#also no one remembers that hes fought ganon before. only him

[kholnt]

just beat botw for the first time (you bet im planning to 100% it) but it spawned an au idea syk how in-game theres no post game and the "defeat ganon" quest just undoes itself? LU au but wild has been stuck in a loop of defeating the calamity, saving zelda and being returned back into the castle from before he confronted the calamity over and over again its not like he can do anything else, he's already done everything. even all of the koroks are accounted for. (the chain is the first new thing hes seen in a very long time)

[redundantz]

Ancient Loz AU Story

10,000 years before the events of BOTW the Princess of Hyrule and the Hero who wields the sword that seals the Darkness first fought off the Calamity. With the help of the Sheikah, Guardians, Champions and the Divine Beasts. However, the hero and her best friend; the Prince of the Gerudo, were now missing. The only one to return from the fight was the Princess… Bloodied and bruised. She emerged from the castle alone. No longer the energetic, and free spirited person she used to be. Now, she is filled with a sole dedication to her Kingdom. But cold, and filled with deep sorrow. She orders the Sheikah to create shrines to train the next hero.They prepare the towers, store the Guardians under the castle till they are needed. Research started on the slate where it can be used for building infrastructure and even battle. Anything to help prepare for another Calamity.

The Gerudo Prince wasn't seen again and the heroes identity was forgotten But, the Royal blood of Hylia lives on….

Link is from a traveling caravan. His family has blood from the ancient Zonai tribe. He travels with a decent size troupe along with his sister, father and grandmother.

He meets Zelda during a festival where he was entering an archery contest in castletown. Zelda, who was disguised as Sheik, was also entering. She beat him at the contest(barely), but was extremely bothered by how good he was.

The festival goes on for about 3 days and at the end there is the sword ceremony where all the people coming of age(18) can attempt to pull the sword. She was presiding over it and witnessed him pull the sword and his whole life change. Not long after they meet officially and Link is appointed as her Knight; She introduces him to Ganondorf, her best friend from childhood.

And the chaos and comrade-ere ensues~

Over 3 years they travel, train, fall in love and wait for the day when the evil is supposed to show itself. With no sign of the great evil, they start to relax a bit. But that is when it strikes. Ganon travelling by himself at this time. Explores a cave in the Gerudo desert and encounters something ominous. Whispers in the dark speak to him and his fears and wants and his distaste for the King of Hyrule…. The voice is familiar, much too familiar, and before he can fight back it consumes him. When he awakes he is alone. He isn't instantly ‘evil’ but over time it twists his thoughts and actions. His closest friends and mother grow concerned. He becomes harsher and radical. Cruel. During a secret meeting with the King, Ganon assassinates him. Zelda happens upon Ganon covered in blood. She thinks he's hurt and is concerned by his behavior the past year. He snaps. He tells her every dark thing he has been thinking, and that he killed her father. In shock, and devastated, she can’t move as Ganon is about to strike her. But Link manages to get to her in time because the master sword was glowing, something he has never seen before but an instinct so old took over him. He races to escape with her. Ganon takes over the castle. But only as a steward because the King and the Princess are nowhere to be found. No one is the wiser to his malevolent plots. Yet. He knows she has to act fast since Zelda and Link escaped.

Zelda and Link make it all the way to Kakariko Village and Impa and they are all Informed that the Calamity is upon them. No one can believe it is their Ganondorf who is doing this but it is undeniable. They grieve, but they must act fast. With the help of the Sheikah they gather the guardians, monks and send word to the Races and Champions to prepare for battle. Zelda listens as Link hums an old Zonai Lullaby his mother used to sing to him. And it makes her remember something she read about. A story about there being an ancient Zonai device below the castle that would help defeat the Demon King.

Impa knows the tunnels She can help them sneak in. So they prepare to infiltrate the castle.

Under the castle they find the Zonai Artifacts that were left behind for sealing the great evil.

Ganon's followers saw them enter however and informed him. Knowing this is his chance he stops all pretenses and releases his power. Unleashing a mob of monsters and a cloud of malace into the castle and across Hyrule. But the Champions and Shekah are prepared to meet them.

Looking around for any clue. Trying to think of anything they read or that Link heard from his family that could be used to turn on the sealing jewelry. They don’t know how to activate it, but Ganon is going to be upon them soon as they had to fight through hordes of monsters beforehand.

Out of the dark behind them he emerges.

Zelda and Link manage to avoid the surprise attack. They both go on the defensive. They fight and try to reason with him. They can’t believe this is their friend, their lover. The fight is tough, because they all know each other's moves after training together for years along with the emotional turmoil. Zelda tells Link he needs to figure out how to activate the artifact if they are to succeed. She will hold him off. But by this point they are both exhausted.

Ganon manages to cut Link, spraying blood over the floor and the statue. Link falls to the floor and Ganon towers over him ready to strike him down, but Zelda blasts him away. Ganon turns his attention to her. Annoyed with her meddling and manages to land a blow on her also. Cutting the tip of her right ear off.

The statue lights up from the blood. The blood of a zonai. That  was another part of the Lullaby from Links family Zelda realizes. The Jewelry glows and expands before flying off the wrists of the statue to Link. He is surrounded by a green glowing light that blasts Ganon and Zelda back. The bands constrict around his arms and legs disintegrating the clothing underneath. He screams. Zelda watches on in horror as Link transforms before her. His skin is turning black and his bones and skin stretch until he is 6 ft tall. What did she get him into? This was supposed to help them what was happening… She is living in a nightmare. What else will she have to give up. She cries as she looks at him, feeling his pain and fear. His hair band she had given him falls from his hair. Rolling across the floor towards her. “..Zelda….” He says 

She picks up the hair band and goes to him! But he is not really responding. He is restrained and struggling within himself. His head is filled with the spirits of the Zonai he knows what he must do…he knows this is the last time he will see Zelda and Ganon. To seal the Demon King he must sacrifice himself. He says the last part of the Lullaby to Zelda and she knows. This is it. She kisses him. Though a bit strange now that he's so tall and his lips are cold. Ganon is getting up across the cavern from them, laughing. He mocks them and their weak attempts at thwarting him. One last clash. Zelda manages to get his weapon from him and Link plunges his arm into Ganons chest activating the sealing power. Glowing green. They both freeze in place and all is quiet. Entombed under the castle. The malice and monsters disappear. Zelda cautiously goes up to them. She doesn't touch them lest she break the spell somehow. The only thing she does is grab the hair bangle that fell to the floor in the final fight. It was the one from Ganon’s hair. And she left for the surface.

Alone.

Thanks for Reading! <3

[yandereunsolved]

Following The Tides - ,, aged up ↑ yandere Wind

cw(s): yandere themes, descriptive gore, noncon kissing, suggestive themes, (Wind) light self harm & abusive masochism

ꨄ︎ You were once a great ally to the Hero of Time. You died in his arms, and your soul left the mortal plane. The goddesses gifted you with a rebirth after hundreds of years. You grew into adulthood, not remembering an ounce of your reincarnation. You only knew that you had an affinity for the one called Wind. The both of you grew from toddlers to teens to adults together. It was a bond neither of you could break. Something in the back of your mind nags at you whenever you hear the whispers of the Hero of Time and the great battles that were fought. It was even more than that. Any whisper of a hero seemed familiar. 

ꨄ︎ It was only when Wind had to set out on his journey did you realize how closely your fates were intertwined. Wherever he went on his journey, you followed him, and vice versa. Small bits of helpful information tumbled from your lips about how to gather the three goddess pearls and defeat the formidable Ganondorf. You were questioned by many about how you knew these things and if your loyalty truly lay with the hero. The wind defended you with his heart and soul and clung to your presence. You were the only factor that stayed steady—like the winds he is able to control with his Wind Waker.

ꨄ︎ When he came to confront Ganondorf, it proved that the Master Sword was ineffective. You had warned Wind of this, and yet he ignored you. He promised to protect you against all. Yet, Tetra (Princess Zelda) was overpowered as well. You sprung into action with that memory at the very core of your being. It was then that you remembered a sharp weapon piercing your gut, your own life force covering you in a hellish red, and dying in the arms of a man who swore to protect you. A man who uttered the same words on his lips as Wind did. Ganondorf confirmed it when he chuckled and stated that it was 'good to see the Links' little darling' once again. He also stated that 'It will be a pleasure to kill you' once again. In those moments, Wind had an epiphany—he could not ever let you go. You are much too precious of a person to slip from his grasp. This time, Wind's barely managed to protect you from Ganondorf's deadly blow. Quill and Prince Komali swooped in and saved you three before Ganondorf's tower was engulfed in flames.

ꨄ︎ The rest of the journey was swift, as you had passed out. You were stuck within your own mind, connected to Ganon's evil. Every god, goddess, and deity seemed to abandon you but Fierce. You vaguely remembered the brief interaction you had with him when Time donned his mask. During those months, you were inside a temple that belonged to the deity. Step outside, and you will be swarmed by Ganon's darkness and tortured. Inside, you were within Fierces domain and protected. Not once did you actually see the deity, but you knew it was Fierce—you could feel his presence all around you, almost suffocating. His temple was carved with depictions of his visage. You bolted awake, and it was like not a day had passed. You were on a boat with Wind, and he cuddled in while rambling off about the rest of his adventures. Not once did his grip let up, nor did his eyes train from your face.

ꨄ︎ He is severely clingy, to the point where he can't even allow you to shower on your own. He always either joins you or sits where you are just in his line of sight. He may almost be nineteen, but your unclothed body makes him feel like he's that same easily embarrassed teenager once again. He can't help but take a few peeks, and he feels like a pervert even if he is allowed to look at you. The clinginess only gets worse after he disappears for ten minutes, which is probably the most time you have gotten away from him since Ganondorf was defeated.

He came back with an empty hourglass and told you the entire story. You could see a crazed desperation in his irises. He wrapped his arms around you and forced you into a suffocating kiss that you were unable to break away from, no matter how much you wished to. That's what any amount of time away from you does to him. It doesn't matter if you have a breakdown or are drained. He will simply scoop you up and continue chatting with you. You are like his captive audience. If you are extremely upset, he won't leave you alone, but he'll do everything in his power to make you feel better—no matter what.

ꨄ︎ If you get too bratty with him, then he doesn't mind putting you in line. Only his version of getting you to stop acting bratty is for him to act like a brat himself. Oh, you want to eat? It seems like Wind is in control of the rations. He just wants all of the food. You aren't allowed to have it. 

It becomes a mix of him acting childish and masochistic. He hangs off of you and begs to know why you tried to escape. He holds onto the edge of your tunic and questions you all day, from things mundane to intimate. He'll ask you anything to snap you out of your little tantrum. He'll also resort to being more wild if he must. He'll hit himself and sob into you. He'll beg you to tell him why you are acting so cruelly toward him. 

He'll relish in the fact that it hurts so much. It hurts so good because he's doing it in front of you. You are witnessing him becoming a sniveling mess. It makes him whimper louder and plant himself right beneath you. You can do anything to him if you just stop resisting his love. He'll let you use him like he's no better than the sand you walk on. 

ꨄ︎ No matter how badly you wish to escape him, never try to touch the Wind Waker without his permission. It's one of the very few times you will see Wind get serious. It can change the direction of the wind, call upon and borrow the power of the goddesses, open doors to ancient temples, awaken the sage within someone, allow someone to travel in cyclones, take control of others, and more. That is something Wind never wants anyone to ever touch, especially you.

If you ever take it and try to use it against him, you'll see a side of Wind that would make the goddesses fear him. No longer is he begging for your love or allowing you to use him to make yourself compliant with him. He is demanding and furious and will harm you. He'll chain your arms together and smack you. He'll interrogate you and scream at you from the top of his lungs. 

He can't believe you would do something like that! The Wind Waker is one of the most valuable things in his possession, second only to you. He gave you everything, and now you betray him like his. He won't ever apologize for how he acted when you touched it. He believes himself to be completely justified. If you are scared of him, he huffs and refuses to give in to your fear. You can abuse him all you'd like, but don't ever try to use the Wind Waker against him. It's best that you don't even think it. He might be so blinded by this betrayal that he uses it against you. It's best to tread lightly in those waters. If you are going to escape using that weapon, then there is no room for a margin of error.

ꨄ︎ Right before the events of Spirit Tracks, you end up getting split from Wind due to circumstances unexplainable to most. It just seems that the goddesses either really love you or hate you, depending on how you see the situation. You ended up right in front of Time. He was all different now. Your memories, other than your death, were hazy. Still, your soul seemed at peace seeing him. For a moment, there was a flash of recognition in his eye. It was replaced by confusion, and he acted as if he had never known you. Your heart broke. He really doesn't remember you? Is he just pretending? You still aren't sure. 

ꨄ︎ That's how you reunited with Time, and soon enough, the other Links joined, and it became The Chain. Wind saw you first, as you stood out compared to the other Links. He tackled you and peppered kisses all over your body. Time was naturally protective over you, even if you had only been together for a few days. You tried to explain the situation while a thick blush was creeping up your neck. All these different versions of him staring at the both of you. Wind just wouldn't stop pressing himself upon you and making himself familiar with your skin once again. Twilight ends up getting him off of you, and he tries to brush it off as nothing. You couldn't look at any of the other Links for days. You were just so flustered after having so many people witness Wind love on you.

ꨄ︎ His yandere tendencies are obvious to the other Links early on. He's always stuck to you and refuses to let anyone else too close to you. He is always fawning over you. He begs for your attention incessantly and will even ignore his basic needs if you ignore him. All of these things put the others on edge, but not as much as him offering himself up to you. He offers to let you harm him if it means you'll just give him an ounce of the affection he craves.

