#Lorule Sheik

[deepermadness]

Hey, was there ever a Lorule version of Sheik?

Because we have normal Sheik

Which is nice,

but what if Princess Hilda had to be the one to step up instead?

I mean, she already has the temperament, and just look at that design!

What do you guys think?

[probably-ace-ok]

Zelda Triforce swap AU except its also a roleswap but in the opposite direction.

So you have Zelda, the courageous adventurer who finds a portal that leads her to another world and a vengeful goddess who possesses her.

So Ganondorf, the wise Gerudo prince and old friend of Zelda, who sets off to try and rescue her.

Helped by Link, a mischievous warrior with strange and mysterious powers, who assists his quest for unknown reasons.

[starblizzard247]

Headcannon

When a princess of Hyrule is born, their first name is automatically Zelda, however their middle name will be unique to them. When either a) they ascend the throne or b) there are no other living female members of the Hyrulean royal family, they will take on Zelda as their name. Otherwise they will be known by their middle name.

Some middle name headcannons (I haven’t figured out names for all of them yet):

Skyward Sword - Zelda Hyrule, since she’s the first

Ocarina of Time - Zelda Lyra Hyrule aka Sheik, since they use a lyre and bc OoT heavily features music

Wind Waker - Zelda Tetra Hyrule, nuff said (also I think her mom never got around to telling her her actual first name, which is why she doesn’t find out until in-game)

Spirit Tracks - Zelda Anima Hyrule, since “anima” means spirit in Latin (6 years of Latin coming in handy :D)

Twilight Princess - Zelda Tenebra Hyrule, since “tenebris” means darkness in Latin

Link Between Worlds - Zelda Hilda Hyrule, bc *parallels* (Hilda’s full name is Hilda Zelda Lorule coincidentally)

Hyrule Warriors - Zelda Atalanta Hyrule, after the Greek mythological figure Atalanta (because Atalanta has myths around running and in HW you run around maps a lot but also bc they’re both bad*ss)

Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom - Zelda Diantha Hyrule, since according to the Internet, “Diantha” means divine flower in Greek, which fits with her Silent Princess motif

Diantha’s Mother - Zelda Aquila Hyrule, since “aquila” means eagle in Latin, which is why she and Urbosa call Diantha “Little Bird”

10,000 years before Breath of the Wild - Zelda Mirae Hyrule, since “mirae” means future in Korean (bc obviously I’m gonna flaunt being bilingual from childhood), which goes with the futuristic Sheikah tech that originated from that time period (side note: I headcannon she’s Sonia’s granddaughter and she worked with the Sheikah to recreate Zonai tech after seeing malice beginning to leak out of dehydrated Ganondorf)

Sonia - Zelda Sonia Hyrule, self-explanatory (side note: I like to think that Hyrule fell into ruin sometime after the end of more traditional Zelda games and Sonia and Rauru reestablished the kingdom, and this new Hyrule is the one from BotW and TotK)

[tokiro07]

Still thinking about past Zeldas getting their own games

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[cackled0g]

Can you pretty please tell some of your Ganondorf and/or Triforce hot takes 'n' theories... I'm in a big LoZ mood and wanna hear you ramble.

Why hello anon, of course I would like to speak on mein Dorf and Force theories. Incredibly long post beneath the cut.

Starting with the Triforce, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think that the Triforce on a narrative and character level represents not the trait a character necessarily embodies the most, but the one they most desire. Take OOT Ganondorf for example. Ganondorf is certainly a powerful person--leader of the Gerudo, usurper of the Hyrule crown, general 7'5" badass. In OOT, when Link gets the Master Sword and goes into magical puberty sleep for seven years or so, he unintentionally also opens up the Sacred Realm. The Sacred Realm is like a pocket dimension created by the Golden Goddesses (creator deities) of Hyrule. It also changes depending on the pureness of heart of who enters. Wicked people see like a evil hellscape, heroic people see Hylian heaven. As per Sheik in OOT "The resting place of the sacred triangle, the Sacred Realm, is a mirror that reflects what is in the heart...the heart of one who enters it..." [1] (ignore that I'm using fan wiki as a source, i'm not booting up my 3ds and playing through OOT until I come across this dialogue.)

Anyways, so the Triforce, when whole, will grant you any wish. This happens like, several times in the series. In WW the boat king guy uses it to flood Hyrule, in LBTW Link uses it to create an entirely new Triforce to give to Lorule because they like pawned theirs off or something.

The catch is that if you touch the Triforce and you aren't pure of heart, it shatters. You get one slice of the proverbial pie, put a pin in that, and the other two pieces go run away and hide in a host body. This is the Golden Goddesses' security system, presumably in place so that any jagoff can't waltz into the Sacred Realm and wish for something stupid.

So, when Ganondorf touches the Triforce it shatters, he gets the Triforce of Power, Zelda/Sheik gets the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link gets the Triforce of Courage.

Back to that pin. Once again referencing Sheik's dialogue in OOT (Hyrule's second most popular tboy!), it can be understood that when the Triforce splits, whoever touched it gains the piece that represents the part of the Triforce that represents what they most believe in [2]. A lot of people in the fan community seem to take this to mean that you get the part of the Triforce that represents some part of your personality--Ganondorf gets Power because big, Zelda gets Wisdom because smart, and Link gets Courage because main character. I would argue that it's somewhat the opposite.

So, the most important thing to understand about the Gerudo is that they are the most downtrodden, put-upon, marginalized race in Hyrule. They have the worst land, the smallest population, and the harshest living conditions. The other Hylian races simultaneously fetishize and fear them. This is interesting to me on a meta level, because the Gerudo are really kind of an orientalist caricature in OOT (and most of their appearances honestly), but in making them that way, Nintendo kind of accidentally made them a.) way more sympathetic (at least to me) than the rich Hylian kingdom and b.) a statement about Orientalism. [3][4][5][6] They are an insular race of thieves and cutthroats who subsist off of robbing Hylians and, presumably, are doomed to eternally have dwindling numbers due to a combination of the fact that they don't trust outsiders (note: I am intentionally excluding BOTW here because I strongly dislike the characterization of the Gerudo there. Also, for the purposes of this argument, BOTW is so far forward in the timeline that it is almost entirely irrelevant to discussions about OOT on a lore level) and only have one male born every hundred years due to...reasons. It is stated in OOT that Gerudo women sometimes seek out Hylian partners, but this is never actually shown, to my knowledge. [7] The natural conclusion of this seems to me to be that either the Gerudo will eventually die out without any ability to reproduce at a rate above their death rate, or they will eventually mingle enough with the other Hylian races that all Gerudo will be more Hylian or Zora than Gerudo. (I don't even know how Gorons breed honestly.)

Back on topic, the Gerudo are eternal victims who have to steal to survive. Ganondorf is born at some point, taken in by his witch mommy/witch mommies, and becomes king because the male Gerudo is always the king. [8] You would think that a race of mostly women would be more feminist than this but this game was produced in the 90's. Anyway, Ganondorf sees the suffering of his people, and this has a profound impact upon him. From Windwaker:

"My country lay within a vast desert. When the sun rose into the sky, a burning wind punished my lands, searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes. No matter when it came, the wind carried the same thing… Death. But the winds that blew across the green fields of Hyrule brought something other than suffering and ruin. I coveted that wind, I suppose." [9]

Now this is on a literal level, a statement about wind, but on a deeper level, this is Ganondorf's way of talking about privilege, and with privilege comes power. Hyrule is wealthy, comprised of multiple settlements when the other races generally only have one. They have a castle, they have an army, and, most importantly, they have the best land. The Gorons and the Zora are suited to their environments. The Goron don't want to have Hyrule Field, because the rocks in their mountain are just much yummier to them. The Zora don't want to live in Hyrule Castle Town, because they're wet little fish people, and they need to be in the water. The Kokiri need their forest, the Sheikah need their legacy of torturing people for the royal family, etc ad infinitum. Everyone in Hyrule has a niche to fill except the Gerudo. There is nothing about being Gerudo that makes living in the desert easier. Ganondorf and his people are suffering. They are starving. They are dying from the elements.

