual calamity, and they had to be when Zelda was in the castle, otherwise what was the point?

Zelda never knew whether to take that as her father’s lack of faith in her preparedness, or her father’s belief that she was an integral part of the equation. She didn’t like either.

Bronze bells with ropes hanging from their innards were installed throughout the castle years prior and after a couple squires got a seriously scary talking-to from the king about ringing the bells as a prank, their echoing chimes always meant some form of orderly chaos.

Knights and generals would hurry to their assigned positions throughout the stronghold, some hurried to castle town, some took stances upon watchtowers, most were strategically placed within the castle, and they all had to learn to do it as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Zelda and Link got to discover the millions of different ways to the sanctum, from the library if Zelda was reading when the bells rang, from Zelda’s chambers if Zelda was sleeping when the bells rang, all the way from the gardens if Zelda was trying to derive some peace from the daily promise of calamity when the bells rang. Even if Zelda was praying in the cathedral, Link would take her hand and run.

General Thorne was usually at the Sanctum waiting for them, ready to report to the king that yes, the maiden that bears the blood of the goddess and the knight with the sword that seals the darkness had made it in a timely manner. He didn’t seem to notice that the pair were always panting when they arrived, Zelda’s hands on her hips trying to take back control of her lungs with a bit of grace and dignity. Link, in contrast, would double over with hands on his thighs while he regained his composure. 

During the most recent drill, Zelda made a mental note to always carry a stamina elixir so that Link would be well-equipped to spring into action and defeat Calamity Ganon in a super-human manner.

She made the elixir the morning after that drill, yet the sweat from their run the day before still felt grimy upon her skin, so she elected to spend the rest of the morning in her private wash-basin, two doors down the hall from her chambers.

The surface of the water was laden with Warm Safflina and Hyrule Herb, the former to make the water warm and the latter to renew health. She tried to forget the calamity as she lay there, her head resting against the rim of the basin. Eyes closed, she could still feel the steam ebbing onto her face. She felt relaxed and content, and for brief minutes at a time, she could afford to not worry about her absent sealing power.

When the warm safflina wore off, she stepped from the basin with small splashes before crawling out unceremoniously. She wrapped a white towel around herself and reached a hand up to her hair. To no surprise, it was ridden with knots and unmanageable as she attempted to claw through it.

And then the bells rang.

Zelda froze, eyes wide and heart panicked. They just had a drill. This was not a drill. This was not a drill.

“Zelda!” She heard Link exclaim, he sounded panicked. He banged his fist on the door. He tried jiggling the knob “Zelda!”

The calamity was here, and she didn’t have her sealing power. A large, almost explosive thud shot her head to her right and out of her trance. Link had busted open the door by shoving his shoulder into it, but his eyes were closed and covered with one of his hands. The part of the face Zelda could see was red.

“Take my hand,” Link said, one of his hands extended to her. “We’ve gotta go.” Zelda nodded and did just that, running with him to the sanctum while furiously clamping at the towel to ensure it stayed closed. She could only assume that he had opened his eyes at some point, because he didn’t run into any walls.

She wasn’t sure whether she felt more ashamed about the fact that she didn’t have her sealing power, or about the fact that soldiers kept ogling at her in her condition, water still dripping from her.

Everything was a blur until they stopped at the sanctum. Yet, General Thorne was nowhere in sight, which would have confirmed that the Calamity had come if it weren’t for the fact that the calamity was also nowhere in sight. Zelda clutched her towel tight as she panted, staring at the empty sanctum and relieved for the moment. She leaned against a pillar as she caught her breath, and her gaze slowly drifted to Link. Zelda kicked herself that the thought didn’t cross her mind to grab the elixir. Then again, she didn’t even have time to get dressed.

“False alarm!” They heard someone yell from down below, and Zelda breathed an even deeper sigh of relief, closing and opening her eyes. “False alarm!”

The announcement was repeated at various volumes throughout the castle, and Zelda swore she heard a couple groans from nearby soldiers.

But not from Link. In fact, she’d never heard him complain in the slightest, he never even looked annoyed, it was either neutral or–and this was much more prominent recently–worried.

“How…covered are you?” Link finally asked when he caught his breath, refusing to face her and leaning against a column himself. Zelda blushed, did he think she had nothing at all?

“I have a towel,” Zelda explained, treading forward. “Down to my calves.”

Link still didn’t move, his arm against a column and his forehead against the arm. Zelda only really saw his back. His head shook.

“I can’t look,” he said.

“Link, really it’s okay,” Zelda started with a slight giggle. “I’m showing just as much skin as I do in my prayer dress.”

But he refused to open his eyes around her, even going so far as to ask her to walk behind him on their way back to her chambers. It was probably the proper thing to do, but Link seemed far more embarrassed than the other soldiers, who seemed to enjoy the sight until Link’s glare scared them away.

Zelda dismissed Link for the rest of the day once she arrived safely at her chambers.

See the full post

134 notes - Posted March 13, 2022

#2

Cosplay Pics!

See the full post

231 notes - Posted October 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Y’all

Skyward Sword Link CANONICALLY OWNS A PAIR OF SANDALS WHERE IS THE FANART??

260 notes - Posted August 29, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[ashla-respect]

Linked Together by Blood

Chapter 4

***DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN The Legend of Zelda or Linked Universe or any of the songs I end up using; Nintendo OWNS The Legend of Zelda AND jojo56830 OWNS The Linked Universe AU AND the original artist OWNS the songs***

**I ONLY OWN Tyra any other OC’s AND the story plot**

*Mature rating for swearing and violence*

I hope you enjoy and if you don't like then don't Read nor comment I will not tolerate any hate I only wrote this for those who would possibly enjoy it.

Thank You! And enjoy!!

Chapter 4: Malon?

(A/N: The chain explores the village, do some training. Warriors gets stuck in his thoughts and has Time, Twilight, and Tyra help him. Is it time for the chain and Tyra to finally meet Time’s wife Malon?)

Narrators POV:

The next morning after Tyra’s nightmare, the chain spent the day exploring the village, seeing as they were too tired to do so yesterday after stocking up on supplies. Warriors, Hyrule, Wind, and Four went to check out the blacksmith and see what was there. Wild and Legend went looking around the market.

Sky woke up late, and met up with wild and Legend for a bit, before heading off to go pray at a goddess statue by the village’s small church for Hylia.

Time, Twilight, and Tyra, after walking around for a bit decided to head into the forest to do some training (A/N: They didn’t stray too far from the village). They chose a nice quiet area with not too many trees around. Time wanted them to have some privacy but still be able to spot any danger that came lurking.

Warriors’ POV:

Tyra seemed a bit off this morning, she was more quiet than usual. ‘She has the classic “Link trait” -as the nine of us like to call it- of going silent when you’re trying to convince yourself that you’re okay whether mentally or physically doesn’t matter.’

But she did seem to cheer up whenever someone came over to give her a hug.

‘Ha! Leg had to be forced by traveler to go up and hug her. Though he didn’t put up much of a fight as I thought he would.’ Maybe he wanted to give her a hug but was nervous/ shy about it. Though when Time and Twilight saw Vet give Tyra a hug (which was proper) all they did was smile.

‘Tyra, ranch hand, and the old man didn’t join in on teasing Legend with the rest of us. I wonder why?’ Wind, Hyrule, Four, Wild, Legend, Sky, and I all finished what we were doing by midday. Time had told us (minus Sky- Sky was told by Wild) that he, Twi, and Tyra were going into the forest to do some training.

So we decided to join them. when we arrived to where they were training we were shocked still at what we saw.

*Ten minutes Prior*

Narrators POV:

Time, Twilight, and Tyra all finished their warmups of going through the motions of their fighting. When Time thought of an idea that would spice up their training.

“Kitten, you’re ambidextrous like Twilight right?” Time asked. Tyra turned to Time with a smile on her face.

“Yes, pa trained me t’ be ambidextrous since I was young. I’d say starting at 4 he started training me that. Why?” She questioned. Time and Twilight were once again shocked by her answer to the question and just by her in general.

‘I guess Twi/ I truly knew that she would need this skill.’ Time and Twilight both thought at the same time. Time quickly recovered from his shock asking the question he really wanted to ask Tyra.

“I thought it would be more interesting to see if while sparring you can fend off against both me and Twilight. What do you say?” Tyra thinks about this, she’s not sure how Time wants her to fend off him and Twilight.

So she asks, “Do ya mean by sword and shield?” Time nods.

“You should be able to quickly change which hand is holding your sword and which hand is holding your shield.” Tyra thinks a bit more on this. Then she remembers the years leading up to and after her father’s death; how she secretly trained herself how to fight wielding two swords.

When she first started she struggled so much in figuring out the best way to move along with both swords while swinging the swords effectively. Over time she developed the best way to fight with two swords.

The technique basically combined a sword dance with her style of fighting. Which consisted of flips, twirls, jump strikes, and splits. “I ‘ave a better idea.” Tyra starts. Time and Twilight look at her curiously.

“Prey tell.” Says Time. Who’s not sure where she’s going with this.

“Round when I was 14 maybe 15, I started secretly teachin myself how to fight with two swords.” Time and Twilight’s eyebrows jump into their hairlines. As Twilight’s eyes and Time’s one eye go wide in surprise. ‘That’s not what I expected.’ They both thought.

Tyra sheepishly smiled as she scratched the back of her neck. “Heh, I wasn’t any good when I started. But, over time I figured out how to wield two swords in a fight. When pa would take me on some of his missions ‘round Hyrule taking out monsters.”

“They were terrorizin’ people. An’ when pa would get injured I would pick up his dropped sword. An’ along with my sword I would take out the remaining monsters with little to no injuries saving pa!” Tyra explained.

After learning that they had to test out Tyra’s abilities wielding two swords. Time handed her his smaller sword keeping his Goron sword. Then the three of them got in position for the sparring match. Tyra was in the middle with Twilight in front of her and Time behind her.

