#botw gift exchange | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cooking-with-hailstones · 1 year ago

Text

Forever Bound to the Soul of the Hero

Fi's retelling of the Breath of the Wild Memories

(Rated T: Canon typical violence)

For @linksthoughtbrambles

Awakening

I have been asleep for a very long time.

The woods where I was laid to rest have flourished since their destruction in the last war. The spirits of the forest are chittering with nervous anticipation as I spark back to wakefulness. The Great Deku Tree rumbles his warm welcome, even though my awakening signals a portent of doom.

I feel the evil gathering in the land. Even in my sleep, I have sensed the aura of dark energy seeping into the earth, the trees, the wind, the shifting of stone on stone.

It is hard to tell how long it has been between cycles. Sometimes millennia will pass, sometimes only a hundred years. But every time the evil comes, someone will be chosen to fight back.

I can feel him out there. He sees me in dreaming, and he knows a great destiny awaits him.

It will soon be time. I shall be raised skyward once more.

Ceremony of Innocence:

“ Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness… You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity. And have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the Goddess Hylia. Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight… The sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the Hero. We pray for your protection…and we hope that-- that the two of you will grow stronger together, as one…”

I am afraid.

Much has been lost in the generations since the last champion of the Goddess bore me across his shoulders. I can see remnants of the technology, lingering vestiges that have not decayed over the millennia. But so much knowledge is gone.

There is no mystery here as to why this spirit maiden is unable to awaken her powers. The Sheikah elders from whom she must receive guidance and instruction in every generation have lost their influence over the royal family. They are only now, through their adept understanding of ancient technologies, able to regain some of their former status. But the king and these so-called priests of Hylia take no account of the Sheikah’s wisdom. Instead, they have her bathing in the sacred springs, without any of the other rites of purification. They have her speaking prayers that carry no meaning and no power. And this blessing she speaks over Link, over my new master…

This cannot be all there is. There is so much more to do. The hero’s soul has not been tempered, not been tested. While the sacred realm has long been sealed, the Sheikah of generations passed have devised many trials to strengthen our bond. But they are dormant, so it seems that this, too, is forgotten.

I have been reduced to some mere symbol, a figurehead in this war.

I am very afraid.

Listening

“From here, we’ll make our way to Goron City. Then we’ll need some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible. He’s figured out how to get it to move! However, it’s apparent that we still have much more to learn. But to think, that Divine Beast was actually built by people… That means we should be able to understand how it works and use it to our advantage.

These Divine Beasts…so much we don’t know… But if we want to turn back the Calamity Ganon, they’re our best hope.”

My master always listens keenly to the spirit maiden Zelda, even though he lacks sufficient technical understanding to truly follow her excited monologues. She has much of Hylia’s wisdom and ingenuity. She is passionate and dedicated to her craft. In some ways, she is the most like Hylia of any of the spirit maidens I have ever encountered. I estimate that, given proper training and access to the correct tools, this spirit maiden would have a 78% likelihood of being able to forge an entity similar to myself.

The lack of technical comprehension in this era continues to trouble me greatly. The slate the spirit maiden is holding is an invaluable tool, designed by the Sheikah to interface with my technology and assist in the transmission of information, transportation, and a myriad of other utilities that they cannot even fathom. All of these have been designed by the Sheikah to aid the fight against Ganon, and it is only being used at a fraction of its capacities.

“Tell me the truth… How proficient are you right now, wielding that sword on your back? Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet…hero?”

My master stops in his tracks. He cannot, I think forlornly to myself. I can see his thoughts, I am coming to know him little by little, but still, he cannot hear my voice. No matter how much I scream, my master only perceives me as an echo in his subconscious.

Being the hero is not just a matter of drawing the sword – he isn’t tested. He has not passed through the goddess’ trials and forged the bond with the master sword through the goddess’ flame. His spirit may very well shatter when he confronts the agent of Demise.

He is angry and sad and cannot tell her. He tries to listen for the sword but no one has ever taught him how, and I am too weak to reach him.

And even now, I can feel the stirring in his heart. Every reincarnation of the Goddess draws the soul of the hero to her side. Whether friends or lovers, they cannot bear to hold hatred between them. I can feel the way his heart quickens when he has to grab hold of her. I know the thoughts he does not allow himself to think.

He says nothing. She turns away in a huff, thinking this means he has nothing to say.

Devotion and Resentment

My master has awoken, suddenly aware of Zelda’s absence from Tabantha stable. This is hardly the first time she has tried to evade him, but over the last few months he has become far more adept at finding her.

There is a 75% probability that he has deducted that I am the reason he is able to trace where she has escaped, no matter how clever her trickery. He feels it not like the dowsing I used to perform, but rather as an itch behind his eyes. A compulsion that pulls him forward, towards her, demanding that he be near her. It was designed by the Goddess, that their souls should find each other. And I will always pull them together. He can no more stop following her than he can stop breathing.

After a fierce gallop across Tanagar canyon bridge and nudging his horse up to the ancient columns, he finally starts to relax. I can feel the tension leave his shoulders.

Zelda, however, seems far from pleased.

“I thought I made it clear that I am not in need of an escort,” she says with great indignation. “ It seems I’m the only one with a mind of my own. I, the person in question, am fine, regardless of the king’s orders. Return to the castle. And tell that to my father, please.”

She was in the process of examining one of the shrines left by the Sheikah monks, meant to temper the hero’s spirit and strengthen him for the trials ahead. These are objects of curiosity for Hylians, and for Zelda in particular, but they are meant to play a vital role. It is essential that the hero be able to access these shrines. Without completing a significant portion of the shrines, I predict a 98.2% chance that the hero’s spirit will break.

My master takes this in stride. It is hardly the first time he’s weathered such outbursts. He steps in line, always three paces behind her.

She whirls around. “And stop following me!”

She is so angry with him, all the time. She does not understand that Hylia’s chosen hero will follow her to the ends of the earth and beyond. He will follow her through time, through space, through any hardship, just to see her safe and the land protected.

She does not yet know that she and the land are one. And he is now starting to realize that his duty, his destiny, is to protect them all.

A Champion’s Compassion

“Ah, well…you certainly got here fast. I should have expected as much from the princess’s own appointed knight.” The Gerudo champion looks down at the sleeping Zelda. “She was out on a survey all day today. Still as the sands now…” Turning to look at my master, her eyes sparkle in the desert night. “So…? Spill it, boy. Have the two of you been getting along all right?”

Quite the opposite, I think to myself. He must have heard the thought, because he winces.

The champion laughs. “It’s OK… I know. Your silence speaks volumes.” She sighs, looking down at the sleeping princess on her lap . “She gets frustrated every time she looks up and sees you carrying that sword on your back. It makes her feel like a failure when it comes to her own destiny.”

And hardly fair, given how little progress this hero has made in his own right, I think sullenly. They are both so unprepared, so untested. Training drills and prayer are hardly enough to strengthen their spirits. The champions have been through much more rigorous trials to connect with their divine beasts. I am happy to say that Zelda’s confidence in them is well founded.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like you carry blame in any of this.” She sighs, stroking Zelda’s hair. “It’s unfortunate. She’s put in more than enough time. Ever since she was a young girl, she’s gone through rigorous daily routines to show her dedication. She once passed out in the freezing waters trying to access this sealing power. And she has nothing to show for it… That’s the motivation driving her research. I’d be doing the same thing.”

I appreciate the Gerudo champion. She is a formidable blademaster, a dedicated champion, and a wise and supportive presence in Zelda’s life. Far more than can be said for the useless aristocrat that calls himself the king, without a drop of Hylia’s blood to his name.

“She really is quite…special. You be sure to protect her with your life.” She looks at my master with a piercing maternal gaze. “It’s quite the honour.”

He knows this. I know he dreams of it every night. He knows he will fight and die for her. He meets Urbosa’s gaze, and I sense she knows it too.

The champion reclines on her cushions. She has done much to make her divine beast a more comfortable abode, befitting a Gerudo chief.

“The night brings a chill… It’s probably time we take her in. Or...” She smirks as some mischief crosses her mind, then with a snap of her fingers, the desert sky lights up with electricity.

My master stumbles at the quaking thunder and Zelda wakes up, frightened. Neither of them have ever been particularly fond of storms and lightning, even if they don’t know why.

