#Zelda felt like a bird trapped but now she can fly no one can tell her shit about politics

[1dragon-mustard1]

What if Zelda pulled a 'giant women' dragon style and carried Link with her in a birdcage and dressed him up as her lil' song bird

And she loves to hear him sing like he's cooking so he does and is so bashful cause someone's *listening*

[botwriter]

Desert Sun, Chapter 5

As Kakariko woke the next morning, so did Zelda, pulled from her slumber by the sounds of carts rolling and dishes clattering and soft voices from outside. It was an incredibly nice and easy way of waking up, although she missed the sound of running water that her room had in Gerudo.

As she sat up rubbing her eyes, blood stains on her sleeves distracted her. Oh for- she was wearing the same outfit as yesterday, and the shirt was a mess. She sighed, but as she pulled the curtains away, was surprised to see a bag sitting there next to her bed. She pulled it close and untied the top, and inside was a small selection of her own clothes, as well as her scimitar. Urbosa must have put it together for her before they’d left the day before. What she hadn’t been expecting to find in it was her Hylian prayer dress - and a desert outfit. Nothing more for clothes. She couldn’t very well wear the desert outfit in Kakariko - she’d want it for going back to town - so the prayer dress it was.

“Great,” she muttered as she changed, slipping awkwardly into the delicate white fabric while trying to stay within the curtains of the bed at the same time. Her hair was at least manageable, thanks to the tight braid she’d had it in the day prior. Now that she took out the elastics and golden clips, it cascaded down in waves, and she smoothed out the top absently as she pushed back the curtains and left the inn.

Link’s bed had already been cleaned up by the innkeepers, but it didn’t take Zelda long to spot him outside by the cooking pot.

“Sav’ot-“ the voe cut himself short as his eyes landed on her, and Zelda was confused at first, but remembered promptly what she was wearing. 

“Sav’otta,” she replied firmly, pulling the dress forward as she took a seat on a log bench across from him. “I take it Urbosa packed my bag for the trip?”

He only nodded in response, his eyes now back on the omelette cooking in the pan ahead of him, sizzling over the fire pit.

“That looks delicious,” Zelda said honestly, happy to change the subject and having just realized how hungry she was. “I didn’t know you could cook like that.”

“I hope it’s good,” Link replied, lifting the pan a moment later to flip the omelette onto a plate, “because this one’s yours. It’s hot,” he warned, passing it to Zelda, who took it in surprise.

“Thanks,” she said, taking a pair of utensils from him a moment later, resting the plate on her knees, and beginning to eat. She scarfed it back, careful not to let anything fall onto her dress, and her eyes fell shut at the first bite. It was just as tasty as it had looked. He’d put some meat into it, cheese, and peppers.

“It’s really good,” she admitted to Link, looking at him momentarily before eating the rest in silence as the blond leaned back and looked out at the village. Something about him made him easy company, though she wasn’t sure what, and it inspired her to be a little easier going herself.

“Does Impa know we’re here yet?” Zelda asked shortly after finishing her meal.

“I asked her guard to let her know this morning. We’re good to see her anytime now,” Link replied, taking Zelda’s plate back from her and giving it a quick wipe off before tucking it and the utensils back into a bag.

As they stood and readied themselves to see Impa, Link stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Zelda turned, looking back at him curiously.

“That - that dress looks nice on you,” he said quietly, and for once, his blue eyes weren’t looking straight at her. He seemed… almost nervous.

“It’s not my favourite,” she replied, taking a moment to savor the rare compliment, and as she turned back around she was unable to resist smiling to herself. “But thank you.”

Impa’s house was dim compared to the bright and bustling Kakariko. The Sheikah sat atop a small pillar of pillows, surrounded by books, and turned towards Link and Zelda as they pushed the giant wooden doors open carefully.

“Ah, it’s so good to see you two,” the woman greeted them, moving long white hair out of her face. “Jun told me to expect you this morning. What brought you both here on such short notice?”

Link and Zelda exchanged glances, and so the Gerudo walked hesitantly forward. On one hand, she was happy to see the Sheikah leader again, but on the other, she was nervous to hear what she might think.

“I’ve been having - well first off, we found notes the other day on each of our pillows, warning us that we had one month left,” Zelda began, figuring that some context was needed. Impa’s brown eyes narrowed sharply.

“One month until…?”

“I’m assuming… until Ganon returns to conquer Hyrule,” Zelda replied simply, and Impa nodded, gesturing for her to go on.

“So, I haven’t been sleeping well since that, and then I started to have these… vivid dreams. I passed out yesterday because I was so tired, and so Link brought me to you.”

“Smart man,” Impa noted, grinning towards Link.

“Your dreams are likely trying to tell you something. Tell me dear, what did you see?”

Zelda paused before she began. It would be a little awkward to say she dreamed of Link, but there was no avoiding it.

“I saw… myself, first, trapped inside Hyrule Castle,” she began, voice shaking a bit as she recalled how terrified she’d been in the dream. “And I saw Link, but it wasn’t quite him, wearing a red scarf and flying on some sort of scarlet bird,” she continued, sure she could feel his eyes on her. “I saw - I saw lots of Link. And myself.”

Impa nodded solemnly, but clearly knew Zelda had more to share.

“There was - there was a beast, and it was going to just swallow up everything. And a flood - and a moon. And then the sword was… talking to me,” she finished, wondering if she sounded simply like a lunatic.