Ganondorf sees this, and it fundamentally changes him. From Four Swords Adventures:

"Once every 100 years, a special child is born unto my people. That child is destined to be the mighty guardian of the Gerudo and the desert. But this child, its heart grew twisted with every passing year. The child became a man who hungered for power at any price." [10]

So Ganondorf is hungry for power. More than that, Ganondorf is starving for power, Ganondorf will sacrifice anyone and anything to wet his teeth with the taste of it. He sacrifices his humanity (Gerudity?) when he takes the Triforce of Power and his body is physically changed. He sacrfices his people, and his reputation with them, up to and including his literal second-in-command [11]. He sacrifices Hyrule itself. Look at how the land itself bleeds in his presence! Hyrule is crumbling apart in his hands, and he holds onto still tighter.

[12]

And so, when he touches the Triforce, he gets only one piece, the Triforce of Power.

I think that Zelda is an interesting character in OOT. I tend to think of her as a Cassandra of sorts. Here is a child with a perception that everyone around her seems to lack. She has prophetic dreams, and seemingly out of everyone in Hyrule castle, she is the only one who can see that Ganondorf has bad intentions. [13][14] Yet, with all of the knowledge, she has no real ability to act on it. Her father, the king, holds council with Ganondorf despite her wishes. She is trapped in the castle walls, protected by guards, but also caged in by them. She knows what must be done to save Hyrule, but she it utterly unable to do anything about it. [15]

And, in the end, it's ultimately her actions that allow Ganondorf to obtain the Triforce of Power when he does. If she hadn't instructed Link on where to get the two remaining Spiritual Stones, if she hadn't given Link the Ocarina of Time, he would have never been able to open up the Temple of Time, withdraw the Master Sword from the pedestal, and open up the Sacred Realm. Thus, the Sacred Realm would never have been left open and unguarded. Now, anon, I hear you yelling at me through your screen right now. "But Dean, you beautiful big-brained badass," you say. "Ganondorf would have done that either way! Zelda may have sped things up, but Ganondorf would have gotten into the Temple of Time anyways, he had already conspired to get the Spiritual Stones in the first place!"

Oh anon, I reply. Thank you for the compliment on my amazingly juicy brain. Ganondorf couldn't have opened the Sacred Realm by himself because he would never have been able to pull the Master Sword from its pedestal. [16]

Now, to be clear, it would be blatantly ridiculous to blame Zelda for this. There is no possible way she could have known this, even with her divine knowledge. But it is, indirectly, her fault, is it not? Zelda gets the Triforce of Wisdom, as a sort of slap in the face. "Here," says fate, or the gods, presumably grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Here is the clarity that could have prevented this."

This post is getting long and I'm tired now. Send more asks if you desire more epic knowledge.

[neverchecking]

Hi! I'm new following you... Looks pretty interesting... But I'm a bit confused of the nicknames of the characters... Like "sun" or "sage"

Did you have a list of who is each one? Please? Qwq

Well, first off, Hi! Hello! My name is Cinder and I write Yandere! Linked Universe!

If you're not familiar with Linked Universe I would highly recommend checking out the comic for it -> Here!

Anyway, as a fandom, we needed a way to easily differentiate between each Link bc writing 'The hero of so-and-so' every time would suck. So, they each go by Monikers that represent their hero title! The Zeldas are kind of the same. When we wanna differentiate between each games Zelda we use a specific name to do so. Here's a breakdown of each Link and their Zelda!

Name: Sky

His Zelda: Sun

His Games/appearances: Skyword Sword

Cool fact: When not including First, is often seen as the first hero of Hyrule and the first Wielder of Fi; A.K.A The Master Sword. Has a soul connection with a creature called a Loftwing, who I have dubbed as Crimson on this blog. Is mostly seen in a relationship with Sun because of their interactions in Skyword Sword, but I don't think it's ever been confirmed. Is Hella cute though.

Name: Four

His Zelda: Dot

His Games/appearances: Minish Cap, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures

Cool fact: Four has the ability to split into four versions of himself, each reflecting an aspect of his personality (Red; protective, Blue; soft hearted, Green; still have no clue, and Vio; the brain cell). There was another part named Shadow who was, as you guessed, a shadow but he died. From my inference he was closest with Vio, but I'm embarrassingly unfamiliar with it. Four also has the ability to shrink to the size of a Minish/Picori; a race of mouse sized beings known for hiding trinkets and rupees in grass for said hero! Had a talking hat name Enzlo who ended up being a Minish in disguise. Did not get to keep talking hat.

Name: Time

His Zelda: Lullaby/Sheik

His Games/appearances: Ocarina of Time, Majora's mask

Cool fact: Has masks. Lots of em. One in particular linking him to a war god dubbed the Fierce Deity. Had an ocarina that turned back time, but he broke the timeline (Like a ding dong). Timeline A; where he survived and defeated Ganon. And Timeline B: A.K.A the downfall timeline, where he died (like a noob). Often seen as the oldest of the group but we have no idea how old he actually is. Was raised by a tree and has issues with the moon. Got trust issues from a mask. In Linked Universe Lore, he is married to a farm girl name Malon- who wrote Epona's song.

Name: Legend

His Zelda: Fable

His Games/appearances: A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Link's awakening, Link Between Worlds, Triforce Heroes

Cool fact: Has a lover named Marin. She was not in fact real. Gave him trust issues. Also known as the Veteran for the sheer amount of adventures he's been on. Known as a hoarder, especially with rings that grant him special abilities and has a funky counterpart named Ravio (A merchant who reigns from Lorule, a mirror verse of Hyrule. his Zelda is Hilda, but he's not a Link so he doesn't get a paragraph. He does have a cool bird though named Sheerow and wears a funky hood. He's just a funky dude.) Legend is part of the Downfall Timeline, coming directly after that version of time, fell.

Name: Hyrule

His Zelda: Dawn, Aurora (He has two, though I'm not sure on the why/how/basically anything about them.)

His Games/appearances: Legend of Zelda, Zelda II

Cool fact: Is half fairy! It grants him the ability to use magic, especially healing spells and a lightning spell called 'Thunder', and he can turn into the size of a fairy with wings. Comes directly after Legend. Hyrule is also part of the Downfall Timeline, and is most often paired with Legend because of it. His Hyrule is particularly hostile with poisoned water and barren lands. Also gives him trust issues.

Name: Twilight

His Zelda: Dusk

His Games/appearances: Twilight Princess

Cool fact: Fell in love once. Fucked him up. Nah, I kid. No I don't. Twilight was raised in a village called Ordon as a rancher before his journey. On said journey, he was faced with something called the Twilight Realm which turned him into a wolf (A.K.A. Wolfie). There he met the Spoiler Twilight Princess named Midna. While in game there were no confirmations on their relationship, in the Manga they did smooch. made me cry. Anyway, after their adventure together Midna goes back to her world, destroying the only thing that links hers and Twilights together as she did, offically ghosting him. Gave him turst issues. He wears a twilight shard around his neck that allows him to shift between forms as he pleases. He is Time's descendant and had Time as guide to him in his adventure in the form of the Hero's Shade. Twilight is part of Timeline A. The one that did not fall.

Name: Wind

His Zelda: Tetra

His Games/appearances: Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass (Depending on who you ask, he's also Spirit Tracks Link, but I do not think so)

Cool fact: Is a pirate! Had a pirate ship dad! Had a little sister, Aryll, that was taken by birds. Gave him trust issues. Lived with his grandmother and Aryll before Tetra who is, spoiler, Zelda, shows up and helps him find his sister. Tetra is so cool man, she's a pirate captain. Anyway, most often seen as the youngest Link. In his game, he wasn't even a hero lmao. Just some guy who's sister got taken and he went and found the triforce before merking Ganon RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES. He was just feeling a little silly. Wind, I believe, is part of some third timeline stemming from Time's adventure or in the Downfall Timeline as his Hyrule flooded, leaving most to live on high mountains to avoid drowning.