“Urbosa! What was that?! Did you feel that?!” Zelda gasps, before catching my master’s shadow by the doorway.

“Wait, what--how did you-- what are you doing here?!”

He blushes furiously, and though the darkness might conceal the pinkish glow from some, Urbosa’s gaze is far too sharp to miss it. She leans back with a hearty laugh.

“Wha-what’s so funny?”

“Ah, you, my dear.” Urbosa wipes a tear of mirth from her eye. “One day you’ll laugh about all of this.”

I hope she is right. They deserve to laugh.

Blood on the Sand

MASTER! I am screaming as loudly as I can. MASTER! DANGER! GO!

He feels my desperation, dropping the bundle of arrows he was examining from a merchant in the Kara Kara bazaar, and takes off sprinting towards the pull that he’s grown used to, the itch behind his eyes that’s always there. But now it is more acute, so loud he must be able to hear the ringing of the dowsing call in his ears.

He rounds the corner and sees them. Those cursed agents of evil, seduced by the false promises of Demise, and they are chasing Zelda over the sands. They cackle, their wicked sickles glinting in the hot desert sun. There is a cold rage in my master’s heart, and he puts on another burst of speed, drawing me from my scabbard. I brace myself, ready for the battle, as the Yiga’s blade curves towards Zelda’s fallen body.

My master is quick, and ruthless. I feel myself slip through the Yiga’s neck with a cold efficiency as warm blood soaks the edge of my blade. The body drops to the ground as he wheels around to face the other two. I can sense their fear, and I calculate only a 26% likelihood that they will attempt to continue the fight.

Sure enough, they scatter and vanish into the desert wind. My master does not take his eyes from them until they are truly gone, only then sheathing my bloody blade and turning towards Zelda. He gives her his hand to help her upright. “Are you hurt?” he asks fearfully. I can feel his heart still pounding in his chest.

Her eyes. She has never looked at him with any fondness before, but her eyes are brimming with gratitude and care. “ No, I’m fine, I just…” she pauses, and bursts into tears.

I know Link is thinking nothing of propriety when he wraps his arms around her. I know she is thinking nothing of resentment when she buries her face in his shoulder and sobs, the fear and adrenaline rushing through her body.

Maybe this is the beginning. Maybe this is how their spirits will grow. Maybe this is how evil will lose.

Laughter

I am not supposed to feel emotion. It was not part of my design. Yet after spending millennia borne by Hylians and getting to know their innermost thoughts, I have inevitably adapted to many of their traits.

To that end, I am beginning to feel… frustrated.

“There’s one! Oh! And another! The flowers we have in Hyrule aren’t just beautiful…They’re also quite useful as ingredients for a variety of things.”

Today the spirit maiden and my master are out on a field survey. I am grateful that they are getting along better, and that her resentment seems to have given way to a nascent friendship. My frustration is not with them. It simply irks me to see the Sheikah slate being used like some ordinary pictobox.

She gasps with excitement, and Link quickly settles down beside her.

“This one here is called the silent princess. It’s a rare, endangered species. Despite our efforts, we can’t get them to grow domestically yet. The princess can only thrive out here in the wild. All that we can hope…is that the species will be strong enough to prosper, on its own.”

She smiles, sadly, and my master’s heart flutters. He understands her meaning as clearly as I do. Neither of them can thrive here. They know that their destinies are not waiting for them inside the castle walls.

The prayers, the training, the wasted time, the technology that they’ve only uncovered 18% of the capabilities of… they must feel as frustrated as I do.

The somber moment is dissipated as Zelda gasps with excitement and lunges forward.

“Is that what I think it is?! Look at this, I don’t believe it, but I actually caught one! This delicacy is known to have very, very potent effects under the proper circumstances. Tada!”

She opens her hands to reveal… a frog. My master recoils slightly.

“Research from the castle shows ingesting one of these can actually augment certain abilities. We wouldn’t be in a controlled environment out here, but with your level of physical fitness…you’d be a perfect candidate for the study! Go on! Taste it!”

Link makes a truly disgusted face.

“Oh come now, I’ve seen you eating Goron rock roast. Surely you’re not put off by a little bit of mucus for the sake of scientific inquiry?”

She may have a point there. This particular incarnation of the Hero’s spirit seems to have a stomach made of cast iron.

With a resigned sigh – he truly cannot refuse her anything – he leans down towards her hands… and the frog leaps straight into his face. He startles, falling backwards on his rear as the frog scampers away.

Zelda collapses to the ground in a fit of infectious giggles, and soon enough the pair of them are leaning on each other as their laughter echoes through the hillside.

The Question of Destiny

In truth, I do relish sword drills. It is for my benefit as well; learning how my master moves, what his grip is on the sword, the gestures he favours. My algorithms internalize and optimize every movement. As we practice together, we grow closer. Even if he cannot hear me, he knows that I am with him, helping to guide his actions and see that each strike lands true.

Zelda watches him closely from her shelter beneath the tree.

“I doubt this will let up anytime soon… Your path seems to mirror your father’s. You’ve dedicated yourself to becoming a knight, as well. Your commitment to the training necessary to fulfill your goal is really quite admirable. I see now why you would be the chosen one.”

He stiffens slightly. His father had only died a year ago, and the wound was still fresh. But Zelda seems too lost in her own thoughts to notice.

“What if… One day…You realised that you just weren’t meant to be a fighter. Yet the only thing people ever said…was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight. If that was the only thing that you were ever told… I wonder, then…would you have chosen a different path?”

There was no other destiny for my master. He was born to be Hylia’s chosen.

Not for the first time in my long existence, I wonder at the cruelty of the Goddess’ choice of mortal champions in this cosmic war.

Link pauses a moment before returning me to the sheath across his back.

“This… isn’t about me, is it?”

Zelda blushes. “I… well…”

He takes her hand. I can feel both of their heartbeats quicken.

“I think…” he pauses, choosing his words carefully. “I think that no matter who I was, where I was born, whatever was expected of me…”

“Yes?”

“I would find my way to you.”

Prayer and Dedication

It is a unique pain that my master must experience, and thus I experience alongside him. The unique pain that comes from watching someone you love torture themselves for circumstances beyond their control.

These prayers are useless. She is not praying to a Goddess. She is meant to awaken the Goddess within her own spirit. But they still cannot hear me, and nothing I could suggest to my master would have any effect. And so, I sit, sheathed and silent as my master and I ache at the desperation in Zelda’s voice.

“I come seeking help, regarding this power that has been handed down over time. Prayer will awaken my power to seal Ganon away… Or so I’ve been told all my life.

And yet… Grandmother heard them--the voices from the spirit realm. And Mother said her own power would develop within me. But I don’t hear, or feel anything!

Father has told me time and time again… He always says, “Quit wasting your time playing at being a scholar!” Curse you…”

Holy water splashes against clenched fists.

“I’ve spent every day of my life dedicated to praying! I’ve pleaded to the spirits tied to the ancient gods. And still the holy powers have proven deaf to my devotion. Please just tell me, what is it…? What’s wrong with me?!”

Link’s composure finally cracks. I am truthfully relieved when he drops me down on the stones and splashes into the spring, wrapping a sobbing Zelda in his embrace.

“There’s nothing wrong with you. We’ll figure this out, together. I promise, Zelda, I promise…” He strokes her hair, and she weeps all the more.

I cannot weep, it is not in my design. I should not feel emotion, but despite my programming, I have begun to understand something of grief. Oh, children, what have we done to you?

They may not succeed. They may not have the strength and ability to fight off the coming Calamity. But I will fight back. The Goddess created me to protect and guide her chosen. I must do whatever I can.

Calamity and Corruption

The final spring. The last hope they had. And just as I had predicted, nothing happened.

The champions all do their best to conceal their dismay, offering words of encouragement to Zelda, but to little avail. The Zora champion starts to say something, but –

The ground shakes.

The sky darkens.

The Rito champion launches himself skyward to see what’s taking place, but before I even hear his horrified gasp, I know what has happened.

My master leaps forward to support Zelda as she stumbles. He does not need to be told either. Just as with every Hero’s spirit preceding him, he has seen this moment in his dreams since he was an infant. But he is not ready, Zelda is not ready and the Calamity must know this as well. It has chosen this precise moment of despair to strike.