ꨄ︎ Wind demands you call him Link at all times. The others thought that was strange. It would be one thing if you preferred to call him Link over the others, but he made you call him by his name. If you ever call him Wind around the others, then he gets huffy and upset. He'll pout until you either apologize or make some sort of amends for this grave grievance. He's just that possessive. You may call the others by their titles because you aren't close to them. However, you are his, so you must call him Link. 

It seemed even odder to you because you usually called him Wind. It was a nickname that he got from you because of his adventures during the time of Wind Waker. He still got to call you by your nickname, which was Storm. One you acquired because you were always so willing to put yourself in harm's way to help him. When you are motivated, you are a force of nature—like a storm. At least, that's how Wind sees you, even if you don't see yourself that way. None of the others were allowed to even utter that nickname from their lips, lest Wind be ready to injure them.

ꨄ︎ The other Links try to coax Wind out of his yandere tendencies and help you. Even though he is almost nineteen, he is still the youngest out of them all. They still see him as almost a lost young man who has confused love for lust. Instead of calming his anger, it causes him to erupt in a violent tantrum. He sobs and demands to know what he has done to you to make them treat him this way. He blames everyone, but himself, for how twisted he is. He gets so furious because he's insecure about it. He isn't fully convinced that it is as bad as it is, but the others sure are. He just wants to be seen as the mature grown up he is! He has completed three adventures, defeated great evils, and gone through so many unspeakable horrors, and they still treat him like a kid. They still treat you like a victim. You aren't a victim, right? You'd stay with him willingly. You love him. You love him? You love him!

ꨄ︎ He hates it when you pay attention to others. This hatred multiplies when he sees the other Links trying to help you. It makes him sulk. He begins to pout and almost begins to beg for your attention again. He irks one of the other Chain members, so they go off on him, and he can make himself look like the poor, innocent victim. He does it so much to the point that you are able to tell when he's doing it. You don't trust him much anymore because of that. You just asked Link if that actually happened, like Wind said it did. Ten times out of ten, he is just exaggerating to gain sympathy and soothing touches from you.

ꨄ︎ Wind realizes he's losing you to them. He's desperate to get you back to only being around him so he can properly love you. He thinks about kidnapping you but decides he cannot do that yet. It'd be too risky. You've lost so much faith in him already. He has to regain it first. He's just so incredibly frustrated. Why do the other Links have to care about you so much? You are his Storm—his, his, his, his, his, his, his.

ꨄ︎ Another thought of his is to get you pregnant. It's the ultimate way to claim you. Unable to get pregnant? He'll still try to breed you. He always is thinking about your body and how it feels again his. Part of it is because he's young and so sexually repressed. He just yearns for you every waking moment. Even when his head hits the pillow, he is dreaming of being with you in such an intimate manner. He'll adopt an orphan if he has to. Will adopting get you out of him trying to get you pregnant? Absolutely not. He'll try twice as hard now. Your child has to have a sweet little baby sibling to keep them company, just like him and Aryll.

ꨄ︎ He doesn't understand the implications of having a family. That doesn't stop him from wanting it so badly. He doesn't care if what he is trying to do is considered 'baby trapping' or not. He doesn't care if he isn't fit to be a father. He needs you. He needs a family. He needs stability. He needs people to come home to after his adventures. He's so conflicted. He needs a home, but he also needs freedom. He cannot decide which one is more important—you or the Great Sea. 

ꨄ︎ Time sees Winds obsession and slowly became more concerned. None of their efforts have been working. Wind is still infatuated with you, and his actions are growing more erratic as each day passes. Time sits you down to have a 'private' conversation. Wind was listening in, as he always is. Time was trying to convince you to leave him. Something within Time urged him to do so. He knew what in him wanted to protect you. He needed to at least try. That much he knew.

ꨄ︎ That familiar jealousy creeps into his heart, only this time accompanied by pain and sorrow. Tears fill his eyes, and he manages to escape from The Chains vigilante watch for a few hours. He breakdowns. He's like a small child once again. He remembers all that he has gone through. It hits him like a monstrous wave on the hull of the ship. He's there until the sun rises. He doesn't move until a plan forms in his head. He'll kidnap you. Sure, he thought of it before and pushed it away, but he has no choice.

He won't give up adventuring; he'll just keep you from doing it.

ꨄ︎ He comes back from the woods like a new person. He learns to suppress his desires and slowly manipulates those in The Chain to believe he is doing better. Many are skeptical, but he doesn't mind making a deal with some other Ganondorf to get them off his back. He is still a hero, yes, but he'll be a villain for you. He doesn't have the same spirit of the hero, anyway. He's just some kid the goddesses chose. He deserves this. He deserves to be happy with you.

ꨄ︎ While the others are busy fighting a new Ganondorf and his minions, he takes you away from them. Under the guise of freedom from danger, he truly promises captivity within his own arms. He locks you away in a room on his ship. He cuts off all contact with The Chain. He shushes you when you're worried and tells you to think of other things. He slowly entraps you in your new life. He hadn't planned on The Chain getting in the way of your love story. He's so upset that he had to do this all again. It's all worth it because it's for you.

ꨄ︎ He only has one last pair of loose ends to tie up. He makes sure this Ganondorf has the best chance at killing everyone in The Chain by divulging the secrets he has learned from his time as 'Hero of Winds'. He loses the last part of his courageous spirit for you. He is no longer connected to the goddesses, but his fate nearer to Demise. You're his lover, his Storm, for forevermore. You can't help but wonder: Was this truly what the goddesses intended for you? 

Would this have happened with Time if you had survived the battle with Ganondorf?

.ೃ࿐ -ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ- .ೃ࿐

⟿ taglist: @cxndiedvi0lets @fear-is-truth @moonhasmanyanimals @screaming-until-god-hears-me @numberonehere2008 @justscreaminginprivate

.ೃ࿐ -ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ- .ೃ࿐

[mothfables]

Snail Ch. 4 W.I.P.

Silence sits heavy over the camp after Legend’s reveal.

Warriors sits frozen on the other side of the fire, his chest heavy with leaden horror at what he’d learned. He’d known Legend held a strong dislike for soldiers of any kind - the other never made an effort to hide it - but he hadn’t expected… this.

He swallows as something in his stomach twists painfully. Legend had been a child when he’d been thrust into his first quest. He knows, intellectually, factually, that many of his brothers were the same. But actually hearing it? Seeing the proof of it before his very eyes? It sits heavy in his soul, molten and dark.

He has no doubt that Legend had had to defend himself against those soldiers, probably even kill some of them just to keep himself alive.

He doesn’t hold it against his brother. He can’t, not when he knows there was likely no other choice. Also, he refuses to be like those knights, putting the blame on a literal child; even if, as Legend said, it was due to magic. Even if it truly wasn’t their fault, it still happened. They still hurt him.

And then it happened again.

Warriors knows the name Yuga: he’d fought against the man in the War. He had been a pain to fight - using that ridiculously gaudy staff of his to summon paintings that in turn summoned things like lightning or spears, sometimes directly overhead of his targets. If one was particularly unluckily they would have that staff turned on them and caught up in one of those very paintings themselves. Wars has to fight a grimace at the memory.

He suppose the only upside was that Yuga hadn’t cared very much about Cia and Ganon’s plans, instead going along for his own gain; at least until he grew bored of playing along. (Wars still isn’t entirely sure of how turning the entire world into a painting would work.)

…The point is, fighting the man with an army at his back and as an adult (or near enough) was hard enough. He can barely imagine doing so entirely alone, at whatever age Legend was when he fought him.

Wars stares sadly at his (now very little) brother, curled up in Wind’s lap with that dead expression on his face.

He doesn’t know what to do about this. He doesn’t know what he can do; he and Legend weren’t particularly close before, though they’d been on their way to becoming friends. Now, though, all of that progress has probably been wiped away, leaving only fear behind.

The captain isn’t blind- he can’t afford to be. He’s seen the way the boy avoids him and Time, keeps a wary eye on those he’s deemed the knights of the group.

And Twilight, too, but not for the same reason. Wars has a sinking feeling that has more to do with the more canine side of their Rancher. Though whether Legend remembers from being older or it’s something he can just sense, Warriors isn’t sure.

Eventually Wind gets up and heads over to their bedrolls, Sky following a moment later. The two of them settle down with Legend between them, and everyone else takes that as their cue to get started on their evening routines.

Warriors sets his own bedroll a fair distance away. He hopes the space will (at least subconsciously) help Legend feel a little safer.

He’s nearly finished getting ready for bed when the sound of soft humming drifts through the camp. He glances over to see Sky propped on one arm, threading his fingers through Legend’s hair as he hums. Wars can’t see his face from where he is but the boy does look more relaxed than before.

He’s glad.

Legend deserves a good night’s sleep after all he went through. Wars gets the feeling such a thing was few and far between long before he started this adventure. He would not be surprised if nightmares continue to be a common occurrence for his brother, if not worse than usual. Young minds simply aren’t equipped to handle such horrific things like what he’s experienced.

[zarvasace]

1931 Vampire AU!

For those unaware, I wrote a bit of a neat Linked Universe setting AU last year that I haven't done much with, but I really like it and want to share a bit more about it! Links to the existing fics where relevant.

The series on AO3 is here!

(It would also be fun to develop this AU a little more, and I'd like to draw some stuff for it, so if you send in an ask about it, I might answer with a doodle. ;) )

AU basics: a hidden magic world in America, the year 1931 after WWI. None of the boys are human (except Twilight, at least at first), but they all think they're hiding magic from everyone else, at least for a time. :) There are a lot of magical peoples in this world, organized in their own ways, e.g. merfolk kingdoms, fae courts, the vampire councils, entire hidden cults, and hunter organizations. Ganon exists, but he's a hidden threat that they've all faced in one way or another.

Character summaries!

Wind: the focus of this AU. (The original fic was an excuse to make him very cool.) He was born 1696 in Florida ish, at the height of the golden age of piracy. He was turned into a vampire by Tetra in about 1710 and is eternally physically 14. He sailed with her crew (all pirates) for a few decades. She was invited to the western vampire council in Spain in 1750 as the vampire pirate queen, but... stuff went down. (fic: Body and Soul Marooned) She and her whole crew died, along with a lot of vampires. Wind survived, getting a nice angsty scene in there where they said wedding vows as she died, and went on to try and warn other councils about the upcoming massacres. Because most vampires died during that time, Wind is one of the oldest vampires still alive, and most who survived that time owe their lives to him.

Warriors: the secondary focus of this AU. He was a legitimate soldier during WWI, proper age and everything. When Wind enlisted, Wars took it upon himself to guide this seemingly young kid, and got killed doing so. Wind turned him into a vampire, not wanting him to die. (fic: In the Chill of Battle) He has a fun relationship with Wind, both of them taking the big-brother role in turns. Wars is a younger vampire, but his brain and body was able to mature more, so. Before Wars knew Wind, he was also captain of a division with Time, not that Time remembers that right off. Wars acts the responsible adult, so he gets them both hired as part of Time's team.

Time: he's Twilight and Wild's uncle. When he was a kid, he was whisked away to Faerie and replaced by a changeling for a few years. He fought his way back to find that time had passed differently for him, so he's mentally older than he appears. He didn't get out without being touched by the fae, and is beholden to some of their rules. He's the only one old enough to have enlisted in the military at a legal age, and used his status as a veteran to get a job at a local police station as a sort of detective. That's how he collects all the boys. :)

Wild: half-vampire. He's aging slowly, but still aging. He's close to Twilight, but always felt like he didn't exactly belong. Vampires as an organization don't believe there are many dhampirs out there, and don't like them, but a few underground cells have been organizing. Wild had a few run-ins with them. He's aware of a lot more magic than people think he is, having networked out to several kinds of magical peoples. The Yiga are a cult of shapeshifters that are out for his blood. (fic: Caged) He joined the team when the existing members came to save him and Twilight from them, later in the "story." Wild is one of those in the group willing to do Mad Science. :)

Twilight: is human. He dealt with Wild his whole life, so he's aware of vampires, but not much else. Over the course of the "story," he gets turned into a werewolf, so all of the boys get to deal with that.

Sky: he's a lynchpin of the team! Without Sky, not everyone would be there. He's an air elemental by birth, fairly important in those familial circles but mostly separated from them these days. His natural form is not exactly... physical. He knows Time from the war (he enlisted at too young an age near the end, and didn't see much combat, but made connections), Legend from some of what Legend did (aka everything, but specifically some merchant connections in this case), and found Four on his own. Sky doesn't count as fae at all, but he's in-tune with the environment and flow of magic around him. (He's not happy about the dust bowl.) He is pretty oblivious to the others being magical, though.

Four: he's rather disconnected from the others, in terms of backstory. To understand him, you have to know that there are six courts of the fae: one for each season in the wheel, with a light and a dark in the center and outside. Four grew up in the Light Court, full fae. One of the princess's Minish advisors betrayed the Light Court and gave power to the Dark (hi Vaati), and Four helped to restore balance. In the process, he had to change. The courts didnt generally trust each other, so Four split into four fae with the help of magic, one for each seasonal court. More magic and betrayal happened, and Four is semi-stuck as a Dark fae now. He can become a shadow and hide in other shadows, but he's vulnerable to light in general. When he left Faerie for the mortal world, he found Sky, who pretty much adopted him as a little brother. He's very protective of Sky.