“Mmm. Your dreams sound more like memories than something prophetic, but there could be a deeper meaning,” Impa mused, standing from her nest of pillows. “I’ve read many a book on legends past, my dear. You and Link - your souls are intertwined, and have a history tens of thousands of years old,” she continued. Zelda’s mouth dropped open as the Sheikah strolled past her.  ...intertwined?

“It is said that an ancient voice resonates within the Master Sword,” Impa continued, and Zelda turned to see her pause in front of Link. “May I?”

Link obliged, unsheathing the sword and holding it out for Impa. She only examined it briefly, and then waved for Zelda to come closer.

“We cannot wield it. But perhaps… place your hand upon it.”

Zelda reached forward warily, touching her fingers to the blue hilt. All at once, Impa’s house had disappeared. Images flashed through her mind one after the other. There were too many for her to even hope to remember, but she remembered the image of a spring in the moonlight, the temple of time - one not in ruins like on the plateau - and the sound of Link yelling out her name in desperation. Her heart jumped. A blue face lingered in her memory, and her hand dropped from the sword.

Both Link and Impa were staring at her with a mix of confusion and curiosity, and each with one arm around her to keep her steady. Zelda blinked through tears she didn’t know were there. An inexplicable sadness tugged at her heart. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d somehow forgotten someone important to her.

“Visions, I assume?” Impa said suddenly, watching Zelda curiously. She hastily wiped away the tears from her cheeks.

“Yes. A spring and a temple,” she said, deciding to ignore the bit about Link yelling for her. It was already awkward enough.

“A spring? Tell me, have you traveled to the springs of Power, Wisdom, and Courage yet?” Impa asked, settling back into her pillows. Zelda nearly jumped as she heard Link sheathing the sword behind her.

“Yes, on a prayer trip not long ago that didn’t help anything,” she replied bitterly. Impa frowned.

“The Gerudo do not worship Hylia,” Impa said, though it was something of a question, and Zelda nodded in response.

“We look up to the seven - well, eight, traditionally - heroines,” she answered. “But I frequently make prayers to Hylia. Urbosa urged me to do so.”

Impa nodded, but otherwise said nothing, and it was painfully silent for some time. When she did speak, the Princess looked up hopefully.

“Zelda. I fear the sword is trying to tell you that time is not on your side. You and Ganon being born Gerudo was not in the stars, you know. Let alone the Calamity opting for a human form... But it is sounding more and more likely that he is in possession of the triforce of power.”

“I mean - I know he has it, but didn’t he already?”

“It is always within him, like wisdom is within you and courage in the Chosen Hero. But it often needs… a little something to wake it from its slumber,” Impa explained, chuckling a little in spite of the heavy conversation.

“There will be no hope in defeating him unless you and Link can both activate your triforces. However, if that note was accurate… you do not have much time,” she added, shaking her head. Zelda once again looked at Link, but his eyes were on Impa still. This was finally something that the two of them were on the same page with. She hated that she felt any relief at all in that fact.

“I do not know if I can provide any further help. But I implore you to take Link to the heroines, and for Link to take you back to the springs, if you can manage it,” Impa said strongly, looking at each of them in turn. “Do not take this the wrong way. But the two of you being born so far apart is to Ganon’s advantage. You must become more familiar with one another, more trusting. The Champions are a boon. But you two-”

The Sheikah sat up abruptly from her pillows, pointing two fingers towards Link and Zelda.

“- you two are the only real hope in defeating Ganon. You must be in harmony.”

Impa’s words hung heavy on Link and Zelda as they thanked her for her time, and left back down the wooden staircase into Kakariko. It was still early morning, and although Zelda wanted to stay and enjoy the village, they now had more on their to-do list.

“I can’t shake the feeling that I should go back instead,” Zelda complained as they reached the inn, feeling more than uneasy with everything Impa had said.

“Is it a gut feeling, or is it just guilt?”

The question gave her pause. She fell quiet as they entered the inn and Link asked the keeper for a map to borrow. As he studied it, she became a little lost in thought. He was right. It was strange not being with her people, but Impa really was the expert. As much as she wasn’t happy for having to spend more time alone with Link, it was nice to be away from home. Sort of.

“The Spring of Power is just north of here,” Link muttered to himself, pulling out some charcoal and making a line on the map. “Then wisdom on our way back. Courage in Faron last.”

“You’re… really going to come with me?” Zelda asked, almost disappointed. Her tone didn’t go unnoticed by the knight, who frowned.

“Impa knows what she’s talking about. We should give it a chance,” he replied, and the way he looked at her, she knew there was no arguing it. “Plus, it’s true, I- we barely know each other.”

Zelda watched him then as he looked back down at the map. He’d wanted to say I barely know you, she knew it, but then again she barely knew him either. Despite her impatience with the voe, she was curious, too. Especially after what Impa had said.

“How long will this trip take us?”

Link was quiet as he pondered it, and Zelda’s stomach sank as she saw him count on his fingers.

“Let’s say a week,” he finally said, and glanced up at her.

“That gives us only two weeks left when we get back,” she replied, feeling more and more disheartened. Link didn’t say anything in return. There was no way around it. When would she ever feel ready, realistically, to fight for her people and seal away some unknown horrible evil entity? No one knew better than Impa how to prepare for that.

“We have to send a hawk to Urbosa,” she said then.

“They have some here in Kakariko.”

“Fine,” she replied impatiently, “there’s really no shortcuts with this, are there?”

“No,” Link said simply, looking back down at the map. “So let’s go.”

