#implied zelink lol

[dragon-cookies]

30-something Link with a baby that wakes up at 5am every day: ah I get it now

[andstuffsketches]

self-indulgent link designs

[srah-the-violist]

WALTZ AND MINUET FOR THE ASK GAME??👀

WHOO I'm so glad you asked 😝 (I ended up posting this a little later than I wanted but oh well... 😅)

These are just rough sketches so far, but hopefully you can kidna see what's going on... I'll explain the big project they're a part of under the cut.

The basic goal of these sketches is to create an illustration to go along with different tracks in the OoT sound track. Waltz goes with Song of Storms and Minuet goes with Minuet of Forest.

So, you might have noticed that all of my wips are titled after different styles of dance. This is for a very specific reason.

So, you might have noticed that all of my wips are titled after different styles of dance. This is for a very specific reason.

When I was looking back at the ocarina songs in OoT, I noticed that several of them were dances, (Minuet, Bolero, etc) and if they weren't, the musical style could translate very well into a dance (Song of Storms sounds like a Waltz)! There's even a Prelude, which starts most classical dance suites. So I came up with an idea. I decided that I wanted to write an entire dance suite for solo viola and harp based on the soundtrack of OoT.

I know I don't talk about music stuff a lot on Tumblr, but I'm a viola performance major at my school, and I'm graduating this spring, so I have to give a senior recital. When I told my major professor about this suite idea, she encouraged me to perform it on the second half of my recital! I think at one point, she had seen some of my OoT drawings on FB, and she suggested that I draw some illustrations and display them while I perform this suite on my recital, so that's what all these sketches are for! I'm super excited!

[oneweirdbookaddict]

FINE i will indulge in this AU for a little bit

@siletrea (So sorry for the tag if you don't want it! you expressed interest so i figured I'd tag you.)

4616 words, general warnings for war, injuries, brainwashing, kidnapping, implied torture

I had a lot of fun with this, so i hope others enjoy reading!

~~~~

“You won’t let me go because I’m a kid!” Mask shouts, and he snaps. 

“You know what? Yes, that is why you aren’t going! Because you’re a child! This is war, Mask, this isn’t your dungeons with a boss fight and you win and the danger is done! This is a war! We’re taking a base filled with explosives, one rigged with traps! One wrong move blows us all to kingdom come, I’m not risking you! I can’t- I can’t- I can’t risk you any more than I already am. You have a home to go back to when this is over. This is a suicide mission, Mask.” He says quietly. 

Mask shuts up real fast. 

“I know we’re not all coming back from this one. I’m not risking it being you. Your ass is staying here- if I get word that you’ve snuck along I’ll have Lana send your ass straight back to your world, you hear me?” 

And just like that, the spark is back in the kid’s eyes. 

“You’re a coward.” The kid spits, and he forces himself not to take the words personally. “I know this is war. I know the risks. I have every right to say I want to do this-”

“You don’t.” He snaps, eyes narrowing. “You’re a kid! You have no right to demand anything! Call me a coward all you want, but your need to prove yourself is not going to get you killed on my watch. If you can’t accept that, then you can go home. I’ve got stuff to do, Mask, if you're done.” 

And he does- he’s got a stack of condolence letters he needs to sign, reports he needs to write, plans to approve and adjust and edit. 

Maps to correct, soldiers to train, battalions to send out to fight, Zelda’s been requesting a meeting with him for a week now- 

“I hate you.” Mask spits, turning and storming out of the tent. The kid’s footsteps fade, quickly in the rain. 

He sighs slowly, putting his face in his hands for a moment. He’ll apologize in the morning before he leaves, sitting at his desk and starting at the huge stack of papers calling his name. 

~~~~

Mask refuses to see him in the morning, obviously avoiding him as rations are being passed out. 

So he leaves the kid be, leaving a letter to be left for Mask, Tune, his sister, and his mother in case things… go badly. 

Takes a deep breath, meeting up with the team that’s been put together. 

Him, Lana, Zelda, Impa, Captain Vernhame, and Captain Haywarde. 

“Captain Link.” He’s greeted, the princess offering a small smile. 

He offers a nod to each of the people around him, and they waste no time setting off. 

The journey is remarkably uneventful, taking three days by carriage to the mountain. 

“This is their main base, where Cia is storing weapons and other necessary supplies,” Impa tells them on their last night. 

They’re all huddled around a fire, covered in layers. The temperature had dropped drastically as they traveled north.

“Without this base, we may be able to starve her out and force her into a lack of soldiers, weapons, and magical replenishment that she needs. Assuming this goes well, we could win the war from here. So make sure it goes right.” 

“No pressure, though,” Haywarde mutters. 

He finds himself smiling. 