Soon the match started with Twilight making the first strike. Tyra easily blocked his attack with one sword while twisting her body. Her right side which was holding her Ordon sword which had blocked the attack was closer to her father. They stood there in a temporary stalemate before Twilight backed up from her.

Then she heard Time move to make his attack. Just as he’s about make contact with her, she quickly turns around and holds up both swords crossed in a X above her head to stop Time’s attack.

Time tries to use his strength to knock her down on to her back. But she shifts her feet to be more steady underneath her and put all her body weight into staying up right and all her strength into pushing Time back. Tyra succeeds in pushing Time away from her, then in a spinning kick that hits him square in the abdomen, she knocks him down to the ground.

The three of them continue this song and dance with neither Time nor Twilight managing a hit on her even once, for ten long minutes. When the rest of the chain arrived they are surprised to see the three of them sparring together.

(A/N: They expected to see only Tyra and Twilight sparring with Time watching and coaching from the sidelines.)

Time and Twilight have both worked up a sweat over the last ten minutes. While Tyra has not even broken a sweat the entire time. The scene that shocked the others is Tyra in the middle of Time and Twilight having blocked an attack from both of them on either side of her.

Time attacked from her right and Twilight attacked from her left. Tyra was holding both of them back and steady, while Time and Twilight were struggling to knock her down and get even one hit on her. They stayed like that for a few more moments before Tyra disarms both of them in a twirl moving both her body and swords.

Tyra then places the flat sides of each sword lightly against Time and Twilight’s unprotected necks; right under their chins. The entire area was silent as no one knew what to say. Time and Twilight are frozen staring owlishly at Tyra with their mouths gaping. A long moment passes before Wars, Legend, Sky, Four, Wind, Hyrule, and Wild start applauding and congratulating Tyra. Which wakes up Time and Twilight from their shocked silence.

All this praise causes Tyra to turn sheepish with a blush spreading down her neck with a shy smile on her face. Time and Twilight both clap her on the back with proud smiles on their faces. At that turns around bringing both into a tight hug, hiding her face between their chests.

Time and Twilight worry something is wrong until they hear Tyra let out an embarrassed laugh. “That was amazing!” Wind yelled. Four and Legend both grunt and nod in agreement.

“Holy Hylia, I never knew that was possible.” Said Sky. Wild had pulled out his slate and started recording the scene when they saw the standstill. “I caught it on the slate, so we can view it later. Tyra, you have to teach me that!” Exclaimed Wild with a fire in his eyes.

Hyrule was mumbling to himself saying, “Wha… how? Huh? I…” Warriors was quiet for a while remembering that he read something in his Hyrule royal archive about something regarding Tyra’s technique of fighting. “… Huh. I guess the royal family was wrong.” Mumbles Warriors.

Warriors mumbled that so quietly Twilight and Tyra almost missed it. After that display of strength by Tyra the others were scared of sparring with her. Time, Twilight, and Tyra were too tired to keep sparring so they sat on the side. “What? You’re tired? You don’t look it.” Said Wild. The other’s didn’t believe that Tyra was tired.

“Believe it. It takes a lot of energy to perform that technique. Spent years building up my energy to use the technique.” Tyra explained. She may not look it but she’s about ready to collapse from exhaustion. Time and Twilight noticed this in the way she was carrying herself. Her eyes would drop a tad bit every now and then. Tyra was swaying very slightly on her feet, you wouldn’t catch it if you weren’t paying very close attention. Seeing how the other’s still didn’t believe Tyra, Time stepped in to shut them down.

“Alright, that’s enough. You seven have some sparring to catch up on.” The other’s noticed the disapproving look Time was giving them. “Yes, sir.” They all said. Two of them started sparring. When one lost another would replace them, they kept at it until they were tired.

When everyone was done they headed back to the inn for dinner. After dinner Warriors went up to Time, Twilight, and Tyra. “I can’t keep quiet any longer. I need to talk to you three privately.” Warriors said in his captain tone. The three Hylian’s nodded and Time lead them to the room he shares with Twilight, Tyra, and Wild. “Okay, prey tell why you can’t keep quiet any longer?” Questioned Time.

The three of them had noticed anytime Wars wasn’t preoccupied he was getting quiet and thinking about something the others weren’t privy to. Warriors very rarely went silent, he mostly goes silent when thinking about the War of Era’s. Or about something he’s learned about that wasn’t always true.

Twilight and Tyra couldn’t figure out what Warriors meant earlier in the forest. Warriors heaves a heavy sigh. “Where to start?” Warriors mumbles, loud enough for the three of them to hear him.

Warriors takes a deep breath to steal himself. The he looks to Time with a serious look on his face causing Time to straighten his back and give Wars the same look.

“Sprite, do you remember during the War of Era’s how you, me, and Artemis went looking through the royal archives?” Warriors finally asks after a moment.

That question surprises Time as he was not expecting that. Time calmed down some but was still serious when he answers the captain. “Yes, I do. Why are you bringing that up?” Questioned Time. Warriors motioned for all of them to take a seat.

Twilight and Tyra sit next to each other on one bed, while Time and Warriors sat on the bed across from them. Once they were all seated Warriors took a moment to find the best way to say what he wanted to tell them. The three of them let him gather his thoughts and waited patiently.

“Around midnight almost one, you fell asleep exhausted from all the reading remember?” Time nods when Warriors looked over to him.

“Well, Artemis and I stayed up a while longer. Then I stumbled across this book. Out of all the books in the archive- even the book talking about the Royal Family- it was the fanciest looking book.”

“And the book was all about the Hero of Twilight’s daughter’s life. When I first found it and read it I didn’t think much of it and put it from my mind after reading the whole thing. But looking back it seems like the book wasn’t finished.” Warriors started.

“What do you mean?” Time asked. Was there something wrong with the book? They knew Wars was far from done talking. “… There were blank pages towards the end of the book. It was like whoever wrote it never finished writing it, but it still somehow ended up in the Royal archive. Most of the book was blank pages. None of the pages mentioned how old she was when she died. Goddesses, her death wasn’t even mentioned!”

At that Time, Twilight, and Tyra looked at Warriors wide eyed. ‘How is this possible?!’ The three of them thought. There’s a tense silence for a few minutes before Warriors continues talking. “Artemis came over after I finished reading. I asked her why most of the pages were blank. At first she was confused as to why a book in the Royal archive had blank pages. So she used her magic to inspect the book and she discovered the reason why.”

Wars took a deep breath putting his head in his hands, while Time rubs soothing circles on his back. “… She discovered the reason was because there was a magic spell cast on the book. To keep the rest of the story hidden until the time was right. Back then I didn’t understand what that meant, but I do now. Once this journey’s over Tyra’s story will be completed in the book. Though that’s not what I really wanted to talk about.”

Wars took a deep breath. “I knew I had to tell you all this before saying what I really wanted. There was a section of the book that talked about Tyra’s dual sword wielding. But it said that she never perfected it. Now, that may be a side effect or done intentionally by the spell. I’m not sure.”

Wars sighed. “But also in that book it portrayed Tyra as some weak helpless Hylian who had a rough childhood. I only just remembered about the book when I saw the three of you sparring earlier.” Wars finished. Tyra thought long and hard about this.

“Hmm… Maybe the spell was put on the book ‘cause if ya read it during the War of Era’s then ya’ll would know what was t’ happen in the future an’ cause history t’ change. Which would cause many problems.” Tyra explained.

That made sense because not long before her 21st year Dusk had only started writing the Royal archive book on the Hero of Twilight. Royal archive books are only written after someone worthy of having their own story in the Royal archive dies.

“Ya only get get a book written ‘bout ya I the Royal archive after yer death. Not long ‘fore my birthday, Dusk ONLY just started writing pa’s book. The books are mostly for Royals, and great Hero’s.”

Tyra sighs happily. “When I was 5 pa took me to the Royal archive and showed me the book containing the story of the Hero of Time.” This surprised the three Links. Tyra laughed when she saw their faces.

“Pa said it took ‘im a few years to find the book. But when he did he noticed it had been hidden by someone who knew the Hero of Time. An’ anytime they saw the book they would likely break down, so they decided t’ hide it. They left a note with it saying why they hid the book.”

Tyra took a short moment before continuing. “The letter was never signed so we don’t know who hid the book. ‘Cause the book was hidden the Hero of Time’s story was never told or mentioned in the history of the kingdom. But when pa found it Dusk made sure that EVERYONE in the kingdom learned about the story.” Tyra finished.

Twilight and Warriors didn’t know what to say after learning that. At first Time was angry, then he was curious, then finally settled on grateful. ‘Well it took a while but it seems that I will be remembered eventually. Thanks pup.’ Thought Time.

A few moments passed before Tyra shyly admitted that she’s read Time’s story over a hundred times. That got Warriors laughing. Twilight didn’t know what to say so he stayed quiet.

Time was shocked at first before he got up with the biggest smile on his face they’ve ever seen, went over to Tyra and pulled her into a hug quietly thanking her. Tyra didn’t say anything but she did hug Time back tightly.

The next day they were leaving the village heading north. Just as the sun was about to start it’s descent a portal opened up in front of them. Being Tyra’s first time seeing the portal Twilight and Time told her so much about when she was growing up she was nervous.

But she was ready to pass through the disturbing black and purple portal. When they came out the other side of the portal they saw they were in another forest.

It was night so they found a small cave to camp in for the night. The next morning they ate a wonderful breakfast Wild cooked up, before heading out. Because it was so dark last night none of the ten Hylian’s could determine if any of them recognized it as their Hyrule. Not long after they started walking Time recognized the woods as the lost woods by Kokiri Forest. A bit later they get attacked by one of Time’s Moblins. After they all get healed by the fairies within the forest Time suggests they take a detour.

A few days back Tyra noticed Time writing a letter- her guess to Malon- during one of his watch shifts when she woke from a nightmare. It was not the one about Twilight- the nightmare was one of her more tame nightmares. It was a nightmare about the day Twilight turned into a wolf for the first time, but instead of Twilight it was Tyra in his place.