She took the back of the horse this time, her arms secured around Link as they left north for Akkala. Part of her regretted not being in the front again, as now she simply felt like if she let go of him, she’d fly straight off. At least he wasn’t traveling at the same ridiculous speed as the day before.

Zelda had only seen Akkala once before, and they slowed as they reached the plains. It was late afternoon by the time they’d arrived, but at least the weather had held up; it was notoriously rainy there.

At first she wasn’t sure where the spring could possibly be. She’d forgotten almost everything about it. Link changed course suddenly to take them downhill into a rocky valley, and she watched curiously as pillars of stone and crumbling cliff flew past. When they stopped at one of the cliff faces and Link dismounted, Zelda thought he must have been playing a trick on her.

“Here,” he said, offering a hand to help her get down off the horse. She took it and slid off a little less gracefully than she would have liked, but Link only smiled a bit to himself and said nothing as he walked towards the cliff. She looked sideways at his horse, who sniffed her briefly with disinterest and then began grazing.

Strange animals.

“Here it is,” Link called suddenly, and she jogged towards him to see the voe pulling away a curtain of vines to reveal a tunnel. Now she remembered.

“Right,” she replied, “that’s why I thought this one was underground or something.”

“Maybe it once was,” Link replied thoughtfully, following behind her as she ducked under the leaves and headed through the tunnel. It was cool and damp, and at the end, the spring opened up beyond pillars decorated with the Hylian Crest. Like the other springs, it was somewhat in disrepair, but still beautiful. Water poured in on the cliff walls above, creating a pool that surrounded a particularly tall statue of Hylia. The setting sun dyed the water a deep golden colour.

She supposed now, the prayer dress had come in handy.

Link stood to the side as she walked forward, stepping slowly into the surprisingly warm water and approaching the statue. This corresponded to Gabon’s triforce, but it was worth a shot, anyways.

“I come in prayer, to ask your assistance as the Goddess reincarnate,” she began, “and as Princess of the Gerudo.”

It was silent except for running water behind her. She felt like it was futile already, and hated knowing that Link was behind her, listening.

“Prayer will awaken my power to seal Ganon away,” Zelda said, a little more firmly this time, as if saying it would perhaps make it more likely to be true.

“Or so I’ve been told,” she trailed off, falling quiet. Her hands fell to the side, hitting the water with a sort of finality. It didn’t feel good, being stuck in the dress from a place that wasn’t hers, standing in a pool of some water at a spring that was for her enemy’s source of power - true power. What wisdom did she have to show for herself? Everything felt… wrong.

“I’m done,” she said, turning on her heel and walking back through the water towards the landing. Link reached forward, but she ignored his hand and stepped up onto the stone.

“Already?”

“I think I’ll have more luck at Mt. Lanayru,” she replied simply, though she felt skeptical about even that. “I don’t know. This just… this isn’t me,” she protested suddenly, tossing the white fabric of her dress briefly in frustration. “This was made for a Hylian Princess. The one that would have had her sealing power by now. The one that wouldn’t be ruling her people already at such a young age. The one that would - that would know her destiny, and that would know - that would know-” she cut herself off, searching Link’s expression for anything to help her find the words.

“Me,” Link replied carefully. “I want to know you, too.”

She studied him for a moment, trying to judge the honesty of his words, but then again… he wasn’t one to lie. In all honesty, she was glad to see some sort of vulnerability from him. The only thing stopping her from believing him was wondering why. What about her was so intriguing to him? What did she have to offer him, anyways? Too many people got close to her purely to expect something in return, but Link so far hadn’t given anything of the sort away. It was still a little too good to be true to trust him as a friend, so far.

Once they’d left the rocky spring valley, Link slowed his horse, and Zelda noticed them turning the opposite way she’d expected. She glanced back towards Eldin Volcano to make sure she hadn’t just imagined it.

“We’re going to get you a horse,” Link said suddenly, and Zelda’s mouth dropped open a little. She didn’t want a horse, but she did want to ride separately from Link. Perhaps they could travel a little slower, then, and she wouldn’t have to have her arms latched around the voe constantly...

“I can’t bring it into the desert with me,” she reminded him, but Link shrugged.

“I’ll look after it for you.”

Link was insistent, so Zelda fell quiet as they slowly approached a group of wild horses. One black, one brown, one brown speckled, and one white, grazed quietly together nearby. Link dismounted suddenly, helping Zelda down, and together they peeked out from behind his stallion.

“One of them catch your eye?” he whispered, and Zelda gave it some thought. None of them looked like they particularly wanted to stop being wild, but she trusted Link and had seen him in action with animals already. His own horse had once been wild, but still seemed quite happy.

“The white one,” she admitted. “So… how exactly do you do this?”

“It can be dangerous, so I’ll get one for you and introduce you, ok?”

“Oh, alright,” Zelda said, watching curiously as Link began to creep forward in the tall grass. The horses didn’t notice him at all, but she was covering her eyes as he got closer. One kick could knock him right out. She gasped as the voe jumped atop the white one, steadily but slowly calming it down even as it desperately bucked and the other horses took off. For a moment she regretted it. There was no way that horse would warm to her.

Link rode it bare-back towards her - it looked disgruntled, but not angry like it had a moment ago, and as he slid off he took Zelda’s hand in his.

“What are you-” 

She blushed, but he only lifted it slowly to the horse’s face, resting it on the animal before letting go. Zelda blinked. The sand seals were so much smaller. This horses looked alright from a distance, but up close, face-to-face, was intimidating. Link’s horse sniffed the newcomer absently. It wasn’t trying to run away, so that was good news, at least.

