#Mipha and Sidon’s names all reference

[alabasterpickles]

I am no stranger to making oc’s for the fandoms I engage in and most of them I rarely talk about so let me give y’all a quick breakdown of one of the gals I’ve been playing around with the the last few months

I was talking with my sister about how strange (and sad!) it is that Sidon and Mipha’s mother is mentioned maybe *once* in passing and how funny it is that neither of them look remotely like their dad, so naturally this sparked a desire to explore what she may have been like/looked like!

I’m going to guess she was close to Yona’s size (she’s my main canon adult Zora woman reference point) which still makes her itty bitty compared to Dorephan. And also I headcanon that both kids take after her — which is why they both had special “Sage” abilities and Dorephan does not, it’s all on mom’s side of the family! The second drawing was me trying to figure out their approximate size difference (which would’ve been comically large anyway), featuring young Dorephan!

I know the “dead mom” trope is a major plot device in this particular series, but it’s nice to think about all the pre-tragedy family stuff.

Anyway! Her name is Sola!

Enjoy these little doodles!!

ALSO for the record, Sidon inherited his winning shark smile from mom in my mind

[greyennui]

I hate to be that guy, but the Zora Royal family are actually named after the names of the musical notes: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti

Dorephan: Do Re Fa Mipha: Mi Fa Sidon: Si Do

if I remember correctly, those notes are featured in their themes (at least in the case of Mipha & Sidon)

anyway most of the Zora have music related names, fun fact. just a few examples:

Bazz (bass)

Muzu (music)

Laflat (flat)

Keye (key)

Gruve (groove)

Kodah (coda)

Me playing Breath of the wild, in the middle of killing some random monster: ohhhh i get it. Sidon, like, Poseidon. Smart. Big brain.

[princess-of-the-corner]

(Making this a submission so it doesn’t get lost)

With the Mipha, Zelda, “Princess” thing, I was referring more to how “Princess Zelda” seems to be a concrete ROLE in Hyrule - the next incarnation of the Goddess, with the TriForce of Wisdom, the power to Seal Ganon, etc.. I read a fic once where someone explained it as “there is never a ‘Queen Zelda’, for the role of Zelda is not to rule her kingdom, but sacrifice in its defence.” I was thinking more along those lines, so for the Zora, “Princess” doesn’t mean “Royal Heir” the way “Prince” does, but instead someone with magical ability from the royal family who acts as a guardian for the Domain. Like, more dividing duties? So, in this analogy, Sidon is in charge of ruling day to day shit, making sure people have food, or health care, or other resources, and fixing disputes. Mipha would be involved in that periphally, but would focus more on magical studies, to use in defence of the domain, and work on making sure their soldiers were up to standard. In that way, it’s less that Mipha was assigned the “Princess” role because of Zelda, but because when the Zora were translating stuff, they saw Zelda, looked at their royal family, and said “Oh, that must be like [insert word here]!”, so that’s what they explain it as.

-

Ah!

Honestly that’s something I’d switch up with mine in that there can be Queen Zeldas. Both in the sense of like.

1.) of the Zeldas we see, only one has had any mentioned siblings. So for the Royal Bloodline to continue, she’d need to survive and become the ruler and have children. Like /maybe/ they could have her husband become King and take the ruler role, but you’re telling me you’re not going to let your Goddess Royal take the lead? Plus some Princesses do seem to be ruling their kingdoms anyway, like TP!Zelda. I think this is just a bit of falling into the ‘princess = good, queen = evil’ trap in media.

2.) The reason the Zeldas all have the same name is that it’s tradition to name the first princess Zelda. So not every ‘Princess Zelda’ is “The Princess Zelda™”

[getvalentined]

Okay so while I'm 99.999999% sure that BoTW and ToTK take place on their own timeline (I've even figured out where the divergence must have occurred for the events in those games to take place as they did and wrote a spoileriffic post all about it), there is at least one other option. Maybe two.

Spoilers and 1300+ words of lore and theory nonsense under the cut.

There are some things I've noticed that, when put together, form a very interesting possibility. It's not nearly as solid as the concept of this being an entirely different timeline altogether, and separately these things don't mean much of anything. Viewed together, though, they do seem to point in a fairly distinct direction.

Key points:

The Depths are full of massive ancient fossilized tree roots

Hyrule as a whole is heavily populated with the remains of absolutely enormous fossilized tree stumps

The Koroks exist, but the Kokiri don't

The Rito exist, as do the Zora

These Zora can live in freshwater or saltwater without suffering negative effects

Ganondorf refers to Sonia as being Hyrulean, not Hylian, in spite of Hyrule as a kingdom being founded by her and Rauru

Triforce imagery already exists back in that time period, to the point that Sonia has it tattooed on her body

This...may actually be the far-flung future of the WindWaker timeline.

Points 1, 2 and 3:

In WindWaker, the Deku Tree created the Koroks out of the Kokiri so that they would survive in some capacity after the Goddesses flooded the world. They traverse the world dropping seeds in the hopes that the trees born from those seeds will take root deep enough to join together and recreate land.

The Depths are full of ancient fossilized trees. Hyrule is covered in their remains. The Koroks travel the world for reasons unknown. The Lost Woods contain both a Lake Saria and a Mido Swamp, which we can say are just shout-outs to previous titles—except that Urbosa mentions Nabooru by name in BoTW, meaning that she existed. And if she existed, in the capacity that we know her from Ocarina of Time, then Saria existed. And yet the Koroks exist, and the Kokiri don't.

Points 4 and 5:

In WindWaker, the Rito used to be the Zora. They were magically evolved over time because they couldn't survive the flood, there was something wrong with the water. In Ocarina of Time, Zoras appear to be strictly freshwater entities; there are oceanic Zora in Majora's Mask, but that's either so far back on the timeline that Hylia and Demise haven't landed yet, or it's an alternate timeline altogether. In BoTW and ToTK, the Zora are very clear that they can survive in basically any water. They've tested this. They know they'll be fine no matter what.

Rito and Zoras in BoTW and ToTK have very, very similar body shapes, with long torsos and long arms and short legs, very limited sexual dimorphism, and expression of features similar to multiple different real-world animals that live in their respective environments. Teba is a harpy eagle, Kass is a sapphire macaw, Revali is a Steller's jay, Penn is a pelican; Mipha seems to be a false killer whale, Sidon is a hammerhead shark, King Dorephan is a blue whale, Yona is a devil ray.

Unlike the Rito in WindWaker, these Rito are literally just birds. They don't have to go earn their wings, they grow flight feathers at certain levels of maturity just like normal birds. Unlike the Zora in previous titles, who seemed to age at a rate on-pace with Hylians, the Zora age similarly to some some rare deep sea animals—coelacanths, for instance, reach physical maturity around 40-60 years old. (Reminder that coelacanths were also assumed to be wiped out, leaving behind only differently-evolved relatives.)

If we assume that the Koroks' mission was successful, then the Zora could very well have come back into being intentionally, the same way that they became the Rito in the first place. Some remained as Rito, while others chose to branch off and recreate what they used to be, using magic and careful breeding to make sure that they wouldn't die if the water turned against them again. Likewise, the Rito changed alongside them to become more suited to the changing environment, until they reached a point where they don't even remember that they came from the same place. (EDIT: Lending further credence to this possibility, the Stormwind Ark literally looks like two seahorses swimming side by side. Not birds. Nothing airborne. Seahorses.)

Points 6 and 7:

The existence of the Triforce as a holy symbol and the use of "Hyrulean" to describe someone of Hylian descent indicates that Rauru and Sonia didn't create Hyrule as a place, but organized it as a nation. The land of Hyrule already existed, it just wasn't under anyone's rule. Rauru and Sonia, with the power that they possessed, were able to organize the land on which they lived to create a kingdom—it was already called Hyrule, they just took control.

This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever in any context that I can think of outside the WindWaker timeline, where the destined bearers of the Triforce and the Hylian royal family haven't existed for ages. One of three points in the timeline where Ganondorf was killed, not just sealed away. (The other two being Twilight Princess and ToTK.) Until this point, Ganondorf is always the same Ganondorf. He's the same person as he was in Ocarina of Time—the Triforce of Power made him immortal, that's why all anyone could ever do was seal him up. The Master Sword is the sword that seals the darkness, not the sword that destroys the darkness.

There's a really interesting bit in the Twilight Princess manga that, while I know it's noncanon for the games, lends a lot of credence to the idea that Ganondorf in ToTK is the first time that Ganondorf has been properly and truly reincarnated.

Trigger warning for mention of suicide, and spoiler warning for the Twilight Princess manga.

Toward the end of the manga, during the final battle, Link is losing. Link is going to lose. He comes to the realization that he can't kill Ganondorf not because Ganondorf is stronger than him, but because he's just one part of a whole—and Link and Zelda make up the rest of it. Link realizes that he doesn't have the right to kill Ganondorf, because they need each other to exist. He was chosen by Din for a reason, like Link was chosen by Farore and Zelda was chosen by Nayru, and even if nobody knows why Din allowed that to happen that doesn't make it the right of one Goddess' champion to kill another. Ganondorf refuses to accept this, and kills himself so that he can finally be swept into the reincarnation cycle along with Link and Zelda, rather that just living forever and meeting new versions of them again and again. He demands the opportunity to reset and do what he wants without the fetters of his previous attempts weighing on him, with a promise to return someday and take what he deserves.

Ganondorf dies at the end of WindWaker, and it's very possible that he wouldn't be reborn again until the time period where Hyrule would be revived. Ganondorf is the destined bearer of the Triforce of Power—and Rauru is the Sage of Light, but he very clearly serves as a stand-in for the Triforce of Courage, while Sonia presumably stood in for Wisdom until Zelda arrived. At that point, given that Zelda is the destined bearer chosen by Nayru in order to bolster her ability to interface with Hylia (or to house her outright), any protection that position could have granted Sonia was lost, and Ganondorf was able to kill her where he couldn't have killed Zelda.

Do I think this is the case? Almost certainly not. Do I think it's possible? Absolutely.

The other possibility is that Ganondorf in WindWaker succeeded in his wish to reset the timeline and undo everything and the Goddesses took advantage of the wish and rolled it back so far that they removed the Triforce from the timeline altogether in the hopes that Ganondorf would never come into being at all. This new timeline would thereby be the result of that, but there's not much to indicate that beyond the fact that the Imprisoning War is literally the events of Ocarina of Time without the Triforce or Link, down to Zelda watching him kneel in front of the King of Hyrule and ask for allegiance, then telling that king that Ganondorf is obviously evil. I swear it's almost word for word. Zelda. Don't be racist.

[raycatz]

I wish so much that I could fully enjoy totk but I am struggling so much. Idk why some of the decisions for the game are the way they are. I can't help but be critical given how important the series and botw are to me.

I feel like the game is struggling to have its own identity. I feel like some creature has wormed its way into botw's skin and is wearing it poorly.

(So far I've played through the Gerudo and Rito story quests. What I've written here though is mostly about the world and direction. I just need to get some of these thoughts out. There are spoilers.)

The three main criticisms people had with botw were the story, weapon durability, and dungeons- and man so far in totk these things have only been worse. (The boss fights are incredible though)

The framerate drops whenever I use ultrahand, and combined with my left joycon drifting it makes trying to use the new mechanic difficult to the point that I will avoid it to do something else.

Some of the game does feel like mashed up dlc ideas. I would have preferred them to be dlc even. If the Zelda devs wanted to tell this story or make a game with these mechanics I wish they would have made an entirely new game instead of using botw.

So far totk has no through-lines between itself and botw. No one has mentioned the Champions, only a single npc has talked about the Calamity, no one has mentioned Calamity Ganon or the divine beasts Link calmed, and only a few people recognize Link himself. The champion successors I've met haven't spoken of the Champions or their divine beasts which is strange given how they spoke of them in botw, and at most have only referred to Link having been there in the past as, "when you helped us" without any specifics as to what. I've done all the side quests in botw and to have the people I helped call Link a stranger is saddening. It's even more pronounced in Hateno. I bought a house there. I helped its people. And the house no longer has Link's name by the door and Hateno's people remark at how Link is a new face in town. Didn't I live there? Given how some of the kids have grown it's probably been around 4 years since botw. Where has Link been in that time for the people to forget him? In Kakariko Cottla says she can't talk to me because she isn't supposed to talk with strangers. We've played tag together. I cooked meals with her sister. It's sad. In botw we spent the whole time collecting Link's memories and growing attached to the land only to have the land forget us. I feel like it's a disgrace to all of the time and joy players put in and found in botw, and to botw's story- to have none of that matter.

What happened to the Divine Beasts and the Sheikah shrines and the slate? Further, some important npcs from botw are just gone without explanation.

If the events of botw are so irrelevant then why use the same world and characters? I understand it's a way to save time and resources but this game took 6 years to make past botw. I would have preferred a new world and princess/hero entirely so I could go into it as a fresh experience. Instead, it feels like what made botw important was swept away, and the map and characters are only being used as an empty husk, like setpieces. Majora's Mask being a sequel with reused assets worked because in Termina there was no reason for anyone to know Link, and him traveling to find Navi made sense, and the look-alike characters are different people. In botw, there is no reason for no one to recognize Link or his achievements. He is the Hero of Hyrule for that world and it's people. He freed the divine beasts and put an end to the multiple local disasters they were causing, yet none of that is acknowledged and it sticks out like a sore. (I'm really really hoping that Sidon talks about Mipha and the constant rain caused by Vah Ruta because how could he not? That's his sister! Yunobo saw Daruk's spirit in botw so I'm hoping he says something of the Champions. I'm really hoping.)

I enjoyed exploring botw's world because there were always koroks and shrines to collect. I could wander knowing there was something in store to find. The world never felt too big or empty for this reason, and the solitude made sense because of the Calamity. In totk the number of shrines and koroks has been greatly reduced (edit: there are more shrines and just as many koroks as in botw. It just seems I'm having difficulty finding them ashfsjdf.) I know the overworld already so there not being a reward for exploring gives me no incentive to. The lack of shrines and the cutscenes required to go through to use the towers is another hindrance on exploration and quests. I can't get spontaneously sidetracked because there's no nearby place to warp back to, and I know how far I'll have to walk to get there. Traveling can feel like a chore instead of something enjoyable. It feels like the overworld has been stripped.

The world wasn't made for the new mechanics either, and so the areas to use them in are all tacked on as monster camps or fallen ruins, instead of a natural part of the landscape.