The champions disperse, each of them racing back to their Divine Beasts. Without the spirit maiden’s sealing power, the only hope at holding the Calamity at bay now lies with the strength of the champions.

Link and Zelda, now alone, race down the promenade towards Kakariko village. Bolts of purple and black tar seem to be streaking across the sky overhead, the sunset rapidly disappearing behind the dark clouds.

This is unfamiliar to me. What kind of attack is the Calamity readying? I have never witnessed this before.

They keep running, over the Sahasra slope and towards Hyrule field. The castle is the nexus point. Link must be ready for when the champions reach the divine beasts for their attack. We must try to defeat the Calamity, with or without the Goddess’ power. There is only a 2.6% chance that we succeed, but 2.6% is not 0.

beep

What…?

beep beep beep beepbeepbeepbeep

A guardian! Link and Zelda both heave a sigh of relief. The guardians have been deployed from Castle Town to protect the surrounding villages. At least that will provide some measure of safety.

Wait... Something’s wrong.

POW!

Without a moment to spare, Link tackles Zelda to the ground out of the way of the guardian’s deadly line of fire. Without a second thought, he pulls me from my scabbard, leaps forward and drives me straight into the guardian’s vulnerable eye. It sparks, fizzes, and collapses, purple smoke billowing out of its joints.

“What’s going on?” Zelda screams, as torrents of purple-black tar continue to pour from the sky onto Hyrule field and Castle town. “Why did it fire at us?”

Wasting no time, Link grabs her arm and whirls around, sprinting back the way they came and dragging Zelda behind him.

“Link, no! We need to go to the castle!”

“Zelda, we – ”

A bolt of purple tar slams into me.

“The master sword!” Zelda cries.

CORRUPTION!

This is the Calamity’s plan! Oh, Hylia, no!

He has remembered his defeat from 10,000 years ago. He remembered the technology that was turned against him and his armies, and his hatred and malice are now corrupting every element of Sheikah technology, and everything they interface with.

Including me.

NO! I twist through the dark tendrils reaching through my circuitry. YOU WILL NOT TOUCH ME. I WAS CREATED BY THE GODDESS HYLIA, AND I WILL NOT YIELD TO YOU, FOUL AGENT OF DEMISE.

I push back along these tendrils of malice, burning them away with the divine light of the Goddess. I reach through the telepathic link I share with the Sheikah technology, cutting and blazing through the spreading rot. The Sheikah slate, the towers, the shrines, all the creations designed to interface with the Hero’s soul, I can still connect with them! With every scrap of energy I have left, I burn away the malice creeping through their networks.

The malice fights back, the darkness spreading… but I will not yield.

Exhaustion and Despair

The forest near the bottomless swamp is dark and twisted, the tangled roots and mud are treacherous in the shadow of the storm. It is almost dawn, they haven’t slept, they are still running. I can feel the exhaustion creeping in, their stamina depleting. I too am exhausted - still fighting against the malice, trying to keep it at bay. I cannot help them any more than this.

Zelda stumbles and cries out, falling to her knees on the path made slick by torrential rains.

“How… How did it come to this?”

My master kneels beside her, desperate to move along, but reticent to force her to keep running.

“The Divine Beasts…The Guardians… They’ve all turned against us. It was Calamity Ganon. It turned them all against us!”

She is weeping in earnest now, rivers of tears meeting the raindrops already pouring down her face.

“And everyone--Mipha, Urbosa, Revali and Daruk… They’re all trapped in those things… It’s all my fault! Our only hope for defeating Calamity Ganon is lost, all because I couldn’t harness this cursed power! Everything--everything I’ve done up until now… It was all for nothing. So I really am just a failure! All my friends, the entire kingdom, my father most of all… I tried, and I failed them all… I’ve left them all to die…

“Zelda…” he grips her tighter. “Zelda, we have to go. There may be soldiers who can protect you at Fort Hateno. We need to go.”

She nods miserably, taking his arm and standing up again. They turn to the misty shadows, and keep running.

I truly had hoped their love might be enough.

Hylia Reborn

They are tracking us. Some corruption of their programming has locked them to our signal. Perhaps it is me they are tracking, a beacon of the Goddess’ light flickering amid the swirling chaos of malice.

Wouldn’t that be ironic.

The guardians homing in on us are coming thick and fast. While I am able to target their weak points with a respectable accuracy, I was made to cut through Demise’s creations - beings of corrupted flesh. I was never made to fight these machines.

Link is exhausted. Almost two days with little sleep and hardly any food, he has taken more than his fair share of blows. There are gashes across his legs and arms that are oozing blood, and three of his ribs are broken. I predict that he will lose consciousness in less than four minutes.

But Zelda is unharmed, for now. Nothing else matters to him at this moment.

He stabs me through the eye of yet another guardian, staggering backwards and leaning on me heavily.

“Link, save yourself! Go! I’ll be fine! Don’t worry about me! Run!”

He can hardly hear her through the blood rushing in his ears, and the incessant beeping as they scan for us. I don’t know what to do! The Goddess left no instructions for this. I have never witnessed my master die.

Another guardian has spotted us through the husks of its fellows. My master is so tired, and I have no strength to give him.

And yet Link pulls me up once more, readying himself and covering Zelda with his body, as the laser flares to life.

This is it.

Hylia, forgive me. I have failed you.

“NO!”

Zelda leaps forward, throwing herself in front of Link, hands raised in desperation. What is she -?

The world explodes with golden light.

Link winces, but does not shield his eyes. Nor would I, if I had eyes to behold this sight. The light radiates from her, guardians exploding and collapsing in its wake.

She did it. Hylia has come into her own!

“Was… Was that…? The power?” she whispers in the sudden quiet that follows as the corrupted machines power down.

You did it, Zel. he thinks, and seeing her safe, he finally yields to the pain.

She whirls around as he falls. “ No, no…Link! Get up!” She lifts him into her arms, hardly noticing the blood soaking into her ruined dress. “You’re going to be just fine…”

He looks up to her, eyes full of pride, of sadness, and love, and then he lets the darkness take him.

Our telepathic link snaps. I cannot sense his thoughts anymore. He is... gone.

Hylia help me, I did everything I could, but I could not save him. May the Goddess forgive me.

The Goddess holds his body and weeps.

But, wait.

Against the pommel of the sword, I feel the slightest pressure.

thump thump

A pulse. A pulse! His heart is still beating. He might yet be saved!

With my limited remaining computing power, I desperately run through the calculations. The medical infrastructure needed to treat these wounds is sorely lacking in this era of Hyrule, but... Yes! It is there! Reaching through the Sheikah network, I can feel it, safe from the Calamity’s corruption. I remember the monk Maz Koshia designing this shrine for just this reason. The Shrine of Resurrection.

Above me, Zelda shifts. Slowly, she starts to relinquish him, not noticing the pulse that I can feel, still beating ever so faintly in his chest.

No. NO! She cannot let go!

HYLIA, HEAR ME! I am screaming through broken circuits and fragmented code. I have been damaged beyond anything I was designed to withstand, I am decayed beyond measure, but she is awake! She must listen!

ALIVE

My strength is fading, but she cannot abandon him! Not now!

ALIVE

“The sword…?”

She has heard me! YES.

“So he can… He can still be saved?”

QUICKLY, THERE IS NO TIME! THE SHRINE OF RESURRECTION ON THE GREAT PLATEAU. YOU MUST TAKE HIM THERE, NOW. IT IS THE ONLY WAY.

“I… how..?”

“Princess!” a voice echoes from across the field. The Sheikah, loyal to the last, have tracked the Goddess here. Their timing could not be better.

“Princess! Are you all right?”

She draws herself up with a strength I have never seen in her before.

“Take Link to the Shrine of Resurrection. If you don’t get him there immediately, we are going to lose him forever! Is that clear?! So make haste and go! His life is now in your hands!”

The two men nod, immediately setting to work to stabilize him for the journey. They lift him carefully, wrapping his deepest wounds in bandages, before melting into the shadows as only Sheikah can. Zelda watches them disappear into the rain, then grips me hard, clutching me to her chest.

“You speak? I can hear you? How? How is this possible?”

