#and i felt it was perfect for link and sheik/zelda

[skelinor]

Based on this meme

[tokiro07]

That reply I got on my last Zelda post made me realize that I was only thinking about the story elements for potential Zelda-led games and not the mechanics of those games. I touched on it a bit in my reply, but I wanted to dive a little bit deeper into it here

As in Echoes of Wisdom, the goal here is to find gameplay styles that de-emphasize direct combat or physical dexterity, though we don't need to completely eschew them either (even EoW Zelda throws boulders around, after all)

Skyward Sword: a common complaint with Skyward Sword was the lack of content in the sky, so I think revisiting that through Zelda herself would be a great idea. Getting to spend more time with the Loftwings would be fun too, so I'd like them to play an active role within the dungeons. To that end, I'm thinking something inspired by Team Ico's The Last Guardian would work well, with the goal being to guide and instruct the Loftwing to perform tasks, requiring the player to pay attention to its mannerisms in order to gain some semblance of control

Minish Cap: the shrinking mechanic in the original was already a game-spanning puzzle in and of itself, so revisiting that could work well for Wisdom gameplay. To differentiate it, though, I might recommend expanding it to include shrinking and growing other objects, maybe a little bit like Superliminal but on a smaller scale. Or Zelda could just be shrunk down the entire time and needs to figure out how to navigate the world around her

Four Swords/Adventures: FSA ended with Zelda talking about learning a lesson about teamwork and some such, so this could either be another co-op game where the players need to coordinate with each other, or one player would be given multiple characters to work with at once and need to keep track of them all, like the single player in Tri Force Heroes. Honestly, my problem with TFH was that it was clearly not designed for single player, so if they revisited that concept with that explicit intention, I think they could have something solid

Ocarina of Time: obviously this would be Sheik stealth game. Oracle of Seasons already had minor stealth segments, so if you expand that concept into something more akin to the classic Metal Gear games, being more focused on observation, reaction and improvization than pure memorization, I think you'd really have something

Link Between Worlds: again, the 2D/3D puzzles of the original were already exactly the kind of thing we're looking for, so if the developers felt in any way that they hadn't fully explored the concept, like giving Zelda the ability to actually perform actions in 2D rather than simply moving, I think it would be worth revisiting

Zelda 1/Adventure of Link: similar to my idea for Four Swords, I think this one would best focus on the dichotomy between the two co-existing Zeldas, so perhaps an It Takes Two approach with each character having unique abilities would be best. Again, this is a good opportunity for co-op, but I'd like it if they could be controlled simultaneously, like in FSA. Maybe something more like Mario & Luigi's overworld segments, where they're both moving at the same time and different buttons are assigned to each character to activate their unique abilities. We don't really know enough about either of these Zeldas to conjecture what powers they'd have, but if we go off of Zelda I being under a sleep curse, maybe something to do with stillness vs. motion? Like one can make things stop and the other can make things speed up? It would take some workshopping, but I see potential here

Twilight Princess: knowing so little about the Twilight Realm, I'm envisioning labyrinthian architecture, where pathfinding is the name of the game. Given the predilection for darkness, perhaps light-based puzzles would be in order

Wind Waker: this one has the best reason to expand into combat for sure since Tetra is a fighter, but coordinating with her crew to perform tasks either for puzzle-solving or combat would be a perfect way to incorporate her Wisdom into the gameplay. Maybe there would be naval battles where steering the ship in the right way or firing the cannons at the right time would help fend off enemies. Maybe on land, resource management of ammunition and other supplies would be something the player has to be mindful of, or Tetra can bring two or three of her crew along at a time like the Sages in TotK to use their abilities

Spirit Tracks: the Phantoms were already pretty much exactly what we're looking for, so I think just coming up with new Phantoms and level designs would be sufficient. Rearranging the Spirit Tracks themselves for more efficient navigation could also be fun, but I don't know if most fans want land development in their Zelda games

Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom: I already said in my last post that the Ancient Power system in TotK would have worked as a Wisdom mechanic, so again, any enhancement or refinement therein should probably go to Zelda

If I were a professional, I'm sure I could come up with something a lot more workable than these high concepts, but my main goal with this thought exercise was just to see how the extant stories could be used to make new ones, and I definitely see a lot of areas of opportunity

Of these, I personally like the Skyward Sword idea best, I like what Last Guardian was going for and would really like to see the concept explored by other developers

[geminiskulleta]

This is my very first post, and after seeing all of the lu and loz fanart on tumblr I thought what if all of the zeldas across each era in Hyrule came together linked universe style? I know this isn’t an original thought by any means but I think a story for the zeldas would be super cute and I’d like to show what my take on a Zelda story would be.

I designed a new lullaby (OOT Zelda) and I’d like to see your thoughts on her: Anything I could improve? Anyone else you’d like to see? Please let me know - hope you like it🫶🫶

Lullaby - the queen

Link: Hero of Time

Age: Early 30’s - The same age physically as Time and a year older than Malon.

• She is also known as the princess of destiny, and was surprised to have found out that nearly all of the Zeldas have heard of her and that She and Time became legends.

• The wisest and oldest of all the Zeldas, the unofficial leader.

• Very protective and caring towards the others - seen as the “mom” of the group.

• Holds a lot of regret for her past mistakes and the splitting of timelines (She remembers the events of OOT as she was a past user of the Ocarina. In every instance where time is rewound, she remembers even if it isn’t her that uses it. The same is true with Time.)

• Tries to be a good role model for the other Zeldas as she knows they look up to her, she feels a lot of pressure to be a perfect queen.

• Much less sure of herself than Time, her biggest fear is making mistakes that effect others and constantly second guesses herself. She tries her best to put on a brave face.

•She knows that Fable, Dusk and Tetra are her successors- each from a different timeline, but she is unsure how to tell them.

• She knew about the timeline where she and link lost against Ganondorf and the timeline that she and link had left behind, but never knew what became of it. She was distraught when she found out it had been flooded and turned into the great sea.

•She is able to see into the future, as she grew up her power became much stronger- her prophecies have never been wrong.

•She doesn’t dream anymore: She can only have visions. By closing her eyes and focusing very hard she can see tiny snippets of the future like flashes that will leave her to decipher their meaning, but the only way to get a clear vision is to fall asleep.

• When she has trouble sleeping, she will hum Zelda’s Lullaby, the others never comment on it as they fear she will stop.

•She will always listen to other people’s problems and do whatever it takes to help. She often puts others before herself and is very rarely selfish.

• She shares the trait of being too absorbed in work and pushing herself too far just like Flora. She just doesn’t know her limits when it comes to things such as that and she feels that no matter what she does, it will never be enough

• Needs reading glasses but the others make fun of her and call her Grandma when she puts them on

Relationship with Link:

• As children, she and time were friends but they drifted as they grew up.

• During her time as Sheik she trained hard for seven years; learning how to fight, mastering magic and learning everything there is to know about the temples and how to help link on his adventure.

