#but Mipha will burn the world if it means keeping him safe

[smilesrobotlover]

I love the idea that Mipha and Link are both fiercely protective of each other, but while Link is more of the cliche “must protect my wife”, Mipha is like, feral

[golvio]

Another thing about the trek towards Zora’s Domain is that almost every monster capable of using a bow is using Shock Arrows. They take advantage of how wet the rainfall’s made the ground by spamming the one enchanted weapon that’s the known weakness of the Zora, which several Zora tell you multiply times they are so sensitive to that they can’t safely handle these arrows with their bare hands.

If Calamity Ganon really wanted to dispatch Mipha as quickly as possible, he should’ve just sent Thunderblight there. The fact that he didn’t suggests two things.

First, that there might be some kind of elemental affinity required to pilot the Divine Beasts, let alone override their pilot’s permissions and hack into the controls. He functionally had no choice but to play an elementally themed matching game with which piece of himself he sent where.

Second, and this is way less likely and more speculative, he didn’t just want to defeat the pilots. He wanted to prove that even a splinter of himself was vastly better than the originals at their jobs (from a twisted perspective of “better”). Like, it wasn’t enough for him to just stunlock Mipha in place with his homebrew Cryonis rune. He had to make Waterblight Mipha, But Moreso, with a piercing spear type weapon with a superior reach to hers (A fishing spear, no less, which seems extra cruel to his aquatic opponent). Thunderblight mimics Urbosa’s classic sword-n-shield fighting style, but is also way faster and more efficient at activating his stunlocking electricity magic than her, and shows that off at every possible opportunity. Fireblight doesn’t just mimic Daruk’s shield, but can also create explosive vortexes by manipulating the oxygen he’s burning into creating blowback and enchant his own weapon, even turning his own hair into a weapon to make up for his lack of mobility and speed compared to the other Blights. And Windblight is a frickin’ anti-air laser cannon in addition to being just another aerial combatant in a realm where everyone else can fly and shoot.

He just rolls up into Vah Ruta all “I have mastered all four elements, and I’m going to prove I’m better at Water than you, the princess of the Water people! I am going to be the very best Water Boy!” If this is actually what he’s doing, then he’s not just figuratively teabagging upon the Champions’ remains, he’s also actively griefing Link, Zelda, and the communities each Champion came from.

I mean, as a vengeful ghost, this fits his MO, assuming he’s got enough marbles left that there’s more than a simple search-and-destroy algorithm happening in that ghostly, gaseous head of his. There are loads of stories of yurei, onryo, and even tatarigami not just lashing out at anyone available to receive their unresolved anger, but actively going out of their way to psychologically torment their targets as well, driving them to desperation and even death. Clambo Gambo’s not just out to destroy everything, but is also repeatedly twisting the knife to try to get his opponents to pay attention to him and keep paying attention to him for as long as he allows them to live. He’s like some kind of horrible outside-context internet troll. Only, in a world that’s completely forgotten the internet ever existed, a troll loses the luxury of self-justification through “irony” and trying to prove how much smarter and more in control they are than their marks, because all everyone else sees is a huge asshole being a real jerk for seemingly no reason.

But, also, if come TotK this specific iteration of Ganondorf doesn’t end up being the funniest motherfucker in the whole game, I’ll be a little disappointed.

[deiliamedlini]

Whumptober 2021- The Darkness I Know

Chapter 11

Just Keep Swimming

adrift | drowning | dehydration

Fic Summary: After the world as she knew it was destroyed by the corruption of Malice, Zelda allies herself with her saviors from captivity: a disgruntled former governor, an alert paramedic, a cocky pilot, an excessively overt optimist, and a blind strategist. While the corrupted, malice-filled Yiga Clan looks for revenge on them, Zelda has to learn how important it is to find family in others... and how much more dangerous the stakes become if she fails to protect them.

*note: I fell behind on the days because of work, but I’ll catch up when I can because I just got 110 papers in to grade today! This one is longer than usual as an apology lol*

