#also yeah rip the queens of Hyrule

[smilesrobotlover]

Some doodles cuz I’m thinking about girl dad warriors.

And some drama lol. The reason why Zelda and Link didn’t get married is cuz he’s half human. His father was a Hylian and his mother was a human, and the council didn’t want Zelda’s children to be “dirtied” with non Hylian blood. This wasn’t a big deal back then (see love at twilight) but it became a big deal around this time. No one is happy.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Thinking of Ganondorf being from an all female race of Amazonian warriors. Thinking of the sheer environment he grew up in affecting him. How, as a Gerudo, he would naturally be a huge feminist because he looks at his sisters and daughters and KNOWS their strength and endurance. He knows how powerful a woman is. Then he looks at the Hyrule and sees how comparably weaker the women of that country are, how they're expected to stay at home and tend to children while the men fight, how even though it's a matriarchy by nature of the goddess blood that flows through the daughters of the Royal Family, the Kings are looked to with more esteem than the literal goddesses in human flesh that make of the more feminine side of the family. Can you imagine how infuriated that would make Ganondorf???

Get comfortable, lovely, I have a lot of thoughts on this.

First, I think you’re right in that Ganondorf would respect and understand women’s abilities. 100%. I also think growing up in an all female society would have several effects on his behavior, such as making him more physically affectionate and nurturing than most men, because that’s the only example he’s had (assuming, of course, he ever was close enough to anyone to do that - I feel like being the Gerudo king kind of separated him from the others so he might be aloof). But I also think that, given their tradition of crowning the sole male as king, and given their seeming Othering of men (at least in botw/totk time, where they have to take a class to figure out how to deal with men, where girls can’t even look at men, where families are ripped apart because they disapprove of men so much - none of which I find remotely feminist or healthy), he’d have a bit of a superiority complex as well. Not over women specifically so much as everyone, but it would definitely include his own people.

As for how women are treated in Hyrule and his opinion on it… based on his behavior and words in TotK—based on the fact that, at least in most eras that Ganondorf lives in—he comes from a warrior culture, I don’t think he’d be insulted for the Hyrule women so much as insulted by them. Like, his thought would be that if they’re supposedly oppressed why don’t they fight back?? Why are they acting so weak and pathetic and docile?? He might dislike the culture altogether if it prevents women from fighting, but he’d also just… be insulted that they all just think, including the women, that they are incapable of fighting (which I don’t think is ever specifically actually the case. Like yeah, there aren’t tons of female fighters out there but nobody disapproves of it either - there are plenty of women adventuring in botw, Ashei is certainly an exception but isn’t seemingly ostracized, there are female knights aplenty in Skyloft culture, which was the foundation of Hyrule, Zelda herself wields a sword in several games). I don’t think he’d care about the idea that women are nurturers or better suited to care for the home and family, because frankly he has nothing to go on in terms of are men better at this or whatnot. He recognizes his own physical strength is greater than Gerudo women, but, due to the Othering of men anyway in Gerudo culture, it’s hard for him to know if that’s a general thing or if he’s just special. Because dude does have an ego, so he’d definitely think he’s special. But he’d also see that these Hylian women are naturally weaker than Gerudo women and would likely just view all of the Hylians as lesser anyway.

As for the royal family, it’s definitely matriarchal as you said, but I don’t think there’s an emphasis on kings being more important. It’s just that we’ve never seen the queens alive, and that’s a story choice rather than a reflection of the culture. Zelda is almost always underage, and her mother is nowhere to be found. You could assume she just isn’t ruling, I guess, but the only time a queen is specifically mentioned is to say she had died, devastating the whole family. When Zelda is of age, even though the game still calls her princess, she is very much in charge (such as in Twilight Princess and Hyrule Warriors). I think part of the reason Rhoam had such a stick up his butt in botw was because he was serving as king regent, essentially, out of his element, stressed as hell in an upcoming apocalypse, trying to keep his daughter alive, and preparing her to rule once she reached adulthood. His whole rant about her being heir to a throne of nothing would be more poignant (still awful, btw, but more poignant) if he was emphasizing that she was rapidly approaching age of adulthood, about to ascend to the throne, and the kingdom had no faith in her and could likely outright rebel against her as a result.

[neverchecking]

Sweetpea is like the Ultimate Golden Retriever Energy, but I also feel like he's weirdly good at Emotional Intelligence and that's the thing that got him into Aaliyah's and then Sage's good books. (We gotta give him something.)

Since this is a yandere verse and Sage is the older version of Wild and Cal, they would probably be yanderes as well. But maybe not as intense? (I think that's the flavour I'm going for) as Sage because the moment Sweetpea realises where he's seen that look before, he's coming down on them like an avalanche.

Because the idea of them thinking Aaliyah didn't choose Sage or them trying to manipulate her genuinely makes him angry. Not a lot makes him angry, but people forcing a choice onto others is one of them. From before the moment he woke up in the Shrine, Tia hammered into his head that no matter what people or even Gods said, the decision to be The Hero was always his. It was always his choice to take up the sword, to save the champions and her, to protect Hyrule. She straight up told him if he felt like the Calamity or Ganon was too much, he could just leave. So Sweetpea is very big on Freedom of Choice. (She's trying to hammer the same thing into the other two but its a bit slower going due to habits and *Trauma*.)

So these little puppies turning into genuine threats to Aaliyah's safety and happiness? Yeah, no. Not happening. Wanna love her? Go right ahead. Want her attention? Fine by him. Want to protect her? Here's a sword. Think she's the most divine person to ever grace the land? You're delusional, that's Sidon and Yona, but each to their own.

Want to steal her away and strip her of her own choices and autonomy? Over your dead bodies.

He's pinned them in private and tearing into them, ripping apart every single excuse they can have that Sage isn't good enough for her. He tells them they have no idea what Sage and Aaliyah went through together, even he and Tia will never truly know. That it was never about deserving between them, only choices.

Sweetpea, who's not-so-sweet at this point, really hammers the point home by sarcastically apologising that he didn't recognise the two as being Flora and Fauna because only a version of Natura would dare to assume things are as they think they should be.

His parting shot is that the two should think about whether they respect Aaliyah enough to understand she made her choice of Sage freely and only if they respect that choice, then she might choose them too. And wouldn't that be better, to know she chose them even with her and Sage's history?