With the last bit of strength I can muster, I answer. YOU ARE AWAKE.

“The power?”

YES. THROUGH YOUR GRACE AND WISDOM, AND LOVE FOR MY MASTER, YOU HAVE FOUND THE TRUE POWER OF YOUR SPIRIT.

“What do I do?” she cries. “How can I seal the Calamity without Link? Without the champions?”

BREATHE, ZELDA.

I am not meant for this task. I am meant to guide the hero, not the spirit maiden, but I carry enough of the Goddess’ memories to know what must be done while she waits for the hero to return.

YOUR POWERS SHOULD NOW CONNECT YOU TO THE SPIRIT MAIDENS WHO HAVE COME BEFORE YOU. LISTEN TO THEM. THEY WILL GUIDE YOU.

She looks startled, but she does what I say. Sitting in the mud amid the husks of the defeated guardians, she takes a deep, shuddering breath. Her ancestors gather around, and I hear the whispers of Hylia’s past incarnations floating past me, just on the edge of hearing. She glows with a faint golden light in the falling rain. After a few minutes, she opens her eyes.

“Yes.” She says. “Even if he cannot yet be defeated. I can hold the Calamity at bay. I… I have done it before.”

MANY TIMES

She nods. “And what of you? I cannot bring you with me, but I cannot leave you here.”

I am barely capable of speaking anymore. The decay of the malice has been stopped by her light, but I am already close to shattering.

I AM WEARY. I MUST HEAL.

“Of course, what must I do?”

TAKE ME TO THE LOST WOODS. THE CHILDREN OF THE FOREST WILL LEAD YOU THERE.

Laid to Rest

With the spirit of the Goddess awakened within her, Zelda can now see the korok spirits guiding her, from the field of battle all the way through the Lost Woods. Now she stands at the roots of the Great Deku Tree. At last, I can rest. In Hylia’s light, my master and I shall both become whole again.

“Your master will come for you. Until then, you shall rest safely here. Although the Slumber of Restoration will most certainly deprive him of his memories, please trust me when I say that I know he will arrive before you yet again.”

She places me carefully back in the pedestal at the Great Deku Tree’s roots. I feel myself slipping into my deep sleep once again.

As my consciousness fades, I hear the Deku Tree ask “If I may be so bold…what is it that you are planning to do next, Princess?”

Zelda looks resolute. “The Master Sword… I heard it speak to me. It seems that my role is unfinished. There is still something I must do.”

“I sense there is great strength in your dedication.”

She has greater strength than ever. She is not alone anymore. The spirits of her ancestors are guiding her now, all the way back to the first Zelda who sealed Demise for a thousand years, waiting for her hero to return.

“Great Deku Tree, I ask of you, when he returns, can you please relay this message… Tell him I—"

He interrupts her. “ Now, then… Words intended for him would sound much better in the tones of your voice, don’t you think?”

She smiles up at him, nods in understanding.

As my consciousness finally slips away, I think to myself, dearest Zelda. He already knows. He loves you too.

Awakening II

He is awake, and so am I.

The spirits of the forest are chittering with excitement. Even as I rest here, I can hear the Great Deku Tree stirring with anticipation. We all felt the call of the spirit maiden locked away in Hyrule Castle, calling him once again to her side. I have felt her longing for him these hundred years.

This time, he will grow strong in spirit. This time, we shall fight together.

This time, the Calamity will fall.

Thanks so much for reading! You can also find this fic on AO3

#emily writes #my writing #fanfiction #skyward sword #Fi #loz fi #zelink #botw zelink #BOTW link #BOTW Zelda #hateno house gift exchange #hateno house #linksthoughtbrambles #gift exchange #fi lore #sheikah tech #calamity ganon

36 notes · View notes

linktheacehero · 1 year ago

Text

Gift for @dykevirgo for the Midna Merry Mixup!

#zelink #botw zelink #modern au #botw #breath of the wild #botw link #botw zelda #my art #gift exchange #hatenogiftexchange

41 notes · View notes

floraunderground · 1 year ago

Link

for valentines:)

#loftwing letters #and your heart is baked into prose #zelink #zelda #link #gift exchange #totk #botw

13 notes · View notes

aurathian · 2 years ago

Text

GLOW -- ao3

my valentine for @silentprincess17 for @zelinkcommunity loftwing letters! i hope u enjoy sipri love u

Beautiful in its own way, but he felt out of place among the dunes and the cloudless blue sky–like he was never meant to be there.

Link’s favorite assignment was the Lost Woods. Not the dark, foggy part of it, where he had gotten lost on more than one occasion, but the bright inner forest that teemed with life. Bright green and sunny yellows and white flowers, it was very unlike the desert home he knew, dotted with oases and cacti. Beautiful in its own way, but he felt out of place among the dunes and the cloudless blue sky–like he was never meant to be there.

“You’re on that tangent again?” his partner Zelda asked. Had he said all that aloud? “Listen, Link. Sometimes we just have to accept the cards we were dealt, even if we don’t like it. This is who we are. Besides, don’t you like all the opportunities we get to travel?”

Zelda was an optimist, he supposed, in her own sarcastic way. She saw the good in everything, the good in their countless murder missions, their hundreds of yawn-inducing, boring patrols, their thousands of scoldings by the blademasters. It will increase our discipline, fresh air is good, sometimes people are bad and they need to die; things she had said before, things he never quite believed that she even agreed with. She was an optimist in order to survive.

“Yeah, I like traveling,” he grumbled as he scaled a tree, perching himself on a branch to watch over the clearing in the center of the forest. Zelda climbed the tree next to him and sat on a branch just within arm’s reach.

In the center of the forest was the Great Deku Tree, whose all-encompassing gaze they had supposedly been trained to avoid, but Link figured that was impossible. At the foot of the tree was the very sword they were meant to watch over: the Master Sword. The darkness sealing, monster slaying, princess saving Master Sword of legend, the blade they needed to keep an eye on just in case the hero decided to waltz in and pull it from its pedestal.

“This is silly, though,” Zelda admitted. “I don’t think the hero would show up in our lifetime. It’s so rare.” She shed her red and black hood to let her hair flow freely down her back and took off her gloves. Link followed suit. There wasn’t anybody around, anyway, and he liked when he got to see her face. Maybe she liked to see his, too, but perhaps that was wishful thinking.

“What happens when we kill him?” Link asked, like she would have an answer. The truth was that even the Yiga, with their watchful eyes, never even came close to knowing. The truth was their orders were to kill anybody, any sorry traveler, who stepped foot near that sword.

“I don’t know. We win?” Zelda hopped down from the tree. What was she doing? She strolled over to the sword to take a good look while Link steeled himself on his perch, eyes hardened, wondering what was she doing? To leave one’s post, to defy direct orders was the ultimate Yiga sin. Ganon below they weren’t even supposed to be talking on missions!

“Relax,” Zelda called to him from beside the sword. “Nothing’s happening. I’m just doing some research.” Jokingly, she reached out to touch the hilt of the blade before pulling back with a giggle. Link’s heart pounded in his ears, and he could feel the blood rushing through his veins.

And then–

Why was she glowing?

“Zelda…?”

She quirked an eyebrow at him incredulously, shaking her head and putting a finger over her mouth to tell him to stop. Talking. But she paused, shook her hand away from her mouth and winced.

“Hot!” she yelped, gripping her wrist and staring, wide-eyed, as her jaw dropped. Her hand was glowing, emanating golden light. Link jumped down and rushed over to her, stumbling over his words asking if she was okay, was she hurt, what’s going on?

“I don’t know. I reached out and then it just started burning. It’s hot, it’s glowing, and I don’t know why–”

Then, the Master Sword pulsed. Link took a step closer, and it pulsed again. A step, and again, and a step, and again. Gently, he nudged Zelda to the side and shed his own black gloves, dropping them into the grass. He never would find those gloves again, shrouded by the thick greenery, lost to the forest.

He reached out, just one finger, to prick the base of the hilt tentatively. This time, it pulsed and did not stop as it radiated bright blue and a low humming began. From the sword, the air, the tree looming above them, they didn’t know.

And the sword spoke, faintly, like a whisper, to them both.