Impa fixes her cool stare on the other man. “Yes. None at all.” 

Then continues. 

“The Sheika have developed a technology that has never been seen before. These are the explosive devices the five of you will be hiding around the base.” 

The general holds up a metallic device about as long as his quill, and as thick as an average book. 

“That’s… explosive?” Vernhame voices all their… surprise. Doubtfulness, maybe. 

“I thought the Sheika declared neutrality,” Haywarde says with a frown. 

“Do we need to activate it in any way?” Lana asks. 

Impa answers Lana’s question. “No- that’s where I come in. I have the device to detonate the devices, causing them to explode with the force of over a hundred of your average bombs.” 

There’s a heavy silence as they realize the force- the meaning- of what they’re going to do. 

“We’re blowing the base off the face of the earth,” Zelda states softly, nearly in a horrified whisper. 

“Don’t think for one minute that Cia or Ganon wouldn’t do it to us,” Impa says, ever unwavering. 

“What are we expecting the casualties to be?” He speaks for the first time since the night before he left. 

Hayward and Vernhame both jolt and look at him. 

“From the base alone? Give or take anywhere between five hundred to eight hundred.” 

“Weapons like this should not exist,” Zelda whispers, shaking her head. 

“They’re not people. They’re monsters. They cannot think for themselves, nor have a consciousness.” Impa says, in that steady voice. 

“Imagine how many Ganon would kill with that in his hands,” Vernhame says, and they’re all silent again. 

“He could end all of Castle Town.” Impa agrees unhelpfully. “But so could not doing this. I need all of you to do this- we’re here for a reason.” 

She meets their eyes one by one, and one by one, they each give a nod of confirmation. 

“Good. We arrive tomorrow morning. Get some rest.” 

And on that happy note, the general wraps her cloak tighter around herself and stands, leaving for the tent she’d set up for the night.

~~~~

“Ok. Plan is to sneak in, set the explosives, get the hell out, and Impa will detonate,” Zelda tells them as they all stare up the mountain. 

“Is now a bad time to mention I’m afraid of heights?” Haywarde asks, making them all give a nervous laugh. 

Even Impa. 

“Alright.” The general says grimly, and the laughter stops abruptly. 

“Good luck, soldiers. Meet back here at nine chimes or be blown to kingdom come.” 

There’s an awkward moment where they all glance at each other, then they all split up. 

Five people, five bombs, one goal. 

The climb isn’t bad- honestly, relatively easy. 

Getting in is the hard part. They can’t exactly stroll through the front doors- but they also can’t exactly break windows and fight. 

This is a stealth mission. 

He ends up scaling the walls of the base and sneaking down through a large hole in the ceiling that could be something to let smoke out or just a leak. He’s not sure, but he uses it to his advantage. 

Drops from the ceiling to the floor, pain shooting up his entire legs right up to his back, letting himself hiss in pain before staggering back up to his feet. 

He fell into a small room, maybe a large closet, holding cans of food, bottles of wine and water, salted meat, and more things he doesn’t bother to look at. 

He… could not have found a better spot. 

Empty, and a supply room? Perfect. 

He slips the device towards the back of a shelf in case someone- a monster- happens to walk in or something before it detonates, then starts working on his way out. 

There’s a door, but obviously, he’s not sure where it leads. He could probably climb up the shelves back up to the roof… 

That’s likely his best bet. 

So he climbs up the wooden shelves back to the ceiling, balancing carefully, jumping from the top of the shelf to scramble to grab onto something. Nearly slips right back down until a hand grabs him- 

“Lana.” He breathes as she pulls him back up. 

“Gotcha.” She pants, flopping back on the roof once he’s secure. 

“Thank you.” He sighs, offering a hand to help her up. 

She accepts, letting him pull her back up. 

“You’re a lot heavier than you should be, for a skinny guy who eats one meal a day.” 

He laughs at that, shaking his head. 

‘Do you know where the others are?’ He signs now that his hands are free. ‘Did you get your device… hidden?’

“No, and yes.” She answers, following him up to the northern part of the base. 

He’d taken the south, Zelda the east, Haywarde the west, and Vernhame the north. 

Lana had been tasked to set one right in the center if she could. 

“It was easy,” Lana says with a frown. “Almost… too easy.” 

He pauses, glancing at her. 

“I met almost no resistance. I got in, found a large room, only had to kill two bokoblins, got it planted, and got out. Guess I just got lucky with my portals.” 

“Once is a happenstance, twice is a coincidence.” He replies grimly, finding the chimney he’d been looking for. 

“Can you portal me in?” 

“I can’t bring you exactly to where they are.” She warns, and he nods. 

She uses quick magic to sense anyone inside, opens a portal, and follows him through, sneaking through rooms and halls until they stumble into Haywarde. 

Slumped against the wall, sitting, blood trickling out of his mouth. 

“Hayward?” Lana whispers, rushing towards him. 

The back of his neck pricks, Fi chiming loudly in his head. “Lana, no!” He yells right before the first arrow comes flying down. 