Legend: is a prince of one of the merfolk kingdoms. He saved each of the underwater kingdoms at least once, then ventured to the surface to find more wrongs that needed righting. He isn't obvious about it, but he has a good heart. He's kind of sort of employed as a spy and informant, but he focuses on supernatural issues. He's more of a special ops agent than anything, though he does like to find people who'll pay him for doing what he wants to do anyway. He's been practically everywhere and done practically everything. He definitely heard of Wind, but didn't connect the dots right off. Merfolk aren't considered fae, but his particular family line made contracts with fae long ago, and he has some of their geases in a lightened form. He figured out pretty quickly that everyone was magic and trying to hide it.

Hyrule: is full fae, like Four, but of the Spring Court. He lived in the human world his whole life, a street kid who had to keep his fae nature tightly under wraps, which could get difficult around the promises and names and iron of daily life. He moved around a lot. He was captured for a year or two by unscrupulous scientists and rescued by Legend, who took him to Sky and Time. (fic: EPISODE SEVEN: Lost and Found) He's the resident healer and mad scientist.

Other Fics

More Than You Can Chew: the beginning of the "story." Starts with Wars confessing he's a vampire, and then they go rescue Wind, who's been captured by wannabe hunters.

Council: sort-of ongoing fic about Wind taking the rest of the Chain to the latest vampire council meeting. >:)

[fourswords]

hi! a bit ago you made a post wondering where shadow's inferiority complex comes from and I wanted to share my personal headcanon and what (to me) is the simplest explanation:

link is shown to be very confident before pulling the sword and after putting it back, rushing into fights because he believes himself a very capable person (which he is but still)

shadow, being almost an opposite of link, would thus NOT be very confident right out of the gate. add to this that ganon might've given him some long monolog about how link is a serious threat (ganon's faced him before after all) while at the same time likely implying shadow ISN'T (since, compared to ganon and link, shadow in ganon's eyes is the weakest)

ganon summoned him only for him to summon vaati and distract link, to me it makes sense he'd form and immediately be utterly insecure

hi!!!!!! totally understandable, and thank you for sharing your headcanon! i loved reading through it! :D i will say a couple things though—shadow, throughout the manga, is stated to be link's reflection, not his opposite (using the viz translation here but he's also referred to as a reflection in the fan translation: "I'm your shadow, your living reflection in the Dark World."/"It is a 'Shadow Link'... ...A dark reflection of you, but more powerful than any mere shadow."/"And it wasn't that hard, because in the end... ...you're a reflection of us."), and he is quite similar to link because of that—his impulsiveness, his arrogance, his dramatics, his heart); he's just. y'know. Mean. because he's lonely and angry and lashing out (and having fun with it because. well. what else is there to do?). shadow is very confident in himself—he's aware of the power he wields and knows how to thoroughly use it to get his way ("Do I look weak to you?! Can't you feel my strength?!"/"I'm the one who woke Vaati up. It'd be just as easy... ...to seal him away again!"). it's being referred to as "just a shadow" specifically that turns shadow into an emotional glass cannon. and, as he later reveals, his issue lies with the fact that when he's just link's shadow, all he can do is follow. all he can do is stare at link's back as link leads the way. nobody looks at him and he's forgotten over and over again, which is why he considered bringing vaati down a big deal. and now that i think about it, since shadow explicitly states he was born from the dark mirror (he uses the term "came out of" in the viz translation but it means the same thing), maybe he was following link around in his shadow prior to the events of the manga before going to fuck shit up at the four sword sanctuary and that's why he points out what being a shadow is like specifically. hm. food for thought! but also i really wouldn't be surprised if ganon did hit him with some sort of monologue that demeaned him in some way that just added to this initial complex of his (because again, he either blew it up exponentially in his mind or something else happened. imo he just gets way too heated & emotionally fragile about it for it to be just about always having to follow and never lead). especially with the dialogue that happens between them when ganon dragged him back out of the dark mirror. nothing quite like begging for forgiveness and also begging not to be dragged back out into the light world only for the guy who created you to be like "you are NOT forgiven! GET YOUR ASS BACK OUT THERE AND KILL THOSE HEROES!"

and also i know the manga doesn't go into it like the game does, but fsa's ganon(dorf) is actually a reincarnation of oot's ganondorf, so this version in particular actually hasn't fought link before unless he somehow remembers him from his past life. but yes shadow would be the weakest in ganon's eyes (which is funny considering shadow IS very confident that he could seal vaati away again. i do wonder how he would accomplish that without the use of the four sword. what does shadow have up his sleeve.....)

[ordon-shield]

Febuwhump Day 10 (Difficulty Breathing): Seeing Through Malice

ao3 link here (2nd in a series)

(content warning for: implied torture, mild body horror)

Link woke up slowly, in bits and starts, his body aching and his eyes bleary. His awareness of the world around him came back just as slowly. He was lying down on something made of coarse cloth that grated painfully across his skin, with hard stone underneath. Everything hurt, his skin, his chest, his throat, and his head. He also felt a dull aching pain in his right eye, but compared to everything else, that was minor.

Finally managing to get up, even as his limbs protested against it, trying to figure out his surroundings. He was in a small stone room, with no visible exit outside of a small hole up in the ceiling that the sun was shining through, projecting a small square of light onto the stone wall behind him. He was missing his clothes and gear, including the Slate, replaced instead with bandages wrapped tightly around much of his body. He could also tell that a salve of some sort had been used on them, so whoever had brought him there didn’t want him dead at the very least. In the centre of the room, he spotted a bowl of cold rice and a mug of water alongside a couple of bananas, still attached by their stems. He chuckled to himself, suddenly realising where he was, before doubling over in a coughing fit.

He tried to breath through the coughs, short gasps as the pain grew in his chest and phlegm found its way up his throat. Rolling over onto his back, he managed to stop, taking deep and slow breaths as his heart races. Carefully trying to sit up again, he felt phlegm gather in his throat, before another fit of coughing engulfed him, sending it out of his mouth and drooping down his face. Wiping it off with his hand, he realised something odd. The substance sticking to his fingers was darker than it had any right to be, a familiar black stained through with that shimmering familiar pink shine. His chest tightened as he realised he’d just coughed up malice.

Link remembered now, what had happened at the ruins, how he’d been trapped in the pool of malice, being eaten away at by it until he’d managed to pull himself free. Bile rose in his throat and somewhere in his mind he wondered if that would be stained by the physical manifestation of hatred as well. He wondered though, why the Yiga who’d held him down, condemning him to a torturous death, had brought him here. He was a prisoner, but a prisoner with treated wounds and meals, which confused him. In his experience, the Yiga tended to attack first, ask questions never, ruthlessly trying to kill him every time they met. This last time had been no different until he’d rolled out of the malice and been met with a blade to the throat, but nothing else.

He managed to eat the food at least, swallowing it down despite the bile that struggled to rise through his throat. He lay down after, watching from where he’d woken up as the light projected onto the wall slowly moved until the sun began to set, sending golden sunbeams into the stone room.

It was then that the blademaster arrived, appearing into the cell with the sound of displaced air and ominous silence. Link had heard of the Yiga blademasters before, rumours floating around the stables and villages, but he’d only fought the one who came for Dorian and the Sheikah heirloom in Kakariko. He glared up at the taller man, knowing that even if he couldn’t fight in his current state, he could still refuse to answer any questions asked of him, no matter what they might do to him. The blademaster simply picked up the remains of his meal.

“Why—,” he was cut off by a cough, “— why am I here?”

“I asked that question myself,” the blademaster responded, “but the scout who brought you in brought up a good argument… after all, Lord Ganon himself has marked you.”

Link flinched back, but the blademaster just chuckled at the fear on his face, unsheathing his blade and tilting it into the light just so, so that Link could see the reflection of his own face staring back at him, his right eye unrecognisable. While his left was the familiar blue he’d known all his life, all of it that he could remember at least, the right burned with hatred like a flame, the darkened sclera surrounding the familiar slit of an eye of malice, like he’d seen all across Hyrule.

@febuwhump

[bugcatcherwill]

Wonder how Zayl will react to seeing Sidon and co again.

Feel like the zora elder that joined them will be telling it how it was one of the few that voted with Sidon to help towards the monsters cause and is appalled on how the king and the others mistreated Zayl and used their grief of losing mipha as the reason they couldn’t send help.

Like out of all the races so far the zora were the most ruthless with having Zayl kill its own kind to prove it was free from the malice

But the gorons and rito they were happy and willing instantly with not as bad tests for their monsters to prove their worth

Also seems the gorons and rito aren’t still griefing over the lost of their champions yes mipha was a princess but urbosa was chief but the gerudo seemed to not hold anything against link (because urbosa told him to dress up as a girl to follow Zelda into the town when she used it to try and avoid him) for what happen 100 years ago

Yet the elder zora do but I’m worried about the gerudo and Rezek.

We saw in age of calamity how they champions fought hard before their demise (if it wasn’t for Sidon and co getting summoned from the future to save them) meaning urbosa died a gerudo warrior death fighting for her people and hyrule.

Mipha did too but seems the zora are still taking her death so hard 100 years later…

Maybe that’s what that elder came with sidon felt, he accepted mipha’s death and willing to help stop calamity ganon like mipha would want but seems the zora are so worried of losing their prince that they don’t realize that will be lost if sidon and co don’t help and that’s something mipha wont want.

I was unsure if I wanted to include Zayl's reaction to seeing Sidon again last week or just as a small recap sometime. Because I think it's apparent Zayl would be thrilled to see Sidon again with how he went to bat for it back in Zora's Domain.

As painful as it was to write, I do love the stark contrast I made with how the monsters were treated in the Domain compared to Goron City and Rito Village. Zora's Domain arguably feels the scars from the Calamity the hardest - due to most of them old enough to live through it as either children or young adults.

But I also did it as a way to explore the themes of how older systems refuse to let go of their past. Many of the Zora Elders are still clinging to those Pre-Calamity days, as evidenced by how they see Mipha as this tragic "crown jewel" of the Zora's that was taken away from them. They've grown bitter, and close-hearted, refusing to change for the better. Dento and a few others had a change of heart, but only because they paid attention to the past and learned for it rather than view it with rose-tinted glasses. And the younger Zoras like Sidon are actively fighting against these stubborn systems that refuse to change. Because unlike the Elders they have little attachment to that old past that barely made up a fraction of their life.

And similar to this, that's how I reflected that in the other races of Hyrule. They're nowhere nearly as attached to the Hyrule of old because not even their parents remembered The Calamity. The fallen champions were legendary, but the attachment that the Zora have to Mipha just isn't there.

This will come to a head later on in the story, too, so I feel like it's important to bring this up :)

[bluevaractyl]

Oooh, I like this concept! It's interesting how it diverges. Instead of growth and camaraderie, this BotW 2 would have players encounter abandoned homes and open hostility from NPCs. Feels reminiscent of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, at least from what little I know of it.

With Link missing, would we play as Zelda? Perhaps Link would have disappeared through time, not unlike (spoilers) Zelda did. Or maybe he's been taken by Ganondorf. I can't imagine anyone else being to blame; even though the series features other villains, it's really hard to top Calamity Ganon, and it feels like a sequel would have to. If he's been taken, is he helpless (trapped in a crystal, perhaps?), or is he, like Zelda was before, locked in battle waiting for her to join him and fight the big bad together? I lean towards the second one; I must admit the helpless maiden trope gets old and I wouldn't wish it on either of them, plus I think there is a certain poetry to having them trade places and putting Link through what Zelda went through while he slept and recovered. Or a secret third option: Link isn't missing at all. Maybe he's been cursed into a form she can't see or recognize (*eyes Wolf Link and the Light Dragon*) and is helping any way he can. The reveal would have to be a big deal.

The idea of Zelda finding herself alone and shunned by the people she fought a hundred years to protect, facing an unknown foe, makes me want to give her a hug, honestly. Romantic feelings or no, I see her and Link as being very close after defeating the Calamity. They are the only ones who understand what the other has been through. I think Link would have been her steady rock through the adjustment after finally being free. I think he would have clung to her, one of the only people he remembers from Before, and his guiding light on his journey. Having him suddenly gone would be devastating. I also don't see her as having the fighting skills necessary to take out all the new monsters on her own. Link would probably teach her how to defend herself, and I imagine skills with a bow are taught to the royal daughters as a tradition because of the Bow of Light in many other games, but she would not have the strength and experience he would have. I am curious how it would play out. Perhaps she would rely on stealth and the Sheikah Slate more. Maybe Link would fight for her, without her knowledge. Maybe the rise of evil would necessitate an increase in her divine powers and she could do something awesome like banish the darkness and Ganon's influence from monsters or something. I dunno but it's fun to think about. I still wouldn't want her to feel too overpowered. Like you suggested, her quest would probably be focused more on figuring out what is going on and how to stop it through investigation.

This got long oops. I'll probably have more thoughts but that's enough for now.

Plot of The Legend of Zelda: Missing Link?