But if they don't? Well, Sweetpea was always the more efficient between him and Sage and a threat to Aaliyah, Sheikah Champion and Sage of Spirit, is a threat to Hyrule and it's Queen.

(He's going to need Tia snuggles afterwards. He won't tell anyone about the duo yet but goddesses he needs snuggles. Maybe even group snuggles. Sage can suck it up. He wants Snuggles.)

The relationship between Tia and Aaliyah and Sage is phenomenal. Tia was just like 'psst psst psst' at first and now she has two cats disguised as Hylians drifting in and out of her home all hours of the day.

Sage and Tia started bonding pretty early on, mostly due to Tia being very different to Natura and willing to go with Sage instead of trying to lead. The 'Dumpling' name came out late one night as they cooked together and Tia was tired. Previously, she'd been trying to respect the space Sage clearly wanted but she slipped. Sage didn't say anything so she let her guard down even further which made Sage drop his guard and it just spiralled from there. (Sweetpea and Tia are Siblings with a hint of 'That's my Mom/Woman that raised me' cause Tia did basically reraise Sweetpea through his amnesia so They are Family which also makes his Red Alert system even funnier cause 'That's his mom you heathens!' 'Don't call me mom. It makes me feel old.' 'But you are old though.')

Tia was really anxious to meet Aaliyah because she really really really wanted Aaliyah to like her. Sage couldn't stop waxing lyrical about her once he got comfortable enough to do so and Sweetpea kept bragging about all the stuff they did together and how cool she is but don't tell her I said that. But then they finally properly meet and it's like "Hi We're the Brain Cells of this operation."

It doesn't take all that long for Tia to scoop Aaliyah under her wing as well because she sees and hears all the shit Aaliyah went through and is just 'We're not doing that again. Mine now.' It starts with a single invitation to tea (because you can't really go wrong with tea) and then spirals into weekly gossip sessions disguised as Important Political Conversations and occasionally Tia trimming Aaliyah's hair for her.

Tia is also big on casual displays of affection so she's dishing out forehead kisses, hand squeezes, linking arms, side hugs and head pats like they're going out of style. Once they get used to it, Sage and Aaliyah are competing with Sweetpea over who gets the first hug. Or just hugging her randomly to annoy her 'Suitors'.

(Eventually, First, Warriors and Twilight tag team with each other to get some sundelions to her. This is a Team Effort now. They wait until Sweetpea is away with his Zora, distract Sage and Aaliyah while one of them quietly passes the bouquet to her. All three of them get shy cheek kisses and her guard dogs are so pissed.

Sweetpea really wishes he'd never accidentally mentioned that of all the Heroes Tia had 'visions' of, the Hero of Twilight was her favourite closely followed by the Hero of Warriors. He has so many regrets :) and those two have been insufferably smug ever since.)

(I feel like Sweetpea is the only one who definitely knows about the whole reincarnation thing. Tia wanted to explain it to Sage and Aaliyah once they were assured the merged Hyrules were permanent but they both saw how visibly uncomfortable it made her. They do at least know her 'Visions' aren't exactly the whole story.)

He seems like the most emotional intelligent out of all of them. Like his own emotions? He has no clue. But Sage has this miniscule twitch in left brow and his right ear flickered? He's gonna commit manslaughter. He's pinpointing every single one of these things. Like you said, it probably is what gets him into their good books because he's explaining that while yes, he does understand that person deserves to be drowned, they can't. And the two are just shocked he could pick that much up when they were certain they remained neutral faced.

They haven't had the same devastation of the upheaval that positively broke poor Sage, so you're right that they wouldn't be as intense. They're a little more mellow, less quick to latch on. The worst is when Sweetpea figures it out and is just D:< That can't happen! He won't let his SIL Leave are you CRAZY?!

Because you're right. Aaliyah did choose Sage. She chose him every time. Pre-Calamity when circumstance forced her to choose between preforming her duty to her people or ensuring his safety, she chose him. After her revival when she could've chose to live blissfully unaware or join him and put herself right back into the fire of it all, she chose him. After the upheaval when she fought several realities to get back, she chose him. And she'll continue to choose him. Over and over and over again. While it's probably unhealthy, it works for them and Sweetpea is going to preserve that to the best of his ability.

It's funny because Aaliyah isn't scary to Sweetpea. Everyone else has a healthy fear of her, but Sweetpea has no shits given. He's willing to do everything to protect her despite the fact she's the one wiping the blood off her face after a fight. Sure, they can wrongly think she's a piece of pure divinity blessing Hyrule, but the second they try taking the piece from his brother is the second he's proving why he's strong enough to roll with those two.

If Sage doesn't get to them first, you bet that he's a little thankful (In his own constipated way) that Sweetpea is willing to go to bat for him and Aaliyah. What they have been through has made their connection so unbreakable, at this point he's convinced they're actual soulmates. Not even Tia or Sweetpea will probably ever know what the true extent of the devastation they went through did to them, but they trust that they are only products of their environment.

Him comparing them to Flora and Fauna probably makes them so angry because how dare he, but it does get them thinking. They don't ever want to cage Aaliyah because A) It would destroy her and B) she would find a way out and then, not only despise them, but make them wish they hadn't met her at all.

Sweetpea probably inspires that idea that should they want any chance with the Sheikah, they'll have to get close to Sage. Hence starts a new plan where they are now working on getting into Sage's good graces, because if he trusts them enough they can get closer to her.

He probably comes stomping back to camp, straight up fuming, throwing shit, reminding everyone that yes, him and Sage are closer in spirit then people think. Even Sage is raising a brow. Sweetpea was supposed to be the nicer of the two? He doesn't even complain when Sweetpea, mid-rant, grabs him by the back of his shirt and all but throws him into their combined bedrolls all put into a pile. He's only watching as Aaliyah is picked up and dropped onto his lap and Sweetpea is turning to Tia. When he returns with Said woman, going into a silent grumble as he moves them around to suit his every whim, they just sit there like O-O wat-

Tia with these two shadows following her like vengeful deities only to calm them with a gentle head scratch rfnofnf Them just coming and going whenever they please is so funny. Like the door opens, "Hi Sage." Incomprehensible grunt. Clanging around "Hyrule herb is to the left." Another grunt. Then a cabinet shutting. "Bye Sage. Tell Aaliyah I said hello. Love you both." A third grunt, a soft "...love you too." and then he's gone. AND THATS JUST NORMAL

I love their bond sm <33 It warms my soul. Especially because Sweetpea's relationship with Tia is more motherly I can only imagine that extending to Sage. At first he's skeptical but beneath all that trauma he's still just a soft boi who's scared of getting hurt again. Which makes it even funnier when her suitors are talking about it and the two are just disgusted because EW?! That's Tia? (They just can't see Tia being romantic in any sense.) It's like watching your school principal flirt with your mom.

