#and slightly alien Zelda

[onewomancitadel]

I'll reserve judgement until I actually play TOTK but they did a story-heavy Zelda once which elevated the gameplay and its mechanics and it was great, without leaning into twee anime tropes

[smilesrobotlover]

Chapter 3- Sky Islands

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AO3

Summary: it’s been three years since Calamity Ganon attacked Hyrule, and everyone was recovering well from it. Until the strange substance gloom appeared, making people sick when they touched it. Wanting to find answers, Zelda and the champions went beneath the castle against her father’s wishes to try to solve the problem. Meanwhile, the King of Hyrule is desperately trying to figure out more about the gloom, though no one knows the true danger lurking beneath Hyrule…

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The first thing Link felt was the cold.

The damp, cool air caused him to shiver as consciousness slowly began to return to him. He curled and uncurled his fingers and toes, them feeling like ice as they touched warmer parts of his body. The cold traveled up his arms, making him shudder, and he finally opened his eyes. It took a moment for him to comprehend where he was as he laid there, trying to find the strength to not fall back asleep, but the unfamiliarity with his surroundings stopped him from finding more peaceful rest. He was clearly in a cave of sorts, with roots and vines dangling from the gray rocks and poking out of the ground, and he looked to be under a tree that rested protectively above him. Link sat up, curiously observing the mysterious cave he was in, and he rubbed his aching head. How did he get here?

A sudden stab of pain went through his head where his hand was, as if a twig or claw nicked him slightly, and he hissed in pain as he pulled away. He instinctively looked at his hand to see what hurt him, but his stomach sank slightly as he stared at the monstrous arm in front of him. What had nicked his temple were the fingernails, which were sharp and animalistic in nature. They were on a sickly, dark green arm wrapped in golden jewelry that went all the way up to his bicep, and on each finger bore a circular ring. Link stared for a long moment, confusion and panic settling in as he tried to remember what happened and what caused him to suddenly have such a horrifying arm. He glanced at his other arm, but it looked perfectly normal to him, with his simple soft skin and short fingernails that contrasted the rough and decorated alien arm.

“Link, you’re finally awake.”

Link flinched at the sudden deep voice, looking around him in a frenzy to see who was with him, but to his surprise, he was completely alone in the cave.

“Do not be alarmed, I mean you no harm,” the voice continued, though it didn’t ease Link’s unease. “Your wounds were severe, I was afraid that you wouldn’t make it, but I am relieved to see you escape death.”

Escape death… What happened?

“Your arm, however, was beyond saving,” the voice continued. “I had to replace it lest the injury endanger you further.”

Link instinctively looked down at the new arm again, taking in the details. He wondered if it was a prosthetic of some kind, but the way it moved—the way it felt proved otherwise. It was living, with blood flowing through its veins, yet it felt wrong. It wasn’t his, it was… something else. Something alien to him. He rubbed his head again, this time with his left arm, and he tried to remember all that happened. The voice didn’t speak up again, and Link finally stood up, though it was a lot more difficult than he realized. His legs felt weak and numb as they haven’t been used in a while, and his whole body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Link let out a grunt as he stretched his back, feeling slight relief for his tight body, and he finally looked around him, shuffling his feet to get used to them again. The cave was simple, plain and dark, with vines and roots that snaked through the room. But amongst the vines, Link spotted something, and his heart stopped.

The Master Sword.

It was tangled up in vines, but Link could see the decayed and shattered sword as he got closer to it. He stared in shock for a long moment, his breathing shallow as he reached for the hilt, almost hesitant to touch it as if he was unworthy. When he finally grabbed it, he immediately could feel the emptiness inside the sword; the once powerful and divine magic that rested within the Blade of Evil’s Bane was gone, and dread sank within Link’s stomach as he plucked it from the vines. As he observed the decayed blade, the memories from before finally flooded in. They were traveling beneath Hyrule Castle, they found forgotten history, they found gloom getting thicker as they walked, they found a corpse being held up by a green arm, it shot gloom at him, destroying his arm and…

Link glanced down at the new arm. Was it… the same green arm as before? It grabbed him as the corpse shot gloom above them, it grabbed him as he tried to stop Zelda from falling into the abyss with Terrako, it…

Saved him.

It must be the reason why he was here then, and it replaced his destroyed one. He felt slightly better about the new arm, but a new fear settled in.

Where was Zelda? She vanished into a gold light when Link tried to grab her, unless he hallucinated the whole thing due to the pain. Did she… teleport away? He didn’t know she could do that. And the champions… the arm grabbed him and saved him, but did it save the champions? Were they able to get away? Or were they still beneath the castle, fighting for their lives while he was tucked away safely in a cave?

Link huffed, pushing the dread out of his mind to make way determination as he sheathed the broken master sword. Though it wouldn’t do much good for him, it was better than nothing. But he needed to save the champions and Zelda.

He marched towards an opening covered in vines, cutting through them with the broken blade. He was expecting to see more of the same gray rocks from before, but to his surprise, he found himself in a building that had clearly been ruined due to time. It was a large room with stagnant gears to one side and a door straight ahead, and right in front of Link was a strange green circle with a handprint in the middle. He was tempted to leave it be, but curiosity got the best of him, and he walked right up to it. It was clearly a magic circle, with it resting within a statue encircling it. When Link lightly touched it with the right arm, a loud bell rang out, causing him to jump as the gears to the side began moving. The silent air was soon filled with the sounds of machinery as the gears turned, and the door right in front of him opened. Link let out a sigh of relief, grateful he went to the magic circle first, and he took off running, anxious to leave the building and running through the ruins. While running through the hall, small ponds that Link would have to dive into met him, with each dive being higher than the last. On the third dive, he climbed out of the water, laying on the rocky ground with a sigh. He hadn’t been running for a long time, and he was a remarkable swimmer, yet his whole body felt impossibly heavy. Maybe he hadn’t fully recovered from whatever that corpse did to him.

Link rolled over to his side when he felt his stamina go up, and he spotted a little chest glowing amongst the bland vines. Curious, Link scrambled to his feet, opening it with slight excitement. Inside was a tan colored skirt that had wraps underneath. Sandals rested underneath the garments along with a belt and Link frowned. He didn’t recognize this style of clothing. It was clearly old, yet well preserved, and he considered leaving it behind. But the feeling of rocks poking at his feet convinced him otherwise. He wasn’t wearing any clothes, let alone shoes; perhaps it’d be smart to put on something.

After putting on the archaic clothing, he ran to the next opening, feeling excitement as he felt a draft hit his face. Sunlight peered through the mouth of the cave, and Link slowed down when he finally made it out. The fresh air, the warm sun, the sound of trees rustling in the wind felt incredible to Link. It felt like he was inside the dingy cave for weeks, which considering his condition, he probably was. He sucked in a deep breath and opened his eyes to see a stone flooring that led to an edge. Stepping out further into the sun, he walked to the edge, spotted a lake beneath him, and without thinking, he jumped.

As Link jumped off the platform, he was finally able to get a good look at the new world he was in. Several islands that floated were all around him, hovering over a giant island that dwarfed the rest. Orange and yellow leaves were floating away from the trees, hinting at the first signs of autumn, and large, strange white building rested on the large island, which stood out from the rest of nature. To top off the view, a white dragon flew through the sky, right above the white building.

As the large island got closer, Link’s heart began to beat harder, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he dove flawlessly into the water. He emerged with a gasp, the cold water shocking him slightly, yet he felt refreshed with his wet hair growing colder in the wind. The refreshed feeling quickly went away though when he felt heavy and weak again, and he swam to the yellow grass, hopping over big lily pads that were in his way. When he was finally out of the water, he shivered slightly and laid in the warm sun, panting for air as he stared at the beautiful blue sky. He laid for a long moment, the warm sun and his exhausted body threatening to force him to sleep, but the sound of flapping wings caused him to scramble to his feet instead, pulling out his master sword.

“You’re almost dead for an entire week and the first thing you do is dive off a cliff?!”

Link turned to the lake to see a familiar blue Rito standing on a log, his wings crossed and his piercing green eyes glaring at him. Though he never got along with him, Link couldn’t help the relieved smile when he saw the Rito champion. Revali was here which meant… the other champions had to be safe as well, right? Link sheathed the master sword and jogged up to him, stopping when Revali backed away.

“Woah, don’t you dare touch me when you’re soaking wet!” He squawked, his wing out to keep Link from getting closer. Link’s relief was replaced with irritation and to his surprise, offense, but he forced another smile, which made Revali’s gaze surprisingly soften.

“Well, I’m glad you’re at least doing alright,” Revali said, his wings crossed once again as he looked away, almost looking angry to express concern to Link. “We—the others have been worried sick about you. We didn’t know where you were or… if you were alive or…”

He trailed off, his eyes landing on the alien arm that replaced Link’s. Link glanced down once again observing the strange thing.

“Goddesses, what happened while you were up there?” Revali asked, mostly in a rhetorical tone. The arm was simply dropped at Link’s side, and he shrugged, not quite understanding what happened either. He could explain the voice that spoke to him and the arm being the same from beneath the castle, but instead he said nothing. Revali waited for Link to speak up, but when he didn’t, he simply turned away, knowing that Link’s voice never came easily.

“How are you feeling right now?” Revali finally asked, concern more apparent on his face.

Goddesses, how was Link feeling? He was confused, worried, relieved, hurt—he felt a lot of things. Link admittedly felt the need for comfort, but he couldn’t let Revali know that. Instead he stood up straight and forced a smile, nodding reassuringly at the Rito. Revali didn’t look too convinced, but he didn’t press any further.

“Ok, the others are doing ok too, if you’re worried about that.”

Link’s smile was more genuine, relieved that he wasn’t the only one saved.

“Except, Zelda is missing, we don’t know where she is,” Revali continued, and the relief quickly disappeared. “We’ve searched all over the island. We knew you were somewhere in the building above us, but we knew nothing about the princess. We still don’t, honestly. But that white building over there,” Revali pointed behind Link, “we hope that she’s in there. Urbosa feels some divine magic inside. Only issue is, we don’t know how to get in, it’s locked.”

Link frowned. It wasn’t ideal, but there was at least hope that Zelda was alright. It seemed he got hurt the worst from the corpse underneath the castle, which he was grateful for. He couldn’t bear for the others to get hurt the same way.

“Well… Um…” Revali stared at Link for a moment before looking around at the trees. “I’m going to go look for others, they’ll be happy to hear that you’re on your feet again. You should stay put while I’m gone. Just stay at this lake, and I’ll be back. You hear? Stay put!”

Link nodded, watching as Revali gave him a threatening look before flapping his wings and taking to the skies with power. The wind blew dust in Link’s eyes and covered his face with his arm, and when the dust settled, Revali was gone. Knowing that the champions were at least safe, he felt slightly better, like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. Though, he was still worried about the princess, and he wondered if she got hurt the same way he was and was inside the strange white building recovering. Either way, he needed to find her and the rest of the champions, and so he decided not to stay put so he could try to find them. Sitting around in the mysterious woods while waiting for Revali was not something he wanted to do anyways—he would feel much better if he saw the others with his own eyes. Especially Mipha.

Hylia, she must be so worried about him.

He needed to find her, but he wasn’t able to ask Revali about her. The champions had done well at interpreting Link’s silent language, but they couldn’t pick up on everything and Link couldn’t ever find the voice in time. It was frustrating, but it was something he had to deal with.

The woods were quiet as he walked through them, with beautiful sunbeams shining through the colorful leaves, leaving a warm light on the yellow grass. He was amazed that something like this was in the sky of all places, and he wondered how and why nobody knew about it. Were they still near Hyrule? Or were they in an entirely new realm? Link had seen the three dragons of Hyrule disappear in a circle of clouds before, and so he wondered if he was in the same area as them. Link’s eyes landed on the flying white dragon when he thought of that, and he stopped walking, mesmerized by the divine creature.

There had only been three known dragons in Hyrule: Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra. Each one had their one distinct color that made them stand out amongst the skies and terrain they flew across. But this one was clearly not one of them. He could barely see the details of the white dragon, but a colorful light trailed behind the creature, which didn’t match the clumps of elements that surrounded the normal dragons. Who was this dragon, and why hasn’t he seen it before?

Link’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted with a strange mechanical noise. He spun around and saw a one-eyed robot with green light acting like a skeleton as it held pieces of green machinery together. It held a large wooden stick and started to float straight for Link, the red eye glaring into him. The hero simply stood there as the robot got closer, not knowing if it was dangerous or not, but a quick swipe for Link’s side answered his question, and he dodged out of the way before it was able to land a hit on him.

It didn’t seem difficult to fight; it felt like it was no more difficult than a red bokoblin, but he couldn’t fight it unarmed no matter how easy. Link searched the ground for a weapon, not wanting to risk damaging the master sword further, and he was able to find a tree branch by his feet. Though it took a few hits, the branch miraculously defeated the construct, and the robot exploded into a green light. Link let out a sigh and collected the wooden stick, knowing it would fare better than the master sword and the branch.

Leaving the broken machine behind, Link found himself in a clearing with a green statue in the middle. The same green circle of magic as before was in front of the statue, and Link instinctively reached out to touch it, curious as to what it would do this time. The statue suddenly began moving, green light controlling every loose piece and shaping it until a big, lizard-like robot stood before him. Link pulled out his wooden stick, expecting yet another battle, but it simply tilted its head at Link.

“Link, I have waited for you,” it said in a soft, mechanical voice. Link’s eyes went big and he put his wooden stick away, squinting his eyes at the strange thing. The robot straightened its posture and nodded at him. “Princess Zelda left something for you in my care.”

Link’s breath hitched at the mention of the princess. So she was safe, thank Hylia. Link’s pose relaxed and he let out a long sigh, the stress leaving him. The champions were safe and so was Zelda. That’s all that mattered to him. The robot made a sound, and a drawer opened from its chest. It reached inside to grab something, and out came Zelda’s Sheikah slate, with the robot offering the slate to Link.

“This is the sheikah slate. I am told that it is an invaluable tool and will provide you with directions,” it simply explained, the slate looking small in the robot’s large hands. Link stared at it confused as he picked it up. He was familiar with a sheikah slate; it was a helpful tool when fighting different monsters, and every champion had one thanks to Purah and Robbie. But he wondered why Zelda was giving this to him, and why she wasn’t the one to do it. Zelda wasn’t exactly one to willingly part with the Sheikah slate since it was her main weapon before, but Link glanced at himself and figured that he shouldn’t complain. His own Sheikah slate was probably destroyed in the castle.

“I received it from princess Zelda. I have now passed it onto you,” the robot continued, its hands pulling back once the slate was claimed. “My records indicate that princess Zelda is waiting at the location marked on its map. My message has been delivered.”

Link glanced at the map, seeing a pin at the large structure on the floating island. So Zelda was in that building, just as the champions suspected. What a relief. He attached the sheikah slate to his hip and gave the robot a nod.

“I am a steward construct, if you need any assistance, come to me or the many stewards on the island,” the steward construct explained before turning away from Link. The hero opened his mouth to ask the many questions he had. What is this place? Where am I? What happened? But no sound came out. Even to a robot, Link still couldn’t find his voice. When the construct was far away from him, he pursed his lips and let out a sigh, heading to the direction where Zelda was said to be.

The green magic circles that matched his hand fascinated Link. They always seemed to make something happen just by his touch. Thanks to one of them, he was able to build a bridge and get closer to the white building. He was curious about the power now at his fingertips, and he wondered who it used to belong to. The arm from beneath the castle clearly matched his new one—the same green glowing color, the same golden ornaments, even the beast-like fingers matched. But who did this powerful arm belong to? Link found himself staring at the new hand once again, taking in every detail as there was always something new he didn’t notice before. He was so distracted with his hand that he accidentally ran into another steward construct. The robot turned around and Link jumped back, giving an apologetic bow.

“Hello,” it greeted him, not seeming to care that it was bumped into. “You should be careful walking through these woods. Soldier constructs may be a threat to you.”

Link tilted his head. The robot he fought before, was that a soldier construct? How many different types of constructs were there?

“Soldier constructs protect this land and eliminate trespassers. They may fight you and should be seen as a serious threat,” it explained, and Link nodded. He figured that they were dangerous since the last one he met tried to kill him. He gave the steward construct a grateful bow and continued walking towards the building. The area grew more foggy, so much so that he was barely able to see the aforementioned constructs pacing the area, waiting for something like him to appear. Despite the steward construct’s warning about the soldier constructs, Link charged in, defeating the constructs in minutes. It was hard to see them as a serious threat when they were more harmless than a normal bokoblin.

As Link traveled closer to the white building, he saw yet another steward construct sitting by a fire. It was surprising at how many of those guys were here. It glanced up at him and watched him silently as he got closer, and Link stopped abruptly when he smelled something delicious.

“Are you hungry?” It asked, its mechanical voice the same as the other ones. “It is my duty to make all sorts of meals for those who consume food. I do not, but I do enjoy experimenting with different combinations. I suggest you try one of my meals.”

Link walked over shyly, eyeing a baked apple with his mouth watering. Goddesses, when was the last time he ate?

He picked it up slowly, the steward continuing to stare at him. When it said nothing, he finally allowed himself to bite into it. The sweet and tart taste of an apple met his tongue, but there was a hint of cinnamon that practically kissed his taste buds as he ate the apple. The fruit melted in his mouth and he felt like he was in heaven—though it was a simple apple, it was the best apple he’s ever had.

“I hope it’s to your liking,” the steward construct said, and Link nodded enthusiastically, finishing the first meal he’s had in a week. The construct nodded and gestured to the rest of the food laying there. “You may take as much as you’d like. I do not need it.”

Link gratefully took the food and gave the construct a grateful bow. He stuck another apple in his mouth and continued his trek to the building, feeling slightly more rejuvenated thanks to the food. When he got close to the building, he was met with a broken bridge, but it was no issue for Link as he shoved a baked acorn in his mouth and hopped on the side, climbing it with ease. When he reached the top however, he was met with another soldier construct, this one bearing a shield. He sighed, fiddled with the nut in his mouth and pulled out the wooden stick he got from the soldiers. The construct floated towards him, beginning its attack, but Link dodged with ease, rolling behind it and smacking its back. The construct flinched and was thrown off balance, allowing Link to deliver the final blow, destroying the construct. He adjusted the nut still in his mouth and began to nibble on it, collecting the perfectly good shield. Finally, he made it to the building’s doors, quickly eating the nut so he wouldn’t greet Zelda looking like a slob, and he wiped his hands on his trousers. There was a familiar green magic circle with the hand symbol in the middle, and he touched it, expecting the door to open like before, but to his surprise, a red X appeared on the circle, denying him access. He stepped back slightly, looking up at the large doors in confusion.

“That door will only open to those with sufficient power.”

Link jumped and spun around, his weapon drawn and shield up, but his defensive pose dropped slightly as he stared at the person in front of him. He was obviously a ghost, but he was a ghost of a tall creature with large ears on each side of his head, with a short snout and horns on the top of his head. His turquoise eyes watched Link, framed by long, white lashes. Decorated on his body was jewelry and a shawl that covered his upper body, with a tunic that draped over his short legs—it was certainly a style Link had never seen before. The ghost simply smiled and raised a hand defensively.

“I’m sorry, I did not mean to startle you,” he said, and Link noticed the uncanny similarity between this ghost’s arm and his new one. “You may have this figured out, but it was I who spoke to you earlier.”

Link frowned, remembering the strange voice he heard when he first woke up. He stood up fully, putting his wooden stick away while staring at the ghost intently. The ghost lifted his arm, as if proving Link right that their arms were the same.

“That arm belonged to me. Seeing how I no longer have a physical form, I didn’t need it anymore. Not as much as you did at least.” The ghost’s arm rested at his sides again and he stared directly into Link’s eyes. “I am Rauru. I see you’re doing well despite nearly losing your life earlier, that is good news.”

Link looked down, instinctively looking at his new arm and not feeling satisfied with an answer to his previous question on whom the arm belonged to. Rauru floated closer to him, staring at the large, white doors.

“That arm should allow you to open this door, but it seems it has lost the power to do so,” he muttered solemnly. He glanced down at Link and rested his hand on his chin. “You should be able to restore it, fortunately. You’ll just need to enter a place filled with sacred light.”

Link frowned, not knowing where such a place could be, but Rauru chuckled.

“Do not worry, from what I can see, the many shrines on this island seem to still be standing.” Rauru turned and gestured to buildings that had a glowing green spiral coming out of the tips. Link stared and spotted more of them scattered on different corners of the island, and he nodded. Rauru nodded back. “Yes, the shrines are the key, I’m sure of it.”

Link stared at him as his expression grew melancholic, and suddenly, Rauru disappeared, leaving Link alone. He sighed, soaking in the information he got from the ghost. The only way to get to Zelda was through that door, and to do that he had to go to shrines scattered across the island. He wondered why she was locked in there, and if the champions even knew that’s where she was. It was all too strange to him—an unfamiliar world, an unfamiliar enemy, an unfamiliar creature guiding it, an unfamiliar arm—he was almost wishing that things could go back to normal. But he was here now, with a new danger threatening his home and friends, so he had to suck it up and fight back, just like he’s done before.

Link looked over to the closest shrine and began his journey to it, hoping to get this done as soon as possible. He wasn’t the biggest fan of taking time on tasks, let alone tripping over nature to get to his destination. It was a huge pain, but at least he’d be able to get to Zelda with the champions, wherever they were.

He just hoped they were safe.

When Link got closer to the shrine, he heard the sounds of fighting, and he quickly spotted the Gerudo champion fighting the soldier constructs. Even though Revali showed Link that the champions were safe, he was still relieved to see Urbosa fighting with ease. She took down the constructs as if they were annoying pests, shocking them with her lightning and taking them down with her scimitar. Link figured he could sit back and wait for her to finish before reuniting with her, but as he watched, he noticed a straggling construct at a higher elevation, a bow in its hands. Urbosa was too distracted with the other constructs, and when the construct drew an arrow, Link knew he couldn’t sit back anymore. He ran to the sniper, trying to stay out of sight as it aimed for the Gerudo champion, and he swung his wooden stick at the construct, killing it instantly. He picked up the discarded arrows and bows, grateful to get more weapons, and he looked up to check on Urbosa. All the constructs were dead, and the chief was smiling at him.

“Link! Get down here!” She commanded, sheathing her scimitar and shield and walking towards him. Link smiled and jumped down to greet her. The Gerudo chief pulled him into a tight hug when they met, and Link hesitantly reciprocated.

“We were so worried about you,” she said, rubbing his back gently as she swayed back and forth. She finally pulled away and held him at arm level. “You were put in this strange building and we’ve been trying to keep these constructs away from you.” Urbosa smiled gently and cupped his cheek. “I see you’ve recovered though. I’m so glad.”

Link smiled and nodded while Urbosa glanced at his arm.

“That arm… Goddesses that felt like eons ago,” she murmured, staring at the strange appendage. “It took us away when the castle fell and put you in that building. We heard a voice telling us that you would be healed, but then we were locked out, unable to see you as it happened.”

Link frowned. He had no idea that they weren’t by his side as he healed. They weren’t there when he woke up, but he chalked it up to bad timing. They must’ve been worried sick about him, not being able to see him. Mipha would have normally been worried if she could be by his side, but if she couldn’t…

“Mipha?” Link suddenly blurted out, his voice sounding raspy and clearly unused, and Urbosa gave him a teasing smile.

“She’s fine. That poor girl, she never left the island you were left on.”

Link looked down, longing to see her again. He could really use her support with everything going on.