“I’ll help you on, and we’ll take it to the stable nearby. They can get you a saddle. Don’t be discouraged, it takes a bit for them to trust you,” he reassured her, linking his hands out and holding them next to the horse for her.

Hesitantly she stepped on, pulling herself over the horse carefully and thanking the heroines that her prayer dress was long enough to bundle some of the fabric between her legs. Link got back onto his own horse, and she dug her heels in a little to the horse’s sides, trying to urge it to follow him. It was clearly less than happy with the scenario, and more than once tried to turn a different way, but she did her best to calm it as they headed for the stable.

The workers there were kind enough to give her a locally-made saddle, which Link showed her how to put on the horse. She’d been asked to come up with a name, and although she didn’t want to use Link’s suggestion out of principal, as soon as he mentioned “Lilac” it seemed to fit the horse perfectly.

It wasn’t as warm riding without Link, but it was a little easier, and he gave her a brief lesson that evening. It proved useful, as Lilac warmed to her quickly, but Zelda wasn’t sure if the horse actually liked her, or just all the carrots and apples she’d been giving her.

They decided to stay at the stable overnight and begin their trip - a long trip - to Mount Lanayru the next day.

[heartofhryule]

Breath of the Wild: Captured Memories - Chapter 6

First and foremost; SPOILER WARNINGS. If you have not played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, or completed the Captured Memories Quest and want to stay unspoilered for it, DO NOT READ. Keep Reading link provided for that reason. So I am writing these as I play through BotW for the first time - which means they probably won’t be ‘one-a-day’ consistent - I have finally gotten all of the memories, but not yet gone for the final fight at Hyrule Castle. #Soon. I will post them as I can though! Promise! I also plan to include links to the cutscene for you to watch at the bottom, if so desired - at least for the ones I can find. Any other warnings that become necessary, I will add for content as I go. For now, enjoy!

Hot hot hot! lol

I really like Daruk in all the cinematics. Optimistic, forthright, stalwart, devoted to his land and kingdom, and ever in support of the Hero - he's a solid dude, no pun intended. While EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THIS GAME is hard to write, this one was less hard just because Daruk is such a cool character. I predict Urbosa will be similar. I. Love. Her. #UrbosaIsBestChampion #SaltyBirdRivaliTakeNotes

One thing I try to do with the cinematics from the games, is not add too much if any dialog for Link - since of course in game he doesn't speak. If I continue with a scene after the cinematic ends in the game, that's one thing. When we get to the Silent Princess memory with the frog, trust me, there will be more. But there are times where at least when writing, its a little awkward that Link says literally nothing - so, while I don't want to add TOO much, so that you basically can watch the cinematic (links provided at the ends of chapters) and then read this for "a little bit more", I did add a line or two in a few chapters now, and I foresee this trend continuing. Nothing extreme, but I felt it needed acknowledgement.

Speaking of Rivali the Salty Bird... his chapter will be next. I swear to Hylia, I wanted to strangle that stupid parakeet. He's a badass... but so, so obnoxious. So, here we go! I'll try and have Salty Bird up as soon as I can, and thank you for staying tuned!

Chapter 6 - Daruk’s Mettle Hot. Hot hot hot. Volcanos were hot. Sure, his Flameproof armor bought in town, and his elixirs helped. But it was still hooooot. Things were looking more familiar nowadays. He didn’t remember faces or names, but things were feeling… familiar. Like he knew he’d been to Goron City before in more than just his memory of Zelda saying they would be heading there. He’d had a feeling he knew where the shop was, and had been right. 

He felt as though it had already been a lifetime since he’d awakened in the Shrine of Resurrection feeling lost, drifting outside of time, detached, frustrated and alone.

But then, he’d never truly been alone.

Zelda’s voice had awakened him. Zelda’s voice spoke to him, to warn him of the Blood Moon each time it rose, or when he needed to know something very important. Her voice called his name in his dreams, and he had begun dreaming of her - from before. Snippets here and there. A white dress, a spring, her tears. Things that when he woke slipped through his fingers if her tried to grasp too hard, but it was enough to fuel him forward. Landmarks were familiar now - perhaps not why, but sometimes, it came to him.

Like looking at the carving of Daruk in the side of Death Mountain, he’d known it, and the memory had come rushing back.

***

They had been standing atop Vah Rudania, traversing the side of Death Mountain in the great, hot wind of the mostly quiet volcano.

“Yeah! I think I’m finally getting the hang of controlling this Divine Beast!” Daruk exclaimed proudly. It wasn’t a boast of vanity, but rather an honest statement of pride and hope from a Goron of integrity. Link knew that, he could feel it. He remembered Daruk, and that he liked him a great deal.

“I’ll tell you what… it sure is a blast piloting a toy like this around!” Link smirked incredulously at his friend and shook his head. A lumbering, enormous piece of ancient technology that they barely understood… and Daruk called it a toy. That was the Goron Champion in a nutshell.

“Let those other champions know,” the rock eater continued, “They’ll have to eat their gravel if they want to keep up with Daruk!” The Goron looked around them, drawing Link’s eye and smile to the scenery. “Speaking of which, can you believe this view?” Just look at all those delectable rocks sprinkled on those mountains… Mighty tasty.”

Link chuckled and cut his eyes to Daruk, knowing the Goron sometimes forgot other races didn’t eat rocks. He would have to take the Champion’s word for it. “It really is a great view, my friend.”

