#akkala citadel

[l1ve-l4ugh-lov3craft]

HI, CAN I TELL YOU ABOUT THE AKKALA CITADEL?????

Yes? Wonderful. Come, friend, have a seat. I have...a lot to say lol

Eight years later and I am STILL not over how absolutely genius this fortress is, like are you kidding me????? Everything from location to design to its inside defenses is just *chef's kiss* PHENOMINAL, and so because I have no filter, I am going to barf all my thoughts I've had on it in the past many many years.

Before we begin, shoutout to the WONDERFUL video by Zeltik that touches on this a bit and gave me a wonderful basis for my brainrot in the first place. Definitely go and watch it it's fabulous NOW! Let's get into the madness shall we? First let's talk about the location cos OHHHH MY GOSH. This was, hands down, THE best place they could have possibly put a fortress of this magnitude in Hyrule and I am going to tell you why. First of all, allllllll along the northern and northwestern border of Hyrule, there's those massive canyons

Passing over that in a way that would be effective military-wise is kind of impossible, so it provides a natural defense from invaders from those directions.

If you were to come from the South, you would hit the Gerudo desert and not only have to face the might of the Gerudo military, but also cross this EXPANSIVE, scorching desert before you can even make it to Hyrule field, and by that time, the royal leader could have very easily sent an army to intercept anyone trying to attack, so that's right out.

Which leaves coming from the Faron region next which is okay??? I guess??? but that's a LOT of swamp and forest you have to cross through, AND you go right past the Great Plateau where any army would have been seen and intercepted eventually. This takes us closer to the eastern coast of Hyrule, and you would be hard pressed to try and travel through Necluda, cos just l o o k at all these mountains you'd have to cross:

Horrible. And you probably don't want to go through Zora's Domain cos that's yet another heavily fortified and well prepared city in and of itself (please ask me about this one too I beg of you I love talking about Zora's Domain)

Any military leader with a brain isn't going to go through Death Mountain for obvious reasons, so really, all that leaves is this tiiiiiinnnyyy vulnerable spot in Akkala

And where did they put the citadel??? Right at the heart of that vulnerable spot >:D Like a boss.

AND SO! if invaders came in from that coastline, they have three options: They can take the path through the Akkala Highlands, they can go through the Torin Wetlands and up to the pass it connects to, or they can take the trail up to the Sokkala Bridges. All of these are TERRIBLE OPTIONS Akkala Highlands path: If they come up this way at the start

this will work allll the way until they get about here:

once they get here though, you are now not only bottlenecking an entire army meant to invade a kingdom (so probably roughly 1,000-1,300 people), but you're also directly under the shadow of the Akkala Citadel. There are archers there to fire on you, and they had a canon post on that side to potentially fire either at the incoming soldiers or fire at the opposite canyon wall to rain debris and rocks on them.

TERRIBLE for the other army.

And even if some did manage to survive, it would be painfully easy for the infantry at Akkala Citadel to send foot soldiers down below to cut them off.

SO THERE GOES THAT OPTION (and admittedly, I think it's probably the worst of the three)

Next option is to go through the Torin Wetlands and up into that same pass by the Citadel

this is ALSO a bad idea because the Torin Wetlands are a DELIGHTFUL tactical advantage for Hyrule. Once you get to that pass, you have the same problems as option one, but now you first have to pass through this wide marshland to get there. This will immediately slow down your army, and if that wasn't bad enough it's also in clear freakin view of the citadel and so they would be able to send their entire militia of archers and potentially even cannoneers to fire on the advancing army and take a bunch of them out before they could even make it to that pass.

So a smart general may say the best option is to go around the long way.

now this eliminates the pass and also slowing down at the marsh, and you could even make it almost all the way to the citadel without hardly any losses probably BUT! The first hurdle is those bridges. Wonderful for Hyrule, terrible for the opposing army. The three Sokkala bridges are SMALL, even smaller than the pass an army would have to go through with the other two options. This military leader would basically have to send their soldiers single file unless they have a way to expand the bridges to make them wider (which, admittedly, could be possible with a bit of foresight, but for now for simplicity's sake let's just assume they didn't think that far ahead).

This brings in an EXTREMELY slowly advancing army right to the heart of the Akkala Citadel's battery.

There are three locations with canons we see in BOTW that cover pretty much the entire open area the opposing army would come in on. And when you look at the amount of space each post covered

There is not a SINGLE spot in that valley a cannoneer couldn't easily reach. And, of course they would continue to have archers to pick off individual soldiers as well.

And if SOMEHOW

BY SOME MIRACLE

enough soldiers make it through that hell to be enough of a problem, there are plenty more soldiers in the citadel to cut them off as they come up the hill AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH! there was this:

by the time we get to botw, it has been destroyed, but that is ANOTHER smaller stronghold that was probably pretty well manned in and of itself.