“I’m not sure if you know this, but from what I’ve seen, Zelda isn’t here,” Urbosa said solemnly. “I don’t know where she is, but I pray she was taken somewhere safe as well.”

Link lifted his head and glanced over at the white building. Urbosa glanced over as well and took a few steps towards it.

“We’ve had our theories, but is she in there?” She asked, hope apparent in her voice.

Link nodded and opened his mouth to explain the situation, “I need to go to the shrine to open the door,” was all he could say. Urbosa gave him a knowing nod and grabbed his arm, escorting him to the shrine.

“Daruk has tried to break through that door,” she started to explain, “no matter what, we couldn’t get inside. If I had known she was in there, I would’ve tried harder.”

Link gave her a sympathetic look.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t get into the shrines either,” she continued, stopping when they reached the shrine’s entrance which was blocked off by a green magic circle, “so I’m not sure how you’ll be able to get inside. But we’ll figure something out.”

Link nodded, walking up to the circle and touching it. The light dispersed and an entryway appeared, a green light beckoning him further.

“Wow, you figured that out fast!” Urbosa exclaimed, walking closer to the shrine. “I suppose that arm has many uses.”

Link took a step forward and stopped in front of the entryway. He turned to look at Urbosa, waiting for her to join him, but she shook her head.

“Sorry Link, I have a feeling I’ll be a burden to you. I’ll be waiting for you out here.”

Link nodded and stepped inside the shrine, leaving Urbosa behind. As soon as he left the islands and entered the large room of the shrine, vertigo and nausea assaulted him all at once. He gasped in pain as it felt like his insides were on fire, and he fell to his knees, his left hand grasping his chest and his breathing heavy as the pain moved through his body.

“Link.”

Link looked up to see Rauru watching him, a worried look on his face. The ghost floated over to him, studying him as he sat there shaking.

“The gloom that still remains in your body is reacting to the light in the shrine. It wants you to leave, to shelter yourself from the light. But I’m afraid you must not listen to it.”

Link let out a whimper, sitting up straight and taking in deep breaths.

“Do not worry, Link. The light will not only strengthen my arm, but it will remove some of the gloom still stuck to you. You just need to endure.”

Link took in a deep breath through his nose, and he nodded, standing up shakily to face the ghost. He needed to continue onward, for Zelda.

“Give me your hand,” Rauru commanded, and Link offered him his right hand, forgetting that it technically wasn’t his. Rauru extended his own, and a green light appeared above Link’s shaking palm. His right arm began to glow with the light, and Link felt something settle inside his palm.

“That is the ultrahand ability,” Rauru explained. “With it, you can build anything, anything you can imagine. Come, let me help you learn how to use it.”

Link took a deep breath and stepped forward despite everything within him screaming at him not to. Rauru guided him to a wooden plank laying on the ground and gestured to it with his hand.

“I want you to pick up this plank with ultrahand. Extend your hand towards it and imagine yourself grabbing it.”

Link frowned and extended his hand, continuing to shake terribly. Though he imagined himself grabbing the plank, nothing happened. He let out an exhausted huff as his hand dropped, and he leaned on his knees.

“I’m terribly sorry Link, I know these aren’t the best learning circumstances. But I’m afraid all I can do is teach.”

Link gave him a look and rubbed his aching head, standing up straight to try again. He needed to push through, he needed the power and he needed the gloom gone. Letting out a breath he tried again, almost feeling his right arm tingle slightly as he tried to pick up the plank, but once again, nothing happened. Rauru hummed and walked over to him.

“Whenever I used this ability, it always felt like my arm was extending towards the object. Perhaps if you… extend your arm, it’ll work.”

Link gave him another look. He was already extending his arm, yet nothing happened. Was Rauru saying for him to stretch it out? Or for him just hold it up like he’s been doing? Or to simply imagine it extending? Link let out a frustrated huff and held his arm up again. He shouldn’t get mad at Rauru; he was trying to help him out, and Link was grateful that he didn’t have to try to figure this out on his own with the way he was feeling. But he was really hoping to figure it out soon.

“Try to extend your arm,” Rauru muttered, looking away when Link shot him a glare. Link decided to listen however, and stretched his arm out. He expected nothing to happen again, but to his surprise, he felt the arm extend and move towards the wooden plank. A green light came from his arm as it encircled the plank, and Link felt to grab it. To his relief (and surprise), the magic grabbed the plank and lifted it off the ground. So he literally had to extend it for it to work.

“Nice work!” Rauru cheered. “I knew you could do it. I apologize if my advice isn’t helpful—I grew up with these abilities, so it’s hard to explain them to someone who hasn’t used them before.” Rauru smiled at him. “But you picked it up quickly.”

Link smiled and set the plank down, still feeling weak and shaky, but feeling more confident in himself.

“Now it’s time for you to stick things together!”

Link’s smile dropped. There was more he had to figure out? He wiped his forehead and glared at the plank.

“I did say you could build things! You can’t do that without sticking things together, can you?” Rauru floated over to another plank and pointed at it. “If you can pick things up, you can stick them together. It’s the same idea. Extend your arm, and use the magic that comes out of your hand to stick them together.”

Link sighed and raised his hand again, lifting up the plank with much ease the second time around. He moved the plank to the one by Rauru, touching the two ends together. He didn’t know how to stick them together, but he focused his energy on where the two planks touched. To his surprise, the magic brightened in that spot, and a strange green substance appeared, sticking the two planks together. He gasped and accidentally dropped the two stuck planks as Rauru cheered.

“Good work! You got past the hard part!”

Link walked over and stared at the green substance. Rauru gave him a knowing look and poked at it with his ghostly fingers.

“This is Zonai magic that’s been condensed into physical form. Far more durable than anything else in all of Hyrule.”

Link looked over at Rauru in shock. Zonai? Weren’t those the ancient people that Zelda rambled about? Looking at Rauru now, he did look like the statues that were beneath Hyrule castle. So Rauru was a… Zonai?

“Unfortunately, it can’t be produced in mass, so it’s used sparingly. Like to stick two objects together,” Rauru continued, not picking up on Link’s revelation. “Now, I bet you’re wondering, ‘how am I going to unstick them’? Well, this is the easiest thing to figure out! Just pick them up and shake them!”

Link snapped out of his stupor and went to unstick the planks. Just as Rauru said, it was a very simple thing to do. Link picked it up and shook it around, causing the Zonai magic to dissolve and dropping the plank he didn’t grab. Rauru smiled at him and nodded, and the two continued further into the shrine.

The shrine on the outside was relatively small, around the same size as a normal shed. For a shrine, it was quite pathetic, but on the inside the shrine had vast rooms that were incomprehensible to Link. How were these rooms able to fit inside such a tiny shrine? The Sheikah shrines at least went deep underground, which explained why they were so big. But the Zonai shrines? It was too much for Link’s tired mind. Zonai magic was strange.

Truly magic in general was strange to him. He couldn’t comprehend thinking of something and having it happen, similar to how Mipha could heal. He was always a more physical fighter, using weapons to directly slay monsters. Using magic for the first time was odd to say the least.

It didn’t take long for Link to make it to the end thankfully. He had to make an object to zipline to the end, and fortunately the more he used ultrahand, the easier it became for him. When he landed on the other side, he walked up to a small structure that had a window, revealing two white statues. In the front, there was yet another green circle. Link figured he should get used to seeing those since they seemed to appear everywhere now.

“Good work Link, now get a light blessing. It will help with the gloom,” Rauru said, before disappearing again. Link touched the green circle in front of the structure, causing it to rise and show the two statues in full. The one on the right was obviously Rauru, but a smaller, more Hylian looking statue to the left made Link puzzled. There was a lot more to Rauru that he didn’t know.

“Visitor to this Shrine of Light….” a voice suddenly spoke up, breaking Link from his thoughts. The voice was a deep, soothing feminine voice, one Link had never heard before. “That which imprisons and purifies the ancient evil… You have done well to reach this place…”

Link stared at the statues, specifically the woman to the left. Was she the one speaking to him? Were these statues similar to the goddess statues all over Hyrule?

“We offer this light that will cleanse you of evil.”

A golden orb appeared, resting in front of Link. Though the pain had dulled, it began to flare up again as Link reached to grab it. He gasped as he felt a sharp pain go through him, but it was gone as soon as he touched the orb. Link felt movement within him, and he watched as misty gloom began to leave his body. Though the dull pain wasn’t fully gone, Link suddenly felt lighter, more energized.

“May the Light of Blessing grant you the strength you seek.”

The structure fell, blocking off the statues again, and Link felt himself move out of the Shrine of Light. When he stepped back outside, he felt the pain subside, yet it lingered slightly. Urbosa was at his side as soon as he came out, looking at him with a worried look on her face.

“Are you alright?” She asked, her hand resting on his shoulder. Link swallowed and nodded, trying to give her a pleasant expression, but she didn’t seem convinced. “You look pale,” she stated.

Link let out a sigh. Though the shrine was painful to get through, he really was feeling better, but he supposed he couldn’t escape Urbosa’s concern. He gave a thumbs up and had a more genuine expression on his face, and Urbosa’s worry fell slightly.

“Alright. So what happened? Are you able to open the door now?”

Link pursed his lips and looked down. There were more shrines from what he’s seen on this island, and he had a feeling that he wouldn’t be able to open the door until he visited all of them. He wondered if there were more abilities to learn too.

“I’ll take that as a no then,” Urbosa said, studying his face. “Daruk is somewhere on this island, maybe you can try to find him so we can work together in getting this door down?”

Link knew that he would be able to open the doors himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to correct her, and he nodded.

“I’ll go ahead and see what I can do to the door, I trust you’ll be fine on your own?”

Link gave her a reassuring nod and watched as she walked away, staring for a moment as his strength began to return to him. He turned around to observe the area, not knowing where he was going to head next, but knowing his goal to reunite the champions and princess together. They just needed to wait a little longer until he got strong enough.

[izunias-meme-hole]

Top 15 Final Fantasy Villains

(In My Opinion)

Number 1. Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII) - Sephiroth is one of the hardest bosses in gaming and a genuine horror villain. He is a tragic monster born from science, and a loyal “son” fo his alien mother, Jenova, but he’s still scary as hell thanks to his god complex, unlimited strength, ethereal vibes, years of experience, his ability to live off of pure spite just so he can make the lives of his enemies (and Cloud) complete hell. His appearance in of itself is creepy due to how beautiful, yet unsettling it is, thanks to his silver hair, green snake-like eyes, and perfect physique which is complimented by a black coat. However the most dangerous things about him are that he’s completely delusional, his strength is unmatched, and just how far he’s willing to go to distort other peoples sense reality, specifically Cloud’s sense of reality. Sephiroth a tragic character and a phenomenal villain.

Number 2. Kefka (Final Fantasy VI) - Were it not for Sephiroth’s existence, and the fact that this clown’s debut game being at the end of an era, Kefka would definitely be number 1 on here, and get more respect. Aside from that, Kefka is basically what Majora is to the Zelda series. A completely insane, and legitimately funny villain with a desire to destroy everything, however the difference is that Kefka is a mere jester with magic powers that became god! Plus he actually did send the world into ruin, but because of a little group of heros with hope, he was utterly defeated. So while Sephiroth is indeed ethereal, delusional as hell, and a horrifying nemesis, Kefka is the better manifestation of the pure unadulterated evil a person can bring, with the right tools.

Number 3. Ardyn (Final Fantasy XV) - Ardyn Lucis “Izunia” Caelum is the near perfect mixture between Sephiroth and Kefka in a way. He’s got the same “funny man wants to watch the world burn” vibes like Kefka, but he’s also a creepy, vengeful, tragic, and very personal villain, much like Sephiroth. Ardyn was once a messiah, a healer who was going to become a king, before he was betrayed by his brother, Somnus, and the gods, and cursed to be made immortal via daemons. So after centuries of imprisonment, he decides to take revenge upon his own kin, AND the gods. A simple motive, but in all honesty the amount of trolling he does in order to achieve  it, is truly gut wrenching sometimes, and it gives you the motivation to plunge your blade into his chest, but at the same time… you kinda feel slightly bad while doing it too for some reason. He's a villain that you love, hate, and pity in the end.

Number 4. Kuja (Final Fantasy IX) - Kuja is one of the more unique Final Fantasy villains because of his personality. He’s a narcissist that wants to destory, which isn’t new for most JRPG villains, but he’s also flamboyant as hell, and talks as if he’s in some kind of play where the world is his stage. He isn’t funny like Kefka, nor is he as intimidating as Sephiroth, but you can feel that wasn’t the route the writers were taking with his character. If anything he’s a pitiable, destructive, and flamboyant narcissist, but the Dissida series expands upon his character a lot in a way that kinda gets you hooked. So yeah, Kuja is unique alright.

Number 5. Ultimecia (Final Fantasy VIII) - This time manipulating witch is all style over substance, but god damn her style is really terrifying. She also has quite the presence, much like Sephiroth before her, so its not like she's sitting on her ass all day.

Number 6. Professor Hojo (Final Fantasy VII) - Wow, another FFVII villain, and it's Sephiroth's piece of shit mad scientist dad, Professor Hojo. This walking mass of complexes is a perfect example of the "Greater-Scope Villain." Never taking away from the Big Bad's spotlight, yet is responsible for almost half of the shit in the narrative. Though responsible for many things, his most noticeable crimes against nature were his experiments with Jenova, and the creation of Sephiroth, whom he also experimented on throughout his whole life. Pretty easy to see why Sephiroth was doomed from the start.

Number 7. Vayne Solidor (Final Fantasy XII) - A politician who wants to give the freedom of choice back to man, and preserve his family’s status and power. Those were Vayne’s end goals, and his personality is that of the ideal of a politician. He’s charismatic, ruthless, and levelheaded, so he’s surprisingly one of the more sane Final Fantasy villains too, but that doesn’t mean he’s the least evil.

Number 8. Garland/Chaos (Final Fantasy) - The first man to go by the title of Chaos. Jack Garland was seemingly a generic princess kidnapping video game villain, and he was the first boss in the first game. Granted he did have a small bit of backstory that explains that he was a former knight of Corneria who went mad, and wanted world dominations, but it wasn't enough at the moment. A couple of hours of gameplay later, along with some buildup of the entity known as "Chaos," we find out that Garland IS Chaos, and has practically made himself immortal thanks to a time loop he created with the Four Fiends, whom he sent into the future. Granted he's still a very simple antagonist if we're talking about goals, but in terms of how he went about it, he set up a standard for other villains in the series to surpass.

Number 9. Exdeath (Final Fantasy V) - Raw menace, ham and cheese, presence, permanently killing one of the main characters, and THE VOID. Exdeath was just a delightfully evil bastard, and it's all explained by him literally just being all of the evil in the universe that was sealed inside of a tree of all things. Bro really was "born evil."

Number 10. Rufus Shinra (Final Fantasy VII) - This man is the literal definition of a "Magnificent Bastard." Calm in almost every given situation, legitimately intelligent and level headed, smug as shit, and has the occasional "pet the dog" moments. Rufus Shinra pretty much has it all.

Number 11. Emet-Selch (Final Fantasy XIV) - He has gone by several names, led two empires, and lived thousands of lives, one of the most prominent antagonists in the entire game, but this man will forever be known as Emet-Selch, a.k.a Hades and Solus Soz Galvus. While he never appeared onscreen at first, we did know him as the founder of the Garlean Empire, and the emperor in the first 2 parts of the game, until we saw him in the flesh in Stormblood and Shadowbringers, and good lord he's surprisingly good. He does share some of Ardyn’s vibes, but compared to that glorious troll, Emet acts like a worn out and bitter old man, which is very fitting when you remember that he constantly reflects upon his great his old life was, and lived in a replica of his former home with the souls of his fallen comrades. Jesus Christ, no wonder his real name is Hades, the man is constantly surrounded by the dead in both a literal and metaphorical sense. Compared to the top picks he isn’t that great, but considering how well done he actually is, in-spite of how much people kinda oversell him, this is a decent placement.

Number 12. Sin (Final Fantasy X) - Ever wanted to see Jaws in a Final Fantasy game? Well that's what Sin was. Granted, it’s goddamn terrifying, unforgettable, and moves the plot, but it doesn’t really have much to it outside of being this eldirch whale monster that was created to destroy. Still it makes the goddamn most out of what it is.

Number 13. Ultima (Final Fantasy XVI) - Oh god where do I begin? There's a great amount of stuff that the writers of this great game got right when deciding to make their main villain a literal eldritch god, and he's honestly fascinating in some areas. His buildup is similar to Sephiroth's, his terror level is 100% its own thing that's worthy of him, and good god the way he operates is honestly something to behold. Yet he falls off the mark in a lot of ways. He isn't a bad villain, and honestly is overhated sometimes, but good god a fair amount of potential was missed.

Number 14. Golbez (Final Fantasy IV) - The first Darth Vader expy of the series, and goddamn he’s surprisingly good. Keyword good, not great.

Number 15. Caius Ballad (Final Fantasy XIII-2) - Another tragic immortal, however this one is a former time traveling protector. My thoughts on this guy are mixed. On one hand, as the main antagonist of FF XIII-2, he's great on a lot of angles. On the other hand he, much like half of the FF XIII trilogy's cast, suffer heavily from its writing. Still, his stripes aren't unearned.

[pocketramblr]

More into the lu au plox? (Just discovered it yesterday)

Into the lu au

Sure have some deets:

Link and Aryll have recently moved halfway across the world with their grandmother to join their uncle in New York as their grandmother is too old to work on her own while caring for children. Their uncle works at Coney Island and Link helps out, though sometimes he just wanders around after hours. He was in a restricted area when he got bit by a spider and you know. Got spidered.

He goes back the next night, trying to figure out what happened when oh no there's explosions because Ganondorf is trying to pull apart reality. Spiderman, aka adult timeline Time, shows up and after meeting and mentoring Link (who is Wind) for a very short time uh he dies. And the device ends up drawing in other versions of him from other universes

Ghost Spider and Wolf Spider, aka child timeline Time and Twilight, come through from their own universe. Ghost is unnerved by the fact that he's dead in this universe and Wolf probably won't exist, but they have their own life to get back to, so he keeps moving. (Wolf actually will be, Malon is unaware she's pregnant at her husband's funeral. This version of Wolf will be mentored by Wind in about ten years when his powers kick in.)

Sorcerer Spider, aka Hyrule, is a gerudo sorcerer who uses an illusion to look like his universe's Spiderman, aka downfall Time, who died saving him among others- so he gets Wind in a way some of the others don't. Four is four thousand spiders in a trench coat who are really good at teamwork. Legend is a cartoon bunny. Sky has a glider he prefers to swinging, Wild is from an apocalypse. Warriors is the only Spiderman who didn't get dragged into the portal on accident. He's from a highly advanced universe that monitors time and multiverse travel, and got the alert that there was a breakthrough. (Sorta spider society, sorta tva, sorta it's own thing). When Ghost refuses to let Wind help, because he's a child, and insists on making the heroic sacrifice to close the portal behind the others, Warriors refuses to let him because it's literally his job- and he lets Wind come along to distract Ghost so he can make sure he gets home safe. This slightly backfires when Wind also tricks Warriors into getting to safety before closing it himself. All's well that ends well, though, so.

(when Ghost took off his mask and Wind realized how similar he looked to his Spiderman he freaked out. Legend deflected by asking about his facial tattoos, which he revealed he got to cover up the scars a symbiote left on him (FD). Wolf has already been lectured to great length about the dangers of symbiotes, but the others get a cliff notes version. However, in a decade, Wind will forget to pass this on to his version of younger Wolf, who will end up involved with and then staying with a symbiote named Midna. (I know I said the Midna in grown wolfs universe is a hacker and she can still be. She's just an alien symbiote in wind's universe.)

There are other spider people, and though they don't show up in this story, Warriors knows some of them from his work. This includes a spider Linkle, a spider Aryll, a spider Sheik, a spider Zelda, a spider First, a spider Ravio, and a spider Ganondorf

[elspetharts2025devblog]

I had a lot of ideas on based on the theme of climate change. I am noting some of my favourites here.

An alien explorer attempts to piece together human culture from what we have left behind. (This idea would be very narration heavy. Would likely end up a walking simulator. I don't think this is what I would want to be doing for this project.)

A simulation or idle game in which you attempt to speed up climate change as quickly as possible. (This has almost no overlap with my previous experience in game development.)

Attempt to design a species that can survive an the extreme environments likely to be produced by climate change. (Too complicated for the timeframe.)

Play as a doctor attempting to treat a plague that is turning people to stone. Treating the illness proves impossible until they start to investigate the environments that their patients are living in. (I like this concept the most but struggled to come up with any gameplay ideas for it.)

I like the last concept but don't know how to turn it into a game. It would be better suited to a short graphic novel or animation.

Further thought about this lead me to the slightly different concept of playing as a healer attempting to help nature spirits corrupted by people who wish to use them to their own ends. This would allow combat to become a core part of gameplay (corrupted spirits becoming enemies). For this, my initial idea is to focus combat on well timed dodges followed by spellcasting. Making a dodge mechanic that is fun and basic enemy AI would be the goal of my first prototype.

Will look at examples in other games but first games that come to mind are Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild (flurry rush rewards last minute dodges with the chance to attack an enemy repeatedly) and Kid Icarus: Uprising (which incentivises the player to allow attacks to get very close before dodging, often allowing the player to dodge under attacks that would not be escaped by simply running away).

[flarree]

『Tears of the Kingdom Sequel Project』

So, I'm working on this small [fan] passion project, work I make concepts for a Tears of the Kingdom sequel. The [current] name is The Legend of Zelda: Rise of the Titans.

It takes place ~5 years after TotK, in a slightly more industrialized Hyrule. Purah, as well as several Sheikah and Zonai-tech engineers, have developed devices such as radios, railroads, aircraft, etc. (while still maintaining Hyrules 'medieval-ish' aesthetic).

The focus of the story is set around the Twili, who are rewritten as a civilization from deep space, who have sought refuge in Hyrule as their homeworld(s) have been destroyed by a new race of entities known as the Titans - colossal beings that consume planets and stars.

The Twili's "High Celestialist," Midna guides her surviving people to the planet of Hyrule and allies herself with Zelda and Link to help her subjects and warn them of the Titan threat.

Midna gifts Link an artifact known as the Chain, a two-piece device (one cuff on the wrist; the other on the ankle), that gives him a variety of abilities to fight the Titans scouts and warped monsters.

Additionally, Zelda will be partially playable and accompany Link in certain quests.

This project is still in the early works, so (for the few people who even read this) I'm open to some critique.

TL;DR - im making a totk sequal fanfic where the twili are aliens on the run from hangry space giants.

[mourningcatastrophe]

Hi welcome to my blog I’d like to list some of my interests then some info about myself

Homestuck

Dandy’s World

Vocaloid

Invader Zim

Lenore the Cute Little Dead Girl

Hunter x Hunter

The Legend of Zelda

Yotsuba

Sonic the Hedgehog

Pokémon

Adventure Time

Clowns

Aliens

ETC..

I go by Lev despite my display name being Inri (slightly religious), this is all I can think of for my intro for now, an updated one will be posted shortly. Please interact with me if you like any of the things I listed above! I am friendly however I’d appreciate it if those who interact with me are 15+ and do not be inappropriate! Thank you!

[oblivious-aro]

Today I shall talk about one of my favourite indie gems:

Overland is a turn-based tactic game where your party of randomized characters are driving to the west coast of an apocalyptic USA to find refuge from the insect-like aliens that have infested the country. Each "round" consists of your party stopping to scavenge for supplies, potentially recruiting straggling survivors, and gathering fuel, all while working around aggressive bug-like aliens that are drawn to noise.