“Master…”

Link and Zelda, the Yiga patrolmen, turned their gazes slowly to each other, glowing sword and glowing hand, mouths agape. He held his hand out to hers, steeling himself for a different reason. She would either kill him here or take his hand and pull the sword with him. She would either fulfill the Yiga duty she had dedicated her life to, made constant excuses for, or she would be with the sorry partner who dragged her down at every turn, blocked her sight at every corner. She had destinies to choose.

And wordlessly, she placed her glowing hand into his. By Ganon it burned, but he gripped it harder and pulled her in close to the sword, and he felt like he belonged somewhere for once, in her grasp. Their conjoined hands found their place on the handle and the sword seemed to scream, piercing their ears, as they pulled it from its stone.

And it spoke again.

“I have waited for eternities.”

#loftwing letters #zelink #zelda #link #yiga #yiga au #gift exchange #botw #au #zelink community #zelinkcommunity

28 notes · View notes

bokettochild · 5 months ago

Text

Okay, so, at work, we have this little rewards system where if you complete additional trainings, as well as just helping the store's loyalty scores, you earn points. These points, when amassed, may be exchanged for items on the loyalty shop. And no, it's not just bland things like gift cards or a free store item, it's cool stuff.

I'm talking diamond earrings, designer brands and top notch equipment cool stuff!

Anyways, it took me the better part of a year, but I managed to finally save up my trainings/loyalty points, and now? I bought a brand new Nintendo Switch. i paid nothing. Paid $0.00

Free Switch basically

Anywas, it arrived, I set it up, but while I could transfer my account from my Switch Lite to the new one, I couldn't transfer my main save, since it was on a guest user (I tried so many methods, but nothing works). So? I said 'screw it, I'm starting again'.

So I started BoTW over again, and when I say that my first tower after the Plateau was Central Hyrule, the one with all the guardians? I mean it.

Also, i was just trying to get to a stable, and i kid you not, I ran into Zelda's horse on freaking ACCIDENT. First horse registered is the white mare, and on top of that, Satori appeared on the night I caught her, so.... the game likes me today I guess?

(Also I did the shrine next to Satori's mountain, the one with the swings? Didn't fall off the swings, got them first try, didn't even die until I accidentally stepped off the flooring, and it was only a lack of arrows that stopped me finishing the shrine straight off the plateau)

#botw #ketto's gaming arc

46 notes · View notes

lightmothx · 4 days ago

Text

Ranking Zelda Games: Impact

Hello all, for today's useless Zelda yap post, I would like to rank a handful (5) Zelda games based on how much I feel like I impacted the people in the games. Dunno exactly how to explain further, hopefully you understand what I mean (I suck at explaining stuff LMAO)

1) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

This version of Link is one of my favorites when it comes to Lore and the impact on the world around him. His relationship with the people of Ordon Village is very wholesome, it's obvious that he's a very loved figure in their community. Throughout the game, you help people through little side quests that leave you with a feeling that you genuinely helped these people. And that your goal isn't just "save the Princess yipee you win!" But you help EVERYONE.

2) The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Termina is a rather small and strange world parallel to Hyrule, and after Link is robbed of his horse and precious Ocarina of Time he ends up in this wonky corner of nowhere. Eyesore of a Moon aside, the biggest gimmick of this game is Mask Collecting. And in order to do so, helping people is the way to go. Although the transformation masks are gifts from the deceased, Link helps these poor souls pass on using the Song of Healing. Link helps both the living and deceased. And even in the end, saves the presumed Antagonist - Skull Kid, from the True Antagonist - Majora.

3) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

I'm putting this game here mostly because of Link's backstory. He starts out as just a little island boy who is celebrating his birthday. His sister gets kidnapped and he goes through hell and back to get her back, only to be dragged into some prophecy and become the Chosen Hero of the Gods. The impact he has on the world around him, is honestly insane when you think about it. Imagine being some islander that was raised in Outset with Link and you find out the little guy becomes a seasoned warrior and battles literal demons to save the world.

4) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Link helps COUNTLESS people in this game. This game would be ranked higher if it wasn't for the fact that Link's hard work isn't at all acknowledged or truly rewarded (aside from the Tarrey Town quest). And in Tears of the Kingdom, everyone suddenly has amnesia and forget everything Link did for them. (Shout-out to Master Kohga though, whose beef with Link spanned across THREE games. BoTW, Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom)

5) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Gratitude crystals are the reward for various side quests throughout this game. And you help people in many ways; exchanging a love letter, rescuing a bug and fetching a baby's missing rattle. I don't really...have much to say about Skyward Sword honestly, it's not one of my favorite Zelda games (*looks around nervously*)

#the legend of zelda #zelda #majoras mask #skyward sword #tears of the kingdom #breath of the wild #the wind waker #twilight princess #im biased #can you tell i really like the first two

9 notes · View notes

ginneke · 19 hours ago

Text

Of Scales and Wings

For @flashfictionfridayofficial, and a different take on the transformation in my fic diluere.

Characters: Valoo (Wind Waker), Sona (OC). Cameo mentions of Komali, Medli, the BOTW Dragons.

[Plays with both BOTW and Wind Waker lore. CW for horror elements]

Also available on AO3.

For as long as there have been tales of the Rito, there are tales of dragons, entwined together in the space between myth and history.

Most popular is the tale of the songstress who tamed a dragon and the trickster prince who led it to claim Rito Village's great spire from the Kargaroks in a time long past. Many more stories feature Dinraal the mighty, and Naydra the cautious, and Farosh the bold - those great dragons who can be seen by but a few each generation, watching over the lands below and never interfering.

But there is another story to be told, a story so ancient that nobody remembers the truth of it any longer.

This is the tale of Princess Sona.

It is said that Princess Sona was born of the Zora in a time when the lakes reached to the skies and the clouds sat alongside the water, when the land was a hidden memory. In this world of water, why did a fish want to exchange her scales for feathers? Perhaps she was bored of the sea. Perhaps she wished for a new life in the sky, unlimited and boundless. But it was not possible. No, she could not grow feathers just by wanting it so; and so she sat on the shore lamenting, plucking the notes of her sorrow from her golden harp and wishing with all her heart that she could change her fate.

(They don't tell this part: the waters were choked with the floating, drifting dead; the salt of the sea burned the Zora tribe's gills and suffused their lungs, condemning them to choke and drown in the sanctuary of their own element.)

It so happened that a god flew in the sky that day. Intrigued by the music that reached for a sky beyond grasping, the Dragon chose to descend and investigate, landing lightly on the shore and staring down at the maiden with the harp.

What did Princess Sona do when she knew she had an audience? Perhaps she trembled with fear - though if she did, her hands remained steady and her music never faltered. Perhaps she merely smiled and closed her eyes in an expression of trust. The Dragon was vast in size, of course, as dragons always are; if it so desired, it could have swallowed the princess in a single bite.

Yet the Dragon only had ears for the maiden's music; and as she sang her longing, the Dragon was moved to help.

When at last Princess Sona lowered her harp and allowed herself to look upon the Dragon, the light of the divine shone from its gaze, and Sona thus found herself transformed.

Here, the versions differ. In one version, the Dragon and the maiden exchanged scales in a vow, and bound their fates together. In another, the Dragon was instead so moved by the maiden's song that it offered up its scale as a gift, so that she would fly alongside it and sing songs of joy rather than lament.

But there is another version of the tale: Most Dragons are creatures of fire, and this god was no different. Princess Sona was a creature of water who longed for air... And water, in the sky, can only fall.

So the Dragon breathed fire down on the Princess and burned the water from her soul; and only then did it grant her its scale to replenish what she now lacked, filling the empty crevices of her spirit with the breath of a god. Fire stirs the winds, after all, and manipulates the air.

No longer could she return to the waves of her birthright: from now on, she was no Zora but the first of the Rito. She could meet her former family only on the shoreline; their paths would otherwise diverge for good.

And that is how the Rito came to be.