Yay, that's my favorite title from that list! If anyone sees this and is inspired to write/draw something based on this, be my guest! And tag me so I can see it :)

After the defeat of Calamity Ganon, peace reigns in Hyrule. With the help of her loyal knight who never leaves her side, Zelda works to rebuild the fallen kingdom and strengthen ties between the peoples. Though her heart lies in research, she is dedicated to fulfilling her duty as heir to the kingdom, with grief for the past and hope for the future spurring her on. However, as she and Link move throughout Hyrule, they notice something alarming: the monsters that should have disappeared once Ganon was destroyed are still there. In fact, new types of monsters have sprung up: gibdos in Gerudo Desert, horroblins in the Hyrule caves, like-likes around Death Mountain, gleeoks near Zora's Domain, and aerocudas flying over Rito Village. The townspeople who were expected to welcome Zelda and Link with open arms are now a cold and withdrawn few. Those that they meet in the street only spit angry words at the so-called saviors of Hyrule. Windows are shuttered and few houses have light shining through the cracks. Barely anyone lives there now, but with so many monsters about, the idea that someone would voluntarily leave the safety of their town is strange. They decide to camp on the outskirts, close enough to be sheltered by the houses but not too close in order to avoid more harassment. Zelda is tempted to feel uneasy, but Link's steady presence quells her fears, so she is able to fall asleep. When she awakens, Link is gone. Zelda never imagined her return to research would be like this. Hunted by monsters and shunned by her own people, she searches for answers while the sensation that she is running out of time hangs over her head. Why are there new monsters? Why are so many people missing? Where is Link? And why does it feel like she is always being watched?

Send me one of these BotW 2 speculative titles and I'll write a plot!

[jupiterdrabbles]

The Oracle

Chapter One

Word Count: 4.7k~

Rating: Teen

Pronouns for Reader: They/Them/Theirs

Warnings: Vivid details of violence, blood and death.

Parings: Prince Sidon/Reader, Link/Reader

Even after the defeat of Calamity Ganon, the world remained paranoid. So many times had they defeated the evil, and so many times had it come back. The legends melted away after the fall of the champions one hundred years ago, and the citizens of Hyrule could no longer turn to them for guidance.

 So, they turned to you. 

From a very young age, you always knew something was different. You could never quite place or understand the feeling, but sometimes when making important decisions or choosing what to say, a gentle prodding made its way up your skull. ‘This one! This is right, this is the way.’ Echos of affirmation in an oddly familiar voice that no one else could hear. But, it always seemed to help those in need, so you were keen to listen. 

 One day, when you were no older than ten years old, your parents had a stranger come into the house. She wore all white, with a thin veil covering her eyes. She met your gaze, and you knew. 

 You were the same. On some level deep down you resonated with each other. You had something in common that was so engrossed in who you were that it sent shivers through your body. The voice reverberated louder, calling her to you and you to her. She stretched out her hand, palm up, and you put yours in hers. A bright light swallowed you, and everything became clear. You finally knew.

 You were an Oracle. 

—————

You sat in Hyrule castle, at the left hand of the Queen. Your robes were loose and light, that same white color as the woman who gave you your answer nearly a decade ago. You kept your head bowed as Queen Zelda addressed her court, Link at her right. They were currently discussing the reconstruction of Hyrule, what with a century of abandonment to many of its cities and people. Ever since this meeting had begun, there had been a buzzing in the back of your skull. It spread around your scalp and pulsed at your temples, but you fought back the urge to put your head into your hands. You were currently surrounded by the ambassadors of the different domains and remaining civilizations, you had to remain proper. Besides, it was most likely just a headache from staying awake long into the morning hours with Zelda, reading and studying about the years that had transpired while she was trapped with Ganon, and before you were born. 

 Zelda often keeps you and Link by her side. While you had known the Queen for a significantly less amount of time than the champion had, you had bonded over the shared burden of having a divine power bestowed upon you from a young age. In your time with Link, he had taught you simple defense maneuvers. As the Oracle, almost all of your concentration had to be in the present, focusing on harnessing any sign or signal you could grab onto to help decipher the coming days or even years. He fretted enough about Zelda not being able to fight on her own, but now that he had two incredibly important people to guard, he felt he was going to have a heart attack. You weren’t given a weapon- many were too heavy or didn’t sit right in your hands, with the added fact that you really weren’t supposed to wield anything that could hurt you in return (keeping your body whole was apparently a big part of the job). Link taught you pressure points and how a two-fingered jab to the right place could bring even Lizalfols to the ground. He promised he’d be at your back in an instance, but it made him and you more confident with some experience under your belt.

 The buzzing grew louder and stronger with every passing minute, and you shifted to tuck your feet in on the seat of your chair to ball yourself in tighter. The haze that normally accompanied oncoming migraines wasn’t present, so you shoved it aside and blamed it on exhaustion. You tried to listen past the incessant noise, and to Zelda’s words. 

 “Even with Ganon defeated, some of the Malice it left behind continues to scorch the land. It isn’t hard to combat, but we will need a large group to cover all of the domains.” Zelda spoke, fingers interlaced atop the table. “Link recommended a force of five for each pool, as some of them can build and expel monsters out of nowhere.” Link nodded at her side, arms folded across his chest. He brought his hands forward to speak, fingers fluttering. 

 “They aren’t difficult and won’t do much damage to your person- but they are quiet. It’s always helpful to have someone watching your back.” He signed, an interpreter relaying his words towards the other end of the table. The ambassadors nodded, and a Zora woman raised her hand to speak. 

 “We have stationed guards along different trade routes to ease the journey of the travelers coming to our domain, and there have been reports of Malice pools growing from the ground. I believed they were isolated to the Divine Beasts and to the different shrines and towers. Do you know why they are coming about?”

 You looked up to her, and a lump caught in your throat. The way herred scales glimmered in the remaining sunlight was painstakingly familiar, and the more you looked the more the lump grew. It had been the only time you’d raised your gaze the entire meeting, and she- as well as some other ambassadors- took notice. She met your gaze and offered a small smile. 

 And that’s what did it. 

 You let out a sharp gasp and clutched at the fabric in front of your chest, all the pain in your head suddenly shooting down to your heart. It felt like something was strangling the organ, a tight grip that squeezed and pulled and hurt. Your vision began to black out as you heard voices all around you. Someone put their hand on your shoulder and another barked at them to stop, leave them be! 

 The pain in your chest spread through your shoulders and back, down your spine and arms and back up to your skull. Your throat burned like you had been swallowing saltwater and nausea crept into your belly. You saw red, a bright crimson in your peripheral vision fading into blue, into brown. You heard the roar of a Divine Beast and felt it’s anguish. The ground shook with it’s fury and your vision cleared. You looked up and found yourself in the Zora domain, soaked through and surrounded by fleeting citizens. You stayed still, watching in awe as Vah Ruta rampaged through the domain, the marble and stone cracking beneath its feet. It stomped over the throne and it crumbled beneath its weight like a mushroom. The water at your bare feet turned red and sticky with blood, and Vah Ruta turned its massive head to you. 

 You met its eyes as its trunk lifted high into the air, a ball of energy building between its tusks. You were frozen in place, fear rooting you in your spot as you stared down a machine that easily aided in the defeat of Calamity Ganon. It whirred menacingly and fired at you. The screams and cries silenced, there was nothing left but the beam. Blue and white flooded your vision, then red again. So much red that it faded into black, only two glowing eyes remained. Ganon’s eyes. It gurgled in the silence and unhinged its mouth, pure Malice dripping onto the floor and onto you. You cried out as it burned your hands, and you watched in horror as it spread up your arms and chest. You were covered in Malice- no, the entire world was covered, infected, and dying slowly beneath the surface. And all it took was one pool near the far terminal in Vah Ruta. You blinked the pain away as you traveled with the Malice, one with it now. You saw it tearing apart wires and cogs beneath the surface, reworking the machine to how it saw fit. All it took was one beast, and the world would decay. 

 Something grabbed your wrist and pulled you from the Malice, and when you crumpled with exhaustion they caught you. They held you and rubbed your back as you sobbed into their shoulder. A hand pressed between your shoulder blades and warmth followed. 

 Look at your hands, they said into your ear. A girl’s voice, a slight lilt underneath her tone. It’s going to be okay, you can go home. 

 You brought your hands into your vision, and saw the Malice fading away along with a soft blue light. You peeled away from her shoulder and looked into the eyes of Mipha. Her expression was tense and filled with worry. 

 If Vah Ruta loses control, then the world will crumble. She spoke softly, taking your hands into hers. I am afraid I won’t be able to calm her, please- tears pricked at her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. 

 Find my brother.

You open your eyes to find yourself on the floor. The light burned your eyes, and the shape of Zelda above you was blurred and fuzzy. She called out your name in relief, helping you sit up. 

 “Are you alright- what happened? Do you need a medic!?” She fretted, and you shook your head. Your hands were also shaking, and you would guess your entire body was trembling by the way the ambassadors were looking at you. They stood at a distance, and you learned why as you looked up at Link. He was stood up with his back to you and Zelda, sword drawn and in a slight crouch. You guessed when you collapsed the ambassadors and guards rushed to your aid, only to be stopped when the Champion took your guard. You would have to thank him later, but there were more important matters.

 Ignoring Zelda’s questions and worries, you leaned up and grabbed Link’s hand. He spun around immediately, eyes wide. He knelt to your level, hand never leaving his sword. 

 “We- we need to-“ Your voice shook as you stuttered, and groaned in frustration as the words almost refused to come out of your mouth. Link’s eyes were patient, but you looked down to break his gaze. “Vah Ruta, the Domain- we need to go there, immediately.” You sucked in a breath as you tried not to hyperventilate, panic seeping into your skin as you remembered the blood-slick floors. “Vah Ruta is going to loose control and- and attack the Domain.” 

 Gasps of shock rang throughout the room, and tension quickly began to build. The ambassadors rushed to speak to each other.

 “Vah Ruta? But didn’t the Queen fix it after the Calamity!?”

“My home- my domain! What are we going to do?”

“How is this happening? Is it an omen?”

 A Rito ambassador knelt beside Link, who gave him a side eye and clutched the sword tighter. The bird took no notice, all of his attention on you.

 “Will the remaining Beasts also rampage? Do we need to be prepared as well?” He demanded, panic thick in his voice. Before you could answer, his panic was well shared.

 “The rest of the Divine Beasts?! Oh, Goddess!”

“If Vah Naboris rampages again, Gerudo Town will crumble!”

“Oracle, what did you hear- what did you see!?”

“Please, what is going to happen?”

“Are we doomed again? Is Ganon coming back-“

 “Enough!” Zelda cried, standing sharply as her voice cut through the room. They all turned to face her, wide eyed and scared. She took a breath and smoothed out her dress before addressing them again. 

 “The gift of Foresight is an exhausting one, please allow them to collect themselves before answering your onslaught of questions! Clearly it was a traumatic experience, as they were shaking and sobbing not minutes ago!” She declared, and you felt heat rush to your cheeks. Shaking and sobbing? Oh, what a first impression on some of the most important people in the four domains. Zelda held out her hand to you, snapping you out of your embarrassment and helped you stand. Her hand then came to your shoulder and turned you away from them and across the room. She waved for Link to follow. She held both of your arms as she walked to face you directly, Link at her shoulder. 

 “Alright,” She said, sighing. “Honestly, they had no right swarming you like they did.”

 “It’s alright, your Highness. I’m sure I would do the same in their position, hearing something as startling as a Divine Beast losing control and running through a domain.” You folded your hands and held them near your stomach, trying to ground yourself. “I should go and explain my vision, they need to-“

 “No,” Link signed, his first two fingers and thumb pinching together. “They will only stress you out more, you’re already unwell.”

 “But they need to know! We need to travel to the Domain as soon as possible!” You furrowed your brow as you spoke. “It’s going to happen soon, and the Zora need to-“

 “That’s why I will tell them, and you go rest as much as you can.” Zelda said calmly, rubbing your arm in a soothing motion. “Tell me what you saw, and I’ll relay the information so you and Link can start getting ready. You’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

 “You won’t be coming?” Link asked, and Zelda shook her head. 

 “Hyrule still needs a leader. I can talk to you both through the Slate, and offer any assistance you may need.” 

 You bit at the corner of your lip. The air felt heavy and your chest was still tight from the lingering effects of your vision. Zelda was right though, as she always was. You needed to prepare. 

 “...alright,” You whispered, and they turned back to you. “If you’re sure.” 

 “Of course. Now sit down and give me just a moment.” Zelda led you back to where you were sitting before and you eased yourself onto the cushion. You tucked into yourself as the ambassadors looked at you, feeling like a luminous stone at midnight under their gaze. Zelda gathered their attention and began to explain what would happen, that they should return to their rooms until called down to hear the explanation, and Link stood in front of you. 

 “You have no reason to be nervous, it will just be me and Zelda.”

 “I’m not nervous.” You countered, looking up at him. “I’m just-“

 “You are, and it’s okay.” He interrupted, and your mouth clipped shut. “There’s nothing wrong with it, but I want you to know you’ll be safe. I’d never let anything near you that wasn’t welcome.”

 “I saw that earlier,” You chuckled, and a soft smile spread across Link’s face as well. “You had your sword out and everything, it’s like you were staring down a hoard of Bokoblins.” You playfully jabbed at his stomach, which he sidestepped with ease. 

 “It almost was, you should’ve seen the Gerudo. She almost grabbed you herself.” You giggled a little, covering your mouth. When your laughter subsided, you looked at him seriously. 

 “Thank you. For- for always protecting me. I’m sorry if I put any more stress on you, you deserve a break after fighting the calamity.” He waved you off, scoffing slightly. 

 “Believe me, this is a vacation. I can’t stand still for the life of me, much less take a vacation. Can you imagine me, relaxing? It doesn’t fit right.” He made a face of disgust and stuck his tongue out. You smiled fondly. 

 “You’re right, it doesn’t. But any moment you need to take a break or even just sleep in a little longer, do so. I don’t want you burning yourself out on my account.”

 “I think I took enough of a nap when I was in the Shrine of Resurrection, don't you think?”