Previous/ Chapter Index/ Next

~~~~~~

Dorian bowed his head and waited for Zelda to say any more, but it wasn’t her who spoke. Zelda instinctively pushed Link back into the house, with Dorian following.

“Zelda?” Link asked, his staff in his hand, ready but unsure. “Is Dorian who I think it is?”

She squared her shoulders and reached into her back pocket where she always kept a knife, just to be safe. Which, now, she was beyond relieved she did. “The man who betrayed me and killed my whole village? Yeah, that’s him.”

“Zelda, let me explain,” he tried, holding his hands up in surrender.

But Zelda shook her head. “Don’t use my name. Everything you say is tainted and a lie, and I don’t want my name anywhere near your lips.”

“I have come with a peace offering, something that will hopefully reinstall some of the broken trust that’s between us.”

“Fat chance,” Zelda said, her grip on the knife tightening. She wanted to ask how he survived the explosion, but she didn’t want to give him the impression that she cared.

“The Yiga are here for revenge, as you may have reasoned out already. Take your…man friend here, and get out now. It’s not going to be safe here soon.”

Zelda glanced at Link, the smell of smoke still burning her nostrils, the red still flickering out her window. “What’s going to happen?”

Dorian didn’t respond, but Zelda didn’t really need elaboration. Outside was getting worse. Worse, and out of control. There was no way a fire spread that quickly through a village without a little help.

“Link,” Zelda said, grabbing his arm. “Come on.”

He was still ready to fight, but Zelda put her hand over his. “Please, trust me.”

Though Link’s lip twitched, he lowered his staff and let Zelda drag him out; he wasn’t sure he’d be able to leave a threat unanswered if she didn’t physically pull him along.

Zelda grabbed her bow off the table and stood in the doorway, already feeling heat hitting her from all angles.

“Shit,” Link muttered, feeling it too.

Dorian watched Zelda leave the house and smiled. “For our friendship, we are even. And a word of warning: you might want to move a little faster.”

Zelda could already see smoke coming from the windows of her house, and she urged Link away. She watched it, summoning the cold and detached mentality that she’d nearly dropped in the faux safety Kakariko offered. “The house is on fire. Come on.”

“How many Yiga can you see?” Link asked, finally free of Zelda’s grasp so he could move normally.

Zelda tried to squint into the oranges and reds, but it did little more than hurt her eyes. “I don’t see any. Just fire.”

“Never thought I’d be glad my parents died,” he muttered, picking up the pace. “We need to find the others. Make sure they’re alright. I can smell some Malice around too, so we need to go fast.”

But Zelda grabbed Link’s shirtsleeve, pulling him back.

“Zelda,” he hissed before he felt her shaking hand against him. “What?”

It was almost impossible to form words. She swallowed down a large gulp of spit that had lodged in her throat, and this time, when her grip tightened on Link, it wasn’t to help him navigate; it was just fear.

“It’s everywhere.”

“What’s that mean? How much does ‘everywhere’ cover?”

“We’re not getting to Mipha’s house. Not to anyone’s. We need to move, Link. We might not make it to the entrance without treading some.”

Link grimaced but took a breath and nodded. “Okay. Help me out?”

“Of course,” she said, already moving as soon as he had her arm.

They were quick, despite how often Link was tripping from their speed. His staff was helpful, but Zelda wasn’t. She was determined to get them out, regardless of any obstacle… which was less fortunate for Link, though he grit his teeth and bore it for the sake of speed.

She jerked him hard, causing them both to tumble into each other. “I’m sorry! Malice!”

“It’s fine,” he muttered, tightening his hold on her. “Do you see anyone else?”

Zelda could see people behind her, and she could see some in front of her, but they weren’t the people he was referring to. “I don’t see them, but they’ll get out!”

“It’s still dark out, right?”

Zelda didn’t answer that one, instead focusing her attention on the ground.

It was entirely possible that none of them woke up in time to survive the attack.

Taking a glance behind her, Zelda could see Dorian standing on the hill, and beside him, a dangerously familiar man in a cloak had his hands out as waves of purple distorted the air around him.

Astor.

The Malice moved faster, and Zelda ducked her head, urging Link to pick up the pace with her.

Despite reaching just outside the village, the Malice continued, and Zelda could feel the heat of it lapping at her heels.

There was a small bridge that passed over a rushing river, and then she was sure the

Malice wouldn’t be able to follow. It was too far.

But that would have been too simple.

The Malice creeped over Zelda’s foot, causing her to shout in pain. She tripped and stumbled, though Link steadied her in time before she could fall and be submerged in the rapidly creeping substance.

Zelda could see Revali and Mipha across the Bridge, still running without any sense of the Malice’s location. And they were almost there.

The Malice wrapped around her ankle, and something pulled hard, like a hand pulling in a rope. Zelda went flying to her knees with Link in tow, her head brutally throbbing as it hit a tight pack of dirt with the full dead weight of someone with no control over their own body. She couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t feel herself roll into the water, and didn’t feel Link’s hand let her go as he fell with her. It was all just dark.

For Link, he hadn’t even been able to react in time, didn’t know they were near water, didn’t know where the Malice was. He could smell it, and he could feel its warmth on his ankles, but that was all he had to go off.

Now, he was in the water, free floating with just his staff in his hand.

“Zelda?” he called, splashing around as he tried to get his bearings. His parents taught him to swim at the local pool when he was a kid for safety, but he had never been particularly good, nor was he a fan of the sport. So flailing in a rapid river was a success for him.

“Zelda?” he tried again, straining his ears to hear over the rush, over the muffled sound of water rushing in and out of his own ears, as it went up his nose because he wasn’t able to lift himself high enough without some sense of what was happening.