~~~~

They run through the hall, Lana casting a magical shield that flickers unsteadily with each step. 

She’s overdoing it on the magic, having already made at least three portals. He knows portals drain her, they should’ve just found a way in-

“They knew he wasn’t alone!” She shouts, stumbling. 

He grabs her hand and pulls, likely doing more harm than help, but she stumbles along with him. 

“Window!” He grunts, gesturing down the hall. 

“We’re two stories up!” She yells back. 

He curses under his breath. 

Turns the hall and sprints faster, hand still in hers. 

“Stairs!” She yells and tugs harshly to the right. He lets her lead him now, turning through a hall and darting down a flight of stairs. 

Down another hall, into a big room- “Zelda!” Lana yells, and the princess runs after them immediately. 

“Haywarde?” She yells, glancing at him, expression sinking when he shakes his head. 

“Dead.”

“Vernhame, too.” 

“Run!” Lana warns them, skidding as a group of monsters glance up at them. 

“Oh, hell,” Zelda mutters. 

“Rupee.” He reminds her before they all take off running again. 

“Lana, can you portal us out of here!” 

They turn a corner, taking a moment to wheeze and try to catch their breaths. 

“I’m worn out, I can’t-”

“I’ll help.” He gasps, grabbing her hand. “Three. Two.” 

“One.” They say together, and he pushes his magic through her, watching the gate slowly open, ushering Zelda through as sweat trickles down his face, his back, he hears the monsters finding them- 

“Lana!” He shouts, and she nods. 

They jump through, a monster fires an arrow, the portal closes but not in time. 

The arrow explodes- it had been an explosive one, because of course it was, sending Lana and him in opposite directions. 

She tumbles on the cliff, and he’s blown right off of it, popping his shoulder out of place in an attempt to catch himself, scrambling when all he catches is snow, slipping over the edge, breath catching in his throat- 

He grabs a small ledge a couple of feet down from the cliff’s edge, just a rock jutting out. 

“Link!” Zelda screams, and he gasps frantically. 

“Zelda! Lana!” 

“Oh thank- here, he’s here!” 

A small cracking sound. 

The cliff- or maybe just his little ledge- trembles. 

His hand slips off the rock, fumbling to grab it again. 

“Link!” Zelda cries out, reaching down to him. 

His hand, scraped raw from grabbing the sharp rocks- grasps her hand, slips out of her grip, fumbles- the rock he’s hanging onto cracks further. 

He gulps, meeting her eyes. 

“Grab my hand!” She pleads, and he tries one more time. 

Fails again- the blood makes his hand too slippery. 

“No- Link-”

The ledge breaks away from the cliff, and he’s tumbling down, down, down, hearing Zelda’s screams the entire way down. 

~~~~

“They’re back.” A soldier says softly, watching the carriage pull up. 

“At least what’s left of them.” One of the people playing cards mutters. “Heard it…” 

He tunes the men out, scrambling to his feet and following Tune away from the fire. 

Tune runs up to the carriage, bouncing on his feet nervously as Impa steps out, helping a bloody Lana out, followed by the princess… 

No one else follows. 

His breaths quicken, his heart sinking. 

“No, no, no no no- Zelda!” He yells, running to the carriage, shoving people out of his way. “Zelda! Where is he?” 

Then he sees the tears on her face. 

“No- no no no no please, no, Hylia no, please-”

The princess wraps him in a tight hug as he begs anyone he can think of for this to be wrong, a terrible nightmare, for his brother to come back- 

“I’m so sorry, Mask,” Zelda whispers, Tune sobbing next to him, also wrapped in her hug. 

“No.” He sobs, sinking to the ground. 

“I’m sorry,” Zelda repeats, crying too. 

“What happened?” Tune manages, face buried in his hands. 

“There was an explosion on the cliff during a fight. He got blown back and fell.” Zelda manages to explain before breaking down into tears again. 

Medics come and whisk her away, forcing her gently to the medical tent, leaving him and Tune alone. 

“We don’t even have a body to bury.” He chokes out, breath catching in his throat. 

Tune sobs again at that, and he shuts up. 

Scrubs at his eyes uselessly- the tears are still falling steadily, wrapping an arm around his brother. 

The only family he’s got left. 

~~~~

The first snowfall of the year is when the soldier shows up. 

Masked, head to toe, face covered entirely. 

And he- it- decimates the battlefield. 

It hadn’t been in her fight, she’d been up near Death Mountain while the soldier had been in Castle Town. 