• She remembers everything from the timeline that Time left, as she was a user of the ocarina. Much like him, she had the opportunity to relive the childhood that was taken from her but she would never be the same again. She was hardened by her and Times adventure. He told her some of what happened in Majoras mask and she felt like she was responsible for everything that happened to their kingdom, to her father, to Link. She began to avoid him due to crippling self hatred and believed that he was a living reminder of her failiures. He was very broken from Majoras mask and was in a dark place in his life. He didn’t care whether anyone stayed or left for a long time and his walls were only broken down when he met Malon again.

• When Lullaby and Time would talk as adults they were very formal and distant with one another. They felt on guard towards one another and didn’t know exactly why, as Time held no ill will towards the queen and Lullaby could never bring herself to hate him.

• As Time matured, his walls were broken down by Malon and he allowed himself to make connections and feel again. But Lullaby never had someone like that to help her through her pain, and she threw herself into her work to become a truly great queen. She was formal and almost robotic to anyone she met.

• As Time allowed himself to heal he would wonder about Zelda, but never reached out. He could never figure out why he was like this, why the thought of seeing Lullaby again scared him, but he was never understanding of his emotions.

• She and Malon are actually great friends and though they’re often too busy to see each other they send letters all the time.

• Fun fact: She planned and officiated Time and Malons wedding. She felt as though she owed it to Time and this is where she and Malon started to get to know eachother.

• She and Time haven’t properly spoken since the wedding. They spoke briefly and Time saw just how closed off Zelda was. He could see that she had been in an awful state of mind but he felt like he couldn’t help her. He wasn’t able to, he wasn’t strong enough.

• the whole ‘ age thing’ effects her too since she remembers the adult timeline. She says she is 34 but she doesn’t exactly know her age.

[smilesrobotlover]

I’ve read most of the mangas so I think I’m gonna rank them all since nobody asked for it. I haven’t read the tp manga just yet and I’m not including the skyward sword Hyrule hystoria manga for the sake of my sanity (and the mangas that are one story separated into two books are counted as one except for oracle of ages and seasons)

1. Four sword- the characters are so fun and are great to play around with. Shows perfectly how important characters are to a story. They had to give each Link a defining personality different from each other and the way they bounce off each other was just so much fun. Not to mention the dynamic with shadow was interesting and adding a father to Link was also fun to read. And I was fond of this Zelda! A more sweet character but could also roast you if needed. I liked how she fought with her words more than anything else.

2. Oracle of ages- again, great character dynamics and a very interesting story! It wasn’t the damsel in distress trope so it was more refreshing to read than the others. And sir raven is just… a perfect man. Also Impa my beloved

3. Majoras Mask- the way this was written was so beautiful. The weird spookiness from the game was perfectly captured (for this being released without playing the game, that’s impressive) and the story was so… sad yet wonderful. The emphasis on loss and death just kinda makes it somber. And Skull kid’s backstory legitimately makes me want to cry everytime I read it. Poor kid :( the ending was epic too, gosh I loved watching Link put on the FD mask and going ape 💩 cuz of the righteous anger he feels towards majora, and him condemning the Happy mask salesman was also nice. You can tell this Link matured from oot. Also Kafei and Anju were so pure.

4. Oracle of seasons- I really enjoyed the beginning of this! Sometimes the mangas are so short that everything feels incredibly rushed and chaotic but this one was more chill! I mean, we saw Link hang out with the traveling performers for a while, a lot longer than I expected, and it really helped the pacing a lot. I also liked the characters Link hung out with. Ricky, Maple, and the chicken had fun dynamics! Overall, much better pacing than the others.

5. Ocarina of time- this one was pretty great, I loved how Sheik was written, he was the most interesting part of the story imo. I also loved Link, very kind and gentle but sometimes mischievous and just a great guy. Very determined. My only issue is how Zelda was written. I loved her in the beginning wanting to be a normal little girl, but naturally, as any Zelda with an alter ego, she fell short compared to Sheik, who was fantastic. And these stories can’t go 5 seconds without a damsel in distress so. But I liked it! And I liked the side characters! The whole Lon Lon ranch thing was fun too! Also Impa my ABSOLUTE beloved

6. Phantom hourglass- A more simple story but a fun one. Loved Ciela and Linebeck’s dynamic and the style was so fun. Also the ending was better written than the game imo. This is the only licensed Nintendo thing made that didn’t do tetra DIRTY. She was the girlboss she was meant to be, and tho she needed to be saved, she had a much different personality than the other Zelda’s so it felt less redundant. And not to mention, she acted more like a capable captain in the end and it was SO GOOD. I also personally liked that Bellum went after the ocean king, that was a cool scene too see. Shame it ended so quickly. My only issue is not enough Dadbeck 😔

7. Minish cap- this one was pretty fun! But I wasn’t a huuuuge fan of how Link was written. But he was tiny the entire time and it was adorable, and the ending was so bittersweet . Also Minish Vaati was adorable, honestly all the Minish were adorable. There’s just not a lot to say about it tho. Nothing really stuck out to me. Zelda had the same personality as every other Zelda so not much to say about her either.

8. A Link to the Past- not the best story. It’s not a rereadable story and it’s kinda boring. I adore Link’s personality and lbl legend is based after him, but the other characters were more eh. I liked the thief girl a little. But my biggest gripe was Zelda. I feel like Zelda’s in these mangas are all written the same but she’s written differently in a bad way. Apparently she was made more soft for romance but that just made her flat, boring, and also annoying. There were a lot of interesting characteristics to be done with her personality tho, but it wasn’t done. Which is a shame. But I did like the ending. It was very sweet (again, Link is an absolute sweetheart).

[jacksfandomrandom]

I made a Trans Sheik oneshot. I love the legend of Zelda and Sheik/Zelda gave me trans vibes from Oot. This oneshot is an Au where Link wasn't sent back to his childhood.

A couple months after Hyrule was saved and Link had a place at the castle, Zelda looked over the balcony in her room. Even though she almost died multiple times, she couldn't help but feel like she missed those days. Running around in masculine clothes and going by ‘Sheik’ brought her serotonin. She wanted to fight and be manly, like Link. However, she couldn't do that now. She had to help the civilization by being the princess. 

Her father didn't help much either. He always reminded her how princesses didn't fight. He got her more dresses which she didn't exactly enjoy. Yeah, skirts were cool, but the long and pink dresses made her want to vomit. She'd much rather wear a blue or navy tunic.

Impa walked into the room and saw the princess looking over hyrule from her balcony. She could tell something was up. The girl had been through a lot of trauma after being kidnapped.

“Good afternoon, princess Zelda,” She greeted her. Zelda winced at that title and name.

“Is something wrong?” Impa asked, leaning her elbows on the concrete bars. She was a fairly chill assistant/bodyguard. When Zelda was younger, she was sort of a parental figure towards her too. 