AND WHAT'S MORE

There's even this long cliff road with very little room to operate, so it would be extremely easy for the citadel to send over some soldiers to post up there and cut off anyone who tried to make it past. And with so little room to operate, it would not go well.

Ain't NOTHING getting past the Akkala Citadel, guys.

And that isn't even touching on the fact that the whole thing is build of solid stone??? And carved into a mountain??? The entire reason it fell in the first place was because the Guardians had enough of fire power to destroy the citadel that they had never seen before (also they could climb walls but that's a side note). This implies that no one in Hyrule or the neighbouring kingdoms had even CLOSE to that level of destructive power, so to try and raze it to the ground would have been impossible.

AND!! it was the most heavily fortified fortress in Hyrule second to the castle itself, and to most likely their military personnel would have been equal too, if not slightly more than even Hyrule Castle. That's A LOT of people!! With most likely endless support and resources from the castle and villages nearby as well.

It was placed geniously, it had impenetrable defense, it had a potentially endless supply of resources and people to use said resources, it was just

argjfbdkjgbks You guys don't understand how much I THINK about this place aghhhhhhhhhh

[sunset-peril]

Missing Children Incident vibes.

R.I.P. Akkala Citadel Soldiers.

Oh haha theyre like a group of silly ghost guys with a leader!!!

OH.

[villanelleskiss]

nothing has ever scared me more than my first encounter with gloom hands in totk

[sittingoverheredreaming]

I really love the Lurelin side adventure in ToTK, but it must be so bittersweet for Link to be recognized as the village’s hero and have everyone treat him so warmly when he died defending Hateno, his (implied) hometown, and he’ll never be anything more than a stranger there, especially since his house (which I always assumed was his family home before the Calamity) is only referred to as Zelda’s by the villagers

[fuck-em-up-your-grace]

Oh God I went to Akkala Citadel and experienced the horrors

[navysealt4t]

thinking about fort hateno. thinking about akkala citadel . thinking about how it was everyone's last final stand with no hope and no chance of escape. how even if they couldn't save all of hyrule, they had to atleast try to save the towns that were still standing. illness

[nadhie]

I love that knowing your way around the botw map gives you little nuggets in totk

[three-bunnies-in-a-trenchcoat]

Huh. This music kind of reminds me of the Demon Dragon fight.

[sunset-peril]

CRAP

DANG

QUIT FEEDING ME ANGST IDEAS

[l1ve-l4ugh-lov3craft]

please tell us what you have to say about pre-calamity characters. I ate up your analysis on the Akkala citidel.

Oh my gosh wait that’s so nice of you thank you! I fear you may be underwhelmed cos that post was probably the best work I’ve ever done or ever will do lol. I do LOVE all the little people who live in my head though so I shall share some of them :)

My first and possibly favourite is Dilia who lives rent free in my head as the castle Royal Head Librarian. He's Hylian and about in late 20s to early 30s. Any sensible library's gonna have library staff and so I created him as part of that. I imagine there's also about five or six additional librarians as well under his leadership who help with organising the books and keeping the place all neat and tidy :) He was also brought on a bit because I got to thinking about how much time Zelda probably spent in the library researching ancient technology. I like to think she came to trust him as she grew up and saw him as like a cool older brother or uncle figure :) My guy probably had his role as castle librarian passed down to him by his mother or father, so he's lived there his whole life and knows all there is to know about the histories of Hyrule. He's a walking font of knowledge and I definitely think he and the court poet have compared notes before on the events of the first Great Calamity. He's got a penchant for forgetting the castle library hours and leaving it open well into the night because he's gotten too comfy at his desk and forgot to check the time periodically lol He's just a big ol nerd and I love him deeply, and so he got to survive the Calamity and move to Kakariko Village because I don't want him to die horribly.

I also, while we're on the subject, LOVE the court poet. He's not an OC, but he's an integral part of the world that I think about him enough to have headcanoned him to life lol. I read 'A Hylian Romance' by sillythings on Ao3, and he's called Chanson in that so that's what I call him XD I absolutely LOVE this because regular royal courts would have some person who is purely there to entertain the lords and ladies at banquets and meetings and the like. And so rather than have a Fool, they had Chanson. I love thinking about this witty, sassy guy who would have been the SINGULAR person in the castle allowed to openly insult King Rhoam to his face and not get executed for it (such was the privilege of court Fools and Poet).