“Hey!” he yelled, more frantic this time, reaching his arms out to see if she was nearby. He came back empty, shifting his staff so he had a sense of his surroundings. But there was nothing. The river was apparently too wide, and Zelda wasn’t in his vicinity.

He tried her name several more times, each time growing more frantic until his voice was cracking.

Without Zelda, he would have to guess where he’d ended up. It wouldn’t be the worst situation he’d ever been in, survival wise, but he didn’t know Zelda’s fate. Had she not even fallen in? Was she just out of reach?

Suddenly, a rushing wave of water washed over Link’s face, and then another. The water shook, and moved rapidly, and another wave came. Soon, the pull of it all had him sinking under the water, spinning with the wave’s motion, and ending up completely disoriented.

Calm. That was the key to survival, his father had always reminded him. “No matter how frightened you are, try to find your calm.”

Link’s calm was long-since gone.

He thrust his staff out and felt nothing, doing it again and again until he felt the bottom of the river. He popped up for much needed air, his eyes burning, choking on all the water that had gone up his nose.

“Zelda?” he tried again, this time between coughs.

There was a drop, and Link was free-falling. It was blessedly short, and he wasn’t sure if he’d simply been too waterlogged, panicked, or distracted to hear the falls, but he missed them, and his heart leapt from his throat, nearly throwing it right up in the midst of his fall.

When he hit the water, it was hard and unfortunately most of the impact was taken on his back. Groaning, he popped his head up to the surface again, and winced in pain before realizing that he’d dropped his staff, and it was resting against his foot, slowly sinking.

He bobbed his head under to get it, and when he grabbed it, it was against something odd. It was solid, but not the ground. Long, but not a log. An animal who’d gotten caught? Or…

“Zelda!”

Diving down, he followed the path his staff had taken, hoping he’d kept his orientation well enough. Sticking it out, he felt around until he hit that object again. An air break, and he was back down, fighting back the choking death gurgle he wanted to let out as too much water invaded his nose. His eyes burned from the initial dive, when he hadn’t realized he needed to close them for their sake.

His arms finally wrapped around a human, and he pulled them up as best he could, despite his skills. Holding tightly, they popped up and Link felt around for her pulse.

Hell, he didn’t know what he was doing with that. He could feel it, but he didn’t know what that meant for her other than that she was alive. He shook her. “Zelda? Is this even you?”

Nothing.

“Answer me, damnit!” he hissed, shifting her into one of his arms, leaving the other free.

“Please be you,” he whispered. “Please, please be you.”

His hands ran along her face and through her hair. It was a female, which was promising. But it didn’t take long as he traced her lips, and felt by her eyes that he didn’t actually know what Zelda looked like. He’d never traced the lines of her face, nor did he know if her eyes were far apart or wider. And he wanted to hurt his past self for his lack of forethought.

Something else.

Link ran his hand down her arm, trying to see if he recognized her waterlogged hand. His best guess was that this was Zelda, but what if he was cradling the rotted corpse of a woman 100 years dead?

And then it came to him. He readjusted her in his arms and felt at the fabric of her shirt, hoping that Zelda had done what he’d done in their haste to get ready: he wore the same shirt he’d slept in.

He’d held her tightly enough that night that he had a fair idea of the fabric. It wasn’t soft, but it wasn’t scratchy, like something a fast-fashion line would sell to a chain superstore before the Malice. There had been loose threads in the front from overuse, and a small hole where the seam was coming lose.

He felt it all and breathed a sigh of relief. Still drifting aimlessly, Link used every trick he’d ever known to keep himself afloat with minimal effort. He knew how to keep himself mostly buoyant, but that hadn’t been while holding up another person. Her dead weight had her head sagging down, and he kept one hand on her cheek, his thumb just under her nose, so he could be sure she didn’t slip under the water.

It felt like hours, but Link knew it had taken him less than a minute to assess it all, so when she sputtered out a cough, breathless, gagging, and coughing some more, Link held her close, unwilling to let go.

“Zelda?”

“Mmm?” she hummed, her own instincts getting her body to function again. She kept an arm around Link’s neck, but she kept herself afloat. It was too much, and she rested her head on Link’s shoulder until her breathing slowed and evened out.

Link couldn’t take any chances. He jerked his shoulder up, and heard Zelda moan in discomfort.

“Hey, don’t fall asleep on me out here.”

“I’m so dizzy,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

Groaning, she lifted her head and looked around. “We’re near shore.”

“Which way?”

“Um… we… left?”

He held her with a firm grip and started his way ‘left’ towards shore. She didn’t protest, so he assumed it was correct. And it was confirmed when he hit the solid wall of dirt.

Tossing his staff up first, he then helped Zelda up before hoisting himself out, and immediately collapsing.

“Goddess above,” he breathed. “That sucked.”

“I’m bleeding,” Zelda mumbled. “My head. I think I hit it?”

Link rolled himself into a sitting position and held his hand out in the direction he’d heard her. His hand lightly hit her nose, and he spread his fingers out, letting himself move slowly, trying to memorize what he could. His fingers hit something stickier than water, and then Zelda winced as Link’s thumb grazed over a split in her skin.

“It doesn’t feel big,” he said, double checking.

“Are you okay too, Link?”

Satisfied, he went to move his hand away, but decided against it, letting himself explore the cervices of her face. “You scared me,” he admitted as his thumb swiped the side of her nose.

He felt her cheeks tighten into a smile, and she let out a soft giggle. Clearly not asking him to stop.