“Have you ever wanted to be someone different?” Zelda asked.

Impa was a bit shocked at this. I mean, she was a literal princess. Almost everyone would want that. But she answered a bit truthfully.

“Sure, sometimes I want to be a knight but I'm here, and I gotta deal with it,” she replied.

“No, I mean, have you ever wanted to be… a boy?” Zelda nervously said.

“Well yeah, being a boy has perks,” 

“No! You don't get it. I want to be sheik again…” Zelda admitted. Impa then realized what she was talking about.

“Oh,” she said in shock. She knew Zelda enjoyed doing that but always thought she was just a tomboy. 

“I- I don't know why I feel like this…” Zelda covered their face with their hands, tears slowly falling.

“Hon, I think I know what's going on,” Impa explained. 

“Y-you do?”

“Yeah, I think you might be trans.” She said.

Zelda uncovered her face and looked at her confused.

“Trans?”

Impa was a bit weirded out that they didn't know about that. They were 16. She then remembered how sheltered they were. The king wanted them to be perfect and normal and sheltered them from many things.

“So basically, Transgender means that your gender is different from what you were assigned at birth. Like, if you feel like you were born in the wrong body, it's a big possibility you're trans. But don't fully trust me in this stuff. I'm just a lesbian,” Impa told them

“So am I a boy?” 

“Do you want to be one?”

“Yes!” they said with enthusiasm.

“Then I guess you are, Sheik,” Impa smiled over to them. Sheik beamed at that name. They liked it a lot.

“What kind of pronouns do you want to use?” Impa asked. This started a new explanation. But after Sheik finally understood, he answered.

“He and They, please” 

“Alright. Welp, that's good to know. I'm glad I can help you out. I should get back to work though. I’ll give ya a haircut later. See ya, Prince Sheik,” Impa waved as she left. Sheik felt a massive amount of serotonin. It felt so good to be called ‘prince’. Hopefully, that haircut would be soon. Nonetheless, Sheik felt extremely good that he now knew what he was.

[journalsouppe]

My spread of one of my top 3 favorite written works made -- Congruent (and Isometry) by @sincosma! This is the only fanfic I have journaled and wow this fic is truly incredible. It's always amazing finding a piece of fiction that just connects with you completely, and I'm so glad I found it by chance (or was it fate?) from a beautiful piece of artwork by Art Nevoa.

Thank you to sincosma for writing such a beautiful story and it just makes me much more excited to be in the Sheik zine! And spoilers for anyone who hasn't read Congruent!!

Writing typed below! (plus an extra blurb on the review and some other fanart links)

This review is structured more for myself detailing what made me love the fic throughout the story, which is different than a review I'd post on AO3 as this is for me to recall what I was thinking at the time of reading the fic. It was only around this time that I considered posting my spreads online so this was mostly a personal review! If I spent more time on it I would have worded some things differently but alas, it is in permanent ink.

Here's two other pieces of art that I absolutely love here and here (although this one is a spoiler).

By: Sincosma 9.7/10 - Febr. 2023

What a beautiful and devastating story. This fanfic perfectly captured my thoughts and feelings about post canon OOT Link and Sheik. Congruent perfectly depicts both Link and Sheik suffering from PTSD while also trying to understand their feelings for each other. It was definitely odd at first to have Sheik be a separate character from Zelda, but the author handled him with such tender care that I completely understand her disappointment when they were revealed to be the same person. Sheikah lore is expanded on so well and in a way that perfectly fits the OOT depiction of Sheikah. Not to mention keeping and emphasizing Sheik's darker skin tone. I would honestly love to learn more about the Sheikah from the OOT era especially because they are completely different in BOTW. There were also some details (minor) that were different but were only mentioned once and didn't bug me much. For example the small comment about Link being tall, when in fact he is a short king. This fic also stressed me the hell out. The author really put Link and Sheik through it but also perfectly encapsulated the anxiety these events would give them. The Nether added a whole new level of horror I was not expecting. The void walker scenes especially were so bone chilling and anxiety inducing. I would actually be surprised if Link DIDN'T change from his experiences there. After the Nether was the development of a delicious slow burn consisting of Link constantly trying to suppress his very gay thoughts of his best friend. One of my favorite moments is when Link thinks "I don't understand why Sheik wouldn't want to be with Malon." Like huh Link I could ask you the same exact question LMAO. Not to mention the desert scenes where Link and Sheik started opening up to each other more and more omfg. My absolute favorite scenes all happened in the lost Sheikah city. Incredible mental environmental imagery, amazing plot points, and the beginning of congruence and healing. Man I wish we had more about the Sheikah than just Kakariko UGH this fic is so good with Sheikah lore. The revival of Kalyh was perfect not only to add tension to Link's budding feelings, but to also add tension to the plot and rising threat. The threat of Fourskys was really interesting. I like how Termina was always in Link's fate. I also like how Fourskys community is just filled with refugees from Hyrule, it emphasizes how corrupt Hyrule is while also showing even your own community can fall into corruption. Ugh this fic just felt so true to oCarina of Time I really have to tell myself it isn't canon. Even when Link and Sheik got together it was still tragic as they didn't know if they were going to die, or worse, during the fight. I love that the end concluded with Sheik losing his arm and magic as it shows just how cruel fate and prophecies can be, but also his willingness to give up anything just to be with Link. And that leads into Isometry, the perfect bittersweet conclusion. Link and Sheik still struggle with PTSD, but they have each other and were able to leave Hyrule. Nothing is perfect but they get to live humble and secluded lives, married. UGH I could go on forever but this is such an all time favorite piece of writing. I am so happy to have stumbled across it and hopefully I van do more with it in the future.

[cloudninetonine]

I’ve been thinking about this since not long after I sent in my last one, but I just can’t stop thinking about how Sheik must’ve felt during SS.

He’s going to have to face the fact that his goddess wasn’t perfect, that she hurt people. I can just see him in the sword during Link and Zelda’s meeting, hearing everything and having his world view kind of come partially crashing down.

Because in his eyes, Hylia could do no wrong. Essentially. After everything that happened he grew such an attachment to Hylia that once she died he essentially started really viewing her as a god. Not that he didn’t before, but his time with her had let him actually get to know her.

And so, to hear her admit to using his Master? To hear the tears and self-loathing in her voice, to realize that she’s not actually gone? Only for her to seal herself?

My poor boy. Especially because he never would’ve been able to reunite with her. Not really. Yes, there’s that moment where Zelda blesses the sword, but then at the end of the game the sword is put back in its pedestal.

To get her back, only to to be separated, and never able to reunite? This poor boy.

It's certainly a whole whirlwind of emotions, poor guy having to go through so many damaging truth bombs in quite a short span!