Okay that's funny you bring it up because for all Aaliyah plays, she's such an anxious person. So while Tia is freaking out, so is she. Sweetpea spoke so highly of this woman and Aaliyah was two bits short of being absolute insane. So she wants to prove herself to this being who Sweetpea just sings of. She at least knows a version of Sidon and Yona, but not a Tia. Which is probably where Tia is. She knows a version of Sage, has met a few Sheikah, but never an Aaliyah. And when she gets past his barriers and hears him just talk about all the soft things written in books?

When they meet it's probably a little tense because they wanna impress the other so much but if only takes a little while before they're breaking and explaining that they just want to impress the other. And then they soon realize that they are, in fact, the brain cells.

OMG Them having weekly gossip sessions is now so important to me. Especially the hair bit. they're talking about who's sleeping with who, who's Sarah's actual baby daddy, did you hear what happened to Trixie's son? Beatrice caught Tommy and Lucas in the barn. All the juicy details. The one time the boys joined they were left O^O Because wha- they didn't know Hyrule was this deep?!

Tia slowly turning Physical touch into the others love language is so funny to me because it works. With the puppets, they could never touch them. Just see them. so when Tia is jumping all over them and brushing their bangs back to kiss their forehead, holding hands as they walk, it's such a nice reassurance. Even if it does in fact turn into a competition. there's a scoreboard. And they abuse they're privileges for bragging rights as well.

(THEM TURNING THIS INTO A TEAM EFFORT IS SO FUNNY TO ME- The guard dogs are trying to blame each other only to fall short as Tia looks so happy. And while they love seeing her happy, they hate seeing the possibility of her being taken away.

The other two are >:( When Sweetpea admits he told Twilight he was one of her favorites because WHY WOULD YOU TELL THEM THAT?! Wars smug face especially pisses him off.)

(Aaliyah and Sage are probably the best for understanding that talking about trauma is hard. So they easily let Tia take it at her pace just as she lets them. It'll come when it comes. They aren't in any rush and Tia shouldn't be either <3)

[fatefulfaerie]

congrats on 600 followers <3 may i request a little roleswap fic with prince link and hero zelda?

So I asked you if you wanted angst or fluff and you said fluff but apparently the question was do you want a lot of angst or a little angst. I don't think I know anything else. Oops...

Also a big thank you to @aurathian I could not for the life of me remember the word "smitten" but it was in your recent oneshot and I was like THANK YOU BIG BRAIN. Also read her role swap fic it's so much better than mine: https://aurathian.tumblr.com/post/654926454174416896/a-thousand-words

At First Sight

“How did it go?”

Prince Link nearly jumped out of his skin, but hid it well enough. He completely forgot that his royal advisor said he would meet him in his chambers before the banquet. Robbie was a sheikah, but he wasn’t exactly subtle in his appearance, which made Link wonder at how he didn’t notice him when he come in. He replied to the inquiry nonetheless as he looked into the mirror, straightening the crown atop his head and making sure his face was clean, tiny things that showed his newfound vanity crystal clear.

“How did what go?” Link asked.

“Meeting your knight attendant?” Robbie said, standing up. How could this boy forget? “I heard she’s the best sword wielder in the land."

“Oh,” Link said. “F-fine yeah, fine.”

Robbie’s forehead creased. He could only see the back of the young man’s head, the dirty blonde hair cut to proper length and trimmed every few weeks at the Queen’s behest. Link had never voiced an objection, not caring a lick about his looks. Robbie paced forward with crossed arms.

“I’m gonna be late for the banquet,” Link said, finally stopping his obsession with the mirror and heading back towards the doors, but Robbie grabbed his elbow and yanked him back. He got a good look at his face and…

“Are you smitten?” Robbie asked, almost not believing the color in his cheeks, the frenzy in his blue eyes.

“No.”

It was a bald-faced lie. Robbie could tell even without Link chuckling through it.

“O-of course not.”

Link ripped his arm from Robbie’s hold and the poor prince had to keep his heart from stinging. Of all the swordsmen and women in the land, why her? Why those green eyes? Why that golden hair? Why that outfit of brown leather that accentuated-

Link clutched his eyes closed with a sigh.

He was in trouble.

“You and I both know you can’t run from me,” Link heard Robbie call after him. Couldn’t he just drop this? “Who is it, the general’s daughter with the brown hair? That red-haired girl who follows you around with love poems? Oh Hylia, it’s not a commoner is it? Tell me it’s not a commoner.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Link said, his fists balled. He was practically storming away. If he walked any faster, his white pants and royal blue tunic may have caught fire.

“Is she going to be at the banquet?” Robbie continued. “Is that why you suddenly care about how you loo—”

“Why does it matter to you?!” Link barked as he turned on his heel to face Robbie, who was taken aback by the lash of anger. Link absolutely seethed, his chest heaving heavy breaths.

“Why?!” Link repeated, obviously expecting an answer, but apparently he changed his mind. “Why do you have to know everything about me? Why do you have to know that within ten minutes of meeting my knight attendant, my lips were on hers? Why do you have to know that I, Prince Lincoln of Hyrule, fell in love at first sight with the daughter of a farmer in Hateno? Why do you have to know how distraught I am that my mother would never accept our courtship?!”

Robbie let Link storm away, feeling terribly guilty for how had pushed the young man, who was only eighteen and yet preparing to rule a broken kingdom.

But Link stopped in his tracks when he noticed that Robbie wasn’t following him. The prince hugged his arms close, seeking the comfort he was never readily given.

If Link wanted to say something, he never did.

“I’m sorry,” Robbie said, after heave Link sufficient time to put his words together. “I didn’t know. I guess…I guess I’m used to the little boy who told me everything about his day. Sometimes I forget you are all grown up now, that what is on your plate is far heavier than what you had for breakfast.”

Link stewed in silence but Robbie could hear him sigh, could see his head tilt to the ceiling.

“I’m not going to the banquet,” Link said. Robbie could hear his honesty. “I’m going to see her. I can’t stop thinking about her.”