The new map content, the Sky and Depths, would have been better being condensed. They don't fit within the scope of botw's map. The Sky Islands so far don't take up much space and are significantly less important than I hoped they would be. The Depths is a fun concept and I enjoy the restrictions it puts on players, with the soft cap and kinda rougelite aspect while you're in the early game, but it's way too big, very repetitive, and there's not much point to exploring once you know what it's about. Both the Sky and the Depths would have benefitted by being more carefully thought out, concise, areas and suffer from having to fit the scope of botw's map. The Depths has poes and zonite to collect, but these things come in such huge quantities and require even huger quantities of to be useful that it feels grindy. I need 3 zonite ore for one crystalized ore, 100 crystalized ore for one fuel charge. There are three charges in one canister, of 8. That's 7,200 zonite ore like wtf. How is this supposed to be achievable? So far I haven't needed to use the vehicles all that often so it's not particularly useful atm either. The amount of cross-trading currency collectibles is overbearing. For some time I had no idea what any of them were used for so I didn't know what the point was in collecting them. Bubulgems, zonite ore, large zonite ore, poes, crystalized charges, large crystalized charges- too many. Please condense some of them.

Gone are all the very cool weapon designs, replaced in favor of the new fuse mechanic and endlessly scrolling through materials to find the right thing to attach.

The memories and the story in that aspect are still passive. Even more so.

We're all familiar with the Zelda formula- totk now follows the botw formula. Plateau area, back and forth fetch quests to upgrade your abilities, four main story beat locations, memories, and then the open world for players to tackle freely. I'm really hoping there is more. There has to be because the Sky and Depths haven't been used in the main story beats so far. In botw you could go anywhere and have everything to do in a given location immediately assessable to play through, but in totk there are things locked by progression. However, it's awkward because you aren't told precisely what's locked or why. I'm like- I went through the effort to get here but there isn't anything for me to do. I know there's something here! But I can't do anything yet and idk why or what I'm missing! and instead of building anticipation it just makes me frustrated. I'm not sure if what I'm missing is locked to progression or if there is something I've truly just missed.

So I have a feeling of having missed something important story/mechanic-wise when exploring, and then on the other hand I have the feeling of being very clearly shoehorned towards certain goals. Nearly all of the npcs have dialogue that leads you towards something. I don't feel like botw was ever this in-your-face about goals. The Calamity happened 100 years ago so the people have had time to adjust, while the Upheaval is happening now. It makes sense that the Upheaval would be much more pressing, I just wish the npcs would chat about something other than "go here, do this" once in a while. Like, I found Bolson, and instead of being greeted as a familiar face or getting to see Bolson in character, he just told me to go somewhere for a quest related thing. So many of the familiar characters are missing the quirky characterizations they had in botw that made them them.

With being shoehorned towards certain locations: many, many of the npcs want me to clear out monsters at Lurelin. So I went to Lurelin. At that point I'd only completed the quest in Gerudo and five shrines, yet the monsters I faced in Lurelin (and widely across the overworld) were black level monsters, which I was and still am nowhere near prepared for. Totk is either meant to be more difficult than botw or there is an issue with balancing. I've touched maybe 25 shrines and have lit a good number of lightroots, but haven't completed many, so maybe that's a factor into the enemy leveling? I also think there's a way for me to get help that I haven't found yet. Regardless, the enemy scaling across the world feels like it happened too quickly and I don't enjoy the npcs pushing me towards things my character isn't ready for. I feel like there should be more checks in place for this that determine the npc dialogue to the player's progress.

I haven't even talked about the story.

I know I'm being very critical with the game, and I wish I could just enjoy it. I need to stop trying to find botw in this game. And I should take a step back for a while too. I'm just disappointed.

The music and boss battles have been incredible! I hope there's more structured boss battles outside of the main four + ganon. Heck I even hope there's a boss gauntlet with a cool reward.

Just- yeah. So far I am not enjoying the new Zelda formula when it comes to totk. Botw worked for botw. totk looks and is structured too much like botw to feel like its own thing, and yet trying to play it like botw is just upsetting because it isn't.

Totk is a good game, but it's a bad sequel.

I hope the Zelda team returns to the old format sometime, or at least pulls forward some of the ideas. I miss the concise dungeons that take multiple play sessions to get through. I miss the tricky puzzles that make me feel smart for solving. I miss combat being a puzzle requiring certain items or learning boss phases and patterns (rather than sticking materials to your bow and taking a "just deal damage" based approach. I want to be closer to it.) I miss the worlds that were puzzles in and of themselves like Minish Cap or the Oracle games. I miss seeing a clearly marked spot on the wall or a tree in the way and knowing that I'll pick up an item that will help me here later. I like that there were clear solutions. The clues in botw and totk for progression are not as clear. And the botw open-world format is too large for concise puzzles like this. I enjoyed the open-ended way to combat and puzzles in botw, but I feel there should be space for both. No more ways to fenagle the physics or smack your way through obstacles. I want to see linear progression and long-form puzzles return to Zelda games, at least for the next one.

I'm hoping there's some plot twist or turn in gameplay that I haven't reached in totk yet. We'll seeeeee

[legofanguy1999]

This is a entry for @miphlinkweek event Miphlink week 2023 day 6: Growing up together. This is a series of flashbacks to Link and Mipha childhood to their meeting at Vah Ruta. Kid Link’s clothes is a reference to the Hero of the Wild set, which is references to his pre-Ocarina of Time games clothes and that classic game Young Link’s tunic.

When Mipha was young, she witness a group of Hylian knights visiting Zora’s Domain to talk about the increase in protecting the region due to some kind of prophecy, but was not allowed in the court yet, so she decide to listen in behind a pillar. Spying on the meeting, Mipha noticed a Hylian boy among the knights, wearing a green tunic, shorts, and a green cap. The boy has short blond hair and blue eyes, which look at her father with wonder as the king of the Zoras can be bigger than even his fellow Zoras. The boy then noticed Mipha hiding behind the pillar and she quickly run off before he could alert anyone of her present. The boy said to the head of the knight, “Dad, I’m going to go explore.” The head knight reply, “Alright Link, just don’t get lost.” and Link nod, and head off to follow that Zora.

Once she managed to get far, Mipha take a moment to breathe, and she start to wonder what is going on just as a young voice call out, “Hey!” and Mipha turn around to see that it is the same boy from earlier and he didn’t seem troubled about meeting her. Trying to act normal, Mipha greet the boy, “Hello there, little one.” and the boy said, “I saw you earlier. Why were you playing hide and seek?” Mipha sigh and said, “Actually, I was not allow in the meeting, so I run off when you spot me.” Mipha did ask the boy, “Did you tell anyone?” The boy shake his head, “No. My dad don’t often talk to me, so I sneak off to find you.” Glad that the boy didn’t tell anyone about her, Mipha said to him, “Thank you. You are a kind spirt.” The boy smile and said, “Thanks. I get that a lot from my mom.” He then hold out his hand and said, “I’m Link by the way! What is your name?” Mipha reply as she shake the boy’s hand, “My name is Princess Mipha.”

Mipha’s claws actually cut Link’s hand and she apologized, “I’m so sorry about that.” Taking the boy’s hand, Mipha use her powers to heal it, amazed the boy and he ask, “Whoa, can all Zoras do that?” Mipha reply, “Actually, the power to heal others is a rare ability for Zoras, even among my own family.”

Every year, Link would visit Zora’s Domain with his father, and he and Mipha would play with other Zora children. However, his reckless would get him hurt and Mipha would always heal him. Mipha wish that Link can be best friends with her little brother Sidon, as well encourage him to be brave. One day, the Zora royal family were informed that Link and his father couldn’t be visiting for some time due to Link training as a knight, and Mipha has start to worry how does it come to be.

Years passed back, and Hyrule is preparing for the threat of Calamity Ganon by unearthing the Guardians and the Divine Beast Vah Ruta. When Princess Zelda and her bodyguard, the Knight with the Sword that seal the darkness, visit Zora’s Domain, Mipha is allow in the meeting due to being older and her role as princess, and it was quite a surprise for Mipha that Zelda’s bodyguard is Link, except he has grown much taller. Link was not wearing his green tunic, but knight armor and there is a unique sword on his back. Mipha start to noticed that Link has become handsome for a Hylian, as well he doesn’t seem to show any emotions.

Once she and Link got a moment to themselves, Mipha said to him, “Well, Link. You’re grown since I last saw you.” Link only nod and he still keep his cold look. While wondering why Link didn’t make it clear he is glad to see her again, Mipha said, “And yet.... You have not changed.” When he didn’t reply, Mipha start to worry and ask Link, “Are you alright, Link? How are you?” Link didn’t speak, as if he is scare of speaking.

Within days, Mipha has become one of the champions that will help Link and the Princess of Hyrule battle the coming threat of Calamity Ganon, and she is chose to be the pilot of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. She is envy of the princess for taking her time with Link while being rude to him.

[afriendlygoblin]

my thoughts on TOTK because i need to ramble about it somewhere and my friend hasn't finished it yet

SPOILERS

i'm gonna go through the main quests/parts as i completed them

1) the opening, Great Sky Island, Temple of Time and landing in Hyrule

it made me really really really happy to see that Link and Zelda were still around each other like this, exploring stuff together and all. the awakening cutscene gave me chills and really all i could think about was finding Zelda.

discovering the Great Sky Island was fun, though i was used to my comfort in BOTW so it was quite a shock to not have the paraglider and get one-shot by literally anything. but i guess that's normal

then i really liked meeting Rauru though i missed having at least a clue of what was going on. like in BOTW, the king tells you "alright, the world is shit because this happened, Zelda is over there waiting for you, now u do u". there i had this feeling of being absolutely clueless for the first few hours of gameplay and it was frustrating at times.

Lookout Landing was a heartwarming sight, seeing people rebuild and stuff genuinely made me smile. i did feel a pinch in my heart when i recognized that it was built on the very ground where Link swore his oath as Zelda's appointed knight. but overall it was great and i loved the concept of the new towers.

2) the Temples and Sages

i started with Rito Village and the Wind temple. i love Tulin with all my heart and i have to say i use his ability the most. the temple was a pain to access and the cold was annoying but i had a blast with the boss battle. didn't really use Tulin's help there because it was really easy to do on my own but i enjoyed having a supporter during the fight.

i was favorably surprised when i found out that Tulin's clone would accompany me forever. BOTW was a pretty lonely game. peaceful and beautiful but lonely nonetheless. also seeing Teba give his son the Great Eagle Bow made me emotional i admit. i wish there were more references to Revali (and the Champions in general) but eh at least he has a Landing named after him. also where did the Flight Range go?

next i went to Goron City. it felt strange to not instantly catch on fire but well, i was happy with no more elixirs and ugly outfits (not a fan of the fireproof set). the battle against the 3 headed monster in Death Mountain was awesome and it reminded me of how fun it was to yeet Yunobo around. speaking of which i was so relieved when i got him back to normal because that rock boi is precious and seeing him being mean was not cool.

the Temple was a bit annoying tbh, i got lost in the rail system so i just went and monkeyed around climbing everything and flying everywhere. the boss fight was also quite forgettable though i liked using Yunobo's ability more. again, there was zero mention of Daruk (that i remember) and Daruk's Protection has been entirely forgotten. i know the goal isn't to live in the past but i find it sad to see it pretty much forgotten about in some areas.

after that i went to Zora's Domain and had fun yeeting splash fruit at the sludge. i almost had a heart attack when i saw that the Mipha statue had been replaced but i was so thrilled to see it relocated to where the Lynel used to be. they really built her a splendid memorial and she can really watch over her people from there.

i had missed Sidon and his smile, and helping Yona bringing him back to his true optimistic charming self was really great. i liked that since the Zora live long lives, everyone remembered me (Link) more than in other parts of Hyrule. oh and Sidon's coronation had me smiling ear to ear because i was so proud of my fish brother.

i had so much fun in the temple and its weird gravity, sometimes i go back just to jump around and dive in slow motion. the boss fight was correct, though it was annoying to go so slow through sludge.

finally, i made my way to Gerudo Town. the gibdos surprised me but by pure luck i had a fire lizalfos horn weapon equipped so i was never in any real danger. i loved organizing the defenses of Gerudo Town and fighting alongside Riju's warriors.

i loved seeing how Riju had grown since we last saw her, she and Tulin were like my young niblings and seeing them grow made me so proud. again i don't remember any tribute to Urbosa but seeing Riju's dual Scimitars of the Seven was a nice touch so i didn't say anything.

the temple was really cool and the boss fight made me rage quit once or twice so i consider it to be awesome. i thought i was gonna throw my Switch against the wall but then i remembered Zelda needed me so i took a breath and went back to the fight.

overall i really liked this part of the game, seeing my old new friends was very heartwarming and having their clones follow me in my daily life made the game so much less lonely than BOTW was.

3) Tears of the Dragon

no. i am still sobbing, throwing up, rolling on the floor. no. seeing Zelda finding not one but 2 loving parental figures only to lose them 20 min later, Ganondorf's ascension, Rauru's sacrifice, ZELDA'S SACRIFICE ABZBZBFKGNDKDLS I WAS NOT READY. i didn't find the memories in chronological order so when i found the one that hinted what was going to happen to Zelda i rushed them all and stayed up until like 4 am to see them all. the final one tore me apart and i basically cried myself to sleep (not really but almost). i actually had to go spoil myself online just to put my mind at ease because like what if we could never get her back???

after that and the Master Sword quest, whenever i saw Zelda not too far from a tower i'd go see her and rest on her head for a little while while imagining Link talking to her.

i was at a point where i didn't really know what to do with myself, i still had Gerudo Town to visit but eh i was a bit sick of boss battles at the moment. seeing the memories remotivated me and pushed me to finish the main quests as fast as possible to get Zelda back.

4) the Master Sword

as eager as i was to just go and beat up Ganondorf, i couldn't imagine doing it without my trursty blade, and also the reason why Zelda sacrificed herself. so i decided to go see the Great Deku Tree so seek counsel. after a quick in and out trip to the depth, i found a dying tree in no shape to answer my questions.

Phantom Ganon handed my ass to me a few times but once i got his attack patterns right, it all went smooth like a baby's butt cheek.

getting the Master Sword from Zelda's head made me so emotional, i had just seen a fanart of that scene where Link let himself fall while crying and clutching the sword against his heart. that was how i felt it really.

5) the Depths and Fifth Sage

so after crying my eyes, heart, lungs and intestines out, i had to continue investigating to know where the hell Ganondorf was. that led me to the Depth, searching for all the abandonned mines and everything. on the way i had fun in the battles against Kohga, i had missed his ridiculous... him.

i'm not the biggest fan of the Depths but hey, you can find pretty awesome stuff down there so i do spend a lot of time farming Zonaite and throwing Brightbloom seeds around.

finding and assembling Mineru's construct felt a bit ehh. the shrine like puzzles to get the limbs were thankfully not too long but really all i wanted was to get over with it. funny enough i was fully prepared for a big twist like Mineru revealing that she was with Ganondorf and having to fight the construct i had just built myself.

what i got was even better. like mech fight??? hello?? that was awesome though it took me some time to get the controls down. but ah as a kid who grew up playing Solatorobo, riding the construct was just cbfkdkd SO COOL.