The next one requires a bit of my personal thoughts on the rank system for the Hyrule military, but I'll TRY to keep it brief. Basically, we see soldiers' weapons, knights' weapons, royal guards' weapons, and royal weapons in-game. I was thinking about the training facilities in Hyrule Castle itself, and there's really not a whole lot there. It's mostly indoors as well, which isn't ideal for maximum army training. HOWEVER! Outside of the castle grounds we see the Military Training Camp (obviously), the Akkala Citadel, and the Coliseum. MY personal theory is that the Coliseum is actually another combat training camp rather than a coliseum for entertainment and I'll have to make a post on THAT after this to explain why lol ANYWAY! That tells me that the Hyrulean military force was sort of ranked Soldier -> Knight -> Royal Guard -> Royal Family. The soldiers probably trained at the Military Training Camp because of how little we see of stone ruins. It wasn't made as sturdily as the Castle, Akkala Citadel, or Coliseum, and thus would be fitting of the lowest ranked fighters to train there. Rauru Settlement is right there, and so I think that was where most of the soldiers and their families lived, and I just LOVE the idea of all the bright-eyed young people of Hyrule coming from all over the kingdom to train under the banner of the crown together. And they spend the entire day working their BUTTS off training in this new, grueling regiment that's kind of made to weed out anyone less dedicated (like bootcamp essentially), and then hurry home back down the hill to sit by a fire together and dance and enjoy eachothers' company.

(side note, I think Hylians are a very musical race. Not for any particular reason other than I love the idea of fun Hylian festivals) Let's seeeee, et me rapid fire off a few of my other ones before this post becomes too long XD -Love the idea of bringing back Talon and Malon (and Ingo I guess) pre-calamity who raise the finest horses in all of Hyrule that usually even make it to the castle itself as the royal family and royal guards' mounts - Ronin is a knight character I've been slow cooking in my head who's posted at one of the gatehouses in the castle, and he's got a lil secret (except it's not actually very secret cos everyone else in his regiment know) thing for one of the castle maids, Enid. And the go to a festival together one day when they have time off and I love them dearly - They don't have a name yet, but I've ALSO been thinking of the potential for a religious figure (a high preist or priestess or smthn) who oversees worship at the Castle Town Cathedral. I feel like it was more of a shrine to Hylia that had a lot of believers come and go rather than weekly services, but there still would have been someone who lived there and maintained the cathedral grounds - THE BELL RINGER! Again, they don't have a name, but I found the bell tower one of my first playthroughs of botw and the bell ringer has had me in a choke hold ever since. This strange, quiet outsider who was more in tune with Hyrule than anyone else and who was content to just sit in their tower most days and watch the people below. BUT ALSO the absolute tragedy as Calamity Ganon swarmed the towers when it emerged and would have corrupted and infected the bell ringer with the potent malice and killed them before they even had a chance to escape.

idk I just think pre-calamity is SO neat and one day I'd love to write a bunch of character anthologies but first I gotta get up the motivation XD

[kayespuzzles]

Things I wish they added in totk

Have castle town rebuilt, and have that concept festival celebrating link defeating calamity ganon

Have more towns built, and maybe have link build some of them. Maybe save some of them from monster raids

More people!!! Doesn't have to be interactable!!!

More travelers, like a lot

Leave the sheikah tech in place, like guardians. Can dismiss the shrines/towers, as they were only for the use of link and can vanish now that they are not needed

Work on sage powers.... they are lacking and almost inconvenient

More special location areas, like orchards, large gardens, clothing stores, goofy accessory stores, sheikah weapon store, game parks, arrow games, bomb games, parry games

Let that traveling skeikah art guy have a house with an art studio!!!

Be able to enhance more than one clothing at once from the great fairy

Change the enviroment/fauna/flora of the depths and sky islands to reflect which region they are on the overworld map

More zonai outfits!!!or zonai versions of prev outfits

Everyone knows link.

Zelda has dragon features after transforming back to human

More horse types/coats

Mail????? Do they not have mail there

Major cities have dedications to the champions of calamity ie statues

The divine beasts are still there, maybe in disuse and out of the way

More silent princesses everywhere, growing abundantly in hyrulean sacred areas, with the sundandalion growing in zonai sacred areas. Both are grown in shared sacred areas

Link has scars from where raurus arm was connected to him/patterning

Tauru zonai research guy has a purpose and lore

Give link more emotions. He is not the emotionless teen from 107 years ago.

Pet. Animals. Not negotable.

Cats??? Where are the cats

Permanently retake some of the more memorable locations from monsters and make them villages, like akkala citadel, lanayru promenade, fort hateno, deya village ruins, sage temple ruins, lanayru wetlands, etc...

[youwishyouwasme1234]

HYRULE IS PURPLE!!!

Akkala citadel~

Prolly could have gotten a better angle but oh well.

