#desertednineau

[desertednine]

One Lone Pearl - Deserted Nine Chapter 1 (2.8K)

Synopsis: Hyrule’s heroes of past and present venture to uncover a secret cruelly hidden by the history books. On a visit to Hateno Village, a hero overhearing gossiping townsfolk may lead him and his allies into yet another journey…

Hi everyone! Hope you’re all having a lovely day, afternoon or evening wherever you may be! After a long two months and a hell of a writer’s block, I’ve finally at long last finished Chapter 1, and am so excited to get this silly idea of mine on the road, I hope you all enjoy!

Word count- 2.8k

Warnings- Strong language, a man is an asshole to a woman (are we surprised?)

Tags: (mainly my lovelies in Fellowship of the Links Discord!) @the-cucco-nuggie @peepthatbish @beyondtheglowingstars @xxbuttercup @tomsishere @birb-boyo

“Hylia above, why did I decide to wear this today? Champion, I thought you said we’d be going to Hebra, not Faron!” The voice of a very warm and sweating Warriors complained as the nine heroes of past and present trekked around Hyrule of the Wild era, yet the Upheaval caused major geographical changes throughout the land, unearthing areas previously thought unreachable, but all good things come with a sacrifice, that being areas potentially being blocked off, meaning many a twist and turn in their journey, aching feet, boots causing an ungodly amount of blisters and many a bicker and argument, not helped by the blistering heat of Faron’s tropical climate, where they were dropped by the mysterious portals that guided their journey. Yet despite an environment as taxing as that, the group did as they always do and pulled through as they crossed into the much less humid region of Necluda, deciding to stop by Hateno Village to rest for the night, half of the group staying in Wild’s humble abode, which he now shared with his beloved Zelda and the other half at the local inn, and the people of Hateno always loved to hear of Wild’s adventures, and now there were eight more heroes, it would attract much more attention, the local mayoral election campaign between Reede and Cece did not even cause so much as a squeak compared to this!

The group finally arrived to much a surprised face, it wasn’t every day that you met eight legendary heroes of old, after all, with all the village coming to greet the heroes, with an array of excitable children gawking at their arsenal of weapons, with one child in particular begging to try them out with wonder in his eyes, to which the heroes allowed him to look at the less lethal items in their possession. By the time the children had somehow gotten their attention astray from the ancient weapons, the group were growing rather travel-weary on top of the bombardment of questions from the young children, though it did warm their hearts to see their eyes light up, thus they went to the Wild hero’s humble abode to drop off their items, where the hero was met with open arms and a soft, lilty accent.

“Oh, Link! You’re home!”

The princess, now also a part-time researcher and teacher collided into his chest, Wild lifting her in the air with a genuine smile, it wasn’t often he truly let go unless he was with certain people. He smoothed her now messy hair, a result of the schoolchildren of Hateno’s clumsy, albeit caring job of doing her hair, yet she could look in whatever state and Wild would equate her beauty to the divine itself.

“You look radiant, dearest.” He whispered in her ear as he kissed her hand with an undoubtable tenderness, her cheeks turning a rosy pink as she giggled sweetly behind her free hand before greeting his fellow companions, she had met them all before while they were in her era’s Hyrule, yet sadly not for long before they were once again swept into another adventure in their hunt for cursed black-blooded monsters under the spell of evil, a tale as old as time.

Princess Zelda Bosphoramus was truly known for her kindness, even more so after the Calamity and the Upheaval as a result of her selfless sacrifices for her people and their future, and the past heroes could tell everyone adored her, not because of her title, but her demeanour, a young woman wanting to simply do what was right, something they all knew very well with their duties. As they chatted, they got familiar with Hateno’s surroundings once again, it had certainly changed since the last time the heroes visited, what with the copious amounts of quirky fungal-based style around the village, and now seeing the school Zelda had overseen the creation of and often taught the children there, again showing just how selfless and caring she was, willing to use her time to serve her people in small, menial activities, which was always appreciated by her people.