Name: Warriors

His Zelda: Artemis (my love <3)

His Games/appearances: Hyrule Warriors

Cool fact: He's got a scarf. Had a wizardess who was supposed to watch time and space fall in love with him. Gave him trust issues. Has scars from when he drew the Master sword; which dominoed into something called The War of Eras. Companions and other heroes were pulled to his time to assist in the war, including, but not limited too; Time (Known as Mask in this regards), Wind, Midna, Marin, Ravio, Linkle (A female Link who was originally Wars' sister but, that idea was scrapped), and probably more that I'm missing idk I haven't finished the game. Is Captain of his knight squadron and famously despises Traitors. His own Zelda turned into Sheik to assist in the battle, but she's perfect just the way she is <3 Does not fall explicitly into either time line.

Now, this is where things kind of get tricky. Wild can either be one hero on three adventures or three different guys who arise during their subsequent time. For this blog, we see them as three different people.

Name: Calamity

His Zelda: Fauna

His Games/appearances: Age of Calamity

Cool fact: While his game is not seen as canon to the timeline, we include him because he's cool. Was part of a timeline where his Zelda unlocked his sealing powers earlier and saved them in time to fight the Calamity. He did not die, did not sleep for a hundred years, and kept his memory. Also a knight, also has trust issues, eats rocks. Does not fall explicitly into either time line.

Name: Wild

His Zelda: Flora

His Games/appearances: Breath of the Wild

Cool fact: Is the version of Calamity that's canon. His Zelda failed to awaken her powers in time, he, along with the Champions, died, took a hundred year nap, got trust issues, got memory issues, did not know wtf a stick was at the start of his adventure. Has a cool tablet called a Sheikah slate that lets him use runes (Magnet, ice, bombs, freeze time). In Linked Universe, he has scars lacing his one side. Is said to have had Wolfie as a guide during his adventure. Does not fall explicitly into either time line, but if I had to guess I would put it as Timeline A.

Name: Sage

His Zelda: Natura

His Games/appearances: Tears of the Kingdom

Cool fact: So, Sage was actually cultivated here! He is the Link from the newest Zelda Game, characterized by his anger and grudges held against Hylia. Does not have the scars, because of Rauru, but does have Fangs. Falls directly after Wild, as they are technically the same guy. When referring to the 'triplets' we are referring to Sage, Wild and Calamity.

Anyway, hope this helped! If you have anymore questions, lmk!

[merriclo]

anyways here’s a list of all the (current) hcau links’ gender, pronouns, sexuality, and any partners they may have/have had. i’ve been queering these bitches since the very beginning

Hero - he/him, he’s too busy with.. well everything to think about his gender or sexuality, has a very complicated relationship with Hylia

Loft - he/they, in the midst of exploring their gender but for now is settled on trans man, bisexual, in a very committed relationship with his Zelda (and is planning to propose soon!!)

Minish - they/them, agender, demi + ace, just started dating their Zelda

Prism - he/him, cis man, bisexual, engaged to his Zelda

Mask - they/he, their gender is complicated but they don’t want to explain so they just say trans man, bisexual, not quite dating Malon yet but very very close (also has a minor crush on Sheik)

Oracle - he/him, trans man, pansexual, he is very far back in the closet so he’s not dating anyone but he was admittedly kind of into Ralph, and under different circumstances he could’ve loved Zelda, too (see this short wip) (also he’s so not over Marin)

Lorule - she/he/they, genderfluid, pan + ace, has the fattest fucking crush on Ravio

Rhythm - he/him, questioning gender, queer, hasn’t figured out if their feelings for his Zelda are platonic or not

Traveler - he/they/it, non-binary, aroace, he and one of its Zeldas jokingly flirt all the time bc they think it’s hilarious but they’re actually just super good friends

Wolf - he/him, cis man, bisexual, not in a relationship because he’s probably never going to get over Midna

Red - he/they, genderqueer, queer, still crushing on Erune

Green - he/him, cis man, bisexual, single

Blue - she/her, trans woman, lesbian, head over heals for her Zelda but refuses to admit it (everyone knows)

Vio - they/she, transfem non-binary, bi + demi + ace, has a…. complicated relationship with Shadow

Wind - he/him, trans man, bisexual, dating Tetra and is so proud of it

Spirit - she/her, trans girl, lesbian, has the biggest crush on her Zelda

Ages - he/him, cis man, pansexual, single but used to have a crush on Ravio during the war

Champion - he/they, was too busy studying the blade to consider their gender or sexuality or any romantic feelings (painfully oblivious to the fact that they have feelings for both Mipha and Zelda)

Wild - any/all pronouns, genderqueer, pansexual, dating her Zelda

here are also some side characters that are queer to some degree!!

Malon - she/her, trans woman, pansexual, very very close to dating Mask (and thinks Sheik is cute, too)

Mask’s Sheik (child timeline) - he/him, trans man, bisexual, not dating anyone but has a fat fucking crush on Mask and Malon

Pipit - he/him, trans man, straight, engaged to Karane

Marin - she/her, trans woman, pansexual, was dating Oracle

Champion’s Zelda - she/her, cis woman, bisexual, has a huge crush on both Champion and Mipha

Ravio - he/him, cis man, queer, has the fattest fucking crush on Lorule

of course there are other characters who aren’t mentioned here that have gotten hit by the queerification beam, but these are all i’ve decided on/can think of at the moment!!

[meet-again-in-another-life]

"May we meet again, in another life..."

Another AU where legends cross. Read more under the break.

General Story Synopsis:

Somewhere outside of time, the golden goddesses fued. A cycle of no end plagues their souls after they have let it push on across time and space alike. One of hatred, blood, and spirit; one of light and shadow. The goddess Din plots to destroy it all, at odds with her sister, Farore, who wishes rather to destroy the evil. Nayru, who trusts in the balance of the eternal struggle, proposes a solution. She will allow Din to put the worlds created by different ripples of time to the test. Din shall choose to revive a single puppet, and they will set the determining factors of the universe's fate into motion. She makes her choice, and Nayru begins with her work.

In a world still set in the era of A Link Between Worlds, a fabric is once more torn between realities. However, this is one far greater than anything before. It tears through time itself; a power only previously carried to the mortal world by Hylia herself. At the same time, an evil sealed away in this realm returns to life. The fused beast from light and dark worlds alike attempts to take control of the head-start the goddesses have given it; but there is no telling what the crack in reality may cause for existence now.

Premise:

The general idea for the AU is to focus on the narrative themes of The Legend of Zelda games, as well as Demise's Curse. It will heavily focus on the bond between Link and Zelda across lifetimes, and how their loyalty to one another affects the fate of Hyrule and those who live there.

Link Nicknames:

The Hero of the Skies (SkSw) - Chosen Hero, stink (affectionate), sleepyhead (affectionate), Skies.

The Hero of Men (MC Prologue) - Min

The Hero of the Minish (MC) - Pico

The Old Hero of the Four Sword (FS Backstory) - Fourest (get it because forest + four haha I'll see myself out). Kidding. Just Forest.

The New Hero of the Four Sword (FS) - Four

The Hero of Time (Oot Child) - Mask, Deku, fairy boy (affectionate)

The Hero of Time (OoT Adult(Alt)) - Time, Kiri

The Hero of Time (OoT Fallen) - Shade (given by TP Link despite being the wrong one)

The Hero of Legend (AlttP/LA) - Pink, rabbit, hare

The Hero of Ages and Seasons (OoA/S) - Oracle

The Hero of Worlds (ALBW) - Bear, Little Rabbit (given by ALttP/LA Link), Leaf (teasing nickname from Gulley when he died his hair green for a while)

One Who Learned Courage (Lorule) - Ravio, merchant (not affectionate)

The Hero of Hyrule (LoZ/AoL) - Hero

The Hero of Twilight (TP) - Twilight, wolf (given to him by TotK Link), Gray, Ordon (affectionate, given to him by TP Zelda)

The Hero of Light (FSA) - Divide, Mirror

The Hero of Winds - Wind, Gale (given to him by AoC Link), sailor

The Hero of Spirits (ST) - Conductor

The Hero of Warriors (HW) - Captain, Warrior

The Hero of Calamity (BotW Backstory) - Aspect, Dracozu (as he grew up along this river)

The Hero of the Wild (AoC) - Blade, Knight, Champion (gets confusing)

The Hero of the Wild (BotW/TotK) - Wild, Champion, Spirit (also gets confusing),

Zelda Nicknames:

Hylia Reborn (SkSw) - Grace (or Your Grace), Hylia/Hyli (not preferred), Ether? (Link definitely has nicknames for her, but they're all a bit too sweet for everyone else to call her by...)