Link finally turned his head.

“Will you cover for me?” Link asked. Robbie graced a smirk.

“Anytime.”

[ashleyswrittenwords]

“I think I just ripped my pants.” Can we please get some preciously hilarious Zelink with this? If you're up for it, could it be set in a modern AU of sorts? Stay safe during the pandemic btw!

I didn’t mean to take all day to write this.

Oh! And it’s a precursor to all of my Queen and Her Bodyguard writings!

(And you too, Anon. Thank you.)

----

“I think I just ripped my pants.”

Her bodyguard mirrored her wide-eyed stare.

It was the bloody Bloody Marys, because of course it had to be. It wasn’t even noon on the pier walkway of south Necluda and the Queen of Hyrule ripped her pants next to a public bathroom.

“You ripped your pants,” Link echoed her surmise as he stood over her sitting form.

Letting her legs sprawl out in front of her, she immediately felt how warm the ground was. Slightly dazed, she nodded, “I ripped my pants.”

This was supposed to be a pleasant summer vacation, and up until now it was. Her favorite second cousin’s vacation home wasn’t far from here. They were actually meant to meet Midna for brunch soon. Then, Link had found this cozy hole-in-the-wall breakfast place that served the most amazing bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys (for her, he had qualms with drinking on the job).

It wasn’t long after that, on their walk to the real breakfast restaurant, that Link hadn’t believed that Zelda did gymnastics for three years as a kid and prompted her to prove it. What he didn’t realize was that she actually would attempt a cartwheel three drinks in with flip-flops on.

Once he got over the shock of the fantastic display, he knelt down and took assessment of her. “Are you hurt?”

There was a seriousness in his voice that hardly suited the situation. Zelda devolved into a bubbly grin before shaking her head.

Eventually satisfied that her fall was harmless, he took her hands and helped her up.

“Wait,” she stopped him. “Check for me.”

Zelda bit her lip and watched the people around them. There weren’t many people along the walkway and it wasn’t a densely populated area. The chances for paparazzi was slim since Impa had anonymously leaked to the press that the Queen was in Hebra for summertime skiing. Besides, she wasn’t in elaborate makeup and a thin tee shirt and jeans hardly held a semblance to her typical suits and gowns.

Carefully, Link had her stand close to the wall. She stared ahead, dread filling her as he peaked around.

“Oh,” he let out a low whistle, “Yeah, you were right.”

Her neck nearly snapped, “Please tell me you’re lying.”

“I’m not.” He sounded mournful.

“What color is my underwear?”

“Blue with white polka dots.”

“Shhhit.”

Link straightened and silently surveyed where they were, “Go into the family restroom and I’ll buy you a new pair in a gift shop. Does that sound good?”

Nonverbally, she consented because there wasn’t a better idea on the table.

Somehow, they didn’t raise any suspicion as he assisted her in shuffling over towards the door, which was thankfully vacant.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” he said through the cracked door. Zelda nodded, though now nervous that he was leaving her alone with ripped pants.

“Be quick,” she started. “Please.”

“I’ll be right back,” he reiterated before letting the door close. Just beyond it, Link didn’t walk away until he heard the click of the lock.

Then, she was alone. The bathroom was like any public restroom on the beach. Sand littered the floor, there was a loud vent at the top, and a peculiar smell that she didn’t want to overanalyze. To her right was a mirror above the sink that was so cloudy that there was no way she could take proper assessment of the state of her favorite pair of jeans. They were old, yes, but that was their beauty. The fabric had bleach stains in some places and the seams were stretched to a comfortable fit – but that was probably the source of their downfall.

Absently, she took her phone out and wrote Midna a vague text that she would be a little late. She knew her cousin would conjure a twisted explanation for this, but it wasn’t something she couldn’t defuse later.

How did Link already know her pant size?

It felt like forever since Link had left when, in reality, it only took fifteen minutes.

A knock on the door made her jump, “Someone’s in here!”

“It’s me,” Link said in that baritone voice. She opened it up to a crack and once his face confirmed that it was Link, she let him in.

“You seem annoyed,” she guessed as he shut and locked the door behind him. He was carrying a plastic bag.

Link let out a sigh, “I went to three different stores and they only had sweatpants that were three sizes too big for you or the shortest shorts I’ve ever seen.”

A tinge of worry crossed her as she looked between him and the bag. “So, what did you get?”

“Bear with me, I have a plan,” he started, bringing out a pair of gray sweatpants. On the side it said in big bold letters “Necluda Beaches”.

He watched her tilt her head to the side, “But aren’t they too big?”

“Yes, but they are my size.”

She blinked at him, “And I’m going to wear… your jeans.”

Not sure what her reaction would be, he slowly nodded.

“Okay,” her lips formed a tight line. “O-okay.”

Stuttering was very, very not regal, so to mask her embarrassment she turned to give him privacy. Then, at his awkward coughing, she tensed and her hands scrambled to pull the rip seams of her behind together. An extremely uncouth blush rose and she thanked herself for choosing boy shorts over thongs.

“If,” she said to mask the fact that her bodyguard was undressing behind her, “If you ever decide to leave me for the private sector, I should make you sign an NDA.”

He laughed breathily, hanging his jeans on the sink and took a moment to observe Hyrule’s Queen tightly grip her bottom. With a smile and diverted eyes he scoffed, “I’ve signed too many to count already. Not that I would be leaving you so easily.”

“Hm, good.”

Once he was done, he lightly tapped her shoulder and told her he’d be waiting outside. By the time she turned, the bathroom door was closing. She tugged her jeans off and flipped them over to see the elongated rip had torn through the middle seam from the belt loops to her crotch. It made Zelda groan. She supposed she could ask Midna to sew it together, but she also didn’t want to have to explain the situation without a couple more drinks.

So, without a proper funeral, Zelda stuffed the jeans into the bathroom wastebasket.

Link’s jeans still hung off the sink and she began to stick one leg at a time, reminding herself that she was still intoxicated and really didn’t want her bodyguard breaking down the door if she hit her head on anything. And if occupying a bathroom for twenty or so minutes wasn’t suspect enough, that would certainly do her in.

Zelda didn’t have to shimmy her way into them like she did with her old jeans. They were long, but definitely built for someone who lacked hips. They stopped loosely at her waist. With a furrowed brow, she pulled the waistband out and saw the significant gap between the denim and her stomach. It was a shame because they may come off as high-waisted jeans.