‘I know he already likely sent a letter t’ grandma Malon about pa and I. But t’ be meeting ‘er so soon… I’m not sure I’m ready yet, but can’t stop it now.’ Mused Tyra. They walked in silence for a while before Twilight spoke up.

“Alright, ya said ‘detour’ but where exactly is this? You’ve been awfully cheerful.” Time chuckled with a bright smile.

“Have I? Well, you could say this place is feeling a lot like home. Speaking of —-” Time says before being cut off by another voice.

“Yer back!!!” Exclaims Malon before running up to kiss Time.

(A/N: Quick warning it’s longer than the previous chapters. When writing the chapters I always hand write them first. Chapter five was 16 pages long! Oh, it almost killed me lol!)

<<Previous Next>>

[dextivefanart]

TOTK Spoilers below

The storm in the sky of Faron. It beckoned me, it called to me. I had much of my strength back, I knew Zelda's story, I just then visited every tower, and I have saved both the Rito and the Gerudo. So from my perch on an island where I defeated a Flux and put a shrine in its place, I glided to a closer island, then created a plane that took me most of the way there.

When I made it inside the storm by a hair, I had no way of seeing. No way of knowing. My only guide was the red eye of a soldier construct, and after defeating it and opening a chest, I eventually decide to glide to the center blind. My leap of faith proved to mean something. The fog cleared up, and I made it to the large island.

There stood giant doors, and I pushed to open them. It took most of my strength, but I was worthy to step inside. There was a mask, and one look at it, its eye lit up and shot a beam of light. A voice in my head knew of me, and told me to follow the light.

I created another plane, and followed the light. Eventually, it led to a platform, which went down and down and down…until the now familiar darkness of the depths swallowed my senses once more. I was led to a factory, where the voice told me to build it a body, using parts in the four warehouses.

I did as the voice, named Mineru, asked. I navigated through the ruins that clearly had its first foot stepped in since many thousands of years ago. I used my wit, and my blade when it was necessary. With no difficulty, I have built the voice a vessel. She told me to go find her secret stone, and invited me onto my back. Unfortunately, riding the vessel was slow, and left me more vulnerable to attack. Along with that, her own attacks were weak, so I had to travel most of the way on foot.

When we made it to the Temple, a monster unlike anything I've seen before appeared - and I have seen my second blue Hinox and first silver bokoblin - a giant construct corrupted by this demon king I keep hearing about. Mineru and I worked together, with her robotic body and my own cleverness. We pushed the construct into the electric fence, shot it down when it began to fly, and what have you. We were victorious.

At her secret stone, I was transported to the realm of sand. There, I was told of the Imprisoning War once more. Except, this time, there were a couple things new to me. Details the other two sages did not speak of: Rauru's sacrifice itself, and what happened right after the Princess received my sword.

I long knew the Princess made a forbidden sacrifice, and I pray to Hylia whenever I get my precious rest that it isn't truly permanent, that there is an undiscovered way of getting my princess back. She can not smile as a beast, she can not sing in her sweet voice without it being bellowing roars (as beautiful as I imagine such calls are, they are music only to the ears of beasts, not to ears of men), and I can not show my devotion as her swordsman. Most likely, my prayers will not be answered, I expect just that. I will still protect the princess even if she does not surprise me yet again.

But hey, I get a sweet robot to add to my roster of sidekicks! Zelda would be impressed!

[daydreamerdrew]

ok this isn’t supported by how Zelda did finally unlock her powers, but my headcanon was always that it was all of the praying that Zelda did that prevented her from getting them sooner, not in that the act of prayer detached her from her powers, but that the amount it took up of her time kept her from studying the ancient Sheikah technology and it would have been through that that she would have unlocked her powers

my idea was that she would have studied the ancient Sheikah technology -> unlocked her powers -> through both her experience with the technology and her powers she would have recognized the way in which guardians and divine beasts to susceptible to malice contamination; as well as possibly the fact that, like the Sheikah technology, the Calamity Ganon itself was buried in the ground beneath them -> she would have been able to alter the guardians and divine beasts so that Ganon couldn’t take control of them; possibly evacuate Hyrule Castle and the area around it, rather than a lot of people dying immediately when the crisis started as he first came out of the ground -> the new version of the plan would have actually worked and they would have succeeded in defeating Calamity Ganon in the first attempt with a lot fewer people dying, rather than him being able to counter them repeating how he was defeated the previous time because they didn’t realize that he had the capacity to learn from that experience

that Zelda unlocks her powers in the game through embracing true heartfelt emotions in a serious act that aligns with them, Zelda instinctively going to protect the already dying Link after he received a grievous injury shielding her from a guardian with his body, seems at odds to me with what had been emphasized previously in the story, though I am sympathetic to that it had to happen at that point in the story somehow. the support we get for that is really just the fact that Mipha finds it helps her when she’s using her healing magic to think about Link, who she loves

there is evidence of Zelda being disconnected from her feelings or avoiding expressions of them prior to the moment where she does unlock her powers, like the bit in King Rhoam’s diary that she didn’t cry after her mother died when she was a child because of what she had been taught was her duty as the princess, but it’s not what’s prominently emphasized in the story. the build-up of the source of Zelda’s problems is how the way she spends her time is controlled

and also the idea that Zelda could unlock her powers through studying the Sheikah technology is thrown a bone in King Rhoam's final journal entry:

"I forced 10 years of training on her... and after all that, it seems her power will stubbornly awaken some other way. Perhaps I should encourage her to keep researching her beloved relics. They may just lead her to answers I can't provide."

[claybrownie7566]

Feathered AU snippet: Trust, Ties, and Down

In case you're starving for content haha. I am working on chapter one I promise, but until it's out and I get everything situated, here is a chunk of the first chapter for you!

"Legend wh-why didn't you say something? This changes everything this....." Sky's voice was shaky and distracted, his tones ranging from wild curiosity to bursting fondness and something a bit sadder. He stood with his hands hovering like he couldn't remember what to do with them.

Legend didn't care. Sky had lied to him.

Indirectly, yes.

But still.

He had stayed when he should have gone. This wasn't his business, and now Legend's most closely guarded secret was out in the open.

What would uncle say?

"Why" Legend said with a glare, "would I have told you?"

Sky's look only softened further, which irritated Legend to no end.

"What makes you think I would've told you" he continued, "after you spied on me? After you broke my trust? Even if all of this was a secret why would I have told you! You. Who's never had to deal with something like this. Sky no offense, but you're probably the last one in the group I would have told about this. And now you're here."

To his surprise the chosen hero didn't get angry. He didn't even really look like Legends words had entered his ears. Had he gone deaf? Shouldn't he yell or scream or storm off like people usually did?

Wasn't that how it worked? Legend snapped and people ran away from him?

Sky took a step toward him and he flinched.

The older hero must have sensed his hesitation because he backed off a bit. Legend cursed himself for being so jumpy. Then again, that was what he was trained to do.

Trust no one.

Keep it hidden.

No one can know.

Sky moved again, this time he was slow, steady, and deliberate with his movements. Legend felt like an animal Sky didn't want to startle. It only fueled his desire to run.

"I'm sorry" Sky said softly, "I'm sorry I didn't respect your privacy. You can be angry with me all you want. You can never speak to me again. You can hate me and I'll understand.... but please....can I just look at you?"

What?

"Look at me? What the heck does that mean?"

Was this some sort of game? Is that what he thought? That Legend had been ambushed and that Sky had therefore won? What did he want?

Legend's confusion must have been plain on his face.

Sky rolled his eyes. He actually rolled his eyes.

Oh mother of Din, Warriors won't believe it when I tell him later.

"I mean" Sky said, "let me look at you for a second vet....please?" Sky said with a desperate sort of laugh.

Legend didn't like it, but he also wanted answers. After a moment, ever so lightly, almost imperceptively, he nodded.

He huffed as Sky knelt next to him. As peeved as the vet was, he couldn't help but be curious as to what Sky was looking for exactly. He watched his companion inch nearer until they were face to face. He backed away a bit instinctively and waited.

A gloved hand reached up to cup his cheek, tilting his chin up ever so slightly. Sky's blue eyes met Legend's violet ones, and the hero seemed to find what he was looking for. His eyes widened with recognition and so much more.

Legend stayed quiet, and Sky smiled approvingly.

"Goddesses above. After all this time" he chuckled out.

"What?" Legend said, suddenly terrified of what Sky had seen, "what did I do?"

Sky's face fell slightly, "oh! Nothing, nothing! You're fine I just....." He smiled again, easily and so, so fondly, "you look so much alike."

Ok what is with this guy? Who says something that cryptic without continuing the sentence?

"Are you gonna elaborate or just leave me feeling weird forever?"

Legend prayed to the three it was the former.

Sky continued to stare at him as he took a deep breath.

"You look like Zelda" he decided, "My Zelda. And uh" he paused to tilt Legend's chin again, "well...and a little bit like me."

Woah.

Woah woah woah woah WOAH.

Hold the horses. Stop the presses.

"What?" Legend said in disbelief.

Sky shook his head a bit, brushing the pad of his thumb across Legend's cheek. It felt different than before. He had to keep himself from leaning into it.

That was new.

"I'm saying" Sky began patiently, "that you look like my Zelda. And like me. You're royalty obviously, and you were gifted wings like the rest of our descendants. So.....I guess I'm seeing you differently now that I....well......now that I know you're mine."

I'm? I'm what?

Legend sat there, staring into the face in front of him, trying to wrap his mind around it all.

There was no way in Farore's forest that was true. There's no way that-

"My Zelda"

So Sky and......that means that.....oh Nayru above....

"You're lying there- there's no way!" He spluttered, his wings flapping in defiance behind him. His hands found his hair and began clutching at the pink locks. Sky shook his head.

"I'm a lot of things. But a liar isn't one of them."

"So what are you right now?" Legend prodded, hoping to sweep the chosen hero's words out from under him. To gain some sort of ground after the Earth shattering revelation thrown at his feet.