As they admired the village’s changes and chatted to the friendly townsfolk, they began to discuss arrangements for sleeping, Wild obviously staying with Zelda in their shared house, with Hyrule, Legend and Four joining alongside them, leaving Sky, Warriors, Twilight, Wind and Time to reside at the Ton Pu Inn for the foreseeable future, which none of them minded at all, at the moment for them, home was anywhere they happened to rest their head after a long, weary day, whether it were a bedroll someone happened to lend them, a small single bed with simple covers or the most lavish possible with many pleasantries included, the heroes appreciated whatever they got from the people, showing they truly did care about the wellbeing of the group, the citizens acting out of the goodness of their heart as opposed to wanting to gain something out of their actions.

Not long after, the group wandered about the hustle and bustle of Hateno, the humble village now attracting new visitors, whether it be fashionistas to visit Cece’s clothing shop, budding researchers venturing up the rolling hills to admire the tireless work of old Robbie in the lab, or just simple trade with other villages, there was never a bad time to visit the comfy, nestled village that was made all the better by the people, a colourful cast of characters to say the least, yet all good folks.

The day rolled on, the group engaging in the town’s atmosphere, Warriors helping the eager, rather young ‘guard’ at the town’s entrance, finding him very endearing, reminding him of his youth, modelling the actions of those in authority around him, while Four was bombarded with questions from the aforementioned young children about his background as a blacksmith and how he would forge his weapons, Hyrule looking on with a laugh as the child cajoles him to tell more. Meanwhile, Time and Sky went to the pasture up the hills, and while the walk was exhausting, especially considering how far they’d walked that day already, it was worth it to see the adorable animals, Time being reminded fondly of home at Lon Lon Ranch with his dearest wife, and Sky cooing over the bleats and moos of the goats and cows, as Wind and Legend check out Cece’s fashions, the youngest hero parading around the shop in the… flattering fungal hat as Legend looked on with a chuckle, being reminded of a past adventure of his own with the rather quirky designs.

This left Wild and Twilight with the former’s Zelda in her house, where they were planning to cook for the group, a fish pie to be specific, thus with his proficiency in fishing from his rural upbringing, Twilight was the natural choice to catch whatever unlucky trout or carp that was unlucky enough to poke their heads too near to their bait, a soft smile painting his lips as he reminisces on those days, simpler times back in Ordon, whenever he’d catch a fish for Sera’s little cat and hearing the content purrs as it’d dig in to the fine meal before it’s furry face, and often frequenting Hena’s Fishing Hole whenever he got some form of a breather from his heroic deeds, helping him to de-stress, with the case being the same in Hateno, the chatter of the people being alike to white noise, a comforting sound at that as he sits at the wooden docks, taking off his boots and letting his ankles and below soak in the cool water as he begins his search.

The sparrows and finches tweeted their soft songs around him, making him feel grounded and thoroughly relaxed, yet also making him completely forget where he was, him shaking out of his daze and realising the sun was now close to setting and he hadn’t a fish to his name yet. The atmosphere about him was so… familiar that he completely forgot the task at hand, deciding to simply go to the general store instead, making sure to sneak so the others wouldn’t tease him about neglecting his duties and getting lost in thought longer than expected, but it was all in good fun amongst the group, thus he put his boots back on and began to make his way to the store from the docks, yet as he approached, he overheard a peculiar sounding conversation at the town’s water trough between Nikki and Amira, well-known about the town for their tendency to gossip.

“Did you hear about that young woman who came into the village yesterday evening, the one with the necklace with just one lone pearl on it?” Nikki initiated the conversation, in a hushed tone, clearly not wanting anyone to notice the conversation, wanting to appear as nonchalant as possible while telling her friend of her thoughts on the mysterious woman’, to which Amira shook her head, having not noticed any new woman around the village, likely too focused on their previous gossip session.

“Hylia’s sake! Do you live under a rock?” She jested well-meaningly, before continuing; “Well, apparently it’s been passed down through countless generations, said to attract future love to anyone who touches it and promises a long-lasting relationship once one is formed, but they must be faithful and true to the one they admire, showing true passion, and so must their partner, otherwise the necklace loses it’s value, just an accessory.”

“And that’s relevant because?” Amira questioned with a roll of her eyes, knowing exactly what her friend was about to say.

“…Well, you know that merchant with the donkey that once came by? Agus, I think his name was-“ She explained before being cut off by Amira’s laughter, amused at how quickly it took Nikki to fall for a man, before replying with an offended “Hey! Just because I’m married doesn’t mean I can’t have a fantasy!” and playfully poking the former’s shoulder.