Sharing a few moments of companionable silence, Daruk was the next to speak. “I may not know a whole lot about the Calamity Ganon thing… but mark my words: I will protect this land of ours to the death.” Fist clenched with the vigor of his oath, Daruk grinned and raised his other hand saying, “Right, little guy?”

It happened too fast for Link to dodge or mitigate, and when Daruk slapped him on the back in friendship, it knocked the wind right out of the Hylian Knight. Link gasped and leaned forward, eyes bulging a little as he reached up to what would no doubt be a great bruise on his back by evening.

“Hey, by the way…. Congrats on becoming the princess’s appointed knight. That’s a really big deal! Protecting the King's daughter,” Daruk chuckled, “No pressure.” Still trying to catch his breath and recover from the Goron’s platonic affection, Link winced and nodded but looked to the sky.

“Seriously, though. The Princess is a strong personality - so strong she can’t quite see the range for the peaks,” the Goron Champion added with a scratch of his head. “Remember that, and you’ll be fine.”

No sooner had Daruk finished than a great rumbling started around them. “Huh?” Daruk said and turned his eyes to the mountain. Link thought at first in might have been Vah Rudania beneath them. But when the ancient, mechanical salamander had stopped and seemed to be as it ever was, he too looked to Death Mountain.

Daruk was frowning now. “What the-?”

As they watched, boulders came flying from over the peak of which they stood in the shadow. One, flew directly at them, like a meteor plummeting to the earth. With a great cry, Daruk spread his large arms, balled his hands into fists, and smashed his knuckles together. Just as the boulder would have struck him and also Link, a great angular barrier of red-orange light - like the fires of Death Mountain itself - appeared around them, deflecting the wayward and deadly debris.

“Alright, so what was I saying?” For a moment, Daruk seemed nervously dismissive until he saw the serious and concerned look on Link’s face. That had not been normal, and if Link understood that, Daruk had to know as well.

Turning back to the mountain, Daruk’s voice was a touch softer as he said, “That was a little strange…” They both observed their surroundings and the volcano about for a collection of heartbeats. When it seemed no other boulders were to become airborne, Daruk looked down to Link. “As far as I know, Death Mountain has been quiet for decades. But if the mountain is shivering enough to send down boulders that size, then--”

The Goron paused, and Link turned to raise an eyebrow at him. Daruk just kept his eyes on the volcano. “Nevermind. Forget I said anything.”

With a look of incredulity, Link crossed his arms. “Then what, Daruk? Do we need to leave the mountain, is there fiery death coming for us all and I need to get the princess out of here yesterday… what?”

Daruk was silent as the stones for a long, breathless moment as his blue eyes beheld his beloved mountain. “I don’t know, little buddy, I don’t know. And that, is what worries me.” The sense of foreboding Link felt at those words should have told him then, things were going to go wrong…

***

As the memory faded, Link scrubbed both hands over his face. Daruk; strong, honest, proud, brave Daruk. His friend. They couldn’t have known, not really. It was not as though a few wayward boulders screamed, “Run from the hills! Ganon is coming!”

But a part of him still felt like he should have known.

There was nothing for it now. Like Mipha, Daruk’s spirit was trapped inside the corrupted Vah Rudania. Yes, Link needed the Divine Beasts to aid in his assault on Hyrule Castle and Ganon. More to his immediate point, he wanted to free Daruk. It was the least he could do for his old friend. But, he was going to need help. All he had to do was find this Yunobo and get up the mountain.

Somehow, he had a feeling that was going to be much harder than it sounded.

---

Once again, Link found himself standing over the main control panel of a Divine Beast, knowing that once activated, he would not be coming back. The Fireblight Ganon had been trying, and he was hot, tired and covered in ash. But one thought had bounced around his mind the entire time he fought - he was fighting for a friend he had failed 100 years ago. The knight hoped that, like Mipha, perhaps he would get to see Daruk one last time.

As the Main Control came alight under his Shiekah Slate, the plant like structure of the ancient controls turned blue, Link heard a cheer from a familiar deep voice. “Great work, little guy!”

Turning, Link smiled to see Daruk, mostly intangible, but no less a present force than he had ever been in life. Arms out in victory and gratitude, he took a step forward. Link squared up to greet him, swallowing against the rise of emotion in his chest. “I owe you big for this. Because of you, my spirit is finally free. Can’t thank you enough!”

The Goron Champion scratched his head in the gesture Link had come to remember meant Daruk was nervous, confused, or apologetic. “I feel like I should apologize. I was doing all I could to protect Hyrule when that thing got the best of me. Sorry that me resting with the rubble caused such a mess.”

The knight nodded, and took a breath to assure his old friend that it wasn’t his fault, but Daruk continued. “The good news is, is that Rudania is now back under our control! That means that our century old Ganon beat-down plan can finally go into effect!” As the embers flickered in their ever ascending dance around them, Link had to drop his eyes at Daruk’s optimism. He felt responsible somehow, if not for the cause then at the very least for the resolution. He owed that to Daruk, and Mipha… and Zelda.

“I’m gonna take this thing down the mountain. I’ll have a better shot from there. And then, once you’ve made your way into Hyrule Castle,” Daruk clenched his fists in front of him, “We’re gonna light that thing up!” Slamming one fist in to the palm of the opposite hand, Link nodded, not trusting his voice.