[lanternbats]

actually, tell us everything about your LoZ AU

Sorry I had so much to say apparently so whacking this all under the cut o7

So my first thought was what game do they fit into best. Ocarina of time is an interesting choice, Sheik Bruce is pretty cool and Navi could be a fun take on a lantern ring as she’s a source of information and such, which is the same reason Fi and Skyward Sword also has potential (that and FLYING!! Oh Hal you would love a Loftwing). But I settled on Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom because of course I did.

The Sheikah Slate/Funky arm work soooo well as a lantern ring replacement, and Hal gets to glide around and build planes so boom, perfect Link role for Hal. And BOTW Zelda is a big ‘ol over worked nerd with the weight of the world on her shoulders which is very Bruce.

So they meet when they’re both teens, only around 16 or so when Hal is assigned Prince Bruce’s personal knight, which Bruce hates because he can handle himself thank you very much, but Hal is persistent and carries out his duty. They argue a lot. Bruce feels like Hal is looking down at him for being unable to figure out how to seal Ganon (Who is Ganon is this au? Darkseid I guess) away, which is just him projecting his own insecurities. He also doesn’t understand why a reckless idiot like Hal would be chosen as their hero and wielder of the master sword. Hal, who’s spent years training to fill his late father’s shoes and prove himself as a knight is angry that Bruce won’t see him and his skills for what they are and assumes that Bruce dislikes him because he’s not from a noble background. Things between the two of them are pretty tense.

They’re not in this alone however! Four champions from the rest of Hyrule join them in an attempt to beat Darkseid. Clark (Daruk), Diana (Urbosa), Arthur (Mipha) and Oliver (Rivali) join them and become the pilots of the divine beasts. Up to you if they stay human/Hylian or become one of Zelda’s fantasy races. They try to repair the frosty relationship between Hal and Bruce, trying to get them to put aside their nonsense and see each other properly, but it doesn’t work until Bruce is caught in a surprise attack by Darkseid’s cult followers and Hal saves him. It’s the first time Hal has gotten to show off his skills properly and Bruce has a little “Oh.” moment about it. 

After that the two of them are more open with each other. Hal finally tells Bruce that his father was a knight who died trying to protect Bruce’s parents, the former King and Queen of Hyrule, on the night they were murdered. He always wanted to follow in his fathers footsteps despite his mother’s resistance to the idea, but he also always wanted to become a knight because he knew Bruce was like him and he felt an urge to protect him. Bruce tells Hal he’s scared that without his parents guidance he’ll never unlock the powers he’s said to have that would allow him to seal Darkseid away. A friendship blooms between the two of them and the baby idiot pining goes into full swing. 

Between experimenting with the guardian tech, training with the champions and visiting the goddess springs, Bruce is exhausted. He’s working himself to the bone in hopes of being ready when Darkseid arrives. And Hal can do is watch over him. Bruce’s 17th birthday arrives and he is finally permitted to go to the spring of wisdom to hopefully awaken his power, but to no avail. Darkseid appears, all the champions fall, you know the drill. They’ve failed, Bruce has failed. Hal gets mortally injured protecting Bruce, and to save him Bruce puts him in the shrine of resurrection, knowing that doing so will mean the loss of his memories and the potential that they will never meet again. He doesn’t care. He just wants to save Hal, he can’t let Hal die too. 

Hal wakes up, 100 years later, with no memories of who he is or what he’s doing. He just knows he trusts the voice of the boy asking for his help in his head more than anything. An old man (Alfred), helps guide him and get him back on his feet and accustomed to the powers of the Sheikah Slate before explaining what has happened. Hal sets off to regain his memories and save Bruce. He meets the new champions (it would be fun if they were the Robins?) and sets his friends' souls free from the divine beasts. Said friends grant him their powers and their spirits join him on his journey (This means constant jokes from Ollie, constant worrying from Clark, and Diana and Arthur making so many comments about his fighting form. All his friends are dead but they still find ways to be annoying. It’s a ghostly road trip.). 

With their help Hal gets all his memories back and then sets off to defeat Darkseid and save Bruce. They do, and as Bruce and Hal hug it out the spirits of their friends finally move on and the two of them set out to restore the kingdom. 

NOW. Tears of the Kingdom! Is the perfect Link for Hal, he can literally make constructs. I don’t wanna get too far into spoiler territory with this game since I know a lot of people are still playing, but I don’t think Zelda’s story in it fits Bruce as well as BOTW’s does. So maybe we can just smush the two together and Hal get’s the Zonai arm early.

I’ll just leave you with thoughts of them rebuilding Hyrule together and living up in Hal’s little house. Oh and Dinah is Kass. And Barry is… Beedle. Because I’d miss him otherwise. That is all.

[deiliamedlini]

You said I could send however many I want, so here goes

jungle au, hill house au, little zelink marriage of convenience, mmorpg, Time Traveler and her Knight (because I am interested in seeing something for the next chapter if anything exists), contractually obligated, Hercules au, Struggling artist Link/ Successful violinist Zelda, But In Dreams, Stop Following Me, What I Wouldn't Do For You - Fatherhood

UGH TUMBLR ATE MY POST! OKAY HERE WE GO AGAIN Okay i gave you snips of almost everything so imma put this under the cut so it's not aggressive lol!

I'll answer the other ask tomorrow bc this took me SO LONG because tumblr ate my og post

jungle au

George of the Jungle AU (but not really). So Link is raised by wolves because he was abandoned by his parents when he was cursed to be able to turn into a wolf, so his wolf mom raised him, but he's also well aware of how to be a human (like walking and brain function of an adult human etc). How? don't ask. He has a treehouse bc george of the jungle LOL! Zelda's a plant scientist and she goes in and nearly gets killed by a deku baba sting while she's studying it but distracted by the sound of wolves

Zelda never imagined that she’d find herself tangled in a patch of thorny vines, facing down a Deku Baba, lost in the thick forests of West Necluda while face to face with a naked man staring at her as if she were about a predator about to shoot him with the bow that was still inconveniently strung across her back. But here she was.

hill house au

so idk if you know the haunting of hill house show, but basically, ghosts live in a house, and the occupants aren't always aware of who's dead. So I have chapter 1 done, but that's from Zelda's mom's pov (named flora). Zelda is the main character in all the other planned chapters, but not the one i have written. Basically, Zelda lives in the castle and doesn't know who's a ghost and who's alive, especially bc her goddess powers allow her to physically feel the dead.