“What? I bet you’d buy anything off him so you could have an excuse to get him on a date to eat your infamous Seafood Meunière!” Amira giggled, putting on a teasing voice so to get a reaction out of the woman before her.

“If I weren’t married already and if it meant I’d have to sit through him talking about that donkey of his and how they’re better than horses, I will!” Nikki replied, the two heading off from the trough to their own houses. The gossip amused Twilight, all the playful small talk felt very familiar and gave him a sense of comfort, but the conversation made him think.

This mystery woman with a meaningful necklace, who could she be? She obviously wasn’t a local to the village, as the two discussed, she could’ve very well just have gone and left before he and the heroes reached the village, but it intrigued him nonetheless, he hadn’t experienced a feeling of love, let alone passion in a while what with his adventures, whether it being brotherly love to the children of the village, fleeting puppy love with Ilia, a respectful love with the Zelda of his era and a lost love with Midna. He longed to experience that feeling again, but not knowing when that would come about again weighed on him, this pearl necklace may be the answer…

“Oh!” He said to himself, realising he’d been staring into space and lost in his thoughts, when he needed to get the fish from the general store for dinner, the combination of the gossiper’s talk of food and his rumbling stomach making it clear what he needed to do first.

-

After the dinner at Wild and his Zelda’s house, which went down a treat with the heroes despite the shop-bought fish, the moonlight shone over Hateno, and was a sign for the group to get some good rest, thus going their separate ways to their respective sleeping areas, Legend, Four and Hyrule staying in Wild and his Zelda’s house for the evening, setting up bedrolls as Zelda prepared a warm drink for them all, she wanted desperately to be a good hostess even though the heroes insisted she didn’t have to, that merely letting them sleep there was enough, but that of course didn’t mean they wouldn’t indulge in her kind offerings, it would be rude not to after all!

As they settled, the five remaining heroes walked along to Ton Pu Inn, Wind sleeping in Warrior’s grasp as the older hero almost cradled him, they all understood that although the sea-faring hero was the youngest of the bunch, that he didn’t want them treating him like a child, which they did stick to, admiring him for the hero he is and the obstacles he’d overcome, but moments like this reminded the older members just how young he is in comparison, insisting he’s not tired while clearly battling sleep. Sky meanwhile hummed a tune he had learned on his journey as they walked, feeling the Master Sword vibrate on his back, reminding him Fi was always there, even if she were also sleeping in the sword.

Just before reaching the inn, Time noticed his descendant looking a little… away in his thoughts, concerned, he cleared his throat and asked him. “Is everything alright? You seem distant, and were not too talkative at dinner.” He queries, his protective paternal nature coming out, despite not even being a father.

“Oh! Er, yeah! Jus’ got lost in thought, nothin’ to worry about.” Twilight replied, attempting to sound as convincing as possible, and while his ancestor didn’t appear swayed by his answer, he accepted it nonetheless, he would only act if it meant any of the heroes were truly in dire need.

When walking in, they were greeted with quite the scene, a disgruntled man of around 28-29 years pacing around the room, muttering under his breath, acting like a spoilt child.

“Damn that woman to the Depths, selfish bitch.” He huffed, his face almost as red as the tomato crops growing in the village, making the heroes uncomfortable, what with his childish first impression and the foul, degrading words from his mouth, clearly unsettling the inn’s poor owner, who undoubtedly has had to put up with his ramblings for the past while.

“Sir, please may I advise you to stop, you will wake my guests, and I shall see to it that you are escorted out.” Prima, Ton Pu’s receptionist warns, before the man marches towards the desk, making a spitting gesture and attempting to make an effort to leave before being stopped by Time’s imposing figure.

“You heard her. Hyrule has little need for a man, no, a mere child like you, so I suggest that you take your leave, boy.” He says, staring the childish man down with a look of resentment as the latter leaves, shoving past Twilight rudely, muttering under his breath before slamming the door, awakening Wind from his slumber.

“That damned Porphyria.” The man snarled.

After the overdramatic exit, the heroes checked to see if Prima was ok, the latter putting on a brave face and nodding, thanking them for being there, shuddering the thought of what could’ve happened if they had not been present, being kind enough to allow them to stay the night for free, yet they wouldn’t accept that, and certainly not their stubborn leader.