“I wanna give you something. It’s a special power of mine called Daruk’s Protection. It’s no good to me now that I’m a spirit… but it might be useful for you.” Slapping his hands together, even in spirit Link felt the tremor in Vah Rudania from the great Goron’s strength. “Here it comes!”

Pooling energy grew between the Champion’s hands as he drew them apart, and when the red orb entered link this time, it was warm, and fire licked throughout his aura. He instantly knew how to summon the power. Planting his feet and punching his fists together in front of him, the angular-sphere encompassed him as he had seen it around Daruk over a century ago.

Looking up to Daruk with deep gratitude and sadness, knowing their time was drawing to a close, Link worked his hands as the tingle of magic faded. Daruk just smiled. “From this moment forward, the power of protection, from the depths of my soul, now lives in you.”

Link wanted to, felt he should say something, but the glow of golden energy around him heralded that Daruk was sending him to safety. Looking back to his friend, Daruk nodded. “Good luck, little guy. And… give my regards to the princess!” With one last flash of light, Link was gone.

Daruk’s Mettle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzrJlTjHjag  Freeing Vah Rudania - https://youtu.be/IFvkz_oA-m8?t=335 

[kaminaepicwin]

Skyward Sword, Blind Play Through, Part 3

-I didn’t mention it last time, but I actually really like the Boko Babas (or, as I like to call them, Venus Guy Traps). Their little “horizontal or vertical” gimmick makes you consider your swing pattern in a way that has not *really* been required yet? Like the keese and such were *easier* to hit with certain swipes, but this is the first one that really required something more than “flail wildly”. Good method of teaching the motion controls.

-Met a wizard person. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that they are taking the concept of a wide-brimmed hat too far… -I also started to encounter Bokoblins, and am still getting the hang of getting around their guards, but I’ll figure it out.

-Made a Goron friend, who told me such FASCINATING stories about a nearby Sky Island. I tried to show him how to get there (teleported from the adjacent bird to my home) but he made no real reaction to my departure or return.

-Met a Bulbasaur, and it was very rude. For some reason he had Zelda’s aura (I know Fi gave me a reason, but Fi’s reason was dumb so I choose to ignore it), and then he directed me to a Venusaur, who directed me to some more Bulbasaurs, who then directed me to a temple!

-Met Beadle, who has very questionable business practices. Maybe the bird-people can get to his place more easily than I can, but it feels dumb to stop potential customers from entering his shop. 

-And first dungeon time!

-Remember all that appreciation of the Boko Babas for teaching the different sword slashes? I feel that the game designers heard my appreciation for a good learning curve, went back in time, and decided to just start fucking with my head with several of the new creatures introduced in this dungeon.

-Even using Fi’s “select monster advice”, it took me a VERY long time to figure out that the Skulltula’s needed to be spin-attacked followed by thrusts. The information that Fi gave me, “they have tough skin and need to be hit in their weak point for massive damage”, was obvious to me. What I would have preferred was “maybe you can spin them around somehow”, or “maybe you can use your sword to make their weak-point more visible”? In either case, this dungeon like a sizable jump in game difficulty that was larger than the difficulty jumps of the other two games I have played had for their first dungeons.

-It also felt weird that the dungeon’s item didn’t really help deal with them. In Twilight Princess, each dungeon would introduce an enemy or two, and it would be possible to deal with them without the dungeon’s item, but easier to deal with them with the dungeon’s item. For example, there were those little dino-guys with tough steal shells that could be fought like a matador with a bull, but if you used hookshot it removed their protection and simplified the whole thing. I mention this because having the beetle-blaster did jackshit as far as the spiders went. I hypothetically could hit their weak points with it, but the precision needed to do that was beyond my grasp.

-On the subject of the precision needed, I am not sure if the motion controls of this game needed more work or if I am just bad at them. I constantly feel like I am having to work super hard just to get the damn beetle in the right place, or for my bird to start in a straight line. Oh well, what do I know?

- lord Ghirahim seems interesting, so far. I liked his little introduction, he seems creepy and fun, although I feel he could really have used a different tailor.

-His boss fight was interesting, and felt in tune with the fights I’ve had with Bokoblins and Boko Babas: all about figuring out how to get around counters and sorting out path of weapon. If this dungeon had a different enemy (maybe more of those mini-hydra things) instead of spiders, I feel like the whole thing would be a more enjoyable experience.

-Will see how the beetle-tool works out long run. So far I’m expecting it to be an “oddly shaped key for an oddly shaped lock” situation, where it is only used for VERY specific puzzles and nothing more (thinking of you riding lawnmower Beyblade).

-My princess is apparently in another castle. Unsure how she left this place, but I shall follow.

-Something I’ve noticed about this game is that it is *really* playing up the predestination angle. The treasure chests that you find are not just rando-chests, but many of them can literally only be opened by you. There are runic messages that specifically mention you. It makes the game feel different than the “this is a dungeon now because Zant is fucking about” vibe of Twilight Princess. Unsure how I feel about this over all.  -Saved a small child from a vampire, sort of? Mr Demon Bat man is quite amusing, and I like the mini-boss fake out. -Still hate Fi. I understand her role (the helper character who provides assistance on the fly, the Rotomdex/Midna/Red Lions figure), but she not only seems bad at it (see my notes on her help being useless to me), but her unique personality aspects are also annoying. I don’t need to hear percentages, I just want “I think that Zelda is over there!” 