 You shrugged, not knowing exactly what to say in response. Link was stubborn, and getting him to budge on anything was hard, but especially hard when it came to his health. You have had small blips of visions where Link was bleeding profusely or otherwise severely wounded but he kept going. You knew he would get nightmares of the calamity as you would get them too. Part of the glamorous life of an Oracle was near magical empathy, you could see and hear what someone was going through and live in that struggle. It wasn’t something you loved, in fact sometimes it felt like an invasion of privacy, but sometimes it led to you helping those you cared for. You had talked to Link about his dreams and he opened up to you a little. The burden was worth it in the end, but you wished you could do more. Link and you continued to chat softly, and soon enough Zelda came back. Her smile was strained, and you swallowed hard. 

 “So,” She began, clearing her throat. “They aren’t exactly thrilled with the fact that it won’t be coming from you directly, but they will live on” She looked back to where the door was swinging shut, the ambassadors now being escorted to their respective chambers. Hyrule Castle was one of the first things to be rebuilt, and more rooms and space was added for Hylian citizens to seek shelter in while the Kingdom was being rebuilt. It truly was a beautiful building, now that it was reformed to its proper glory. 

 “Are you ready? We can take this slow.” She asked, and you nodded. She brought out her Sheikah Slate and opened a feature that allowed her to take notes, and looked to you to begin. 

 “I- I was in the Zora domain. They were all fleeing rapidly, and shoving past me. Normally, when I have these visions, I can phase through what I need to in order to find what I need, but-“ Your hands shook again, and you squeezed them together. “I was really there, I felt them knock into me. It’s never been like that before.

 “Many were injured, some were dead, but no one was stopping. I looked up and Vah Ruta was in the domain, thrashing about and destroying many of the pillars and making its way to the throne room, where I was.”

 “It wasn’t in the dam anymore? How could that happen?” Link asked, bewildered. You shook your head. 

 “I don’t know. I only saw it coming towards me, and then it-“ You held onto your neck, pressing into your muscles to ease the tension. “It fired it’s laser- the one it shot at Ganon. I think I- I might’ve died, there.”

 Zelda clapped a hand over her mouth. The scalding hot feeling faded back into your chest where Vah Ruta had aimed, and you cleared your throat. 

 “Then, when the world went dark, I was a part of the malice. I saw it corrupting the inside of Vah Ruta before Mipha pulled me out and healed me. She said she could no longer rein in the Beast, I think she’s been struggling for a while. Then-“ You looked up at Link, who met your gaze with an intense expression. 

 “Then she told me to find her brother. I don’t know why, but when the Zora ambassador talked about Malice pools growing, that’s what shot me into the vision. I think- I think she’s right. I was a part of the Malice after Vah Ruta shot me, so that means-“

 “Others might be too.” Zelda finished. “Those who were slain might have gotten sucked into the Malice and developed with it, that’s why it’s getting stronger.” She faced away for a moment, lost in thought. “This is… worrying, to say the least.” You nodded, and rubbed your face. 

 “I’m so sorry, I wish I knew more.”

 “No, you’ve done so much.” Zelda reassured, taking your hands away from your face. “Without you, we wouldn’t know this was even happening. Now,” She pressed a kiss to your forehead and helped you stand. “Go and rest, I’ll talk with the captain of the guard and the ambassadors. Link,” She turned to him. “Don’t let anyone stop you on your way. Make sure they get to their room safe.” Link nodded in return and took your arm. Zelda waved, and turned to a guardsman not too far off. 

 Link walked with you, slower than his usual pace to match yours. He brought his arm away from yours for a moment to sign something to you. 

 “We can’t both use the travel gates at once, so we’ll be going on horseback. It won’t be an incredibly long journey, but I would bring clothes you would be comfortable riding in.” He explained.

 “Shouldn’t we leave now? We would get there by noon tomorrow if we went straight there.” You spoke softly, and Link thought for a moment. 

 “I’m not sure about that. We’ll have to go through a lot of diplomacy as soon as we arrive, you need to be well rested and recovered after what happened.” He said, a frown creasing in his face. “What if you have another vision at the Domain? You’d be exhausted.”

 “Link, please.” You took his hand, and moved your veil to look at him directly. Your hair fell from under your hood, and a slight flush moved it’s way up to Link’s ears. You never took off the veil and hood, it was a sign of protection from false guidance or spirits. He’s never seen your face without it. “I won’t be able to sleep even if we wait, let alone rest. I’ll go mad knowing we waited any longer than needed- people are going to die, Link.” You pleaded, and you felt his resolve begin to crumble. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 “...fine. Fine, alright. But we’ll be taking one horse so you can sleep on the way, pack only what you truly need. We can get food there during the journey.” You smile up at him, full of gratitude. You lift your hood back up and your face and rush forward to hug him tightly. The feeling is foreign to both you and him, Link not being incredibly touchy and you really weren’t supposed to touch people at all- keeping yourself pure and without too deep attachments that could risk severing your connection to the goddess and spirits. 

 “Thank you.” You murmur into his chest, and let go afterwards. You adjust your robes, unable to meet his eye. “I’ll be ready in ten minutes, where should I meet you?”

 “I’ll come gather you. I don’t think you know where the stables are.” He said, a bit of snark on his face. He was right, you didn’t, but he didn’t have to be smart about it. You shove him off and race to your quarters as well as one can when wearing floor length robes that draped and flowed nearly everywhere. 

 As soon as you closed your door, you went to your wardrobe. You pulled a pair of trousers that weren’t so loose on you and set them on your mattress, as well as a warm tunic and a pair of gloves. You grabbed a pair of opal earrings Link had given to you a while back, he said they had some sort of magical property hidden within that made it easier to swim and climb in the rain. All of your clothes were some form of white or cream color to symbolize your purity and power, but in instances like this it made it more difficult to have proper outdoors attire. Well, you guess that many people when thinking of an Oracle don’t think of horseback riding and trudging through rough terrain. 

 You removed your hood and veil once more, stripping off your robe and shirt underneath before your boots and pants. You pulled on the outfit you laid out, replacing your silk gloves with the leather ones and putting the earrings through. Your hood and veil were returned and you got on your knees to reach under your bed. 

 You honestly had no reason to hide this anymore, you knew only Zelda, Link and the only maid you’ve spoken to were allowed in your room and they wouldn’t judge or criticize you for it, but old habits die hard. You pull the small wooden box into your lap and unlatch it, smiling fondly at what laid inside. 

 It was a simple necklace on a thin chain and didn’t have much design. You didn’t wear much jewelry, and if you did it wasn’t often, but you almost never wear this for a completely different reason. You’d probably keel over and die on the spot if you lost it, or it was broken. The pendant that lay on the chain was in the shape of a star, four points that thinned out as they went with a small quartz stone in the center. The back of the pendant had your name engraved, followed by “Forever in our sky”. It had been a gift from your mother before you left to begin your training and honing your ability. The teachers and guides had tried to take it from you, saying that you must leave everything behind to serve your greater purpose, but you hid it. You figured your family wouldn’t keep you from serving the goddess and you were right. You clipped it on and slid it beneath your tunic before standing and grabbing your satchel that you came here with. 

 In it you slid a pouch of rupees, two Hasty Elixirs (Link insisted on you taking them, in case you ever needed to run away from a battle.) and your spare set of prayer robes in case you would need them. You walked over to where your altar table was laid out and gathered the few gemstones that laid out in the corners, as well as the small crystal sphere you would roll between your palms to aid with smaller visions. You looked out over your room to confirm you weren’t missing anything, and slid your boots back onto your feet. You opened the door and was met with Link reaching to knock. You sniggered, and stepped aside. He sat on the bed and you shut the door. 

 “Got everything?” He asked, and you nodded. He had changed out of his Champion’s tunic and into a red and black one you haven't seen before. A full quiver of arrows and a black bow rested above the darkness-sealing sword. He had a satchel as well, presumably for more arrows or weapons. He always liked to be prepared. 

 “I left a note for Zelda for when she comes looking for us in the morning. Hopefully she won’t be too angry.”

 “She will live on.” You said, mimicking her words from earlier which got a smirk out of Link. He turned and pointed to a trapdoor on your ceiling that you hadn’t noticed until this moment. 

 “We’ll go through the attic and jump down onto the walkway beneath. There’s an old railroad system beneath the castle that will take us to the main gate and out.” He signed, hands moving almost quicker than you can read. “It won’t be easy.”

 “Then let’s get going.” Your voice was full of determination, and you moved a bedside table underneath the trapdoor. “You go up first and then help me, you’re taller.”

 “Man, I knew I liked you.”

You clung onto Link’s waist as he urged his horse on over the bridge and into the woods. You looked over the night sky and the dwindling candlelight through the castle windows. “I’m sorry, Zelda,” You whispered, “But I can’t wait any longer.” You put your head on Link’s shoulder and closed your eyes, hoping to catch some sleep before hell broke loose.

taglist: 

[attllhak]

@technicallya1manband so, I just remembered that while I was camping I wrote another thing for the Gerudo Twilight AU. Specifically, I have a lot of fun with ‘The Unreliable Narrator That Is History’ (putting this like that, because I basically use it as a trope at this point), and I got bored one afternoon while hiding from the sun because it is HOT out, especially where I was. And then I thought I should probably have Twilight appear, so it kinda ended up ‘Expectation vs Reality’ by the end. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this, I’m off to bed now

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

“You look upset,”

Zelda startled, twisting to see Urbosa standing in the doorway behind her. The Champions had only just been dubbed as such, and Zelda had wanted to get away from the celebrations.

“I’m not,” she lied, turning back to face the sky.

Urbosa sighed, and after a moment she settled down next to Zelda.

“Little bird, you do not have to lie to me,”

“I know,” she sighed, not bothering to defend herself. “I just, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. My power won’t awaken, no matter what I do, and I just, I can’t live up to the expectations everyone has set for me. My mother unlocked her power so easily, and my grandmother did too. Why is it just me that can’t do this?”

“Zelda,” Urbosa wound an arm around her shoulders and pulled the younger girl to her side. “You need to stop comparing yourself to them. You aren’t them, and your power will awaken for you when you are ready,”

“But I’ve been ready!” Zelda threw out her hands. “And it’s not that easy to just, not compare! I know you wouldn’t understand that, but I just,” she put her head in her hands. “I don’t know what to do,”

“Wouldn’t understand, eh?”

Zelda peeked up through her fingers as Urbosa leaned back on her hands. 

“Would you let me tell you a story, little bird?”

“A, story?”

“It has a moral,” Urbosa promised. “And I think you’ll like it,”

“Okay,” Zelda folded her hands in her lap. “Tell me a story,”

“This is an old story, very, very old. Almost, but not quite, as old as the gerudo ourselves. Back when Ganon took the form of a gerudo voe,”

“Seriously?” Zelda twisted to face Urbosa, eyes wide. “That is old,”

“Indeed,” Urbosa smiled. “The man that would become the monster Ganon had been king for only a few years when the Hero of that era defeated him. I won’t go into the details, as they get confusing, and this story is not about them. After he was defeated, Ganon was sentenced to death. He was not successfully killed, but that is also a tale for another time. What I wish to speak of is the aftermath,”

“Why start with Ganon when you’re talking about something after him?” Zelda huffed.

“Because, little bird, Ganon’s defeat left the gerudo without a king. I know it may not seem this way now, with how long it’s been since the gerudo had a king last, but this was the first time we were without so much as a prince. Not to mention the hatred we faced for our King’s actions,” Urbosa frowned, looking off into the distance. “The hylian crown was not kind to my people in the aftermath of Ganon’s defeat. We were chased even further out into the desert, and we struggled there for a long, long time. For almost a hundred years, we were without a king, and so we elected the first chief, to rule until a new king was born,”

“I’m so sorry,” Zelda frowned, suddenly feeling guilty.

“Do not apologize, little bird. It happened so long ago, and things have changed so much,” Urbosa pulled her in again. “Besides, the hylians also gave us our next king,”

“What?”

Both women turned to see the other Champions hovering in the doorway, though thankfully it seemed Zelda’s new knight was not among them.

“Sorry about that, highnesses,” Daruk mumbled, giving Revali a sharp look. “The King asked us to come find you, but we were kinda invested in the story,”

“I don’t mind telling you as well,” Urbosa turned to Zelda. “How about it? Can they join us?”

“Hm? Oh, yes, of course!” Zelda floundered, waving them out. “Please, take a seat,”

They filed in and sat around the two, and everyone turned back to Urbosa.

“Right, where was I?”

“A hylian king,” Revali said, looked a bit affronted on the gerudo’s behalf.

“He wasn’t hylian,” she corrected. “Well, I suppose that isn’t totally true. He definitely looked hylian, but he was gerudo. One of the girls who was alive when Ganon ruled had seen the writing on the wall and hid her daughter with the girl’s hylian father. This girl later married a hylian man herself and her daughter, it is said, moved very far away. Out into the middle of nowhere. She had a daughter herself, and this daughter had a son,”

“The King,” Zelda guessed.

“Yes, the King,” Urbosa smiled. “He didn’t know that though. His mother died when he was very young, and he did not return to the desert until he was already mostly grown. But, he did eventually return to us. I’m not sure how we knew he was our king, but there was no doubt at all by the time he was crowned. Of course, he was not in an easy spot. We were still suffering from the aftermath of Ganon’s rule, and he had very little time to prepare for his new role,” she paused to smile. “Which makes his achievements all that much more impressive,”

“You put an incompetent king on a throne vacated by the monster we’re getting ready to fight, and you expect us to believe he did well?” Revali huffed.

“No,” Urbosa said. “I expect you to believe we have never had a better ruler, either king or chief, after him,”

“What did he do?” Zelda asked while the others convinced Revali to stop squawking.