6) the Final Fight

i'll just focus on the battles because the way to get to the Gloom's Lair or whatever was just like yeah sure go off i guess. chasing Zelda through the Castle was just a delay of what i knew would happen underground and then i mostly dodged the monsters except the Lynel because come on who has time for that.

the. EPIC. BATTLE. AGAINST. AN ENTIRE. ARMY. my Goddess fighting hordes and hordes of monsters alongside my friends with the most epic music was just so euphoric and cathartic and just fullfilling ahhhhgg. when i saw the temple bossed coming back to life i was gully prepared to take them on with my friends but nope, the game had other plans for me.

and what plans oh bloody hell this FIGHT? THAT is what i call a boss battle. in BOTW, Ganon wasn't hard to kill. like it had taken me less than 5 tries i think, 3 of them being just to learn the fight's mechanics. but here? the first part i got quickly, after all it was just a one on one against a (large) human sized villain. the pace was slow, there was no music, in a word : a warmup.

then he activates his secret stone and turns into a human emo LED. alright sure. and then his health bar replenishes. AND KEEPS GOING. i was expecting it to just go beyond the screen border at this point. and oh the clones, how many times did i accidentally get killed by one of them. having my friends fight them for me was cool but too many times i ended up ignoring them and taking a lost bullet becayse of that.

then comes the real 1v1 againt the Demon King. THAT was the fight i'd been waiting for. the final confrontation between the Hero and Evil, the final battle that would- he can Flurry Rush? what do you mean he can Flurry Rush?? alright then, i'll just be careful, good thing i have a good shield haha HE CAN FLURRY RUSH MY FLURRY RUSH?????? HOW WHAT WHY WTF ah at least i can Flurry Rush his Flurry Rush that he Flurry Rushed from my Flurry Rush. McFlurry.

after at least 20 tries, tears and a break because my left index was sore from keeping my shield up, i finally got to deal a final strike. and then oh my GODDESS THIS PART

Zelda rushes to my aid and together we face that giant Demon Dragon. she soars, allowing me to dive and land right next to one of the Demon's weak point. i attack it, then bet blown off. Zelda gets me back and we repeat the maneuver 3 times. finally, i dive one last time to the Demon's head and shatter the Secret Stone.

no more Demon, no more Ganondorf, it really is over this time.

7) the End

is it? the sky is peaceful, as i, behind my screen, thank the princess for her help and tell her that we succeded, i start floating off of her head. Rauru and Sonia appear and somehow channel their magic through my arm.

and there she is. my princess. my Zelda. the one i travelled through Sky, Land and Depth to find. the one i've been chasing for (in game) months (days irl).

and she's falling. shit. so i dive as fast as i can, i extend my freshly restored arm and.... i got her! a perfect echo to the opening, an exquisite parallel, i took so many screenshots of this scene and i will cherish them forever.

then i watched the last cutscenes, my Zelink heart that was already screaming exploded when i saw Link gently put Zelda down on the grass. she wakes up, sees Link, looks around and... "you really did it" no princess, we did it together. "Oh Link... i'm home" AAAAAHAHBBFNDKDBBF I SCREAMED i really screamed and thank the Goddess that i live alone because it was again 4am and had i been at my parent's place, Zelda's smile would have been the last thing i'd seen before certain death (not that i would have minded). i wish i could hug my princess in that moment. yes, you're home. i promised i'd get you back when i saw your memories so here you are. and you're never leaving me again.

end credits, i use that time to process what i just lived. then i watch the post credit cutscene, shed a tear watching Mineru rest in peace and the new Sages swear their oath. everything's good now.

and then i'm transported back to Castle Chasm. yay.

Additional 1) the Gameplay

as an engineering student, i had been waiting for this game for so long (only could play it a month after release because of finals) and it didn't disappoint. well to be honest i was used to BOTW's controls and though they were similar here, i missed using the cross' top arrow to pick a rune. minor stuff like that. BUT WHO CARE WHEN YOU CAN BUILD CARS, PLANES, ROCKETS AND TORTURE DEVICES

i fully started enjoying vehicle building when i expanded my battery. from then on i was unstoppable, roaming around Hyrule on my Turbo Deadly Flying Tricycle that shoots fire and laser beams.

also i'm a pretty peaceful being but i have to admit that nailing a Korok to a cross and pulling it around with your horse like "do you have time for our Lord and Savior Korok Christ?" is really really fun.

Additional 2) the World

also i loved the additions they made to the stables like the Pony Points system. and ah finally i don't have to talk to this random girl to change my saddle.

i'm a sucker for fantasy sky island so i was so happy to see some in Hyrule sky. though i wish there were a bit more or at least some bigger ones. Great Sky Island was nice but then in other regions, aside from a shrine here and a dispenser there i didn't spend a lot of time up tthere.

Hyrule was at the same time the good old same and a totally new and foreign place. cities and villages were in the same place but they were so different. Tarrey Town had grown so much (btw fuck you Rail Car guy i built this place you should pay ME). Kakariko had its new Ring Ruins, Hateno had developped a mushroom frenzy... AND ZELDA HAS STOLEN MY HOUSE??? HAY PRINCESS YOU HAVE A CASTLE AT LEAST LET ME HAVE THIS oh? is that my hair tie? and... you're writing about me in your diary? oh so we live together... alright then all good! also seeing the photo from Champion's Ballad exactly where i hung it in BOTW brought a tear to my eye. no, our omd friends aren't forgotten. and they will always be home.

i'll stop there because i'm hungry and i've been rambling for an hour and a half but this game is just so so so good. the story touched me a bit less than that of BOTW for some reason but it did make me emotional af. i wish we had a postgame which solely consists of completing the secondary adventures and like... farming in Hateno Village with Zelda but eh, be grateful for what you have i told myself. i think i will go have a cutscene marathon starting with Age of Calamity now.

Additional 3) the Side Quests

while i ignored most of them (will get to them eventually no worry about that), i particularly appreciated the Monster Control ones and the Lurelin line. these quests really made me feel how important community and cooperation are in this game. because you have your own community of heroes with the Sages and also the researchers, people who are in the heart of the story but there you get to see other communities. the losers with a valiant heart, fighting silver moblins with mops and buckets as helmets, the exiled fishermen who lost their town but with your help get to rebuild their home etc. this makes this game whole because it reminds you that yeah, there are always epic tales of legendary heroes, dramatic tragedies and heroic sacrifices but there are also smaller, equally as important stories. there's the story of how anyone can rise up and fight monsters and there's the story of how to rebuild your home after it was totally destroyed. and you get to be a part of all these stories, big or small. and that's beautiful.

also i liked stealing Zelda's horse again. you took my house i take your horse, fair is fair.

[tnc-n3cl]

For the get to know your fanfic writer game: 7.How do you choose which POV to write from? 71. When it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.? 74. You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?

Thanks for the ask @unmaskedcardinal

7.How do you choose which POV to write from?

Whatever serves the story needs I guess. One fun, for me at least, thing I did in "The Amnesiac Hero's Quest" was to suddenly give Sidon a POV segment for most of the second to last chapter of what had been solely Link's story.

I had wanted to do at least him hearing Mipha's voice telling him to help Link (perhaps him just telling Link that when he returned), but then when writing the story I looked up some gameplay vids to path out what happens. At the end of the segment where you shoot the shock arrows at Vah Ruta, Link hops on Vah Ruta as it rises out of the water and the camera follows Sidon as he wishes Link luck before giving you control again. And that made the perfect spot to switch to Sidon's POV in my fic.

71. When it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.?

Oh man. Hehe, with all the interconnected stories going on in The Realm Walker I have quite a few files for that. I've got multiple timeline files, a general purpose one, a backstory/worldbuildy one, and one with tables mapping out the events in The Ballad of Kass and Shifting Tides of Fate so that scenes link up, which I'll probably have to add more to once I write out Ildia's side of the story (since her story will run through pretty much everything), and events of The Long Nightmare that intersect with TBoK and SToF. (And I've still got to time out that sidestory for Virli...)

I've got a couple different files keeping track of characters, one's just a table with the 40+ Rito names I've already used. I've got a bulleted list of all the ultraviolet beak markings I've assigned everyone (I am running out of line patterns, lol!)

Then I've got the "Production Notes" file where I put most of my random plot ideas, notes for future chapters, keeping track of how many chapters of each fic has been posted (along with chapter names and if I've started working on them or not), times it takes to get from point A to Point B in-game and fun little encounters/resources to be found along the way, backstory/worldbuilding notes, and rough ideas on a posting schedule (more which story to work on/get something posted on as opposed to an actual date to post said chapter). I also put notes in each story about what will happen in that chapter (and sometimes things that I'll need to reference in the other stores), or things I need to change when I edit.

74. You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?

Detailed descriptions of character gestures during dialog bits. Bird people, pretty much everything I've written has/had bird people in it (or bird/dinosaur hybrid-esque in my Stargate fic...). (Especially raptor-esque bird people...) Bird people doing bird-like things: weird head tilts, turning their heads almost all the way around, when speaking human language sounding kinda like a parrot or such imitating human speech. Bird people with some kinda ultraviolet markings. Detailed action scenes. I've been told that I'm fond of technobabble. Quirky or dark humor or at least attempts at it.

Get to know your fanfic writer.

[sage-nebula]

I swear to god, if I get into this hideout and see that Kohga has still been alive all this time, and that these stupid Yiga fucks have been trying to kill me for vengeance over a leader who wasn’t actually dead this entire time, I’m gonna be pissed.

[traveleroffarawayplaces]

Since I am still kinda new, I guess I could also talk about ships that I have. Usually, if you have read this, then you kinda know my mostly take on ships, but I have yet to talk about ships I like. (Below cut)

Well for starters, let me start with legend of zelda. I am a pretty big Zellink fan, but only some of the links I ship them together. Like skyward sword for example. Other ships, like Sidon X Wild (link, I just call them wild bc it's easier and linked universe fandom has rubbed off on me) or Mipha x Wild. I am not the pickiest and typically prefer Mipha x Wild or Zellink, but I am pretty open to almost all of them.

Amphiba? Well I have a big list. Sprivy is adorable and cute. So is Yulivivia (idk if that's their ship name or not XD). I don't know what to make of Hop Pop x Grime and such... so... questioning I guess. Sashannarcy is really good and its usually my go too. But Marcanne is adorable. (What can I say? Tiny Dragon toons got me into it. Their art is amazing!!) And anyone with Andrias I try to avoid.

Avatar and Korra is next. I personally like Katara x Aang, (Kataang) is pretty dang good, but usally my go to is Korra x asami. Tho Bopel is pretty good. I, don't know many other ships. I thought Korra X Mako was... kinda bad. I really was not a fan of that ship. It was too fast and Idk why it happened. Felt... wrong in my mind.

Voltron is next and dear lord. I think this is one of the only fandom I don't really have any ships for. Klance is cute, but I don't see it happening in my eyes. (Please don't kill me Klance shippers) Lance X Allura, I don't really know what to make of it I guess... Shiro X Adam though is cute.

Glitch techs? I see no ships here, so Imma skip it. Mainly platonic ships, which I am all down for.

Dragon prince? Rayllum. Rayllum for the win. Though, I wouldn't mind if it was platonic or not, its still a nice duo. I really don't see many other ships... Callum and Claudia I... I don't really care terribly much about.

Rick Riordan verse now!! PJO/HOO/TOA: Obviously Percabeth and Solangelo are both AMAZING!! I love them both with a passion. Jiper is cute. Piper X Shel though is another amazing ship. Another ship I will stand behind until my death is Frazel. Its so underrated and so adorable. Luke and Thalia? Nah, Thalia slay girl. THe ship of Thalia and Reyna is cute tho. I... Haven't read trials of Apollo yet, so I don't know any ships other than Solangelo from there. TKC: Tbh, Zia and Carter is cute but so is Sadie X Walt (I personally call the ship Salt just to confuse everyone.) Tho it did get a little complex with Sadie, Walt and Anubis. But I still think it was cool. Tho, I don't really know any other ships I guess... Anyone got some you can introduce to me? MCATGOA (A tongue twister, I know. Imma just refer to it as MC, (Magnus chase)): Okay, but Halfborn and Mallory were... an interesting pair, but I have no objections. Same with Samirah and Amir, cute and I see nothing wrong with it. Magnus and Alex however I absolutely ADORE!! Its cute, amazing and fabulous ship. I stand behind it til my death.

Hermitcraft? No ships here. As far as I can tell. Same with Dream SMP. I know that there are ships there, not too big with those ships. Like Tubbo and Ranboo? Adorable. Would I protect it with my life? No. Do I enjoy it? Yes. Yes I do.

I could go on, but this post is already long enough. I don't want to bored you. Tho, if you wanted to ask about ships, I guess you could ask me.

[silentprincess17]

A Proposal Gone Awry

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | AO3

Summary: Link has been touring the breadth and width of Hyrule to clear out the remaining monster camps, and soon enough, he reaches Zora’s Domain. Mipha asks him to wait before he heads back to the castle, which he was intending on doing... but some mischievous children may have other plans.

Part 3

Mipha had completed her list of assignments for the day, and now she headed out to the Zora River, diving in on her way to Hyrule Castle. As she swam gracefully, swooping and twirling through the air as she breathed, before sinking back down into the water, she reflected on the day’s events. She’d attended the Zora General Council Meeting in the morning, where they discussed new refurbishments to be done around the Domain. Rather embarrassingly they’d decided to create a statue, depicting her, to be placed in the fountain at the centre of the Domain. She couldn’t say no, it would be disrespectful to the likes of Ledo, and Seggin, her Master, ordered the poor man to do it as well. Mipha personally didn’t really like the extravagance- she would much rather use the resources elsewhere. But, her father disagreed, stating she had become one of the Zora Greats, alongside Princess Ruto who was claimed to have been a Sage, in a time long past. It made her feel proud, at least, to be a Princess who had helped prevent such a disaster, and to know she’d helped Link in his endeavours made it all the sweeter.

At the thought of Link, her heart skipped a beat, and a shiver went down her fins. If only her plan that night had worked! She’d set everything up so carefully, so determined was she to profess what had truly driven her motivations to hold up the mantle of the Champion, how she wanted to protect him from any harm that could befall him… Sadly, under the influence of mischievous children he’d gotten hold of the armour she’d painstakingly made, and somehow deduced it was simply a practice run. For the love of the Goddesses, she couldn’t have anticipated such a turn of events.

One positive had come of the entire situation though, she’d found Kodah and it turns out Kodah’s head was truly filled with clouds: she was simply lusting after Link. Whilst Mipha could see the appeal, her feelings ran deeper. She didn’t just like the look of Link, she adored his very soul, and Kodah understood that and promised not to interfere. If anything, she looked sheepish and was ashamed about the whole affair. Mipha was quite glad that little piece of unpleasantness was over.

She sprouted from a gush of water, and she smiled. She always felt most at home in the waves, almost as though she and the river were one. It made her feel empowered, strong, but mostly comfortable. This was where her strength lay, in the powerful currents underneath her and how she wielded control over them.