Princess of the Light Force (MC Prologue) - Radiance, Harmony

Bright Princess (MC) - Bloom

Princess of the Elements (FS Backstory) - Prism, Monarch

Princess of the Four Sword Shrine (FS) - Adora

The Princess of Destiny (OoT Child) - Tulip

The Sage of Light (OoT Adult(Alt)) - Destiny, Sage

The Master of Disguise (OoT Fallen) - Sheik

Triforce Guide (ALttP) - Guide, Marin (what?!?! Whoa?!?! more on that later)

Hope of her People (OoS/A) - Hope

Princess like a Painting (ALBW) - Chroma

One Who Learned Wisdom (Lorule) - Hilda

Princess of Legend (LoZ/AoL) - Princess, Tale

The "Twlight Princess" (TP) - Dusk

Light of the Kingdom (FSA) - Light

Leader to a New Hyrule - Tetra, Captain (given by WW Link affectionately)

Spirit Princess (ST) - Phantom

Commander and Princess (HW) - Commander

Ancient Sealer - Guardian, Sonia (her middle name (her mother's name)), Sealer

Burgeoning Scholar (AoC) - Scholar

Sage of Light and Time (BotW/TotK) - Zel (given by her Link), Petal (also given by her Link once as a joke, but it stuck), Scale (usually isn't taken well)

(The nicknames above are WIPs, may be changed if I change my mind).

Extra Notes:

I intend to focus on the Links and Zeldas equally, as a big part of the story refers to their relationship in the grand scheme of like... the entire universe. This falls under the idea that every incarnation is a reincarnated form of a singular spirit and goddess.

Certain unnamed heroes from the games are given proper backstory and titles.

The two Zeldas in LoZ and AoL are combined into one Zelda; more on how the Hero of Hyrule's story goes later.

Some events in the games may be slightly dramatacized or combined with elements from their respective manga. More on this later.

While I will be using headcanons for post-game, I am making it my goal not to do so excessively. I like my canon compliancy, sometimes. I will mostly only use headcanons to fill in plot/character gaps or make sense of timeline.

A lot of posts will just be designs and ideas dumping early on. Comics are hard, I'm afraid. :')

@loz-untold-myths will be prioritized over work on this! Please keep this in mind!! (So if you like my stuff, maybe check that out).

I'm designing way too many outfits, I'm hoping to be able to share some of them soon!

Info Posts

Din, Nayru, and Farore

Tags

#loz ial

#loz in another life

#ial main story

#ial vignettes

#ial info post

#ial update

#ial doodles

#ial character peek

#nocturne's headcanons

I made the name too long, I am aware of this, but A Link Between Links was apparently taken. Curse the fandom hivemind!!!!

One more note: This AU now has its own section of the Untold Myths (@loz-untold-myths) Discord server! If you want an invite, please DM me.

[bestlinktournament]

Round 1 Results:

➡️ = Advancing

❌️ = Knocked out

Main Theme (TOTK) ➡️

Mabe Village ❌️

Final Battle (ST) ➡️

Rito Flight Range ❌️

Realm Overworld (ST) ➡️

Stone Tower Temple ❌️

Oath To Order ❌️

Title Theme (OOT) ➡️

Hidden Village ❌️

Dragon Roost Island ➡️

Deku Palace ❌️

Ballad Of The Goddess ➡️

Hyrule Castle (BOTW) ➡️

Sheik's Theme ❌️

Temple Theme (AOL) ➡️

Earth Temple (SKSW) ❌️

Gerudo Valley ➡️

Zelda's Lullaby ❌️

Clocktown ➡️

Courage ❌️

Minish Village ❌️

Rito Village ➡️

Groose's Theme ❌️

Song Of Storms ➡️

Hyrule Castle (ALTTP) ❌️

Hyrule Field (TP) ➡️

Molduga Battle ➡️

Farewell Hyrule King ❌️

The Dragons Of Hyrule ❌️

Tal Tal Heights ➡️

Lorule Castle ❌️

Kass' Theme ➡️

[1tsjusty0u]

HM you know what. any tropes YOU like/dislike in zelda games...?

OUGH HM..!!

so. ffull disclaimer here ichave. not played many zelda games. ive Started some (alttp got to the first dark world dungeon, oot got to the forest temple, majoras mask got to ikana canyon/stone tower, ww got to getting triforce pieces, albw got to the first lorule dungeon, twilight princess i. barely got through due to wanting to finish a game . i got to wolf and midna moment or the second ish act?, and i started triforce heroes.) but ive only finished. 2 games (botw and the minish cap). so my information may be limited here

starting with ones i dislike!

1. crystallizing zelda/keeping her damseled. when shes not in a “disguise” alla tetra and sheik she will be Immediately cast off to the side or trapped. like. i know the usual point of the games is to save zelda (except when. it isnt in the first half of the game) but please let her Do Something…!!! i love sheik and tetra theyre great, its just. as soon as they transform into zelda suddenly their characters and roles are discarded- sheik frame perfectly gets captured by ganondorf when theyre in their princess. state? tetra is a bit better but she and zelda really arent the same person- fuzz punch arcade put it better than i could saying “tetra is a pirate captain, the epitome of free-spirited career nut. zelda, is demure, takes the blame for things she cant control, and drops everything for link and the king.” this is probably a larger issue but. i dunno having zelda be . less of a concept would be nice? or like in games like botw, itd be nice if she wasnt a cutscene character but rather an npc who you can directly talk to. they almost did this in totk. with botw i understand it doesnt really work with the story, only working for post game . if. if there was one. but yeah. also this doesnt mean everyone has to like her or even put her in like. fanworks if they dont want to. some zelda games dont even have zelda in them like majoras mask its just if youre Going to do her please do her better

2. the monsters being Directly tied to ganon. like in oot its fine, great even, because those are boss monsters in specific circumstances (and also have the general theme of being parasites in the first half, the second half they just guard the sages). im talking about Every monster being tied to ganon in some way (like botw or totk). it makes him less of a guy who does things and more not a guy but the devil incarnate whos so so So evil trust me guys look hes even the source of monsters. how. hes That Evil. this is taking some liberties as monsters may have existed before ganon or at least the calamity in botw they were just docile, and in totk the shrines took care of the monsters but where they came from is up to debate, with the memory of ganon getting the stone i believe showing the. creation????? respawning of monsters it really does feel like they Come From Him though.

3. villages having one race exclusively. ive said this before but id like there to be villages where hylians and zora and gorons and rito and sheikah and gerudo live Together would be nice. especially in botw theres. ruins of settlements near places like rito village that have hylian esque designs. so rito and hylians could have lived in the same village. they technically do this in minish cap? the humans cant. See Them though except for kids

4. love interests in general or characters exclusively made to be love interests. whether its zelda or not im just not a fan though its more a personal thing.

5. i dont hate this more dislike it but bosses having one really easy tell. its just either not fun but you know what you need to go for or its fun but you know what you need to go for. i kind of wish they were done like lynels in botw- theyre Hard if you dont know what youre doing, but you Can after enough practice. also the great plateau lynel is great you cant do what you normally do with it you have to get headshots to stun it then go on its back to not take damage. figuring that out is not complex but shows you Know the game. i do understand bosses mimicking lynels in how they test the player is very hard to do especially how they can Keep testing the player

6. hyrule always being the best/greatest or just being. The Main Place or the main narrative being to defend hyrule. half of this is from the imperialism but half of the time im just tired of hyrule as a thing honestly. i dont serve any country not mine nor hyrule i simply game. i also dont know how prevalent this is in most games either so i may be biased here

i do wish i could think of. more lighthearted?? tropes for the above like neutral things like sages frequently appearing or certain items popping up but usually i dont care unless its done badly. totk is like that but the whole game is like that too so its an outlier to me, otherwise its just There.

onto things i like!