[dullweapons]

the sealing festival felt unnecessary to the demon : the world always rebuilds itself after such destruction . nature takes back what is hers & huma⸻ hylians will repair what they think is rightfully theirs .

the demon sipped his ' drink ' ❪ truth be told it was water in a champagne glass ⸻ he could not handle his alcohol at all . it was for the best to play pretend . ❫ as he laid low in a darker corner . truthly he did not wish to be here nor did he want to be in this stuffy tunic with his hair done . zelda had send some gerudo woman to him that had assimilated themselves into the hylian culture to fix his hair ⸺ twists , they were called . he wasn't sure but his scalp ached & he missed the hair in front of his face now having to use an eye patch .

regardless of his dress , such a serious expression kept most away from him ⸻ sans the drunk noble woman who tried to flirt with him . but he pushed them away nicely enough to be left alone ... then he say him : link fairfax . there was someone who he could have an interesting conversation with instead of boring half - hearted ones that everyone else seemed to be having .

ray looked down at the younger hylian , captain of the knights & zelda's favorite ... for some reason . ray pestereted her about allowing such a young man lead the knights but she had faith in him & he had proven himself over the years .

❝ no need for the noble bullshit . just call me by my name . i did not ask for titles ... & you look like you want an escape . come . before zelda notices us . ❞ ray placed a hand on link's shoulder & guided him away from the crowd towards a lone balcony where it was quiet ⸻ private . the distant sound of celebration heard around them in the cool evening air .

golden eye looked out towards hyrule , distantly he could see new houses being built ⸻ & far far into it you could see a tower ... no , a citadel being built past death mountain . he leaned on the railing , a small smile on his lips as the breeze came by . his pride . may it stand tall & may it protect hyrule from another coup . there he will train men better than before ⸻ the army hyrule needs .

❝ you hate this too , don't you . ❞ there was a small pause . ❝ this ... play . pretending to be something you're not . all because everyone else has the same mask on you join in because you think it's the proper thing to do . ❞ he looked back , the smile falling from his face but ... he continues to sound somewhat kind . he understands you link ... at least , he understands when someone doesn't like to play by the rules of noblemen . ❪ he could take you to akkala . not much there beyond forests of eternal autrum & creatures of the forests . its calm in its emptiness ... no one could bother you . ❫

❝ so why even come here ? zelda demanded your presence too ? only to get whisked away by ruto or impa ... ❞ a small laugh left him as he turned around , leaning back & propping his arms on the trailing ... he hung his head back a touch to look up at the castle he built so many years ago .

❝ ... there's a lot on her shoulders & yours too , isn't there ... everyones got their demons . but i can listen if you'd like . im half deaf & old ⸻ no one asks me anything that isn't war tactics . secrets are safe with me . ❞

Closed starter for @dullweapons

The Sealing Festival. That's what the princess was calling it. The seven year anniversary of Ganondorf's 'defeat' and the slow rebuilding process of Hyrule. It was almost back to its pre-coup prestige, with many pretenders to the crown and supporters of the swine thrown down through the strength of a reforged Master Sword. War, glory...

Reinvention.

There was little that remained of Link of the Forest. He was Link Fairfax now, knight of Hyrule and captain of the Knights of Hyrule. He embraced these changes, thought it would distance himself from the failure he knew himself to be. Deep down, the scars of that battle would never fade; his ruined arm long since replaced with some kind of magical double, and his eye covered by an ornate eyepatch that a younger him would have never picked out in a million years.

A million years. That's how it felt, waiting for the day he returned.

Link stayed on the peripheral of the festival, and all but remained outside during the ball that was being held for the nobility. He had to field the same pointed stares for years; for once he wished he would meet someone who would comfort him. Like his mother, but she was too busy leading her people.

He looked up from his goblet of wine to see someone approaching. A familiar enough face, but not one that he ever spoke more than a few words to: Ray Cadell, General of the Hyrulean Army and Archduke of Akkala. The tanned man was similarly partially blind, but cut much more an imposing figure than Link. Link muttered a prayer to the Great Deku Tree for guidance.

Keeping in mind all necessary courtesies, he bowed before the noble before standing at attention.

"Captain of the Royal Guard, Sir Link, at your service your grace."

The words rang hollow, and thoughts of nights of blood echoed in Link's mind.

[opal-owl-flight]

Glad to see everyone is normal abt the poes under Akkala Citadel. Now I wasnt able to take a pic of the poes there, but go under the Shrine of Resurrection.

Theres a poe floating on the spot where were first shown the panning shot of Hyrule when you boot up botw.