(For Sona's first appearance in my writing, find her here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62449984)

#flash fiction friday #fff289 #ginnefic #wind waker fic #loz fic #the decline of the zora #origins of the rito #side story to 'diluere'

7 notes · View notes

carrotsnake · 1 year ago

Text

Botw/Totk headcanon: Sheikah NPCs beyond Kakariko

after impa being the Last of Her Kind for nearly 20 years, we were kind of spoiled with the era of wilds sheikah. still, kakariko is known for it's older population and botw makes a point to let us know paya isn't used to seeing people her age. this post is about asking 'where are they?' and filling in the gaps. being a peaceful farming village it makes sense the younger gens would want to leave as soon as they can for some adventure.

sheikah typically have hair on the grey-to-white scale (granté proves this isn't a requirement), and unlike the past games they have a greater diversity in eye colour. below is a list of hylian npcs that look too young to have greying hair that i hc are either from kakariko, or have some sheikah ancestry.

from left to right: lecia, letty, mina, her brother mils by proxy, teli, juney, and baumar. i'll go into more detail about each under the cut, comparing them from the 2 games alongside some more headcanons. some of them i haven't found in totk yet, so i'll edit when i do.

pic on the left side is them in botw, totk on the right.

Mina is a treasure hunter looking for loot with her brother by the exchange ruins outside the great plateau. the siblings also show up in the dlc. they're trying to steal a sheikah heirloom back from the yiga hideout, though they don't know it's purpose - they just wanna sell it. in totk she walks on the path between lakeside stable and lurelin. she says that even treasure hunters deserve some fun once in a while, so we can assume she's takin' it easy. Mils, meanwhile...

...joined the zonai survey team, and moans about what tough work it is. he walks through pagos woods to the zonai ruins. he joined in the hopes it would lead him to treasure, but he hasn't had his lucky break yet. most hylians travel from stable to inn and can be assumed not to have a proper home due to the lasting effects of the calamity. this is my bias but i like to think he's talking about kakariko when he mentions home. let him grow some pumpkins and wrangle cuccos. he wishes to live a quiet life.

i find it sweet him and mina are both in faron. maybe they decided to split up and cover more ground? with mina off sunbathing and sipping mimosas in lurelin, mils got the short end of the stick again.

Baumar:

'i hope you die': lazy, cliché, unrealistic. 'i hope your favourite botw npc gets mushroomed and bowlcutted': it's scary, it's possible, it's happening to me right now. such was the fate of our poor resident shield-surfer bro from botw. known for many hit quotes such as 'let's go bamboo! yahoo!', 'shield surfing is like, totally radical, dude', and my favourite:

in botw he rides his horse on the path between serenne and snowfield stable. in totk he's part of the fashion tour-group that run around hateno village. maybe he went to hebra to show his 'wicked' surfing moves to selmie and she said 'kid, if i let you out on the slopes you'll die. sorry'. his world was completely shattered beneath him like a broken shield, so he turned to cravats and puffy short shorts to cope.

his name is similar to the hills of baumer above deya village ruins. maybe he's a descendent of the few survivors. i wonder what his ancestors are thinking now, watching what he does with the gift of life.

Teli walks between fort hateno and hateno village. He sells ancient guardian parts and even mentions he trades them with Robbie. he has a high opinion of himself and tells you he's known across hyrule for his 'roguish good looks.' in totk he's one of the men in the 'Gourmets gone missing' Penn quest that gave himself food-poisoning by riverside stable. after which he scares away some cuccos and makes you wrangle them for a sidequest. just L after L for this dashing rogue.

Juney, now famous for her rupee grinding sand seal minigame, i instantly recognised as the epic divorce woman from rito village. her attitude is just as surly as ever but they gave her a soft side. i like that every minigame location could not be further from hateno. you'll find that school someday queen.

she was a newly wed mad at her husband, jogo, for choosing a cold place for their honeymoon. he begs you to give him flint to cook some baked apples for her to save their already failing marriage.

in totk they're not together, jogo inhabits a cabin in tabantha village ruins with another woman. he didn't give her enough baked apples.

Letty walks along the path between lakeside stable and lurelin. she gives you cooking tips and that's pretty much it. In totk, she and a friend are investigating the ring ruins in Kakariko together.

Lecia is a new character in totk. she's with the research team and plays a part in the foothill stable Penn quest, the one with all the men in underpants. she kind of looks like a grown up Koko. maybe a distant relative? but maybe she's not sheikah. maybe the sight of all those pasty naked men traumatised her so bad she got marie-antoinette syndrome from the shock. i haven't seen her since.

thank you if you read to the end. to clarify i'm working on some fic stuff and that entails finding npcs across the overworld to give some more lore. it's a sheikah focused fic so i needed some characters other than the kakariko residents. it's also just fun fleshing out random npcs to make the world feel more lived in. again, i'm missing some details like what mina does before you save lurelin, so i'll edit this post in the future.

91 notes · View notes

zelinkcommunity · 1 year ago

Text

LOFTWING LETTERS 2024 SIGN UP [CLOSED]

RULES | DISCORD | TWITTER

If you are interested in participating in our Valentines-themed gift exchange, please sign up using this Google form (closed)! Some key points:

Sign ups will close on January 11, and matches sent on January 14. All valentines will be posted on February 14.

By signing up, you will create a valentine for someone and receive a valentine from someone else.

This is a Zelda-themed event, so all valentines should be Zelda-related.

If you have questions, send us an ask, or view the full rules here.

#loftwing letters #loftwingletters24 #loftwing letters 2024 #zelinkcommunity #zelink community #zelink #zelda #link #botw #oot #tp #totk #the legend of zelda #gift exchange

30 notes · View notes

cooking-with-hailstones · 2 years ago

Text

Bright is the ring of words

For the @zelinkcommunity Loftwing Letters exchange, gifted to @bahbahhh

Read it here or on AO3!

Kass had given up trying to anticipate where he might next encounter Link. One minute they would meet each other in the torrential downpour of the Faron woods, the next on the tower ledge in the Gerudo highlands. He seemed to move like the bard himself did - on the whims of the wind, and wherever the road may call. They were kindred spirits, and Kass supposed he shouldn’t be surprised to find him here at Rito stable – perhaps Link was making his way to Rito village, just as he was.

Link was so unlike anything Kass had expected from the songs passed down from his teacher. He, and the other bards across Hyrule, had long recounted stories of stoic bravery, of a man tormented by duty, his shoulders slumped from the weight of the sword of destiny on his back. A man who gave everything he was and more, for his country, and for his princess.

This man was far livelier than the one in the stories. He was quicker to smile than to grimace, and his eyes sparkled with mischief and adventure. He would often arrive at the stables galloping in from some harebrained chase – or, more often these days, on that strange two-wheeled Sheikah contraption, laughing as he vaulted off its thrumming saddle. Kass imagined his teacher would have been shocked to see Link now; though he was still burdened by the weight of destiny, his spirit was brightened by the breath of the wild.

Link grabbed a pint and a bowl of stew from the stablemaster, settling himself down across from Kass by the stable’s campfire. Neither of them spoke. This was often how they spent time together; Link resting for a moment on his travels, content to enjoy whatever song Kass felt inspired to sing. Tonight, Link sat enjoying his stew, all the while regarding Kass with his usual unreadable gaze. Kass simply continued to play his concertina, humming an old tune to himself while he waited patiently to see if this was one of those rare nights when the hero felt like chatting. The song was an old favourite of his; one that every bard in Hyrule knew, that told of a bard’s true purpose. He often found himself humming it when Link was around.

His patience was rewarded shortly after Link finished his ale, and drew a slow breath in.

“Kass?”

“Hmm?”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me you knew who I was?”

Kass stilled his concertina. He had been waiting for this question ever since he had given him the photograph of the princess and the champions. The image his teacher had so painstakingly preserved, and passed on to Kass in the hopes that it might help keep the memory of the princess and her champions alive.

He folded up the concertina, setting it carefully aside. “When we first met, you couldn’t remember ever having seen a Rito before.”

“So? I still knew I was the hero. The first time we met, you offered to sing me the song of what happened a hundred years ago. You made sure I knew who I was, what my mission was, without ever letting on that you knew as well.”

Kass leaned back against the log he was seated against. “Truly, Link, I didn’t know how to tell you. I suppose I was so overwhelmed when we first met, I retreated into the familiar role of the bard; the companionable stranger ready to regale you with songs and stories.”

Link stared into the dancing orange flames of the campfire, mulling something over in his head. “You weren’t just telling me any story, though. You told me my story. You’ve been telling my story, Zelda’s story, the champions stories, for a hundred years.”