Combat is an option, not a priority (which many Steam reviewers didn't seem to grasp), and you will in fact add unnecessary difficulty to your situation if you just try to kill all the creatures. Your main priority should be finding fuel for you car, and not dying. You don't need food in this game, and gathering useful supplies can be very helpful in some situations, but fuel is the only thing you will be explicitly punished for running out of. You will be similarly punished if your car ever gets destroyed. Transportation is essential. You have to be able to keep moving, or your party can't survive.

Overland is quiet, yet tense. The situation and visual/sound design give the game a peaceful yet deliciously ominous atmosphere. I wouldn't call it scary, but I often felt myself relax when the cinematic of your car driving out of the level plays, even when I didn't know I was tensing.

And the music does a fantastic job of adding to the tension! While you try to work around the creatures, the background music is quiet, but chock-full of paranoia-inducing sustained notes (The Forbidden Woods theme has a similar effect for all the Zelda fans reading this. One time I randomly put on this track to relax. That was a mistake) and other eerie effects. It's subtle, but uncomfortable. It's effective, but it doesn't speak over the other elements of the game (which I appreciate. I hate it when the background music tries to take over in games), especially the sound design. In between levels there's complete silence, expect for the ambient environmental noise, as your party briefly rests and plans their next stop, and if you manage to find one of the few truly safe zones, the music immediately communicates that safety with relaxed slightly-staccato woodwinds that greatly contrast the rest of the game's music. It's great. I love it.

But your breaks don't last long before it's on to the next level. Right back into the fray. This game is peaceful, but never truly relaxing. You don't 'win' in Overland, you just don't die. We made it out of that place, now on to the next place. Keep moving.

My only notable semi-complaint is that it's not always the clearest how some things work. It's mostly little nuances of some of your gear, but occasionally some of those surprises will insta-kill your whole party very late in your run (stupid lightning). I watched a video of someone playing the game before I bought it, and I found the information they shared very helpful. Thematically though, going in blind does work, because a sudden death from something you don't understand would be the end of a lot of people's stories in an alien apocalypse. Nobody's story in Overland is really special (utilizing the impersonal nature of randomly generated characters as a narrative strength), it's just people trying to survive, and many will fail at that goal in this harsh environment. Sometimes the way you learn the weird plant is dangerous is by losing Steve to it. Even regarding lower stake situations, not having instructions for the random junk you find really helps pull you into the mindset of a scrappy desperate team of survivors, and it can be really satisfying to figure out the world on your own using the environmental clues, which the game is usually decent enough at giving. But it's still possible to miss something key, so it might be smart to have level resetting enabled for at least your first few runs, to save yourself some frustration.

As I said, the characters and the levels are randomly generated. Each new zone (biome) introduces new elements and enemies to keep the gameplay from getting stale, and even though the characters doesn't have much going on outside a randomized look, and two random pieces of trivia about their personality before the apocalypse, the minimalist nature leaves space for the player to fill in the blanks and make their own stories through the party's exploits. You can't help but get attached to people who've helped you survive through dangerous situations. Sure, you probably won't cry if someone suddenly dies, but you will feel that internal sense of 'no!'

A full game lasts about 2 hours (if your party survives), before finally, you make it to the end, which I'm just going to wax poetically about below the spoiler cut:

The end is objectively the most 'alien' part of the game, both literally and figuratively. To start things off, the ground swallows your car, the party only just escaping the vehicle before it's gone. Unearthly fauna has completely overtaken the land, which looks like a giant coral reef has somehow taken over the dry land. Some benign critters from the later part of the game float about freely. Oddly enough, there are none of the malicious aliens in sight. This does not offer much comfort. You do not feel safe here. There is something wrong with this place, even if you can't figure out what. Your party refuses to touch the strange plants growing everywhere.

With nothing else to do, you keep moving. The first time I beat the game, I kept the group close together and moved slowly, unsure of what was awaiting us here.

Eventually, after an (in-game) day of trekking through this mysterious reef, we hit a dead end. The ocean. The west coast. We're finally here. We actually made it. We crossed the whole country.

The car is gone, but there's some stuff to build a fire with, so we do that, and everyone gathers around it. Someone comments on how crazy the end of the world is. Your party commiserates over fallen comrades. Then everyone starts talking about the things they miss from before the aliens came. They choose mundane memories. things like foods and TV shows. Most of the things they miss are nice, some of them bad, all of them are gone.

You've gone as far forward as you can, and you can't go back. You never could.

And now you can't go forward either. You're done moving.

Overland does everything in it's power to get you invested in your party's situation. It keeps you on edge the whole journey, if you aren't cautious it rips holes in your resources that you will feel, it puts you through risks where making it out alive is a deliciously genuine yet temporary relief. To merely survive is a struggle.

And this is how your party's ends their story: a sudden halt. Your party seems safe for now, with no clear indicator of what's going to happen next. Your party's story, though successful this time, was still just one of many of the countless scattered survivors. And it's over now. The last track is appropriately called 'One Future of Many'.

After all of that work, all of that fear, all of that moving has simply come to a halt. You're done. Your muscles un-tense for the last time, and the grief flows. And maybe a tear or two, if I haven't played in a while.

[hunter-clarke]

Read the whole thing.

Beyond the Legend

Chapter One: Alliances and Suspicions

The morning sun bathed Hyrule in a golden glow, casting long shadows across the castle’s stone corridors. Link moved silently through the halls, his footsteps soft yet deliberate. Each step carried the weight of vigilance. As Zelda’s knight, he had learned to trust his instincts, and today, they whispered warnings. Something was coming—something that didn’t belong in Hyrule.

The throne room buzzed with the hum of royal affairs. Princess Zelda stood at the heart of the court, her voice calm yet resolute, addressing matters with a diplomatic grace that was uniquely hers. King Rhoam sat beside her, his expression unreadable, though his knuckles betrayed tension as they gripped the armrests of his throne. To Link, the air felt too still. It was the quiet before a storm.

A low rumble shook the castle walls, silencing the chamber. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the court. Link turned sharply, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of the Master Sword. From the nearest window, he caught sight of the disturbance: strange vessels descending from the heavens. Sleek and alien, they glided with an eerie precision, defying the natural order of the world. They were unlike anything Link had seen—even in his darkest battles.

Moving without hesitation, Link descended the stairs to the throne room. His body tensed, every sense heightened. Whatever this was, it wasn’t natural, and it wasn’t welcome.

Inside, the murmurs of the court had quieted. Link’s eyes immediately fell on the stranger addressing Zelda. A woman, regal in bearing, stood surrounded by soldiers clad in polished armor. Her attire was foreign, her presence commanding, yet her expression was calm and composed. She didn’t seem hostile—but appearances could deceive. From the doorway, Link positioned himself at Zelda’s flank, close enough to act if needed.

“We come from a distant galaxy,” the woman said. Her voice was steady, each word measured. “My name is Padmé Amidala, Senator of Naboo. The Galactic Republic seeks an alliance. We face a war of unprecedented scale, and we believe your people’s strength could tip the balance.”

A ripple of unease passed through the court. King Rhoam leaned forward slightly, his brow furrowed. “A galaxy…” he repeated, as though tasting the word. “Beyond the stars?”

Padmé nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. We seek allies with the courage and wisdom to stand with us against a great evil.”

The king’s contemplative gaze flicked toward Zelda, seeking her counsel. Before she could respond, the great doors of the throne room burst open. Guards stumbled in, their expressions grim. “Your Majesties!” one of them called. “Another group has arrived. They demand an audience.”

Zelda exchanged a glance with her father, then turned to Link. The subtle nod she gave him was all he needed. Drawing the Master Sword ever so slightly from its sheath, Link stepped forward, positioning himself between Zelda and the approaching threat.

The newcomers entered the chamber with precise, measured strides. Clad in gleaming white armor, they moved as one, a silent testament to their discipline. But it was the figure leading them that set Link’s teeth on edge. A tall man in dark robes and polished armor strode into the room. His presence was a heavy weight that pressed down on the air itself. His eyes, sharp and unrelenting, locked onto Link’s, and in that instant, Link felt as though he had been laid bare.

Zelda’s voice broke the silence. “State your business.”

The man inclined his head, his voice deep and steady. “I am Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic. We seek your assistance in a war that spans worlds. Your strength and resources could prove decisive.”

Zelda stepped forward, her expression unreadable but her voice calm. “I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule. Your request is bold, Master Skywalker. If I am to consider an alliance, I will need more than words.”

Anakin’s gaze softened slightly, but his posture remained firm. “I understand. The Republic does not ask lightly. What we offer in return could reshape your future.”

King Rhoam shifted in his seat, his voice breaking the tension. “Reshape our future? You speak of war and promises, but why should Hyrule involve itself in a conflict beyond our borders?”

Padmé spoke softly, her voice weaving through the room. “Your Majesty, your kingdom holds more than you realize. Your people are not as separate from the galaxy as you may think.”

Zelda’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

Anakin answered this time, his gaze locking with Zelda’s. “Hyrule is not just a kingdom. It is a legacy. Your people—your ancestors—descended from Jedi who fled the galaxy long ago, seeking balance. They carried with them the knowledge of the TriFlow, a force unlike any other, rooted in harmony. That legacy could decide the outcome of this war.”

The room fell silent. King Rhoam leaned back in his chair, his face darkening. “You speak of ancient myths, Master Jedi. Stories of gods and whispers of the TriFlow. Yet even if your words are true, why should we risk our peace for your war?”

Anakin’s eyes flicked back to Zelda. “Because this war will find its way here. The Sith do not stop until they destroy all they fear. And your people’s knowledge of the TriFlow makes Hyrule a threat they cannot ignore.”

Before anyone could respond, Link stepped forward, positioning himself squarely between Zelda and the Jedi. The Master Sword glinted faintly in the light, its aura a quiet reminder of Hyrule’s strength. He said nothing—his presence alone was a statement.

Anakin’s eyes shifted to meet Link’s. For a moment, the room seemed to hold its breath. The Jedi’s gaze carried a weight that unsettled Link, though he did not falter. Anakin tilted his head slightly as if assessing him—not as a knight, but as a warrior.

“Your knight is wary,” Anakin observed, his voice low. “That’s good. In times like these, vigilance is a virtue.”

Link said nothing, but his grip on the Master Sword tightened.

Zelda, sensing the tension, stepped forward. “Link’s loyalty is absolute, Master Skywalker. You would do well to earn his trust, as you seek to earn ours.”

Padmé took a step forward, diffusing the moment. “We are prepared to discuss terms of an alliance. But time is of the essence. The enemy we face does not wait for negotiations.”

Zelda gestured to a set of chairs. “Then let us speak plainly. If there is to be an alliance, we must understand each other.”

As the discussions began, Link stood apart, ever watchful. The soldiers in white armor moved with practiced precision, their presence unnervingly disciplined. He could sense no overt hostility from them, yet their foreignness put him on edge.

And Anakin… there was something about him that unsettled Link deeply. It wasn’t just the way he carried himself or the quiet power that seemed to radiate from him. It was the way their gazes met, as though Anakin saw something in Link that Link wasn’t yet ready to face.

For now, Link held his silence. Whatever the Republic’s intentions, his purpose was clear: to protect Zelda, no matter the cost. If this alliance brought danger to Hyrule, he would be ready.

The Master Sword hummed faintly at his side, a quiet promise of the battles yet to come.

Chapter Two: Hyrule Meets the Stars

After what felt like an eternity of heated debate among the Hyrulean council, King Rhoam’s voice finally cut through the tension.

“So, it is decided,” the King declared, his tone cautious but resolute. Yet a faint shadow of doubt flickered across his features—a father’s instincts momentarily at odds with his duty as a ruler. “We will enter into this alliance with the Republic, on the condition that they provide us with the necessary training and weapons to defend against the Separatists.”

The room fell into a heavy silence as the weight of the decision settled over everyone. Some advisors exchanged uncertain glances, their reservations unspoken but palpable.

Padmé Amidala inclined her head solemnly, her posture reflecting both gratitude and the gravity of the moment. “Your Majesty, we are deeply grateful for your trust. The Republic recognizes Hyrule’s strength and wisdom. Rest assured, we will equip you to protect your people and your way of life.”

King Rhoam turned to Zelda, his stern expression softening. “Zelda,” he said, his voice carrying the dual weight of authority and paternal love. “As Princess of Hyrule, you will represent our kingdom in this alliance. Learn what you can about the Republic, but always remember: Your people’s safety comes first.”

Zelda bowed her head respectfully, her resolve unwavering. “Of course, Father,” she replied, her voice steady. Yet as she straightened, her gaze shifted briefly to Link, who stood behind her, his expression unreadable.

“And your knight, Link,” King Rhoam continued without pause, “will accompany you as your protector. Both of you are entrusted with Hyrule’s future in this endeavor. Do not fail us.”

Link responded with a silent nod, his stoic demeanor hiding the storm of thoughts swirling beneath the surface. Politics meant little to him; his purpose was clear and singular—Zelda’s safety. His fingers brushed the hilt of the Master Sword, a silent vow to see his mission through.

As the meeting adjourned, murmurs of doubt lingered among the courtiers. “Can these Republic forces truly be trusted?” one advisor whispered. Another shook his head. “We place our fate in the hands of strangers armed with promises. I pray we do not come to regret it.”

Preparations began immediately. In the castle’s armory, Link packed supplies with practiced efficiency: durable clothing, dried food, and a few essential tools for survival. Zelda, ever sentimental, insisted on including a jar of her favorite spicy pepper stew, despite Link’s raised eyebrow. He, ever the pragmatist, added restless frogs and endura carrots to their bags—practical ingredients for someone who understood the unpredictability of journeys.

When the time came, the castle courtyard was a scene of contrasts. A sleek Republic dropship awaited them, its polished hull gleaming under the morning sun, an alien sight among Hyrule’s natural beauty. Clone troopers, their white armor pristine and uniform, stood at attention, exuding quiet intimidation.

Zelda climbed aboard with a grace that belied her uncertainty. Link followed closely, pausing for a final glance at the rolling hills and forests beyond the castle walls. Adjusting the Master Sword strapped to his back, he silently promised that, no matter where this journey took them, he would protect Zelda and the kingdom they were leaving behind.

The dropship ascended swiftly, and the familiar landscape of Hyrule grew smaller, fading into a memory. Inside, the mechanical hum of the craft filled the air, a constant reminder of how far from home they were venturing.

Across from Link sat Anakin Skywalker, his posture relaxed but his gaze anything but. The Jedi Knight’s piercing eyes seemed to dissect Link, searching for something beyond the surface. Link’s hand instinctively tightened around the hilt of his sword, his unease palpable. The knight’s gaze briefly flicked to Anakin, meeting the Jedi’s intensity with his steely resolve.

“Your sword,” Anakin said abruptly, breaking the silence. “It’s not just a weapon, is it?”

Link said nothing, his grip firm on the Master Sword. The tension between them thickened, unspoken and unresolved, as the ship hurtled toward its destination.

When they reached the Republic’s star cruiser, both Zelda and Link were struck by its sheer size. The labyrinthine corridors, alive with the hum of energy and the purposeful movements of its crew, felt overwhelming. Padmé guided them through the ship, her calm demeanor tinged with warmth.

“You’ll find the Republic is vast,” Padmé said to Zelda, noticing her wide-eyed curiosity. “But it can also feel… impersonal. I hope you’ll find some solace here.”

They stopped in front of a set of doors. “These are your quarters,” Padmé said, her smile soft but faintly teasing. “Take some time to settle in. Let me know if you need anything.”

Zelda thanked her graciously, stepping inside. Link hesitated at the doorway, catching Padmé’s knowing glance. Her smile deepened as if she saw something familiar in their dynamic—something akin to herself and Anakin. Link dismissed the thought and followed Zelda into the sparse quarters.

Inside, the metallic walls and bare furnishings felt cold and confining. Link set their belongings down, his sharp gaze sweeping the room before resting on the door. He didn’t voice his thoughts, but the alien environment only heightened his resolve.

Later, they were summoned to the ship’s bridge. A massive viewport dominated the room, revealing an unbroken view of the stars. Link stared in awe, the endless void, unlike anything he had imagined.

“Prepare for hyperspace,” the captain’s voice echoed. The hum of the ship intensified, and Link felt a strange shift in the air, as though the very fabric of reality was bending.

Zelda placed a reassuring hand on his arm, her voice calm and steady. “We’ll be all right,” she said her confidence like a beacon.

The stars blurred into streaks of light as the ship surged forward. As the galaxy unfolded before them, Link felt the weight of their journey settles on his shoulders. The dangers ahead were unknown, and the alliances untested. Yet one truth remained: As long as Zelda was by his side, he would face whatever lay beyond the stars

Chapter Three: Birth of the Master Saber

The ship surged forward into hyperspace, and Link instinctively steadied himself. His hand brushed the hilt of the Master Sword, the cool, familiar weight anchoring him in the unfamiliar environment. Beside him, Zelda stood transfixed, her gaze fixed on the view beyond the viewport. The stars stretched into radiant streaks, their light forming a kaleidoscopic tunnel that seemed endless.

“It’s… beautiful,” Zelda murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Her awe was unguarded, her royal composure softened by the grandeur of the universe unfolding before her.

Link’s eyes lingered on her, the glow of hyperspace painting her face with an ethereal light. Her wonder reminded him of the quiet moments they shared in Hyrule—the golden sunsets over the castle, the tranquil nights by the campfire. Those memories felt distant now, yet seeing Zelda like this filled him with a renewed sense of purpose.

From its sheath, the Master Sword gave an almost imperceptible flicker, a pulse of energy so faint that Link thought he might have imagined it. He shifted his weight, his hand tightening instinctively on the hilt.

“Quite the sight, isn’t it?” Anakin’s voice broke the moment. He stood beside Link, his arms crossed casually, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of curiosity as they lingered on the Master Sword.

Link didn’t respond immediately, his grip firm as he met Anakin’s gaze. Something was disconcerting about the Jedi’s presence—calm yet intense, as though he could see past the surface of things.

Zelda turned to Anakin, offering a polite smile. “It’s overwhelming, in the best way. Hyrule is vast, but this…” She gestured to the stars, her voice trailing off as she searched for the right words.

“It’s a lot to take in,” Anakin agreed, though his focus shifted back to Link. “And I imagine your blade has its thoughts about being here.”

Link frowned, unsure what to make of the comment. Before he could respond, the faint chime of the ship’s systems echoed through the cabin. This time, the Master Sword’s pulse was unmistakable. It wasn’t the usual hum of readiness he’d felt in Hyrule; it was sharper, deeper, as though the blade itself was awakening to the energies around it.

“Link?” Zelda’s voice carried a note of concern, her gaze steady on him.

He unsheathed the sword slowly, its steel gleaming in the ambient light of hyperspace. The pulse he’d felt grew stronger, the blade vibrating faintly in his grip. Anakin leaned in slightly, his expression one of restrained curiosity.

“That blade recognizes the Force,” Anakin said, his voice quieter now, almost reverent.

Zelda raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. “The Force?”

Anakin nodded. “Yes. The Force. A binding energy field is present in all living things. It can be harnessed for various purposes—strength, healing, and more. It guides us, and we, in turn, learn to wield it.”

Zelda tilted her head slightly, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. “I see… And this ‘Force’ is what your Jedi order follows?”

Anakin’s eyes flickered with recognition. “Yes. The Jedi are keepers of the Force, guardians of peace and justice. We seek balance within it.”

Zelda’s expression softened slightly, but there was a quiet challenge in her gaze. “Balance? The Force sounds… like it is something to control.”

Anakin’s brow furrowed. “It is not about control. It is about harmony. We learn to listen to the Force, to follow its flow, and align ourselves with it.”

Zelda’s voice took on a quiet strength. “What you speak of sounds similar, but I believe your understanding of the Force is flawed.”

Anakin’s eyes narrowed slightly, but Zelda continued without hesitation.

“The Force, as you call it, is not one-sided. It is not a tool to simply harness. It exists in a delicate balance—much like the energy we call the TriFlow.”

Anakin blinked in surprise. “TriFlow? I’ve never heard of it.”

Zelda nodded, her eyes steady on him. “The TriFlow is the energy that binds all things together in Hyrule and beyond. It flows through everything, and it is divided into three primary aspects: Courage, Power, and Wisdom. These forces are necessary for life, but they must always be in balance.”

She paused, letting the words sink in. “The Jedi focus too much on one side—the ‘light side,’ as you call it. You seek harmony, but only through a narrow lens. You fight the darkness, but in doing so, you risk upsetting the equilibrium. Too much of one aspect, no matter what it is, leads to imbalance.”

Anakin seemed to consider this, his gaze flickering between Zelda and the sword.

Zelda’s voice grew quieter, more contemplative. “The TriFlow teaches us that true harmony comes from balance. Courage without wisdom becomes recklessness. Power without wisdom becomes tyranny. And wisdom without courage becomes apathy. The Force, as you call it, is a reflection of these same principles, but the Jedi are too focused on one aspect, too afraid of what they deem the ‘dark side.’”

Anakin stared at Zelda for a long moment, the weight of her words settling over him. Finally, he spoke, his voice quieter than before.

“You… you believe this?”

Zelda’s gaze was steady. “I do. Because the TriFlow is not about controlling one side of the energy—it is about understanding the interconnectedness of all aspects, and the responsibility that comes with it. Only then can true balance be achieved.”

Link, still holding the glowing Master Sword, felt the weight of Zelda’s words. The sword had always been more than just a weapon—it had been a symbol of balance, courage, power, and wisdom united. He nodded, affirming his understanding of what Zelda was teaching him.

Anakin’s expression was thoughtful as he glanced at the Master Sword once more, its glowing blade now pulsing with energy. “I’ve spent my life learning about the Force, but your perspective… it’s different. I’ll need time to understand it.”

Zelda smiled softly, her tone gentle. “True understanding cannot be rushed. But I believe you will see the truth in time.”

Anakin gave a small nod, his lips curling slightly. “Perhaps. But you’re stepping into a much larger galaxy than you realize.”

Zelda’s eyes met his, calm but resolute. “And we are ready.”

Link nodded firmly, the weight of his purpose settling in his chest. The galaxy was vast, but with Zelda at his side, and the TriFlow to guide them, he knew they would face whatever challenges lay ahead.

As they turned back to the stars, the hum of the ship filled the quiet once more. In that moment, Link felt the pull of destiny—not just his own, but one that spanned worlds, times, and the boundless energy connecting them all.

Chapter Four: A Whole New World

Anakin felt a strange, familiar excitement stir within him. The raw, untrained potential he sensed in Link reminded him of his own younger self. There was something instinctive in the way Link moved, an intensity that was both silent and focused. Anakin could tell that Link wasn’t just someone skilled with a blade—he was unknowingly tapping into the Force with every action, every thought. It was a subtle energy, but it was there, waiting to be acknowledged.

As they walked through the halls of the Republic cruiser, Anakin fell in step beside Link, lowering his voice. “You ever wonder where your strength comes from, Link?”

Link glanced at him, brow furrowing slightly. “My training, my discipline,” he replied, his tone even. “The TriFlow gives me balance. It always has.”

Anakin smiled knowingly, but there was a weight behind his words. “The TriFlow,” he repeated softly, almost to himself. “We call it the Force. It’s not just something you’re connected to—it’s part of you. You’re bound to it like I am. With the right training, you could be more powerful than you’ve ever imagined.”