[bahbahhh]

begin again

a lot of change happens in between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. let’s fill in the gaps. zelda pov | zelink | totk spoilers | multichapter | rated T zelinkweek2023 | @zelinkcommunity [ ao3 ]

Chapters: [2 ] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

The Calamity is gone. The remaining leaders of Hyrule gather for a Summit to determine the future of the kingdom, starting with how to repurpose all the Sheikah Technology. Zelda is among them, and while everyone still calls her Princess, she’s not sure she wants to lay claim to an old throne. What she really wants is to move on. She wants to continue her research, to prove her worth beyond her bloodline, and to spend as much time with Link as she can…which sounds an awful lot like what she wanted a hundred years ago…

[ A story set between BotW and TotK, containing many spoilers for TotK as it was born from my need to explain many of the changes we see. A tremendous thank you to @zeldaelmo who volunteered to beta read this before she knew what she was getting herself into. I am immensely thankful for your eagle eye and your patience. ]

chapter 1

for the prompt “yearning”

Zelda doesn’t have a bed. 

She thinks about this lying on the spare one in Purah’s study. She’s staying with Purah for the Hyrule Restoration Summit, which is what they are calling the first official gathering of Hyrule leaders since the fall of the Calamity, and the more she thinks about it, technically speaking, it's a cot.

It’s not unlike the one she uses when they are in Kakariko, albeit a few inches shorter, like everything else customized for a child in Purah’s lab. Zelda has to lay at an angle to fit and even so, her feet dangle over the edge when she straightens her legs. Symin offered her his bed, as Paya had in Kakariko, and like there, Zelda declined. 

When she traveled a century ago, families were forced to give up their entire homes to host her. Royal quarters were permanently built in Kakariko, Rito Village, Gerudo Town, and Zora’s Domain. Due to the hostile environment surrounding Goron City, the Gorons agreed to travel to Akkala Citadel whenever there was official business with the Royal family which, in addition to a military fortress for the Hyrulian armed forces, acted as a second residence for her family. Another bed.

But that was all before. Akkala Citadel is in ruins, all the Royal quarters have since been repurposed by their respective domains, and Zelda will never ask anything more of the people of Hyrule so long as she draws breath.

Still, selfishly, and in the safety of her own thoughts, she yearns for the comfort of a real bed. Nothing extravagant, no need for anyone in Hyrule to forfeit their comforts on her behalf. Just somewhere she can readily count on for rest when sleep decides to visit. 

That’s what Link says: a visit of sleep. 

They are alike in this way. Their internal clocks recalibrated in the prolonged absence of waking, such that their bodies don’t readily cue the need for sleep. In the beginning, it took her weeks just to register the sensation of fatigue again. She stayed awake for two full days after the final confrontation on Hyrule Field before collapsing abruptly during the climb up to Kakariko’s western entrance. Link had to carry her the rest of the way. She slept for ninety-two hours straight. 

When Zelda finally awoke, someone was smoothing her hair out of her face. Another sensory experience she needed to register again: touch. Not toxic oil on her skin, claws of shadow raking down her spine, or darkness pulling so tight it feels like it might become one with her. Actual human touch. 

She hoped it might be Link in a delayed return of her affections for a heartbeat, but when she opened her eyes, it was an old Sheikah woman at her bedside. Zelda’s expression must have soured or pulled with confusion, because the woman began to laugh. Laughter. Warm and inviting and familiar. The sound vibrated inside Zelda like a bell. She gasped, set her hands on either side of the women’s face and felt a sudden and painful ache that has accompanied every subsequent realization of her losses. 

She will never age like she was meant to. With the people of her time, with the people she loved.

And after a century in stasis, she is on the verge of being completely left behind.

“Now, it’s not that bad, is it?” Impa teased.  

Zelda didn’t answer. She wept.

It has gotten a little better in the months since she returned to her physical form. She’s started to suspect Link is “visited’ by sleep out of preference more than necessity. But really, he slept for a hundred years, so she can’t blame him for rejecting a more traditional sleep cycle. She, on the other hand, was frozen. Not sleeping, not waking, just there—like gravity itself. Holding everything and everyone in place, unnoticeable until she wasn’t, when the Calamity would slip free of her grasp, swirl about the castle, and remind Hyrule of the horrors that awaited them if she failed again. 

Zelda smudges a tear against the side of her face and turns onto her back. Regardless, she can’t help but feel like having a bed, a ceiling overhead she recognizes, and the freedom to get up and roam down to a kitchen for a slice of fruitcake when the night is still young, that she might be visited by rest more willingly when she wants it. Needs it.

Like tonight. 

“So, what you're really talking about is wanting a home,” Zelda tells herself, a habit formed in the decades of solitude. Sometimes, in periods of dormancy or resignation, the Calamity would growl back at her in a tone that was almost human. But for the most part, she started talking to herself in and out of days and throughout the years until her sense of time too was a thing Hylia claimed in penance for her failures. 