[botwriter]

Rewritten, Chapter 11: Zelda’s Awakening

Read this on Fanfiction.net  ➜

“’It’s going to fire, and it’ll hit me, and then you run,’ he explained, casting her the briefest glance over his shoulder as the Guardian began to target him. He savoured looking at her, and tried to tell her, with his eyes, what he’d felt for so long. He had no time to tell her now. It was no use.”

♪

As fast as they could manage, Link and Zelda ran back towards the castle, hands clasped tightly together. Rain had begun falling from the dark clouds amassing above, though Link could tell it was no ordinary storm. When they finally had Hyrule Castle in their sights, both of them came to an abrupt stop. Towers had risen around the castle, glowing red but clearly of Sheikah technology; guardians were pouring out, hundreds of them, bodies red as they fired shot after shot throughout castle town.

Zelda’s breath caught in her throat. “No- the Guardians, they’re- attacking Castle Town!” she began to run forward, but Link caught her hand, pulling her back. For once, his unflinching courage was at a standstill. If it was him alone, he would have ran forward no question, but he was tasked with keeping her safe, and at the moment, that took priority over Calamity Ganon.

“We can’t- Zelda- we can’t-” Link stammered as she fought against his grip.

“No! You have to fight Calamity Ganon,” she protested, “you- can’t run away from this!”

Link was shocked at her words, but held onto her wrist tighter.

“I’m not running away from anything,” he argued, “I’m protecting you!”

“The Champions - they’re getting ready- look, there’s Medoh!”

Of course, Revali had gotten back to his tower first, and the great bird had stood up straight atop Rito’s pillar. But even from the distance, Link could see it was no longer glowing blue; it was a deep crimson red, and Link’s heart sank. Zelda seemed to realise what had happened the same time.

“No,” she whispered, and the beam that left Medoh’s beak, not a righteous blue but a searing blood red, slammed into the base of Castle Town and pushed along the earth for a moment before dissipating. A moment later, explosions erupted in its path, giant blooms of bright red and orange, one after the other, throwing entire houses into the air. Link quickly pulled Zelda to him, turning her away from the sight of her kingdom in ruins. He couldn’t make sense of his feelings. He felt like he was watching something far away and untrue, but that was home- and everyone in Castle town - how could anyone have survived that? He tried not to think of his parents, and focused on Zelda instead, who was clutching his arms.

“The others- Urbosa, Mipha, Daruk-” Zelda cried, and Link looked towards the other beasts and saw them perched at their respective locations. They had been piloted, but now… it was not the Champions controlling them.

“They- were the only ones to get the terminals activated, they have to be in those beasts,” Zelda realised, and a moment later she fell forwards, eyes wide, hand shooting to her heart in a fist.

“Zelda?” Link asked in a panic, holding her shoulders up. Her eyes were wide, and terrified. “They- I can feel it, they-” her voice broke, but Link knew there was no time to wait.

“We need to go. We need to go to Kakariko, and see Impa,” Link said urgently, fighting back his own tears for Zelda’s sake, “it should be safer there. We can try and regroup. We’ll go through the swamp, by the river.”

He knew it was nearly fruitless. To get to Kakariko they would have to pass the castle, and get through the dueling peaks, all without their horses and without falling victim to any of the guardians or Ganon itself. But there was no choice. All he could do was run with her, and get her somewhere safe, and then… go to face Ganon on his own.

She hadn’t said anything, but followed him nonetheless, and they began running down through Hyrule field towards the swamp. Here and there, they had to creep due to guardians already spreading themselves throughout the land - it was easier in the rain, at least, so Link was grateful for that. His sword unsheated, it was muddy in all the rain, and both Link and Zelda were already a mess; he’d let a few tears out, but none that she could see, as they ran. He was ahead of her, holding onto her hand as tight as he could and urging her to go faster as they attempted to bypass the castle and get to Kakariko. A guardian, close to the forest, had spotted them. Link wondered briefly how powerful it was, urged Zelda to stay behind a tree, and faced it down.

It crawled towards him, lifting itself up on its legs and staring down at him with one eye. A moment later, the beam started, a target appearing on Link’s chest. As it flashed, he jumped out of the way, and heard Zelda yell; it had knocked down a tree nearby and started a fire, raging despite the rain. Alright, don’t get hit by the beam, Link realised, wishing desperately he’d had his shield with him. But there had been no way of knowing what was to come.

“Let’s go!” he yelled, running past Zelda and grabbing her hand as he did so. The guardian tried to follow, but the rain hid their footsteps and the tree stopped the guardian from moving quickly enough to spot them.

Once they were further away, and it was quieter, Link was still urging Zelda on. She was wearing her prayer clothes, and the beautiful white dress had become muddied and wrinkled, so Link understood it was harder for her to keep up. Suddenly, her hand slipped from his and she fell to the forest floor; Link stopped immediately, barely keeping himself from falling over.

“Zel-”

She was staring at the forest floor, tears flowing freely, and as Link listened to her voice, the rain came into focus. He approached her, sheathing the master sword, and knelt down in front of her.

“How… how did it come to this?” she asked weakly. “The Divine Beasts… the Guardians… they’ve all turned against us. It was… Calamity Ganon… it turned them all against us!”

Her fists clenched tighter against the dirt floor, and Link could do nothing but look at her, helpless.

“And everyone, Mipha, Urbosa, Revali, Daruk… they’re all trapped inside those things,” she said sadly, looking up at Link, but he could tell what she felt earlier was more than just that they had been trapped. They were gone.