1. LENS OF TRUTH LENS OF TRUTH LENS OF TRUTH. i think its so neat :]

2. mail the concept of mail mailboxes and the no longer working tingle mail bottle feature in the ww

3. SONGS. MUSIC. the ocarina songs and them opening up places + certain songs being important generally like the ballad of the windfish

4. milk bars. im adding one to pre cal botw but i just like them !! especially the little songs that can play in there in albw

5. kakariko having graves for some reason. i do like graves in general but kakariko Specifically being the one to have them is interesting

6. dark worlds or other worlds. i especially like lorule!! termina is very cool too

id probably put more but i am. getting distracted by outside things. so for now that is it.

[twink-between-worlds]

okay @astral-catastrophe indulged us so here's an entire post about the warped timeline au! we're mostly going to talk about our links in this one! going from youngest to oldest! also @fwoosheye

Siren

Siren is WW, ST + PH link! they are 14. they're still a pirate, but they make more time to visit Aryll and their grandma back on Outset. They are banned from using the windwaker unless absolutely necessary because they're a complete riot of a child. They have a pet pig who is appropriately named Chunk. Aryll made them a bracelet which they wear 24/7! they're small, so they find squeezing into small areas much easier than most others. Has a peg leg

Prince

Prince is ALTTP, ALBW, OOS, OOA, LA + TFH link! he is 16 and is the twin of Queen, his zelda. he and his sister are working royals, so while he is a prince he is also a blacksmith! there is a permanent portal between Hyrule and Lorule in the castle garden, and Ravio still leeches off of lives with him! he's autistic and semi-verbal. he uses crutches to get around. Prince also splits into King, Duke, and Princess, but it only works in Hytopia. They're trying to sort out a way to do it without the wizard

Light

Light is FSA, FS + MC link. he is 17! He splits into Vio, Red, Green and Blue at will. For a good part of his time with the other links, he does not have a shadow, since Shadow died. He's kind of a roulette wheel in terms of how he acts, what he knows and what he can do; but it's easy to adapt to whatever his “mood” is any given day. He and his Zelda are very close, to the point they think of each other as siblings. Light has a minish feather on a necklace along with four charms that represent the colours. He lies a lot, and sometimes he doesn't even realize he's lying. Threatens people to get his way sometimes. Autistic + has ADHD. Blue has OCD and Vio has severe anxiety

Moon

Moon is TP link! his wolf form is much bigger than an average wolf, so it's obviously the result of magic. He's 27 and married to Shad. He mainly looks after the kids in Ordon, but still cares after the goats when he can. He has basically no relationship with his Zelda outside of being civil. He still has a bit of heartache relating to Midna but he's getting better. Basically everyone's parent

Courage

Courage is SS link! He's 28, and married to Wisdom, his Zelda. After killing Demise he gained some of his powers, but he really doesn't like to use them. He has a small fear of storms after what happened to Wisdom and he never really forgave himself for what happened to her. He still has her harp and he's extremely cautious about time since he really doesn't want to be late ever again. His loftwing is called Crime.

Sprout

Sprout is OOT + MM link. he's still got all the masks he got during mm, but his favorite is the deku mask. He's 30! He's in a platonic marriage with Malon, and they live on a farm together. He has a necklace with a blue fairy charm because he still misses Navi :( he likes just sitting in the woods and staring off into space just...doing nothing. it's a bit creepy. Likes to steal. Might be a kleptomaniac, he isn't sure. He has a lot of facial scars due to the overuse of the masks he'd obtained.

Warriors

Warriors is HW link. he's Linkles twin brother! He's 31, and dating Sheik <3 (his Zelda is a trans king tyvm). he basically adopted Sprout during the war and he basically became a single father at that point in life. He has to use a cane to walk and he has a fair amount of burn scars. He's retired but still gives his advice to training soldiers. living his best life. Proxi speaks for him as he is completely mute. he struggles to tell the difference between left and right and uses his hands to remind himself

[summertimemusician]

*downs four mugs of extra strong coffee with a sigh* So, that new trailer huh?

Too sleep deprived to go full theorist, so instead I'll compile all of the instances/triggers I can remember for each of the Link's journeys to distract myself from from Skyward Sword because boy having patience with the emulator controls is actually driving me batty. But if I lived through Minish Cap, Zelda I, OoT and Majora's Mask then I can probably do this.

Spoilers below I suppose?

Skyward Sword Link/Sky looking for Sun after she fell from the Cloud Barrier even though he had zero idea what was going on because she's his best friend and his main childhood friend and literally killing a god for her after he hurt her with lethal intent.

Minish Cap/Four Swords (Adventures) being fully intent on vibe checking Vaati for turning his best friend into stone, stealing the Light Force from her and then kidnapping and almost marrying her against her will and succeeding, came to care for Ezlo and the Minish later on as something of a happy incident, because they've basically been with Link through all of the journey and I feel like Link helped Ezlo heal from Vaati's betrayal as a result (my headcanon is that even if the doorway is closed, him and Ezlo still kept in contact and Ezlo taught him tricks of the Minish Trade in magical items)

OoT Link lost the Deku Tree, his father figure at the literal start of the darn game, and went to fulfill his last words by meeting the princess, who then asked him for help and Link being Link wouldn't refuse (that's a fairy for another day, I have so many thoughts on these boys), then Saria, his literal childhood friend and adopted sister, being taken by Ganon and to likely a lesser extent Ruto, who I feel he would come to see as friend even with the whole marriage thing. He also cares for Navi, the entire point of Majora's Mask is that he went looking for her at the end of the game, and he came to care for Sheik who is later revealed to be Zelda so of course he was going to kill Ganon and either succeed or die trying (well, did die trying in the Fallen Timeline Branch which was technically the 'True' one, before Majora's Mask, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess were a thing and no I will not let any of you forget that technically the Hero of Time was always meant to die but kicks it in different ways depending on the timeline, give this man a BREAK, he may as well be the Odysseus of The Legend of Zelda at this rate, the powers that be keep screwing him over yeesh).

Wind Waker Link wasn't even related to the Hero's Spirit, Ganon just fucked around and found out with the wrong kid's little sister that Wind Waker Link basically made the fates and gods bend with the force of his fury to get Aryll and later on Tetra back into making him the hero just so he could throw hands with Ganon, friendly reminder he's one of two Links that actually kill the guy, and the plot of Phantom Hourglass is also related to getting his new bestie Tetra back.

Spirit Tracks Link literally only became the Hero because his Zelda asked and they became close friends and likely remained close by the end of the game, plus his mentor and likely one of his main caretakers in his youth was basically mortally wounded during that whole deal, 'nough said.

A Link to the Past Link mainly helps Zelda because it's his uncle's final request, but then later on they actually are show to be close enough for him to invest himself on her safety even without that motivation, see A Link Between Worlds and also the Linked (hah) ending of OoA and OoS. He likely also was willing to help Zelda with the wish because, even with the awful prices and freeloading and lying, he came to care for Ravio as a friend and to a lesser extent Hilda too as she was his main guide through Lorule. Plus Marin, who really was an emotional gut punch for everybody I think (read: I played Link's Awakening as a kid and whenever I go visit a beach and a friendly seagull comes by I immediately get flashbacks, I don't know how they are in y'all's places but where I'm from they're shockingly chill).

The Original Zelda's Link aka Zelda one and Zelda II's main motivation was to find the princesses, though that one is slightly shakier because we have no idea if any of them knew each other before the world basically became an apocalyptic scenario or if it was just to vibe check Ganon again, find his vibes lacking and save the land again so it could start to heal.

Twilight Princess Link had the village children (one of them basically being like his surrogate little brother in Colin) and childhood friend taken by Ganon's minions, man had no idea what was going on or even WHO Ganon was before the game mind you, he was just a farmer herding goats in Ordon, he was just determined to get his family back no matter the cost, then he came to care for Midna and the plight of her people and what Zelda was going through and was specially close to Midna, the real thing that set him off against Ganon enough to go in with lethal intent was when he thought Ganon had killed Midna, so not only was he the source of the suffering of most of the people he cared about, but he also was under the assumption one of them DIED while he couldn't do anything about it, it's no wonder he snapped so hard and was just READY to obliterate Ganon.