Her smile faltered, and she turned into his hand instead. “I’m sorry. I scared myself.”

“I couldn’t picture your face to tell if you were… you.”

“Is that what this is for?”

“Among other things. Relief being one of them.”

“I—” Zelda started, but she stopped immediately, grabbing onto Link to try to pull him to his feet.

He didn’t need to see her go down to hear it. He tried to catch her when her legs gave out, but it was pointless, and she hit the ground hard.

Almost as hard as Link did a moment later, listening to the soft laughter of a male voice until his mind went entirely blank

[lorelylantana]

Savageries of the Heart Chapter 5: Homecoming

First-Previous-Next

Ao3

Chapter rating: T Overall Rating: E

“How did this happen?” she asked, setting the slate down to look at her husband. He looked sheepish.

“It didn’t happen overnight,” Link explained, “After the Sheikah were banished from the Kingdom of Hyrule they came to us for protection after their own military forces were lost, and the other races opted for their own independence. That much is true, and it was for centuries after. The Sheikah don’t really have a desire for leading outside of their own people, so as long as the Zonai reinforced their borders and funded their research they were content to share the fruits of their knowledge. 

“We’ve always believed in extending a hand in aid where we could, so on the occasions that the other races reached out for help, we’ve been the first to respond. We built the dam in Zora’s domain and we killed the Lynels haunting the Rito snowfields. When the Gerudo canyon collapsed we’re the ones that cleared the rubble to let them travel safely once again. Bit by bit the other races began to see the benefits of being a unified nation again, so we expanded the railways, the Sheikah streamlined communications, new Wardens were named, and we came whole again.”

“Not completely,” Zelda interjected, oddly defensive. She felt Noodle’s nose bump into her chin, perhaps in response to her racing pulse.

“Not completely,” Link agreed, “But it was a king on Hylia’s throne that fractured the continent in the first place, and the Sheikah have long memories. Even with the countless records locked away, they knew it wasn’t the first time they had been made to vacate Hyrule, so they advised us to keep the royal family in the dark and wait.”

“For what?” Zelda asked. He looked in her eyes.

“For the right Queen.”

Fat chance of that one, considering her uncle sat on the throne and she was the Hollow Daughter of Hylia.

“Tell me more about the Wardens,” Zelda said, uncomfortable at the implied expectation.

Link scooted over, taking the slate in his hand he fiddled with the map settings until Zelda watched the borders she was familiar with reappear. Noodle uncoiled from her spot on Zelda’s wrist to sniff at the screen, her snout tapping on the small region north of Mount Lanayru, if that was indeed it’s name and not another lie told to her people. A box appeared with white text.

The Wellspring

Warden: Dorephan [Contact]

Rising Warden: Mipha [Contact]

“Each region is governed by a Warden,” Link explained, his breath tickling her ear and his arm slipping around her waist, “Dorephan is the current Warden of the Wellspring, but he gave his notice of retirement last year, so Mipha, his daughter is carrying out the majority of his duties until she slays a great beast and takes over his position completely.”

Zelda tapped the harbor their icon was inching towards, highlighting the region that Zelda originally thought to be the entire Zonai nation.

Dragonlands

Warden: Link

Rising Mother: Zelda Lana Hyrule [Contact]

Zelda noticed that the word ‘contact’ was written in green. Curious, she tapped it, expecting the screen to change. Instead there was a chiming from her headdress. Zelda tensed up. Link gave a little chuckle before pinching her translator between his fingers for a moment.

“What was that?” Zelda asked, but he only held up his finger again, shooting her a wink as he got up and left the the observation deck

“Can you hear me?”

Zelda flinched, startled. Her husband’s voice had replaced the mechanical words from her translator.

“Yes,” she responded, walking to the window to see her husband walking into view below. In her ear she could hear the sea breeze until his voice returned.

“A secondary function, though a recent one,” Link said, waving up at her.

Zelda looked at the slate again.

“Why can’t I call you?” she asked, noting the option to contact didn’t appear next to her husband’s name.

“That’s my personal slate, it would be like writing a letter to myself.”

He began walking up the stairs, and she could hear his footsteps, which was a bit disorienting without a stair in sight. They spent the rest of the trip eating their lunch while Link explained the basic functions of a Sheikah Slate. Zelda pressed an icon with a small blue circle, and a glowing blue orb appeared in her hands. Link mumbled something in Zonai that the Zelda’s translator interpreted as a string of curse words that had her ears burning. Link took the orb from her hands, chucked it through a window he’d opened before pressing the ‘cancel’ button right next to the one labeled ‘detonate’.

“That was an explosive,” he said by way of explanation. Zelda’s eyes widened.

“Does everyone else on the continent have access to explosives?” she asked, alarmed. Link shook his head with a laugh.

“Farore above, no. The slates given to Wardens and have greater capabilities than most citizens’. Standard issue slates are much more limited. Identification, communications, and finances only.”

“What does it mean by ‘Rising Mother?” Zelda asked, now holding the slate at arm’s length.

“Being my wife makes you the Mother of the Dragonlands, but since you haven’t officially accepted the title you’re listed as ‘Rising’.”

“How do I accept it?” she asked, Link smiled, bright and relieved. 

“I’ll show you when we get home.”