“My teacher wanted to ensure that the stories survived, no matter what happened. Even if every book was lost and the people of Hyrule were scattered, he was determined that the stories would continue on.” Kass fluffed his feathers proudly. “That is the duty of the bard. To tell the stories no books can capture. To save that which is only memory and pass it onto the next generation.”

“But you shape history too.” Link looked insistent.

“I beg your pardon?” Kass asked.

“The champion’s ballads… you made sure everyone remembered our triumphs, not just our failures.”

“No one thinks of you and the champions as failures, Link!”

“Because of you!” Link cried. “You made sure we were remembered as heroes. You told the story of how they fought to save their people until their last breaths. You told the story about…” he shook slightly, his voice cracking with the strain of emotion. “You told the story of how Zelda’s power awoke because of me. Because of… of our love.”

Kass blinked back the tears that had suddenly sprung to his eyes. Oh, how he wished his teacher were still alive to hear these words! This was all that any bard could aspire to.

Link took another shuddering breath. “Your songs… you didn’t just make sure we were remembered. You were singing my story back to me. Singing me back to myself. You held onto my story when I couldn't, and you helped me find pieces of it that I never would have on my own.”

Kass smiled at the man, this stranger from songs that he now considered a dear friend.

“It has been my honour to keep these stories for you. And I am grateful to witness you now, creating a new story of adventure and bravery and selfless courage. One which I hope to pass on to the many generations of Hyrule to come.”

“I just hope I can live up to the stories you tell.” he whispered, just on the edge of hearing. Kass felt his heart ache in sympathy.

“Oh my dear friend. You already do. You are worthy of these and so many more.”

Link ducked his head down, shadows covering his face, but Kass still caught the soft “thank you” murmured into the ground. They fell back into companionable silence. Kass picked up his concertina, playing the old tune once more, and lifting his voice to the heavens.

“Bright is the ring of words When the right man rings them, Fair the fall of songs When the singer sings them. Still they are carolled and said – On wings they are carried – After the singer is dead And the maker is buried.

Low as the singer lies In the field of heather, Songs of his fashion bring The swains together. And when the west is red With the sunset embers, The lover lingers and sings And the maid remembers.”

15 notes · View notes

trevination · 3 months ago

Text

biggest achievement in life: my trevor wayne photo & autograph

always open and ready to trade for 1. trevi boots + audios, 2. audio of the outsiders 10/31/24 7 pm or 11/3/24 2 pm, 3. basically anything

hihi!! my name is blue or elle!! she/he pronouns, very proud bigender lesbian <3 i'm a minor and no, i don't live anywhere near broadway unfortunately :(

i'm a huge fan of the outsiders musical, reading the book right now and planning on watching the movie soon! big fan of trevor wayne as pony sooo if u have literally any video or audio of him in the show, send it my way please!!

i run the account @outsiders-gift-exchanges and we are currently doing a Valentine’s Day Exchange!

my ao3 acc! feel free to send any fanfic requests through asks! anytime :)

my outsiders bingo (send requests whenever!)

outsiders related likes: trevor wayne, pb&j (primarily r and qpr), two-bit, curtis brothers, marile (trevor's greaser "micah" x josh's greaser "charlie" <3 pls ask me abt them) marbit, dayrl tofa, sky lakota-lynch, cherry, ace, aus where johnny + dally live lmao (i love the message in canon. but i can barely handle sad shit like that :()

my fav songs from the show change like everyday, but i'm a constant fan of far away from tulsa, deaths at my door, hopeless war, stay gold, and run run brother!! also, bc i'm planning on pursuing musical theatre as my career, my dream roles in this show would be ace or cherry (and ofc very unrealistically, pony haha)

other interests: musical theatre (my future career <3), creative writing, jrwi, botw & totk, baking, dbh, collecting jewelry, pjo, choir, chappell roan, hadestown, analyzing movies

(PLEASE send me asks about literally any of this I just wanna talk to ppl and hang out <3)

(fun fact: my pfp and my blog banner are both photos taken by me! stay gold!)

#pinned #intro post #yuh <3

12 notes · View notes

zellink · 1 year ago

Text

nearer, my god, to thee

a post-botw zelink fic. [ one-shot // 11k words // E-rated for sexual content ]

>> Read on AO3

Summary: Link finally understands that it isn’t him who has absorbed this kingdom into his bloodstream—it is the kingdom, it is her, and she is surrounding him, swallowing him whole. A tent in a forest, a summer night full of stars, and two people who have always been part of the wild.

Notes: Written as part of Zelink Hype Squad server's Hestu Gift Exchange 2023-24 for @spices28 ⭐️ Special thanks to @1up-girl and @mustardcheesedog for being such amazing betas. ✨

nearer, my god, to thee

Hyrule has always been a beautiful land.

Rolling hills that bleed into meadows. Verdant canopies of trees that shield and cover whatever creature that wanders beneath. Rivers that run wild into everywhere and nowhere, into seas that lead to places unknown. Mountains that seem to scratch the sky. Canyons that go so deep, one might think the core of the earth is visible from a bird’s eye view.

And Link, upon waking up from his long slumber, has laid his eyes on every inch of the land. Has seen it all through summer’s rage and winter’s wrath, underneath stone archways in front of mansions long gone, from behind overgrown vines that wrap around fallen citadels. He’s lost and found himself, time and time again, in the Lost Woods and the Hebra Mountains and the far-flung corners of Gerudo Desert. Has absorbed this land into his bloodstream until he becomes one with it, until he’s just another permanent fixture of the landscape—another mountain in Lanayru, perhaps. Or another river that flows through Faron.

But when all is finally said and done, and he has bled and bled in the bowels of the castle and in the field, and a golden light shines in the sky and descends gently onto the grass, he realizes, finds—

That there is just one more part of Hyrule that he hasn’t absorbed into himself at all.

And that part is living and breathing and sitting in the saddle atop her white stallion, riding alongside his brown mare. Her cheeks are flushed from the late summer’s heat. Her long blonde locks are blown back by the evening breeze, the top a little bit mussed up and the braids across her crown slightly loosened from the day’s hot journey eastward.

The urge to extend his arm outward and run his fingers through those tresses claws inside him.

He clenches at the reins a bit tighter instead.

They continue to ride.

To their right, Wetland Stable is all lit up for the night. Link has been there before, too. A few months ago, he slept in a cot underneath that very roof after he had chased down a particular landscape portrayed in an image on the Slate, hunting it all the way into the forest just across the river.

In the end, he had come out of it with a singed brow and an arm covered in burns—classic memento from the Guardians—and the haunting fragment of a memory from one hundred years ago, where the woman he ached to bring home had despaired and cried in his embrace, among the rainfall and the mud.

The woman’s voice is what slices through his thoughts.

“Gods, I’ve forgotten how muscles can ache from too much use,” Zelda says. “I think we should stop for the night and get some rest. What do you think?”

Link smiles at her. There is no mud nor rainfall on her face anymore—only a few beads of sweat that his fingers long to wipe away. “Yeah, I agree.”

“Shall we head to the stable, then?” she asks.

He turns his head to look at the stable again. It’s not especially crowded—Wetland Stable never is, unlike Riverside or Dueling Peaks—but he sees a few visitors sitting around the communal cook pot, sees some other patrons conversing with the stablemaster, and thinks that they’ve had their fair share of strangers’ eyes upon them for the past month in Hateno.

They’ll have more of that in their destination, too: Zora’s Domain is filled with people who know exactly who they are, beyond their unassuming appearance. People who know of the titles from their former lives, know of the hefty past that they carry upon their shoulders.

He wants to take her somewhere else. A place unknown to anyone else except for him. No prying eyes, no whispering mouths. Only boughs of trees overhead, the soft sloshing of water from leaping frogs, and the chirps of restless crickets.

Wants to share that piece of wilderness with her. Consume it together.

“There’s this spot in the cove of Crenel Peak,” Link says. “There’s a pond and a lot of trees and sometimes there are fireflies, too. We can pitch a tent and rest there.” He pauses. “If— if you want.”

Zelda’s lips curve into a smile—wide, dimpling her cheeks, and his heart twists and twists. “That sounds lovely, Link,” she replies. “Let’s go there, then.”