Cadence of Hyrule is actually an interesting case, because not only does Link go looking for Zelda when she's trapped in an eternal slumber and then comes to care for Cadence, Zelda actually goes looking for Link too if he's the one trapped, that actually gives them away as pretty close be it as friends or something else.

Hyrule Warriors, boy is it also a complicated one. Warriors Link is a soldier willing to break rank to defend his country rather than to wait around with his fellow trainees, so him and his Zelda weren't close at all before, but I can see them becoming close when Zelda breaks out the Sheik identity as there's more chances for them to fight and interact side by side and then heal after the War of Ages is over, plus Lana and Linkle, though realistically speaking, Warriors Link would probably care about all of his comrades in battle on sheer virtue of not only their time spent on the battle field but also of the after, it's easy to relate to someone who knows what it's like to suffer through the same experience, though it's very likely he'd be the closest to Zelda, Linkle and Impa after all was said and done. They'd all have pretty similar nightmares I think.

And finally BOTW because I honestly cannot remember if Link in AoC actually lost someone close to him or if it's a Hyrule Warriors situation. Boy where do I even BEGIN with this dude (I say, as BOTW has been existing rent free in my head ever since the final TOTK Trailer dropped, honestly an achievement as usually that spot is reserved for Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask), okay. First he lost his childhood friend in Mipha when the Calamity first struck, and then the other Champions whom I feel he grew close to with time (yes even Revali), likely his family as we see concept art of a sister and a father, Zelda and finally Hyrule, his life and memories, his entire identity as a person though thankfully he was nudged into getting parts of it back. And is probably going to experience that same trauma all over again in TOTK.

Any other instances and I'll add here but Tl;Dr : All of the Links (except maybe the First Hero, Hero of Men and 10.000yrs Ago Hero, though that one is unlikely if you ask me) probably have a lot of separation/abandonment issues plus very big problems with failure (see Skyward Sword Link, no thanks to you, IMPA. And also BOTW Link who probably has the worst of the bunch) or just failing people in general, and as a result are extremely protective of whoever they consider their person and most likely always need to reassure themselves they're still there and are very dedicated to them as a result, in this essay I will-

[lozriftsintime]

List of Important Names

Heroes:

Crimson-The first hero Link. He fought Demise and helped Hylia seal him away Dove-Link from Skyward Sword  Bumblebee-The Hero of Men Geode-Link from Minish Cap, Four Swords, and Four Swords Adventures Sapphire-Blue Link Ruby-Red Link Alexandrite-Green Link Iolite-Vio Link Firefly-Link from Ocarina of Time, Majora’s mask, and Hyrule Warriors Tune-Link from Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass Engineer-Link from Spirit Tracks Twilight-Link from Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild Mural-Link from A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Link’s Awakening, A Link Between Worlds, and Triforce Heroes Monarch-Link from The Legend of Zelda and Adventures of Link Captain-Link from Hyrule Warriors Diritaln-Link from 10,000 years (actually 1,000 years. Mistranslation) before Breath of the Wild Fox-Link from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom

Royalty (who aren’t heroes):

Sun-Dove’s Zelda Queen Iri-Bumblebee’s mother King Adull-Bumblebee’s father Prince Gustaf-Bumblebee’s older brother Princess Dorothy (Dot)-Zelda Geode grew up with Princess Gemma-Zelda who helped Geode settle into their new time Prince Forte-Firefly’s Sheik Tetra-Tune’s ‘Zelda’ Queen Morrigan-Engineer’s Zelda Queen Elena-Twilight’s Zelda Queen Astoria-Mural’s Zelda, their older sister Queen Hilda-Queen of Lorule, Ravio’s older sister Queen Roxana-Monarch’s Zelda from 1 Princess Alba-Monarch’s Zelda from 2 Queen Diana/Apollo-Captain’s Zelda/Sheik Princess Phaedra-Diritaln’s Zelda Ren-Fox’s Zelda

Other Important Characters: (There are some totk spoilers bellow)

Groose-Dove’s other partner Shadow-Geode’s Shadow/Shadow Link Smith-Geode’s Grandfather  Malon-Firefly’s Wife Talon-Malon’s father Saria-Firefly’s older sister Granny-Tune’s grandmother Aryll-Tune’s little sister Karu-Engineer’s husband Niko-Engineer’s oldest son Angee-Engineer’s twin daughter Alpho-Engineer’s twin son Arale-Twilight’s mother Colin-Twilight’s (basically) adopted brother Telma-Gerudo bartender who has helped Twilight Dasel-Monarch’s mother Toka-Captain’s partner Cato-Captain’s father Fenel-Captain’s mother Akit-Diritaln’s head guard Seggin-Fox’s father who was a Sergeant and taught Princess Mipha how to fight Dayru-Fox’s father who was a smith Maryl-Fox’s little sister Sidon-King of Fox’s Zora’s Domain Yona-Sidon’s fiance Makeela-Chief of Fox’s Gerudo (also known as Lady Riju) Tulin-Son of Fox’s Rito Elder Yunobo-Head of Yunoboco in Fox’s time

[fever-project]

THANK YOU FOR ENJOYING MY RAMBLING!! I’m genuinely so glad you like it this much, I was smiling so wide reading this. Haven’t been able to do too much stuff with this au, but I do got Ravio and (Hylian)Link’s ref down. Link has shark teeth in Hylian form still, here’s a pic of it on the right.

I also got an old drawing of Tears on my blog but I plan on updating his design. Fun fact, my pfp was my first pass at drawing this Ravio. It is now what his sleepwear looks like. I have made some art of them during Ravioli ship week when I was still in the process of figuring out what their relationship would be. Relationships are going to be big in this au. Just look up the tag (#royal depths au) on my blog and you’ll find all the stuff I’ve made so far.

I can also try to describe what I’m picturing Ganon and Helix to look like. Ganon looks a typical 10 year old, very squishy cheeks and big ol eyes. His hair is slicked back like OoT Ganon, but he looks a bit more like a bird. Idk how else to describe it, he got that bird silhouette. He loves wearing comfy clothes, and wears very warm clothing when not in Gerudo Desert. Also bonus fact, if he went to Lorule, he would be like a Disney Princess. Lorulian animals love him. And he’s 10 because typically Link is around 10 or at least barely an adult, and I thought it would be fun to switch it up a little. Link, Ravio, and Helix are all in their early to mid 20s, relatively speaking, meaning that Link’s been coped up in his room for a while.

Helix was originally going to be this AU’s Sheik, being a Sheikah as well, but I thought it would be more interesting if he was just a normal human who was friends with the Oracles before this whole debacle. His hair(and general vibe) is still styled similarly to Sheik tho. He has tan skin, light blue eyes, and obnoxiously blond hair, usually wearing a simple white shirt and dark grey pants. After becoming the princess, he wears a simple blue dress that he can run around easily in. Just slightly over the knees. Also their pronouns are he/they/she, but mostly goes with she/her when dealing with the general public now. She prefers if her friends use he/they, but she doesn’t really care too much honestly.

Also Old Man Tulin was a last minute addition, mainly because I had no idea what I was going to do with the Rito in this story, but I’m glad you like it :)

I can yap about anything? Sweat. So I have this LoZ AU I’m slowly making, it’s set post TotK. I’m calling it Royal Depths and let me tell you most of the plot I have for it. This is so long but I must ramble.

TotK!Zelda and Link went missing a few years after the end of the game. Link died and Zelda was captured by a dark force, who was somebody who was close to her. They became “king,” bidding their time in a slow process to reinstate the monarchy back to its formal glory over several Hylian generations. They made sure to have 7 children each generation, becoming the 7 maidens who each oversee different parts of the kingdom. Later in the king’s years, there would be a “chosen successor” to the king voted by the people, but the dark force would always replace the successor after they “died.” After doing this around 3 time already is when the story starts.