Sky smiled. "Proud, mostly. And a little bit sad.......Legend why have your wings been bound all this time?"

His brain short circuited.

So it was true then?

"You mean to tell me that I am actually your descendant?"

The hero nodded again, "yes.....you're ours no doubt about it. You're mine and Hylia as my witness I'm never letting you go."

Legend could only go still as Sky's arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace. He went rigid, but didn't pull away.

How could he?

Sky smoothed the soft pink feathers on his aching wings, and Legend nearly wept. It had been so long since he had felt that kind of touch. He should be terrified and ashamed. He knew he should break away and try to run, but something inside him kept him still.

Kept him silent.

A hand reached up to cradle the back of his head, flattening his hair and commanding his muscles to relax. He leaned into the hug, letting Sky trap him in the warmth of his arms, and the lullaby of his beating heart.

The heart that pumped the blood they shared.

The older hero shifted and began rubbing circles between Legend's wings along his spine, soothing the ever present ache that had settled there.

"Whatever you past may be" Sky said quietly, "it doesn't matter to me. Your wings are a gift, Legend. A gift and a legacy I am so proud to share with you."

The veterans eyes slipped shut, comfortable for once in his life, and so strangely content. It had been literal years since he had felt this safe, this warm, this loved.

It was soft.

Soft as down.

And for once he didn't want to hide it.

[pastelsandpining]

Whumptober Day 3

sticks and stones may break my bones but...

taunting | insults | “who did this to you?”

kingdom come - corrupt!zelda au part 2 | part 1 | part 3

warnings: gaslighting, manipulation, death mention, cursing, survivor’s guilt

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

From what little he could remember, Princess Zelda was nothing short of lovely. She was the sort of kind that came from a genuine place, unlike the fake kind that so many had offered him because he was the one burdened with the sword. Even when she was mean to him in the beginning, he could see the good in her heart, the passion in her voice, the brilliance in her mind. She was a girl willing to do anything for her kingdom and for people who didn’t even bother believing in her. She was so painfully human beneath the crown and the gods and the sealing power that it was impossible not to like her. The only thing she wanted above all else was to save her people.

And now, a century later, she was nothing short of cruel. 

For days, Link could not go outside of the Sanctum for fear of Zelda setting the Calamity loose on him. On Hyrule. 

“You can go,” she’d told him from her seat in the throne, looking every bit the queen she was always meant to be, “but he will follow you, and wouldn’t it be a shame if the Calamity was brought about by the very hero destined to slay it?”

And when she wasn’t in the throne, gazing out at her kingdom with blank eyes, she was toying with him in whatever means she saw fit. She’d long since made him discard the Champion’s Tunic in favor of the Royal Guard’s Uniform, telling him she’d always preferred how formal he looked in it. It disgusted him after that and he fought tooth and nail to keep the last piece of his Zelda he had left, because this was not her. 

“How loyal you are to a girl you remember so little about,” she said, tangling her fingers into his hair. He’d shoved her hand away from him and replied, for the first time since his imprisonment began, “You know nothing about me.”

Zelda smiled then, gripping his chin with enough force to dig her nails into his cheeks, and answered him very simply, “Oh, Link, I know everything about you.”

The worst part was that there was no malice to her. Her skin was pale and soft and did not hurt to touch, and her eyes were green and familiar with no trace of the pink or orange Calamity Ganon made him so familiar with. She was completely, wholly herself, and not herself at all. 

She was not terrible to him, either. She took caution not to hurt him, even when her grip became too tight or her nails caught his skin. It was the things she said, the empty gaze behind her eyes, the twisted smile that made her so unlike the Zelda he hoped to find. He almost rathered she bite him with teeth instead of words, hurt him physically instead of where she knew it would hit closest to home. 

Something had made her particularly agitated today. He didn’t care to know what. As long as she stayed far from him, he could continue his brainstorming of just what he had to do to get out of here without the Calamity or Zelda following him. The Calamity did not sleep. Neither did he–not peacefully, at least. He wondered if it was the same for her, then decided he did not care. Zelda didn’t stay in the Sanctum. Hylia knew where she went, but she would always return to torment him further, looking so much like the girl he’d once worn his heart on his sleeve for. It was painful, and he would be ever frustrated by his inability to grasp the stoic mask he’d mastered all those years ago. Something would always slip. She would always get him, whether it be a flicker of his eyes, a tug of his mouth, a twitch of his hands. She did know him, far better than he wanted to admit, and he needed to get out of there before she learned how to use that against him.

“Link,” she called out, her voice soft enough to float to him in the gentle breeze. “Come here, please.”

He did not move. He turned his back to her instead, continuing his work of cleaning the Master Sword. It wasn’t dirty by any means, but it gave him something to do and he quite liked the way Calamity Ganon reeled back at the sight of it glowing in his hands. 

“Link,” she repeated. He could hear the edge of growing annoyance this time. Link spared her a glance of his eyes in acknowledgement, but nothing more. Then she was in front of him, pulling the sword forcefully from his grasp and holding it out of his reach. “It goes against conduct to be so rude to the princess. Shouldn’t you know that? You’re supposed to serve. Answer when you’re called like the loyal little dog you used to be.”

“You’re not her,” he argued simply. Her laugh was deranged, bitter, and she used the tip of the sword to lift his chin, forcing him to meet her eyes.

“You don’t even remember her,” Zelda taunted, so bitterly cruel, and it twisted his heart just as it always did. “What did she do for you, Link? Left you pictures? Thirteen measly little shots of Hyrule, and they were all about her, weren’t they? So much for the Champions.”

Link pursed his lips in stubborn silence. He would give her no response, no satisfaction, but her eyes glittered as if he already had. He hated when she talked like that, because it solidified that she was not his Zelda, and stoked the flames of the fiery fear that she was long gone before he could ever get to her.

“You’re not the girl I died for,” he spat at last, leaning away from the sword before she could use it to impale him. He wanted a rise from her, to affect her in the way she was affecting him, but as soon as the words left his lips, he wished they hadn’t. Something in her eyes darkened and she tilted her head, regarding him with a frown.

“No,” she agreed quietly. The way her lips curved up into a beautiful smile was cruel. “She died with you.”

With those simple words, she threw the sword onto the ground by his feet, discarding his heart along with it, and turned from him to walk away. The skirts of her blue dress trailed the floor behind her and the sense of anger, of guilt, that washed over him did not want to let her walk away from him. She shouldn’t be able to. She shouldn’t have the right to keep him here, to toy with him, because of an obligation he had a century ago. When he’d agreed to face the Calamity, to find her again and free her of her prison, it was not this Zelda he’d made that promise to. So he did not hold his tongue.

“Who did this to you?” he snapped, standing to follow her. She paused in her stride and he took the opportunity to grab her wrist, but she yanked it from his grasp and spun on him with a sea of anger in her eyes. “Tell me, Zelda.”

“You will know your place, soldier,” she ordered, her voice cold as her hand gripped his chin again. “You will be careful of your tone when questioning my authority.”

“Zelda,” he repeated, softer this time. “Please. You owe me this-” 

Her grip tightened, her nails digging into his cheeks, and he knew he’d greatly displeased her.

“I owe you nothing,” she said, but her grip loosened and she turned away again. 

“I came here for you,” Link replied, the growing desperation evident in his voice. “Everyone asked me to help you. You asked me to help you. And everything I’ve done– It was all for you, Zelda.”

“It seems I was wrong to call you a loyal dog.” She turned back to him, the smile on her face wicked. “Perhaps the more fitting term is bitch. I called, and you obeyed. But now, the little puppy wants to bite back.” 

She set her hands on his shoulders and shoved before he could do so much as back away. His knees hit the marble floor and he had to stick out a hand to catch himself.

“Your bite always was bigger than your bark,” she taunted, and her expression was suggestive. Whatever she was implying, he couldn’t remember it.

“You’re being cruel.”

“Do you want me to be cruel, Link?” A slender finger lifted his chin. “Because this is nothing.”

“I want to know who did this to you, because this is not the Zelda that I-“

“Remember? Pray, tell, what do you remember? I’m actually rather curious.”

“I remember a girl so bitterly human that she gave everything for her kingdom.”

“And look where that’s gotten me!” Zelda exclaimed, stepping back from him so she could turn away. Link took the opportunity to rise from his embarrassing station, his eyes ever studying the fallen princess before him. Her shoulders did not sit as high as they usually did. Something in his words had stung her. If she wasn’t so mean, maybe he would have apologized.

“Human. Tch. Is that what you see? Perhaps you fail to realize that humans are capable of terrible things. Did you know that, long before our time, the horrid Calamity you see before you was nothing more than a man?”

Link reeled back, looking at her through furrowed brows. 

“Something like that did not come from a man,” he argued–it couldn’t have–but Zelda did not look at him. In fact, she carried on as if she hadn’t heard him at all.

“A simple Gerudo chief, longing for nothing more than to help his people. A people that distrusted him. Hyrule distrusted him. Sentenced him to death because they couldn’t bear the thought of a man who wanted to use power to improve lives. No matter how genuine he was, it was never enough. The Calamity and I are quite alike in that way.”

Calamity Ganon had shuffled closer, bowing to the princess before it, and she extended a hand to run her fingers through the matted, wild mane of red hair on its head. Link wanted to pull her away, to convince her that she was not like that thing at all, but he was too rooted to his spot in surprise to make a move.

“Hyrule tried to have him killed,” she continued, her voice quiet and far away. “As it would turn out, it is not easy to kill someone who holds an ancient power of the gods. You know that already, don’t you, Hero?”

She turned her head, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, and his breath caught. He shifted, the struggle to maintain his composure getting the best of him, and he took a step backwards. 

“When they could not kill him, Hyrule chose a different route. They took him beneath this very castle and brought forth the Sheikah to pry the energy out of his body. For lifetimes, we have been living off of a dying man’s life force. How else was the Calamity able to possess ancient technology so easily? It is no wonder that Ganondorf harbored enough hatred to transform into malice–into the beast you see now. And Hyrule would expect me to seal him away, bury our sins along with him for another ten thousand years.”