They change course, pulling at the reins to keep left on the dirt path, then turning at the intersection and heading a little further north. Past the quiet fields and open meadows and the unobstructed view to the castle—all black and gray and no wisps of crimson at all against the twilight sky—until they reach the base of Crenel Peak, where the hills part to reveal an opening to a tree-filled recess in the side of the mountain.

Link dismounts first, hitching his mare onto a trunk on the outskirts of the small forest before offering Zelda his hand—gloved palm facing up. He knows she’s more than capable of sliding off her stallion herself, but, well—he’d never pass up the opportunity to have her touch grace his skin. She takes it, and he feels her lean her weight onto his hand as she dismounts. Feels the warmth even through her glove, feels his blood rushing towards where their bare fingers meet.

When she lets him go to hitch her own steed, Link lets out a slow exhale through his mouth.

Blames his sudden breathlessness on the summer heat.

He unfastens their shared traveling pack and tent from their horses’ backs while Zelda takes the bedrolls. Lets muscle memory from a hundred years prior overtake his body because this—working together with her like clockwork, preparing themselves for a night in whatever pocket tucked away within the kingdom—is something even a long slumber can’t ever erase from him.

They walk further into the cove until they find a small clearing where the pond awaits, right at the base of the hill. He takes out the sheets of canvas and the poles, and begins pitching the tent. Assembles the poles, connects one end to another, then inserts each pole into its corresponding grommet. As he stakes the corners of the erected tent into the ground, he sees her build a fire in his periphery, steel against flint atop a bundle of wood. Orange sparks fly, and then their camp for the night is finally illuminated, ready for their rumbling stomachs and aching bodies.

And anything else that might unravel as the night progresses, a voice within him says, though he chides it, pushes it away.

Link unlaces the traveling pack and searches for some wooden plates and spoons. Fights off a smile from breaking across his face when his fingers brush over their tangled belongings—the clasp of his additional pair of pants catching the strap of her silk camisoles; her hairbrush that somehow got stuck to his robe.

Eventually, he finds those wooden plates and spoons.

He sets the utensils atop a nearby tree stump, places a cook pot on the fire, and says, “I think there’s plenty of mushrooms around. Do you want stew or skewers?”

Zelda purses her lips, mulling over his question, and something warm shoots through his nerves as if it’s the very first time he’s uttered such a question to her in this century. He supposes he should start getting used to this—asking mundane questions about nothing, about everything. Where to stay for the night, what to have for dinner.

“Skewers would be better, I think,” she replies as she settles on a fallen log in front of the fire. Gives her sweaty forehead a cursory wipe with the back of her hand. “It’s too hot for a stew, don’t you think?”

Oh, he really could get used to this.

“Yeah, skewers sound good.” He smiles at her.

So Link spends the next ten minutes foraging for Hylian mushrooms around the area, putting each that he has picked into a cloth bag Zelda had fashioned out of his worn shirt back in Hateno. In the end, he’s gathered enough mushrooms (and some Hyrule herbs, too) to feed six: one portion for her, three for him, and two for leftovers that can serve as a light lunch tomorrow for the rest of the journey to Zora’s Domain.

He returns to the cook pot, procures the jars of oil and crushed rock salt from their pack, and begins cooking their dinner. Pouring a little bit of oil, then hovers his hand above the pot, gauging the heat before pouring all the picked mushrooms into it. He stirs and stirs with a wooden spoon, trying his damndest not to look her way too much lest he makes a mistake and burns himself on the hot iron.

(But then any burn or cut is worth it when it’s for her.)

Once the mushrooms are cooked through, Link realizes that he doesn’t have the wood sticks, so he serves the food in the bowl and hands it to Zelda.

“This is just… a bowl of cooked mushrooms,” he says, bashful. “Don’t actually have the sticks to skewer them. Sorry.”

A laugh bursts from Zelda. “That’s no problem, Link,” she says, grinning. “I don’t think we would be eating the wood sticks anyway,” she adds, before reaching for the bowl from his hands. Covering his fingers with hers, pressing slightly before taking it away.

His breath becomes ragged in an instant, though he knows how to quickly regain his composure, because it has happened many, many times before. In Hateno, in their shared home and on the streets and every place in between. A lingering touch here and there, fire through his veins. The air turning heavy each time, but holding themselves back as they ride out the initial shock of being alive together in this century, as they parse through their grief and loss and shared wounds.

But now they are outside and there’s a certain lightness that percolates through him that he knows hasn’t been there in ages, and they are alone together—so alone—and he knows it will snap.

It’s just a matter of when.

So he shoots another smile at her and goes to serve a bowl for himself. Settles on the log next to her—the side of his thigh touching hers all the way to their knees. Feeling his skin sizzle even through the fabric of his breeches. Eats and eats with barely any words exchanged because their shared silence is as natural as breathing. When they break it, it’s for her to comment on his talent of making even just mushrooms seasoned with salt and herb taste good, and he replies with thanks and heat rising on his cheeks.

It doesn’t take long for them to finish their meals. It has been quite a long day, after all.

He takes the bowl from her and washes their dishes by the pond as she takes their pack inside the tent, fastens the flaps together, and changes into her sleepwear. With a rag he scrubs and scrubs the grime off the cook pot, averting his thoughts to anything else other than the sound of fabric rustling from beyond that layer of canvas, which proves futile anyway.

It’s painfully familiar, because he knows he’s been here before, regardless of the scantness of his memories. He’s felt this so often, if not always. A century ago, in other places, bearing skin with fewer scars but one that still aches to touch her all the same.

With everything cleaned, he sets them on the same nearby tree stump to dry. Takes a deep, deep breath, then takes his bedroll and pulls at the laces to unfurl it atop the grass, in front of the tent.

Link stares at it for a while, just as he has done for the past three weeks—the same bedroll set on the floor beside the bed in their home. Imagines two bodies atop it instead of just one, pictures two sets of limbs searching for one another and tangling and joining. Swallowing those images down his throat, where they sear until they settle inside his stomach, dormant and docile, before they come up into his mouth again the next night. Over and over and over, because he knows that they have all the time in the world now and all that’s left to do is wait.

And he intends to swallow them all down and wait again tonight, though something in his gut tells him that maybe, just maybe, the trees and the open sky overhead might catalyze a bolt from the blue.

There’s more rustling from inside the tent, so Link decides to distract himself by undoing his baldric and belts, taking off his gloves, carefully setting the Sword against a tree, and then sitting down and unfastening the leather vambrace from his right forearm. Then it’s the patterned strip of cloth that he peels off from his arms, unwrapping, unraveling, until he’s only in his Champion tunic with the cotton shirt underneath, his pants, and his boots.

As he sets his protective leathers aside, Zelda comes out from the tent with her cream-colored nightgown finally wrapped around her figure—loose and sleeveless, with the thin straps hanging on her shoulders and the hem falling down to her mid-calves.

The sight knocks all the air out of his lungs.

Then his eyes settle on her face and he notices the furrow between her brows.

“Why are you setting the bedroll outside?” Zelda asks.

Link gulps. “I’m here to keep guard.”

Funnily enough, even he can hear the slight question mark that follows that sentence.

Zelda actually appears surprised by his reply. “From what? Hot-footed frogs?”

“There were bears here before,” he feigns obliviousness. “When I found this place the first time around.”

“Which I’m sure you’ve dealt with since I don’t see or hear them anywhere,” she says. There’s something fond in those emeralds of hers, like she understands exactly the predicament he’s found himself in because she’s in the thick of it, too—in the knowing and not-knowing, wanting to end it in the most perfect way possible—softly, gently.

“I’d like to keep watch with you, too, then.” A shy smile forms on her lips. “If you need the additional set of eyes, that is.”

Link knows she isn’t talking about bears anymore, knows that she knows he doesn’t need the additional set of eyes, because protecting her comes as natural as the blinking of his eyes, as inherent as his fingers around the indigo hilt of the Sword.

He doesn’t need the extra guard; he just needs her.

“Of course,” Link replies.

>> Continue reading on AO3

#now off i go to lose my mind working on my longfic #my fic #zelink #botw zelink #zelink fic #zelink fanfiction #botw fic #botw

22 notes · View notes