“Firstly, he repaired relations with the rest of Hyrule. Hylian - gerudo relations have only ever been better when your own mother was queen. Apparently he already knew the Queen at the time, and the two spent several days coming to an agreement that ended with all of the desert, and the highlands, being gerudo territory, so long as we remained a vassal state under Hyrule. After that, he is noted as having brought our people back to prosperity,”

“One king did all that?” Mipha asked.

“Yes,” Urbosa smiled. “At the time of Ganon’s rule, the gerudo were thieves. It was his gentle pushing that caused the change into a people of merchants. It is said that the first gerudo jeweller began her trade at the encouragement of the King. She was not the only one to have been encouraged by the King, of course. You know, the reason all gerudo chiefs have our own sand seals is because of him,”

“Really?” Zelda asked, thinking of Urbosa's own sand seal back in Gerudo Town.

“Oh yes, he loved animals,” she laughed. “It is said his pride and joy was a horse he’d raised from a foal that he never travelled outside of the desert without, and he even brought a goat with him into the desert,”

“A goat?” Zelda blanched.

“A goat,” Urbosa nodded. “One of the vai had an idea, to use the sand seals native to the desert as transportation. She decided to prove the worth of this idea, as it was still relatively unheard of for gerudo to be anything but warriors, by catching and taming one first. Once she had, she brought the animal to the King and offered it as a gift,” Urbosa smiled, shaking her head. “The King adored this idea, and loved his newest pet. He was very personally involved in the beginnings of the project, and encouraged the vai who had the idea when she suggested renting them out for people to use to cross the desert. The stories say that if the King was in gerudo town and couldn’t be found in the palace, then he’d be found with the seals,”

Zelda couldn’t help but giggle at that.

“My sword and shield are based on his, you know,”

“What?”

“Gerudo kings, before him, all fought with a pair of twin swords. However, when he arrived he already had a decent grasp of swordplay. Only he fought with a single sword and a shield. He was gifted a set at his coronation, and ever since then the leader of the gerudo fought with a sword and shield. I had mine made to look like the pictures we have of his,”

“That’s actually kind of sweet, in a way,” Zelda mused.

“What do you call him?”

“Hm?” Urbosa turned at Revali’s question.

“Don’t you gerudo give your kings fancy titles?” Revali elaborated. “What do you call this king?”

“Probably the Seal King,” Daruk suggested.

“Please!” Revali rolled his eyes.

“What do you think he’s called then?” Zelda asked.

“Well, I would have called him the Hero King,”

“What about the Merchant King?” Mipha suggested.

“Little bird?” Urbosa prompted. “Do you have a guess?”

“Um,” Zelda thought on that. “Perhaps, the Healing King? Since, he’s the one who got you back to a good point,”

“All very good guesses,” Urbosa smiled. “All wrong. We call him the Wolf King,”

“Wolf King?” More than a few of them echoed back.

“Yes,” Urbosa nodded. “Fierce and feral like a beast to enemies, but to allies, there is none more loyal or dedicated,” she sighed, looking wistfully at the now setting sun. “If given the chance to meet any individual from Hyrule’s history, I would want to meet him. To ask for his advice on matters, to let him see what he’s done for our people. I just hope that I will be able to be even half the leader he was,”

“You already are,” Zelda said softly.

Urbosa turned to her, and smiled. “Little bird, that means more to me than you know,”

(---)

“Princess?”

Zelda turned to see Chief Riju approach her where she stood on the balcony overlooking Gerudo Town.

“Oh, Chief Riju, my apologies,” Zelda dipped her head, an embarrassed pink making its way up her neck and onto her cheeks. “I didn’t, if I’m in the way,”

“You aren’t,” Chief Riju shook her head. “And please, just Riju,”

Zelda nodded, still a bit embarrassed, and the two looked out over the town together in silence for a moment.

“Rupee for your thoughts?” Riju asked.

“Just, thinking about Urbosa’s legacy,” Zelda admitted.

“Oh?”

“She told me a story once, about an old gerudo king. The Wolf King. She said she had wanted to be even half as good as he was,”

“She succeeded,” Riju told her. “At least, in my opinion,”

“No, you’re right,” Zelda shook her head, smiling. “I just hope she knows that, is all. Knows that she was able to leave a big enough positive impact that she succeeded in her goal,”

Riju set a hand on Zelda’s arm. “I do too,”

Neither girl said another word.

(---)

Zelda felt a bit like screaming, if she was completely honest.

Link, Wild, whatever he was calling himself, had gotten sucked away on some magic time travelling quest with other Heroes, and now he was introducing her to his mentor, the Hero of Twilight.

A Hero, who it turns out was also the Wolf King.

He was shorter than Zelda had pictured him, and you would never know he was the gerudo king by his appearance. He definitely looked the part of a wolf, though.

But here he was, holding out the original sword and shield that Urbosa’s were based on. There were differences, obviously, but the smith who made the Scimitar of the Seven and Daybreaker had done a very good job replicating them.

“Are we done now, Cub?” The King, Twilight, sighed.

He didn’t seem to be very invested in his role as king, which contrasted Urbosa’s description of him as ‘dedicated’. In fact, it seemed like he wanted to stop talking about it as quickly as possible.

“Almost,” Link nodded. He turned to Zelda and waved his hands at Twilight. “See? I told you I got to meet him!”

“What?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, uh, pardon us, Your Highness,” Zelda gave him a half bow, and noted the way his face scrunched up. “It’s just, my good friend Urbosa had told me about you a long time ago. She looked up to you and your legacy, and so I’ve also, sort of, admired you. I, I never thought I’d actually get to meet you,”

Oh, Urbosa should be here, Zelda thought. She had wanted to meet him,

“Right,” he said slowly, tucking the sword and shield back in his bag. “Uh, thanks?”

“You, don’t seem very invested in your kingship,” Zelda noted.

“May I be completely honest with you, Your Highness?”

“Of course,” she firmly tamped down the excitement in her chest.

“I have no idea what I’m doing,”

“What?”

That definitely didn’t sound like the king Urbosa told her about.

“I grew up on a ranch,” he explained. “I herd goats. I barely knew what I was doing when I became the Hero. And now I find out I’m supposed to be a king? My village had a mayor, and he taught me how to wrestle gorons. Because he used to wrestle gorons. I don’t know how many kings can wrestle gorons,”

“At least one,” Link offered.

“Not helping,” Twilight shot him a halfhearted glare. He turned back to her and sighed. “Look, I’m sure there’s some reason you and Urbosa admired me, but I have no idea what that could possibly be. I’m impressed I haven’t screwed anything up too badly yet. So, it’s not that I’m not invested, I’m stuck in the position so I may as well actually try and do well, it’s just, I’m sort of riding blind here. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I’d really rather not talk about it,”

“Oh,” Zelda blinked. “I, suppose that makes sense. My apologies, I’ll try to refrain from bringing it up. I hadn’t intended to make you uncomfortable,”

“You didn’t,” he sighed, and Zelda felt a bit relieved. “And, thanks. It’s just, a whole headache for me,”

“I believe I understand the feeling, Your Majesty,”

“No, stop,”

“Stop?”

“No ‘Your Majesty’. No ‘King Link’, no royal titles at all. I am Link Ordon, the goat herd,” he frowned deeply. “I will accept ‘Hero’ if you must, but I,” he sighed in what seemed like defeat. “Please, just call me Twilight,”

“Of course, Twilight,”

“Thank you,”

Zelda wasn’t sure if the fact that Urbosa’s idol had no clue what he was doing would have made her friend feel any better, but it did boost Zelda’s confidence about the monumental task in front of her.

It was just a pity she wouldn’t be able to get any tips from him.

Although, apparently Hyrule’s first king was also among Links’s travelling companions. Maybe she could ask him for advice...

[trixstriforce]

canonically, the Four Sword has had 5 individual masters, 4 who wielded it under the name "Four Sword" and 3 who have only wielded it as the "Four Sword" individually, and yet the fandom commonly only depicts these heros as 1 or more commonly 2 people??? 3 if we r lucky??? why tho?????

the Hero of Men(Minish Cap Prologue), Hero of the Minish(Minish Cap), 1st Hero of the Four Sword(Four Swords Prologue), 2nd Hero of the Four Sword(Four Swords), and the 3rd Hero of the Four Sword(Four Sword Adventures) r all canonically different people who lived at least a century if not more apart??? long enough for everyone besides the last 2 to become less history more legends in the next Hero's time?????

the Four Sword is the second most powerful weapon in loz, its history is rlly interesting and rich...its nearly as old as Hyrule itself and is the only ancient blade other than the Master sword to have more than 2 Links master it bc iirc the Phantom Blade and Lokomo Sword just have the Hero of Wind and Hero of Spirits

...SO WHY IS IT SO UNDERRATED??? like man yall sleepin on the interesting explorations u could have w/ each Link's relationship to the sword and its legacy but instead shove them all into two ppl or ONE GUY and erase that long history behind the blade and its role in keeping Hyrule safe for CENTURIES in a row w/out need for the master sword to the point ppl in Hyrule have multiple legends and at least 1 festival surrounding its mythos

also?? Vaati is the only villan to be the final boss other than Ganon in multiple games, he was the final boss in 2 and shows up in 3! hes a big deal!!! even if Ganon outranks him he is still a threat Hyrule faced for centuries??? dont downplay him to only face 2 heros when he faced at least 3 maybe 4 but idk if the first Hero of the Four Sword canonically fought Vaati or if it was something vague like the Hero of Men's adversary...still he has history and by the time of Four Swords Adventures hes fucking ANCIENT like easily the oldest not divine being in Hyrule by a LARGE margin at that point in canon...

like, i get merging the second and third hero of the Four Sword bc like...Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures COULD be seen as the same Link bc the games flow into eachother well and for years ppl assume they were the same guy! thats cool, i do not mind this, but still there was another dude who wielded the sword before them in the prologue of Four Swords and then there is the guy who forged the legendary blade like long enough ago for it to be a myth and ALSO the guy who used the blade first and sealed away every single monster for at least a century and was important enough to get a festival...yeah dont forget about those guys even if only 1 of them had a game at least acknowledge the other 2 also had the sword dont just ignore them or merge them into the Links who had games that defeats the purpose of them being in legends...

like, to me, its about legacy and responsibility and repeating history and not about one boy with one rlly cool sword he made/found but a line of Heros who history has not cared to remember in favor of those blessed by the blade of evil's bane...and yall rlly just do not see the irony there when the fanon does not merge every Link who wielded the master sword together into 1 or 2 guys off the basis they *check notes* mastwred the same legendary blade at different times in history

[salemorbit]

Hi, sorry if I'm overwhelming you with Requests, but I had an idea for an Imagine that I'd really love to see you write!! Could you please write some Headcanons for how Link, Zelda, Sidon and Revali (Age of Calamity timeline for Sidon btw) would react to a young woman who has a very strong connection to the Spirits being sent to teach Zelda how to unlock her power? Like it's a young woman, around 18 years old, who has a natural ability to communicate with all manner of Spirits, maybe even is part Spirit in some way, so she gets appointed by the King of Hyrule to teach Zelda how to do the same? And maybe she's super nice and excited too? Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!!