It was all too much to hear. Too much to take in. But Zelda turned to face him and was relentless in her story. She did not give him time to breathe, to process all she’d said, before she was speaking again, backing him into one of the Sanctum pillars. 

“I sat alone, for one hundred years, and the Calamity was my only company. I was surrounded by malice, by whispers of his hatred, echoing in my head until it was all I could hear and I couldn’t breathe, but it was too late for anyone to care because everyone I’d ever held dear to me was already dead by the time I thought about letting it consume me, too. And then, when I thought all hope was lost, when I spent years watching that stupid shrine on the hill, waiting and waiting for your body to show any sign of life, it started to speak to me. And it was sweet. It understood me. It understood how so many of my people doubted me, how I doubted myself. It helped me in those lonely years, Link. I was going mad.”

She brought a hand up to his face, holding his cheek so tenderly that he couldn’t help leaning into it. He could see, now, the tears glittering in her eyes, the pain in her expression. She was familiar, then–just the girl sobbing in his arms as the world burned all around them. 

“I watched you die,” she whispered out, rubbing her thumb over his skin. “How am I supposed to be alright after that?”

Her words wrenched his heart from his chest. How guilty he felt then, for failing her. For selfishly letting her hold him in those final moments. For making her watch as the breath left his body. He would never quite be able to forget the way she looked down at him in such horror. 

“I’m sorry,” he replied, quiet as the wind. For failing. For making her wait so long that she’d been driven mad. Her smile was soft, weak, but genuine. He wondered vaguely if, when he held her in those woods in the midst of the Calamity, he’d wanted to kiss her then, too.

“Do you know who decides right from wrong?” she asked softly. Link shook his head. “The side you’re on. My side has changed, because I’ve decided that I don’t want the help of gods who turned their back on me as I groveled at their feet for the salvation of my kingdom.”

“So you side with the being that brought it to its knees?” he argued, pulling his face away from her touch at last. He felt so empty without it.

“What choice did I have?” Zelda fired back, her voice raising as she crumbled into hysterics. “The Calamity brought down the strongest people I knew. I’m hardly a quarter of what you all were. I did what I could, I sealed it, and then I realized that it was right. Hyrule should be destroyed! And if you think you’re here to slay it, then I suppose you’d better shove your sacred sword through me, first.”

Link stepped backwards, hitting the pillar again, and he felt like crying. 

“I can’t seal the Calamity without you, Zelda,” he tried, reaching a hand for her. She swatted it away, fixing her once vulnerable gaze into an icy glare.

“Then you’re not sealing a thing. You asked who did this to me, but you fail to see the obvious. I did this to myself, Link. You have no idea what it was like.”

She turned away again, filling him with an overwhelming sense of panic. No, he couldn’t let her walk away. This conversation couldn’t be over. There had to be something he could do, something he could say, that would bring her back, keep her from the hands of the Calamity.

“Why do you keep me here?” he asked, stepping after her. “Why do you—“

“I should think that would be obvious,” Zelda replied, pausing to glance back at him. “I loved you, you know, and you’re here on your own accord. You could leave rather easily if you pleased, but you stay. Why? Is it out of fear that Ganon would follow you? No, I don’t think it is.”

Link frowned, feeling sick. He wanted more than anything to ask what she meant by that, to press her further, but she kept walking and only said,

“You should pick up your sword. Wouldn’t want to offend the Goddess.”

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

masterlist | whumptober by day | whumptober by collection | original post

[deiliamedlini]

WIP Wednesday

I have been mentally down and writing poorly for a few weeks now, and even my friend was like “oof, yeah don’t post this yet. It needs work” and thankfully has been stopping me from making rash decisions like randomly posting fics to AO3 on a whim.

The WIP below (even though it needs more editing) is the beginning of the new fic I’m going to post next. I’m finally back to the pirates too, which is making progress, but is just slow going because I’m making sure I’m not forgetting plots (which I already have so I am not rushing the chapter but it is in progress finally!).

It’s a Pre-Calamity AU with heavy emphasis on the AU. It’s basically Zelda being forced to train with Link for her safety. Antagonistic-but-not-enemies, to friends, to lovers trope. I want to call it Dance With Me because it’s not really about dancing (I like the other meanings of the phrase), but my friend says it sucks as a title and now I’m rethinking 😂 I’m doing so well! 

~~

When Princess Zelda was seventeen years old, she’d been fully prepared to die.

Ancient prophecies had foretold a Great Calamity that would sweep the land of Hyrule into a great blight and destroy it all unless those chosen by destiny could stop it.

Zelda had been one of those who’d been blessed by the Goddess’s alleged favor: Hylia’s spirit and magic coursed within her.

But the wielder of the Master Sword hadn’t been found in time.

Four champions stayed by the Divine Beasts: Urbosa, Revali, Daruk, and Mipha. And for a year, the five of them waited while King Rhoam of Hyrule went on a mad search for the Chosen Hero and for the location of the Master Sword itself.

Zelda had spent that time relentlessly pursuing the Goddess’ power; she passed out in the holy springs, prostrated herself before Goddess statues for hours at a time, devoted every waking second she had to prayer. But despite her greatest efforts, her attempts were fruitless.

But perhaps the Goddess were showing their favor after all, because despite every prophecy, despite every prediction, wall carving, and palm reading, the Calamity never came, and Zelda was spared a horrific death at the hands of darkness incarnate.

One year after the predicted date, the Champions felt like they could finally move away from the Beasts, ever watchful, but able to maintain some of their daily lives. Zelda stopped spending day and night in freezing water and instead moved to the Temple of Time where the weather was bearable, and the distance was well within reach of the Castle while still spending most of her time in holy grounds.

Two years after the predicted date, the Champions began to lead normal lives again, freely leaving their domains, though they were still ready to return at a moment’s notice. Zelda began to spend more time in the library, sifting through ancient tombs and personal diaries of past monarchs, hoping her answer lied in pages rather than prayer.

Three years after the predicted date, the Champions were harder to find on a day-to-day basis. But Zelda remained steadfast and relentless with her nose in books and her knees in the spring’s water. The Sheikah had to pull her out several times. They had to force her into recovery.

But by the fourth year, the Beasts had gathered dust, and Zelda had utterly given up, instead helping Purah and Robbie with their ancient tech and Guardian research, which—despite the lack of the Calamity—still had other practical applications.

It seemed that everything had been built up for no reason, that there was no Calamity after all.

So, it was only when they’d all gotten comfortable that the Yiga Clan, a cult devoted to the demon lord Ganon, began their relentless assault on Princess Zelda, heir to the Goddess’ devastating sealing powers.

The entirety of that year had been spent with Zelda running from attack after attack, losing her guards, losing Sheikah. She was sent back to the castle where Purah set up protective wards around her room that ran off ancient tech, and she continued working on them so they might be able to encompass the entire castle.

King Rhoam’s royal command had been that Zelda could not touch any Sheikah tech. She couldn’t look at Guardians, or ask about runes and wards. So, Zelda returned to her studies once more until her eyes burned from sitting over tombs in the candlelight.

She had to admit, she’d become proficient in her royal duties, following her father to almost everything she was permitted in. What she wasn’t, he’d fill her in on after.

At this point, a vast majority of Hyrule believed the peace was a sign that the Calamity was never going to arrive. The other school of thought, which Zelda subscribed to, was that the Calamity should be feared far more than ever, its unpredictability keeping the other half of the kingdom in a deeply rooted state of caution and suspense ever since.

Though Zelda had asked her father to let her leave the protection of the Castle more often for experiences outside of prayer, his answer was always the same: “I lost your mother to those cultists; I will not lose you as well.”

“I just want to swim in Lake Hylia,” she’d tried once. “The days have gotten unbearable. Please, father? I’ll take an entire company of guards with me.”

“I’m sorry, Zelda. No. You may go to a spring of your choice. The waters there will likely be a cool temperature. Perhaps try the Spring of Wisdom.”

Zelda was 21, though she felt as though one hundred years had passed. She was tired, bone weary with an exhaustion that had set in so deep, she spent a decent amount of her days simply sleeping. When she was awake, she stared at her hand, waiting for magic to miraculously hit her in the face. Perhaps if she stared long enough, the Goddess would take pity on her patheticness.

The days when she’d been sent out to pray were now her favorites. She’d found ways to coerce her guards into taking longer routes, stopping for longer breaks.

That’s what happened on the day her father had reached his breaking point regarding the attacks on her life.

She returned to the castle shaken and sore, but his tight arms held her as his body shook with relief. He sank to his knees and held her in his arms the way he’d done the day her mother died, and he realized he needed nothing more than to hold his child in his arms to remember that the world was still spinning as long as she was alive.

He’d told her that when he’d said goodnight to her, standing in the doorway of her room with poorly concealed heartache written all over his sagging body.

“I’m really fine,” Zelda said for the fourth time that hour. She sat on top of her long, blue satin sheets, sliding a bit as she tried to adjust her leg. Something about being curled into herself in some way helped make her feel comfortable as she smiled to ease her father’s mind.

“Okay. Well, I’m going to stop by in the morning, if that’s alright.”

“Sure,” she said, shrugging as if she were entirely unaffected by everything she’d been through. She was good at that façade after five years of stares and whispers.

“Okay. Goodnight. May the Goddess watch over you.”

That was how Zelda found herself in the library before the crack of dawn, perched on a ladder in the top shelves of the restricted section. She had access, of course, but she was reading an untranslated a Sheikah tomb from a former handmaiden of the Princess of Hyrule before her ascent to the throne. That Princess had practically bled power, and Zelda hoped her handmaid noted something of interest.

She tucked the book under her arm and climbed down, crossing the library that was filled with several lifetimes worth of books, and stopped in the government documents. Her eyes trailed the spines for a familiar one with territories clearly outlined. She went to the language section to grab a reference book for Ancient Sheikah. Though she was mostly fluent in that, among several other languages, the ancient variations on words occasionally tripped her up. So she set back up to her room with her pile of books, ready to be confined by her father for her safety once again.