Link’s eyes narrowed as he processed Anakin’s words. He had always felt there was something greater guiding him, something beyond his understanding. But the idea of mastering it, of becoming something more, unsettled him. He had always believed that his strength was born from his dedication to Zelda to Hyrule—and this… this Force felt like an invitation to change.

“I’m no Jedi,” Link replied, his voice quiet but firm. The thought of joining an ancient order felt foreign to him, but the quiet curiosity in his tone hinted at the beginning of something more.

Anakin nodded, understanding the hesitation. “Neither was I, at first,” he said softly. “But you could be. The Force—it doesn’t change who you are, Link. It enhances you and makes you stronger. The connection you feel to the TriFlow is just the beginning. You could learn to control it.”

Link paused, his gaze shifting. “I’ve learned balance with Courage and Power. But Wisdom…” His voice trailed off, his expression growing distant. “It’s harder for me. I’ve always acted on impulse.”

Anakin smiled slightly, a knowing glimmer in his eyes. “I know the feeling. But that’s where the Force can help you. It’s not about throwing away what you already have. It’s about refining it, finding a deeper connection to yourself—and to everything around you.”

Link looked away, feeling the weight of Anakin’s words. A part of him—the warrior, the protector—felt the pull of something deeper, something that could push him further than he had ever been. But another part of him, the part that had dedicated his life to Hyrule and Zelda, was reluctant to embrace this unknown path.

He paused, his gaze wandering, before finally meeting Anakin’s eyes again. A flicker of understanding passed between them. After a moment’s hesitation, Link nodded a single, resolute gesture. I will explore this, he thought. Whatever the Force was, whatever it could mean for him and the path ahead, he would follow Anakin’s lead. He wasn’t ready to leave everything behind, but perhaps this was the next step.

Anakin’s smile deepened, but there was a note of pride beneath it. Leaning in closer, his voice dropped to a near whisper. “Good. But we keep this between us, agreed? No Council. No Jedi. Not yet, anyway.”

The hint of rebellion in Anakin’s tone struck a chord with Link. He recognized it as something more than simple defiance. It was a choice—one that Anakin had made, perhaps out of necessity, perhaps out of the desire to be something beyond the Jedi. And in that moment, Link felt a deeper bond forming between them.

Link nodded a new layer of trust in his expression. He didn’t fully understand why Anakin kept this secret, but he could sense that the freedom to choose, to explore, was a gift. And it resonated with him.

“Let’s start small,” Anakin continued, glancing around to ensure they were alone. “The Force is about feeling, not thinking. It’s already part of you. You just need to open yourself to it.” He extended his hand, signaling for Link to close his eyes.

Link hesitated for a moment, then obeyed. The hum of the ship vibrated through his senses, and the faint pulse of the Master Saber at his side felt more pronounced. He focused, letting go of his usual control, and as he did, something deeper began to stir. It was like the TriFlow, but different—stronger, wilder, untamed. It beckoned him, a current he could almost feel but could not yet see. His breath steadied as he leaned into it, letting it envelop him.

Anakin watched him closely, nodding in approval. “Good,” he murmured. “Now, focus on the smallest things—the hum of the ship, the heartbeat of the people near us, the pulse of your energy.”

For the first time, Link began to feel it—not just as a distant force, but as a living, breathing thing. The Force flowed through him, through the walls, through the ship, through every living thing. The connection was palpable, like a river running just beneath the surface of everything. He could feel Zelda’s presence nearby—calm, steady, unwavering—and Anakin’s energy, sharp and intense, like a star on the verge of bursting.

When Link opened his eyes, the world around him seemed sharper, clearer, more connected. Every sound, every shift in the air, felt heightened, more vivid. He looked to Anakin, and the older man’s smile met his steady gaze.

“You feel it, don’t you?” Anakin asked quietly, a trace of satisfaction in his voice.

Link nodded, his expression solemn as the weight of the realization settled over him. “It’s… different from the TriFlow. But it’s like I’ve always known it.”

Anakin leaned back, his smile turning almost wistful. “That’s the Force. It’s been with you the whole time. You just didn’t know how to see it.”

Link’s mind churned as he absorbed the magnitude of Anakin’s words. The Force wasn’t just an energy to be harnessed—it was a bond that connected everything. And in that moment, he felt more connected to Zelda than ever before.

As Link continued to explore the ship with his senses, he couldn’t help but notice the distinct energy around him. Anakin’s presence was electric, almost overwhelming in its intensity—like a storm, fierce and full of power. But Zelda… Zelda’s energy was something else entirely.

Her presence was subtle, almost gentle, yet profoundly steady. It radiated warmth, grounding him in a way he hadn’t expected. Her energy felt like home—familiar, comforting, and quietly strong in its own right. It was as if the Force had always been an extension of her, a natural part of her spirit.

Link’s heart swelled at the thought of her. He turned toward her, suddenly eager to share this newfound experience with her.

He gently tapped her leg, and Zelda blinked in surprise, turning to look at him. Her wide eyes softened as they met his, and there was an unspoken understanding between them. Her wonder at the cruiser, at the vastness of space, seemed to fade for a moment, replaced by something deeper, more personal.

“Close your eyes,” Link murmured, his voice steady with trust. “Trust me.”

Zelda furrowed her brow, uncertainty flickering across her face. But something in his expression—the calmness, the sincerity—compelled her to comply. She closed her eyes, her posture tense at first, but she steadied herself.

Link extended his senses again, guiding her through the unfamiliar current of the Force. He could feel her hesitation at first, her awareness of the unknown, but as he steadied her, the pull of the energy slowly eased her trepidation. The vastness of the ship, the hum of the engines, it all faded, leaving only the connection between them.

Zelda’s energy was there, strong and quiet, like a river flowing beneath the surface—steady, sure, and full of purpose. Link could feel the pulse of her presence, intertwined with his own. It was a bond that was no longer just a connection to Hyrule, to the TriFlow—it was a connection to the Force, to the universe, to everything.

Zelda’s breath caught in her throat, and when she opened her eyes, the realization was written across her face. “It’s… it’s like the TriFlow,” she whispered, her voice full of awe. “But it’s everywhere.”

Link nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. It’s always been here. It connects everything.”

Zelda blinked again, the enormity of the realization settling in. The Force wasn’t just a separate thing—it was a part of them. It was part of everything.

As they shared this quiet, powerful moment, Anakin couldn’t help but notice how naturally Zelda and Link gravitated toward each other. Their bond was undeniable, almost instinctive. He glanced at Padmé, who stood nearby, watching the scene unfold with a soft smile on her face.

“This is adorable,” Padmé whispered, leaning toward Anakin.

Anakin smiled, but there was a softness in his gaze as he watched Link and Zelda. The bond between them was special, a unique force that would guide them on this journey—and beyond.

Chapter Five: New Possibilities

After a prolonged session of meditation, Link’s senses slowly began to return, the stillness of the Force surrounding him like a familiar cloak. The hum of the ship’s engines, once a constant background noise, seemed to shift subtly, signaling that their journey was nearing its end. He opened his eyes, feeling the calmness of his meditation gives way to the quiet anticipation of their arrival. Beside him, Zelda stirred, her face still drawn in concentration as she, too, sensed the change in the air.

Outside the viewport, the vastness of space stretched before them, but it was gradually being overtaken by the distant, ever-expanding mass of Coruscant. At first, it had appeared as a mere blur—a small dot in the void. But as the ship pulled closer, the immensity of the planet became undeniable. The city world stretched far beyond the horizon, a sprawling network of lights and towering structures that seemed to go on forever. Link narrowed his eyes, his Force sensitivity amplifying his awareness of just how alive the planet was. He could feel its pulse, like the steady beat of a heart, but there was something more—something deeper. The Force here was different; it called to him with an almost overwhelming weight.

Zelda pressed her face against the glass, her eyes wide in disbelief. She was speechless, her breath caught as she took in the sight before them. Link couldn’t help but focus on her—her awe, her wonder. In this moment, she was no longer the woman of immense strength he had always known, but a traveler in awe of the universe’s grandeur.

“This… it’s huge,” she murmured, her voice filled with wonder, a quiet disbelief lacing her words.

Link nodded silently, but he felt the words were inadequate for what they were witnessing. He had seen many beautiful landscapes on Loreth—from the peaks of mountains to vast, rolling fields—but nothing even remotely close to this. Coruscant wasn’t just a city; it was a planet consumed by civilization, a living, breathing entity made up of lights, structures, and energy. The vast towers that stretched beyond the horizon were a stark contrast to the natural beauty of Loreth—its quiet forests, its serene lakes. It was as though the planet itself had swallowed nature, transformed it into stone and steel.

Zelda turned to glance at him, her expression unreadable for a moment, then gave him a hesitant smile, her eyes filled with a mix of awe and uncertainty. Without a word, Link placed his hand gently on the small of her back, a quiet gesture of reassurance. The touch was brief, but it conveyed everything—strength, understanding, a shared certainty in the face of the unknown. Zelda’s smile deepened, a small, graceful curve of her lips. The gesture was subtle, but those around them noticed the quiet tenderness between the two.

As the ship continued its descent, drawing nearer to the surface, Link’s sense of the Force grew more intense. The energy beneath them was unlike anything he had ever felt. The Force thrummed in response, extending out from him, and stretching toward the planet’s vast web of energy. He could feel the presence of countless beings all interconnected—hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, each one a node in the living network of Coruscant. It was as though the entire planet was a single organism, pulsing with life, its energy binding every sentient being together.

Zelda, her gaze now fixed on the growing city below, turned away from the viewport for a moment, her expression a mix of wonder and uncertainty. “Are you feeling this too?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Link met her gaze, his eyes reflecting the intensity of what he was experiencing. The connection between them was stronger than ever. Without speaking, they shared a moment of understanding. He, too, was struck by the vastness of it all—the overwhelming power of the Force here. It was unlike Loreth, unlike anywhere he had been before. The Force in Coruscant felt concentrated, omnipresent, a tangible presence that called to him in ways he wasn’t sure he fully understood.

But something new was emerging within him. A subtle shift—a sense of seeing under the surface of the Force itself. He could feel the threads, the connections, stretching outward, connecting every living thing on the planet. It was like seeing a vast web woven through the air, vibrating with energy. He focused, trying to pull the threads into focus. He could see the lines that connected beings to the Force, how each creature was uniquely intertwined with the energy. It was almost as if the planet itself was alive, breathing through the Force, and every individual was a part of its pulse. The more he focused, the more details he could see—the swirling currents of life energy moving through the city, around people, buildings, and vehicles alike.

“Link?” Zelda’s voice broke through his focus, pulling him back to the present. His eyes snapped back to her, feeling disoriented, his breath coming faster than usual.

“Yeah,” he replied softly, still processing the overwhelming nature of his newfound ability. “I’m… I’m seeing it. The Force. It’s not just in the air—it’s in everything, in everyone.” His voice trailed off as he tried to make sense of what he was feeling.

Zelda’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Link hesitated, glancing around. The presence of so many beings, so many different threads of energy, made him feel both connected and distant. “It’s hard to explain. I can see how everyone is connected, not just by the Force, but by… their actions, their lives, their choices. Everything is intertwined.”

Zelda was silent for a moment, contemplating his words. “That sounds… overwhelming.”

Link nodded. “It is. It’s like I can see every pulse of life around me—how it connects and flows through everything. The Force is… alive here. It’s everywhere.”

He turned his gaze toward Anakin, who sat across from them, his watchful eyes studying the scene. Their eyes met briefly, a silent exchange passing between them. The Jedi didn’t need words to convey the understanding that they had both felt it—the enormity of the Force on Coruscant. It was as though the planet itself was an extension of the Force, shaping and being shaped by it, its history intertwined with the energy that connected all life.

Zelda’s voice broke the silence once more, filled with a mixture of awe and quiet, underlying anxiety. “Do you think we’re ready for this?”

Link didn’t answer immediately. His gaze lingered on the planet below, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on him. The Force here felt more concentrated, more demanding than anything he had encountered before. He knew that the Jedi spoke of balance and mastery, of wielding the Force for good, but he was still uncertain of his place in all of this. What role could he play in a galaxy so vast, so complex?

Finally, he spoke, his voice low but steady, “Ready or not, it’s here.”

Zelda looked at him, her nerves momentarily eased by the quiet certainty in his words. The ship began to breach the atmosphere, and the true scale of Coruscant was revealed. The planet’s surface was a jagged, endless sprawl of buildings—towers that pierced the sky, lights flickering across the vast expanse, a city without end. It was a place of power, of history, of constant movement, its pulse unyielding.

As the ship passed through the clouds, the hum of the engines grew louder, more pronounced. The air grew thicker, and the sounds of Coruscant—the distant hum of speeders, the low murmur of life—seemed to reverberate through the ship.

Zelda placed her hand on the window, her eyes scanning the endless cityscape below. “This is more than I ever imagined,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “It’s… overwhelming.”

Link didn’t respond immediately. He was still acutely aware of the Force that surrounded him, a presence that both invigorated and unnerved him. The sheer amount of life, of energy, was staggering. It felt as though the Force had a physical presence here—shaped by centuries of civilization, its influence stretching deep into the planet.

The ship finally broke through the cloud cover, revealing the lower levels of Coruscant. The sheer scale of the city was even more breathtaking from this perspective—an endless expanse of towers, speeder lanes, and sprawling structures that stretched far beyond the horizon. It was both awe-inspiring and suffocating.

Padmé, who had been quietly watching them from across the cabin, exchanged a glance with Anakin. Her eyes softened, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she observed Link’s subtle, protective gestures toward Zelda. It reminded her of the way Anakin would instinctively reach out to her in moments of uncertainty. The way Link had placed his hand on Zelda’s back, guiding her with a tenderness that spoke of shared strength, resonated with Padmé on a deeply personal level.

“It’s funny,” she whispered to Anakin, her voice barely audible, “how even in such a place of power, it’s the quiet moments of care that speak the loudest.”

Anakin’s eyes met hers, his expression unreadable for a moment, before his gaze softened. “Yeah,” he murmured. His hand brushed against hers, a brief touch of understanding.

Padmé leaned back in her seat, her eyes now fixed on the sprawling city below. “Coruscant’s not just a city. It’s a living thing. I feel it.”

Anakin nodded, his gaze distant. “Everything here is connected by the Force. But sometimes, it feels like it’s just too much.”

Padmé glanced back at Link and Zelda, sensing the same tension between them. “The weight of it all…” she whispered.

But Link wasn’t listening anymore. His eyes were drawn to the swirling currents of energy beneath the city—the Force in its purest form, the threads of life stretching across the planet. He could feel it all, the pull of each individual, the ebb and flow of the Force that bound them together. It was overwhelming, but for the first time, he felt a small flicker of understanding.

He wasn’t sure how he would navigate this world—this galaxy, this city of endless life—but for the first time, he didn’t feel completely lost. He could see the connections. And that, for now, was enough.

Chapter Six: Shadows in Plain Sight

As they stepped off the ship, Link squinted against the bright lights of Coruscant’s bustling landing pad. The steady hum of the city’s energy filled the air, but underneath it, something felt off. His senses were heightened, and his hand instinctively rested on the hilt of the Master Saber at his side. The grip of the hilt felt grounding, a small comfort against the overwhelming presence of the city. Beside him, Zelda took a deep breath, straightening as she prepared to meet the galaxy’s most influential leaders. The city-planet sprawled before them, a dazzling spectacle of life and technology, unlike anything they had ever known.

Waiting at the edge of the platform stood an elderly man in elegant robes, flanked by guards and other officials. His demeanor was calm and welcoming, and his expression was one of benevolent authority. This, Link quickly gathered, was Chancellor Palpatine—the leader of the Republic, the figurehead of the galactic government they had just allied with. There was a magnetic presence about him, a strange kind of stillness that seemed to draw the eye, though it set Link’s instincts on edge.

Zelda adjusted her posture beside him, the weight of the moment pressing down on them both. She was calm and regal, but Link could feel the subtle tremor beneath her composed exterior. His mind raced, but he kept his outward composure in check, his focus narrowing on the elderly leader before them. There was something unnatural about Palpatine, something Link couldn’t quite place. The man stood still, almost too still, as though he wasn’t entirely present, like an image painted on a canvas, not a living, breathing being.

Anakin greeted the Chancellor with a warm nod, striding forward with a familiarity that made Link’s stomach twist. The bond between the two was clear—Anakin seemed almost too comfortable with Palpatine as if the Chancellor were a trusted mentor, a friend. The way Anakin smiled at him, the way their handshake lingered, unsettled Link. Something about the ease between them felt wrong, like a quiet storm just beneath the surface.

Link’s senses flared, his instincts kicking in. Without thinking, he subtly shifted his stance, stepping in front of Zelda. His body became a shield between her and the Chancellor. Zelda glanced at him, her brow furrowing slightly, but she didn’t question it. She merely adjusted her posture, the familiar grace of her royal bearing returning, though there was a tightness in her jaw that spoke of unease.

“Welcome to Coruscant, Princess Zelda,” Palpatine’s voice was smooth, and inviting, but there was an undertone, a hidden edge that made Link’s blood run cold. “We are honored by your presence. And you as well, Sir Link, knight of Hyrule.”

Link’s lips pressed into a thin line, his expression betraying nothing. He gave a slight bow in return but remained silent, his eyes never leaving the Chancellor. There was a discomfort, a presence beneath the surface that gnawed at him. His grip on the Master Saber tightened, his senses prickling in response to the void he felt radiating from Palpatine. There was nothing there. No warmth. No energy. Just… emptiness. It was unnatural.

Anakin stood beside Palpatine, his easy smile a stark contrast to Link’s tension. The Jedi knight seemed completely at ease with the Chancellor, his demeanor almost jovial. Link’s heart clenched at the sight. Didn’t Anakin feel it? The darkness that clung to Palpatine, the absence where there should be life? Did Anakin not sense the weight pressing down on his mind?

Link took a slow breath and slipped into the Force, extending his senses outward. His focus sharpened, cutting through the bustling noise of Coruscant, and he allowed the Force to reveal its hidden currents. Around him, life pulsed—Zelda’s glow was warm, radiant, a beacon beside him. The troopers, the guards, even Anakin—all carried their glimmers, markers of life. But Palpatine…

The Chancellor’s presence was like a black hole. Where there should have been light, there was only darkness. A void. His very being seemed to suck in the energy around him, absorbing it, leaving nothing in its place. Link recoiled from the darkness, the unnatural absence gnawing at his senses. It was like a cold shadow, pressing down, hollowing everything it touched.

A shiver ran down Link’s spine. His grip on the saber tightened, his fingers almost white-knuckled. The Force felt distant here, hollow, like trying to grasp water with empty hands. This wasn’t just a man—this was something older, something darker. The weight of it made the air feel heavier, more oppressive. The darkness that hung around Palpatine wasn’t just a void—it was an absence that sought to consume, to draw in everything around it.

He leaned toward Zelda, lowering his voice, just loud enough for her to hear. “Whatever you do, do not leave Padmé’s side,” he whispered urgently, his eyes flicking across the dignitaries gathered around them. Zelda’s gaze flickered to him, her brow furrowing slightly in confusion, but she nodded without question. She trusted him implicitly, sensing the gravity of his warning. She knew well enough that when Link’s instincts screamed danger, it was never to be ignored.

Link’s gaze shifted to Anakin, who was still beside Palpatine, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, and for the first time, Link noticed a flicker of uncertainty in Anakin’s gaze. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there. There was something—something that Link couldn’t yet grasp—but it was there, woven into the complex web of their fates.

Zelda’s voice cut through his thoughts, steady and clear. “Thank you, Chancellor. We are honored to be here.”

Palpatine’s smile never wavered as he turned his attention fully to Zelda, his gaze lingering on her, but Link could feel it—like a subtle shift in the air. It was as if the very fabric of the world around them tightened for a moment. Palpatine’s mask of benevolence was thin and fragile, and beneath it, something darker, something older, was waiting. Watching.

Link could feel that gaze—the one that never blinked, that never wavered. It felt like an old predator, tracking its prey, waiting for the right moment to strike.

As the group moved to follow Palpatine, Link’s senses remained sharp. The shadows of Coruscant stretched long and deep, and with every step they took, he felt the weight of the darkness pressing closer. This city was not just the heart of the Republic. It was a battleground for something far more ancient. Something far darker. And it had only just begun to reveal itself.

Chapter Seven: Echoes of the Flow

Anakin gave Link a curious glance, raising a brow. “Yeah?”

“Don’t you…?” Link hesitated, his eyes flicking briefly toward Palpatine before returning to Anakin. “Feel anything… off?”

Anakin shifted, looking toward Palpatine and then back to Link, his posture casual. “The Chancellor’s an old friend, Link. He’s been with the Republic for a long time. You’ll see—he has Hyrule’s best interests at heart.” His voice was low and soothing, but Link only felt his unease grow.

The weight of the moment pressed on him as they continued toward the Senate landing platform. Link walked closer to Zelda, a subtle instinct pulling him toward her. His senses heightened, and with a barely audible murmur, he leaned in. “Stay close,” he urged, his voice steady but sharp. “There’s something off about this place.”

Zelda, momentarily confused by the intensity of his gaze, blinked but nodded, trusting him without question. She followed Padmé, her figure swallowed by the current of diplomats and officials moving through the Senate halls.

Once they were out of sight, Link turned to Anakin, his hand settling firmly on his friend’s shoulder, guiding him away from the crowd. Anakin raised an eyebrow in surprise but didn’t resist. Link glanced around, ensuring no one else was near before speaking.

“Anakin,” Link murmured, his voice low but urgent. “The Chancellor… something’s wrong with him. I don’t feel what I usually sense in people.”

Anakin gave him a sidelong glance, his interest piqued but guarded. “What do you mean?”

Link’s mind raced as he sought the right words, the right way to explain what he’d felt. “I… looked at him through the Force,” he began. “Had to dig through layers to see what was underneath. It’s like there’s darkness there—swallowing up everything else around it. Empty… but powerful.”

Anakin’s expression shifted, his features tightening with concern. He didn’t speak at first, digesting Link’s words. “Are there others like him?” Link pressed, desperate to understand if this feeling was something he should know about.

Anakin hesitated, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Yes,” he said quietly, his voice taking on a cautionary tone. “They’re called the Sith. They’re the dark side of the Force—our greatest enemies. They draw their power from hatred, fear, and anger. They’re incredibly dangerous… and they hide in the shadows. Mask themselves. Avoid detection.”

Link’s thoughts churned as he processed the information. He glanced toward Palpatine, a cold knot twisting in his stomach. “And they can mask themselves this well?” he asked, still struggling to believe it. “Close to Jedi, even?”

“Yes,” Anakin said, his voice heavy with the weight of his own experiences. “The Jedi struggle to sense them if they’re careful—patient.”

Link’s gaze hardened. “Then the Chancellor could be one of them.”

Anakin met his eyes, a flicker of doubt passing across his face. “You might be right,” he said quietly. “I can’t say for sure. But if you feel it… we need to pay attention. Not many people can sense that kind of darkness, Link.” He paused, his gaze softening for a moment. “You’ve tapped into something deeper, haven’t you?”

Link nodded slowly, recalling the cold emptiness beneath the layers of darkness he’d sensed. “It wasn’t easy,” he admitted. “Like digging through stone to find something buried deep within.”

Anakin’s eyes darkened. “Be careful. The Sith have ways of finding those who watch them,” he warned, his gaze shifting down the hall where Zelda had gone. “Protect her. They thrive on connections like yours.”