Link, the hero, had been reborn as a Zora to King Sidon. He is cursed to be a middle child. He has an older brother named Blueberry(TotK!Link named him) who’s based on a shortfin mako shark and a little sister named Mipha who’s based on a lion fish, like actual Mipha’s concept art. Link is a white tipped shark. He has singing magic, because I like the musical magic in the previous a bunch. Whenever he starts to speak or sing something else, the magic is ceased. After the Zora equivalent of his 16th birthday, he received the Triforce of Courage on his left hand. The spirit of TotK!Link(im just going to be calling him Tears from now on) also appeared, and tries to act like the Hero’s Shade in TP. Link though, is utterly horrified and doesn’t want to even think of being a hero. Hyrule has been peaceful for so long already. Ganon and Zelda have even been born yet. So he traps himself in his room most of the time. He trains and studies in preparation for the worst, but he doesn’t want to make any more connections. People call him the Hermit Prince, and his family is very worried about him. He also has a habit of slipping out of the Zora Domian in the middle of the night.

Zelda hasn’t and will not be reborn, because she is still alive and is being kept as a power source for the kingdom. Yeah. But, she is able to use some of her magic to contact someone, anyone, and to be able to give the Triforce of Wisdom to them. Enter Helix, a mostly regular adult human living in Lodrum. They’re a friend to the Oracles, who only recently appeared this generation, and they are cast out as heretics by the Hyrulian monarchy. Helix doesn’t really care about that, he’s a human after all. Until they receive Zelda’s message and power. In a dream, she tells them that they must go to the castle and stop an evil king with the help of Link. Very vague. Helix goes to the Oracles and they send him off the Hyrule Castle. Suddenly she’s now crowned as the “true” successor of the long missing Princess Zelda. Her name is now Zelda “Helix” Hyrule. They still like to go be Helix, that is their name after all, but they tolerate being called Zelda by the Hylians. His only goal and focus while he’s here is to find the hero, and kill the evil king. He thinks that it would be Ganon, based on the legends.

Ganondorf, or just Ganon, is only like, 10 years old in Gerudo years, but like 12 in human/hylian years. He’s a child, and is trapped within his home and garden by his mother, who believes she’s doing the right thing. She is not, she’s sealing her own demise like this. Everyone believes that he would grow up to be the demon king, just like he did every other time he’s been reincarnated. He’s lonely and scared, scared of himself and what everyone’s telling him he will become. He’s not doing well. Then, one day, an odd bird appears in his garden. It has a long, sleek white body, with pale blue wings. It cozies up to him pretty quick, when all other animals seem to be afraid of him. Soon after that, an oddly dressed purple-cladded Hylian jumps over the garden walls, calling for his bird, Sheerow. Enter Ravio, the main character of this story.

Ravio is the secretary for Hilda, the Prime Minister of Lorule. Lorule is further along in industrial progress compared to Hyrule, Lorule having 2010s vibes while Hyrule is in its equivalent of the Victorian Era. Ravio has magic, but he prefers to do magic tricks rather than actual magic. It’s more fun for him. He was named after Ravio the Merchant, aka AlbW!Ravio. Ravio is obsessed with the story of the Merchant and the Hero, the story of how Lorule was saved with the help of a hero from another world. One day, he receives his world’s equivalent(I’ve been using this word so much)of the Triforce of Wisdom, which looks like where the Hylian Triforce of Courage would be if you turned the Triforce upside down. So when Hilda shoves Ravio in the now open portal to Hyrule, people think that he could be the new hero. He constantly says he’s not, but is his counterpart and is searching for him. He first gets dropped in the middle of Gerudo desert, and a couple of Gerudo help him get to Gerudo Town, since he looks enough like a vai and he also doesn’t know what the words “vai” and “voe” even mean.

But yeah, he goes to Gerudo Town(which is much larger than it was in TotK), and basically adopts Ganon and brings him with him to Hyrule Castle. Well, it’s more like Ganon brings him along to the castle since there is this royal meetup between the kingdoms of Hyrule. Ganon and his “””””mother””””” are representing the Gerudo, Old man Tulin(he’s so old guys but he’s still full of energy) is representing the Rito, Yona and her children-including Link-are representing the Zora, and Helix is also now the main representative of the humans and hylians, along with the king.

Ravio and Ganon have gained permission to explore the castle, and the eventual reach this big garden with a long river at the end of it. Ganon loves it, he loves gardens, and is having such a good kid with the biggest smile on his face as frolics around the place with Sheerow by his side. Ravio’s known this kid for less than a week but is more than willing to kill someone for him I’ll have you know. The garden is also the place where Helix goes to relax and de-stress, which is not happening when she sees the future demon king she’s convinced she’ll have to kill running around in it. She’s very confrontational, only calming a bit once Ravio reveals his mark of the Lorulian Triforce. She’s convinced for a hot second that he’s the hero, but he’s not, just his counterpart from another world, which Helix just can’t seem to get. Another world? How crazy is that?

Then, they both hear a scream coming from Ganon, near the river. A corrupted, monstrous looking thing that looks like it’s made of fire crosses over it in one step, and the battle commences. They’re trying their best, Ravio trying use ice magic(not very effective), Ganon trying to use his own fire magic(not very effective), and Helix doesn’t even know how to use his newfound light magic properly yet(again, not very effective). She pleads to Ravio to go get the Master Sword, since he’s the only one who has a chance of pulling it out of its pedestal. Then, someone is singing. It starts to rain, it starts to pour down hard. Ravio drapes his cloak over Ganon so he doesn’t get hurt by the harsh rain, and the three watch as the monster screams and quickly dies right there and then. On the ground there is this odd, clearly evil, glowing sphere, which gets hit with a Zora spear, shattering it. Link jumps down from the castle roof, says hello, and the rain almost immediately stops once he speaks. He walks directly towards Ravio, while the group are just staring at him with wide eyes and agape mouths. Link introduces himself to Ravio and only Ravio, asking if he really is from another world. Ravio asks back if Link has been there the entire time they were fighting, and Link enthusiastically says yes. Ravio punches Link squarely in the face.

Uh uh, that’s enough of direct storyline for nowww. The Happy Mask Salesman is also here, and Tears lead Link to him to get a Hylian mask. So he can also transform into a Hylian. During the night, he runs off to the circus, and is a semi-famous acrobat. And he can’t speak while wearing the mask, since normally when he speaks the magic he casts stops. But the mask’s magic is way too powerful for him, so he just can’t speak.

Also Ravio, Helix, and Ganon can see Tears, thanks to the Triforces they have. Link has to pretend he can’t see or hear him while in his normal Zora form. And because he’s a Zora with a Hylian soul, he has maybe gender(species?)envy of Ravio. He thinks he’s in love but he’s not, he’s aroace, he just wants to be him not be with him. Ravio also hates Links because of aforementioned stuff above, and also because Link acts very suspicious around him. Ravio has major trust issues. He also is obsessed with the hero, which is also Link. Isn’t that fun? Oh, and everyone calls Link “Herm” because he’s a so called hermit.

A good chunk of the story is focused on the Depths, and the group exploring it to figure out why these monsters are appearing. Eventually, they find Zelda underneath the castle, Tears just breaks because he didn’t know where she was and that she was being used as a power source, and the king finally reveals themselves as the big bad. To the heroes he does at least, but he manages to convince a good chunk of the public that they are the bad guys, because Ganon.

And that’s about it for now haha. 1,708 words, ho boy. Wanted to talk about this for a while, feels great.

Sorry this took me so long to respond to, I wanted to really make sure I had the time to sit down and read it all, and I finally did so YIPPEE!!!

Link died and Zelda was captured by a dark force, who was somebody who was close to her <- GOD DAMN.

They made sure to have 7 children each generation, becoming the 7 maidens who each oversee different parts of the kingdom <- this sounds like a fairy tale almost and im OBSESSED.

Link, the hero, had been reborn as a Zora to King Sidon. <- LETS FUCKING GO ZORA LINK?????? OH MY GOD!!!

BLUEBERRY. PERFECT.

The spirit of TotK!Link(im just going to be calling him Tears from now on) also appeared, and tries to act like the Hero’s Shade in TP <- WOAAAAAAAAH.

Link though, is utterly horrified and doesn’t want to even think of being a hero <- he’s so real for that actually, i adore him

People call him the Hermit Prince, and his family is very worried about him <- Okay so I’m completely obsessed with your blorbo. I am holding him so gently rn

Zelda hasn’t and will not be reborn, because she is still alive and is being kept as a power source for the kingdom. Yeah. <- DAMN.