Her eyes darted to what lied in the sink. For an embarrassing moment, she had thought a snake had crawled up the drain. It was Link’s thick brown belt he had been wearing earlier. Not wanting her bodyguard to wait too long, she looped the belt on only to find that there weren’t enough holes to fasten the jeans on comfortably.

But with a quick glance in the foggy mirror, they looked infinitely better.

“Hey, Link,” she said pushing the door open with her foot while holding the belt in place.

His eyes met her first and then sunk lower.

“Do you have anything that could punch more holes – wait, do I look weird?” Zelda frowned at his staring.

He quickly blinked out of his stupor, “No, no. I can do that.”

They found themselves in the bathroom together again and he patted himself, looking for something before coming to a realization. “Your left pocket.”

From the left pocket of his jeans, Zelda pulled out a thin pocket knife and he took it from her. As he crouched to his knees, Link lightly undid the belt buckle. A thick flush ran up Zelda’s neck at the sight of it. Blond strands escaped his carefully set hair and shadowed his face. The flush grew darker when the pull to make it messier came to her thoughts.

“Do you carry that around all the time?”

His fingers measured where he supposed it would be tight enough and gave a short nod, “I carry a lot of things with me. Missed that though.” 

“I’m sorry for ruining your belt.”

“It’s nothing. Looks better on you anyway.” Then, he met her gaze. “Will this work, Your Majesty?”

The corners of his lips upturned at her scowl.  

“Remind me that I’m on vacation.”

Link tugged at the belt to meet where he marked, “Will this work, Zelda?”

A smile crested her eyes, “Yes.”

—-

  “My darling cousin,” Midna drawled. Five separate mimosa glasses sat in front of her – empty. “You missed the most delicious strawberry tarts.”

Zelda frowned, shortly thanking Link for pulling out her seat, and sat down. “What happened to them?”

“I ate them. Oh, my goodness, Link, that fashion choice,” she burped. “Gorgeous.”

Zelda closed her eyes, wishing she wasn’t here. However, Link grinned.

“Thank you, Lady Midna.”

“Ugh, so formal. And, goddesses, Zelda, your boyfriend jeans are just so fetch,” Midna laughed at her own joke and waved the server over before she could answer.

[vulpiximisa]

finished age of calamity

i liked it but i dont like people saying “better story than breath of the wild” because botw didnt really have that much of a story. like yeah the memories but it was like... backstory/lore...??

story wise, i dont know what i was expecting. this being the “everybody lives” au that we all wanted was... actually great. we didnt have to play as the champions dying! 

bruh (i played wind and lighting first) when that cutscene happened, i couldnt stop screaming. its cliched and i should have thought something like that would happen given eggbot did time travel from the beginning but im so glad i didnt get spoiled for it because i was so moved

rip teba tho because everyone else got along really close with the champions and him meeting revali is just “uh... he certainly was a guy”

im living for every revalink interaction, as in every moment revali makes a jab at link, including the final move where everyone is “go gett’m!!” and revalis just “dont fuck it up!!” gosh this game fed me, thanks for the good

bro i cant stop crying over mipha and sidon. the fact that he came from the ruined time and “i wont let you take her again” im 😭😭😭😭😭 

astor was a disappointment, but i wasnt hoping too much for him in the first place, he was very generic from the get go

i did not expect to like kogha and his OC yiga henchman sooga so much (if ur asking u already know but yes they are yiga husbands) the moment kogha didnt run and stayed to fight with sooga, then bowing his head to his sworn enemy because of his losses, im just 😩😩😩 anyway im HOPING sooga’s not actually dead because this is the everyone lives au

i was hoping eggbot’s origin was a little more complicated but i guess i cant expect too much from a zelda game. kinda mmm that zelda had NO RECOLLECTION of eggbot. like, girl you made that. i know shes busy and a kid but kids are usually really impressionable. iunno

also speaking of zelda, glad the king is alive and apologizes tho i feel like she also apologized but SHE DID NOTHING WRONG. 

.

gameplay wise, yeah its fun. i started listening to some reviews and i guess its easier than other warriors games? i played the first hyrule warriors but its been so long i dont remember what that was like. plus its more botw infused so theres that.

not a fan of.... the clothes changes? i mean, i guess that was a thing in the other hyrule warriors and botw link had outfits but they dont do anything here? and i finished the game so the champions and zelda also get outfit changes but uhhhhh iunno

my fav to play as is mipha, urbosa and impa. i want to get good with revali but most of his  moves use him in the air and its kind of annoying. and teba is fun if you only use his strong attacks. i prefer yunobo over daruk, no offense, but i think gorons should punch (darunia was fine from what i remember, i think his hammer felt like it hit harder than daruk’s boulder breaker) sidon is fine but his strong move is kinda hard to get a hang of, same with king’s form change.

monk is fun, fairy queen is too big and hestu is kinda too gimmicky

.

uhhhhh yeah. i didnt think this would have any tie ins with botw2. so if anything, botw 2 is like the majoras mask to OOT while aoc is the... proper timeline? 

[mckittyarts]

HEY GUYS sorry for the long silence! this thing took a while but im so glad to finally have these gals to show everyone!! but yeah, just like the Links i did a little while ago, these gals are my interpretations of all the Zeldas over the years! because my gals needs some love too baybe!!!

as usual, nicknames and headcanons under the cut!

Harp (Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask): - post-ocarina so basically she’s in the adult timeline but seven years older than she were when we last saw her at the end of oot - big mom friend,,,,,,,,,,,, tall and Motherly will adopt every child - she can and will slice a bitch if she needs to dont cross her - her scars were from the 7 years where she hid as Sheik while Time took himself a nice little nap - after sending Time back to his childhood she’s just been working to rebuild her kingdom and is now Queen - like i said on the Links one, headcanon that she’s Time’s twin sister - nothing much to say about her design it’s pretty much the same asdfghj

Plume (Skyward Sword): - still rowdy. still bapey - can and will push you off a cliff - really loves her animals and insists her remlit’s a sweetheart despite what Sky may tell her - really sweet and understanding about Sky and his napping but will still Suplex A Bitch if he’s being an ass - after what happened in skyward sword she’s in the lead of getting the settlement on the surface up and running - changed her outfit a bit to one more inspired by one of her concept designs but it’s kinda hard to see anything but a white shirt in this image asdfghj - a few scrapes and scratches from tumbling around on the surface, nothing too serious though