Link’s resolve hardened. “I will.” He gave a nod of gratitude before turning on his heel, his instincts sharper than ever. His senses were alert, his every step driven by the need to keep Zelda safe from whatever shadows lingered in this strange galaxy.

The weight of the galaxy felt heavier as he moved swiftly through the Senate’s corridors, his feet light yet firm as they carried him toward Zelda. The sprawling cityscape of Coruscant pressed in on him, but he pushed past it, honing in on the familiar warmth that grounded him. Zelda’s presence—bright and steady in the Force—was a constant beacon that guided him through the chaos.

When he found her, he approached quietly, letting his mind brush against hers, inviting her into their familiar, silent bond. Zelda’s awareness stirred, her sharp gaze meeting his as she turned toward him. Without speaking, Link conveyed his unease. His thoughts filled the space between them—images of Palpatine, the darkness he sensed, and the unsettling conversation with Anakin.

Zelda’s expression shifted as she reached out with her senses, her brow furrowing in concentration as she too dug deeper into the Force. For a brief moment, their connection deepened, and Link felt her acknowledgment of the darkness that lingered in this Republic—woven through its very core. She closed her eyes for a fraction of a second, and Link could feel her confirming what he’d sensed: the Chancellor was not as he seemed.

There were no words necessary—only a shared understanding. They both knew the road ahead would be treacherous, and their connection in the Force was their greatest weapon, one they would rely on as they navigated the shifting tides of this galaxy. They would stay vigilant. They would stay together.

Link, his gaze never leaving Zelda, murmured, “There’s more at play here. Something ancient, hidden beneath it all.”

Zelda nodded slowly, moving to the window, her hands pressing gently against the glass. Her reflection in the glass blended with the sprawling city beyond as if both she and the city were part of something greater, something far-reaching. “We’ll figure it out,” she said softly. “We’ll stay vigilant. Together.”

Link’s gaze softened as he moved to stand beside her. The unspoken bond between them, forged through years of shared battles and victories, was more than a lifeline—it was their shield against whatever darkness was waiting. He didn’t need to say anything; she felt it too.

In the silence, Zelda turned back to the table, spreading out the documents they had received. She sifted through them, but even her glance back at Link couldn’t mask the tension that lingered in the room. “Still thinking about the Chancellor?”

Link’s eyes sharpened, and he gave a subtle nod. “Yes. There’s something off about him,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight of the mystery.

Zelda paused, meeting his gaze with a knowing look. “That darkness… it’s still there?”

“It’s not just the people around him,” Link said, his voice lowering. “It’s as if he’s drawing it from something deeper—something older. Something buried.”

Zelda set the papers down, her expression serious. “We’ll need to stay vigilant,” she said softly, her mind already beginning to piece together the intricacies of the Republic’s politics. “We can’t rely on feelings alone. We need to understand what’s happening here.”

Link’s gaze never wavered from her. He had learned long ago that, no matter how strange the galaxy or its politics, they would face it as one. Together.

The weight of Coruscant’s vast cityscape stretched beyond their apartment windows, the noise of the planet reverberating like a distant, endless hum. Link exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of what was to come to settle onto his shoulders. But with Zelda by his side, he was ready to face it all—darkness, deception, and the unknown forces that shaped this galaxy. He wasn’t alone.

Chapter Eight: Master Yoda

A sudden knock echoed through the room. Link and Zelda exchanged a glance, bracing for the unknown. Link’s hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his Master Saber but relaxed when he sensed no immediate threat. Giving Zelda a small nod, he let her step forward to open the door.

Standing before them was a curious figure, no taller than their waists. Its skin was a deep, aged green, and large ears protruded from either side of its wrinkled face. Leaning on a simple wooden walking stick, the creature’s sharp yet kind eyes examined them with a gaze that seemed to pierce their very souls.

For a fleeting moment, Link thought it might be a bokoblin, but the aura surrounding it was entirely different—profound, mysterious, and steeped in ancient wisdom that made Link’s mind race.

Zelda inclined her head in cautious greeting. “Who are you?”

The creature tilted its head slightly, a faint smile tugging at its mouth. “Visitors from afar, you are,” it said in a gravelly, musical tone. “Hyrule… yes, from there, I sense.”

Link’s eyes widened. They hadn’t mentioned their homeland to anyone.

“Are… you one of the Jedi?” Zelda asked, her voice hesitant yet curious.

The creature nodded slowly, a soft chuckle escaping its throat. “Jedi, I am. Master Yoda, call me, you will.” He leaned on his stick and surveyed them once more, his eyes gleaming with ancient understanding. “A bond between you two, strong it is, hmm?”

Link frowned, exchanging a glance with Zelda. “How do you know that?”

Yoda’s chuckle deepened. “Feel it, I do. The Force connects all things. Between you two, bright it burns.” He smiled slyly, wagging a finger at Link. “The Force, in you, I sense. Powerful, it is. But Jedi, you are not.”

Link’s brow furrowed. “So… this ‘Force’—it’s what makes Jedi, Jedi?”

“Hmm. Yes,” Yoda replied, his voice tinged with amusement. “The Force, everywhere it is. In all things. Trees, rocks, lightsabers… and heroes like you.” He flicked his hand, and Link’s Master Saber jerked free from his belt, floating smoothly into Yoda’s grasp.

Yoda examined the blade with evident delight, waving it lightly in the air. “Hmm. Sharp, it is. Balanced, yes. But heavy… heavy, your heart is, Link?” His eyes gleamed knowingly as he handed the saber back. “A fine weapon it is. But remember: the Force—your true ally. Not the weapon, but the heart that wields it.”

Link took the saber, still grappling with the creature’s presence. Before he could speak, Yoda’s expression darkened. His eyes flicked between them, his voice growing somber.

“The darkness… closer than you think, it is. Fear it, do not. Face it, you must.”

A chill ran down Link’s spine. “Palpatine…” he murmured. “I feel it every time I’m near him. It’s like he drains the light from the room. I sensed… something inside him. Something dark.”

Yoda’s ears twitched, his walking stick tapping the floor softly. “Hmm. The Sith, he is. Hidden, they are. Masters of deception, the Sith remain. To see their true selves? Not many can. But you did.”

Link’s grip tightened on the hilt of his saber. The cold knot in his chest returned, twisting at the implications.

“The Sith…” Zelda said, her voice steady but wary. “What do they want?”

“Power,” Yoda replied simply. “Control. The Force, twisted they have, into darkness and shadow. A threat to all, they are. Patient they are, and dangerous.” His gaze fell on Link. “And Anakin… close to Palpatine, he is?”

Link nodded, his voice thick with worry. “Too close. Palpatine’s pull on him… it’s strong. I can feel it. Anakin might be turning, and I’m scared.”

Yoda’s gaze softened, but his voice was grave. “Strong in the Force, Anakin is. But his heart? Torn between light and dark, it is. Dangerous, his path becomes. Watch him, you must. Help him, if you can.”

Link’s heart clenched. He couldn’t let Anakin fall. Not if he could stop it. “I’ll protect him,” Link said firmly. “I won’t let him fall to the darkness.”

Yoda tapped Link’s shoulder with surprising strength. “Good. But remember: his choices, his own they are. The future, is not yours to control. Only the present, it is. Be the light for him. Help him see the path.”

Link nodded slowly, the weight of the responsibility settling on his shoulders.

Yoda’s expression lightened. “Hmm. A long road ahead, if you have. But with the Force? Alone, you are not.”

As Yoda turned to leave, a sense of calm settled over Link. The path was uncertain, but with Yoda’s guidance—and Zelda at his side—he felt ready for the challenges ahead.

“Did he look like a bokoblin?” Link asked, his voice tinged with humor.

Zelda blinked, then laughed softly. “A little,” she admitted, warmth in her tone. “But he’s far more than that.”

“Wise, too,” Link added, smiling faintly.

Zelda gazed out at Coruscant’s sprawling cityscape. “He’s seen so much… and yet, he still knows how to enjoy life. That’s something we can learn from.”

Link chuckled, the tension easing from his frame. The road ahead was uncertain, but with Zelda, their bond, and new allies like Yoda, he felt ready to face whatever darkness awaited them.

Chapter Nine: The Journey Begins

After their meeting with Master Yoda, Link and Zelda made their way to their assigned quarters, unaware that they had been given a single bed and bedroom. They chuckled at the mix-up, but there was no hesitation in their decision. They would share it. It was nothing they hadn’t done before during their time on Loreth, and their bond was something that always made such moments feel natural.

The next morning, they wasted no time. After a brief but hearty meal, they set off with purpose, their goal clear in their minds. They made their way to a local jeweler’s shop, where Zelda’s carefully chosen selection of rupees caught the jeweler’s eye immediately. Each rupee gleamed with an otherworldly luster, a mystical quality known only to the lands of Hyrule. The jeweler examined them with a mix of awe and curiosity, understanding their rarity and value. In exchange, he provided them with a substantial amount of galactic credits—more than enough for what they planned.

With the credits in hand, they quickly sought out a dealer specializing in starships. The Corellian YT-class cruiser stood out, its rugged exterior promising reliability and ample space. This was a vessel that had seen the galaxy, adapted to countless challenges, yet still stood strong—a perfect companion for their journey. They named it The Loftwing, a homage to their ancestors.

Once the deal was finalized and the cruiser was fueled, they piloted it to the Senate hangar, a massive space filled with ships of all shapes and sizes. The hum of activity was palpable as they parked their new ship among the others. Link studied the cruiser for a moment, his gaze thoughtful.

“Something is missing,” he murmured, his eyes roving over the ship’s plain, metallic exterior.

Zelda, standing beside him, nodded in understanding. This ship wasn’t just a tool for transport—it was a piece of them. It needed to feel like home, like a piece of Loreth.

With a shared look, they set to work.

Back in their quarters, Zelda began preparing something she had planned since their arrival in the Republic. Carefully unpacking one of the devices brought from Hyrule, she revealed an ancient Sheikah core glowing faintly with soft blue energy.

“This,” Zelda began, holding the core with reverence, “is what will make our ship truly ours.”

Link raised an eyebrow. “You mean we’re adding a Sheikah Guardian to the ship?”

“Not exactly,” Zelda replied with a mischievous smile. “I’ve been working on something smaller. Meet Terrako.”

From behind her workbench, Zelda revealed a nearly completed mechanical construct. It bore the unmistakable sleek, white-and-blue design of Sheikah technology but was compact—roughly half the size of R2-D2. It balanced on three segmented legs, each ending in clawed feet, and its spherical central body housed a glowing blue eye. Though smaller, Terrako’s presence was no less commanding; its sturdy frame and precise movements radiated the latent power of Sheikah Guardians.

Hours later, with the final piece connected, Zelda stepped back. “All right, Terrako. Wake up.”

The droid whirred to life with a series of clicks and chirps, its central eye glowing bright blue as it swiveled to examine its surroundings. Its legs unfolded gracefully as it stood, towering slightly over the table before taking a few tentative steps forward.

Link watched warily as the droid trilled excitedly, spinning in a circle and waving one of its clawed legs in the air.

“It’s still a Guardian,” Link muttered. “Just a smaller, more excitable one.”

As if in response, Terrako tilted its eye at Link and let out a high-pitched, indignant beep. Zelda chuckled.

“He understands you, you know,” she said.

Terrako, clearly proud of itself, made its way toward a nearby chair. In its enthusiasm, it accidentally knocked the chair over, letting out a sheepish whistle.

Link smirked. “Great. A chaotic Guardian. Just what we needed.”

The clones stationed at the Senate hangar eagerly assisted in the transformation of the cruiser. Armed with paint and supplies, they followed Link’s vision, painting the exterior in the rich colors of Loreth—deep forest greens, earthy browns, and shimmering blues reminiscent of Hyrule’s rivers and lakes. A Hylian crest was added to the side, a subtle tribute to Zelda’s royal lineage.

When the work was completed, the ship was no longer a standard Corellian cruiser—it had become The Loftwing, a living reminder of their home.

As they finalized the ship’s preparations, Padmé and Anakin arrived to inspect their new vessel. R2-D2 trundled out from behind Anakin, his dome swiveling curiously as he emitted a series of whistles.

Terrako, standing by the ship’s ramp, perked up at the sight of another droid. It scuttled forward on its three legs, chirping playfully at R2.

R2 responded with a sharp whistle, clearly unimpressed.

“They’re… sizing each other up?” Zelda asked, watching the exchange with amusement.

As if to confirm her observation, Terrako let out an excited trill and leaped onto R2’s dome. The astromech spun furiously, shaking Terrako loose, and retaliated with a series of annoyed beeps.

Link groaned. “We’ve had him for an hour, and he’s already picking fights.”

Zelda smiled, scooping Terrako up as it chirped defiantly. “He’s spirited. And besides, we’ll need all the help we can get.”

Once settled aboard The Loftwing, Link turned his attention to the ship’s defenses, ensuring the turrets were calibrated and operational. Zelda stocked the ship with supplies and carefully placed her scrolls and research materials in a dedicated corner. The ship became their second home—a place of safety, of refuge, ready to carry them through whatever lay ahead.

With their preparations complete, they rejoined Anakin and Padmé on a Senate balcony overlooking Coruscant’s vast cityscape. As the conversation turned to politics and war, Link’s attention wandered. He exchanged a glance with Terrako, who was now perched on the balcony railing, its legs swinging idly as it observed the skyline.

Action was Link’s strength, and though politics bored him, he resolved to act when the time came. He glanced at Anakin, who seemed equally restless.

A shared understanding passed between them—one warrior to another.

And as the sun dipped below Coruscant’s skyline, Link silently vowed to protect those he cared for, no matter the challenges ahead.

Chapter Ten: The Shield and the Rapier

Link’s gaze sharpened as he turned to Anakin, his voice practical and direct. “How can we help with the war… outside of politics?”

Anakin smirked, recognizing the impatience in Link’s tone. “I think I know what you’re getting at. There are plenty of ways to make a difference, but it’s not all about speeches or Senate meetings. The real fight is out there, in the galaxy, where things are happening. We need people who can make an impact on the battlefield.”

Padmé raised an eyebrow at Anakin’s remark. “Are you suggesting he enlist?”

“Not necessarily,” Anakin responded with a grin. “But I can see that you’d rather fight on your terms. You’re not one for sitting around while the world burns.”

Link nodded in agreement. “Exactly. But what can we do? I don’t know much about your tech, but I’m a fast learner. I could pick things up quickly if I have the right tools.”

Zelda, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. “We may not understand everything in this galaxy, but we’ve got skills, and we know how to fight. Surely there’s something we can do to help bring balance back to your world.”

Anakin’s eyes gleamed with interest. “With your skills and that ‘Master Saber’ of yours,” he nodded toward Link’s weapon, “you could be a powerful ally. And Zelda…” He turned to her, his voice softening slightly. “With some guidance, you might be able to unlock your connection to the Force. You’ve got potential.”

Padmé glanced between them thoughtfully. “There are planets on the frontlines that could use defenders like you—skilled warriors who aren’t bound by the politics of the Republic. Some worlds just need heroes, people who’ll fight to protect them while their people rebuild.”

Link looked at Zelda, and a spark of determination passed between them. “Then that’s what we’ll do,” he said, his voice unwavering. “Just tell us where to start.”

Anakin’s smile grew wider. “How about some hands-on training first? You’ve got the raw skills, but this galaxy’s wars require more. I think it’s time to put that training to use. Consider it cross-training.”

Link grinned, the excitement of the challenge evident in his eyes. “Now, that sounds interesting.”

After days of preparation, Link was ready for hands-on combat training with Anakin. The idea of leaving Zelda, even temporarily, made him uneasy. But she reassured him with a warm smile. “I’ll be fine, Link. Besides, I’ll be safe here with Padmé. You’ll come back stronger, I know it.”

Before he left, Link took a deep breath, his hand reaching for something at his side. It was Zelda’s rapier—the same blade that had been wielded at least once by every Zelda before her. It was a symbol of their lineage and resilience, a connection to the past, and a reminder of the responsibility they carried. He placed it gently in her hands, his gaze steady and filled with meaning.

“Take care of yourself,” he said quietly, his voice soft but firm. “This sword is as much a part of you as it is of Hyrule. Don’t forget that, no matter what happens.”

Zelda’s fingers tightened around the hilt, the weight of the blade grounding her in the moment. She nodded, her expression both touched and resolute. “I’ll keep it safe. I promise.”

Though her role in this galaxy was still uncertain, there was a sense of inevitability about her destiny. Zelda had always been more than a princess. Her time would come, and when it did, it would echo across both galaxies.

The first few days of training were intense. Link had learned much in his life, but the ways of the galaxy were different. The tech, the tactics—everything was foreign to him. Anakin, however, had a way of simplifying things, making them tangible.

Link was handed a modified Mandalorian arm brace, which, when activated, formed an energy shield similar to his Hylian shield. The shield hummed with a quiet power, and as Link adjusted it to resemble the shield he knew so well, he felt a sense of connection. This was not the Hylian shield, but it was an extension of his will, something that would stand by him just as faithfully.

Anakin had also provided Link with armor—standard Jedi gear, neutral and practical. But Link saw potential in it. He quickly modified the armor, painting it blue to match his Champion’s Tunic. With his Master Saber at his side, the energy shield on his arm, and his newly modified armor, Link was a force to be reckoned with—a blend of heroism and practicality, like the knights of old, ready to make his mark on this new world.

The mission that followed was a test—a chance to see how well the training had prepared them for the real battle. Link’s instincts, honed from years of defending Hyrule, kicked in as they infiltrated a Separatist base on a remote planet. The droids that patrolled the area seemed eerily similar to the Guardians Link had once battled. They were machines with a singular purpose, their every movement calculated, precise, and unforgiving.

“These droids…” Link muttered to Anakin as they hid behind cover. “They remind me of the Guardians from my world. Machines built to destroy.”

Anakin nodded, eyes narrowing. “I’ve fought them before. They’re relentless but predictable. Once you know how to handle them, they’re just another enemy.”

Together, they slipped through the enemy’s defenses, avoiding detection and taking out the occasional droid along the way. When they reached the control room, a squad of battle droids blocked their path. Link raised his energy shield and ignited his Master Saber, instinctively taking a defensive stance beside Anakin.

The battle was swift. Link’s quick reflexes allowed him to parry blasts with his energy shield, deflecting shots while he closed the gap. Anakin moved with equal precision, his lightsaber flashing as he cut down droids with a series of well-placed strikes.

Once the last of the droids was destroyed, Anakin turned to Link, his grin wide. “You’ve got some moves, kid.”

Link returned the grin. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

As they returned to the ship, Anakin clapped Link on the shoulder. “You’ve got a warrior’s heart, Link. And I think you’ll find that’s exactly what the galaxy needs right now.”

Far away, Zelda stood in silent reflection, her hand resting on the rapier. She didn’t know what the future held, but she could feel the weight of her role pressing on her. One day, her time would come, and she would be ready.

Chapter 11: Fulcrum

During one of their missions, Link and Anakin arrived at a forward command post just as Ahsoka Tano was finishing a briefing with a group of Republic troops. The room was bathed in a warm, dim light that highlighted the determined set of her face and the gleam of her white lightsabers at her sides. As Ahsoka turned towards Anakin, her movements were fluid and graceful, her posture radiating confidence. When her gaze fell on Link, it briefly lingered, a flicker of curiosity sparking in her eyes.

Anakin smirked, noticing the exchange. “Ahsoka, meet Link. He’s… gifted in the Force, but he’s not a Jedi.”

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a teasing smile. “Training someone already, Anakin? And he’s not even officially a Jedi?” she quipped, her tone playful yet intrigued as she assessed Link. Her eyes briefly caught the way he shifted uneasily under her gaze. His chest tightened as she took him in, but the way she did it was almost casual. Almost.

Anakin shrugged, his voice tinged with pride. “Link’s skills speak for themselves. He’s from another world, and the Force works through him in ways I can’t fully explain. We’re working together to see what he can do—and he’s already impressive.”

The compliment made Link shift on his feet, but the flicker of amusement in Ahsoka’s eyes as she turned to him didn’t help the growing warmth in his cheeks. She wasn’t the kind to miss subtle reactions.

“Nice to meet you, Link,” Ahsoka said, her voice smooth and warm as she extended a hand. When their palms met, her grip was firm, but there was something in the lingering touch that made Link’s thoughts scatter. “I hope Anakin’s not pushing you too hard.”

Link managed a grin, though his voice faltered slightly. “Nice to meet you too. And he’s not going easy, but I’m keeping up.” His gaze instinctively dropped to the gleam of Ahsoka’s white lightsabers, their pristine glow drawing his attention. “I have to say, your lightsabers are… impressive.”

Ahsoka’s eyes twinkled with quiet pride. “Thanks. They’re a fresh start—white to represent where I am now, independent.” Her words felt like an undercurrent, drawing him in, though he tried not to let it distract him. “It’s not always about following a single path.”

Anakin leaned in, giving Link a nudge with a grin. “Link’s path is unique. Just trying to make sure he doesn’t get… distracted.” His knowing glance toward Ahsoka made Link’s heart skip a beat, but Ahsoka just raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a playful smile.

Ahsoka tilted her head, her gaze falling on his pointed ears. “I like the look,” she said, her voice light but charged, lingering just a little longer than necessary. “Are all Hylians this… distinct?” Her eyes flicked over him again, and the way she lingered on his posture, on how he fidgeted slightly, was enough to leave him disoriented.

Link cleared his throat, trying to calm the flutter in his chest. “Well, technically, I’m human,” he explained, his voice steady despite the warmth creeping into his cheeks. “My people haven’t left our planet in who knows how long. So, these”—he gestured to his pointed ears—“are just a result of thousands of years of evolution. We’ve adapted to our environment, and these are just part of it. Doesn’t make us different from humans, though.”

Ahsoka considered this for a moment, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Fascinating. Guess that makes you unique in your way.”

“Some of us are, I guess,” Link replied, doing his best to hide his fluster. It was hard, especially when Ahsoka’s every movement seemed to steal his attention. Her casual confidence made his mind short-circuit, making him forget things as small as where he had placed his hands.

Ahsoka chuckled softly, leaning in just a fraction closer, her breath a whisper against his ear. “Well, I think it suits you,” she murmured, a teasing edge to her voice. “You know, you don’t have to be a Jedi to make a difference. And from what I’ve seen today, I think you’re already well on your way.”

The words lingered with a heat that made Link’s pulse race. He quickly reminded himself of where his loyalties lay—with Zelda—but it was hard to focus when Ahsoka’s mere presence seemed to shift his thoughts. Her strength, independence, and the unspoken challenge in her gaze were undeniably captivating.

The briefing concluded, and they moved out for the mission. The target: a Separatist communications array hidden in the dense forest of a nearby moon. Anakin led them with his usual confidence, but Ahsoka, always the unpredictable force, walked alongside Link. Her arm brushed against his, and his breath caught—like a crackling spark that ignited something he wasn’t sure he was ready to deal with.

With every step, her movements were effortless, fluid—distracting. The sway of her hips as she walked, the way she glanced back at him with a playful smile—it all twisted his thoughts into a knot. Was she just confident? Or was she teasing him? Either way, he couldn’t help but notice the way she carried herself, how every little motion seemed to draw his focus.

“Ahsoka, I’m putting you and Link on the perimeter. Disable any guards you encounter. Quietly,” Anakin ordered, his voice cutting through Link’s daze.

“Understood, General,” Ahsoka responded, her voice carrying a quiet thrill as she turned to Link with a wicked grin. “Guess we’re partners now.”