She liked that sentence because of the assumption. There was a warm undertone to the flippant reminder that she had a home here. She was in a foreign country that wasn’t at all like she imagined, but she had a place set aside for her. It was enough to banish the dissatisfaction of her question going unanswered and allowed her to walk hand in hand with her husband with a spring in her step. As they descended onto the dock, she couldn’t help but notice that it was pretty deserted, though she did see a large building at the top of a large cliff. Link led them down into the sand. They came across a strange platform on the ground before Link placed his palm on a screen covered pedestal. After fiddling with the screen Link took out a vial of simmering red liquid she recognized as an elixir and pressed it into her hand. She drank it, savoring the kick that she recognized as a spicy elixir. Link watched as she swallowed it.

“How did I do?” he asked, brow raised. She took another sip.

“It’s a tad overdone,” she admitted, “but effective,”

He nodded, satisfied with her answer. She shook out her limbs, the heat spreading to her fingers and toes like a fever.

“It’s a little warm for a spicy elixir, isn’t it?” she asked, quizzical. He winked at her, resting a palm against the blank screen. After a blue line ran up and down the pedestal chimed and the world faded away.

The world returned in slices, descending bit by bit to create a small alcove tucked in the corner of a much larger room filled with plush chairs and couches facing a strange black rectangle set upon a table. Despite the questions burning through her mind, she found herself transfixed by the opposite wall. Rather than the intricate stonework that made up the majority of the room, the wall they walked along had an almost translucent, iridescent quality to it, orange light shining through that mimicked the sunset outside. She pressed a hand to it and dragged her palm along its smooth, chilled surface, her breath coming out in clouds in front of her. Link showed her a large glass box filled with vegetation and a lamp which, in a notable departure from the standard blue light fixtures around the room, shone with a warm yellow light.

“For Noodle,” Link said by way of explanation, opening the box.

Zelda beamed from ear to ear, reaching into the terrarium to let the serpent climb onto one of the winding branches. She could have sworn she saw some of the blue scales glow, but it was probably a trick of the light.

“Say Noodle again,” she said, tucking her hand into his elbow.

“Why?”

“Because it sounds cute in your accent,” she admitted, cheeks flushing slightly.

He gave her a quizzical look but nonetheless obliged her, “Noodle.”

She giggled, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder as they walked down the hall to a larger, yet somehow more intimate room.

 Zelda stepped forward and turned to examine their bedroom. The walls were carved in hundreds of illustrations of plant and animal life alike, each shape crafted with a myriad of stones that must have been gathered from all corners of Hyrule. A fox made from the rich Eldin rock, wolves shaped from the cool blue of Upland Zora, and pigeons carved from Necluda stone. The lush scenes of the wild were dominated by sprawling depictions of dragons lording over it all. She recognized the serpent she glimpsed on their wedding day coiled protectively over their bed which, while lower to the floor than her own, was far wider than any bed she’d ever scene and stacked with silks and cushions. 

After the stress of the day, Zelda was ready to lie down, but her husband had other ideas, taking her hand and pulling her to the corner on her left, where another dragon curled around a bath that looked far too big for just the two of them. Nevertheless, Zelda followed him gratefully, glad that at least one of her preconceived notions of the Zonai held true.

Owlan had told her the Zonai viewed baths an intimate affair, which she had understood. The difference lay in that married couples were supposed to bathe together, and often. This practice was apparently so common that newlyweds were not considered fully united until they blessed their marital home with a bath. Thus, when Link’s hands began to unravel the cloth around her chest, she made no comment, only moving to undo his belt.

When they were both stripped down they stepped over the lip of the massive tub. Link took the lead as the welcoming spouse, turning her around so he could run his hands down her back. Despite the spicy elixir having a good deal of time before it wore off, the water felt cool. Not enough to feel uncomfortable, but impossible to ignore. If her elixir couldn’t hold off the chill, she wondered how frigid it must be. Zelda was dissuaded from asking questions by Link’s touch, warm and steady as they started to rub soap into her back. She sighed and felt her head roll to one side. Zelda let her gaze rest on the luminescent stone of the second dragon. Unlike Farosh, the horn of this creature almost resembled a crown, spikes pointing away from the creature’s face. 

“I saw Farosh on our wedding day,” Zelda said idly, her shoulders easing under his touch. He hummed and started to work on her arms.

“The gods approve of our marriage.”

This intimacy in the water was softer than what they shared in their honeymoon, but no less potent. Perhaps this gentle caress was one of the unsung sides of love, often overlooked for that wildfire lust that overtook them so many times. And yet, as Zelda grew warmer under his ministrations a deep sense of peace took root, easing away the emotional strain of the day’s revelations. For all the deceit revealed to her, his growing affection for her felt genuine. 

Link pulled her to rest against his chest so he could reach around to her stomach. When she relaxed and let her arms rest back in the water it became clear that the heat wasn’t just from his embrace but from the bath, once so cold it broke through her elixir’s protection.

“What happened to the water?” she asked, dragging a hand through the bathwater. It was heated as a hot spring. “Zonai leaders have always drawn strength from the land, wielding magic both consciously and instinctively.” he explained, washing and rinsing her hair, “This flow is strongest in the springs and other sacred sights, giving us enough protection to render even the harshest weather mild.”

Link turned her around to look her in the eyes as he took her leg into his lap, “We swore to each other before our people,” he explained, massaging her calf as he spoke, “we’ve proven this union to one another in our bed. But only here, alone in holy water atop a sacred mountain, do we verify our marriage before the gods. You are Mother of the Dragonlands, and now all the spirits watching over us recognize you as such, and give their power freely.”