Soon enough, the Castle came into view. Everything had mostly been fixed, people had settled back into Castle Town after their hurried evacuation, and Mipha was glad to see the people recuperating, already almost back to normal. She wondered, sometimes, what would have happened if Terrako hadn’t summoned the help from the future that they ended up relying so heavily on. What would have happened to her, if Sidon, her grown up, almost of courting-age brother hadn’t shown up to protect her. And Sidon’s presence had allowed enough time for Link to come and help defeat the Waterblight, and she blushed a little at the thought. Truly, he was her Hero. And to think Terrako hadn’t only sent help her way, but to the other three Champions as well… The small egg-shaped guardian had done so much for them, and she didn’t want to dwell on what might have been, had it not been there.

By the time Mipha arrived in the Sanctum, it was close to sunset, and she had spent some time drying herself to make sure she didn’t soak the carpet floors. And okay, she’d also spent some time roaming around the garrison, and the barracks but she hadn’t managed to spot Link.

She sighed, he was probably with the Princess, where he nearly always was.

Revali was the next to arrive, and he fluffed his feathers, brusquely adjusting his neckerchief, “Are the others not on time? How asinine. Although perhaps it’s too much to expect such high standards from them.”

Mipha sighed, much more discreetly this time. He had a rivalry with Link, and that could not be forgiven in her books. “Revali, we are, as of yet, early. Urbosa and Daruk are both travelling from-”

“Afar? Yes, I know, that’s no excuse though, Mipha, have you ever heard of leaving earlier? They also cannot fly to their detriment. Did you see Daruk’s paraglider break after using it a mere five times? Who told a Goron he could sail through the air? It’s just so unnatural!”

Urbosa walked in then, and Mipha left Revali alone for a few minutes. He briefly called to her though, as she turned away, although when she’d waited patiently for him to say something, all he’d done was glance down at her ornamental armour, before brushing off his feathers.

She shrugged, classing as typically strange Revali behaviour before she turned back to Urbosa. She wanted to ask if the Gerudo Champion had seen Princess Zelda, and by default Link. It pricked her a little, that she had to find the Princess first in order to locate Link, but he was her Knight after all.

Sadly, Urbosa hadn’t seen Princess Zelda. Apparently, she was getting ready in her room. Mipha could only assume Link was guarding her door. Shortly after that, Daruk had appeared and then the King had walked in, welcoming them to the Castle. They would have a private dinner, with a few select Sheikah, and Master Kohga to privately congratulate the group on their success and then move across to the Sanctum later on in the evening for the Ball in their honour. Hestu had decided to remain with the forest spirits, and Monk Maz Koshia had re-entered the Shrine of Resurrection, in his deep other-worldly tones saying he’d now wait for the next Hero. Mipha shuddered a little at the memory, wondering what the next Hero’s fate would be…

They walked with the King, who pulled out an apple to snack on whilst they trekked to the Dining room, where they would meet Princess Zelda, and Link. Her heart sped up a little in anticipation.

Impa, Purah, Robbie and Master Kohga were all waiting in the room, a single banana in the middle of the four of them and heated debate was clearly ongoing, but they stopped as soon as the King walked in and knelt. He bid them to rise, and they all sat, waiting for the Hero and the Princess to join.

And her heart rate did spike, as the Princess walked in, hand in Link’s elbow as he escorted her inside. His eyes never met hers, but Mipha didn’t allow that little fact to distract her, because oh, Link was in Royal Guard uniform and –

- Terrako bounded up, jumping up to Link’s waist, and he caught the egg, settling it on its own chair, and it beeped and booped, waving its little guardian legs at them. Mipha waved back, but really, she was trying to stifle her laughter as Impa gave the poor thing a good whack in return and it jostled into the air, pointing its little finger at her. Terrako truly was very cute, but Mipha was distracted again by Link coming closer still.

He looked radiant, polished, a perfect guard, his hair slicked back into that cap, the royal dark blue armour overlaid his muted red undershirt, and Mipha choked a little on the water she was sipping when she looked at his pristine white gloves and boots. Oh Goddesses, the gloves. He looked devastatingly handsome, and- wait. He held the chair for the Princess, as was expected for a guard, Mipha reassured herself, but he… smiled at her. A small smile, a classic Link smile if you will, but he smiled at her, and she smiled back, gently, tucking her hair behind her ear. Not for the first time in their presence, Mipha felt a dash of fear strike her, but it was quickly forgotten as Link sat down, and smiled the same smile, if a little less bright, towards each of them, until he reached Revali and then it was a nod. That made her chuckle a little, and the Rito just shrugged, instead turning to Zelda and inquiring about her health.

But Mipha was watching Link, and she didn’t miss his fingers tightening over his glass. Subtle, but she noticed still. And the fear pricked again. But he was just annoyed over Revali, right?

He turned to Daruk, who started talking about the newest iteration of Rock Roast, and Link sat up, paying earnest attention.

And Mipha let herself breathe. She was really overthinking this whole scenario to be fair.

Soon enough, the King lifted his champagne flute, and they all looked at him.

“Champions, I invited you all today to commemorate your success! Tonight, we feast, and make merry, for the Darkness has been Sealed and the light of Hylia shines upon us all. I would like to personally extend my thanks for your service in the name of Hyrule, and I pray that you all remain in the best of health, and achieve whatever you set your minds too, for those in the room today are amongst the brightest and most capable citizens of what is surely to be, a glorious future.”

Everyone politely clapped, and Mipha felt encouraged, she could do what she set her mind to, she could confess to Link, she could achieve the future she most wanted- to rule her Domain with him by her side.

Dinner passed by any further without incident, Mipha joked a little with Urbosa, who was in the middle of setting up a “girls-night only session” for the five of them. And Urbosa had done something very strange, she mentioned she wanted to host another catwalk, and then she had winked at Link, who had promptly blushed, pulling at his collar. Mipha wasn’t sure she understood the reference, it felt like an inside joke that she wasn’t privy to, but regardless, she was excited. A chance to bond with other girls her age who weren’t Zora was hard to do, enclosed as they were in the Domain. Then there was the whole ageing issue, because by the time everyone in this room had died, Mipha would actually still be in the Hyrulian equivalent of her thirties. But today was about celebrating their success, and she shouldn’t be thinking of something as morbid as death.

As soon as dessert was passed around, which unsurprisingly was fruitcake, Princess Zelda’s favourite, the group made to disband. She remained, thinking perhaps this would be the ideal time to snag Link for a few minutes, out on the walkway just outside the dining room before they headed to the Sanctum.

She walked very slowly to the door, and then remained just outside, intending on asking Link as he walked out with the Princess. She waited for a few seconds, and he hadn’t shown up yet, so she discreetly held her jewellery and poked her head back in, and she almost wished she hadn’t.

Because Link was using those same white gloves, the pair she had so loved on him, to gently wipe some of the frosting on Princess Zelda’s outer lip. And then. Oh. Mipha had to turn away. She hastily walked off, trying to think of an excuse but was unable too.

Why had he licked his finger clean?

Well, to be fair, they had all become friends over the time, some of them, such as Link and Zelda, had spent even more time together and so were likely to be even better friends. Frankly, they were together all the time, and this sort of behaviour was common between friends was it not? As a form of teasing? Yes, that was it.

She felt somewhat reassured once she was back in the Sanctum, she’d wait for her moment and she would seize it. She would do as she planned today.

*

The King made a similar rousing speech, once they were inside the Sanctum, and the ball began in earnest. Link and Princess Zelda appeared some fifteen minutes after Mipha had arrived, and she had taken a total of twelve minutes to walk across to reach the Sanctum so clearly, nothing else untoward had happened.

Or, well, anything that she could forcibly see.

The music started, as a sort of prelude for the first dance, and Terrako jumped up, pulling off a “spinning” dance move set on the floor, twirling and flying upside down as it gracefully pirouetted, and everyone was fawning over the little egg. It responded in kind with a series of beeps and boops, in sync with the music.

She tried to squeeze her way over to Link, to ask if he would like to, perhaps, dance, and then she’d guide him away mid-swirl and clarify the situation that arose last week.

But, lo and behold, there he was, dancing with the Princess. It was the first dance, and etiquette meant that it was almost expected for Princess Zelda to open up the dance with the Hero. Mipha was nothing if not patient, and she smiled graciously at the courtesan who asked for her hand to dance. She acquiesced, anything to keep her mind off how Link was probably holding the Princess a little closer than etiquette required, and how those piercing sapphire eyes never left the Princess’s own. Whilst she was trying to pay attention to what the courtesan was saying, she hadn’t even caught his name, poor fellow, but she couldn’t help but remain focussed on Link.

She gasped when he spun the Princess in a tight circle, and then dipped her, nearly to the floor, and how in sync they seemed to be, how seamless the whole thing was. It made her suspicious. Link was very graceful in a fight; he performed some of the hardest moves as though he was passing a knife through butter, but… dance was a considerably different type of elegance. And the way the Princess was smiling at him, almost encouraging him, made a small stone settle in her stomach as she came to the most likely conclusion.

He’d learnt to dance with her. They had practised together. And she fought down the burn of jealousy that threatened to escape her.

Of course Link would learn to dance with Princess Zelda, he was her Knight! She must have offered because she knew this ball was coming up, and Link likely had no experience, so she offered to teach him!

And they weren’t dancing as lovers!

Mipha excused herself, she was feeling all hot and bothered and it was just so unlike her to feel agitated. She just needed a few seconds of fresh air, ideally to jump in a lake for a few seconds just to cool down and recover her Grace.

She escaped down a corridor and went through the first door that opened out onto a balcony, taking a few deep breaths.

Within seconds she heard girlish giggling, followed by a deeper, richer laugh. She stiffened, moving to hide behind one of the tapestries, for some reason feeling self-conscious even though she had no reason to be. The pair passed by the door without pausing, and although she likely knew who it was, she wanted to verify it with her own eyes.

And yes, as she’d guessed, there was Princess Zelda, holding hands with Link. The laughter that she’d never heard before was from him. She didn’t have the heart to be upset anymore, because she realised something then.

He was happy.

In all the time she’d known him, he had only ever smiled and laughed as a child, as a four-year-old. Never had he laughed once he grew older, only smiling, and that too, small, limited smiles.

Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest; it was all too much. She had just wanted to take a minute's breather, but she could still do that! She could just- she flipped around and saw another winding corridor.

She hurried down it, keen to try to recompose herself a little. Clearly though, she had forgotten that the castle was indeed circular in shape, and the corridor she had started on in her haste, actually ended up being the very same one Link and Zelda were walking down now. Goddesses, her luck had run out today. It was too late to backtrack, in her panicked, and half-unfocused state she had somehow missed their laughter, and now from the sound of their voices, they had nearly reached the entrance. Thankfully, it was dark, and Mipha pressed herself into the shadows, behind what she could vaguely make out to be a column. She would just wait until they had left, and she would continue forwards to end up back at the ballroom.

But no, even then, she was doomed because Princess Zelda stopped, and moved to light a small lamp on the side. She held it up to what Mipha could make out was a portrait.

“This corridor, Link. Have you had a chance to come before?”

He shook his head.

“Well, I’d imagined so, because we never had much time, really. Always heading from one battle to the next… But I’d like to show you something, now that we’re no longer under such duress.”

He smiled, nodding. “Okay.”

Mipha was distracted from her discomfort at being trapped and unable to escape when she realised that Link spoke. Casually, almost. Like this wasn’t a rare thing. Mipha felt the stone in her gut grow a little.

“We call this the Hallway of Remembrance, to commemorate the Heroes and the Princesses of time past, where Ganon, or at least, some form of him, came to terrorise Hyrule.”

She held up the lamp closer to the first portrait, and Mipha, despite her misgivings, edged a little closer in curiosity. It was a painting of what seemed to be a land mass suspended in air, with the back of a boy that looked a lot like Link, and she had to hold in a gasp when she realised he was, in fact, holding the Master Sword. Next to him was a girl with flowing blonde hair, not unlike the Princess actually… and she was holding a harp.

“This one was commissioned by Father actually. No one truly knows what Hyrule was like back then, but apparently, it was all in the clouds… And they used to fly around on animals that are now very much extinct. So, this isn’t really a portrait from then, but it felt right to include, you know?”

Link paused. “I. I remember it, a little.” He glanced up; his brow furrowed. “I think it was called Skyloft, Zelda. And we flew on loftwings… I saved you then too, although I can’t remember much else.” Mipha’s jaw almost dropped to the ground. Wow. So much speech. And… she still didn't quite understand what was going on, but it was dawning on her now that they wouldn’t be moving down from this corridor for a while. From the way things were going, it seemed like a private conversation she shouldn’t be privy to, and she felt guilty for unintentionally overhearing them.

But she was stuck! She couldn’t move in front of them, or they’d know she was here, and she couldn’t move back down the corridor she came from because they’d also see. So, she was trapped behind this white marble column, indefinitely, until they moved past her.

Princess Zelda laughed. “Obviously you did. That is a recurring theme by the way.” She paused. “Wait, yours was a Crimson loftwing wasn’t it? The rare one?”

He nodded, and he looked so excited. “Yours was blue.”

Zelda’s hand glowed, the blood of Hylia running through her veins, although Mipha saw no Calamity, and wondered what exactly was going on. “Sleepyhead?”

Link laughed, and pulled her close, hugging her tightly. “You will always be… my Zelda.”

And the stone grew. And grew. Mipha fisted her fingers into the small crevices of her jewellery, a storm of guilt and embarrassment over illicitly being here, over watching them when they thought they were alone, over how at ease Link was, over what those words meant. She had to keep reciting that it wasn’t her fault she was trapped here, she would just have to hold it together until they hopefully decided to move on. She couldn’t help but gently pass her fingers over the gaping hole in her chest that she’d hidden with her ornamental silver clasp. She tried her hardest to blot it all out and think up a rational explanation. She was just overreading this. Okay, so just because one of their previous… selves (?) had ended up together, didn’t mean all of them followed the same pattern, right? And of course, you’d embrace someone whose soul you knew like this?

Zelda leaned away from him a little. “Come, I have more to show you.” She pulled him along, and he followed, as he always did, the last thought echoed bitterly in her mind. “Although, I’d like to think things were a little different for us, at least, in terms of the whole saving scenario.”

He nodded. “You’re right. It was different this time… We saved each other, Zelda. I wouldn’t have thought to even touch the sword, if it hadn’t responded to me wanting to protect you, because that’s all I wanted at that moment. And your powers…”

She nodded. “Yes. I, I didn’t want to lose you, Link.” Even from here, Mipha could see her blush. And she felt increasingly uncomfortable. She just- it was too much. Link, freely talked to the Princess. Freely laughed with her. Had a deeper bond with her that wasn’t just for this lifetime but for… all?

Zelda coughed, “A-anyway. The next is of the Hero of Time, and this Princess was rumoured to be a sage…”

Mipha shoved all her misgivings aside and perked up- perhaps they’d have a portrait of this Hero with Princess Ruto because she was also a sage right?