“Oh, no, you’re riding with me,” Rhoam laughed, grabbing Flora by the waist as she shrieked out her own burst of joy as she let herself collapse into his waiting arms. “So I can hold you longer.” Time had passed, and her affair with the guard remained a secret for over a year. No one had caught the lingering touches, the endless glances, the odd coincidences, the meetings in halls, the private walks Flora wanted so often. When she could get him far from the prying eyes of the castle like this, out into the fields where he was most himself, she felt the pressures of her life melt into these perfect moments.

little zelink

Honestly, this is like, one of my fav wips. It's such a hot mess though bc i was in teh process of rewriting it because i hated the first two chapters. But Zelda and Link are both royalty and they're betrothed young but don't know it. Zelda's older brother is in line for the throne, so she's reckless. Link has 2 bodyguard/bestfriends who are training to give their life for him if need be but they're only kids so it's a lot. Then threre's an attack and years pass so they're adults, but they find each other again and work together while apart to stop the war that's been going on for years because of their parents. (Also Zelda is sheik sooooo)

“Princess,” he said instead, bowing when she turned. He held his hand out when she moved to stand to return a curtsy. “Don’t stand. I was just wondering what you’re doing?” Her eyes lit up excitedly, and she grabbed his hand, pulling him down with her. “I was trying to make the flowers bloom, like Granny can. But I can’t do it yet. She told me to practice and to focus.” “You’re glowing,” Link pointed out, running his hand through the bright light. “I know.” Zelda stopped for a moment. “Shouldn’t you be with Edric? Or Fado, or Ralis, or Komali?” Link cocked his head to the side. “Do you want me to be?” “No! I just… don’t want to take up your time with something silly.” “I don’t think this is silly,” he said earnestly. And watched her eyes glisten again. Father’s letter said crushes would be hard. He didn’t imagine it would take up so much space in his brain, though. She couldn’t even smile without him thinking about it. “Can you tell me how to do it?” he asked, knowing full well that he possessed no magic. But it didn’t seem to stop Zelda.

marriage of convenience

This I actually talked to heaven about making an RP, but I also have the first three chapters already done and I can’t take more RP’s than the 6 I have ready to go (including ours lol), so I stopped working on it once I’d suggested it. But it’s basically Zelda and Link are both royalty, and their parents force them to get married, and they don’t like each other at first, but they’re kinda forced together away from both their affairs (ilia and the court poet I think) and eventually grow to love each other starting married rather than starting… not married LOL Here's some of what I had anyway!

Her mother had died years ago, but she wanted a hand to hold as she strode down the hall. She wanted her father’s arm to steady her as she stepped in tune to the cadence of the organ playing behind her. She wanted her brother’s kind smile watching on proudly from off to the side as she finally looked up from the floor. But all she was met with was the piercing blue eyes of her future husband at the end of an aisle. Dressed in the finest golden and green regalia, Prince Link of Faron— for that was all she’d acknowledge him as— stared at her with the wide eyes of one seeing their bride for the first time. But this was their second meeting, and that look held far less charm. He cleared his throat and stepped towards her, bowing low, letting the loose hair that was too short to stay tied back in his sleek ponytail fall into his face. “My Lady,” he whispered, a respectful greeting. And though she longed to spite this man with a lack of one herself, she simply held out her hand. “My Lord.” He kissed the back of it and rose, leading her towards the priestess before they both were left to stare at each other in awkward silence as a long passage about love and devotion was read aloud to a congregation of thousands. The callouses on his hands were rough and irritating. He was royalty, sure, but he was a military commander, and unfortunately, an excellent warrior himself as well as a leader. A small bend in the bone of his nose drew her eye. It wasn’t terribly noticeable, but the more she looked at it, the more distracting it became. And couldn’t he have at least bothered wear his hair down in the traditional style for their wedding? It was the least he could do after killing her brother. After all, that was why they were here. He needed to marry her.

mmorpg (here's a very early snip that's been rewritten, but it gets the vibe)-

The champions are all gamers in a guild together in an open world MMORPG. They play a game called Hyrule Warriors together all the time and have like a discord chat going at the same time so they can talk. In the meantime, Link is also one of the biggest names in streaming that game, but he goes by a different persona in the guild so he can just have fun rather than needing to constantly prove himself as his other character he streams on. Zelda doesn’t know, but she’s a huge fan of him as a streamer and has talked to him in forums, and she has a acrush on both versions of Link, not knowing they’re the same person. For some reason there’s no VC in the game specifically to keep that something she can’t figure out LOL!! I also had a smut thing written off to the side of that as them having fun in chat BAHHAHAH but idk if that would make it in, it’s more for fun

Time Traveler and her Knight (because I am interested in seeing something for the next chapter if anything exists)

1k already exists, yes!

When she’d been gifted the Slate, it had been little more than broken pieces, and Zelda felt an incredible sense of pride that she’d been able to fix it to this state once before. It was rarely used material from a civilization so advanced, they'd blocked off the time-travelers from managing to find it once again. 

There was one task she needed to accomplish by the time her assessment was done, but though she’d read similar procedures in the book, and had done less complex repairs, she just couldn’t seem to manage this repair.

She needed more hands.

Looking around, she sighed. She'd normally ask Terrako, but he was in no shape for it. 

How long had Zelda been alone with Terrako in here? Years now? Months? 

But she wasn't alone now, and that was nearly lost on her. She ran into the hall and quickly knocked on the door to Link's room, grinning when he emerged, dressed in the clothes she'd given him from just a few decades into the future from his time so he didn't have a total stroke. He looked quite cute in them, his shirt loose and ill fitting, but he managed without complaint. His pants needed a belt. Who had she even gotten these from? They weren't from...

"Link!" she smiled, cutting off her own thoughts. "Are you doing okay?" 

contractually obligated

This was Zelda is under contract (or something) to live in a small town for a year before she can leave. It was part stardew au too so she was either going to be a scientist or a farmer. Link was the rancher and a bartender at night, and he gives her a ride into town after she crashes into a fence while almost hitting a goat. So he was meant as like, the one who helps her get settled against her will lol Here's a snip from an old wip wed

Hercules au

I just opened the file and it's empty?? so I assume this was just a standard AU rip off... I could have sworn i wrote something... maybe its on my phone notes but my phone is WAYYY OVER THERE.... It was something like his mother was the goddess but that's really all I can remember! ALAS!

Struggling artist Link/ Successful violinist Zelda

This one is self explanatory in the name LOL! Zelda sees Link get hit by a car (not badly, just like omg he's been hit. he did not look both ways. sorry guys. He's in a grumpy mood at the start) and helps him out of the road and then he goes to her concert the next night (or something) to thank her and they go from there

Link slammed his head back, regretting every decision he’d ever made. Why did he ever go back to college? Why did he see that scholarship and decide that now was a good time to waste on school for an art degree that was never going to help him get a job outside of what he truly wanted to do. And if he failed? He’d be staying in coffee shops and washing dishes in kitchens his whole life. For some people, that was enough. But for Link? He wanted more. After carefully wrapping his tablet and as many books as he could under the protection of the rag that he’d return to its rightful place at work on Sunday, he heavily sighed and rose to his feet, pulling the wet bag over his shoulder. “Here,” Revali said, handing him a coffee a bit forcefully. “Now get out so I can clean the floor too.” “Thanks, Revali.” “Shut up.” Link smirked and pulled his hood back on before braving the storm.

But In Dreams

Link and Zelda can communicate during BOTW, but only when Link dreams. Their chats all happen when link sleeps and she can reach out. Ganon tries to infiltrate their thoughts more and more so they have to have a mental battle with him once he figures out how to get into their dreams.