Their steps were in sync as they maneuvered around the perimeter, taking out droids without a sound. And each time Ahsoka leaned close, he could feel the subtle warmth of her presence, her shoulder brushing against his, her breath a whisper near his ear. Once, she leaned in so close that he caught the faintest scent of her—something faint, like spices and the open air. Her smile was always near, always inviting.

“Not bad for someone who’s not a Jedi,” she whispered, her voice a soft challenge. “You sure you’re not just hiding your talents?”

Link’s throat went dry as he tried to gather his scattered thoughts. “I’m just doing my best,” he replied, his voice shaky, betraying him. But the way she grinned—she knew exactly what she was doing, and it both unsettled and thrilled him.

Ahsoka lowered her voice even further, her tone almost a purr. “I can see why Anakin took an interest. Not every day someone this… skilled crosses paths with us.”

The words stirred something deep inside him, but he fought it and forced himself to refocus. Zelda. He had a mission to complete, a promise to keep. Yet, Ahsoka’s challenge and the unspoken invitation in her gaze kept tugging at his resolve.

The mission went smoothly. They disabled the communications array with swift precision, and afterward, as they regrouped, Ahsoka turned to Link with a final, playful grin. “If you ever get tired of following orders,” she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear, “you know where to find me.”

Anakin, catching the exchange from a distance, gave Ahsoka a pointed look. “Ahsoka, leave him alone,” he called, though his voice carried amusement rather than anger. “Link’s got enough on his plate without you trying to lead him astray.”

Ahsoka threw up her hands in mock surrender, her grin wide. “All right, all right. I’ll play nice.” She flashed Link one last smile before turning away.

As they departed, heading back to their ship, Link couldn’t shake the strange mixture of emotions swirling inside him. Her words lingered—teasing, challenging, and undeniably attractive. Yet through it all, he remained focused. He wasn’t there for distractions. He wasn’t there for her. His thoughts always circled back to Zelda and the duty he carried from his world.

But then, as they boarded the ship and the world around him seemed to settle, a sudden disturbance rippled through the Force. It was like a wave crashing against his mind, sharp and jagged, pulling at his very core.

Zelda.

The realization hit him with staggering force. She was in trouble.

His heart pounded, the edges of his vision blurring as the gravity of the moment slammed into him. The bond they shared—their connection—had always been strong, but this… this was something different.

Zelda needed him.

Ahsoka’s voice called out from behind, but Link didn’t hear it. He was already moving, his mind racing. There was no time for distractions now.

Chapter 12: The Hunt

They reached their ship, the Loftwing, when a news alert blinked across the HoloNet, grabbing their attention. The Senate building on Coruscant had been the target of an attempted bombing. Miraculously, no one was hurt.

“Anakin,” Link began, his voice unwavering but tinged with a rare, controlled intensity. “I know you’re furious. So am I. They targeted Zelda—and they almost succeeded. But she’s safe now, and that’s what matters. If we let anger control us, then they’ve already won. It’s exactly what they want.”

Anakin’s jaw tightened, and his eyes blazed with fury, but he kept his silence, forcing himself to breathe deeply as he processed Link’s words. The flicker of darkness in his gaze was undeniable, yet Link saw him trying to rein it in.

“We’ll find the ones responsible,” Link continued, his tone unyielding. “But we need to do this with clear heads. If we let rage take control, we’re no better than them.”

Anakin remained silent for a long moment, his conflicted emotions etched in his expression. Then, with a slow, controlled nod, he spoke, though his voice trembled with barely contained fury. “You’re right. We can’t let them get the better of us. This attack wasn’t just against Zelda—this was an attack on everything we’re fighting for. We respond with focus… not fury.”

Link nodded, relieved to see Anakin begin to regain control. “Good. We’ll hunt them down, and they’ll pay for what they’ve done. But we’ll do it the right way.”

With a renewed sense of purpose, they left the ship, ready to uncover the source of the attack.

Back on Coruscant, Link, and Anakin headed straight for the Jedi Temple, where several Masters and Knights were already poring over security footage from the bombing attempt. Link stood beside them, eyes narrowed, as the grainy images flickered across the screen. After a few moments, a shadowed figure appeared near the Senate building, moving with uncanny precision—a person familiar with the building’s layout and security.

Anakin’s eyes narrowed further, his intensity flaring. “There—pause it,” he barked, his voice low but heavy with venom. The figure’s silhouette was barely discernible, but its gait suggested something far more deliberate than a random criminal.

“That’s no ordinary person,” Anakin muttered, his tone deadly serious.

After a brief exchange, Anakin and Link turned to the Jedi Masters. Anakin’s voice was colder than before, laced with an edge that suggested something far more personal. “This one… is personal. Link and I are handling this alone.”

A tense silence filled the room. The Jedi Masters exchanged uneasy glances, sensing the dark energy radiating from Anakin, tempered only by Link’s presence—silent, but equally intense.

Mace Windu, standing at the center, fixed Anakin with a steady gaze. He recognized the undercurrent of danger in Anakin’s words, a deep and unsettling rage tempered by a chilling focus. A force few could ignore.

“Be careful, Skywalker,” Windu said, his voice low but firm, carrying an implicit warning. “Remember what control is, and how quickly anger blinds. Justice demands a steady hand.”

Anakin’s jaw clenched, his eyes flashing briefly toward Windu. “This isn’t just anger, Master,” he retorted, his voice sharp and cutting. “They tried to kill the people I care about. I’ll make them feel every consequence of their actions.”

Link’s silence was deliberate, a counterpoint to Anakin’s fiery outburst. But the tension in his jaw, the slight clench of his fists, betrayed his simmering anger.

“You forget yourselves,” Windu said, his gaze shifting to Link. “Anger may start as a tool, but it becomes a weapon against the wielder.”

Link finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. “We’ll bring justice. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Dangerous, this path can be,” Yoda said gravely, his small ears twitching as he observed the two of them. “Blinded by revenge, you must not become. Justice, not vengeance, must guide you.”

Anakin’s gaze returned to the screen, his voice unwavering. “Lock down Coruscant’s atmosphere. No one gets in or out without our clearance. Whoever did this is still here—and they won’t slip past us again.”

Master Windu nodded reluctantly, issuing the order to activate the planetary defense shields. Moments later, a shimmering barrier enveloped Coruscant’s upper atmosphere, cutting off all unauthorized travel in or out of the planet.

Link and Anakin turned to leave, the weight of their purpose heavy in the air.

The Loftwing soared low over the cityscape, gliding through the labyrinth of Coruscant’s towering spires and sprawling sectors. Link kept a steady grip on the controls, his sharp eyes scanning every corner of the massive metropolis. Beside him, Anakin was tense, his mind racing, piecing together fragments of information.

Their search had already taken them to the busiest sectors—dockyards, business districts, and secure Senate quarters—but all yielded no clues. Frustration was mounting when Anakin suggested they try the abandoned factory sector, a forgotten region of the city where few ventured. Perfect for a fugitive to hide.

As they descended toward the darker part of the city, the Loftwing glided between rusted factories and decaying warehouses, relics from Coruscant’s industrial past. The air was thick with dust, the perfect cover for someone trying to stay out of sight.

Anakin’s eyes suddenly locked onto something in the shadows—an unmistakable silhouette tucked away between two crumbling buildings.

There, nestled in the darkness, was Slave I.

Link steered the ship closer, his grip tightening on the controls. This was it. The hunt had just begun.

The two exchanged a glance, a shared understanding passing between them. Link guided the Loftwing down carefully, and they disembarked, weapons at the ready.

“This one’s not getting away,” Anakin growled, pulling out a small device resembling a heavy clamp. It gleamed faintly in the dim light—a planetary immobilizer, designed to latch onto a ship and disable its engines.

As Link approached the Slave I cautiously, his senses on high alert, Anakin fixed the immobilizer to the ship’s underside with a sharp click.

The device emitted a low hum, signaling its activation.

“Done,” Anakin muttered.

But before they could take a breath, the faint sound of movement echoed from the shadows.

Chapter 13: Under the Iron Sky

The faint hum of energy resonated as Link and Anakin steadied themselves, facing the formidable Mandalorian who stood before them. His silver and blue armor gleamed in the dim light, reflecting the cold, industrial backdrop of the abandoned factory district. A blaster rifle was slung across his back, and the iconic helmet, its sleek contours hiding his face, offered no hint of emotion.

Anakin’s hand instinctively rested on his lightsaber hilt, his eyes locked onto the armored figure. Link, meanwhile, adjusted his grip on the Master Saber—what had once been the Master Sword, now reformed into a blinding lightsaber of pristine energy. His other arm, outfitted with the modified Mandalorian arm brace, pulsed with readiness, an energy shield ready to protect him from the incoming onslaught.

The Mandalorian raised his blaster, and the moment stretched out, an unspoken challenge in the air. Without warning, he opened fire, the energy bolts screaming through the dim air. Link barely managed to deflect one with his shield, the force of it pushing him back as Anakin activated his saber, the blue blade casting an eerie glow across the scene. He leaped forward, swinging at the Mandalorian’s exposed side, but the armored figure was swift, dodging with surprising agility.

Link’s Master Saber flared to life, its blade a radiant blue as he joined the fray, expertly parrying another round of blaster fire. He moved with the precision of a seasoned warrior, yet his every motion was laced with an instinctive caution, wary of the blaster’s power. The Mandalorian was no mere thug—his stance, his timing, and the way he anticipated every move, marked him as a dangerous opponent.

“Stay on him!” Anakin shouted, his voice low, full of intent.

Link nodded sharply, pushing forward, his lightsaber flashing in perfect synchrony with Anakin’s blade. They worked as a team, their movements a dangerous ballet, parrying and countering each strike the Mandalorian made. Yet, the Mandalorian wasn’t just defending; he was planning, adapting to their every move.

The clash of sabers was a sharp, metallic ring as Jango Fett expertly blocked Anakin’s swipe and countered with a low kick that sent Anakin stumbling backward. Link rushed in to assist, using his energy shield to deflect another blaster shot, but the Mandalorian was relentless. With a swift motion, he dropped his blaster and unsheathed a curved vibroblade from his side, the metallic edge glowing faintly in the dim light.

“Anakin, keep him busy!” Link called out, his voice focused as he moved to engage the Mandalorian one-on-one.

Anakin responded with a fierce battle cry, charging forward to clash with Fett once more. The two lightsabers met in a shower of sparks as they fought with unmatched intensity. Link took his opportunity, closing the distance between him and Fett, his Master Saber swinging with precise, deadly arcs.

Fett deflected Link’s strike with his vibroblade, the force sending a sharp vibration through the air. Link’s shield absorbed another energy bolt from Fett’s wrist-mounted blaster, but the shield flickered momentarily from the strain. He adjusted, taking a more defensive stance as Fett pressed the attack.

With a swift movement, Fett disengaged, retreating backward as if sensing an opening. His helmet tilted slightly toward the two Jedi, and at that moment, Link realized the Mandalorian was studying them—waiting for the right moment to strike.

“Not bad,” Fett muttered, his voice distorted through the modulated speaker of his helmet.

Link narrowed his eyes, his hand tightening on the Master Saber. “You’re not getting away,” he muttered, his gaze unwavering.

Anakin, regaining his balance, charged once more, his saber clashing against Fett’s vibroblade with a flurry of strikes. Link followed, moving in tandem with Anakin, pushing the Mandalorian further back with every calculated strike. Fett was skilled, but against two Jedi, his chances of survival were rapidly dwindling.

With a roar, Anakin swung his saber downward, forcing Fett to block with both hands on his vibroblade. In that instant, Link saw his opening. With a single, decisive strike, he brought his Master Saber down upon Fett’s weapon, the energy blade slicing through the vibroblade with ease. Fett staggered back, his blaster instinctively reaching for his sidearm, but the shield from Link’s arm brace flared once again, keeping the Mandalorian at bay.

“Stay down,” Anakin growled, his saber flashing threateningly in the low light. Fett, now disarmed, seemed to reconsider his position, his shoulders sagging in apparent defeat. But the gleam in his eyes told Link all he needed to know: this fight wasn’t over. Not yet.

Fett gave a low, grudging chuckle beneath his helmet. “You’ve got skill. But you won’t take me alive.”

Link, his Master Saber still glowing brightly, stood ready, his stance firm. “We’ll see about that.”

The Mandalorian’s hand flicked to his jetpack, and in an instant, he shot upward, soaring into the air. Link and Anakin watched as he rapidly ascended, disappearing into the darkened skies above the factory district.

Anakin clenched his fist in frustration. “He’s getting away.”

Link, eyes fixed on the empty sky, shook his head slowly. “Not for long.”

The faint hum of Fett’s jetpack faded into the distance as he ascended higher into the sky, but Link’s eyes never left the darkened expanse above. His senses sharpened, a ripple of anticipation washing over him. In one fluid motion, he raised his arm, the modified Mandalorian arm brace glowing brightly as it projected a shimmering energy shield. The shield absorbed yet another blaster bolt aimed at him from Fett’s gauntlet-mounted blaster.

With a swift and precise motion, Link redirected the energy, his eyes locked on Fett’s rising form. The deflected bolt whistled through the air, arcing upward before it collided with Fett’s jetpack. An explosion of sparks erupted as the blaster bolt slammed into the propulsion system.

Fett’s body lurched violently as the blast knocked him off course. His jetpack sputtered and misfired, sending him spiraling downward, arms flailing in a desperate attempt to regain control. The Mandalorian plummeted, crashing into the metal wreckage of an old factory with a thunderous impact.

The sound of his body meeting the ground echoed in the still air, and for a long moment, there was only silence.

Anakin, eyes wide, watched the spectacle in awe. “That was… incredible,” he muttered.

Link didn’t waste a moment. He turned and sprinted toward the wreckage, his Master Saber still humming with the afterglow of battle. He reached the spot where Fett had fallen, finding the Mandalorian sprawled out amidst the twisted metal. The once-pristine armor was now dented and scorched, and Fett lay motionless, a deep, unconscious breath the only sign of life.

Anakin appeared beside him, his lightsaber flickering off as he assessed the situation. “You got him.”

Link nodded, kneeling to ensure Fett was still out cold. The Mandalorian’s chest rose and fell steadily, but he was far from conscious. He wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon.

With a swift motion, Link reached down and grabbed Fett by the leg, pulling him effortlessly from the wreckage. He didn’t give Fett a second thought as he began to drag the unconscious warrior toward the Loftwing. The fight was over. It was time for justice.

Anakin moved alongside him, casting a glance at the wreckage as he spoke. “You think he’s working alone?”

“We’ll find out,” Link replied. “But right now, I think we’ve got more than enough to deal with.”

Together, they reached the Loftwing, the ship’s sleek form waiting patiently in the dim light of the factory district. With a grunt, Link hoisted Fett into the cargo hold, careful to secure the Mandalorian in one of the compartments. The space was cramped, but it would suffice until they reached the authorities.

As they closed the compartment, Anakin glanced at Link. “So, what now?”

“We turn him in. The Senate needs to know what happened here. They need to understand the threat we’re facing.”

The two Jedi boarded the Loftwing, their mission complete for now. The ship hummed to life, lifting off from the factory district and soaring into the open sky above Coruscant. The city stretched out below them, its towering spires glinting under the twin suns as they sped toward the Senate.

As they navigated the twisting skyways, a new sense of resolve filled Link. They had captured Fett, but this was only the beginning. There were deeper currents at play, and they would have to be prepared for what came next.

Link glanced at Anakin, his expression unreadable, and nodded toward the horizon. “Let’s get this done.”

Anakin gave a short nod, his gaze hard and focused. “Agreed.”

The Loftwing soared toward the heart of the Republic, carrying with it a prisoner—and the weight of a galaxy on its wings. The next chapter in their fight was about to unfold.

Chapter 14: Paths Unseen

The journey back to the Jedi Temple was quiet, the silence between Link and Anakin thick with unspoken tension. They had won a small victory today, but both knew that the galaxy was already tumbling into something darker. They couldn’t undo the choices made on distant battlefields, couldn’t stop the forces that had set this war in motion, but maybe—just maybe—they could still make the right choices. Even as the shadows of the Sith grew long over the Republic, Link held on to one clear certainty: they would face whatever came next together, as Jedi, as allies. And for the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to believe that hope, however fragile, remained.

After they turned Jango Fett over to the Jedi Sentinels, Link felt the slightest weight lift from his shoulders, though the oppressive tension around him didn’t abate. The Temple halls were busy, filled with Jedi preparing for their next missions, but Link’s mind drifted elsewhere. One thought pressed urgently in his mind: he needed to find Zelda. After so many hard-fought battles and close calls, he felt an undeniable pull to her presence—one that reminded him of everything he valued beyond the war. He needed to speak with her, to ground himself again.

Link moved quietly through the marble halls, nodding to fellow Jedi who passed, but his focus never wavered. Finally, he found her in one of the Temple’s more secluded meditation chambers, sitting near a wide, floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the glittering Coruscant skyline. Zelda’s gaze was distant, the weight of war and loss reflected in her steady, silent contemplation. She looked like she was carrying the galaxy on her shoulders, and the sight of her stirred something deeply protective within him.

When she noticed him, her expression softened, her eyes filling with a mixture of relief and concern. “How did it go?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“We brought in Fett,” Link said simply, his voice low and steady. He paused, then added, almost in a whisper, “But I think it’s time we go home, Zelda.”

Zelda tilted her head, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. “Home?” she echoed, caution and curiosity woven into her tone. “Link, you know we’re needed here. The Jedi—”

“I know,” he replied, his voice calm yet resolute. “But this place…this war… it’s different from what we believed in. I don’t want to lose ourselves in this. And I don’t want to risk putting you in more danger than we already have.”

Zelda’s gaze held his, and for a long moment, silence stretched between them. Her eyes searched his face, reading the deep conflict there. The weight of their decisions hung in the air like a storm about to break. Slowly, she rose, crossing the room to stand beside him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, grounding him, and spoke softly, her voice full of understanding. “You’re not alone in feeling the weight of this. The galaxy feels like it’s shifting beneath our feet, and every day it feels like we’re being pulled further from the peace we’re supposed to protect.” Her expression softened as she took his hand in hers, offering reassurance. “But I’ll go wherever you think is best.”

Link’s gaze held hers, a quiet gratitude filling him. He took a slow, steadying breath. He could see the battle raging in her eyes, the same doubts that tugged at his own heart. This wasn’t an easy decision for either of them, but the quiet certainty in her eyes gave him strength. At that moment, he realized the weight of his decisions was not his to bear alone. “I think we need time to remember who we are,” he said. “To find ourselves again—beyond what the galaxy expects us to be.”

Zelda nodded, her resolve unwavering. “Then we’ll go. We’ll take the time we need. And when we’re ready, we’ll return on our terms.”

A brief, almost unspoken moment of clarity passed between them, and the world outside the Temple seemed to pause in its relentless march. They weren’t running. They weren’t abandoning their duties but rather stepping away to preserve themselves, to heal. The fight would continue, but they couldn’t continue to give everything to it if they lost themselves in the process.

They walked out of the chamber, their steps light yet determined. The hum of voices and the rush of the busy Temple around them seemed distant, as though the world itself held its breath for them to decide their next move. In this quiet, they found peace. It wasn’t an escape, but a conscious choice to follow a different path, one that would lead them back to themselves.

As they boarded the Loftwing and left Coruscant behind, the city lights fading into a starry sky, Link felt a calm certainty settle over him. The galaxy wouldn’t wait for them, and he knew the war would rage on without pause. But for now, they would find their own pace. They would take this time to heal, to remember who they were—Jedi, yes, but also people who had once been whole before the war had swallowed them up.

Link glanced over at Zelda, who sat beside him, her hand resting lightly on the controls. Her calm strength grounded him in a way no one else could, and he knew that together, they could navigate whatever came next. Whatever challenges awaited, they would face them side by side, no longer lost in the weight of duty alone.

For the first time in a long while, Link allowed himself to hope that one day, the galaxy might find peace as well. But as they flew further into the stars, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that the peace they sought might always remain just beyond their reach.

Chapter 15: Home

After a period of rest and reflection on Loreth, Link and Zelda found themselves once again in the familiar embrace of Hyrule Castle. The sight of her father’s home, with its towering walls and lush gardens, brought a rare sense of peace after the chaos of Coruscant and the battles they had faced across the galaxy. The village below, with its bustling markets and familiar faces, felt like a distant memory compared to the war, the Sith, and the forces threatening the galaxy.

Sitting together in the grand hall, they recounted their adventures over a simple, yet heartfelt meal. Zelda’s father, King Rhoam, listened intently as they shared the details of their time with the Jedi, but Link’s experiences were well-known to him. Instead, Zelda took the lead, recounting her time spent with Padmé Amidala, navigating the tense political landscape that had engulfed the Republic. Her voice carried the weight of her new insights, the things she had learned about diplomacy, power, and the fragility of peace.

“The Senate,” Zelda began, her gaze distant, “was like a storm I could never quite escape. Every meeting, every negotiation, felt like it was teetering on the edge of disaster. Padmé showed me just how delicate this galaxy is. It wasn’t just about the battles, the Sith, or the Jedi—sometimes, the hardest wars are fought in the chambers of power.”

King Rhoam nodded, his eyes filled with pride and concern. “You’ve had to carry a heavy burden, Zelda. In this time of turmoil, those who hold the reins of leadership face the hardest choices. But it is in the face of such adversity that true leaders are forged.”

Zelda’s voice wavered for a moment, the weight of the galaxy pressing down on her. “And yet, sometimes I wonder if any of us can truly make a difference. I’m learning that while the Jedi fight with their sabers and the soldiers fight with their blasters, those of us in the halls of power are left to maneuver in a game where every move could tip the balance.”

Link watched her, his expression quiet, understanding the internal conflict she was carrying. He had been caught in similar moments of doubt, but hers seemed to weigh more heavily, the choices of diplomacy and politics a battle of their own. He placed a hand on her shoulder, offering a silent solidarity.

King Rhoam spoke again, his voice calm and firm. “It is not for us to predict the future, my daughter. But it is for us to act with honor, with wisdom, and with courage. In the end, our choices—however small they may seem—shape the world around us.”

Zelda smiled faintly, her gaze softening. “I’ve learned that much from you, Father.”

Just then, a messenger arrived, his breath short and hurried. “Your Majesty, a ship has landed in the Gerudo Desert. It’s unmarked, but we’ve identified its origin. It’s not one of ours.”

Zelda and Link exchanged a glance, the gravity of the situation settling in immediately.

“Palpatine,” Link muttered, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his saber.

Zelda’s expression hardened. “If he’s come to the Gerudo Desert… there’s only one reason. He’s trying to win over Ganondorf.”

King Rhoam’s features shifted, his concern evident. “Ganondorf… He is not an enemy, but his ambition has often led him astray. If Palpatine has found a way to manipulate him…”

Zelda’s eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. “We can’t let that happen. Ganondorf might be a ruler, but he’s not the enemy. But if Palpatine has gotten to him…”

Link stepped forward, his resolve clear. “We need to stop this now before it gets worse.”

King Rhoam placed a hand on their shoulders, his gaze both steady and full of worry. “Be careful. If Palpatine has truly swayed Ganondorf, this battle won’t be like the others you’ve fought. You’ll need to be prepared for anything.”

Link met his gaze. “We will. We won’t let him take this world or any other.”

With that, they gathered their gear and headed for the Loftwing. The air around them was thick with the weight of what lay ahead. They both knew that the fate of not just Loreth, but the entire galaxy, could depend on the outcome of this confrontation.