“That’s not accurate,” she chides herself and flips onto her stomach. Blaming the Goddess is a bad habit she is trying to change. When she finally unlocked her Powers, suspended in divinity, the closest to holy she’s ever been, the Goddess didn’t even answer her then. It was just the sound of her own voice, echoing back at her from inside the Calamity. 

A bed. Something simple and fixed, like the one Link has in his house right on the outskirts of the village. Zelda’s caught glimpses of it when they’ve stopped there to replenish supplies; nestled against the wall on the second floor, beneath the only window so natural light kisses him awake when he finally decides to rest. He has a small dresser for linens and travel spoils, and a bedside table that is home to a painted vase from Rito Village he often fills with fresh flowers. 

She wonders which flowers are watching over him right now. Has sleep visited him? Or is he rolling about his sheets, worrying about the Summit, trying to break old habits, or craving something warm from the cooking pot down the stairs?

If he is awake, it is likely the latter. He would be able to sleep on a night like this. The air is cool. Everyone at the Summit knows him personally; is indebted to him in some way, although he carries no ledger. He is known. Respected. Tomorrow is just another day. Sleep will visit.

Zelda’s role in all of this is yet to be defined. While news of Calamity Ganon’s defeat spread quickly, there was no whisper of the lost Princess’ return at first. Rumors focused on the disappearance of the shadow around Hyrule Castle and then later, turned into formal requests for Link’s presence in the aid of investigating the Divine Beasts sudden malfunctioning. No one asked about her.

And it was nice. 

For a brief moment, she fantasized about cutting her hair, burning her dress, and letting Zelda disappear with the embers into history. Maybe she would accompany Link as a traveling scholar under another name? Or join the Sheikah and train with the weapons she was forbidden to touch a hundred years ago?

Impa, however, had other plans. She suggested Zelda travel with Link to investigate Vah Ruta so the Zora could verify her identity. They found her old travel clothes, Link presented her with a descendant of her horse, Storm, and the dreams of obscurity ceased. The Zora instantly recognized her, adding credibility to the announcement of her return and soon, her identity grew heavy with an unspoken claim to a throne that needed rebuilding.

No one has officially said anything, but there is a generous amount of speculation surrounding tomorrow and the opportunity to reestablish a centralized and unifying governing body. If they asked it of her, she would have no choice but to accept, right? It is the duty tied to this life. This title.  

Maybe she could convince them of her usefulness as a scholar? She no longer has any restrictions on time spent researching. She could help the Sheikah redesign their technology. Perhaps to aid in the great restoration…if she could just get the Divine Beasts up and running again, they would prove so useful in the rebuilding! 

This part of her, shunned by her family and now forgotten with them, could be the key to proving her worth beyond a head to carry the crown. She will show them. She has to.  They don’t seem to know what else to do with her, otherwise. Rarely does anyone use her name, even after they realized who she is.

They all call her ‘Princess’.  

Except for Link. 

Zelda turns onto her side and inspects the empty sliver of cot beside her. She runs her hand across the weaving and thinks about how she used to be able to visit Link. When the Calamity was dormant and her Power was still new and untaxed, she would separate a part of herself from Hyrule Castle and ride the wind to the Great Plateau. She watched the seasons turn by Link’s side in the shrine until the Calamity would wake and pull her back into herself like a rubber band. This went on for decades. 

When he finally woke up and the shrine’s toll for restoring his life was realized, Zelda felt her strength begin to waver. She is not aware of a word that accurately describes the feeling of being forgotten by the person you tethered your heart to; to have it remain connected to that person and witness it drift behind them, becoming more of a dark cloud than guiding light.

Her love for him burned for a hundred years. Somehow, in the depths of a living, breathing, rageful hell, it grew. It grounded her within the swirl of eternal darkness, the unyielding burn of malice, the mourning of time. As his memories of their kingdom, their comrades, and of her, returned to him, his reckoning of it all remained indistinguishable. 

The last six months between them were uncomfortable. He never outwardly answered her question on the field. He extended his hand and led her away from the castle. He was gentle yet reserved, closer than the three paces he once stood as her appointed knight and still somehow further than when he sunk into the glowing waters of the shrine and she stepped into the center of the darkest night.  Did his love die with him on the field that day? Was it left in the spot where he bled out, where flowers now grow? Has one unknowingly ever made it back to his bedside table? Could he recognize it now? 

Did he want to? 

She glances over her shoulder quickly, half expecting him to be there like he always was all those years ago, appearing out of thin air, as a part of her as her own shadow. 

But there is no one else in the room. Her shadow is empty. Her window shut. 

Zelda turns her attention back to the empty spot beside her and begins to imagine the weight of his arms around her. The sound of his sleep. His breath on her face. The cot is small, like his bed, but in the way she imagines they might fit together, it would be enough for sleep to find her. Even on a night like this. 