Dawn (Twilight Princess): - Stoic and Quiet - i’ve had Twi for five minutes, but if anything were to happen to him i would kill everyone in this room and then myself - cares a whole lot about her kingdom and will do just about anything for her people- has been working to rebuild her kingdom too but like there isn’t much to fix anyway so i guess she gets off easy - again, same design as usual aaaaand no real noteworthy scars she’s smart enough not to get killed unlike everyone else

Hope (Breath of the Wild): - NERD ALERT - spends most of her time documenting and rambling - what do you mean shes gotta rule her country she’s found a cool frog she’s gotta take pictures of!!!! - can actually remember her friends and misses them a whole lot :( - HOO GIRL YOU’VE GOT......... A WHOLE LOT TO REBUILD..... WHEW - kept her design mostly as is and gave her the green eyes because nINTENDO ARE SO INCONSISTENT WITH HER EYE COLOUR IS2G - got in a few scrapes after sAVING WILD’S DYING ASS so that’s where the scars are from

Rapier (Hyrule Warriors): - the cool but wildly irresponsible mom - *gives a whole sword to small child* hell yeah kid go fuck those bitches up - also filthy rich even compared to the other Zeldas like look at that ridiculous amount of gold and silver armour it’s not even gonna protect her dumb ass - can absolutely destroy you if she chooses to do so - has a lot of scars because sOMEONE doesn’t know how to gear up properly - knows sign language so that she can communicate with Her Boy 

Canvas (A Link Between Worlds): - the biggest sweetheart you’ll ever meet...... like oh my god bapey............ - Big Fan Of Art - has a whole museum of paintings in her castle - is 100% convinced that Albi is Deceased :( spent a lot of resources to find him but kinda gave up on it after a year or two  - the lighter patch on her face is the ‘splash’ mark from being turned into a painting which also caused the color in her eyes to change - she actually used to have green eyes

Pebble (The Minish Cap): - OOOO BABEY.......... TODDLER - still really close to Minish they always hang out - Dramatic Little Shit - absolutely a sheltered kid there’s no way Daltus didn’t get a million times more protective of her after she got pETRIFIED??? - despite being completely baby she still manages to be taller than her Link lmao eat shit Minish - the feathers are supposed to resemble Picori feathers, no idea if they are real or not

Ghost (Spirit Tracks): - FUCKING DIES ASDFGHGFGHJ - super energetic and sweet - got all of Tetras attitude but none of the smarts. absolute Buffoon - might be out of mortal danger but still gets in trouble all the damn time - barely has any scars because ghosts don’t get injuries but she does have a big burn/lightning like scar on her chest/stomach from having her sOUL RIPPED OUT OF HER BODY - redesigned the dress a bit so she’d look different from Pebble - also the ribbon in her hair is supposed to be a Tetra’s old bandana!! she got it as a gift from her when she was still Very Small

Tetra (The Wind Waker): - Fuck Yeah Pirate Time - completely Rowdy. Will Stab a Bitch - is more like a robin hood type of outlaw she only steals from Corrupt Rich Asshats like a good pirate should - swears WAY too much. Horrible Influence on Children - is missing like half on her left leg, probably lost it to like a gyorg or some shit - scars are from various battles with other pirates, bokoblins, birds, etc. - busy finding a New Continent

Crystal (A Link To The Past): - tired............... needs a break - Just Wants Link To Stop Dying And Come Back Here For Once!!!!!!! dumbass - real quiet but real calculated - Reads Minds and Talks Inside Peoples Heads - real fond of gardening her own herbs and vegetables  -listen i KNOW they’re like her pajamas or some shit but the blue dress just suits her better!!!! also Canvas doesn’t have any alternate costumes soooo

Ribbon (The Legend of Zelda): - ROUND!!!! CHUMBY!!!!!!!!!! - very sweet and very bubbly - will absolutely hug you to death and there’s nothing you can do about it - rebuilt an entire kingdom because uhh that thing kinda fell apart a couple hundred years after ALBW - doesn’t have any scars because she just kinda sat around while Ganon and Link were having a bit of an argument - i changed her dress to be green because of her in game sprite

Dreamer (The Adventure of Link): - HEY GUYS DID YOU KNOW THAT CLASSIC SAVES TWO ZELDAS??? BECAUSE I DIDN’T REALIZE UNTIL NOW - THIS BITCH CAME BEFORE PEBBLE.......... SHE SLEPT FOR /THOUSANDS/ OF YEARS STRAIGHT - is Very confused, doesn’t know what the hell is going on 99% of the time - absolute grandma, doesn’t understand any of this newfangled technology - just real sweet but also completely disoriented - i guess she just kinda helps Ribbon figure out how to get all the old rules and traditions back in place, just a complete big sister for her

[saxspielercaderface]

It’s been 84 years....

I drew Rezat, my Breath of the Wild Twili OC. Summary about them and this AU under the cut: 

In this AU, the Twilight Realm has been re-connected to Hyrule for over 10,000 years now, the veil between their worlds being at the far reaches of Tanagar Canyon, and both realms have learned to live cooperatively with each other. 

Rezat’s a bit of an outcast in Twili society due to being a direct descendent of the Usurper King, but they have very few ambitions aside from living peacefully in their home (which happens to be in a graveyard), tending to the grounds, dancing, and fending off aggressive twilit monsters that frequently come knocking. Their call to action comes when long-dead corpses begin rising again, warped by older-than-ancient magic and foretelling the return of Calamity Ganon. They decide to seek out a weapon that an ancient Twili champion used against the Calamity 10,000 years ago, hoping to use it to set things right. 

(You know how each race in BoTW has a weapon they focus on? Big two-handers for the Gorons, spears for the Zora, ect? Yeah, the Twili get rods and wands, because I think those weapons are really cool in-game and I like the idea of there being a progression from ‘wand that shoots out lil balls of shadow’ to the champion weapon being ‘the Wand of Sols’ that shoots out light to stun enemies.)

When finding the wand, they also stumble across a group of Sheikah scientists excavating a Divine Beast (yeah there are 5 in this AU, shoot me), and Rezat is instantly fascinated by it. It’s not until years later, after using the Wand of Sols and the new sorceries they developed to compliment it to defend a Hyruelan convoy from a pack of the warped dead, that they’re noticed by the royal family and asked to pilot the Divine Beast. This absolutely pisses off the current queen of the Twili, who loathes anything having to do with the Usurper King (and honestly, I don’t think anyone blames her - Zant really bungled things up for the Twili, and it’s no stretch of the imagination that the effects of his schemes are still felt by the time BoTW rolls around).