Link winced. “That’s when it all got complicated isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

He shook his head, “Never mind.”

And Mipha felt her hope dash as they walked past the portrait, no mention of any other sage.

Her heart rate increased, as they walked towards her hiding place, slowly but surely. She was thankfully hidden quite well behind the ornate marble columns that held up the walkway above, which meant she was unlikely to be caught. She held tight onto the thought that it would soon be over, that they would soon move on past this damned corridor, and she could finally leave. But no, instead they covered each and every portrait. Mipha slowly felt her hope dwindle, despair set in, and guilt seep through her scales at her continued encroachment on their privacy. She couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by what was being said as the duo continued through several iterations of the same Hero and Princess… always together, never far apart. One was in Twilight, another in foreign country called Lorule, one in the sea, yet another in spirits…

At that one, it was a portrait of a train, with the Princess… in corporeal form? She was flying beside the boy that Mipha knew was Link. He looked so much like her Link, when he was younger. She watched as Link laughed, “That was a good journey, I remember that.”

Zelda quite literally pushed him. “HEY! I lost my body in that one!”

“Yeah, but you got to be my sidekick for once.” Link was smirking. Mipha had to rub her eyes once, twice and then three times for her to believe what she was seeing was true.

“YOU- I’ll have you know you were MY sidekick. I recruited you! I was the one to pick you to be my engineer!”

“The phantom armour was the best though, especially when you carried me like the Hero I was.”

“Yeah? Without me carrying you, we would have been stuck at level two in the Tower, because you couldn’t walk through lava, being Hylian and all! And then where would we be? And don’t think I don’t remember how long we spent at the Rabbit Sanctuary. You loved frolicking!”

“Hey, no need to call me out like that Princess.”

And so, it continued. For every single portrait. Mipha felt progressively smaller and smaller. She watched as Link held Princess Zelda’s hand, she watched as he leaned his head on her shoulder, so familiar and comfortable. She watched as they exchanged stories, joked with each other, things Link had remembered from the Master Sword, legends Zelda had learnt in the library and her own memories as Hylia’s chosen. As they progressed, Mipha increasingly felt like she was simply a side character, in a longer, and more detailed history than she ever could have imagined. She remained, frozen in place, as they last reached the penultimate portrait, just by her hiding place.

“Ah. This is a precious one Link. I only really remembered this one after unlocking my sealing power.”

It was Link. Sitting atop what was a weird… Mipha didn’t know how to describe it. It had two wheels, one at the front and another at the back, with a sort of seat in the middle. He was wearing a familiar blue tunic, much like the one made for him by the Princess, and Zelda was sitting in front, his arm wrapped around her, his face half-leaning against hers. They looked very comfortable with each other, and it lacked the seriousness that some of the other portraits had. Behind them, were the Divine Beasts, each with their Champion in the distance.

“This is… the legend we tried to recreate in our world, isn’t it? So, this is the direct predecessor to ours…”

“Yes…”

There was only one portrait left, just by her column. This portrait was the only one with a red cloth over it. Mipha didn’t dare breathe, but Goddesses, she was so thankful it was nearly the end. She would finally be able to leave… Finally able to ignore the gnawing fear that she had completely misunderstood Link which oozed through her skin and clung to her tighter than the armour she had painstakingly made.

“So, this is the special one!” She uncovered it, and Link laughed, clear and loud. Mipha pressed herself tighter into her column, making sure to remain silent, and she realised it was, in fact, two portraits. One was of all of the champions together, Link, Princess Zelda, Terrako, herself, Urbosa, Daruk, Revali, Master Kohga, Maz Koshia, Hestu and the King even, and the second… The second was of Princess Zelda in her royal blue gown, and Link in his Royal Guard uniform.

He gasped, poking her cheek. “So, this is why you wanted me to wear this uncomfortably tight uniform the other day and you took a photo on the slate!”

“Yes, silly. I wanted to commemorate us, too. We’ve also fought against Ganon, and now we will be preserved in history, as will all the other Heroes and Princesses that have come before us.”

He leaned closer, until his forehead rested on hers, his hands cupping her face and Mipha felt her heart stop. It felt like the final nail was hovering over her chest, about to shatter the fragile, tiny bud of hope she had left. “Thank you, Zelda. Not, not only for today, but for saving me, and for letting me live all our lives again.”

She stroked his cheek. “You’re welcome, Link. I’m so very happy to have found you again, sleepyhead.” She laughed, “Although, I’ve decided I don’t quite like this cap. I cannot run my fingers through your hair.” He instantaneously pulled it off, and leaned closer still, and she laughed, before her lips touched his.

And the nail sunk in. Hard and fast.

Mipha’s heart shattered.

She turned and left, and they didn’t notice.

How could they, when they were so lost in each other. Deep down, Mipha knew. She denied it to herself constantly, but she knew. And now, after seeing just how many generations they’ve passed through, tied to each other, she realised something else. They were soulmates. Their souls were forever bound to one another. And she could never compete against that.

But even then, even if she disregarded their history, there was no doubt left in her mind that Link very much liked, if not loved, Princess Zelda. And whilst it burned her like acid down her throat, or as if she’d stepped into the lava that surrounds Death Mountain, right now, she knew that she would be happy seeing him happy. And if his happiness lay with another Princess, then who was she to say otherwise.

But tonight, tonight she allowed herself to wallow in self-pity, for a love lost, for a love, that no matter how hard she might have wished it to be true, was doomed from the start to fail.

[botwstoriesandsuch]

DEAR FISH FUCKERS, YOU’RE WELCOME

I’ve done what no other has done before (to my knowledge) and found the aging system for the Zora! 

Ok so this started as simple research for this ask

See, I misread the phrasing of “best educated guess” to “research for 2 hours and come to a conclusive answer” so anyhow before I indulge you into the answers of the universe allow me to explain the research I’ve come across��

[TL;DR at the bottom]

So firstly, we have to look at our conclusive evidence, from which we’ll base our theory/headcanon on, which can mainly be found in the Creating a Champion book, and some dialogue in game. I’ve compiled them all in these bullets here

Zora children are around 20ish years old [as said by dialogue with Finley in her love letter sidequest, I don’t have a screenshot but please just take my word for it]

150ish is considered middle-aged for Zora

Muzu is around 4 centuries old 

Curved claws, weathered fins, and worn noses are signs of an older Zora that is more than 3 centuries(ish) old

Zora that were friends with Link must be around 150ish (not just 100), since you need to also account for the 20+ years of growing from a child stage, to the more normal sized form that you see them in the game, ergo, it’s that age plus the 100 years stasis that we determine the “middle age” of around 150

150 is the middle age, double that for the average old age of 300 years, but I say it could go to 400 too for additional reasons I’ll explain later with examples with my final age system. Anyhow, Muzu is around 400 if you take the 100 years for actually growing up from childhood, additional 100+ years of holding a different job as I doubt you just straight out hire a councilman without experience, and then another century for where he first started working in in the council, training Mipha, which would overlap with the period of the pre and post Great Calamity and Link’s return, meaning that’s 3 centuries plus 50ish years if we’re being generous with the overlap. This would help line up with the “for over a century” line as that doesn’t quite mean 2 centuries of working in the council, but Muzu is definitely getting up there to 4 centuries for his age alone

Now, I thought, this was gonna be my breakthrough, this screenshot here, depicting the traits of the older Zora. The elderly Zora are probably around 3 centuries old (since King Dorephan said they were young men around Mipha’s time, 150ish+100 gives us the range of 250-300), so I was like “Oh l can look at the size of their fins and noses and head/tail things and find a more efficient way to find their age” but nOPE. There is very little variation in that ballpark, the Zora either have exaggerated weathered noses or nice and shiny fins and no in between. The size of their head fins are roughly the same, with again, the only exaggerated differences being with the King and Sidon which doesn’t help at all because the Royal Zora already have a bunch of other difference such as their SIZE to name one.

I even went to the part about their curved toes, which initially would line up with some other Zora like Muzu

And let me tell you

I’ve looked at their toes

This is them from a child, a middle-aged, and an elderly. Color doesn’t matter and the curve? Well there’s

BARELY A DIFFERENCE 

At least not nearly enough to find an efficient way to find age. Even Muzu’s final model didn’t have the exaggerated curvature as seen in the book.

I looked at their tail tail fins, (not the tail on their head, but their actual small rounded tail fin by their butts) because the book also mentioned how the grown Zora have more pronounced tail fins compared to the kids, but it was the same for the 150s and the 300s sooo not that helpful

So I kept digging. In the book I found that King Dorephan was crowned around 100 years before the game started. In addition I reread the 10 Zora stone monuments and found that he had killed a Guardian with his bare hands and thrown it off a cliff, which he still had a scar from. 

[and yes I attempted to find his definitive age by seeing how long it takes for a scar to fade but I gave up cause Zora anatomy is too different to find a conclusive answer]

So I was like, “ok Dorephan had to have been around 150 when he came to the throne, then 50 years later the guardians are excavated giving way to the story about the guardian...” blah blah blahbla I even went to the supposed site where that guardian was, but it all didn’t really give me that much more info than what I already knew. I was researching ways to age the rock monuments from visuals alone which needless to say is pretty impossible, so I gave up on finding Dorephan’s age and I kept digging. 

All I wanted was something physical that could properly give way to identifying a Zora’s age was that too much to ask???

Now this is where I had all but given up, it seems that my only answer was this vague note about how their fins move up when they grow

Which, to be fair, held true when I looked at the in-game character models myself, but I can’t exactly pixel measure these things for each Zora.

But THAT’S where the revelation came. I was so focused on finding inconsistencies within the elderly Zora, when I should have been looking at the young baby ones. See, this pictures, literally right next to the page about elderly Zora that I was analyzing for ages, is the key to it all

Now, I was thinking about the rings on a tree, and certain species of banded fish that grow and discard different markings as they grow older, I even counted the neck rings on certain Zora to see if they did that thing where they add a ring for each birthday like some African and Asian cultures do (look it up, that stuff’s pretty interesting!) and that is where it struck me.

Count how many luminescent markings are on their head 

The males have 11, the females have 8  (on the one side, the other side has the same number of dots but for simplicity purposes I’m doing one side)

Now let’s count for these Zoras, who are middle aged-ish

The male has 10, the female has 7.

Now let’s look at the oldest Zora that we know of

3 dots above the eye, four on the tail. Muzu that motherfucker has 7 damn dots and I couldn’t be happier.

MY DUDES, GALS, AND PALS THIS IS IT, I’VE CHECKED AND DOUBLE CHECKED WITH NEARLY EVERY ZORA I COULD AND THE NUMBER OF LUMINESCENT MARKINGS ON THEIR HEAD CORRESPONDS WITH THE AMOUNT OF CENTURIES THEY’VE LIVED, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY      DOWN     TO     THE     DOT

First we have Muzu, who as I’ve preciously stated is around 4 centuries old. 11-4? Oh, it’s seven, and that’s the amount of markings he has? OOoo??

How about this Zora Lady who recognized Link from 100 years ago?

Seven dots? 8-7 is 1 so shes just over one century which lines up timeline wise. You can even see how the third dot is slowing shrinking on her head so she’s coming up on 2 centuries 

Ok how about the elders?

NINE. 11-9 is 2 centuries, with again, the dot by their head shrinking significantly showing how they’re getting up on 3 centuries.

The part I circled in green there is jewelry, not a marking, however this only goes further to prove my point. What better way to appear youthful than to have jewelry that makes it look like you have more markings than you have, made with luminous stone, no less.

This guy? Seggin? Super close to 4 centuries, those dots are fading away fast. Count your days old timer

Random dude that doesn’t recognize Link but is an new apprentice for sculpture making? 10 dots, a fresh 1 century pal, lookin young

I was a feral child running across the Domain screaming people’s ages in their face like a rude, naive, brat, I was elated to say the least. Especially since this system even works on the King himself

[plus one dot slightly behind the fin here...]

King Dorephan has 7 dots, he’s 400 years old. Which still lines up timeline wise, especially since he’s similar age with Muzu who he has stated is one of his most trusted advisors, beecaaaaaaaause of the years they’ve spent working together the timelines match uppppppp

This system works for almost all Zora, with 2 exceptions. Guards have helmets that cover their markings, so it’s impossible to tell. In addition, Prince Sidon, has sixteen lights on this hammerhead because he’s fancy like that (we already know he’s canonically 2ish centuries old anyhow from the DLC)

EDIT: I WAS WRONG THIS WORKS FOR SIDON TOO. The sixteen markings I was referring to was actually the amount of marking on each side of the head total, however if we look at the markings for only one side, like intended

Ten dots, Sidon’s over 100 years old. I’d say he’s closer to 150 given the timeline

Essentially, the most surefire way to find almost any Zora’s age is to identify a male or female Zora, count the number of lights on the side of their head/tail thing, then subtract from 11 if they’re a male, and from 8 for a female. The number left is how many centuries they’ve lived. You can check to see if their markings are shrinking and fading to get a sense if they’re coming up on the next century anytime soon. Comparing this with the oldest Zora we see in game, we can conclusively say that the Zora lifespan is around 3 to 4 centuries since no Zora has been seen with less than seven markings

Now go and make your Zora ocs with your appropriate number of lights. I’m gonna have a cookie

[pastelsandpining]

My Only Wish (Naughty or Nice)

The fifth prompt in 12 Days of Christmas by @zelink-prompts​

Prompt List

Cover Art: coming soon!

Words: 2087

Summary: Zelda reads about a foreign holiday called Christmas and decides to bring to life one of the traditions for the other Champions. She’ll need a red suit and a bag of gifts, but luckily she knows just the person to pull off the holly, jolly Santa Claus.

BotW Pre-Calamity Zelink, not AoC related!

Zelink-mas 2020  l  Masterlist

Link was beginning to wonder if the pressure was getting to the princess. She was always pushing forwards in the face of adversity, but it wasn’t her frustration and sadness that made him believe she’d finally cracked. 

It was when they took up residence in her study and she whirled on him with a book in her hands about goddesses only knew what.

“I’ve conducted some research,” she began, which was not new to him but filled him with a sense of playful dread anyway, “regarding Hylia’s Day and other holidays we celebrate here in Hyrule. We know that culture and religion are the basis of all holidays, and the difference in what is celebrated and how stems from those traditions. I was curious about the world outside of Hyrule. I thought perhaps I could read something about their beliefs and traditions that could help me awaken my power, but I found a celebration that’s incredibly similar to ours.”

She dropped the book on her desk and cracked it open, beckoning for him to join her. He stepped over, standing close enough so that when he leaned forwards to join her over the pages of the book, he could smell the flowery scent of her hair. 

He couldn’t read anything on the page. Not when his attention was taken up entirely by her. So he listened to her speak again, following her fingers dancing along the page.