But there is no one else in the room. 

Just her and a bed, that's not even a bed, that doesn’t belong to her. 

—

Sleep doesn’t visit her. 

Zelda eventually gives up and pours her energy into drafting up a proposal on how to repurpose the Sheikah Technology. The Divine Beasts will be a tremendous asset. Vah Ruta can create new water reservoirs. Vah Medoh can mass transport supplies and people across Hyrule. Vah Rudania and Vah Naboris will be essential for maneuvering the harsher terrains of each region. 

She is confident she and Robbie could reprogram the guardians and assign them different purposes. She will recommend they remove all of the mechanics for combat, save for a select few machines that will be assigned to aid in monster defense.

Their greatest challenge will be finding a new power source. When Zelda obliterated Calamity Ganon from the realm, her Light purified every non-living thing it held influence over; every pool of Malice evaporated instantly and every guardian -earthbound, skyward or decayed- from the North Akkala Beach to Daval’s Peak stopped working. Robbie has yet to find a working ancient core and hypothesizes Zelda “nuked the network”. Whatever that means. 

The Sheikah Towers and shrines remain functional, so once they isolate the remaining source of power, she is confident Robbie and Purah will be able to design and power up new cores. 

 If only she had access to the old blueprints in her study…

On her way down to the main floor, she scribbles a note about returning to the castle upon acceptance of the proposal. She folds the pages carefully and tucks them into the small leather satchel Link gave her. Purah assumes ownership of the Sheikah Slate whenever they come to Hateno, so Link presented her with a satchel enchanted by the koroks so she can carry multiple items outside of the Slate on her at all times. Link has an identical one. 

He jokingly calls it an ‘adventure pouch’.  

Purah, Symin and a few others are already buzzing about the lab. Purah has the Sheikah Slate in the Guidance Stone, a tear drop of crystal blue bouncing between the stone and the Slate every few seconds. Zelda always thought it was interesting that information takes the shape of a teardrop. Was it intentional by the Sheikah who created the technology all those years ago? Or is it just the natural form of data? Of memory? 

There is so much for them to learn.

“Good morning, Princess!” Purah says without looking up from her work. Zelda decided earlier this morning, just as the sun started peeking through her window, not to fight the title of Princess anymore. She would help them rebuild the kingdom, sit on a new throne if they asked it of her, but she would have a hand defining the responsibilities of the title. 

“Good morning,” Zelda answers. 

Purah rapidly flaps her hand in Zelda’s direction. Zelda moves into the spot beside Purah, who is balanced on her knees on a pillow in order to sit level with the table. There are sketches of the Sheikah Slate, looking very much like a six year old drew them, along with an unflattering portrait of Symin, and handwriting Zelda won’t even attempt to decipher. 

“I think I can duplicate the Slate,” Purah says, snapping her fingers.

Zelda grins. She imagines each region having their own Slate. The possibilities for research, for communication. How quickly Hyrule could share information…the problems they could solve! 

Link pushes open the door to the lab. Zelda imagines how his shoulders might relax the more Hyrule becomes connected. His burden would finally be eased...then maybe…

“Good morning!” She practically bursts. 

Link waves and crosses the room to the cooking pot. Symin starts explaining what he is cooking and Link casually dumps the entire contents into the fire. Symin sighs in relief and pulls out a notebook. Link produces the ingredients one by one from his pouch, displaying each carefully so Symin can copy the recipe. A dozen eggs, Hylian tomatoes, assorted mushrooms, a handful of greens, and a tiny bottle of Goron spice. Zelda’s mouth waters before he even starts cooking. 

She watches Link demonstrate how to slice the tomatoes before setting Symin to work, involving Symin in the salvaging of the meal and in doing so, lessening the blow of his failure. It is a change in Link’s behavior she has loved witnessing: he is eager to share his knowledge after awakening from the shrine; to spread it generously with everyone who asks for his help. In this way, he is teaching Hyrule how to need him less in the long run, a step forfeited a century ago by the pressure he felt and the structure of the role assigned to him. 

Hero, knight, swordsman; whatever title he is to carry moving forward, she will protect his freedom to define it as well. 

They eat quickly and head down the hill toward the village together. Hateno is the chosen location for the Summit because it has the largest settlement of Hylians, who, as a whole, have been without formal leadership for over a century. Central Hyrule was initially considered given the proximity for all participants, but the general consensus is six months of calm is not enough time for anyone to meet comfortably in the shadow of the castle. 

“I heard this is the first time King Dorephan has left his domain in two hundred years,” Purah whispers to Zelda as they turn the corner down the split in the road to Hateno Pasture. A farmer named Dantz offered up his land, which borders Lake Sumac, to host. The water provides an added measure of comfort for the Zora. Zelda spots King Dorephan sitting close to the shore with several elder Zora and Prince Sidon.