Enter Helix, a mostly regular adult human living in Lodrum <- OOOOOOOH

Suddenly she’s now crowned as the “true” successor of the long missing Princess Zelda. Her name is now Zelda “Helix” Hyrule <- WOAAAAAAAAAH

Ganondorf, or just Ganon, is only like, 10 years old in Gerudo years, but like 12 in human/hylian years. He’s a child, and is trapped within his home and garden by his mother, who believes she’s doing the right thing. She is not <- OUGH???????? HE’S TEN????

Everyone believes that he would grow up to be the demon king, just like he did every other time he’s been reincarnated. He’s lonely and scared, scared of himself and what everyone’s telling him he will become. He’s not doing well <- you are so evil. you are so so evil (im clawing at the walls screaming btw, holy SHIT!!! /pos /pos /pos)

Enter Ravio, the main character of this story <- FUCKING PLOT TWIST??????

Lorule having 2010s vibes while Hyrule is in its equivalent of the Victorian Era <- Fucking obsessed with this btw

Ravio has magic, but he prefers to do magic tricks rather than actual magic <- HE’S SO ME OH MY GOD

basically adopts Ganon <- OH GOOD, SOMEONE NEEDED TO

Old man Tulin <- TEARS IN MY EYES

Ganon loves it, he loves gardens, and is having such a good kid with the biggest smile on his face as frolics around the place with Sheerow by his side. Ravio’s known this kid for less than a week but is more than willing to kill someone for him I’ll have you know <- Ravio im right there with you

Then, they both hear a scream coming from Ganon, near the river <- LEAVE THAT LITTLE GUY ALONE /ref

Ravio drapes his cloak over Ganon so he doesn’t get hurt by the harsh rain <- i hate you so much for making my heart hurt over this mental image what the fuck (i love you. /p)

Ravio asks back if Link has been there the entire time they were fighting, and Link enthusiastically says yes. Ravio punches Link squarely in the face. <- I LAUGHED OUT LOUD

During the night, he runs off to the circus, and is a semi-famous acrobat <- WHAT A LEGEND

He thinks he’s in love but he’s not, he’s aroace, he just wants to be him not be with him <- OUGH.

Tears just breaks because he didn’t know where she was and that she was being used as a power source <- i am shaking you rn, but so gently and with so much kindness. But also how could you do this to me

Wanted to talk about this for a while, feels great <- IM FUCKJNG INVESTED

I have no idea if you’re writing this, drawing this, exclusively letting it live in your mind, but if you do like produce it physically anywhere… PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SEND IT TO ME IM EATING THE DRYWALL IN EXCITEMENT RN THIS IS SO FUCKASS /POS I LOVE ALL OF THIS OH MY GOD GOOD LORD I LOVE UR BLORBOS I AM HOLDING THEM SO SO SO SO GENTLY RN OH MY GOD!!!!!!

as you can see i am god’s most normal man. Anyways, THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!!

[tokiro07]

Perhaps I should get out of the habit of thinking about future games every time a novel and groundbreaking video game gets announced, but the endless potential is the best part for me, so let's talk about what Echoes of Wisdom could mean for the Zelda franchise if successful

Outcome 1: Playable Ganondorf

If Nintendo is willing to listen to our collective desire for a true Zelda game, there's now the possibility that they'll listen to the slightly quieter but still significant desire for a Ganondorf-led story in the Zelda universe

If Zelda's game is puzzle-focused (Wisdom), and Link's are exploration-focused (Courage), then Gandondorf's would be combat-focused (Power). Perhaps Nintendo could take inspiration from Dark Souls or Devil May Cry depending on whether they want to focus on difficulty or style, giving the player either a sense of earned skill or a power fantasy

I also wouldn't mind if we got other playable characters going forward, though aside from Ganondorf I can't really see any character being a big enough name to draw a general audience. Like Tingle is a super popular character in Japan, so he got a couple of games, but how likely is say, Midna to get her own game?

Though, she may not need to get her own game, per se, when instead...

Outcome 2: Other Playable Zeldas

It seems like Echoes of Wisdom takes place in the same era as Link's Awakening, assuming that Grezzo isn't just reusing the art style. If that's the case, then this is the same Zelda as in Link to the Past, which means that this story is expanding on that particular iteration of the Zelda bloodline

If they do more Zelda Zelda games, they'll certainly want to introduce or experiment with different mechanics rather than just doing the Echo mechanic ad infinitum, and the sheer number of Princesses they have to work with means that they have plenty of places to draw inspiration from while also being able to revisit each of their associated eras

Revisit Ocarina for a Sheik game. Revisit Wind Waker for a Tetra game. Revisit Skyward Sword to explore Zelda's relationship with the Goddess Hylia. Revisit Twilight Princess so she can team up with Midna. Revisit Adventure of Link to elaborate on the fact that there are two Zeldas running around there!

I'd love to learn more about Vaati and the Minish, or Byrne and the Lokomo, or Hilda and Lorule! Whether these are sequels or interquels, Zelda's perspective in each of these eras would be such a great opportunity to expound on the franchise's lore

Not to mention Breath of the Wild's Zelda! I know they said they won't do another sequel in that era, but Zelda's time in the past in Tears of the Kingdom could easily have been its own game! If they want to continue on with the Breath/Tears style, I really think that Zelda herself would be a fantastic way to keep things fresh

Of course, there's also the distinct possibility of...

Outcome 3: NEW Eras

Rather than recycle old content, Nintendo could just continue to add new eras and iterations of the reincarnation cycle as they always have and just bounce back and forth between using Link and Zelda based on which they feel is more appropriate for the story or mechanics they feel like designing around

Thinking of novel ways to shoehorn a plotline into existing Zelda stories might be difficult, especially if doing so would require contradicting or negating major elements of said stories. Doing something for the sake of being cool goes to waste if it just pisses off the fanbase, so it might be better to just make something wholly new

The Echo mechanic is kind of out of nowhere anyway, there's nothing about it that requires it be in the Hero of Legend era, or even that it be an ability unique to Zelda specifically. Link's a blank slate, but one who always holds a sword, so the overall gameplay of the franchise has a pretty consistent throughline. If Zelda keeps getting her own games, they'll likely keep coming up with new magic-based puzzle-centric mechanics to differentiate her from Link, but each one will feel completely distinct from the others, possibly to the point of being unrecognizable aside from sharing the name alone

However, it's also possible that there will be one particular throughline to make them feel consistent...

Outcome 4: 2D/3D Split

As I said, Nintendo has gone on record that they plan for the 3D Zeldas to be in the open-world Wild era style for the foreseeable future, and it's been almost a decade since the last 2D Zelda at all (assuming you count Tri Force Heroes, and if not, it's been well OVER a decade since Link Between Worlds), so it really does seem like Nintendo has been moving away from that style

Until today, that is. With Echoes of Wisdom, it's clear that Nintendo hasn't completely abandoned the more traditional top-down style, and instead may be attempting to give it more of its own distinct identity. It's a great opportunity to rebrand, as one of the reasons they may have been hesitant to make 2D games was for fear of muddling the brand. I personally think that would be silly if true, but I also will embrace this excuse to revisit my preferred form of Zelda gameplay

I'm not saying that they'll permanently make the 2D games exclusive to Zelda herself, but it does seem like something that might become emblematic of the current era until there's either another change in artistic direction or in management

None of these possibilities are mutually exclusive, and there are certainly other possibilities than what I've projected. There may not be any intention of making a Zelda-led franchise, or they might specifically root this series in this specific iteration of the Zelda character with different abilities

Whatever happens, whatever Nintendo chooses to do with this section of the series, I'm extremely excited for Echoes of Wisdom and I look forward to the breath of fresh air it brings to the franchise as a whole

[ghoul-of-hyrule]

Okay, I've actually finished! (For now, I know there's several more Zelda's i could add)

In order: the Original Goddess Hylia, Skyward Sword, Princess Hilda of Lorule, Ocarina of Time/Sheik, Captain Tetra, Twilight Princess, Hyrule Warriors, and Breath of the Wild