“I insist, though we are heroes, we are still simple men deep down, please take the money, your hospitality is very much appreciated, dear.” Time smiles, sliding her the night’s payment and a few extra rupees for good measure, to which she happily takes, thanking them all once again and wishing them all a nice rest as they retired for the night, all except one.

“Erm, ma’am, could I have yer attention just a moment?” Twilight asked, to which she nodded. “Have ya seen a woman with a pearl necklace round here the past couple o’ days?”

“Yes, that’s the woman that rude man was seething over, Porphyria, her name. Really beautiful woman, auburn hair and beautiful green eyes, had these flowers in her hair too but they looked wilted, apparently her and that… thing had been an item of sorts, don’t think I’d say the same now after that reaction from him. Last I’d heard she’d gone with him down to the bay, I hope nothing unsavoury happened…” Prima explained, a tone of worry now seeping into her voice, with him now fearing the worst, had she been lured there? Left to fend for herself? Hylia forbid…. taken advantage of for that necklace?

“Thank ya for telling me, ma’am, I’ll find ‘er.” He said, grateful for the information as he left into the night, his heart thumping in his chest with unease as he headed into the night to get to the bottom of this issue.

[desertednine]

Lore for The Deserted Nine (will be updated!)

Locations and Physical Descriptions (Please tell me if some descriptions for non-white/cis characters need amending, I don't mean to offend at all or use harmful stereotypes!)

Additionally: I do not mind romantic partnerships, but I want to specify that I will be doing nothing romantic involving anyone specified as under 18, ESPECIALLY with anyone over 18, strictly platonic only in their cases! There may also be some parts on the more mature side, specifically revolving around a certain goddess 🤭 warnings will be provided when they are posted!

Miliani- Goddess of ??? - ((Hawaiian/Polynesian inspired) 13 years old, black 3c hair, has freckles and dark skin. Originally from Lurelin and has a swirl tattoo on her right hand as Lurelin's settlers still worship the Zonai. Originally from Lurelin yet due to the pirate threat she has since moved nearby to the Tabantha Frontier.

Kaiko-Goddess of ??? - (Japanese inspired) 18 years old with long, straight black hair and dark brown eyes. Originally from Kakariko, with long earrings depicting the Sheikah eye and has Sheikah eye tattoos under both eyes, and wears glasses similar to Purah's. Often accompanied by her childhood cat Mekina.

Valentina-Goddess of ??? - 21 years old, white and trans MTF, gentle brown eyes with long strawberry blonde hair and a locket necklace. Has a strong build and a tattoo of the names of the seven heroines on her shoulder.

Daphne-Goddess of ??? - (Persian/South Asian inspired) 17 years old, kind dark brown eyes, wears a hijab with an array of flowers threaded in them and gold jewellery passed down her family. Wears an array of comfortable outfits as she travels around Hyrule as an apprentice merchant under Beedle.

Etelvina- Goddess of ??? - (Native American Inspired) 22 years old, black straight hair with red highlights, brown skin and black, cat-like eyes. Proficient in fighting and has a scar on her right cheek that she does not like to go into detail about, and wears simple Traveller's gear with a Zora necklace.

Godiva- Goddess of ??? -25 years old, white, has heterochromia with one grey eye and one blue with a fierce gaze, stitched neck with a katana tattoo next to it. Carries two twin blades in a diamond-encrusted sheath gifted by the Gorons as a thanks for protecting Death Mountain. Often keeps identity hidden.

Porphyria-Goddess of ??? -26 years old, Olive-coloured skin with long-wavy ginger hair with wilted flowers braided in them, sparkly yet pensive-looking green eyes. Wears an old, withered white gown and has an old necklace gifted to her by her grandmother, said to be a relic passed down.

Clarimond- Goddess of ???- 23 year old, has vitiligo, comforting light brown eyes, honey blond hair, wears traditional Gerudo outfit with Goron rubies in her earrings. Is also a wandering musician who plays the pan flute, longing to duet with someone.

Aela- Goddess of ??? - 33 years old, light brown skin with braids. Originally from Gerudo Town and a veteran soldier, wears a comfortable red fleece tunic, mix of Snowquill Armour and red Hylian Tunic with one pink and two white feathers gifted to her by Teba and his family in her hair.