As they soared through the skies toward the Gerudo Desert, the vast expanse of dunes stretched before them, a barren landscape of isolation and mystery. In the distance, they could see the silhouette of the unmarked ship, its dark shape almost blending into the heat-rippled horizon. The presence of the dark side lingered as an oppressive force that hung over the desert like a storm cloud.

Link’s grip on the controls tightened, his knuckles white. “Let’s finish this.”

Zelda took a deep breath, steeling herself for the battle ahead. “We have to. We can’t let Palpatine or anyone else corrupt Ganondorf. He’s not a villain in this story. He’s just… a man who wants the best for his people.”

Link glanced at her, his voice low. “He may want what’s best, but if Palpatine gets inside his head…” He shook his head, not wanting to finish the thought.

They landed the Loftwing near the ship, stepping into the heat of the desert, their senses heightened by the dark energy in the air. As they made their way toward the rock formation nearby, they heard a familiar, grating voice.

“So, you’ve found me, little princess. And your Hylian companion too.”

Zelda’s hand immediately went to the hilt of her sword, her posture steady as she turned. There, in the shadow of the rocks, stood Ganondorf. His massive form loomed over them, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of confidence and something deeper—something almost regretful.

Beside him stood Palpatine, cloaked in shadow, his presence suffocating.

Zelda’s voice was steady, unwavering. “It’s over, Ganondorf. You’ve been swayed by the darkest of forces. We won’t let Palpatine twist you.”

Ganondorf’s deep laugh rumbled through the desert. “You misunderstand, Princess. I have no desire for such corruption. I’ve always fought for my people. Palpatine… has shown me a way to make the world better—for everyone. But that doesn’t mean I’ll follow him blindly.”

Palpatine’s hooded figure shifted slightly, his voice dripping with malice. “You are wrong, Ganondorf. Power is the only way to achieve your true potential. You’ve already started down the path to greatness. Don’t let the Jedi stand in your way.”

Zelda’s voice was sharp. “Power at the cost of everything else? That’s not the kind of leader you are, Ganondorf.”

Link stepped forward, his arm tense around his brace. “We’re not here to fight you, Ganondorf. We’re here to stop Palpatine from manipulating you.”

Ganondorf’s gaze softened, but only for a moment. “You think I don’t see through him? You think I don’t know what he’s trying to do? But I will not allow him to turn me into a tool for his plans.”

The ground beneath their feet trembled as Ganondorf’s hands glowed with a dark, swirling energy—an overwhelming surge of Gerudo magic amplified by Palpatine’s sinister influence. The desert winds howled around them, sand swirling like a storm.

Link ignited his shield and saber, the radiant glow a stark contrast to the dark energy in the air. He raised it instinctively, prepared for whatever came next.

Zelda drew her sword, her eyes locked on Ganondorf as she prepared for battle. “We won’t let you become another pawn in his game.”

Together, they stood against the gathering storm, knowing that this fight was not just for Loreth, but for the very heart of what it meant to be a leader, a protector, and a force for good. This battle would determine whether Ganondorf would remain the honorable ruler he had always been—or whether Palpatine’s darkness would finally consume him.

Whatever the outcome, they couldn’t afford to lose.

Chapter 16: The Final Fight

The air in the Gerudo Desert was thick with tension as Ganondorf, wielding twin crimson lightsabers, stood across from Zelda and Link. The storm of dark energy surrounding him felt almost tangible, crackling with an intensity that made the very ground beneath them tremble. Beside him stood Palpatine, his presence in the Force a cold, suffocating wave of malevolence that reached deep into their souls.

Zelda’s grip on her lightsaber tightened, feeling a surge of ancient power surge through her. The blade, which had started as a brilliant green, now began to shimmer and transform. At first, it was subtle—a pulse of energy racing through the blade—but soon it intensified. Her sword was no longer just a weapon; it was a conduit of wisdom, a beacon of hope, the essence of the Triforce. The blade hummed louder, the light flickering, as if in response to the dark power swirling in the desert. Slowly, the green blade began to bend and change, shifting into the shape of a glowing, curved lightsaber. It crackled with a resonance that seemed to draw upon the energy of her ancestors, a power that surged with every swing, every breath.

The hilt of the weapon pulsed in her hand as its transformation deepened—an extension of Zelda’s resolve. The handle grew more intricate, gleaming with golden accents that reflected the light from her blade, which had now turned into a brilliant green lightsaber. The calm, steady hum of the energy blade was filled with ancient wisdom, drawing from both the Force and the Triforce. Zelda could feel the light within her—an energy not just of combat, but of preservation, protection, and balance. The blade was more than a weapon; it was a manifestation of her legacy.

“Now, it’s complete,” Zelda whispered under her breath, her heart steady with determination.

Link stood firm beside her, his blue blade igniting with a snap-hiss. The blue light reflected his path—one of action, courage, and combat. Together, they formed a perfect balance: the sharp, decisive strength of the warrior and the calm, thoughtful wisdom of the sage. Their connection, forged through years of battle, gave them strength against the overwhelming darkness before them.

Ganondorf’s red eyes gleamed with fury, his twin lightsabers crackling with dark energy. He raised one saber high, and the ground around them seemed to shudder in response. The desert air whipped into a storm, the sand rising in spirals, as he stepped forward.

“You have no idea what you face,” Ganondorf’s voice boomed, full of menace. “This world—this galaxy—has always belonged to the strong. With Palpatine’s power, I will reshape it, and you will be swept aside like the others.”

Zelda’s green lightsaber flared as she adjusted her stance. “You’ve been misled, Ganondorf,” she said, her voice unwavering. “The power you seek is an illusion. It will consume you, just as it consumed the Jedi who fell before us.”

Link stepped forward, his eyes locked on Ganondorf. “And we won’t let you destroy what’s left of this world.”

Ganondorf let out a mocking laugh, then charged forward with a speed and ferocity that belied his massive form. Link and Zelda barely had time to react, each of them dodging as Ganondorf swung both sabers in wide arcs, their crimson blades leaving streaks of fiery light in the air. The desert winds howled as they clashed with the intensity of the fight, each swing of Ganondorf’s sabers sending shockwaves of dark energy through the ground.

Link raised his blue lightsaber, deflecting a brutal overhead strike before spinning to the side, narrowly avoiding another swipe. The sheer force behind each of Ganondorf’s attacks shook the earth beneath their feet, but Zelda stood her ground, using her green blade to parry one of Ganondorf’s strikes and sending a blast of energy in return. Her blade was not just a weapon—it was a channel of wisdom, focusing not only on the physical but on the flow of the Force itself.

“Keep him off balance!” Zelda shouted to Link, as she danced around Ganondorf’s strikes, narrowly dodging one of his twin blades.

Link nodded, his grip tightening on his saber. He leaped forward, engaging Ganondorf with a series of precise strikes, his blue lightsaber flashing in the dim desert light. Ganondorf countered with brutal, forceful swings, his twin blades clashing against Link’s in a shower of sparks. The sheer power emanating from the Gerudo King was overwhelming, but Link pressed on, his movements fluid and calculated.

The battle intensified. But suddenly, a torrent of lightning shot from Ganondorf’s hands, crackling with dark energy. The blasts came too fast for Link and Zelda to react in time. They ducked behind a jagged rock, narrowly avoiding the deadly bolts as they struck the sand with violent force.

Zelda, her heart racing, glanced at Link. “We need to act fast,” she said, breathless.

Link gripped his lightsaber tighter and quickly pulled out his comlink. “Anakin, we need you now! Get here fast!”

In that instant, Ganondorf charged forward again, his energy dark and overwhelming, but the distraction gave Link the opportunity he needed to call for help. He snapped the comlink shut as he stood ready, blue lightsaber ignited.

Above them, a yellow streak cut through the desert sky as Anakin’s Jedi Starfighter dove low, its twin blasters firing toward Ganondorf. The energy beams slammed into the sand around Ganondorf, creating explosions of scorching heat and light. Ganondorf staggered, turning to face the incoming fire, but the shots were too well-aimed, and the distraction gave Zelda and Link the opening they needed.

With synchronized precision, Zelda and Link launched themselves at Ganondorf in a coordinated attack. Zelda’s green blade met his crimson sabers in a flash of light as Link darted to the side, using his agility to strike at Ganondorf’s exposed flank. The twin blades locked in midair, the clash of the lightsabers echoing across the desert. Ganondorf staggered—the raw energy of their assault momentarily overwhelming him.

Anakin’s ship streaked across the desert sky again, diving low to provide covering fire, forcing Ganondorf to split his focus between the battle on the ground and the incoming threats from above. The wind whipped around them, the intense heat of the desert mingling with the dark energy swirling around them, but the trio of warriors fought with relentless determination.

In the next instant, Link was upon him, driving Ganondorf back with rapid, forceful strikes. Zelda was not far behind, using her green blade to parry and redirect his attacks, forcing Ganondorf to retreat. The Gerudo King was powerful, but the combined might of Link and Zelda—of wisdom and combat, of light and resolve—was more than he could handle.

And then, suddenly, everything shifted.

Palpatine’s cold voice echoed over the desert, cutting through the chaos.

“Enough.” His voice was thick with disdain as he stepped forward, his hooded figure bathed in a sickly, dark glow.

The ground beneath them trembled, and with a snap of his fingers, dark lightning crackled through the air.

Link and Zelda’s lightsabers raised in unison, blocking the torrents of energy as they surged toward them. But the lightning was relentless, and it pulsed with a malevolent power. With every strike of the dark energy, Palpatine’s true power was revealed. The Force seemed to warp around him as his laughter filled the air, ringing out in eerie waves.

As Anakin descended from the clouds, his ship unleashing a barrage of blaster fire to keep Ganondorf off-balance, he felt something stir in the Force—a dark truth tugging at his heart. He looked at the figure before him, his sense of recognition growing. The images from his past, the broken trust, the lies—everything clicked into place in an instant.

“No…” Anakin’s voice was low, almost a whisper, but the pain behind it was clear. “No, it can’t be…”

Palpatine smiled, his eyes gleaming with the knowledge of the betrayal. “Oh, yes. It was always me. I am the one who led you here. All your pain, all your anger—it was by my design, my apprentice. You never knew, but you were always destined to be mine.”

The galaxy seemed to freeze as Anakin’s world collapsed. His mentor, his savior—was the very Sith Lord who had orchestrated everything.

“You…” Anakin’s hand shook with fury. “You were behind everything? The war? The deaths?”

“Everything,” Palpatine purred. “I controlled the Republic, the Separatists, the Jedi Order—everything was my plan, Anakin. You were nothing but a tool to me. And now, with the power of the dark side, you will help me reshape everything.”

Anakin’s lightsaber flared, and in a blind rage, he lunged at Palpatine, his blue blade cutting through the air with vengeance.

Zelda and Link fought with renewed strength, the final moments closing in. With one last combined effort, they faced Ganondorf, breaking his defenses with a simultaneous, powerful strike.

The battle raged on, but the outcome was clear—betrayal, revenge, and destiny hung in the air.

The desert sky was thick with the dust of battle, swirling around the combatants in chaotic gusts. Ganondorf, his body thrumming with dark energy, was temporarily subdued, but the real threat stood before them. Palpatine’s power had reached new heights, his dark aura growing stronger with every passing second. His figure loomed large, both physically and in the Force as if the very fabric of the galaxy bent to his will.

Link, Zelda, and Anakin stood side by side, their lightsabers raised, each preparing for the final push. The desert stretched before them, its landscape scarred by the violence of their earlier skirmish, but now, all focus was on the dark Sith Lord before them. His yellow eyes gleamed with malice, his pale face twisted in a grin of knowing superiority.

“You think you can defeat me?” Palpatine’s voice was smooth, dripping with confidence. “I have lived through millennia of scheming. I have crushed armies, toppled empires, and seen the rise and fall of countless Jedi. You, child, are nothing but fleeting moments in the grand scheme of the dark side.”

Zelda’s green blade hummed, its brilliance cutting through the dark storm surrounding them. “Your schemes have all been for nothing,” she replied, her voice steady and filled with a quiet strength. “We will stop you here, Palpatine. It ends now.”

Anakin, his eyes still filled with the remnants of the conflict inside him, stared at the Sith Lord. “You may have manipulated the galaxy,” he growled. “But you’ll never control us.”

Palpatine’s laugh echoed, unsettling in its pitch and echo. “Foolish, all of you. You are nothing to me—no match for the power of the dark side.”

With a flick of his wrist, Palpatine unleashed a wave of lightning that crackled through the air with violent energy. The Force behind it was so intense, it sent shockwaves through the very ground, the lightning flashing in multiple directions as it reached for the three warriors.

Link, quick as ever, deflected the lightning with his blue blade, the strikes bouncing off harmlessly as he gritted his teeth. “Anakin, Zelda, stay sharp!”

Anakin, ever agile, moved swiftly beside Link, using his lightsaber to absorb the residual energy from the lightning bolts. The air around him hummed with the power of the Force, and the rage within him stirred again.

Zelda, her green blade glowing, stood between the two men. Her expression was calm, her focus unwavering. She reached out with the Force, connecting with her allies. “We need to move as one. Distract him. I’ll create an opening.”

Without another word, she leaped forward, her blade held high. Her movement was fluid, a graceful dance of controlled power. Palpatine’s eyes narrowed as he turned to meet her, his crimson blade igniting with a hiss.

As the two engaged, Palpatine’s speed and precision were apparent. He blocked Zelda’s strikes effortlessly, his movements almost predatory. He parried her blade, spinning around to strike, but Zelda was quick to evade, her agility just enough to keep her one step ahead.

Meanwhile, Anakin and Link darted forward in tandem, coordinating their movements as they attacked from both sides, their blades flashing with each strike. The intensity of their combined efforts forced Palpatine to take a defensive stance, his glowing red saber whirling through the air in an attempt to block their assault. Each of his counterattacks was swift and calculated, but the trio’s teamwork proved formidable.

Anakin struck first, his blue blade clashing against Palpatine’s red, the force of their contact sending a shockwave through the air. Palpatine snarled, flicking his wrist to throw Anakin off balance, but Link was already there, his blue lightsaber cutting in from the other side. Palpatine was forced to parry, his face twisting with rage as the two Jedi pressed their advantage.

Zelda, sensing the moment, advanced again, this time using the Force to propel herself forward with incredible speed. Her green blade flashed in a series of calculated strikes, each one a calculated move to wear Palpatine down. Her experience with the Triforce allowed her to strike at the very core of his dark power, forcing him to retreat a step back.

“You’ve learned nothing,” Palpatine hissed, his voice full of venom. With a sudden burst of dark energy, he surged forward, sending out a wave of Force lightning that crackled through the air, aiming directly at Zelda. She reacted quickly, using the Force to raise a barrier of energy between them, but the sheer power of Palpatine’s attack pushed her back.

“Zelda!” Link shouted, rushing to her side. He deflected the lightning with his blade, stepping in front of her to shield her from the full brunt of the attack.

Palpatine sneered, using the moment to extend his influence over them, pushing with the full power of the dark side. The ground beneath their feet trembled as a powerful wave of dark energy surged toward them, the air growing colder and more suffocating.

“We’re not done yet,” Anakin said, his voice fierce and resolute. With a sudden burst of speed, he used the Force to propel himself into the air, his yellow Jedi Starfighter swooping low over the battlefield. The roar of the ship’s engines drowned out all other sounds as it fired a series of blaster bolts at Palpatine, forcing him to turn his attention skyward.

Link took advantage of the distraction, charging at Palpatine with all his might. With a powerful leap, he closed the distance, his blue blade aimed directly at the Sith Lord. Zelda, her blade still glowing with the force of the Triforce, followed in his wake, using the Force to shield him from the incoming attacks.

The four warriors locked into a deadly dance of light and dark, each one fighting with everything they had to subdue the Sith Lord.

Palpatine’s eyes widened in disbelief as the three heroes closed in on him, their combined might overwhelming his defenses. In a final, desperate move, he lashed out with a torrent of dark energy, but it was too late. Link and Zelda struck in unison, their blades clashing with his own, while Anakin’s Starfighter fired another round of blaster bolts, momentarily stunning him.

With a final, resounding strike from Zelda’s brilliant green blade, Palpatine was forced to drop to his knees, his lightsaber falling from his grasp. The power of the dark side flickered and dimmed, his hold on the battlefield weakening.

Link stood tall, breathing heavily but determined. He looked to Anakin and Zelda, nodding. “It’s done. We’ve disabled him.”

Zelda, wiping sweat from her brow, nodded in agreement. “We haven’t won, but we’ve stopped him—at least for now.”

Anakin, still catching his breath, took a deep breath and looked to his allies. “This fight is far from over, but it was a start.”

Palpatine’s voice rang out, low and mocking, as he slowly rose to his feet, his yellow eyes flashing with dark amusement. “What are you going to do now? Kill me?”

The trio stood frozen for a moment, their weapons raised, their minds racing. Link’s knuckles tightened around his hilt, Zelda’s green blade flickering as the desert wind whipped around them. Anakin’s brow furrowed, his breath slow but deliberate as he contemplated the question.

Would they? Could they?

The silence in the desert stretched for what felt like an eternity. Their hesitation was palpable.

Epilogue:

After a few seconds, and what felt like an eternity, they collectively made their choice. As they made their decision, the Triforce chose its wielders: Link received the Triforce of Courage, Zelda the Triforce of Wisdom, and Anakin the Triforce of Power.

As the final stroke of their lightsabers severed Palpatine’s life, a heavy silence settled over the room. The dark energy that had gripped Ganondorf evaporated, and the Gerudo king blinked as though waking from a long, hazy dream. His fierce aggression had subsided, leaving only confusion in his gaze. Link, Zelda, and Anakin quickly released his restraints, assuring him that he was free of the twisted influence that had once bound him.

In the aftermath of the battle, the three warriors exchanged quiet, solemn glances. They knew what was at stake—not only for the galaxy but for themselves. They had acted in the moment, driven by necessity, but they also knew that their actions would weigh heavily on them.

The decision was made: they would face the consequences of their choices together. Boarding their ships, with Ganondorf now a confused ally, they set a course for the Jedi Temple, ready to stand before the Council.

Upon their arrival, they presented their case, explaining everything—their actions, the battle with the Sith, the choice to strike down Palpatine, and the price they were prepared to pay.

The Jedi Council listened with deep consideration. They had seen the courage and strength of their resolve, and though their actions were unprecedented, the Council recognized that they had acted not out of desire for power but out of necessity to protect the galaxy. The darkness of the Sith had been ended, and for that, the Council would not punish them.

Instead, in a historic moment, the Jedi Council bestowed honor upon them. Link, having shown great bravery, wisdom, and combat skill in the battle, was granted the title of Jedi Knight. Zelda, whose courage and resilience had been unwavering, was named Link’s apprentice and began her path toward becoming a Jedi in her own right.

Anakin, having fulfilled the prophecy and resisted the darkness that once consumed him, was granted the title of Jedi Master. Not only had he redeemed himself, but his path now led him to a place of leadership, welcomed into the Jedi Council as a peer, and recognized for the wisdom he had gained through struggle.

As they left the Council chamber together, the weight of their choices heavy on their hearts, Anakin’s mind wandered briefly to the nightmares he had often endured—the images of Padmé, her life slipping away as he helplessly watched. The memories of his time with her, the pain of their separation, haunted him still. Though the galaxy now seemed at peace, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there were answers yet to be found. He would seek a way to help her, to save her from the fate he had been too powerless to prevent before. But for now, the galaxy needed him. He could not yet act on those dreams, but they would not be forgotten.

Link and Zelda, as master and apprentice, embarked on a journey to rebuild the Jedi Order and help guide the galaxy toward a brighter future. Anakin, now a Jedi Master, was entrusted with the responsibility of leadership—his wisdom and experience guiding the Order as it adapted to this new era of peace.

But the galaxy was vast, and there were always new challenges on the horizon. As the three of them stood united, they knew their paths would cross again in ways they could not yet foresee.

While the darkness of the Sith had been vanquished, the forces that sought power and control were not entirely gone. What came next would require them to confront new adversaries, face new trials, and, perhaps, make even more difficult choices.

But for now, they stood together—a symbol of hope, unity, and resilience—ready for whatever the future held.

[plumbogs]

Cain wanted to throw a party after work. He still needs to make friends with people he didn't just go to high school with, but until then he has no other choice. I guess that's the new plan for the weekend.

Despite the fact that there really isn't anything to do in this apartment, the final score was "not bad". What a thrill. He ordered a pizza. They actually have a decent pile of money so I might move them into a slightly less horrible tiny sad apartment.

Zelda hung out for a single rooftop smustle then went to bed while the party continued to consist of eating pizza on the couch and talking about aliens. Sometimes your roomate just throws the least exciting parties and you need any excuse to not stand around with his old friends or his sort-of girlfriend situation.

[existentialterror]

Streaming Majora's Mask

Majora's Mask has my favorite vibes of any Zelda game. It's spooky, it's weird, it's in a parallel reality, you take on other people's bodies and faces, there are literal space aliens.

But I must confess: I've never actually finished it. I've never even gotten through the first temple. The time loop mechanic was beyond me at like... ~13, when we had it on the gamecube, so I played Ocarina of Time and Windwaker instead.

But I'm older now. I'm wiser. My executive function has improved slightly. I have two monitors, and one of them will have a 2003 IGN Majora's Mask playthrough guide open with the title written in ASCII. And it's October, the spooky month.

It's time. We're doing this. We're beating Majora's Mask.

TWITCH LINK. First stream will be TOMORROW, THURSDAY 10/05 at 10PM EST/7PM PST, probably.

[queer-quester]

Spoiler Warning for like almost all of the second episode of Starstruck Odyssey

OKAY SO I have no one I know who watches/cares about this and the first episode was hard enough but I've gotten to a certain point where I need to express my fucking bullshit internal monologue at all this nonsense so I'm sending it into the Tumblr void, starting with:

IS HIS REAL CHARACTER THE FUCKING PARASITE IM GONNA SCREAM

Rip anyone who was really attached to the Skipper lmao

I can't believe everyone was like wow, Zac is getting to unleash his inner cunt, just like with Lapin, he's breaking the mold from his usual character type- NO! xD we get that for one episode then back to lovely, slightly off but very amicable characters, Zac cannot play just a straight asshole for an entire campaign it's physically impossible the universe won't allow it

God they know, they KNOW the skipper has been body-jacked or some shit and they do not give a single fuck coz by god that funky lil parasite is so much nicer xD

The value of kindness my dudes lmao

"Can we have *insert ridiculous and/or dangerous thing here*?"

"OkAy" *shrugs*

"Roll an insight and deception check against yourself"

Ally: 'do a hotness roll?'

Brennan: *does a hotness roll, winces*

Brennan: 'shes stunning'

'im not gonna brush my teeth tonight just to feel something'

'i psychic dump ✨the feeling of being myself✨ onto you'

'i want to be able to want something without needing someone else to want it too and without thinking of a practical reason'

Cool welp I'm gonna go cry in a corner but everything is fine, Emily how dare you.

Take a shot everytime Brennan says 'want' if you want to die of alcohol poisoning

'gunnie doesn't really own anything because anything he owns is taken by the people he owes money to' LOU IS2G MAN

Do you think like the D20 team were seeing all that love for Skipper after the first ep and just 👀😅 because they knew the second episode was basically just gonna be 'yeah so actually he's a dick, fuck that guy'

(Like I ain't mad at it personally tbh, I think loveable assholes should be loveable in the context of the universe they preside, not just from an outside perspective and like I get it was only one episode but he wasn't seeming too loveable tbh with the way things were going)

Parasite!Skip just saying 'youre important' to Margaret?