Zelda smiled, security pulsing steady in her chest. The feeling was compounded by small, swirling clusters of energy she could now feel brushing against her skin and shielding her from the unrelenting cold of her new home. After pressing a quick kiss to his lips she urged him to turn around.  Relishing in the heated water, she took the cloth from the lip of the tub and lathered it in soap so she could start to scrub his back and arms. She traced some of the paint on his bicep before wiping it off.

“What do the markings mean?” she asked. She had watched him apply the paint several times since their wedding, though never as much as he did the night itself.

“It’s less about design and more about location,” he answered, “The paint makes us stronger. We use it to stimulate the muscles we use most in battle.”

She rubbed his other arm clean before moving on to his chest. He smiled lazily, resting his hands on her hips, his thumbs circling idly.

“How’s it made?” 

“I’ll send you the recipe.”

Zelda raised a brow, “Just one?”

“The only one that works.”

Now that was an intriguing prospect. Alas, it would have to wait for another day, as Zelda started to yawn when washing his legs and feet and her eyes had started to close on their own accord when they dried off on the steps leading up to the tub. She heard Link give a low chuckle as he pulled the towel from her hands and began to rub the moisture out of her hair, massaging her scalp in the process. His touch put her at so much ease that she ended up dozing off with her face resting against his thigh. Zelda only stirred when he did, sliding off the lip of the tub to take her in his arms. She didn’t open her eyes when she was rocked in his arms as he crossed the room. She felt the cool, smooth sheet covering the bed before it dipped to accommodate her husband’s weight. Zelda reached for him blindly and was rewarded by his arms wrapping behind her back, pressing their bare chests together. She felt Link’s lips on her forehead.

“Goodnight,” he whispered into her hair. She nuzzled his shoulder and kissed what felt like his collarbone.

“Goodnight.”

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Yiga | Chapter 7

It was very late when Aryll finally made it to her bed, knowing all too well that she would need to get up for school in just a couple of hours. To her relief, sleep came easily, taking over the moment her head hit the soft pillow, and she didn’t stir until she felt the bright sun streaming across her face. She squinted and groaned, turning her back to the sun before her eyes landed on her alarm clock. The time read 8:36. 

She jumped up and stumbled out of bed, falling onto the floor before bounding back to her feet in a panic. She had already missed her first period of the day and was well into her second. She cursed her alarm clock for not waking her as it should have. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from a pile on the floor of her room as she sprinted out the door and practically lept down the entire flight of stairs. She bounced against the wall, pushing herself around the corner in a frenzy to search for her sneakers when a strange scent caught her attention. Something was burning.

“Why is the house burning down now?” she shouted as she slid into the kitchen. She stared at her brother as he blew desperately at a pan on the stove that had ignited.

“What are you doing, idiot?” Aryll shouted at him. She grabbed the pan and threw it immediately into the sink, dousing the flames with water.

“Why is it on fire?” Link shouted at her. “What did I do?”

Aryll turned and sneered at him. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Making pancakes,” Link said sheepishly.

Aryll blinked at him. “How the fuck do you burn down the kitchen making pancakes?”

“I don’t know!”

Aryll shook her head and sighed. She ran her fingers through her hair quickly before pulling it into a ponytail. “Drive me,” she said simply. “I’m late.”

Link turned back to the stove. A few pancakes he cooked earlier came out halfway decent and were waiting on a plate. “Yeah, I shut off your alarm,” he said. He took the plate and offered the pancakes to her.

Aryll moved her gaze between her brother and his poor attempt at making breakfast. Her brows knit together. “Why?”

“Because we’re playing hooky,” he said. He pushed the plate at her. “Look. It has peanut butter and bananas.”

“You’re real proud of yourself right now,” Aryll said with a grin.

“Yeah, a little bit.”

She took the plate with a shrug and sat at the table. “Well, it looks edible. The house is still standing. You only ruined one pan. I guess you did alright.”

Link sat across from her with his own plate and shrugged. He poked a fork into a pancake and noticed then that the inside was not as cooked as it should be.

He frowned. “What the fuck are pancakes, anyway?” he muttered. “Devil’s food.”

Aryll grinned. “You didn’t let it cook all the way through.”

Link flipped the pancake over to reveal a slightly burned side and his frown deepened.

“The heat was too high,” Aryll said simply.

“Well, don’t you know everything,” Link said.

“It’s like, cooking one-oh-one,” she said. “You love food. How are you not a better cook?”

Link shrugged. “I do the eating, not the cooking.”

Aryll snorted. “I’m still not sure how I survived childhood with two of the most incompetent men in the world.”

“There were a lot of peanut butter and banana sandwiches,” Link said.

“And pizza.”

“You’re alive, aren’t you?”

“For now,” Aryll said. “But I might die of a heart attack at twenty.”

“I only have to keep you alive until you’re eighteen. After that, you’re on your own.”

“What ever will I do?” Aryll said dryly. “I’ll have no one around to tell me to eat my veggies.” She smirked at her brother.

“Wow,” Link muttered. “We really did do a shit job. I don’t think you’ve had a vegetable in your entire life.”

Aryll laughed. “Not true,” she said. “Pizza sauce has tomatoes.”

Link chewed thoughtfully. “Oh, yeah.” He shrugged. “Guess that means we can have pizza for dinner tonight. Get your daily dose of tomatoes.”

Aryll grinned. “Just what every teen needs.”

“So, what are we doing today?”

“I dunno,” Aryll said with a shrug. “You’re the irresponsible adult that let me skip school. What’s your plan?”

“I only got as far as pancakes,” Link said. “You pick next.”