There are a handful of Hylians mingling with leading members of the Sheikah, Rito, Gorons, and Gerudo. 

Purah and Symin split off to join Impa, who is sitting in the shade of a nearby tree with Paya. Their movement pulls the attention of the crowd in Zelda’s direction. She watches recognition ripple across the group. The conversations soften and then die off completely at the mere sight of her. Just like old times. 

Zelda flexes her fingers. 

Suddenly, there is a hand in hers. She jumps, glancing to her side where only Link stands. He’s looking right at her, the same way everyone else is, but she doesn’t feel the weight of the crown on her shoulders in his gaze. He squeezes her hand and nods her forward.  

“Right. Okay, then,” Zelda whispers.

Link leads her around the crowd so she can make introductions before the Summit starts. She is already known to the Sheikah, who are represented by Impa, Robbie, Purah, Symin, Paya, and Cado, and the Zora. Prince Sidon embraces her and compliments Link relentlessly. 

It is Zelda’s first time meeting the Goron Boss, Bludo, who introduces Zelda to a young Goron named Yubono and emphasizes he is a descendant of Daruk, as well as the Rito Chief, Kaneli. He is joined by a Rito warrier named Teba, and his son, Tulin, who begs Link to go shooting with him later that day. Link offers the fledgling a thumbs up and then gestures like, you want to go now, quick? 

Teba scolds them both. 

Her favorite introduction is the last one. Chief Makeela Riju, who insists Zelda calls her Riju, informs Zelda the Gerudo sun has missed her and personally invites her to come meet her pet sand seal. 

There certainly is a lot of personality, but Zelda feels certain the proposal will appease them all equally. The fact Link’s hand has remained in hers the entire time only boosts her confidence. Should she request the floor immediately or wait to see if there are region-specific needs she can weave into her proposal? She wants to emphasize the importance of each region’s involvement. 

“I think it’s time,” Impa makes her way out of the shade with the other Sheikah and takes the spot closest to Zelda. “that we begin again, don’t you all agree?”

“Well said. The Zora recognize the start of the Hyrule Restoration Summit,” King Dorphean says. 

“As do the Rito.” 

“And the Gerudo.”

“The Shei-kah!” Robbie throws his hand in the air and postures. 

“Gorons,” Bludo grunts.

“The Hylians have elected four representatives: I, Reede of Hateno Village, Elder Rozel of Lurelin Village, Hudson of Tarrey Town, and Traysi for the Stable Association. We recognize the start of the Hyrule Restoration Summit.”

“I officially call this meeting to order.” Impa claps her hands together and sits. She thanks everyone for traveling and for the village of Hateno for their hospitality. She summarizes the objective of the meeting as a gathering of the people of Hyrule in preliminary discussions about plans for a massive restoration following the purge of Calamity Ganon. She explains the forum will be open, but organized, in order for accurate minute keeping. Everyone motions in favor of detailed records. There are too many nameless ruins, too many stories and lessons lost to time scattered across Hyrule.

“Since there is no old business to attend to, I suppose it might be best to open the floor up to hear any initial recommendations for the restoration?”

Link raises his hand. 

He so rarely speaks out loud that the anticipation of it commands the attention of the entire Summit immediately. It might be her imagination, but Zelda swears the wind stops, too.  

“Let the record show the Hylian Champion and Hero of the Wild, Link, has the floor,”  Impa dictates and gestures for Link to continue. Zelda fishes her proposal out from her adventure pouch and folds it in her lap. Whatever he says, she’s assuming he will have some brilliant suggestions on how the former trade routes can be optimized or offer insight into the state of Central Hyrule for an exhibition, it will provide the perfect opportunity for her to follow. 

Link turns and smiles at her as he rises. It’s small. Relaxed. The kind of smile that’s only meant for the space between two people. Which means it is meant for her. 

She smiles back. 

With her plans for the Sheikah Technology, which will no doubt be strengthened by Link’s expertise, they can face this new Hyrule together. Self-chosen, this time, not forced by fate and the responsibilities of an old kingdom. 

Her heart flutters so rapidly at the thought, it takes her brain a moment to register what he actually says:

“I propose the first step in the restoration of Hyrule should be the destruction of all Sheikah Technology.”

[ask-the-nine-links]

*Opens a portal by the akkala citadel thunder gleeok and shoves the chain through*

Have fun!

Wild: Ooooh, I haven't fought any of these in a while! Perfect timing too, my stash is starting to run low.

Warriors: Who the hell gave these Anons this much power? We're damn lucky we already had all our items on us.

Four: Less theorizing and more stabbing. We can think about how dangerous that is later on when we aren't in danger of being electrocuted.