Stop Following Me

All i have written down in this file is this but it doesn't make sense REALLY bc i don't know the plot?? "Link and Zelda are betrothed and that’s why she hates that he’s her knight and follows her around"

What I Wouldn't Do For You - Fatherhood

Link is a single father after Malon dies, he struggles to be a knight to Zelda and present father, but because there's an active threat to the kingdom, he can't just not let it be, he always feels he needs to make it safer for his kid. So he takes comfort with Zelda who tries to help him out a bit like with work hours. But then it leaves her open to attack, so he's trying to find the balance between fatherhood and soldier-hood. Basically Zelda becomes his daughter's stepmom.

[zeldaelmo]

Every time I see this I'm near tears again. It's so gorgeous! I love the composition you made with their heartfelt reunion in the foreground and Link's oath in the background. It's a perfect resume of how the two storylines interweave! (and also, botw Zelda as Sheik is always a win)

Here's a snippet of the scene:

Link lifted his gaze to her, offering her his raised sword hand. She took his invention, reluctantly holding up her right hand, too, until she was close to touching his and her Triforce began to glow as well, albeit dimmed by her glove.

The communication the Triforces used was always hard to pinpoint to single thoughts or ideas. Usually, it was a sense of agreement or opposition, sometimes a flash meant as a warning. They had never tried to communicate with each other. Was that what Link proposed?  

She joined their palms, and Link stepped closer to her so that their hands were trapped between them. He bumped their foreheads together again, and her Triforce fed her with a stream of words and emotions, slowly manifesting in something that she assumed was a memory. A memory of the evening Duke Derco had revealed their relationship.

Her father’s voice echoed in her mind, quiet and solemn.

“I am old, General Link. Zelda will not always be a Princess. She needs to take on responsibility for the Kingdom sooner or later. If you wish to court her, she needs you by her side with the same diligence with which you wield that sword.”

Zelda couldn’t hear Link’s answer, it was drowned out by the strong, positive emotion that vibrated through them. It must be what Link had felt during the interaction with her father if the heat radiating from his cheeks was any indication.

Start reading here:

Appreciation sketch for @zeldaelmo based from Stolen Kisses fanfiction. Thank you, legend, for allowing me to illustrate my fave scene 🙇‍♀️💕���

[0-racle-0-f-hylia]

Who did the Hero of Time end up with?

In every Zelda game I could always find some reason, convenient or otherwise, for Zelink to be present- every game except one.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, 1998. Unlike games previous to it, it had several female love interests for Link. Saria, Ruto, Nabooru, Malon, and of course Zelda herself.

I never really considered the first three mentioned to be a good match for Link though.

Saria is a perpetual 10 year old

Ruto forced a 10 year old Link into an engagement with her (he didn’t even know what that was) and had him carry her around in her shoulders like he was her servant. (Not to mention if they did have any kids they’d be Zora, not Hylian)

Nabooru is at LEAST 7 years older than Link. I mean, she was an adult when they met and he was a little kid. (Also it is hinted at in game that she is Malon’s MOTHER)(think about that)

And then there was Malon. Initially, I didn’t think much of Malon to begin with. I mean, to me she was just the npc that gave you a horse, but whatever. I didn’t like her as a love interest for Link because I didn’t think she was good enough for him. I really HATE shallow-female-love-interest-characters that do nothing to support plot/Link and are only there to look pretty.

And a never gave Malon a second thought because it seemed to me that during the game, Link had a stronger connection to Zelda than he did Malon.

Zelda gave him the Ocarina of Time, an essential tool for his quest

Guided him after his seven year sleep as Sheik and taught him the teleportation songs

Helped him in the final battle against Ganon

Had a heartfelt goodbye as she sent him back to relive his childhood

To me, there are two legitimate reasons why people ship Malink. One being that, in the manga, Malon had a crush on Link and dreamed he was the “Prince” she was waiting for. Two, in Twilight Princess, Link, a descendant of the Hero of Time, lives in a ranch. So people naturally assume that since Malon herself is also a rancher, the Hero of aTime married Malon and hence all his descendants are ranchers.

Now, since the Manga isn’t canon, the first reason is void, but the second? It does seem pretty solid doesn’t it?

And for the longest time, I couldn’t find any reason to deny that, even if it made me want to pull my hair out because I couldn’t find anything to prove it was wrong.

Every Zelda theorist I knew, claimed that Malink was canon and I COULDN’T DISPUTE IT.

But after looking through both OOT, TP, and every trusted Zelda resource that I know-

I’ve come to the conclusion- that it is far more likely the Hero of time married Zelda not Malon.

I do find it believable that Malon or Talon founded Ordon village as it is the closest thing TP has to LonLon ranch, sharing many similarities in culture. And it is logical to think that Malon’s descendants would live in Ordon village.

So, in conclusion, the Hero of Twilight, descendant of the Hero of Time, is related to Malon because he lives in the ranch-centered village of Ordon!

Yes, it’s the perfect theory! No flaws in it whatsoever.

. . . except for one thing- TP Link- is not an Ordonian.

It’s a tiny detail most people seem to miss. In Twilight Princess, alongside all the other races of Hyrule, there are two kinds of humanoids:

Hyruleans: the non-magic people of Hyrule with round ears.

Hylians: with long ears, gifted with the ability to “hear the gods” and possess magical ability, as said in the Hyrule Historia.

Link is from the latter category, as he has long, pointed ears. And while it is possible one of his parents or grandparents was Ordonian, there is no way to prove this as he looks the same as any other Hylian. Meaning, it is likely that Link had no relation to the Ordonians by blood.

There are no other Hylians in Ordon besides Link, which leads me to conclude that Link’s parents were from castle town, the only other place in TP where Hylians reside.

In the beginning of the game, Rusl does say that Link has never been to Hyrule. But that merely implies that Link has ever been outside the village in his memory or since Rusl has known him.

Meaning his parents may have lived there when he was a baby. Or he was found/given to the Ordonians after his parents death or disappearance. Similar to how the Hero of Time was raised as Kokiri because his Hylian mother brought him to Kokiri forest and died soon after.

Epona is another factor that needs to be accounted for. It could be argued that as TP Link has a horse named Epona, this ties him to Malon, as the original Epona came from LonLon ranch. But it is a null point as the Hero of Time owned Epona even if he didn’t marry Malon and therefore his descendants, wether or not they are related to Malon, could have a horse that is related to, or named after Epona.

Now I’ve stated a couple reasons why I think Link didn’t marry Malon, but I haven’t given any reasons why the Hero of Time would marry Zelda. But I’m getting to that :)

One of the reasons why I believe the Hero of Time married Zelda is due to his appearance on TP, specifically, the Hero’s Shade.