“Let’s go to the ranch,” she said cheerfully. “I want to ride.”

“You know Talon will make you shovel shit,” Link warned.

“That’s okay,” she said. “I don’t mind. Someone’s gotta do it.”

“I do it.”

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” Aryll said with a teasing grin.

Link raised a brow. “What have you heard?”

“Talon says you spend most of the time chasing the cuccos.”

“They chase me,” Link muttered.

“And why do they chase you?”

Link sighed loudly. “Because I ran them over one time!”

“I think you did it on purpose,” Aryll said.

“Did not,” he retorted childishly. He crossed his arms. “They want to kill me, and they won’t stop until they do.”

“Don’t worry,” she said with a grin. “I’ll protect you from the big, bad cuccos.” She brought her empty plate to the sink. “Who would have guessed that Hyrule’s Chosen Hero, defeater of Ganondorf, enemy number one, would be afraid of a little cucco?”

“You’ve seen a cucco, right?” Link snapped.

“You’ve seen Ganondorf, right?”

“Yeah, but,” Link started. But he had no reasonable excuse to bring to his defense, and Aryll snickered.

“Hey, so can I drive?” Aryll grabbed his keys from the counter.

Link stood and sneered at her, pulling the keys out of her hand. “Over my dead body.”

Aryll frowned. “But I have my license,” she whined.

“You crashed into a damn tree,” Link hissed.

“I wasn’t driving!” Aryll followed her brother as he made his way outside to the car. “Come on, man, don’t be like that.”

“Fine,” he said, stopping and leaning against the car. He looked up in thought. “But, remember the last time you did drive?”

“We arrived safely at our destination,” Aryll said proudly.

“You hit a curb,” Link said, crossing his arms.

“I just misjudged the turn a little bit.” She rolled her eyes.

“You fucked up the wheel.”

“It’s just a little scratch!” She sighed in frustration. “It’s not like it’s a new car or anything.”

“It’s an antique!”

“So,” Aryll started slowly. “Old is better than new?”

“You are infuriating,” Link said. “You’re never driving it again.”

“Does that mean you’re buying me a car?”

Link laughed sharply. “You’re lucky you don’t live under a bridge.”

Aryll frowned. “Dad would let me drive it. It is his car.”

“Well, it’s mine, now,” Link said. “And if I had to save you or the car, I’d pick the car.”

“Rude,” Aryll said, crossing her arms.

Link sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose before pulling open the passenger door and sliding in. He tossed the keys over his shoulder at his sister. “Please don’t kill me.”

Aryll squealed and hurried around the car. She slid in behind the wheel and turned the key in the ignition.

“Seat belt,” Link warned her.

Aryll rolled her eyes and sighed, but she pulled the belt around her. “Can we put the top down?” She was pressing the button anyway, grinning up at the sky as it pulled back.

Link sighed and got out of the car, securing the top of the vehicle before getting back in. “Stop touching shit,” he muttered. “You’re gonna break it.”

Aryll pulled her sunglasses out and wiggled her eyebrows at her brother. “Stop being so lame.”

“You suck the life out of me,” he said.

Aryll revved the engine and laughed as Link scolded her.

“Stop being a child,” he hissed.

“Stop being such a Dad.”

“How have I not died of a heart attack, yet?” he muttered.

Aryll grinned and pulled out into the road. “Why are the men in our family so damn dramatic?”

“Because we had to deal with you.”

“I’m wonderful.” She swerved to avoid a chipmunk.

“You know there’s a million of those, right?” Link hissed.

“But it’s so cute!”

To his relief, his phone rang, and Revali’s name flashed on the screen as an incoming video call. “What’s up, idiot?” he said when he answered. He was clearly at some sort of party, judging by the people in the background and the loud music playing. His brows knit together. “What the fuck you doing?”

Link turned the camera to focus on Aryll as she drove. She waved excitedly and Link shouted at her. He turned the camera back to his face. “I’m probably gonna die,” he said. “If I do, please blow up the house. Tell Daruk he can have the insurance money. You get nothing.”

“What about the car? Assuming its salvageable.”

“No. Daruk gets that, too.”

“The fuck is he gonna do with it? He won’t appreciate it like I do!”

“You will bring shame to it,” Link said.

“Your father did that a long ass time ago when he conceived your sorry ass.”

Aryll groaned loudly. She picked her hands off the steering wheel as if she had touched something gross, and Link scolded her once more.

“I don’t need to hear these things,” she whined.

“I can’t believe you’re letting her drive it,” he said, shaking his head. “Hey, wait. It’s a school day. The fuck are you guys doing?”

“Playing hooky,” Link said.

“You couldn’t have waited until I got home?”

“Why?” Link said. “I don’t want to hang out with you.”

Revali frowned. “Don’t you miss me?”

“Why are you calling?”

“To show you this rager you’re missing out on.”

“Revali,” Link started. “It’s almost ten in the morning.”

“I’ve been awake for two days straight!”

Link frowned.

“For real,” Revali continued. “I’ll be in town later this week. Mipha said she’d be home from her big fancy doctor school. We’re all getting together.”

“I don’t think so,” Link said.

“Dude,” Revali pushed. “Kiss and make up already.”

“Goodbye.” He ended the call, cutting Revali off.

“I’m not the only one,” Aryll sang.

“Whatever.”

“Why didn’t you tell me everyone was coming home?”

“Because no one told me.”

“We’re hanging out!”

“No, we’re not.”

Aryll frowned. “Stop being you for like, two damn seconds, alright?” Aryll sighed. “We haven’t seen them in like, forever.”

“That’s what happens,” Link muttered. He turned his gaze out the side of the car. “Get used to it. Once you hit college, you’ll never talk to you friends again.”

Aryll bit her lip. “We can just… go home…”

“No,” Link said quickly. “No, fuck that. You’re driving. You’re in charge.”

Aryll smiled. “So, you can’t stop me if I drive to the shelter and get a dog.”

“Can’t you just play with the dogs at the ranch?”

“Fine,” Aryll said. “But only because I don’t need you feeding it peanut butter and banana sandwiches for every meal.”

“You would deny it such fineries?” Link said. “That’s abuse.”

Aryll snorted. “I feel bad for your future children,” she said. “Good thing they’ll have Auntie Ary around.”