“It’s all my fault! Our only hope for defeating Ganon is lost, all because I couldn’t harness this cursed power! Everything I’ve done up until now… it was all for nothing…”

Link wanted to argue, but he knew it wouldn’t be any use. He felt as at fault as she did.

“So I really am just a failure!” she sobbed, staring at him desperately. “All my friends… the entire kingdom… my father worst of all… I tried, and I failed them all. I left them… all to die,” she whispered, and a moment later the tears overcame her and she fell into his arms. He held her as tight as he could, rubbing her back as the rain seemed to let off a little bit. He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, that they could still fix it, but lives had been taken. There was no more fixing this. Just vengeance.

“It’s not your fault,” Link replied slowly, even though he knew Zelda would want to argue him on it. “We couldn’t have known when Ganon would strike. We couldn’t have gotten back to the castle. And we couldn’t have been prepared for him taking over the Guardians and the Beasts,” he said, and Zelda quieted a bit, but seemed stubborn in her sadness. He understood.

“Let’s go,” he said, standing up and lifting her to her feet.

It was night by the time they reached the Dueling Peaks. Guardians had been on their tail the entire time, and while they hoped to have better luck past the mountains, the two Hylians were shocked to see the valley and the swamp completely full of them.

“How-” Zelda said breathlessly, and Link merely grabbed her hand and pushed forward.

“We have no choice. I’ll protect you. It’s going to be okay.”

♪

Barely a step into the swamp, and one of the guardians had spotted them. Link let go of Zelda’s hand, and rushed forward, sword drawn; it glowed a brilliant blue through the rain, and he brought it down upon the beast’s front leg. Metal and rock screeched together as it fell, tilted, and Link ducked beneath it to take out another. Still it would not desist, and aimed a target at Link that he couldn’t seem to escape; the knight ducked out of the way, and heat seared at his cheek as he did so, the shot narrowly missing. The guardian only began to take aim once more.

“Link! Stop!” Zelda cried, but there was no stopping now that he had engaged with the creature. The next blast missed, and to Link’s relief, flew past him and hit another guardian instead. But without warning, he was hit from behind, and almost immediately after, another’s beam struck him in the chest, and he flew back from the impact, his body slamming into the now-stationary guardian he was attacking. Breath left his lungs quicker than he could recover it. His brain fuzzed. He felt like he had holes in his body.

“Link!” Zelda cried again, and her voice prompted him to try and focus, vaguely aware of the two red targets on his body. He turned, letting out a gasp at the horrifying pain in the guardians had inflicted on him, nearly slipping on his own blood. Perched on the body of the first guardian, he waited for just a moment - and then fell as the second Guardian took out the first with its beam, which went flying over Link’s head. Thank Hylia they didn’t seem to understand when they were attacking themselves. Chunks of rock and metal burst through the air as the Guardians destroyed each other, scraping Link’s face and arms and legs, but he had no time to think about his injuries. He knelt on the dirt, one arm propped on the Master Sword, and breathed heavily despite the pain and blood he could feel seeping down his back. Each breath was more painful than the last, causing blood to fall from his wounds into the dirt. He knew, immediately, that he didn’t have long; but he had no choice but to stay standing. As long as he could, as long as she wasn’t safe, he had to stay on his feet.

“Link, save yourself, go! I’ll be fine- don’t worry about me!”

It was a lie, and they both knew it. She wouldn’t be fine, and he could never abandon her. Link staggered to his feet, falling backwards a bit with Zelda behind him. A third Guardian had noticed them, and it crawled over the bodies of others that had fallen, looming over top of them. Link faced it down, standing in front of Zelda, knowing his body would at least act as a shield.

“It’s going to fire, and it’ll hit me, and then you run,” he explained, casting her the briefest glance over his shoulder as the Guardian began to target him. He lingered looking at her, and tried to tell her, with his eyes, what he’d felt for so long. He had no time to tell her now. It was no use.

The target began, and Link turned to face the Guardian which would surely kill him, letting his eyes fall shut. He had no energy left to take it down.

“No!” Zelda cried, and she pushed her way in front of him; Link’s eyes shot open.

“Zelda!” he yelled, but his scream trailed into silence as a high-pitched ringing filled the field. The Guardian never released its beam; instead, the Princess was glowing with a heavenly golden light, and Link’s eyes fell upon three triangles lit upon her hand. The light grew, and soon enveloped the entire canyon, flowing over all of the Guardians. One by one, Link could hear them falling, and the one directly in front of them shook before toppling over itself. Malice dissipated from its body like a smoke, and they were safe. Link let out a last relieved breath before allowing himself to collapse onto the ground, still gripping the sword.

“No - no! Link, get up!” Zelda exclaimed, having run back to him. She propped his head upwards, and he let out a painful cough. He could feel the chill of the rain now seeping through him, cold in his wounds, which he knew now he wouldn’t survive.

“You’re going to be just fine,” Zelda assured him, and his heart broke in his last moment knowing she was wrong. He spent the last of his energy opening his eyes to look at hers; so green. She was adventure, wilderness, everything, and he had failed her. He failed.

“I love you,” he whispered, all his body would allow of him, and savoured the sight of her as long as he could before slipping out of consciousness.

Link didn’t hear her heart-wrenching cries for him to get back up, didn’t feel the way in which she held him desperately, her head pressed into his chest. He didn’t hear her say “Please, I love you, Link- please…” as she sat, alone in her final success, as his body began to go cold. He didn’t hear Fi, in his sword, speaking out that there was still hope. Link died that day with a heartache, one that would not leave him for a century still to come.