Besides his ghostly, skeletal figure, the most intriguing thing about him is his armor. Comparing his elaborate armor to the much simpler armor of the guards or soldiers (not knights, as some people think) in Ocarina of Time, makes me believe he is much higher ranked , probably an esteemed Knight or something similar.

Which makes sense, considering he was the one who warned the king of Ganondorf’s treachery and possesses amazing swordsmanship skills. It is also hinted at in Hyrule Historia, that Link’s father was a knight as well, making Knighthood, Link’s inheritance.

Another detail I find interesting is, though faded, you can tell that the Hero’s Shade’s armor was once gold with red detailing. The armor’s color scheme, red and gold, is typically used by kings of Hyrule.

As seen in Wind Waker and the Minish cap. King Gustaf, King Daltus, and King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule all wear red and gold.

Another peculiar detail about the Hero’s Shade’s armor is the shape of the breastplate resembling that of an owl’s head. Owls are associated with wisdom. In OOT, Zelda holds the triforce of WISDOM.

In TP, you can buy an item called magic armor in castletown. It’s design is reminiscent of Zelda’s appearance in the game. Including the design of the crown pauldrons and tassel. This makes me assume it once belonged to a prince of Hyrule. This is further backed up by its red and gold color scheme, colors associated with the king of Hyrule.

The most obvious connection between Hylian royalty and the Hero of time is concerning the magic armor. Specifically, the long, red cap included in the outfit. Compared to the rest of the armor Link gets in the game, the magic armor just doesn’t seem to fit.

The hero’s clothes have a green cap because it’s what the previous hero wore, Kokiri styled.

The Zora armor has a blue cap because it is made to resemble the Zora’s long head fin.

But the magic armor? Something made for royalty? In all the other games, no other Hylian royalty is depicted with a long cap, so where could this style have come from?

Well, if the Hero of Time married into the royal family, perhaps his unique style would have carried over into the traditional Hylian royalty get-up, as he become a prince. Creating an outfit that includes the royal colors, crown, tassel and the Hero of Time’s long cap.

On a side note, may I remind everyone that in Majorca’s Mask, when the Skull Kid was attempting to bring down the moon the first time, Link flashed back to his last moment with Zelda?

Sure he could have just been remembering the song of time and yes, the fact that he has Epona means he did go back to LonLon ranch to see Malon.

But one, he probably just went to LonLon to get his horse to travel with

And two, he didn’t flash back to his last moment with Malon, did he?

And three, the fact that he rembered how Zelda reminisced about their time together and he didn’t just recall the song of time just go’s to show how strongly he felt about their relationship.

[aurathian]

Regrets

For @zelinkweek2021 day 7 Mortality: Lost Eternities

Read it here on AO3!

He faced the Hero of Twilight with knowledge and experience, faux confidence that took him years to learn while he wandered purgatory. Each step he took around that foggy Hyrule, new and unfamiliar, was laden with regret and sorrow—until he met Link. He nurtured the hero of this new age, taught him things other swordsmen could only dream to master, and when he saw his natural ability to wield a sword he knew the Goddess chose well.

“You have at last mastered all of the hidden skills,” he said. “Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those who came after. At last, I have eased my regrets.”

The Link of this new Hyrule doesn’t seem to understand his words, but the Hero’s Shade goes on anyway.

“You who have marched through countless foes, each mightier than the last… you, who now gaze to the future with vision unclouded.”

The fallen hero understood at last why the world around him was enshrouded in eternal fog, and he was jealous of the new hero before him. Confident, unwavering, even in the face of a warrior much more ancient than him.

“Surely you can restore Hyrule to its stature of yore as the chosen land of the gods.” He noticed the change in Link’s expression, the slight part of his lips and raise of his eyebrows much like the ones he bore in life, and he knows he realized. “Farewell.”

And then, the Hero of Twilight was gone, but so was the Hero’s Shade. His world was no longer clouded, hidden by white fog. Instead, the sky above him was blue and the ground below was soft and white, made of puffy clouds. He remembered this place. He remembered when Princess Zelda sent him back in time so he could have a childhood, even thought that had proved fruitless.

“Link,” someone called his name, soft and high, a whisper on their tongue. He turned, and he saw her.

“Princess Zelda,” he breathed. She was perfect as always, the spitting image of the woman who disguised herself as Sheik and held Hyrule together by a thread for seven long years. Long blonde hair rolled down her back and her eyes matched his in vividness. Yet, there he was, a set of bones clothed in armor, only one eye to show.

“I missed you. So, so much.” Princess Zelda ran up to him, swinging her arms around his neck and holding him close, even in his hideous state.

Even though she was identical to the Zelda he shared an apocalypse with, she was not the same. She knew little of the horrors he endured and never experienced life as Sheik, as the man he found himself falling deeply in love with and then even deeper when it was revealed he was Zelda.

Link, the Hero of Time, figured he had no regrets. Having passed his knowledge on to the new hero, he could rest easy, or so he thought.

He hesitantly wrapped his arms around the woman who embraced him so tight, around the woman he felt obligated to love because he had loved her before in a different time. The eternity he would spend here in the afterlife was for naught, because the woman before him was not her.

“I’m glad we can be together again,” she said.

“Me, too,” he whispered into her ear, burying his head in the crook of her neck.

He had only one regret: that he could not have his Zelda.

[sapientiiae-a]

Sheik had a point, which only made her feelings and intuition seem all the more illogical. They, predominantly Sheik and Link, had spent a GRAND amount of effort to awaken the Sages, and the Sages had sacrificed so much of their lives to take up the burden of being the protectors of Hyrule. 

So why was she still fretting that something was amiss?

For a moment, she was ready to write this off entirely. To admit to Sheik that he was right and she was being irrational. As the Leader of the Sages, she should be one of the first to know if something was transpiring in Hyrule, much less inside the Temples. And although she had not heard from the Sages, that didn’t necessarily mean that was a bad thing, right? Wasn’t no news good news?

Lips part to admit she may be overreacting, only to be stopped short as Sheik proposes a new (more viable) solution. To her surprise, it was a near perfect balance between their two mindsets. Sheik thought traveling to each of the temples would be dangerous, time-consuming, and overall unnecessary. Zelda felt it important to ensure the safety of Hyrule, though she could not provide any reason to warrant their travel. Visiting the Great Deku Tree allowed them to meet somewhere in the middle, and she knew it to be true that he had a strong connection with the rest of Hyrule.

“You have a valid point, Sheik. So it is decided then? I will speak to the Great Deku Tree to determine whether or not there may be a deeper meaning behind my fears. And you will accompany me?”

   “How does it not feel like enough? Isn’t that what we went around waking all of the Sages up for?” He shouldn’t take this so personally, he knows, but his own mother was one of those sages currently and both Sheik and the Hero of Time had given an entire lifetime before this to find them. To find the sages and wake them from their call. Sheik might not have personally gone into the temples, but that hadn’t meant he sat idly by outside while the Hero of Time played his role inside of them. 