IM SOBBING, I love him

You gotta love the like classic 'abstract alien perception' thingie Brendan and Zac have going like, "there is a build up of some internal secretion in your lower appendages" Brennan, my dude, my guy, what the FUCK does that mean xD

Brennan: "You can see your eyes are getting kinda bloodshot"

Zac: "Oh am I forgetting to blink?"

Brennan (who definitely meant he's getting tired): 👀😈 "give me a check to find out"

THE SECRETION IS LACTIC ACID IN HIS QUADS COZ THE DUMB BITCH HASNT SAT THE FUCK DOWN

I love this, truly a crew full of dumbasses and Margret who is I think getting dumber by association, yes, this is how it should be

YES SID! ENJOY YOUR EXPLOSIONS BABY I LOVE YOU!

Right on!!!

I could listen to Mr Mulligan describe fantasy planets all day man, yes please tell me more about the blood red gas giant with swirling diamond dust I'm utterly enamored with this good good visual imagery caressing my brain

(channels Zelda) YES 👏 SID 👏 FEEEEL 👏 IIIIIITTTT!!!! 👏

I would fucking die for Sundry Sidney my poor baby (ಥ﹏ಥ)

Margret's Reddit account:

One post of really important whistleblower documents totally exposing her company and calling for a revolution

Another post (only a day after the first one) that is just a neck down nude selfie

*Guy selling sandwiches asking if Riva has a mouth and a butthole*

The cast: oh no it's a sex thing!

*Guy coming to the conclusion that Riva can eat a sandwich*

The cast: oh, it's a… sandwich thing?

Someone teach Riva about lying please, the poor babey

Put your tongue AWAY sir (can't believe I was saying that to Lou and not Brennan xD)

(Not that Brennan kept his tongue in this this episode, I think I'm just desensitized at this point)

Gunnie on a high is a delight

THE 'MY FARTS SMELL AWESOME' CLIP FROM THE TRAILER WAS HIM COVERING FOR AN (EXPENSIVE) PERFUME BOMB THAT SID UNLEASHED!?

'we didn't take names coz we didn't ask them'

The commitment to them all making it so much worse. I've never seen a group of people collect so many disadvantages on their rolls by just being unapologetically ridiculous

The sudden fucking SWITCH between them all cry laughing at the table and then Brennan saying that one thing about the Barrys and Murph's face just drops, all signs of joy VANISHED

Okay I know we've never met this Princeps Zorch but I think Margret should date them

OH!? Lucienne is nearby? 👀

JUST THE THREE OF THEM CLOBBERING A GUY THAT HASNT EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO STAND UP

He managed to make one (1) dramatic threat then they all fuckin beat the shit out of him xD

Episode ends and their ship is still utterly fucked, beautiful

If I sounded insane this whole time i blaming it on the fact that the episodes released at midnight for me

[rpking99]

"Okay. So... Dune. It is the year 11945AD.... And humanity is extinct." Commander White said, deadpanning slightly

She just... Just had to get this information out.

"Humanity have been extinct for a long time, after having turned infertile. They died during a war with aliens from another world. A war that we androids are still fighting in their place. ... And no other android knows humanity does not exist any more." Commander White sighed "There is a lie, that humanity is living on the mood. I'm hiding. Until we win the war... because... We need hope."

Suddenly a beeping came from Commander White's computer and she sighed

"I did the over explaining things, didn't I? The thing you warned me about... I'm sorry." She sighed, slowly approaching the computer "Maybe you can talk to him? Help him understand.... Zelda?" She offered before hitting a button

And a green light appeared before Dune, taking shape. A hologram of a familiar blonde forming before him

The New Gerudo Legacy

Chapter 1

Closed with @the-blackbird-roleplays

Continued from here

Human? Not entirely... But the man who slowly opened his eyes was certainly the last of his kind and burdened with a dreadful and glorious purpose. The man stumbled from the pod, soft glow of Sheikha-blue Ancient Technology glowing from inside the stasis chamber behind him made his blue tunic shimmer slightly. His sandy blond hair seemed to shine in the light of the station, his sun-kissed skin lightly scarred from battles long past. His eyes were a dull crimson and slightly unfocused, confusion clouding him.

"Milady... Zelda. Where is..." Realization suddenly struck him as he looked around, scrambling for something on his back that... Wasn't there. "Where am I!?" He growled, looking around as if expecting some collosal beast to attack him.

The blonde in white took a series of steps forwards, reaching out to calmly press her hand against his chest

"Please, Dune, be calm." The woman urged gently "I am Commander White, and this is the statlie known as the Bunker. Home to the YORhA organisation of androids." She urged gently and softly, talking to him with a calm and quiet voice

[scrawnytreedemon]

Zelink for the ship bingo? :0 any game!

OH GOD, THIS IS?? Gonna be a doozy. Buckle in.

SkSw:

WW-PH: Link/Tetra:

Spirit Tracks(in theory! I haven't seen the game yet, can't speak personally):

Nearly all other instances:

RIGHT! getting onto individual analysis,

1, SkSw: By far my favourite of the bunch, and a longtime delight. Whether you construe their relationship as romantic or not, doesn't matter-- They've got such a wonderful arc of trust and unbreakable love. Zelda starts off incredibly worried for Link, constantly fretting and deeply unsure of his abilities. She steps in to defend him, willing to go up against Big Boys like Groose to do so. As the game progresses, however, and Link grows, in strength and in character, Zelda, and everyone else for the matter, put more trust in him-- By the end of the game, they're on equal footing, and, oh god, oh man, I'm gonna crybhfgjfhdgkjdjd--

2, WW-PH: Nothing to say except, tough girl, sweet boy? Phuck yeah!

Jokes aside, Link and Tetra's arc is also one of trust and vulnerability, but from a different angle. Tetra's a hard-as-nails, independent, morally dubious young girl who's landed herself as captain of a ship full of Big Boys, and sees Link as little more than a useful, if rather weak coincidence she can use to her advantage. However, as the pair grow,(really as Link grows and Tetra is thrown out onto the sidelines as her royal heritage is revealed and she's forced to take on a 'princess' role, one that notably feminises her and lightens her skin), again there's that theme of growth of trust! They take down Ganondorf together, build a new Hyrule together, and isn't that just what dreams are made of?

3, Spirit Tracks: Nothing much to say, other than the dynamic looks super sweet, and there's an interesting play with gender and presentation on Zelda's end? Love it to bits, 12/10.

Now... Onto the potatoes of this, I think. Get your gravy.

This... There's going to be more objective analysis and criticism, obviously, but alot of this is also going to be deeply coloured by my own personal experiences of heteronormativity and alienation. This isn't a commentary on anyone else's enjoyment of the dynamic-- I hope I've made that clear --But, just... I guess I should get to it.

Link and Zelda,

Zelink.

As one anon put it, the vanilla icecream of shipping.

Mild, sweet,

And incredibly heteronormative.

The Golden Relationship; the one toted by fans and Nintendo alike as "the ship".

Everything else, anyone else, is a deviation. It slots neatly into the expected hero-damsel dynamic that we've had, since, well, the beginning of time, almost. It's almost as dust of the earth as it gets. The issue for me being... They don't spend time much, really. Link is barely characterised half the time as little more than a slightly lackadaisical vessel for the player, and Zelda is a sort of guiding light; a dignified keeper of the plot, Righteous Guardian of Hyrule--

The culmination of all Hyrule presents itself as: wise, smart, beautiful, dainty but compitent, ready to lead a charge should need be... but rarely unruly. Rarely ever. Always right.

Obviously, it goes without saying how Breath of the Wild's iteration of this duo changes it up immensely. Zelda is a far more flawed, and in her attempt to put on a strong face, a far more emotionally vulnerable character than any of her gentle predecessors could ever hope to be. While this pairing and her character fail to hit that particular sweet spot in me, it's deeply intriguing, and I hope, perhaps vainly, that they'll develop her and her relationship with Link even more in the sequel-- Honestly, when it comes to this? An equality between her and Link is, I think, what would be best. A mutual understanding; vulnerability.

I think that's what puts me off from Zelink, on the whole. Link is bound to her, by destiny, by guidance, ever-performing his knightly duties, and Zelda is bound to him for strength, for protection. There's little emotional substance, half the time, save for small, precious moments, many with another face, because it's a dynamic inherently dependent on the war-- On danger.

It's all impartial, situational. There's nothing personal here.

And if that were it, if this were truly explored from that angle(as it is, to an extent, in BotW), then I think I'd like that-- Especially if it weren't romantic, I feel.

But that's not the vibe we're told to get: not from the fans... not from Nintendo.

Nintendo tends to be largely neutral on certain matters, such as pairings-- Honest to god, for the best, in my opinion-- But Zelink is that one blind spot where that ethos falls away. Here, Nintendo expects us to see it as some grand, destiny-bound romance, I feel,

And the pre-Skyward Sword manga, from what I know, cements this best.

It's why, quite frankly, I don't care for the idea of it being canon. Genuinely.

It undermines what little weight Ganondorf via Demise had on all of this, this horrific cycle of blood, pain and despair, always bracing for the next wave, of the sisyphian climb of this civilisation, and turns it all into a grand goddess' love for a boy bound to her by fate and destiny manifest.

I hate that.

For something like this, something where no one has any choice, where greatness is thrusted upon them, this endless state of being used that Skyward Sword even condemned, to be seen as good.

To get onto personal experience, before this blog, and this "persona," as it were, I used to have an art account where I largely posted TLoZ, frequented by my family. My very Christian, somewhat socially-conservative family. I would perform straightness, in the form of either pushing aside or pursuing M/F romance, because I was extremely uneasy about the types of conversations anything otherwise would arouse.

This was at a time where I wasn't even sure if I was bisexual, let alone divergent in my gender, so I felt a constant pressure to tamp it down and keep it out of the spotlight, relegating my explorations via art to DMs with the friends I'd make.

Here, on Tumblr, where peppy-queerness is the status quo, there's this tendency to gloss over unpleasant things and make them soft; sweet.

I think I've talked enough at length why that alienates me.

So, yeah... I guess, Zelink on a wider scale kinda just, sums up my unease about the often hegemonic status-quo of shipping, and on the whole I'm just kinda eh about it all.

Again, I think it should be very clear that this is not a reflection on my opinions of people who create Zelink content, who are attached to these characters. That sort of weirdly-tribalistic thinking is awful, and only brings about needless conflict-- Early 2000s-2010s kinda shit, y'feel me?

I hope this all made sense, kinda. I've just got... alot of feelings.

[livixbobbiex]

Popular BOTW theory debunked!

Hi, Zelda fandom. I’m really sorry this has to be my first post, but I want to clear up what seems to be a very popular fan theory as completely untrue. 

I only got into the game recently, but I’ve seen a lot of people talking about how in the Japanese version of the game, the quests are written from Link’s perspective and in the style of a diary.

Not only is there no actual proof for this (that I can tell), it’s actually quite misleading. No offence to the OP, but there’s a lot of slightly off things being shared. Particularly as I’ve seen big YouTuber theorists also make points based on this “fact”, I really wanted to, as a person who speaks Japanese, clear it up for you. 

Japanese Pronouns 

So the main issue here is that Japanese as a language functions differently from English (plus a lot of other European languages). If you’ve ever taken a Japanese class, you’ve probably started a sentence with “watashi wa~~~~”. The thing is, actual Japanese people rarely do this. 

Pronouns just aren’t necessary in Japanese often. You use context alone to figure out the subject. For example, “I went to the shop” would be more like “shop went” in Japanese. The “I” is clear enough. If the sentence wouldn’t be clear, a name is usually used, but failing even that a pronoun can finally happen. They’re more of a “reserved for necessary times” word function, not one that appears in almost every sentence. 

The issue with Breath of The Wild 

So taking a look at Link’s adventure logs in Japanese (both the main and side quests - I haven’t completed them all on this save file yet but I went through more than the original theory post did anyway), there’s no pronouns anywhere. No version of “I” that I can find, and no “you” either. I spent quite a long time reading them all, and I just don’t see it. 

I think some of the confusion might have arisen from the “tai” verb ending (which means ‘to want’). Yes, this is more associated with first person. It’s not a confirmation though. You can still use it when speaking to someone. 

The main ACTUAL difference with the English (aside from some lines being cut) is that the style is written way more formally than Japanese. That does not automatically mean first or second person. It’s just a very interesting style choice difference from the translation team - who made it more formal in other countries. It’s really funny, by the way. It talks about Link being a hot woman at one point - maybe I’ll translate some at some point. 

Remember how I just explained context? BOTW literally doesn’t have one. It could just as easily be taken as “you” or “I”. So, whilst I think that it’s fine to theorise, it’s quite irresponsible to push the canon narrative here. A lack of “you” doesn’t automatically equal an “I”. 

Diary? 

The only real incriminating thing is the menu being called something like “adventure notebook/memo/etc.”. That being said, I don’t think this should necessarily be taken literally. It’s not that dissimilar to the English anyway. The actual section headers are more like “main challenge”, “side challenge” which would be out of place in an actual diary. 

Nintendo straight up used the word for “diary” in other places, so I feel like if they really wanted this effect they would have committed more to it. 

Link’s Memories - the nail in the coffin

I know this isn’t the main part everyone seems to have been talking about, but it’s still on the same menu and presented in a similar way. If you go to Link’s memories, they’re pretty much all very explicitly in third person.

Apologies for the zoomed in picture, I was talking to a friend on instagram and I didn’t know I would make this post at the time. It’s pretty simple to fact check though. 

It literally says, clear as day, “Zelda and Link”. Some of the other memories specifically reference Link as “he”. This is all under the supposed “diary” menu, too, so unless you want to argue Link is experiencing some dissociation from his past self- 

What I actually think 

I admit I’m not a long term Zelda fan, however from what I understand Link is really meant to be the player, right? Is that not part of the REAL reason he has no spoken lines? It would be really strange to me for Nintendo to straight up directly spell out Link’s thoughts like that. It seems very intentionally up to interpretation. 

Japanese “I”, when it is used, is problematic because it’s gendered. I’m sure a lot of fans of Japanese culture are aware of “boku”, “ore”, “watashi”. If Link is supposed to be the player, they can’t really use a pronoun like that as it’ll alienate a portion of the audience. 

From what I can see, the origin of this is from quite a small twitter post, where a Japanese fan shares their thoughts on the idea. If the theory was something obvious that spoke for itself, why would they be making a “did you notice this” post? Again this furthers the “interpretation” idea. 

It would be really weird for translation teams to make this much of a change anyway. The formality thing was stylistic, but I doubt they could get away with this severe of a meaning change. I have a LOT of harsh things to say about how much they messed up like most of the cutscenes (for real it’s shocking), but this I don’t think would have been changed so much. From my knowledge of the industry, anyway. 

Summary TLDR 

I’m really sorry, but the original theory is pretty wrong. Well, let me put it this way. I think, if you want to ignore the memory context, you can headcanon that the adventure logs are from Link’s POV. No matter the case, I still think they are represented of his feelings in some way. The adventure log being Link’s POV is a theory only, not a FACT. 

The only way it can actually be proved is if one of the writing staff has actually stated the intent in an interview or something, and I have yet to find one.  

[cyraclove]

I wrote this lil’ Revalink oneshot for my friend @virgll as a part of our Discord server’s New Year Fic Exchange. Having never written these two precious idiots before, I had a really good time exploring their relationship. 

I hope you enjoy! 

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Tell Me Where Your Heart Is, Tell Me Where You Keep It

It began with a look.

A stinging glare that lingered in his mind long after; a disdainful sneer that harbored something more than envy, something deeper than resentment. It had been enough to stun Revali into silence, for once, the way the young Hylian’s eyes bore into him from behind locks of sweat-drenched hair.

Link had looked up at the Rito champion from where he’d fallen on the Flight Range landing, a thin stream of crimson blooming from his lip and dripping off of his chin, icy flecks of snow lashing at his face. Something foreign stirred in Revali’s chest as a shiver flew up his spine that chilled him more than the frigid Tabantha air ever had.

Before he could open his beak to admonish Link for his poor form, to spit out yet another biting quip about his performance, Link wrested himself up from the ground. His blood painted the snow when he spoke, delicate pinpricks of red slowly sinking into the dense white.

“Again,” he’d rasped, and snatched his bow up as he stood on shaky legs.

As he watched the young man once again prepare to leap from the lofty landing with paraglider in hand, Revali suddenly and inexplicably found himself wondering what he might taste like in that moment, all iron and salt.

It was infuriating.

Read on AO3

In the weeks that followed, Revali attempted to keep his distance. Avoiding Link wasn’t too terrible a feat, as he was much too preoccupied with Zelda—as recalcitrant as she was royal. The Rito had even discovered her hiding around the village on numerous occasions, seeking a moment’s respite. Her emerald eyes would silently plead with him, and he would leave her be, feeling more akin to the princess than he would have thought possible.

Mastering Medoh needed to be his focus, he would remind himself, not this amateur —this pathetic excuse for a champion. While Revali had spent countless, grueling hours honing his skill, all Link had done was stumble upon a sword. That they both trained for the same battle was the only thing that united them. Had Link not been Hylia’s chosen , Revali thought, he’d be nothing more than a lowly farmhand playing at being a warrior.

In Revali’s mind, Link was still just that. He had to be. The alien ache in his chest from their interaction on the Flight Range would return if he allowed himself to consider otherwise.

Sunrises turned over and twisted into sunsets as Calamity Ganon’s ever-looming shadow spread across Hyrule, swallowing what little hope its people still clung to as time continued to slip away. Revali memorized Medoh’s every mechanism while Link tirelessly trained, both somehow existing together and apart simultaneously. Zelda continued to pray.

They all prayed.

The chill of evening in the village was beautiful, albeit bitter, for the night winds brought with them silence and the scent of the pines. It was the only time when Revali was awarded with some semblance of peace, though he endlessly warred with his own mind—a turbulent sky of relentless thoughts that denied him true rest. To his chagrin, he often found that his most tumultuous thoughts were of Link.  

It enraged him, being plagued by a man so much lesser than he. One sleepless night after another, Revali had managed to convince himself that it was simply because of the injustice of the entire situation. So unfair was it that Link had been awarded a position that he did not deserve, and Revali was merely trying to make sense of it all. It had nothing to do with the way he had felt those many weeks ago when Link’s stormy eyes had locked with his; how his breath had caught in his throat when he heard him speak for the first time.

In fact, he’d all but forgotten about it.

When he heard him speak a second time, winter had settled in entirely, shrouding Tabantha in a shimmering blanket of blinding white. He knelt by the small hearth in the center of his roost, watching the embers softly flicker and die. After a failed attempt at sleep, he’d decided to get an early start rather than wasting more time. He waited in the pitch of early morning for the sunlight to creep above Hebra Peak, a whisper of a breeze gently rustling his feathers.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” a voice cut through the silence.

His heart seized with that unwelcome, startling twinge of something that he had yet to name. Though Revali felt Link’s presence, he did not raise his head, keeping his gaze trained on the dying flames.

“The hero can speak in complete sentences,” Revali drawled, his tone dry. Out of the corner of his eye, Revali saw Link’s jaw clench.

“I speak when I care to,” Link retorted, “and it’s not often that I do.”

Revali scoffed, a mirthless smirk on his face. “To what do I owe such an honor, then?”

“You’re supposed to be training me,” Link said, “but I’ve been trying to figure everything out on my own.”

He let out a squawking laugh this time, cocking his head as he finally looked up. “Are you not Hylia’s chosen champion? He who wields the sword that seals the darkness, protector of the crown and savior of us all, yes? Surely, you don’t need my help.”

“When we first arrived here, you said that you w—”

“When I said that I would show you how it’s done,” Revali snapped, making the end of Link’s sentence die in his throat, “I meant, of course, by besting you. Not by teaching you.”

Link inhaled deeply, eyes flashing beneath his knitted brow. The feathers adorning the shoulders of his Snowquill tunic fluttered slightly in the breeze as he took a seat on the stone floor opposite Revali, crossing his legs and resting his hands calmly on his knees. They regarded one another in silence from across the fire, their faces obscured by sparks of amber dancing above the flames.

“I don’t recall inviting you to join me.”

“Revali,” Link started, the very sound of his own name from the Hylian’s lips twisting the knot in his stomach, “I respect you. Your skill as a marksman is undeniably impressive…but I don’t have to tell you that. What I’m trying to say is that I want to learn from you.” He paused then, his eyes trailing downward. When he spoke, a hint of a tremor colored his voice.

“I need you to help me because I’m not ready. I’m…scared.”

As satisfying as the admission of fear should have been for Revali, it wasn’t at all. Why, out of everyone, had Link chosen him to confide in? Surely Daruk was more of a mentor to him; Urbosa more of a sage than he; Mipha, with her gentle words and kind demeanor, would have been a better choice. The walls of pretense came crumbling down around him and all he felt was shame. Despite the posturing and the honorifics, Link was merely a man —and he was frightened, just as anyone would be.

Just as he was, though he dare not say so.

Before he had a chance to even begin to register a response, he saw Link’s eyes grow wide as they flickered up towards the sky. Something had diverted his attention away from Revali entirely, his mouth parting slightly as he sat there, transfixed. Revali raised a brow at him.

“And here I was thinking that we were having an actual conversation. What could you possibly be staring at?”

“What is that?”

Turning to look, Revali saw familiar, beryl-green rivers of light weaving their way through the twilight. Like a gleaming veil concealing some otherworldly place, the ethereal light hung in the air as if by magic, an ancient mystery to all. Distant stars shone through, accenting the deeply hued sky with pinpricks of white.

“It’s just the aurora,” Revali said plainly, unwilling to admit that he was just as captivated now as he was the first time he’d witnessed it.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Link murmured, craning his neck to get a better view.

Revali watched him then, his face aglow with viridescent light. Never had he thought that a grown man could look at the sky with the wondrous eyes of a child, and for a fleeting moment, it was he who was envious of Link. The light that he saw in him was as bright and as brilliant as the light above them, the likes of which he’d not seen in anyone. Perhaps in himself, long ago.

Where had it gone?

“Your eyes,” Link said, the sudden comment causing Revali to startle.

He clucked his tongue. “ What? ”

The corner of Link’s mouth quirked up as he shifted to face him, his expression soft. Revali felt his breath hitch as his entire body tensed in anticipation of the other man’s response.

Link gazed back up at the aurora.

“They’re the same color.”

His damnable heart flew to his throat, any coherent thought evading him. Words were out of his reach now, language a distant memory. Revali’s mouth went dry as he turned away, trying desperately not to choke on his own tongue.

“What a ridiculous thing to say,” he stammered as he rose to his feet. He heard Link chuckle softly.

“Just an observation.”

“Well, in the future, do keep your observations to yourself. It’s nearly sunup; I need to train. And so do you.”

Revali turned to leave, longing to be anywhere else. He could have very easily taken to the skies right then, a powerful gust in his wake. He could be at the Flight Range in moments, his only focus his arrow and its target. Instead, he paused, cursing himself for what he was about to say.

“Flight Range in an hour. We can start with that atrocious form of yours.”

He took off, the force of his gale sending him soaring above the rooftops. Flying swiftly towards the mountains, an odd urge to look back nagged at him in the back of his mind. Relenting, he turned in enough time to catch a glimpse of Link standing at the railing of his roost, watching him.

He was smiling.

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