Nevertheless, Rezat accepts the offer to pilot Divine Beast Vah Midnos, wanting no accolades or titles and just wanting to help beat back the Calamity and return things to normal. They spend a lot of time helping to fix up Midnos, as its legs are pretty mangled by 10,000 years of being buried, but they’re optimistic that the work will pay off and everything will be just fine. 

Then the Calamity hits, and Rezat is killed while trying to fight off Shadowblight Ganon. RIP.

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Future | Chapter 69

Aryll eagerly offered to find Link, though Rusl was sure his son wanted nothing to do with him. He couldn’t necessarily blame him. To Link, it appeared that his father faked his own death and left them to suffer. He knew he had to tell his son the truth, but he also knew that Link would not stand down as long as the Yiga Clan remained a threat. His chest ached for his son and all that he had endured, and he cursed himself for not being able to take care of everything like he hoped.

He found solace in watching the horses graze in the paddock, taking him back to a time when he was a boy. Back then, he would climb onto his favorite steed bareback and take off for the day, running from his problems and finding comfort in being alone. It seemed Thelma was right; he was always running. He couldn’t run any more.

He took to pacing the paddock fencing, a cigarette in his mouth, looking up only when he heard footsteps on gravel. He met Link’s gaze, but said nothing as he approached. He blew out smoke in a long sigh and turned his gaze to the grazing horses.

“I’m done with secrets,” Link said. “I want the truth.”

Rusl glanced at his son. “Do you trust me?”

Link met his gaze. “Yes.”

Rusl’s face remained still. He studied his son as he inhaled his cigarette. “Why?” he said after a moment.

“I don’t know,” Link admitted. “Everyone else does.”

Rusl smiled and turned his gaze to the ground. He watched the ash drop from his cigarette. “You don’t have to trust me,” he said. “Your judgment has gotten you this far. You’re right not to trust me.” He brought the cigarette to his lips once more. “But, I’d hope you’d give me a chance to earn that.” He blew out smoke again and turned his gaze to the pasture. “I can’t tell you everything right now. But the answers will come in time.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Link said.

Rusl nodded. “I know you will.” He flicked the cigarette to the ground and put it out with the toe of his boot. “I can leave if you want.”

Link grunted. “Right. Where you gonna go?”

Rusl shrugged with one shoulder. “I could travel. See the world or something.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Link muttered. “I’m not letting you leave again.”

“I’m sorry,” Rusl said. His brows furrowed as he spoke. “I know that doesn’t fix anything, but it’s all I can say. I’m sorry I put you and Ary through that. And I know I can’t make it up to you. I just hope you can understand that I did what I had to do, and I hope you won’t hate me forever.”

“I don’t hate you,” Link said. He hesitated. “I just hate that you weren’t there. Even if you were dead.”

“Me too.”

“I was barely ready to be a damn adult, never mind raise a damn teenager.”

Rusl smiled. “Seems like you did alright.”

“That’s debatable,” he muttered. “She’s kind of a pain in the ass.”

“Yeah, I know what that’s like.”

Link wrapped his arms around him, and Rusl returned the gesture, holding his son tightly. He closed his eyes and sighed. For a moment, everything felt normal, though Rusl knew that moment would be brief. But he allowed himself to soak up every bit of it anyway. He wanted to hold on to every moment he had left with his children, because he knew too well that they would be ripped apart again soon, forever.

Link and Rusl slowly made their way back to the farmhouse. Rusl listened intently as Link casually chatted about the last few years of their lives. They paused only when they heard a commotion in the house, and they looked up as Revali stepped outside.

“I’ll get answers,” he called over his shoulder. Daruk reached to grab his arm and stop him, but Revali darted out of his reach with a laugh, appearing outside in the drive. Daruk trotted down the front steps, muttering to himself, as Revail strutted toward Link and Rusl.

“And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon,” Revali sang. “Little boy blue and the man in the moon. When ya comin’ home, Dad? I don’t know when, but -” He was cut short suddenly as Daruk attempted to punch him, but Revali was quick to dodge, appearing in a snap at Link’s side.

“How’s it going?” Revali said with a grin. He draped his arm around Link’s shoulders.

“You know just how to get me,” Rusl said dryly. “Right in the feels.”

“All your little issues settled, then?”

“Piss off,” Link muttered. He moved out from under Revali’s arm.

“Great,” Revali said, clapping his hands together. “Now that everything’s all settled, I can tell the girls to quit spying on you and we can get back to business.”

“What business?” Rusl asked. His gaze narrowed on Revali.

“The business of kicking Yiga ass, of course. We’ve got a Sheikah Slate to get our hands on.” He narrowed his gaze on Link. “And we’re gonna be smart about this and not run off on a suicide mission.”

Link rolled his eyes.

“Sheikah Slate?” Rusl repeated. He raised a brow. He hadn’t realized that they had heard of it.

Revali shrugged. “Apparently it works with this healing shrine, which sounds like a load of horse shit if you ask me. But the last thing we need is the Yiga using that with Ganondorf. And if all goes well, maybe we can use it to fix Hulk over here before he goes on another murderous rampage.”

Rusl glanced at his son, but Link crossed his arms and avoided his gaze as Revali continued on. He pulled out his phone as he spoke, dialing a number.

“Speaking of, we should let Zelda know you’re back in one piece.” He brought the phone to his ear and grinned when Zelda answered. “‘Sup, girl?” He frowned. “Oh, relax. You’re less fun as a queen… Yeah, yeah. Quit worrying, he’s back… Yeah, and you’ll never in a million guess who he brought with him… How’d you know?... Yeah, I’m serious… Do I sound like I’m joking, woman?... For fuck’s sake.” He pulled his phone away and fumbled with it. He held it in his outstretched arm, then wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Whatchu doin’ later?”

Zelda’s voice came over the speaker. “Shut up! ”

Revali rolled his eyes and switched the camera. “Say cheese, boys.”

“What in the fuck,” came Zelda’s voice.

Rusl bowed dramatically. “Your Highness.”

“This is so fucked up,” Zelda muttered. “Who knows about this?”