“A religion referred to as Christianity celebrates something called Christmas. For worshipers of the faith, this day is celebrated as the birth of their savior. But the holiday became something widely celebrated by people not of that faith. It became a day of giving gifts and spending time with family. People decorate with trees and lights and hold grand parties. And just like how Hylia brings joy and peace to families on Hylia’s Eve, they too have a figure that travels to every corner of the world, leaving gifts for the children! Multiple sources have claimed that this figure keeps a list sorting the children into categories—meaning whether or not they’ve been naughty in the past year, or nice. Naughty children are given coal, which is quite funny really. He goes by quite a bit of names, too. Father Christmas, Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, Saint Nicholas—but they’re essentially talking about the same figure.”

“There’s a lot of similarities,” Link agreed, glancing in her direction. 

“I know what you’re thinking. What does any of this have to do with the sealing power?” Her cheeks flushed, the pink tint reaching to the tips of her ears. “Well, ah… it doesn’t. But Hylia’s Day is coming up and… and everyone’s been so down and patience is wearing thin and I thought perhaps we could do something to cheer everyone up.”

He wasn’t sure what sort of unseen force compelled him to obey the princess. Yet he couldn’t even bring himself to think that the scheme she’d come up with was absurd. He’d follow her to the ends of Hyrule should she ask him to. 

It was why he wasn’t exactly surprised to find himself accompanying Zelda and a holly, jolly Daruk across Hyrule. Though he couldn’t believe the princess had actually crafted the entirety of Father Christmas’s red outfit.

“This Sandy Claws really doesn’t know fashion,” the Goron said, adjusting the hat upon his head. “The less restrictive the clothing, the better for movement.”

“You play the part very well,” Zelda assured, patting the towering boulder on the arm. “Besides, I read that he’s quite the eater. Children leave out cookies and milk for him, so perhaps you’ll get lucky tonight.”

“If the cookies are prime, crunchy rock, then I can hardly resist. Right, brother?”

Daruk slapped him on his back, sending Link tumbling forwards. Zelda’s arms caught him, and he was quick to regain his balance with the feeling that the Goron did that on purpose.

“Besides, we’re really only visiting the other Champions. I wish we could do more, but we’re lacking the magical sleigh that can travel at the speed of light,” Zelda spoke again, tapping away at the Sheikah Slate. 

“Santa leaving Santa a gift, huh?”

“Oh, Link already took care of that. You’re not allowed to open it until the morning.”

Daruk turned to look at him, surprised. Link only shrugged with a small, only slightly smug smile.

“I’m sneaky,” he said. The Goron laughed and Link took a step closer to Zelda to prevent being slapped on the back and sent tumbling off of Death Mountain.

“So what did you deem me?” Daruk asked, his hands resting on his hips to Link’s utter relief.

“Nice, of course,” Zelda replied with a pat to his arm. “I can’t think of anyone who might be classified as naughty.”

Link could think of one.

But he didn’t voice his opinion and instead shrugged in agreement, and the three of them were off to Zora’s Domain. He had to admit wearing the green of the mythical Santa’s Elves was an experience—he felt a sort of respect for the color. But it was nothing compared to how Zelda looked in her costume. She’d really gone all out for this, with a green little hat and all. It was cute, and admirable really, that she was willing to go so far to spread happiness. 

Happiness they desperately needed right now, with the Calamity looming ever above their heads and constricting them like a snake.

Anyway.

He supposed it would’ve been hard for anyone not to react upon seeing three oddly dressed individuals, Zora guardsmen included. But all the Princess of Hyrule had to do was smile and they let it go without question.

“What’s your ruling on Mipha, Father Christmas?” Zelda asked, lifting the Sheikah Slate.

“Nice,” Daruk decided, rather unsurprisingly. But Link nodded in agreement.

“Sidon too. Can’t leave something for Mipha and not her little brother,” he pointed out.

“I’m hurt you think I hadn’t considered that,” replied Zelda with a satisfied smile. “Alright, each package is specifically wrapped. Mipha gets the red box with the blue bow, and Sidon is the blue box with the red bow.”

Daruk swung the red sack from his shoulder and rummaged through it.

“You might have to do this one, tiny princess. Not sure how the big guy does it without waking anyone.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’re more than capable! We’ll be right there with you,” Zelda encouraged, pulling something from the Sheikah Slate. “But if you feel you need it, I made an elixir that increases stealth.”

“What would we do without you?” 

The trip into Zora’s domain was relatively short after that. Zelda slipped into Mipha’s room to deliver the gift while Daruk and Link took care of Sidon, and she was pleased to know it’d been successful. Then, they were on their way to Gerudo for the next Champion. 

“Urbosa was incredibly hard to gift,” the princess said, thinking aloud. But Link was listening anyway, glancing over to her incase she decided to continue. 

“What did you end up getting her?” Daruk asked as he paused to rummage through the sack of presents. 

“Something of my mother’s,” Zelda replied simply, eyeing the small, wrapped box. “I think she would treasure it.”

A tiny smile graced her lips and Link felt his fingers twitch with the urge to take her hand. But she didn’t look sad. If anything, she looked comforted.

“You should deliver this one, Princess. I mean, Santa or not, Link and I can’t get into town,” Daruk pointed out. 

“I’ll be quick,” she promised before disappearing behind the walls of Gerudo Town. And while he knew she was safe there, he always felt an anxiety he couldn’t place.

“She’s real spirited,” said Daruk, nearly knocking Link over with his nudge. “It’s mighty kind of her to want to do this for us.”

“She wants to spread happiness,” he replied with a small shrug. 

“And is it working?” the Goron asked. Link didn’t answer, but he made a point to not look at Daruk and instead kept his gaze on the arching entrance to the town. A few minutes later, Zelda came back out and the group made their way to Hebra.

“Revali,” Zelda spoke, tapping at the slate. “What’s your ruling?”

“Naughty,” Link replied, without missing a beat. The Princess stared at him for a moment, then pressed a hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter. 

“I don’t want to agree, but..” Daruk said, scratching his beard, “he did call me an ‘oversized pebble’.”

“Revali’s just..” 

“Mean,” Link input, cutting Zelda off without really intending to.

“I was going to say young.”

“Well, so are you and the little guy here!” Daruk argued.

“Revali is a strong personality, and the Rito are a proud people,” Zelda stated, crossing her arms over her chest. “It would be rather rude to gift everyone but him.”

“I thought Santa’s whole thing was rewarding the good and punishing the bad,” said Daruk.

“Yes, but Revali isn’t bad, per say. Besides, we didn’t bring any coal.”

“I live on a volcano.”

“..Daruk.. tell me you did not pack coal.”

“That would be a lie, tiny princess.”

It was Link’s turn to fight back a laugh this time, biting the inside of his cheeks to keep it contained.

“Well, I can’t exactly stop you. But be sure to leave the real present too!”

But Daruk had disappeared into Rito Village, leaving the elf-dressed duo behind.

“I still think Revali would be on the naughty list,” Link said with a shrug. Zelda gave him a playful shove.

“Be nice,” she reprimanded, shaking her head.

“Do you think it’s possible for Revali to be nice?”

“I— I refuse to speak ill about any of my Champions,” but she was smiling through her words and that was enough of an agreement for Link. “I do hope Daruk hurries. I’m not sure how long the stealth elixir will last.”

“I’m sure that would make for an interesting sight to wake up to.”

To that, she laughed. Maybe the best part of the night was getting to spend time with her outside of Calamity related business. It almost felt like they were friends.

And then Daruk was back, and the group got ready to part ways. 

“Thank you, Daruk. It was fun,” Zelda spoke, setting a hand on his arm.

“The fun’s not done just yet, tiny princess. I’ve got two more on the nice list to gift.” The Goron pulled two more wrapped gifts from his bag, handed one to each of them, then set off for Death Mountain with a wink.

Link looked at the gift in his hands, something a little heavy with a beautiful wrapping job that could only have been done by nimble fingers. He glanced up at Zelda, who seemed just as surprised. 

Well, it seemed he wasn’t the only one who snuck something into the bag.

“Um,” she spoke, fiddling with her unopened gift. “I just.. it’s nothing big, but I.. I thought you’d enjoy it and you’re a Champion as well..”

Oh, it was a cue. Link nodded once, then carefully unwrapped the rectangular object. What remained in his hands was a book, and a fairly thick one at that.

“I had to beg every chef I know to get the recipes,” Zelda said again, taking a slight step forward. “It contains food from Faron to Goron City, as much as I could find. I also threw in some older recipes I found in cookbooks in the library, but I’m not sure how good any of them are.”

“I.. thank you,” Link replied, because there was really nothing he could say. He looked up at Zelda and offered a small smile, even if it wouldn’t be enough. 

She ducked her head and started to open her own gift. As soon as the treat was revealed, he found it was his turn to nervously explain.

“I heard it’s your favorite. I, uh, scribbled down a recipe I found, so if it’s not good..”

But she was smiling at him, and his words died on his tongue.

“My mother used to make a fruitcake every Hylia’s Day,” she said, and before he could give an apology or say anything else, she was hugging him. “Thank you.”

When Link returned to his quarters for the rest of the night away, he fell asleep with one thought in his head.

One day, he would love to cook every recipe in that book for the Princess.

[misterewrites]

I get by with a little help from my friends (and Link)

Hey everyone! E here with a random story popped into my head! I needed to write this for practice for another project but I still had a lot of fun with it. So this story takes place in the wild timeline between Age of Calamity and breath of the wild. Like that weird middle ground where the champions were getting ready. Upfront I did as much research as I could cuz it has been a while since I played BOTW and I did use a wiki with some references to the game and such, avoided spoilers I think and I did kinda go with my own conclusion in some places for the sake of story cuz the wiki only knows so much and I can't replay the entire game again. Well I can but not in a short time for this story. Also some Light Zelda and link cuz they’re cute and if nintendo wont canon them, I will! 

So I hope you enjoy! have fun, stay safe, wear a mask and wash your hands! E is out! have a great week everyone! If you want to leave me comments or just have an easier time reading this story, it has been uploaded to Ao3. My user name is MrE42

“He’s still there, isn’t he?”

Impa shrugged, unsure what the princess was expecting her to say “You know he is.”

Zelda huffed, irritated at her father’s watchdog who silently kept watch just outside, stoic and stalwart in his duty to an annoying degree.

Zelda, princess of Hyrule and aspiring scholar, trained from birth to be poised and refined in the harshest situations, made a face towards the library door.

“I do not need a babysitter.” Zelda fumed as she filmed through the bookshelves “You are here Impa and far more suited to the task than my father’s knights.”

“Your knights” Impa corrected “And normally I would agree but with Yiga clan beginning to cause more and more trouble, you and the kingdom need my Sheikah to prevent their tricks. I am their leader and I have to lead. Same as you princess.”

“I know” Zelda replied, unable to keep out the frustration out of her voice “But I wish my father chose a...different person”

Impa rolled her eyes “We both know that Link is the most capable solider in the kingdom. He is without equal and you are only mad at him because your father chose him.”

“I am not a child Impa.”

“No but you are the magical princess whose power would help keep the calamity at bay. I can’t fathom why your father would want you protected at all times.”

Zelda glared openly at her best friend “Your sarcasm is noted and ignored.”

“Excellent” Impa beamed “But in all seriousness, these are dangerous princess. Your father caused quite a ruckus choosing a country bumpkin instead of the nobles lovely, incompetent children.”

Zelda shifted guiltily at the mention of the nobility. They were not pleased that the king of Hyrule had decided to entrust the safety of his only heir and future ruler of their kingdom to a nobody from Hateno Village. It did not matter that Link had come from a long line of knights whom had been protecting the land for almost as long as Zelda’s family had been ruling it. Nor did it matter that he was their most fierce and well trained warrior. He was not of nobility and it angered her that someone who simply wanted to do their best was being mistreated.

Even if she was guilty of the same crime.

“I just wish he appeared more human.” Zelda quietly admitted, hoping Link could not hear “He is emotionless. His gaze is entirely steely and he has not spoken a single word to me. He simply stands, watching and waiting.

“Judging?” Impa added.

Zelda glanced to the side shamefully “Judging. Judging that his talents are wasted on a princess who cannot even perform the single duty that has been entrusted to her.”

“I think you’re projecting.”

“And you are far too calm.”

Impa giggled cutely “Appearances. I’m as nervous as you princess but I know better than anyone how uneasy people get if their leaders show panic. Your powers will come when they come. You will figure it out.”

Zelda turned to the ninja leader fearfully “And if they don’t?”

“Then I’ll protect you.” Impa answered truthfully “Link will protect you and the champions will kick some ganon butt! You’re not alone so stop acting like it.”

“Thank you Impa.” Zelda moved in for a hug.

“Nope!” Impa took a step back “No, no, no! That’s not proper.”

“I order you to give your princess a hug.”

“…..sigh, yes your highness.”

-----

Zelda’s eyes twinkled with a rare softness as she, Link and Mipha watched the young zora prince Sidon swim so carefree in the deep blue waters of the lake. Link was further ahead of the two princesses, standing at the shore of the lake vigilante for any signs of trouble.

“He certainly takes his duty seriously.” Zelda murmured under her breath.

Mipha laughed softly “It is nice to see how age has calmed him.”

Zelda tilted curiously to the champion “Mipha, you’ve known Link since you were both children, correct?”

Mipha nodded in confirmation “Yes ever since he arrived with a group of knights on orders of King Rhoam. Even then he was courageous. Impossibly reckless however but I suppose that is simply who Link is.

Mipha’s soft laughter grew into a playful chortle. Zelda quizzically stared at her fellow princess.

“Sorry your highness.” Mipha waved her hand in embarrassment “I was just thinking to myself how much healing practice Link has gotten me. I suppose I am as proficient as I am thanks him.”

“Oh?”

“He was always getting into trouble.” Mipha began, her voice taking on a hue of nostalgia “Always injured after throwing himself head first into danger. He hated sitting still, allowing others to suffer for him. His shell might be more silent and stoic but he is still the kind boy I knew. That I…”

Zelda caught the slight longing in the zora princess’s tone “Mipha?”

“It is nothing.”

Mipha slipped into a comfortable silence but Zelda bristled uneasily at a sudden realization.

“Mipha….”

Mipha faced Zelda, worry and concern etched in the scholar’s face.

“Do you think…” Zelda spoke slowly “Link hates me? That his talented and training is wasted watching a princess who cannot even produce a glare of light. I drag him everywhere, fuming at his presence all while he watches with an endless vigil.”

Mipha gently placed her hand onto Zelda’s shoulder. Zelda felt a calming presence fill her body and a quiet peace that came with it.

Mipha gave a soft smile “Link knows better than anyone how hard you are trying. He knows how desperate you must be. He does not disdain your loathing. He simply is giving you the space you desire. His duty is everything to him and he will perform it to his dying breath. You are his princess. He will ensure your safety.”

Zelda said nothing and despite the calming peace she felt, the twinge of guilt began to eat at her.

“LINK!”