oh darling you're totally fine i really appreciate it :D

i hope i did this justice! it's a really neat concept

i also made it an x reader with those attributes if that's okay :)

~~~~~~

Hylia's Guide

[BOTW x fem!Reader]

Headcanons (Link, Zelda, Revali, Sidon)

warnings: none

takes place during Age of Calamity!

also for headcanon's sake,,,,,being a descendant of hylia in this case doesnt mean that you're of the same family? if that makes sense? okay so like reader is descended from hylia and technically so is zelda but they aren't blood related in any way HAHA hope that makes sense

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

Let's set the scene, yeah?

You were one of the descendants of Hylia from centuries past, now a ghost in the afterlife as part of the universe itself.

Naturally, you would be surprised when you became sentient once more and blinked open your eyes in the middle of Hyrule Field. In your head rang a soothing voice that you both heard in your head and felt in your bones. In an instant, you knew it was Hylia communicating with your physical form again after years of dormant sleep.

The voice instructed that you were to aid Zelda in her studies of connecting to her powers. Hylia could not intervene directly with Zelda, of course, but the most the Goddess could do was send someone in her place. And that was you: a descendant of Hylia's own bloodline resurrected from the dead come to help the princess in her efforts. Easy enough, right?

Convincing the King and his guards of the situation was difficult, let alone trying to get him to allow you to assist his precious daughter with her practice. The only proof that you had of any story that you told were the markings on your hands and chest.

Three distinct triangles etched themselves on your body: one on the back of each hand and the third on your chest. Your powers had long since been passed on to the next descendant of Hylia, but you were still full of the knowledge of how to use Hylia's gift and how to communicate with the spirits.

•••

Link

Link was wary of you at first, being the princess's appointed knight and all, but he soon figured that you weren't as much of a threat as he initially thought

You were kind and excited to meet someone else who also held Hylia's gift (albeit not necessarily awakened, but still) and Link knew that Zelda would be safe in your hands

While going on spiritual treks with Zelda and Link, you almost always made the meals because both Zelda and Link can't really cook lmao

Coming from an entirely different era, you had a big book of recipes in your head that you brought into reality with every meal you made, and Link definitely wasn't complaining

He appreciated your wide breadth of knowledge of different foods, plants, and wildlife that you might encounter on your travels

It made planning protective measures for the princess all the easier

Sometimes the ventures to connect to Hylia didn't bear any fruit (and that's okay because the gift takes plenty of patience!) and the mood could become solemn quickly

But you were always determined to lift the mood and lighten everyone's attitude, and it always worked!

You would excitedly ramble off stories about where you grew up or what you liked to do on your own travels back in the day, and it would always make Link feel warm that you had such fond memories you were willing to share with him

When Zelda needed time to herself to try to connect to the spirits and Hylia, you and Link would hang around each other and bond

Link would listen attentively as you talked about the cultural and time differences between your world and this one, sharing sympathy when you expressed nostalgia over your time lost

But you would quickly turn it around to the positives, which is what Link thought was a wonderful quality that you had

If you ever got caught off guard while on ventures by the Yiga Clan or rogue animals, Link would fight just as hard as he would in larger battles to keep you safe

Over the time you spent together, Link grew very fond of you and always was at your side if he wasn't immediately attending to the princess

Once your guidance and knowledge finally broke through to Zelda and her power awakened, Link was so proud of you for fulfilling your duty

He was worried that you would disappear from his life once you completed Hylia's task, but you connected to the spirits after the fact and bargained with them

At the end of it all, you were able to live your life through again with Link by your side :)

•••

Zelda

Goddess was Zelda relieved when she found out that she would be having a guide to help her unlock her powers

Upon meeting you, she was absolutely floored with your kindness and willingness to help her with her problems

You were a wonderful mentor to Zelda, teaching her things about the different spirits and how to harness the power that she never would have dreamed of researching on her own

And wow there was a lot of information HAHA

Zelda was also transfixed with the fact that you came from another lifetime, and you were more than happy to tell her all about your life before this one

She would also take very detailed notes about everything you said, enamored with the way you spoke and how excited you got about things you loved

Quiet study time in Zelda's room would often turn into challenges of you trying to make her laugh with small tidbits of stupid stunts you would pull

Of course Zelda couldn't hold back a smile when you were around, so the challenges would fall short but with you falling into fits of laughter

You always brightened Zelda's mood whenever she was down about a failed connection attempt, urging her to try more and be patient with herself

Zelda was thankful to Hylia for sending you because honestly she wouldn't know what to do without someone that was as kind and generous as you were with spreading knowledge about your gifts

And when they finally awakened, Zelda couldn't be more happy!

Hyrule was now safe with Zelda's power awakened and Ganon on the edge of being sealed away

She pleaded that you find a way to stay in her time and teach her more about the spirits and Hylia herself

Your heart warmed at the thought that someone wanted you to stay, and it warmed even more at the fact that someone loved you enough to want to keep you forever :)

•••

Sidon

Sidon met you when he was summoned with the other Champion successors

You were the first to greet him and explain what had happened with the time jumping and all that, and you helped to put his nerves at ease

His own excitable and boisterous personality bounced off of your own energy and buzz!

Fighting side by side with you, Sidon admired how you always had a strategy and were looking out for Zelda as if she was your own sister

He was surprised upon learning your story: never had he known that Hylia had the power like that to bring someone back to help those in the present

Sidon tried his best to stay by your side whenever he could, wanting to keep your blind spots covered just in case

In your time, you had known the Zora and actually knew King Dorephan when he was a young little guppy, and your stories of Dorephan never failed to make Sidon laugh

Sidon in turn shared his own tales of the evolved Zora Domain, and you found his storytelling absolutely captivating

Sidon felt a pull to you like he had to no one else before, and he nurtured that pull with his own heart

He made sure you had enough supplies, checked in on you immediately when you came back from a far off mission

Just an all around softie I think! Sidon has always been caring like that :)

When it was time for him to go back, you discovered a way that you could jump with him back to his own time

After all, your mission with Zelda from Hylia was over. Why shouldn't you be able to live your life through again?

You jumped back with Sidon to a world vastly different than the one you had just been in, and even more different than the one you were born into

But with Sidon, it always felt like home!

•••

Revali

Revali didn't want to be impressed, but he was Definitely Impressed

Your composure about the whole situation was amazing, and you handled all the questions everyone had with grace

And your kindness was overwhelming (in a good way) with the fact that you opened your mind to such possibilities of even being resurrected like that

Revali admired you through and through

He would be incessantly curious about what the afterlife was like, how the spirits communicated with you, what Hylia was like

You, of course, couldn't accurately answer most questions because, well, you couldn't remember, but you appreciated his desire to learn

You loved the way that he fought: with purpose and intent. There was little to no hesitation with Revali, he always had a plan

When you would go to treks with Zelda and Link to try to summon Zelda's power, Revali would make comments here and there insisting that he tag along just in case

Poor Rito really just wanted to spend more time with you, that's all!

If he did tag along, it would be to Lanayru with his knowledge of the cold weather

He would rattle off safety facts of mountain weather and gear you would need, and you would be happy to listen as long as he was talking to you

Revali would also love to hear about your old life, and since you could go on for hours about it all, he would sit and absorb everything that came out of your mouth

He was smitten in a matter of weeks!

He could see the care and sympathy you had for Zelda as she struggled and triumphed in her process of opening her powers, and he appreciated that you could care so much for someone like that

Revali subconsciously protected you even if there was a leaf that fell in the way of your path, as he was always on alert in case someone caught you off guard

As your time came to a close and Zelda awakened her powers, Revali demanded that you stay (with love, of course)

And stay you did, making a bargain with the spirits and living the rest of your second life in the company of the Rito warrior :)

~~~~~~~~~

hope i got this good!! i thought the concept was really neat and i kinda wished they did something like that actually :/ zelda didn't deserve that angst

requests are welcome :)

[redloftwingfeathers]

I feel like talking about the shit Zelda not only had to put up with but also what she subconsciously summoned herself and you're going to sit and listen and maybe cry with me okay? Okay.

While I don't think that was very cash-money of 'Hylia' to make Zelda wait until she's reached true, unrelenting despair to finally find her light, it made me wonder how everything came into play that made her journey so painstakingly hard, and not just Hylia pulling fast ones from the clouds. (Trust me I wanted to blame the goddess so bad after that moving performance at the spring of power but wait!! there's more!)

Things I'm looking at are specifically Zelda's anxieties of wanting to be a scholar but having to throw herself to the dogs of religion to keep Rhoam happy, the HEAVY depression she carries with not just from the loss of her mother but also just constantly being berated by her father and feeling like she's not good enough for Hylia, the jealousy and anger she harbors towards Link in their beginnings and how it effects her growth.

All of these are things (coming from someone who is very mentally ill) are ingredients that distract Zelda from her goals, intentional or not.

Zelda has a classic case of "I wanna do This Thing (studying, traveling) but I have to do That Thing (religion, strict orders) instead and now the fun is sucked out of it and my mind is buzzing and now I don't know what to do girl (hylia) HELP"

What's even worse is despite her hand-picked maturity, she KNOWS what is right and what she needs to do (her level of self awareness is impeccable sometimes) but she is still just a child in the end, wanting to live her life without dictation, which causes frustration and anger and can lead to self-doubts.

Starting with the loss of her mother, Rhoam claims that Zelda did not cry at all during the ceremony, and that it proved to him he could still be a strong king with how unwavering his daughter was. And although that's shown as an "awe inspiring" moment, it shows Rhoam does not understand how the processing of grief registers differently amongst people, especially children. She may have not showed it when she was, what, 6? (Not every normal 6 year old understands the fragility of mortality) but you can definitely see it affects her later on as Zelda grows older. It may not be entirely visible at first, but the way they portray it in HWAoC (I know its not entirely canon but bare with me on this) she longs for her mother's advice and comfort when her pleas and ideas fall deaf on the king's ears. Her mother seemed to be a very wise and compassionate queen, where Rhoam is a wise and a very bite-the-bullet king.

When stakes are high he trusts what he thinks needs to be done, and he enforces Zelda to finish her training Because she is part of his plan to push back the calamity. He knows protocol, and there's no room for creative thinking when the land of Hyrule is in danger. (Disclaimer: I hate Rhoam but I can also try to see what Nintendo was doing. He's not intentionally mean, he's an assertive dad that wants to see his daughter succeed (and also hella depressed) but he's really fucking bad at it and comes off as a dickhead. He is the embodiment of a boomer that does things the old fashioned way to get things done).

But all of this pressure he is putting on her, taking away things that make her happy so they don't distract her from her duty, shooting down her ideas because he wouldn't know how to even approach it from his standpoint, it really does a number on Zelda and really births her insecurities.

No matter how hard she prays and dedicates herself to Hylia, it doesn't work. Her mind is distracted, filled with fear and very little hope that the magic isn't Working. What even kicks me in the jaw more is that she's putting all of her effort into these prayers, and it's not even her wish she's making. It's Rhoam's wish. Her Ancestral Family's wish. That's why it hasn't sparked. She's praying on the behalf of her father and ancestors and not herself because she firmly believes there's other ways to settle the score. Zelda knows the importance of her role but its just not clicking when someone else is forcing you to do it. It just doesn't work like that.

Moving onto her liaison with Link, she is, well, in the beginning very irritated with him. Even a little bit after being chosen by Fi. But I don't think she MEANS to be angry at Link, he didn't do anything wrong in all honesty. She shouldn't take out her anger on him, but she's jealous, and he exists...so like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

When Link is suddenly chosen by the sword at a drop of a hat?? Yeah she's relieved, but there's also undertones of resentment. All of her Champions are here at the ready and she's still trying to figure out what shoe goes on first. She is the goddamn Princess of Hyrule, one who carries the blood of Hylia in her veins, and this random tiny knight who, mind you, fought tooth and nail to be her escort ends up finding his role before her? She is riding the struggle mule up Mount Lanayru (and I don't really blame her). And when she's exploring the shrines?? She makes it very clear to him she can work independently and does not need an escort, which although understood (freedom is a peace everyone strives for) she is careless regardless of her careful planning and efforts. She's a Princess, wandering Hyrule unarmed (and without her powers) with a horse as her only mode of transportation. You won't see yourself as a target even if they're pinned on your back, and with her determination to utilize these mysterious shrines as more Sheikah tech is being discovered is making her blind in remembering where she's placed in social status. It's dangerous, and I'm glad Link is there to see what she fails to see.

That's another thing too. As they progress and strengthen their friendship, Zelda sees Link as a mirror to question what her role really means. She uses him as guidance to help understand her situation, asking him "If you were told your whole life This is what you're meant to do, to take up your family's legacy...but one day realize this isn't what you want, would you still take the path you've been told to take?" In this case I think it's safe to say this is what Link knew he wanted. He loves being an aid to those in need, and becoming a knight despite following his father's path, this felt like his true calling. The spirit of the hero is VERY strong in his soul, and when he sees someone in need of help [Zelda] he's going to aid them whether they want it or not.

But Zelda still feels so lost, she feels so disconnected from her ancestors, as the previous daughters in the royal families were Given their powers at birth and meant to be awakened when the time has come. They were all given the gift of premonition, to be a medium for Hylia and a messenger of the gods, and overall able to keep Ganon away from the world no matter how many times he crawls back from the depths of hell. Being told your whole life you're meant to be like your ancestors, but not being able to fulfill any of those roles? It makes the past seem like one giant fairy tale when in you're in BotW Zelda's shoes.

No voices, no premonitions, no secret awakenings...Nothing.

At this moment, I finally understood why Urbosa said to Revali about Link. She said he is a constant reminder of Zelda's own failures. Link found his calling by following his instinct. Zelda has yet to figure out what she really wants, and is clouded by judgements not only from her father and people, but from herself too. With every passing day she is undergoing a meltdown, questioning if she is even meant to be apart of this whole plan anymore, probably something among the lines of "Was it meant to be someone else? I'm the only daughter, and yet I can't even do my one job." She lost everyone and everything, she's frightened, it feels like she's lost her faith in the gods, or even dare say, the gods lost faith in her.

But through absolute despair when Link just about gives his life for her protection, that's when it all clicked. She found her power and strength through Link, who was the one that, all this time, taught her about what she needed to do to awaken her powers without even directly telling her. Every conversation she had with him, she saw herself in Link. She saw all the effort he gave into becoming a royal knight, the unwavering determination in his eyes with every Lynel he slew, a never ending supply of optimism and hope no matter how high the stakes were. And yet he was also Free. He followed his path blindly, not even knowing where he'd end up, as long as he knew he was

able to protect those in need. And she wanted that.

He was her mirror, and Zelda managed to awaken herself when that mirror cracked.

Living the burden of being part of a prophecy and saying you're ready for anything, is very reckless. Understanding the heaviness that comes with sacrifice is not truly understood until it starts happening to you.

Zelda found her wish, her independence through Link. Her mind is finally clear and she understands what her role means in all of this.

She is meant to protect, to save, to understand more than just personal loss.

Zelda couldn't stand by idly anymore after everyone told her to do something else and let others handle the job. That was the last straw when Link stood in front of her, shield weak but at the ready when that guardian approached. She saw the desperation and said NO, which finally broke her seal. She chose to sacrifice herself, igniting her powers just as Hylia did for her people. She chose to save her last, literally dying hope, because Ganon cannot be fought alone.

He was the connection, the literal link, she needed to awaken her powers. And I just find that so fucking great.