Revali switched the camera back. He eyed Rusl, and Rusl simply shrugged. “I guess just us.” He turned his attention back to Zelda. “We’re gonna get our hands on that slate, now.”

Zelda hushed him sharply. “Forget about it,” she hissed. “Dorian brought it back.”

Link’s gaze narrowed. “Dorian?” He moved to Revali’s side to address Zelda. “What do you mean Dorian brought it back?”

“He brought it back,” she said, her gaze hard. “Impa has it. I saw it myself.”

“Hold up,” Revali said. “I thought he was working with the Yiga?”

Zelda’s eyes moved around warily as she spoke. “I wouldn’t dismiss it entirely,” she said softly. “We don’t know who’s side he’s on, and that’s exactly what he wants. He’ll do what he has to do to make him seem loyal to us. He may have given us the slate, but I’m certain he has alternative motives.”

Link’s gaze moved to Rusl. “You’re awfully quiet,” he said.

“I don’t know anything,” Rusl said simply.

Link held his gaze on him until Revali spoke again.

“So, what do we do now?”

“Paya and Purah are going to bring it to the shrine,” Zelda said. “Sit tight until we know more.”

“Sit tight?” Revali sneered. “You’re kidding.”

“If Purah determines the shrine will be of use to us, then we’ll head directly there. If not, we’ll need to resort to something else. There’s no sense wandering across the damn kingdom; that’s exactly with the Yiga will be expecting, and they will ambush us.”

“Crazy idea,” Revali started. “We could just take them out right now.”

“Don’t test me,” Zelda sneered. “If you so much as step a toe out of Paya’s ward, I will destroy you myself.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

The call ended and the screen darkened. Revali sighed and slipped his phone in his pocket. “You heard the lady,” he said.

Rusl’s gaze narrowed on Link. “What do you want in that shrine?”

“What do you know about the shrine?” Daruk asked carefully.

“The Shrine of Resurrection is a healing shrine,” Rusl said. “What use would it be to you?”

They hesitated. Revali and Daruk turned their gazes to Link, and he shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

“Well,” Revali started. “It’s nice to have around when the Yiga Clan destroy our sorry asses,” he muttered. He quickly changed the subject. “What’s there to fucking do around here, anyway? If we’re waiting around, I at least want to get drunk tonight. Where’s Kit? I’m sending him to the city to stock up on beer.”

Revali made his way back toward the house, calling Kit and whistling as if searching for a dog. Daruk hesitated, his gaze lingering on Link’s, before he too, left them alone.

“Are you going to explain this Hulk shit to me?” Rusl muttered.

“No,” Link said simply. His brows furrowed.

“Keeping secrets, then?” Rusl said. “How ironic of you.”

Link sneered at him. “Sucks, doesn’t it?”

Rusl frowned. “What do you want to know? I’ll explain whatever I can.”

“Everything,” Link snapped.

Rusl shrugged. “Fine.” He paused in thought, carefully planning what he wanted to tell Link. “I was in a special unit tasked with finding the Yiga Clan. There were several of these units over the years, but most of them were completely wiped out. Some of them we simply lost contact with all together and never knew what happened to them. I’m sure the Yiga Clan was behind every single attack. So, naturally, we were ambushed as well.” He lit another cigarette, pausing for a moment to bring it to his lips and he sighed. “Those of us who weren’t killed were brought in for, you know,” he shrugged, “the usual questioning.” He blew out smoke. “I don’t know what happened to any of them. I’m sure they all died. Figured that would come of me, too.” He flicked ash off the cigarette. “But they seemed to have other plans. They weren’t so willing to end my life so quickly. They wanted you, obviously, and I had that information they wanted. I think they planned to use me against you, against Roham and all of Hyrule. Apparently they thought I would be useful enough to keep around. I think I was there for nearly two years before I got out.”

Link’s brows furrowed. He pulled his gaze away. “How did you manage that?”

“I’m just fucking good like that,” Rusl said. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“Yes,” Link said simply.

Rusl didn’t go into any further details, being careful to leave out anything about Dorian. “I got out. I got in contact with Roham. Told him what happened. He filled me in; told me that he told you I died in some attack in Termina. Said I couldn’t return to the city. Too risky. Obviously the Yiga Clan would be looking for me. I couldn’t bring them right to you. But, I had intel Roham needed, and a fairly good idea of where the Yiga Clan hideout was located. I bunkered down in a safe house for the next couple of years, per Roham’s orders. A few more units were sent to infiltrate them, but they had no more luck than anyone else.” He brought the cigarette to his lips once more. “And that’s about when I had enough. Told Roham to go fuck himself and decided I’d destroy the Yiga Clan myself. But I got word what happened to you and Aryll and Mipha, and when I heard you had managed to escape, I just knew you would be back for more. I worked too hard keeping your damn ass alive to let you go in and throw it all away.”

“I still don’t believe you got out on your own,” Link said after a moment. “Your story has a lot of holes in it.”

Rusl smiled. “Perhaps. And those details will come through in time. It doesn’t matter right now. You wanted the truth, there it is.”

Link’s brows furrowed as he processed this information. “Kohga told me he killed you,” he said after a moment.

“Of course he did,” Rusl said, rolling his eyes. “That’s what bad guys do. They fuck with you.”

“Yeah, well.” Link hesitated. “He did a damn good job. He pumped me full of his dark magic shit.”

“Is that what happened?” Rusl studied his son for a moment, taking another moment to puff at his cigarette. “Is that what this Hulk thing is all about?”

“Aryll calls it Dark Link,” he said with a shrug.

“Is he like, the anti-hero?”

“Straight up villain,” Link muttered. “Kohga’s trying to turn me against Hyrule.”

Rusl frowned. “Doesn’t look like he completely succeeded there.”

Link’s lips pressed together and he pulled his gaze away. Rusl studied him carefully, seeing him clearly for the first time since they were in the Yiga Clan hideout. Whatever happened in the desert was clearly attributed to what they all referred to as Hulk or Dark Link. And judging by how they avoided the subject, it was clear to Rusl that they weren’t telling him something. Something happened to Link while he was Kohga’s captive, and Rusl’s stomach knotted nervously. His son was not the same carefree sixteen year old he had known. Life had been hard on him over the last few years; unforgiving. He was changed completely, and it was Rusl’s fault. He could only hope that his mistakes were not dire, and that Link’s life could still be saved, at any cost.