The tension broke as Zelda and Mipha glanced back towards the lake. Sidon giggled and chuckled at a full swim, rapidly heading for the shore and Link. Link, caught off guard in a rare moment, began to panic. He moved this way and that, frantically searching beyond the approaching zora in search for a nonexistent threat.

He realized, too late, what Sidon was up to.

With a mighty push, Sidon flew out of the deep blue waters and sailed through the air, hands outstretched as he collided with Link. Link flailed backwards, struggling to keep his footing but ultimately losing it. He fell backwards onto the shore, Sidon embracing him tightly a bone breaking hug. Even young, a zora was strong.

“Sidon!” Mipha chastised but before she could move closer, Link stood up with the still embracing prince, an evil glint in his eyes.

“Oh dear.”

“What is happening?” Zelda asked, unsure what was going on.

Link picked up Sidon, holding him high into the air as the young prince chanted “Do it, do it, do it!”

And just like that, Link spun around. Around and around, once, twice, five times building speed with Sidon’s cheers filled the air. Without warning, Link chucked the young zora through the air and back into the lake.

Sidon dove in wholeheartedly and broke the surface with a triumphant yell.

“20 feet! A NEW RECORD!”

Mipha rubbed her eyes tiredly “Boys.”

Zelda giggled softly as Link rose his arms in victory.

-----

“Daruk?”

“Yeah tiny princess?”

“Is that...a rock?”

“Yeah it is!”

“And why...is Link….eating the rock?”

“It’s prime rock roast! He got a real taste for it after the first time.”

“Oh. Right. I recall that now.”

Daruk bellowed with a hearty laugh “Dontcha worry princess, little guy might a hylian but he’s got the stomach of a goron! I bet he’d eat anything. Even some kind of dubious food that’s just too gross to look at. KEEP IT UP LINK!”

Link raised a thumb as he continued to chew on the rocky texture of the roast.

Zelda couldn’t help but smile the Daruk’s presence. His good nature and cheeriness were too infectious for even the royal princess to resist.

“Now what brings you out here tiny princess? Did you finally want to try out the roast? I can have cooks whip up a fresh, steaming one for ya.”

“What? Oh no.” Zelda quickly responded “No. I ate at home before we arrived so I am quite full. Perhaps next time. I am actually here to see if you needed anything.”

Daruk rubbed the back of his neck shyly “Aww thanks tiny princess! I appreciate it! Though if you don’t wanna eat the roast, you can just tell me. I know it isn’t everyone’s taste.”

“Oh. I am sorry I simply did not want to hurt your feelings.”

“Not to worry, I can’t be hurt!” Daruk beamed, posing heroic as an orangish translucent dome appeared over the goron chief for a moment, shielding him from the outside world.

The pair broke into a joyful laugh.

“Thank you Daruk.”

“Think nothing of it tiny princess. Though, now that you mentioned it I might need a little favor from ya.”

Zelda eagerly listened “Name it Daruk and I shall do everything in my power to ensure it done.”

“It’s about Rudania.”

Zelda’s heart sank “The divine beast? Is something amiss?”

“Oh no no no.” Daruk raised his hands as if to physically stop that line of thinking “Nothing serious. It’s just that that wonderful fantastic machine is able to have some alterations. The controls aren’t exactly goron friendly, ya know?”

“Oh! Hmm, I shall talk to Purah and Robbie. If anyone can alter Rudania, it is them.”

“Thanks tiny princess!” Daruk patted her back in a friendly manner. Zelda had to brace herself to make sure she didn’t fall sprawling to the floor.

Rudania.

Zelda glanced upwards Death Mountain, the divine beast in question clinging to the side the volcanic mountain as if keeping an eye out for the calamity.

The divine beasts, ancient Sheikah machines made of stone and an unknown source of power. Her father claimed these machines had been around since the dawn of Hyrule. Though information on these and other Sheikah made devices were contradictory at best and nonexistent at worst. Even Impa, clan leader, knew next to nothing about their functionality or purpose. Luckily for everyone Purah and Robbie had devoted their lives to the study of these machines and it was only thanks to the pairs ceaseless work (and Zelda would say sometimes obsession) that the champions could practice and grew proficient with their individual machines.

“How is your training with Rudania going Daruk?”

Daruk scratched the back of his neck anxiously “I wish I could say it’s going good but it’s not exactly a stroll in the lava, ya know?”

“Of...course.” Zelda nodded slowly, unsure what a stroll in lava would entail “Perhaps we can search for some sort of manual or instructions.”

“Nah” Daruk waved her off “We both know nothing like that probably exists but that’s alright. I’mma going just go for it and do my best!”

Zelda stared at the goron with admiration “I wish I could be as confident as you are.”

“I’m not!”

Zelda watched as Daruk’s face beaming grin melt into an uneasy smile

“I’m not confident” Daruk admitted “This is hard. This is a piece of technology unlike anything else in our little home. I have no idea how to use it or even if I’m doing it right. Heck, I don’t even know if what I’m doing is working. I’m a goron and I’m good at that but this? This is something else.”

Zelda felt that. Her inability to draw on her powers. Her failures and her father’s growing desperation pushing her to extremes, to find an answer regardless of the cost.

“But, I’mma gonna try all the same.”

Daruk’s smile returned. Not with happiness but with determination.

“That’s all we can do, right tiny princess?” Daruk chuckled “Do our best. Maybe it’ll be enough. Maybe it won’t but we gotta at least try.”

Zelda smiled “You are right Daruk. We must at least try. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome! Haha, for what?”

-----

Zelda could feel Link shift his weight back and forth ontop of the snow bank. The pair were bundled in winter gear, huddled close in an attempt to stay warm in the frigid chill of the snowy breeze. Though Zelda knew that wasn’t why Link was unhappy.

“You still here knight? Go home. You need to train some more if you want to keep up with me.”

Link’s face remained as impassive as ever but Zelda could see by the tensing of his cheeks that he was fuming: Revali had that effect on the knight.

She was unsure why the Rito had such a deep disdain for Link but it made it difficult to plan training exercises between the two. Even visits to check on Revali were scarce given the fact Link followed his orders diligently. Nothing would dissuade Link from his task, not even insults and mockery.

Zelda had been softening her stance on Link over the last few weeks. True she hadn’t reached the point where she completely accepted his presence but she no longer loathed him for it. It was not his fault her father was so stubborn and final in his decrees. He did what he was told and he did it with as much respect as he could muster. It was oddly comforting to have him near in the rare moment she was being honest. Whether it be researching any leads to unlocking her powers to her hobby of cataloging the various flora and fauna of Hyrule, he did not judge her. He watched in a quiet reverence, his eyes darting about for signs of danger so she would feel safe enough to focus on her task. And the more time they spent together, the more she realized he was more expressive than she previously thought.

His emotions were far subtler: A twitch of the ear, a raised eyebrow, clenching of his jaws. This is how Link spoke. This is how he displayed his emotions. Little signs easily missed unless you had been searching for them.

Not that Zelda was looking. That would be silly for her to simply stare at the knight accompanying her all across the kingdom, protecting her from the various threats found throughout. She was merely making observations like the good scholar she was. Link was no different than the flora and fauna she studied. Granted he was a much more interesting subject but….

“Princess.”

Zelda snapped out of her thoughts, her face flushed with embarrassment at her trailing thoughts.

“Are you well?” Revali cocked his head sideways “Your face is red. I rather you not get sick simply because you wish to stand in this cold.”

“I-it is nothing Revali!” Zelda stammered out “Perhaps a small chill. It will pass. I am here to…”

“To see if I need anything” he finished for her “No princess, unlike certain people” he eyed Link distastefully “I am fine.”

Link said nothing but rather shifted the weight on his feet once more.

“Link” Zelda turned to her knight “Perhaps you could patrol the area. I fear the winds are growing more fierce. I would not want to walk back to the castle among an ambush if there is a storm.”

Link remained silent but gave a rigid, steely nod. He caught Revali’s gaze for a moment then trudge off into the snow.

“I don’t why you bring him” Revali sneered “He’s a worthless knight.”

“If he’s so worthless, why do you waste your time berating him?”

Revali turned his head “Hmmph, if your knight is so fragile that a little mockery scares him off, he has no business being with us.”

“Revali!” Zelda began but was silenced by his outstretched wing.

“I am the best princess.” He spoke matter of fact “I am your greatest warrior. My skill is unrivaled across the kingdom.”

Zelda fumed but allowed him to continue.

“I have overcome many challenges and challengers to my title” Revali’s looked out to the various snowy hills and slopes of the mountain, the Rito village barely visible among the snow flurry “I bested them all. When you are so talented, many eyes will fall upon you and their expectations as well. They will say whatever they wish. You must ignore them. You must not allow their pitiful jealousy distract from your task, your goal. I am here to protect my people and for that, I must be the best. I must work with the best and I must train with people with some skill.”

“Revali, what are you…?”

Revali scoffed “You have kept me from training princess. Your knight might be the best among you but he certainly is no match for me. How is he supposed to survive the upcoming fight unless he fights with his all against a superior opponent.”

“I see” Zelda slowly caught on.

“Good. I will be at the castle tomorrow. Make sure your knight is ready for bruises and sores. I won’t have him die on us because he was being lazy.”

“Of course Revali. I’m sure Link will appreciate your concern.”

Revali huffed “I don’t like deadweight is all.”

Zelda said nothing but remembered that Link had won the champion’s last archery contest a few weeks ago.

-----

The desert was colder than you would expect at night but Zelda was not stranger to it. She loved coming out to the Gerudo desert with her mother, spending all day among the Gerudo and its splendor. It was quiet out here, bringing a rare peace not found in the city. The distant sound of thunder boomed but it was soft and enlightening more than frightening. It comforted Zelda.

“Thinking of her again little bird?”

Zelda nodded honestly, the desert stretched out before her as the twinkling stars glimmered beautifully overhead.

Urbosa, champion and her mother’s dearest friend, stood watch nearby.

Zelda turned back to Link, unable to keep the grin off her face as he remained slumped against the wall, his riding hood and cloak turned into a makeshift blanket. His breathing was slow and steady and while it was clear he was sleeping, she also knew that with one word from her lips he would awaken, ready for whatever awaited him.

She was glad he was resting at least. This had been his first trip to the desert and he had not quite been prepared for the intense heat nor the attention he received from the town. A male within its walls was a rare sight. She knew Link disliked attention above all else, except perhaps Revali.

She giggled at her joke.

“You seem more comfortable with Link than I remember.”

“Oh.” Zelda cleared her throat, willing her blush away “Well y-yes. Some of my conversations with the others have led to some interesting insight. Perhaps I had not been considerate towards Link. He is just performing his duty.”

Urbosa leaned in teasingly “Link now is it? Not the knight or he?”

Zelda’s blush spread rapidly throughout her cheeks.

Urbosa laughed loudly “You are far too easy to fluster little bird.”

“I am not flustered!”

“I don’t blame you” Urbosa glanced at Link’s sleeping form “He is quite handsome and not like most men.”

“Urbosa!”

Urbosa laugh once more “So it worked then?”

Zelda was confused “What did?”

“My distraction.”

“Distraction? From?” Realization washed over Zelda “Oh.”

Urbosa gave a solemn nod “I miss your mother terribly. She was an amazing woman and I feel her loss deeply now as I did then.”

Zelda tucked her legs under her arms “I feel like she would be disappointed in me. Not having unlocked my power. Chasing down lead after lead with nothing to show for it.”

“Don’t be absurd!” Urbosa scolded “She would be proud of you. Her beautiful daughter, a natural leader. Especially between Link and Revali. Hylia’s miracle you managed to wrangle them into line. I thought they were going to murder each other at their last training session.”

“I admit I was worried I was about to have to arrest one of them for murder.” Zelda admitted.

The two shared a laugh.

“Do not fret little bird.” Urbosa cupped Zelda’s cheek lovingly “She would think the world of you. She would want you to do your best, not hers.”

“I miss her Urbosa.” Zelda shed a single tear “I just miss her so terribly.”

“Me too little bird. But she lives on in you.”

Zelda clenched her fist, holding it close to her heart as she closed her eyes “I suppose I’ll just have keep at it.”

“That a girl. Now want to see something funny?” Urbosa grinned mischievously, a snap at the ready while she approached the slumbering form of Link.

-----

Link was unsure what to make of princess Zelda’s request to ask him some questions. It had been a few months since he was first assigned to her guard detail and while it had been rather rocky start, she grew to tolerate his presence and was almost friendly with him.

Almost.

Today started off no different than any other: Princess Zelda wanted to stretch her legs out in the fields. Link was used to this particularly outing. He noticed the princess often wished to leave the castle on the days her father was being forceful about her training her powers. Something that was happening with increasing occurrence nowadays.

Despite his lack of talking and general stoic disposition, he enjoyed his time with the princess. True most of it had been at a distance, carefully watching out for her safety but these last few weeks had been a nice change of pace. She allowed to walk closer to her, hadn’t scoffed or turned up her nose at him trailing behind her and became more visibly relaxed when alone with him.

Though she had also become more distracting to the young knight. Everyone knew the princess was beautiful but Link still hadn’t gotten used to it even after all this time. Every morning he would face that same beauty and every morning he would be thoroughly flatfooted at the sight of her. It was easier when she forced him to watch far away, when she spoke to and about him with a quiet disdain. She didn’t like him and he was just here to do his job. Nice, done and easy.

But lately the princess had been asking him to stay close regardless if they were traveling through the countryside or to the frigid Rito Village or the blazing furnace that was Death Mountain. She smiled often now, especially when she found a new plant or animal about. Link would be standing, vigilante when the princess would call for him and when he whirled around, sword at the ready, he found not monsters but the sight of the princess mid-smile and holding out some new thing for him to see, excitement twinkling in her eyes.

It was getting really hard to focus on his task.

“Link, are you alright?”

Link flushed, nearly tripping over himself as the princess broke him from his stupor.

They were sitting at peaceful meadow not too far the castle, the princess’s notebook at her side filled with her various observations and musings.

Link must’ve spaced out because he had not noticed the princess approach him, her face inches away from his.

“I am sorry.” She apologized “I did not mean to startle you.”

Link shook his head in disagreement, raising a hand to tell her not to worry.

“I-if you don’t feel comfortable answering my questions, you do not have to.”

Link gestured for her to continue.

“Link” the princess composed herself “Why don’t you speak?”

Link was caught off guard by the question. No one really questioned why he chose not to speak. Most assumed it was some strange choice by some stranger lad from the country. Or perhaps he could not speak. As long as he stabbed the bad guy, no one seemed to care beyond that and the more renown he gained, the more Link felt he needed to maintain the illusion, the stoic unflappable hero of Hyrule.

Well, until the real hero of Hyrule appeared.

Link mused for a moment, wondering how to best explain his situation to the princess.

“I’m sorry.”

Link was taken aback by the princess’s shameful tone.