Anyways thanks for coming to my TED talk I've been typing this for like 4 hours now

[yasmeensh]

Zelda 2 - Mystery of Kasuto

Yet again, with more Zelda 2 lore. Since winter break started, I went back to working on my Zelda 2 comic again (it’s been years but I’m still going at it haha). I collected a LOT of information from within the game and from other loz games. I’m at the last stages of getting all the information needed for a fully fledged story (My aim with this comic project is to flesh out the world of Hyrule in the era of decline. Make it feel like the newer Zelda games in terms of lore and plot, but also keep its’ classic essence). HOWEVER! Before I get ahead with outlining a full story, there is one thing that needs to be sorted out. that is, Kasuto Town. Deciding on Kasuto town’s identity will entirely change the aesthetic of the story, how the people will be represented, and even the lore of the Zelda2 pre-story (sleep-cursed Princess Zelda) I’ve spent a while collecting evidence and clues for my theory. I was not sure if I should go ahead with it and solidify it for the comic, so I want to share it and hear what opinions, additions, or contradictions any of you would have. I’m very interested to hear what you have to say on it! Anyways, without further ado, here is the theory:

The basic idea is that Kasuto People are Sheikah. (Disclaimer: This is just a theory and entirely speculative. The aim to try to make sense of Kasuto town with the established canon information we know and fit it to the wider loz world.)

1. Location of Kasuto Town

There are two Kasuto towns. A deserted Kasuto, and a hidden Kasuto.

From what we know of the Sheikah history leading to the downfall timeline, is that The Hyrulean Civil War (Pre-OOT) nearly wiped out all of the Sheikah population. Kakariko was their original settlement, but has since been opened to everyone. So, where did all the Sheikah go? Only Impa is around. WELL, perhaps since the events of the civil war, they decided to take residence far away from Hyrule Castle, and only send their most capable every generation to care for the Princess (Which is always the new Impa). Impa always shows up again as a nursemaid for Princess Zelda in the downfall timeline.

Additionally, as protectors of The Royal Family, it works out how their town is situated next to the entrance to the Great Palace, where the final Triforce is kept (To keep an extra eye on who ventures there?).

Not entirely sure why Kasuto was destroyed. Did Ganon know about the Triforce of Courage being around there? Did he attack them with an army of Moas while they fought to keep him away? This might have led them to go into hiding. They are the only ones who know all the secrets of Hyrule. They need to survive in order to preserve it.

2. Magic

There are two spells taught in the Kasuto towns. One of them makes a small temple (shrine?) come out of the ground. The other spell is the strongest spell in the entire game (thunder).

^ This is the building that emerges from deep underground after using the ‘Spell’. (He finds the magic key there. A key that can open pretty much every door ever. Or at least the palace doors). What IS strange about Kasuto though, is that the palace situated between the towns has an item that acts almost exactly like the Lens of Truth; It’s a cross that allows Link to see ghosts. (In OOT it does the same thing, in addition to looking through false doors and floors. It’s used to track down the Phantom guide in the haunted wasteland). A little suspicious, no? (PS. I’ve been thinking about redesigning the cross item for the comic, and I SWEAR the three parts at the top can easily be made to look like the Sheikah eyelash symbol. Voila) This could all merely be coincidence, but the location next to the Great Palace AND the three-eye-rock palace containing the cross is convenient to make us assume it’s connected to them in some way, especially with the later established lore of the Sheikah.

3. Technology

Ok. bear with me. This is a big one. This will be the game changer. If we can solidify that these Sheikah are just as technologically advanced as the Sheikah in botw, this will completely change how they could be interpreted in the comic.

For starters, only the Sheikah know the details of the legend of Zelda. And here I quote from the Zelda 2 1988 manual:

“There was a door in the North Castle called “The door that does not open.” Only the descendants of the Impa family who served the King knew how to open the door.”

As we could see, access to the chamber and scrolls that provide information on the palaces and Triforce is only accessible to the Sheikah. A private affair between the royal family and Sheikah ONLY? The King that separated the Triforce is the one that was in-charge of building all 7 palaces. Because the Sheikah work closely with the Royal Family, they must be 100% involved (Also, remember how Kasuto town has the magical key that can open all doors in the palaces?) OKAY NOW HERE IS THE TECHNOLOGY PART The elevators. The Elevators.

For the longest time I told myself it must be some kind of pully system. But after I started thinking about Kasuto as being Sheikah, and their heavy involvement with the palaces, I’m starting to think that maybe these are actually electrical (or magical. idk what it is) powered elevators. Sort of like in Breath of the Wild. There is also Rebonack, the Island palace boss with his floating robot horse

Maybe.... Maybe the ironknuckles and doomknockers are also robots? For all we know, they are just heavily armored... things. With no face. We know construction on the palaces must have begun sometime at the end of the Golden Era. That was the time when the Royal Family possessed the full Triforce for countless generations. It was the most prosperous Hyrule has EVER been (in the downfall timeline at least). The Sheikah might have had the time to advance their technology? It’s not too far fetched. After such a long time of prosperity, the King found that there was no one worthy of the full Triforce to continue this golden age (He was scared of his wicked son it seems) so he started this whole project to hide away the Triforce of courage.

(It’s interesting in a way how that King saw that the chaos caused by a separated Triforce is much merciful than the consequences of the full Triforce falling into the wrong hands. It mirrors Princess Zelda’s decision when she broke the Triforce of wisdom into 8 pieces so Ganon can’t have it. She really is wise for a small child. As wise as the ancient king.) Well, what are your thoughts? Would it be plausible that the people at Kasuto are truly the Sheikah? Is it possible that the palaces have technology? This is pretty crucial for the development of this comic project 👀 It will completely change how the palaces will be portrayed, the enemies, and the entire Kasuto settlements (plus if Impa is affiliated with them). WOULD you be fine with such an interpretation? SHARE YOUR THROUGHTS!

[tentimesthecourage]

Mail Through Time And Space

To whoever gets this,

Hello! My name’s Rinku and I’m 8 years old! I have decided I want to send letters to people and you get the first one!

I don’t really know what to put, there’s so much I could say. I’m practicing sword play with my twin, Link. We... don’t really like it, but we do it because we want to protect everyone, especially mom and Aryll, she’s our baby sister!

I hope I can hear from you soon!

Rinku

---

Dear Rinku,

You might find this a little strange, but my name’s also Link, like your twin. I am 9 years old. Sounds like fun, sending letters to strangers, and I’m glad I got to be the first to get one!

I think you two practicing for that reason is… noble. I think that’s the right word. I’m pretty good with a sword myself! Been practicing since I was 7, how long have you been practicing?

I hope this letter finds you well.

Link

---

Dear Link,

Wow! I didn’t think I’d reach someone with the same name as my twin! Link says hi by the way. Aryll probably would too, but she can’t really talk yet.

Noble? I asked mom what that means and she said having good morals, whatever those are, but I guess that means good things so thank you! 

Link and I have been practicing since we were five. Dad Father wants us to become knights when we’re older.

I… I don’t want to… but

Nevermind.

Rinku

---

Dear Rinku,

I’m sorry to hear that being a knight is being forced upon you. Sounds like your father is a bit stubborn.

I know how that feels, my father is the same, though more about teamwork than my plans for the future. Still though, I hope things can become brighter, maybe he’ll see that you and your twin’s passion lies somewhere else.

Take care,

Link

---

Dear Link,

Thanks, that really makes me feel better. Lately things have been getting… bad. I wanna tell you, but Link, my Link, doesn’t think it’s a good idea. So let’s talk about other things!

Our birthday is coming up soon! October 30th! When’s your birthday? Is it soon? I wanna be able to send you a gift!

Write back soon!

Rinku

---

Dear Rinku,

I’m sorry to hear things haven’t improved for you, but as my grandfather says, keep a stiff upper lip. There’s always a storm before a rainbow. He says strange things but he means well.

I don’t know if this’ll arrive before your birthday or after, but happy birthday regardless! I’ve put something in the envelope and hopefully it’ll stay safe.

It’s half of a kinstone, when you find the other half and fuse them together, something good will happen.

As for my birthday, it’s still months away. Mine’s March 4th

Looking forward to your next letter,

Link

---

Dear Link,

I don’t think I’ll be able to send letters as often anymore. Somehow Link and I pulled something called the ‘Master Sword’ and it split in two. Everyone’s calling us the ‘Chosen Heroes’ and telling us that we have to begin training soon.

I’m scared… I have a really bad feeling…

I hope I’ll be able to hear from you soon.

Rinku

---

Dear Link,

Hah… I don’t even know why I’m writing this. It’s been so long… a century. I doubt you're even still alive, but something in my heart urges me to write this anyway.

So much has happened, where do I even begin?

Link became the Hylian Champion at the same time that I became Captain of the Royal Guard. We barely saw each other after that, he always had to follow the princess while I had to train the troops to prepare for Calamity Ganon.

Even with everything, it didn’t matter.

We still failed.

That beast took everything from us, Hyrule is in shambles. I hope wherever you are, you’re safe. 

Link was shot by a guardian, these huge metal monsters, they put him in the Shrine of Ressurection, an ancient piece of Shiekah technology that would supposedly heal him.

I fell in Kakariko… yet, here I am. Apparently they put me in a room that had some sort of Stasis similar to the Shrine.

The difference however… I remember everything.

Link remembers nothing. Not even me.

But we managed, we survived, we took on so many trials together.

And then we took on Calamity Ganon.

It’s gone now, Hyrule is finally safe, we fixed our mistake.

So why does it still feel like we failed?

I wish I could have met you…

Like I said, I don’t even know if you’re alive, I might be sending this to a dead man. But on the slim chance that I’m not…

I really hope I can see you.

Rinku

---

Fiddling with the kinstone half that he had fashioned into a necklace, Rinku sighed heavily. Nearby he could hear Link fiddling with the Slate. The two of them were relaxing on the Plateau, needing some peace and quiet.

A snapping sound caught both of their attention, as one they looked over at the source of the sound, dumbfounded to find themselves staring at a group of people. How the hell did they get up here?

“Pardon us… but would either of you be named Link?” Rinku bristled faintly, defensive as he felt Link tense beside him.

“Who wants to know-?” His terse reply was suddenly caught off by a quiet gasp from seemingly the smallest of the group.

“Rinku…?” His ears flicked and he looked over at the speaker, the guy looked like he’d seen a ghost, the way his gaze kept flicking between his face and… his necklace?

“That’s me, yes…?” He replied cautiously, well aware of the confused looks both of them were getting. He tensed as the other approached after murmuring something to the supposed. The other raised his hands passively, showing they were empty and that he meant no harm.

“Your birthday’s October 30th.”

Rinku stiffened in surprise, he was not expecting him to say that.

“You didn’t want to be a knight and neither did your twin, he has a passion for baking while you had one for sewing.” The stranger continued softly. “On your ninth birthday, you drew the Master Sword together-” They were both aware of the sharp gasp from the group behind the smaller male, but neither acknowledged them.

“Just mere days before then, you received a letter holding half a kinstone.” A soft, hopeful smile crossed his face and Rinku could swear his eyes shone with four different colors. “Kinstones are special… if you fuse two halves together…”

“...Something good will happen.” Rinku managed to finish, staring at the other in disbelief. He managed to stand and half walk, half stumble to the other. He had hoped, he had wished… could it really be…?

“Link…?”

A small laugh escaped him before he held out his arms.

“You said you wanted to meet me, right…? Hope I don’t disappoint-” He grunted softly as Rinku slammed into him, knocking them both over as he hugged him tightly.

Four winced slightly as they hit the ground together, he knew the others would be completely confused about what just happened and he’d definitely owe them an explanation, but right now, he was more focused on finally being able to meet him. Finally focusing back on him, he paused before his heart melted at the mumbling he could barely hear.

“You’re safe, you’re safe, thank the goddess, you’re safe.” 

“I’m safe.” He agreed softly, gently rubbing his back. “I’m safe and you’re safe…” His voice lowered as his grip tightened slightly. “And you didn’t fail.” He felt Rinku stiffen in his arms, but pushed regardless. “Listen to me, you didn’t. You, your twin, you did everything you could, I know you did. And in the end you won.”

“But Link-” He started to protest and Four shushed him sharply.

“But Link nothing.” He replied sternly. “Yes, it took awhile, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Hyrule is safe. You’re safe, Link is safe. You won.”

Rinku sagged against him, burying his face against his shoulder. Four settled with a small sigh before blinking as his gaze met Link’s, Rinku’s Link, his twin.

-You… know my brother?- He asked, cocking his head. -You are… the one he writes to?-

“I am.” He confirmed with a nod. “My name’s Link, just like you. But they-” he nodded to the group behind them. “Call me Four.”

Link seemed to process this before he smiled and raised his hands again.

-Thank you.-

Four blinked, confused as the other continued.

-He told you what happened to us, right? About the Calamity?- At his nod, Link continued. -I think the only thing really keeping him going was the letters he had from you from a hundred years prior. He keeps them in the slate- At that, he pulled up the stone slab from his hip and turned it around so Four could see a screen. On it was the symbol of an envelope and the numbers 523. Internally, he could hear the colors flustering.

“We really wrote that much?”

“Some of them were before us, when it was just Link.”

“Yeesh, all of that…”

“...he kept them all…”

The colors quieted at Red’s words and Four fought back a shiver at the realization. Every letter from their childhood to now, Rinku had found a way to keep them all safe and sound. He tightened his hold on the younger male, overwhelmed at the emotion engulfing his heart.

A soft clearing of someone’s throat caused the trio to jump and finally turn their attention to the group once more.

“Four… perhaps it’s time for introductions?” The smith flushed faintly at the amused glint in Time’s eye.

“Ah… yes.” He managed, fighting back a pout (he did not pout, he did not) when Rinku pulled back to look at the group with a wary eye. Just because he trusted Four, didn’t mean he trusted the rest of them right away.

“Everyone… this is Link and Rinku. Twin brothers and the heroes of this Hyrule.”

His gaze met Rinku’s and he gave a half smile.

“We have a lot to talk about.”