Zelda nodded to several of the guards she passed as they stood at their post. Despite the castle being one of the safest places in Hyrule thanks to all the tech, guards were still positioned in the most well-traveled places on their patrols, while two guards stood at her door and her father’s.

Biting her lip, Zelda craned her neck around her pile to try to find the doorknob, fumbling her hand around blindly, just barely able to turn the handle. And because the Goddess never wanted to cooperate with her, she dropped two of the books, though she managed to cling to the relic with tight fingers. The other two fell right onto her guard’s foot.

“I’m so sorry!” Zelda muttered, bending to pick them up.

The guard was beside her, nearly banging heads with her as he grabbed the heavy translation tomb. Thankfully for her, he flinched away in time; he was wearing a helmet that covered most of his head, and she didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that metal. “Don’t apologize,” the guard said softly, picking up the other book for her. “Would you like me to…” He gestured vaguely to her room.

“Oh, no thank you. Just stack them on top of this one.” He did, and she took a step inside before backing up. “Actually, would you mind getting the antechamber door for me, please?”

He stepped inside and pushed the second door open before backing up respectfully.

“Thank you so much,” she said, about to use her foot to close the door when she looked back. “And again, I am sorry I dropped a heavy book on your foot.”

He bowed his head and stepped back out, so she closed the door and set her books down.

Her father came into her room early, as promised.

“Zelda,” he said with a strained greeting. The corner of his lip twitched, like his muscles had become tired under the strain of holding it up for so long, and his eyes held no joy, no spark. It was forced chipperness, and Zelda picked up on it immediately.  “May I sit?”

“Of course.”

She sat on a chest at the foot of her bed, and he pulled the chair away from the desk to face her. “Well, let’s not beat around the bush. There have been many attempts on your life, but I have felt none so potently as yesterday’s. When they told me you’d been attacked, all I could remember was the news of your mother. And then when you were brought in…” he ran a hand along a bruise on her cheek that she didn’t realize she had until she felt a flare of pain cause her to flinch. “You are my precious daughter, and I love you. I never want to see you harmed. That said, others do. It’s becoming impossible for you to safely leave the castle.”

Zelda braced herself. This was where he confined her to her room or to the palace grounds for the foreseeable future. She folded her hands over her lap so he couldn’t see the shaking grow more visible.

“You’ve been unable to protect yourself with your powers, so we must resort to other means. You’re to learn to defend yourself, starting immediately. We still need you at the springs, so I cannot command you to stay here. You still are a priestess of Hylia. So, given your setbacks, you’ll need to learn.”

Zelda’s mouth dropped open as she let the words process through her mind. “I’m sorry, what?”

“We’ll hopefully have a sword in your hand soon enough, but you’ll be able to defend yourself from these cultists.”

“A sword?”

“It’s too dangerous. We’ve lost too many guards. And you can’t fight as it is. This is the best option.”

“No!” she said, much louder than intended. “Fight the Yiga?” She shuddered just at the word.

“Zelda, we need you to live. Hyrule needs you to succeed, and to succeed, you must survive.”

Standing up didn’t make it any easier to breathe, as Zelda had hoped. “You think I haven’t tried?” Tears threatened her eyes as her voice cracked on her last word. As if years of her life sacrificed to unreturned devotion wasn’t enough for her. For him. For all of Hyrule. She’d tried, she’d bargained, she’d offered up her comfort, her breath, her mind, her years, her time. She was one person. What was left for her to do?

“Do you think I just stand there and watch my knights get murdered? Do I just drop to my knees and pray? Is that what you think I do?”

“Zelda…”

“No! You’re right, father. I’ll lead the Yiga right to the Goddess Spring that you need me to go to again just so I can brandish a sword and strike one down with my prowess! Because, Goddess knows that my Knights have an easy enough time with the Yiga, so it should be a cinch for me!” The sarcasm oozed from her in an unintentional venom drip.

“You’re telling me that I’ve failed! You’re telling me to give up and grab a stupid sword! Give me some armor next time I go to the Temple of Time! I don’t need my priestess garb. I have my sword! Because it will absolutely save me!”

“Zelda, please.”

“Please,” she scoffed, finally feeling a hot tear on her cheek. “You’re telling me I’m going to die! Five years ago, I was ready. I knew I’d failed, but I stood vigil waiting for the Calamity to give my life in the final hope that it might stop Ganon! But now, I was blessed with time, and still I can’t do it! I can’t access her powers. So you want me to fail one more time by using a sword to defend myself? This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, and I was there when Lady Styla proposed that sham of a fashion show to lift spirits.”

“That’s irrelevant, Zelda.”

From the look on his face, she could tell he was not budging. She tried another tactic. “I-I shouldn’t be near a sword anyway! What if I stabbed myself by accident? Then there’s no way I’ll ever unlock mother’s power. I’ll be dead with or without the Yiga! I already dropped a book on my guard today! That could have been my foot with a knife! And before you tell me that there have been warrior queens and princesses throughout the history of Hyrule, that’s because they never met me. I’m not a fighter! I read books all day! I take notes. I can bore the Calamity to death with a detailed review of the territory lines in Northern Akkala! That might be more effective than a sword, at least.”

“Zelda, you’re not thinking of the big picture…”

“But if I don’t unlock the power because of some silly distraction like learning how to fight, then the world will fall to the Calamity. My time will now need to be spent in that wretched training area with all kinds of sweaty men. Do you want your precious daughter exposed to such a sight? Worse yet, what if I like it and decide to spend all my days there with… shirtless men!” She grimaced and blushed all at once.  

“This is the most absurd argument I’ve ever heard. You leave me no choice but to make that a command from your king rather than a request from your father. Because as much as I love you, I also am obligated to keep you safe.”

“Obligated?” her voice cracked again, losing some of her rambling thunder. “I’m an obligation? Is that how you see your daughter?”

She gasped when he let the silence answer for him.

“You start your training now. Your instructor has already been informed and will be ready for you.”

“Who?” she asked, glancing at the four guards at her door. Two hers, two her father’s. They were all hearing her shame. How long until everyone knew?

“He’s the most renowned swordsman in all of Hyrule, one of our best fighters, and he’s about your age, so he should be someone you can get along with.”

“The best fighter in all of Hyrule is only 22? No wonder the Yiga are everywhere, if those are our standards.”

“Be kind, Zelda.”

“Is that another order, My King?”

He sighed and crossed the room, stopping at her door. “One more thing. While you’re there, I’ve given him permission to overrule you if you command him not to train you. You will learn to stay safe, whether you want to or not. Now change and go. He’s expecting you now.” He turned his head to her guards. “Make sure she goes to the training yard, and if she refuses, come fetch me.”

As soon as he was gone, she slammed her door and sagged into the wood.

She did consider hiding out, but she knew her father would simply bring the soldier into her room to train if he had to. At this point, with the number of times the Yiga had come after her, she wouldn’t have really blamed her father if he’d locked her in a door-less room and dropped this instructor in through a hole in the ceiling until she learned to protect herself.  Truthfully, the idea itself—in theory—wasn’t the worst. Except for the fact that the Yiga were deadly warriors who trained to kill for most of their lives and slaughtered companies of trained Hylian knights.

Grabbing her most comfortable pants to train in, Zelda slowed as she remembered the event that had started this all.

The Great Tabanthan Bridge crossed the long expanse of the Tanagar Canyon, and she was always careful of the crossing. The fall alone would not only kill someone, but it’d likely flatten them clean out from a drop of that height. So, crossing it was not something that was taken lightly on a good day.

Being that far out there was entirely her fault to begin with.

She’d desired to visit the Temple to Hylia that was at the edge of the gorge, but she’d opted to lead everyone along the scenic route to enjoy some of her free time outside of the castle. The guards had protested briefly, but Zelda was adamant about a scenic detour.

What she hadn’t been able to predict or expect, no matter how much research she did, was that the Yiga were there, lying in wait for her and her guards.

She’d been bucked clean off her stubborn horse, and she’d been left on the great bridge as three Yiga ran for her. Though she’d gone to run, she was caught by one who appeared in front of her in a puff of smoke.

Trying to fight them off of her had been like the great struggle of praying for the Goddess’ powers: utterly futile, and a waste of time.  

Half of her attempts to shake them had been by holding the rope handle of the bridge and throwing herself precariously close so they’d have to follow.

The soldiers eventually reached her and fended the Yiga off, but they’d also recounted the entire incident to her father in horrific detail: how she was winded by the time she’d run halfway across the bridge, how she nearly fell off the great, how she couldn’t fight any of them off and had been overwhelmed, and how her weak strength had caused two large wounds in her palms from where she’d tried to push a blade away from her at one point.

Glancing down at her now-healed hands—thanks to the castle medics—Zelda pulled on her boots and tugged up the laces tight. She wasn’t weak. She just wasn’t… physically domineering. But put any puzzle, any riddle, any impossibility in front of her and she’d find the solution. That’s not weakness. That’s strength. She is strong… just not traditionally.

Her shirt was loose, and she tied up her hair before looking at herself in the mirror for a long time, finally noticing the bruise she’d sustained. She was going to hate this almost as much, if not more, than she hated horseback riding.

Resigned to her fate, Zelda trudged slowly toward the training yard, hoping to be late enough to at least remind everyone that she didn’t want to be there.

Glancing at the sun, she’d determined that she managed to be at least fifteen minutes late. Not bad. She could do worse next time.

The yard was empty of the usual hustle and bustle that went on, and she imagined that her father must have ordered it be kept clear for her private sessions. But it was also clear of an instructor.

She stood in the middle of the training yard and fisted her hands tightly as she looked around. No one. Her eyes narrowed at the empty space, searching for some sign of trickery. But the only others there were the two guards she had brought with her.

“Is this some sort of a joke?” Zelda asked, placing her hands on her hips. “Hello?”

There was no answer.