“Or,” Link started. “I’ll be the really cool, single, kid-free uncle to your future children.”

“That’s just sad and pathetic.”

“That’s kind of my jam.”

“You and Mipha are having babies.”

“Can we stop with this Mipha shit?”

“Not until you accept the fact that you’re gonna be together forever.”

Link sighed. “You’re stubborn.”

Aryll smiled. “I guess it won’t be so bad for your future children,” she said. “I mean, I think we turned out alright. And you’re like, basically the same person Dad was.”

“I don’t know how to take that,” Link said slowly. “And I think you’re playing fast and loose with the term ‘alright.’”

Aryll shrugged. “We’re alive and no one’s stripping for money.”

“Yet,” Link said. “I might start.”

Aryll frowned. “Then what am I supposed to do? There’s only room for one cliche sad stripper story.”

“Gold digger,” Link said. “I’m sure Zelda could hook you up with some rich old man.”

“Ah, yes,” Aryll said. “An excellent trope. I think that one will work out well for me.”

“Don’t forget to send me money every now and then.”

“And when my husband kicks the bucket, I’ll be living free and easy.”

“Nice.”

Aryll sighed. “I guess we are pretty fucked up.”

“I wasn’t gonna say anything.” He paused. “There’s still hope for you.”

“Yeah,” she said softly. “There is. For both of us.” She smiled as she navigated into the countryside. “Because Mipha’s coming home, and you guys are gonna get back together, and everything will be good again.”

Link frowned. “Why can’t we be good as we are?”

“Well, we can,” Aryll said. “But, good can always be better.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Link said. “I could go for better.” He meant it in more ways than one.

[shepardlives]

I'm in too deep oh no

Prince Sidon has the sharpened skills of a hunter: keen eyes, a sense of smell to put a blood hound to shame, and the advantage of being eight feet tall. 

 What Link is discovering is that all of those skills mean nothing when you suck at hide and seek 

Link hides a smile as the Zora Prince rounds the tree for the second time, looking exceedingly more confused as he searches for the hylian in the large court yard. He's close enough that Link could brush the large crest on top of his head that makes him look shark like. 

"Where on earth is he?" Sidon murmurs, frowning in thought. "I know he can't hold his breath that long..."

Link can't suppress a grin as the prince looks hopefully toward the small lake anyway. There, Link would have no chance of hiding from a Zora. 

It's long past their bet time anyway, and Link decides to have mercy. He bends the branch he's clinging too slightly, tickling his boyfriend's crest with the strange silvery blue leaves on the Zora's trees. 

(They had been a marvel when link had first found them in the private garden, trees so bright they were nearly clear. He'd thought they were made of marble when Sidon had first shown him, but apparently they weren't. He still wasn't sure he believed it.) 

Sidon's head snaps up in surprise, and he grins at the sight. "Link!" He says with a bark of laughter, reaching up to catch the hylian as he jumps into his arms. "How on earth did you find that hiding spot?" 

Link grins, his clever fingers quick to sign: 'I'm good at climbing trees. All I had to do was wait.' 

 Sidon snorts, kissing his face. "Well, that's the third game of ours you've won." He says, looking mildly grumpy at being bested so many times

Link smiles, cupping his face and kissing his cheek. 'You won the swimming game and the fishing one, you know' 

 That puts the smile back on the prince's face, and he offers up more kisses in reward. "True, but you won our archery contest and you made the shop keeper laugh before I could. So we're uneven, until our next game" 

'That would be-' Link interrupts himself with a yawn, covering his mouth with his hand '-Unfair to let stand' 

 Sidon frowns, his fins twitching a little. "You're tired. Why didn't you mention it?" 

 Link shrugs, resting his cheek against the Zora's shoulder. 'I'm not that tired. And I like spending time with you more than sleep.' 

Sidon huffs, nuzzling him. "I don't want you passing out on me." He scolds lightly, carrying Link back toward the castle. 

 It was a little rich for Sidon to lecture him about running himself ragged, but he wasn't in the mood to start a debate. Instead he snuggles against Sidon's scales, the rough skin having just enough give to be comfortable. He smiles a little when he catches the Zora's heartbeat, closing his eyes as he's carried through the palace gates... 

 Electricity cuts by him by an inch, the shield in his hand clutched white knuckled so he can throw the electricity back at ganondorf, looming over him 

A mask digs into his face, he can't breathe, can't see, the moon is crushing down on him, "you've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" 

 His chest burns as a ghostly hand snatches him off the path, navi doing her best to keep keep the darkness from consuming him 

"Link!"

Impa's eyes are wild, Zelda's afraid, and as they catch Link's gaze she hurls the ocarina over his head.... 

His bones ache as he has to get used to growing years in what feels like a minute, but he has to keep going, he has to, he can't stop- 

 "Link!" 

 He's crossing an ocean and clinging to the mast as the water throws his boat, struggling to keep himself afloat by himself 

Ganon, always ganon, looming out of the dark, coming for him, he cuts down mipha, he lifts his sword and it slices through him and he can't think, can't breathe and Zelda lays him down, the world going dark- 

 "Link!"

 He wakes with a jolt, heart racing, blood roaring in his ears. He covers his mouth to hold in his shallow breaths, eyes wide and tears streaming down his face. 

 Where is he? All he can remember is dark... 

Strong arms hold him to a rough chest. Scales. It's Sidon. Sidon, that's right.... 

Link slowly breathes as he comes back to himself: in the prince's bedroom, safe and sound. No ganon, none of the other strange sights he couldn't remember but seemed so familiar. 

 The Zora Prince is hugging him to his chest, looking at him in alarm as he cradles him in his arms. "What happened? You were screaming and crying. I couldn't wake you up..." 

 Link shakes his head, touching the side of his face, his fingers shaking a little. 'I'm fine. Just a bad dream. It wasn't real...'