“I….I did not mean to be so personal.” She began, eyes cast away from him “It….it just occurs to me I have known you for a few months now and yet I have never once heard you speak. I know I have not been most friendly person to you and I understand if you find me rude or perhaps annoying. I know watching me wade through the fields is not the most effective use of your talents.”

Link could feel panic setting in. He couldn’t let the princess blame herself! Especially now that she was making an effort to open up to him. Link licked his lips, willing the words to form into existence.

“I am sorry Link” Link’s heart fluttered at the sound of his name. She said his name! She said his name! She’s never said his name to him before!

“Perhaps I should just remain silent.” the princess went on “I am truly sorry for mistreating you and taking my frustration about my father out on you. You did not deserve that.”

Wait! No no no no!

The princess sighed dejectedly, turning away from Link.

Link bit his lip, taking deep slow breathes as he tried to form the words in his head.

-----

Zelda was disappointed but not surprised by Link’s lack of a response. She knew it might’ve been a little too late given her treatment of him but she had been hoping perhaps she could convince him that she was not as nasty as she appeared to him. Alas, it seems it was for naught.

“W-wait.”

Zelda blinked, unsure if she really heard what she thought she heard. She turned slowly to Link, surprised to see him with a hand outstretched, sweat forming upon his brow as he awkwardly moved his mouth as if trying to get it to work.

“D-did you say something Link?” She asked quizzically.

Link gave a short nod.

Zelda whirled around, knees against the grass as she leaned in closer, unable to get Link’s voice out of her ears.

Link gestured to himself, touching his chest with an open hand.

“You.”

Link nodded, wincing as he struggled to speak.

“I. Don’t. Like. Talking.”

Zelda was in awe at Link. For a warrior so fierce, so steely, so loyal his voice was soft. It was gentle and quiet like a breeze yet still lingered in her mind.

“You don’t like talking” Zelda repeated “I understand.”

Link nodded once before breaking into a toothy smile.

Zelda’s heart raced at the sight of the indifferent Link forming a full smile on his face. She pulled back, trying to will the red out of her hair.

Link tilted his head curiously towards Zelda before he closed the distance.

Zelda’s heart thundered in her ears as Link placed a cool hand upon her forehead, his face returning to its stony indifference but his eyes filled with worry.

“I’m fine!” Zelda waved him off, pulling away before she turned any redder “I...just thought of something.”

Link looked unconvinced but let it go. He stood to his feet and offered his hand to the princess.

Zelda stared up, the sun glowing brightly behind Link’s form as he waited patiently for her. She took his hand and he, firmly but gently, pulled her to her feet.

Link gestured to her horse.

“Yes.” Zelda nodded in agreement “Perhaps it is time to go home.”

Link gave a thumbs up and went to retrieve their horses.

Zelda pinched her cheeks with all her might.

“Urbosa was right. He is handsome.”

[mysterious-prophetess]

Review- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

I’ll admit this here: I’ve never played a regular warriors game. 

I played the previous Hyrule Warriors, but I’ve yet to beat it. I’ll get around to it...eventually.

I also played the CRAP out of Breath of the Wild. It’s now my favorite Zelda game, knocking poor Ocarina of Time of its pedestal.

Ok, they share it, to be perfectly honest. 

Twilight Princess  has sentimental position up with the others because it was the first Zelda game I ever beat. 

The first one I played was A Link to the Past and I was far too little to understand it at the time. 

I digress, I’m here to talk about Age of Calamity. 

I’ll go through a non-spoilery section and then move on to the spoilers in the next bit.

The gameplay was actually pretty fun. Hyrule Warriors could get repetitive, something I’m given to understand is an issue of the main Warriors series. 

Age of Calamity is actually more fun. Yeah, it’s still a similar game style but they implemented enough of Breath of the Wild and Zelda into it that it doesn’t feel anywhere near as same-y to play as Hyrule Warriors could be. 

I’m not saying that Hyrule Warriors had too much in the way of same-y game play but it definitely felt way more repetitive to me. 

Each character has their own way they play and if you don’t click with them, you’re not going to enjoy playing them but those you do click with can then be a lot of fun in Age of Calamity.

The Divine Beast sections were not a highlight for me. I just am not a fan of them. Three out of four felt epic. The fourth was not.

Yeah, I’m talking trash about Vah Rudania. Would not recommend that Divine Beast. Which is a shame because of the Champions, he is easily the one I handle the best in combat. Or he was untilI figured out how to play Mipha. 

The story is much more a Zelda story this time. The other story just kinda felt....not. 

Hyrule Warriors’s story just sort felt like a massive crossover fanfiction. 

And, this won’t be the last time I reference fanfiction either but that’s for the spoiler section.

The game was pretty cohesive and the incentives for 100% the side quests (aside from leveling) are nice enough and easy enough to obtain that it’s not a total grind to do it.

Speaking of leveling, I did have a bit of an edge for that. You see, I got the demo and it transfers save data and I’d max-leveled Link for that demo (level 20 in case you were wondering) which meant if I found enough rupees, I could instantly get most of my crew up to that level. Zelda and Impa were mid to high teens whenever I was done with the demo btw. 

In Hyrule Warriors, it did feel a bit grindy at times but I didn’t have that nice 20 levels from my demo advantage. 

There are relatively few buggy moments in this game but once when I was playing as a character I can’t mention without spoilers, they got caught in a sort of loop where they’d do a move and I couldn’t get them to stop.

Sometimes the camera angles would fight me when I was up against bigger foes like the final boss or Hinoxes. 

Beyond that, the game runs fine. 

I enjoyed it but for those looking for a straight up prequel to Breath of the Wild, the only non-spoilery thing I can say is-it’s not this. It does touch on a few things and we do get to play the Champions but it’s not the game you think it is if you want to see what happened before Link ended up in the Shrine of Resurrection in the game this spun-off of.

Tl;Dr-I do recommend this game if you like Zelda and want a game where your weapons don’t break every five minutes and you like feeling like a BAMF as you mow down enemy after enemy. 

If you don’t like Warriors games or wanted that dark prequel-you might want to pass on this.

Now leave if you want to avoid spoilers.

Ok everyone who wants to avoid spoilers is gone?

Good. 

First, I’m just going to say it: This is a total Fix-It Fic of a game with its plot.

As Nine’s gif said, Everybody lives.

The Champions and the King and the soldiers (whose asses you’ve been saving this whole game so really no big deal), Hyrule in general. 

Everyone lives. 

This was already in AU territory with the little guardian-it’s name is Terrako- time traveling back to fulfill Zelda’s wish that she could have saved everyone. Parts of Calamity Ganon go with it and posses its past self. 

That means this isn’t just a Fix-it Fic, this is a Time Travel Fix-it Fic.

That’s one of my favorite kinds of Fix-it Fics, so naturally, I was biased to like this plot.

It is a bit schmaltzy that everyone gets to live? A little but a Fix-it Fic tends to be more on the sweet and fluffy side of things. 

I did not see the future champions coming. Yeah, I knew the little egg-guy was a time traveler but I thought Link and Zelda together were going to save each champion one by one. When out of left field, here comes the future Champions.

I was very happy to see Adult!Sidon appear. 

I was just expecting this

and got this too

It does, however, confirm this is a total Alternate timeline. 

Wouldn’t be the first time for the Zelda series.

The Four Future Champions were pulled from Canon Breath of the Wild, and likely Post-Canon or Near the End of Canon since they know Link. 

I knew it was an AU from the fact Link didn’t have the Master Sword when he should have. I own the book Creating a Champion and it mentions that Link of Breath of the Wild found the sword at some ridiculously young age. I’d look but that book is in a pile of stuff and I don’t feel like digging it out.

Best I can figure is Zelda’s wish also affected the whole timeline beyond when Terrako arrived allowing for her and Link to form a bond without resentment on her end. Which, we actually don’t know when Terrako and the Pieces of Calamity Ganon arrived in the past. They could have showed up five years prior with Terrako inactive and Harbinger Ganon using his crazy proxy.

Would explain why Astor was so bat-shit insane at that point.

Since I’ve mentioned him, this would be a good time to talk about Astor, or Not-Vaati as I called him before I learned his name. 

Astor is every evil cultist serving some destructive force that is shocked that betrayal comes. 

Especially, after he backstabbed the Yiga Clan causing even their leader to switch sides after the Yiga clan served Ganon for 10,000 years.

Astor is boring. He’s just another purple wearing evil dude who is serving a dark master who doesn’t actually need him after a point and gets a sort of comeuppance. 

In this case, it was possession/assimilation. 

I just beat Monster Boy and the cursed Kingdom and -spoilers-, in it there is a purple wearing evil guy who backstabbed others and was then backstabbed by the evil entity he served. He was just cursed into a ridiculous form instead of assimilation, though.

So, yeah. Astor was boring. The VA did what he could but Astor was just not compelling to me.

I did like the form that resulted of Harbinger Ganon absorbing him, though. 

It was a very nice change of pace from the Blight-like form Calamity Ganon had in Breath of the Wild. I actually almost wish this was his form instead-though with the stringy hair all the Blights and Calamity Ganon had. Maybe as a between form? Either way, I liked it. 

And that’s my opinion of the whole game; I liked it. 

There were times I’d get frustrated (mostly having to do with time limits and characters I don’t enjoy controlling). I may not have liked the Divine Beast Sections but they weren’t enough to ruin the game nor was their inclusion to the point that it could ruin it for me. 

The story, while a bit over-the-top with the wish fulfillment of everyone living, was still enjoyable for me and had its poignant moments. Especially with the Future Champions going back to their own(likely the canon) timeline where the Calamity wasn’t averted. Getting this glimpse of what could have been but isn’t for them.

All the younger Zelda flashbacks were bittersweet since we sort of saw how happy she was before her mother died and saw her father start his terrible parenting routine.

I don’t care that it was for her that he did it, it was still bad parenting. I sympathize with Rhoam, but that won’t excuse that he wasn’t a good father. 

He loved his daughter and was trying his best but he still did damage in his attempts to defy destiny.

I just have a lot of feelings about this game. 

I’ll just end this post here.

Age of Calamity was worth it, in my opinion.

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Thoughts of HW:AOC, Plot

Okay, so I’ve had a quick look through the tags to see what people’s opinions were on the games plot, because even though the game doesn’t come up until Friday, people with hacked switches were able to get a hold of the game early and leak it. Whatever your view on copyrights from a large company like Nintendo is, it got leaked, I watched it, lets move on.

A couple of things to be aware of before we move onto the whole post is that no, I do not have a hacked switch. I have preordered the game, but I will not be playing it until it is released. However, I was able to watch all the cutscenes before Nintendo came and took them down for copyright issues. Please keep in mind that what I say is my own opinion on the story after one watch through, so I might come by and edit it after I’ve played the game, to include my views on the actual gameplay.

And of course, this post will contain major spoilers for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, so tread lightly.

This will be part one of a small series, otherwise this post would be incredibly long, so this is part one of ???

So, of course, like everyone expected, the games plot follows the event that lead up to the Great Calamity. At first, I found the order of events to be slightly strange; the idea that Link is Zelda’s knight before its revealed that he is the hero weirded me out somewhat and it was truly the first sign that they were going to deviate from what they had said in botw, where Link had had the Master Sword since he was 12, and he should have had it when they fight the lynal in Zora’s Domain. These inconsistencies are littered throughout, of course. In botw, Revali mentions having wished to have had at least one fight with him before he had died, and in the cutscenes shown they nearly killed each other during their first meeting (something that I am actually pretty excited to play). Then there’s the whole thing with the yiga in the desert (completely disrupting what happened in the memories)

Time travel.

So. The elephant in the room. I thought that I would get this bit over and done with as it’s the bit that everyone seems the most hung up about. Of course, that does make sense, for never has anyone done time travel well in media. There’s always too many ‘what if’s involved with this trope, and it is a trope that has been done to death, especially in the Legend of Zelda series. I now yearn for a game that doesn’t involve time travel in any way, for not only is it repetitive from a gameplay standpoint and a storytelling standpoint, but Nintendo is always going on about the timeline of the Zelda Universe, only to screw it into a ball and throw it away.

As much as I love theory videos and fanfics explaining away why the timeline is the way it, is it too much to ask for at least a couple games that go in a linear fashion so that I don’t have to think of the timeline when coming up with a new fic idea?

There are really two parts of timetravel. The first part, where Terrako (eggy boi) comes back from the ‘bad’ future that leads on to botw. He comes baring information on how the Calamity comes about, the date, the location, the destruction that comes with it. The other characters already know that this was going to happen because of Astor (I’m pretty sure he’s the fortune teller right?), but they then use this knowledge to further prepare themselves. This is the time travel that people kind of expected, especially since the demo, and we were prepared for that.

The timetravel we did not expect however, was when Sidon, Riju, Yunobo and Teba come from the future/alternative timeline and help with the final battle. Don’t get me wrong, I was very confused to see them turn up as much as everyone else was, but does it give some of the best character moments in the game? Absolutely. All of them had bonding moments between each other, but my favourite had to be Sidon and Mipha. Not only did it help that Sidon was the most developed character in botw out of all of them, but adding on with the character interaction at the beginning with the lynal, you can tell that Sidon was finally able to come to terms with his sister’s death in his reality, and Mipha was able to see a glimpse of the zora that Sidon would come to be. I loved every moment that these characters were on the screen, and I cannot wait to play them.

At the end of the day, the time travel does become a closed loop situation (and if you want me to go into detail about that then lmk), and thus, this game, considered canon or not, will not affect botw, nor botw2. Will it create another timeline? I hope not, but that’s up to Nintendo to figure out.

Regardless of the timetravel, I do have to say that the story itself is brilliant. There isn’t a loose thread or a self-contained. Purah talks about teleportation and showing that multiple people teleportation is possible, which then comes to help them in the final act. The scene with Zelda and Rhomn where he lectures her about artefacts comes to save his life later down the line as it turns out to be a shield. Any scene with the Yiga in made me laugh, and the scene at the end, where Calamity Ganon is formed? That is the beast that I wish I fought in botw.

The pacing could be better but these cutscenes aren't really supposed to be viewed back to back like that so they can have that one off. The small background interactions? those scenes will keep me fed for days. The small gags that reference the game, like link being able to eat rocks and using a cucco to jump from the tower? I couldn't stop fucking laughing. I’m not a big fan of zelda/link but those scenes weren't too in my face, which hits the perfect balance for shippers and nonshippers, but I’ll talk more about the characters in the next post.

At the end of the day, if this story had been a fanfiction, people would have lost their minds over it. But if you still don’t like the story, I ask you this. Don’t view it as Link’s story. View it as Zelda’s. even though the name of the game is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, it is more of a ‘Legend of Zelda’ than the other games. We follow her right until the very end where she unlocks her power and is able to save Hyrule. This is a story exploring the idea that, if the circumstances had been different, if she had just a little more information to give her the final push, she would have been able to unlock her sealing powers and save everyone like she wanted.

That’s it for now, lmk what you guys think of the plot.