Shrugging happily to herself, she was ready to leave, but one look at her guards standing near the entrance reminded her of her father’s orders to fetch him if she didn’t go; either she stayed here long enough to prove that she made the attempt, or she’d be embarrassingly dragged back down by her father’s guards, humiliated as they would keep hold of her arms to ensure she followed them right back here. Her father would make sure she was here, no matter what.  

Crossing her arms, Zelda walked around. She rarely went to the training yards unless she was up in the parapets, so being down in the dirt and grass felt like she was in an entirely new world. One she didn’t belong in.

There were training dummies lined up against a wall and a worn dirt track in a wide circle around the outskirts of the otherwise square area. There was a bench. There were weapons on a rack.

And that was it.

She looked at the footprints etched in the dirt, kneeling down to read the story told by the shoe treads. There was a large step forward, and then several overlapping smaller ones as the wearer clearly stumbled back. Then a single skid mark as they were forced back. And then the imprint of a body where they’d fallen.

If Zelda were here under any other circumstances, she’d have smiled and tried to find all the stories in the dirt, but instead, she stood back up and sighed, craning her neck towards the barracks just past the archway. No one was outside, and no one was coming.

“Okay,” she muttered to herself, prepared to leave. But her eye caught on a weapon rack, and she glanced one more time at the barracks before heading to the largest spear. She held it, pretending she was one of her knights. Goddess, if a Yiga came at her, she’d die. Fear first, and then clumsiness, because who could control this glorified stick well enough to kill a Yiga?

She shuddered and put it back.

“You can get there eventually,” someone said.

She spun around to see one of her two guards walking towards her. He removed his helmet, shaking out his blonde hair. Zelda watched in confusion as he set the helmet down on a post and pulled a blue band off his wrist to tie his long hair back.

“But only if you’re not fifteen minutes late on purpose,” he said, not looking up at her. “Princess,” he added with a bow of his head.

Her mouth dropped slightly and her cheeks warmed at the light scolding. “I beg your pardon?” she asked, almost doubting if she’d heard him correctly.

She scoffed at his audacity, recognizing the bright blue eyes of the guard she’d dropped her book on. Did he think that a conversation with her this morning gave a guard the right to chastise her?

He held out his hand, and she instinctively handed the spear back, though in hindsight she wished that she’d hit him with it instead. She’d been too stunned. He returned it to it’s place, and walked across the entirety of the training yard without so much as looking at her.

Her feet tumbled after him as she mentally and physically struggled to keep up. What was happening? Why wasn’t he answering her? Why was he even talking to her? Who was this man?

“Hey!” she finally called. He stopped and turned.

That’s when he looked up for the first time, his downcast blue eyes lifting off the dirt and settling on her green ones.

Pride swelled in her when she saw them waver, because clearly her voice had rattled him in some way. He clearly didn’t like looking her in the eye either. His eyes kept darting off of hers, and he had to keep forcing them back. Her own eyes narrowed, trying to understand this guard. “Who are you?”

“Your instructor.” 

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Cozy Christmas Season Comfort! BotW Edition

Two for one! :D

Parts of the Great Plateau were always cold due to the higher elevations, but at this time of the year the entire plateau was blanketed in snow. The white, cold carpet muffled the sounds of hundreds of feet as people flocked to the Temple of Time for the ceremony.

Link took his place in the front pew, flanked on the other side of the temple by the captain of the guard. Princess Zelda stood in the front facing the statue of Hylia as she led the group through the ceremony. As everyone prayed, Link kept his eyes sharp for any danger. He'd save prayer for later when the princess wasn't in such a vulnerable position.

When the ceremony ended, he walked two steps behind her as she exited, his eyes landing on a few familiar faces before returning to scanning the area for threats. He felt a little torn, caught between his duty, his anxiety of being so publicly displayed in front of the people of Hyrule, and his desire to run towards the familiar faces in the pews.

Once they were outside, the princess headed towards the garden where one of the mysterious shrines sat surrounded by stone walls. They entered the maze alone, and Zelda sighed, sitting on a bench after dusting off the snow.

"Do..." she started softly, her voice trembling a little. "Do you really think Hylia's listening?"

Link's heart ached at the question, but he honestly had no idea what to say. Stringing words together in any kind of intelligent way had never been his strength. He had such little self esteem in his ability to communicate properly, it was one of the reasons he chose not to speak while under so much scrutiny.

But he felt compelled to say something.

Unstrapping the Master Sword off his back, he slowly sat beside the princess, keeping a respectful distance at first until she curled in on herself. He was tempted to scoot closer and offer physical comfort, but he was already breaking enough protocol just sitting beside her.

"I think..." he said quietly, staring at the dull grey sky, heavy with snow yet to come. "I think sometimes she answers in ways we don't expect."

"Maybe the Calamity will never come," Zelda supposed. "And that's why I can't access my powers. Because I just don't need them."

Link didn't bother to argue that literally everything pointed against that statement. Instead, he took a steadying breath and said, "No matter what the goddess has in mind, I am your protector, Your Highness. I'll be there for you."

Zelda's rosy cheeks rounded as she smiled at him.

The sound of footsteps caught Link's attention, and he rose quickly, the moment gone. The captain of the guard entered the pathway, bowing to the princess.

"Your Highness, His Majesty is gathering the entourage at the banquet area in Gatepost Town. He requests your presence when you are available."

Zelda rose, regaining her composure and nodding. "Of course. I'll be there shortly, thank you."

The captain bowed again, his eyes locking with Link briefly as the two exchanged a subtle nod of acknowledgement. Then he walked away, giving them privacy. Zelda stepped forward to exit the garden and then paused, glancing at Link. "Thank you, Link. I'm glad I have you."

Link relaxed a little at the words, warmed to the core, and he smiled. The princess continued onward, and he followed two steps behind her, as always.

.

Hateno Village was practically bursting with energy. Children ran to and fro, parents laughing at them and speaking with each other as shopkeepers yelled to get everyone's attention. The festival was in full swing, and everyone was filled with cheer.

Link pointed to another store, Zelda dragged along by his strong hold on her hand. "And this is the dye shop, you wouldn't believe the colors he can come up with. It was great for getting rid of those pesky stains that I--"

Link cut himself off, realizing he was about to admit that he might have accidentally messed up his champion's tunic a little. Zelda didn't seem to catch it, too enamored by everything around her.

"Hyrule kept going, despite everything," she whispered, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Of course it did," Link assured her with a gentle smile, and then hew as momentarily distracted as one of the children waved at him cheerily. He waved back, giggling. When he looked back at Zelda, she was watching him with a strange expression that he couldn't quite read. "What?"

"It's just... you're so much more..." Zelda struggled to find the right words, and then she shook her head. "Never mind."

Link felt his heart clench a little. Zelda was expecting a different Champion from the one she got, he imagined. He wished he could be the person she wanted him to be, but at the same time...

Well. That wasn't something he was going to think about right now.

Biting his lip, he asked, "Do you want to see more of the shops?"

Zelda beamed. "I'd love to."

The pair ran around Hateno the entire afternoon, both gasping in delight as snow flurries started to fall closer to dusk. They made their way to the small statue of Hylia in town and said silent prayers together.

"I suppose you're right," Zelda said abruptly as Link took a small step from the statue to indicate he was finished. "The goddess does answer in ways we don't expect."

Link stared at her, confused. "What?"

Zelda gazed off in the distance, her smile turning wistful and nostalgic. Then she looked at him, and the pure happiness in her eyes made her entire face glow. "I'm glad I have you with me, Link."

The confusion melted into a warm companionship between the two, and Link chuckled gently, relieved to see her smile. "I'll always be here for you, Zelda."

Reaching out his hand, Zelda took it and the two walked side by side to the square to rejoin the festivities.

[three-word-count]

Bitter Thoughts and Drinks to Match

Zelda hates formality and uses a slightly-drunk Link to get the hell out of attending responsibilities. This is based on a prompt someone sent to my main but I realized at the end that the “affection” aspect is more like la croix rather than direct..

Word count is 1881

Read it on ao3 if you want

Overly pretentious would be her first words to describe it.

"You must look your utmost best," her father had said to her. Of course, though, she prepared herself the same way as any other day. It's not like he would notice a difference in her anyhow. 

Her hair swept down her back, pulled away from her face like drapes by a delicately woven band. She was adorned with the classic royal garb she would normally wear to these events, her vibrant irises standing out against the deep blue. Golden crests fringed the edges of her robes and stood proudly on her jewelry to represent her lineage. She hated it. 

She didn't recall having these disgustingly over-the-top galas when her mother was still here. Perhaps the queen preferred to be more comfortable. Or perhaps she just kept Zelda's father in check. With his better half departed, perhaps he'd finally lost it and decided to cope with cheesy extravagance. Zelda had of course become accustomed to the formality of things, living her life as a princess of Hyrule. But you can only tolerate so much in so many years before you begin to despise it. What she wouldn't give to have any other life. These events especially reminded her of it all. Whereas getting dressed in extravagant formal wear and glorifying yourself would normally be viewed as a fun night out for most people her age, Zelda experienced it all as just another tedious, official obligation. 

And this event was even worse than most.

Her father had organized this celebration to bring light to the princess and the "progress in her diligent prayers, calling to our Goddesses and strengthening her power to abolish the Calamity." She truly loathed him.

He has to keep spirits in the kingdom high, he says. The people must have hope, he says. You are their hope, he says.

She wishes she wasn't. 

She sat a bit straighter, wishing she could let out a sigh. Her father remained seated beside her, rigidly formal as ever. Two senior knights were posted beside them, scanning the crowd for any nitwit that would even consider threatening the royal family at a celebratory event, of all scenes. The absurdity of being guarded for one's entire life. The only knight she could tolerate was the little, quiet, reserved boy she had grown to care for who was currently chugging a mug of Hylia-knows-what while being cheered on by a circle of peers. That was a sight she'd never thought she'd see.