He fights the temptation to rub at his forehead by tucking his hands behind his back, gripping his left wrist tightly with his right hand. His mother used to tell him that this entire thing started because the Princess had a premonition of the future they had once lived. A future where Ganondorf took over and brought Hyrule down to it’s knees. Sheik remembers her when she was younger, remembers her nightmares that her father wrote off as a young girls mind that read too many fairy tales. 

He remembers his mother’s worried gazes and her arguments with the King. They still can’t go play Hero in those dangerous places without a little more. “Why don’t you talk to the Great Deku Tree first? One of the Temples is there too. If he gives you just reason you can ask permission to wander the Lost Woods to find the Forest Temple and its Sage Saria.” One in a deep forest. “The Great Deku Tree has an unusual attachment to this world, he might understand whatever you’re–pondering?” He was so bad at this.

[earthnashes]

 Someone asked for more headcanons on Sheik, so I did this a while ago as an answer but kinda forgot to upload it. >.> Buuuuut here it is now, have some Sheik and Paya with the previous doodle of Impa! <: So let’s go ahead into the headcanon for them, eh?

------

-Though not by blood, Sheik and Paya are sisters in this timeline. Sheik was an orphan girl stealing to survive before she happens upon Impa’s household one stormy night. She breaks in for warmth and shelter from the rain, only to be discovered by the young Paya. This fated meeting is what eventually results in Sheik being adopted into their family. This part of the headcanon got pretty long so, if you wanna read the entire thing, you can do so HERE!

-Sheik was taken under the wing of Impa while Paya was trained by Impa’s sister, Purah. Sheik’s one of the most versatile and skilled warriors there is in Hyrule thanks to her grandmother’s mentorship, and what she lacks in magical prowess she more than makes up for in purely physical combat. Meanwhile, Paya isn’t a very physically strong young woman but she is a highly skilled magic user and versed in a variety of Alchemy science.

-Sheik’s often mistaken for a guy due to her deeper voice and somewhat androgynous features, but she doesn’t mind.

-The Sheikah tribe use significant markings often in their culture. Typically these markings are done with very durable facepaint, but members of the tribe with significant stature often get their marks tattooed onto them. All three above have tattoos, with Impa’s and Sheik’s representing their station as a warrior while Paya has the mark that represents her role as a Seer.

-Sheik and Impa’s markings are different from the typical warrior marking: theirs show their status as the personal bodyguard to an incarnation of Zelda. Meanwhile, Paya’s job as an esteemed Seer is to protect and maintain the intricate history of Hyrule and important artifacts that are linked with it. This includes the likes of the Master Sword and Majora’s Mask, as well as great walls and tomes depicting and detailing nearly the entirety of Hyule’s history, specifically the re-occurrence of Hylia, Demise, and the Chosen Hero throughout said history. Paya’s an especially talented young lady and is probably the youngest Seer the tribe appointed.

-The Sheikah Clan in general is an ancient clan who’s responsibilities revolve around maintaining the safety and peace of Hyrule. The founder of the Sheikah Clan is the original incarnation of Impa herself, the Shield of Hylia. Every Sheikah shares this Impa as a common ancestor: one of the most telling traits of this ancestry is their unusual red eyes and very light hair: usually comes in shades of platinum blonde, silver, grey, or shocking white.

-The Sheikah are able to keep such accurate records of the entirety of Hyrule history is because, of all of the beings that are reincarnated, the Sheikah are unique in that they always remember their past lives. Not every Sheikah is reincarnated, but those who are, are entirely aware that they've lived in the past. Seers are especially unique in that they exhibit the ability to relive moments of not only their own past lives, but others as well in perfect detail in the form of memories. While they don't need aid to relive important moments of their own past lives, they do need a conduit to experience another person's memories: this is often done in a unique ability called Soul Sight.

-That means that Paya and Impa are both entirely aware that they’ve lived past lives. Paya’s only lived once before the current timeline: she notes that her last life saw her as being more reserved and prone to stuttering, and while she’s more outgoing in the current timeline she never loses her shy demeanor or a slight stutter when nervous.

-The Shield of Hylia (The Guardian or The Shield for short) is the title given to the Sheikah warrior chosen to become the personal bodyguard to Zelda. The Guardian isn't hand-picked in the traditional sense: Zelda herself must choose her bodyguard. The Choosing is a highly important ceremony, in which the best of the best Sheikah Warriors are lined up before Zelda on her 15th birthday and are prompted to kneel before her. Zelda then approaches each warrior and places her right hand upon them (typically on their head) and reaches to their aura with hers. If an instinctive connection is felt between the two, Zelda will choose that warrior to be her Shield.

-When Zelda chooses her bodyguard they will undergo a ritual in which they are instilled with the Spirit of the Shield. This ritual grants the Guardian the knowledge previous Guardians had, improving and sharpening their skills moreso than what they were before. They are sworn under an oath to protect Zelda to the bitter end, with their lives if need be, and the conclusion of the ritual is obtaining the unique eye tattoo as a physical symbol of their status as The Shield.

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WHEW! And there ya go! Some headcanons on not only these three but also some stuff on the Sheikah Clan in general. I hope ya’ll enjoy! <:

[fictionkinfessionsarchived]

being sheik was so liberating. i know im usually mocked for being the "most useless zelda" but my father was so controlling, i had to be the perfect princess. even in the final battle, i had been sheik and fought alongside link but being back in that princess getup just made me feel trapped and i felt like i wasnt allowed to do anything can you blame me for not doing anything but opening doors i was breaking down and panicking and the castle was falling apart what was i supposed to do -OoT zelda

[aurathian]

WIP Wednesday 9/8/21

For @zelinkweek2021 day 7 prompt: lost eternities!!

“Link,” someone called his name, soft and high, a whisper on their tongue. He turned, and he saw her.

“Princess Zelda,” he breathed. She was perfect as always, the spitting image of the woman who disguised herself as Sheik and held Hyrule together by a thread for seven long years. Long blonde hair rolled down her back and her eyes matched his in vividness. Yet, there he was, a set of bones clothed in armor, only one eye to show.

“I missed you. So, so much.” Princess Zelda ran up to him, swinging her arms around his neck and holding him close, even in his hideous state.

Even though she was identical to the Zelda he shared an apocalypse with, she was not the same. She knew little of the horrors he endured and never experienced life as Sheik, as the man he found himself falling deeply in love with and then even deeper when it was revealed he was Zelda.

Link, the Hero of Time, figured he had no regrets. Having passed his knowledge on to the new hero, he could rest easy, or so he thought.

He hesitantly wrapped his arms around the woman who embraced him so tight, around the woman he felt obligated to love because he had loved her before in a different time. The eternity he would spend here in the afterlife was for naught, because the woman before him was not her.

“I’m glad we can be together again,” she said.

“Me, too,” he whispered into her ear, bearing his head in the crook of her neck.

He had only one regret: that he could not have his Zelda.