Normally, knights would attend events rather seriously, a long table of them in the dining hall sitting rather proudly and eating their well-deserved fill with a single glass of wine. However at tonight's celebration, her father had told the younger members of the Brigade to enjoy themselves, as he was thankful for the work they had done to watch over the princess. Now, when officially granted the freedom to "enjoy yourself", any given person would naturally, fully, enjoy themselves. The king likely considered this beforehand, but as he glared at the boisterous table, Zelda assumed he had expected them to maintain at least some decency. 

She turned her attention back to Link himself as he slammed down the empty mug into the table, making the silverware clatter as his friends let out congratulatory whoops. As he was her personally assigned knight, she spent the most time with him compared to the rest of the royal guards. Before meeting him, she knew him to be "the silent knight" and expected him to stay this way as he irritatingly chased her shadow wherever she went. However, the two began to bond after always being in such close proximity throughout the days. She recalls the first time he spoke to her, his soft voice clashing with his rigidly stoic personality. He slowly began to open up, and Zelda in turn took down her walls. As he was the youngest royal knight, barely older than Zelda herself, she felt a true connection to him. Both were burdened by pressure and expectations at such an unfair age, all public eyes watching their every move. It was a special kind of kinship they shared. 

However, she had never seen this side of him and didn't even think he had this side. She'd heard rumors that his platoon had dared him to eat a platter of rocks, and he had done so quite enthusiastically, but she didn't dare believe it. Now she found herself second-guessing. 

But maybe she could use this to get out of here. 

"Father," she said, "It was quite kind of you to allow the guards to enjoy themselves this night."

He let out an irritated huff of air from his nose, glancing at her as if asking Where are you going with this?

"However," she continued, "I worry that my knight will not be fit to guard tonight if this continues." 

The king turned forwards once again, eyes set on the knights' table like stone. He let out a deep humm as if he was actually considering his daughter's concerns for once. 

"Are you asking for an excusal?" he finally asked, remaining facing forward and as rigid as ever.

That usually wasn't a good sign.

"Yes, father."

Silence.

"If you would be so kind, father, I shall return to my room and pray. My knight may remain posted with me as always." 

Promises of prayer and diligence. He always liked that. He seemed to further mull this over, and then stood. Silence befell the hall and all eyes turned to him before he even spoke.

“I would like to thank you all for attending this gala for our princess. It truly means a lot to her and I, her confidence and abilities improving each day due to your prayers and encouragement. However, our princess must retire early this night, as she has a vigorous prayer routine in order to prepare for her coming journey to the spring of wisdom. We shall allow our princess to return to her devotion, and she offers her appreciation before her departure.” 

And with that, Zelda took her cue to get up and leave as quickly as possible, without either causing confused murmurs or without her father deciding to call her back. She skirted the edges of the room, steadily approaching the knights at the easternmost wing of the dining hall as she ignored the crawling sensation of hundreds of eyes tracing her movements. She halted at the head of the table, expecting Link to automatically rise from his seat and depart with her, but she was disappointed to find that he was lying face-down on a placemat with his arm sprawled across the surface, gripping onto an empty mug in his delirium. His peers were doing an excellently awful job at attempting to shield him from sight, presumably one of them kicking Link from under the table as he gave a periodic little jolt. Sir Link, who would promptly lose consciousness after only one drink, was truly the most valiant and courageous knight of them all. The hero of legend indeed. 

“Hero,” she said curtly. That was sure to snap him awake. She hadn’t spoken to him like that in months. 

Link gave a startled snort and made a sound that appeared to be a mix between heyyyyy and noooo.

Zelda sighed and held back a smile with all her willpower. “Try to appear… fit. Let’s go.”

She thought she heard him mutter “Hylia…” before getting up to full height and keeping his head down, sure to either avoid eye contact or to hide his miserable expression. Imagine attending a royal gala and getting to see the hero of legend get wasted. Surely that would bring comfort to the denizens of Hyrule. 

Zelda began to head off at a slow pace as to allow her knight to steadily follow. As the pair left, Zelda kept her gaze set forward firmly. She didn’t want to see what anyone else was thinking. She hated these galas anyway. As soon as she was out of here she could relax. 

Her shoulders went slack as soon as the door was closed shut behind them. Finally free. Link seemed to agree with her thoughts, as he leaned against the wall with a thud, glaring at the ceiling with a scrunched face. Zelda smirked. 

“Too much for you, hero of legend?” 

He responded with a disgruntled moan. 

“Perhaps I should be the one guarding you instead,” she joked, moving to lean against the wall next to him. 

He closed his eyes and let a puff of air escape from his nose. “Never let me drink again.”

“Alright, I hereby formally declare you as banned from ‘partying hard.’”

Link let out a single bark of laughter. “A life sentence, eh princess?”

“You did say ‘never’ after all.” She smiled at him as his glazed blue eyes met hers. “Though, I may even have to change it to ‘partying mild’ by the looks of you,” she added. 

Link hummed in content as his back slid down the wall so he could sit comfortably. “Wait with me a bit,” he said weakly, though it sounded more like a hopeful question. 

Zelda of course obliged, and sat down next to him, tucking her dress under her folded knees. They sat in comfortable silence as Link's eyes began to flutter closed and his breathing became deeper. Zelda was glad that he could be so comfortable around her now. He wouldn't dare to fall asleep in her presence a mere month ago. 

But now, all Zelda could do was stare ahead at the wall. Her thoughts ran free, jabbing needles through her head. Her hatred for galas. Her hatred for this. For everything. For her father. For herself… 

“Worthless…” she whispered to no one. “Dedicating my life to prayer and yet cannot receive a single answer. Nearly ten years… And yet father pretends that everything is fine by maintaining this masquerade with galas to cover. A fine set of never-ending distractions…” She sighed, resting her chin on her knees. “Just a good-for-nothing king and his good-for-nothing daughter at the head of it all.”  

She sat in her frustrated silence a second more, and turned her head back to Link to see a single sapphire eye clouded by alcohol and sleep gazing upon her. Compassion. Understanding. He didn't need to utter a single word to convey his emotions. We share these burdens together. 

Zelda gave him a melancholy smile and stood. “Let’s be off, hero.” 

And with that, the memory began to fade. 

She opened her eyes. Nothing to see but a golden hell of her own making. Sweat poured down her brow. The intense light seared her skin. What a time to recall something as minor in her life as that… Clinging to seemingly insignificant memories in order to harvest any available scrap of hope she can get her hands on. 

Though to her, any memory of him was quite the opposite of insignificant. She prayed he was coming soon. Not that prayer ever did a single thing for her anyway. She wished he was coming soon. 

She wished none of this had ever happened this way.

She wished she were anywhere else but here. 

She wished she were at a gala.

[obsidiangst]

Congratulations to 50 followers!

So, I have some things for you for your drabbles. I picked three so that you can choose what inspires you. Zelink, preferably. 😬😘

“Of course you’d believe that…”

"You think you could do better?"

“Damn auto-correct…”

Thank youuu!! Gonna go with that first one~

What if Rhoam wasn’t emotionally distant from Zelda for at least part of the time pre-Calamity?

Words: 627

“Of course you’d believe that…”

Rhoam blinked before slowly turning to look at Impa as the Sheikah woman stood with her head bowed. She’d muttered it, but he’d still heard it.

“I beg your pardon?” He asked, Impa’s eyes shooting up briefly. She clearly hadn’t meant for him to hear her remark.

“I-I’m sorry, your Majesty. I meant no disrespect-”

“That’s quite alright, Impa. However, I’d like to hear your thoughts on the matter.” Rhoam said, moving to sit in the chair at his desk. “You spend a lot of time with my daughter, I’d appreciate your insight.”

“I…” Impa hesitated, a bit unsure how to respond to the King’s request. “I understand why you said she needs to try harder. There’s a lot at stake. Everything is at stake, really, but- Zelda is falling apart, your Majesty.”

The rest of the conversation was blurred in Rhoam’s mind, the words ‘Zelda is falling apart’ repeated in his mind over and over, driving ever deeper into him. Impa had been so genuine. At least part of this was his fault. The mere thought of him causing his daughter distress made guilt bite into his heart. She was merely 12 years old and he’d added the burden of his expectation on top of the weight of the world that rested on her shoulders.

It was uncommon for Rhoam to visit Zelda’s chambers, especially after sundown, so he sent a guard ahead of him to be sure Zelda was appropriate since it was so late in the evening. When he arrived she was sitting on her bed, still in her day dress as her chambermaid finished braiding her hair for sleep.

“Give us a moment please.” Rhoam dismissed the maid, who bowed respectfully and quickly left the room, leaving him and Zelda alone.

“Yes, father?” Zelda questioned, looking up at him as he approached her side.

“Zelda… You told me this afternoon that you’re doing everything you can to awaken your powers, is that the truth?” Rhoam questioned and Zelda’s eyes turned downcast and he saw her chin lower slightly as she fixed her eyes on the ground. “I want you to be honest with me. No lectures this time, I promise.”

“Father… I pray with my whole heart. I always have, I just-” Zelda’s voice cracked and her breath hitched, but the words kept tumbling out. “I don’t understand why the Goddess doesn’t answer me! I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong or why I’m not good enough!” She said, wiping tears of frustration from her eyes, stubbornly refusing to let them fall down her cheeks. The guilt that weighed on his heart grew tenfold as Rhoam listened to her. “I just want you to be proud of me.”

“I’m sorry, Zelda.” Zelda’s gaze snapped back up to him in shock.

“It seems that I’ve forgotten something very crucial. A task that no one else can do,” Rhoam said as he sat on the bed beside Zelda. “I’ve forgotten to listen and help advise you when you need help.” Rhoam looked at the floor now. He was glad they were alone because his behavior had been shameful and it was humbling to apologize to his daughter like this. “I wish to be a pillar of support to you and not a burden. What you carry is already far more than anyone should ask of any child, even a Princess of Hyrule, but from now on, I swear by the Goddess I’ll do everything I can to help get you through this trial.”

Zelda stared at him in disbelief for a moment before she covered her face with her hands and began truly crying. For the first time since her mother died, she had her father’s shoulder to cry on.