She’d received the soft news of the first snowfall in the morning, making her smile. 

She liked the snow. Had since she was a child, reminded of happy memories such as building a snowman with her mother. 

Her day was ruined by the afternoon, receiving reports of a mysterious masked soldier who ranked up their casualties by fifty percent. 

The winter soldier, are the whispers going around. 

Ganon- or maybe Cia’s newest project. 

She returns to Castle Town as fast as she can, visiting the battlefield, the wounded, strategizing with Impa. 

“It’s strong. Fast. Not quite Hylian, Your Highness.” Impa reports as they walk through the castle hall. “It is unnatural. I find myself unnerved.” 

Anything that unnerves her unshakable general… she’s afraid. For her army, for Hyrule, for her parents, for… everyone. 

She slams the door to the library, sinking to the floor against the wall. 

“I can’t do this, Impa.” She whispers, tears burning in her eyes humiliatingly. “I don’t know what to do. We’re losing. We’re going to lose. I can’t save anyone, we’re losing so many more than we’re saving, we can't possibly come back from this, our casualty list grows higher by the minute, everyone I love is dead or dying-”

“Breathe, my lady,” Impa says softly, sitting next to her and taking her hand. 

Then- “Someone get to the princess, the king has been assassinated!” 

She jolts to her feet, sprinting out the door. “Father?!” 

“Zelda!” Impa tears after her, grabbing her arm. She tears away, sprinting down the hall and up a flight of steps to her father’s quarters, a parade of soldiers following her and yet another gathered in the king’s chambers. 

“Your Highness, get out of here! It's not safe-”

“He’s my father!” She screams, fighting past soldiers until she reaches the bed. 

Her father- Hyrule’s king for twenty-three years- is dead, a jagged wound in his chest. 

Blood everywhere. 

“Papa.” She whispers, soldiers no longer fighting as she nears her father. Brushes his hair back, hating how his body already feels unnaturally cool, too stiff. 

“Papa.” 

Impa’s at her side, holding her hand tightly. 

“Your majesty, what can I do for you?” Impa asks softly. 

Your majesty. 

She’s the queen now. 

The last living monarch of Hyrule. 

“I want a report. What happened?” She hears herself saying, voice trembling. 

“I heard glass breaking.” One guard speaks up, helmet removed. Dark curls are messy, dark eyes anguished. Sir William. “I rushed inside immediately, a masked soldier in full black attacked me immediately.” 

The soldier lists to the side, and she notices blood leaking through his uniform. 

“I was wounded.” He wheezes, hands grasping his abdomen. 

“Ammon, get a medic up here now.” She orders quickly, helping him to the ground. 

Impa grabs a cloth from somewhere as she yanks his armor off. 

“The winter soldier was here.” William gasps as Impa puts pressure on the wound. “He moves like the shadows- silently, unable to be seen. He will kill us all!” 

“Sir William, hush, now, you must not panic.” Impa is saying, but she can only see how young this kid is. The same age as her. 

The same age as Link. 

And there’s nothing but terror in his dark eyes. 

Soldiers around them murmur restlessly, looking scared. 

“Tell me about your sister, William.” She says instead, taking his hand. 

Link loved talking about his sisters, it was how she got him to calm down when he was all worked up. 

“Alice, right? How old is she?” 

“Thir- -thirteen, Your Highness. She… takes after our mother. Loves baking. She bakes cookies and sends them to me.” 

She makes herself smile. “That’s lovely. After you recover, I’d love to meet her.” 

“She’d- like that, your majesty. She admires you.” He breathes, eyes locked on her. 

The medics arrive, getting the boy on a stretcher and taking the towel from Impa, but she keeps next to him, getting him to tell her about Alice until she’s politely shooed away from the medic’s office. 

~~~~

It’s months until she actually meets the soldier on the battlefield. 

He- it- seems to purposely avoid her, or possibly Lana or Impa. 

Mask and Tune, in a situation where they were briefly separated, saw the soldier on the battlefield. Tune had looked… shell shocked and didn’t talk about it much. 

Mask’s grief turned into a mask of anger, becoming explosive and refusing to talk much to her. 

They get little information from the boys. 

So they start falsifying letters of where they’re stationed, and eventually, they get to fight the super soldier of nightmares and shadows. 

It’s a hard fight. 

Impa’s down, having taken a sword through the shoulder. 

The winter soldier- goddess, what a ridiculous name- is unrelenting, never tiring, always attacking. 

No matter what she does she can’t seem to get the upper hand. 

Dodge, dodge, block, parry, block, dodge. 

She grabs his arm, grunting in the effort of staying in place when he immediately yanks his arm back, nearly throwing her over his shoulder. 

The hood falls, revealing blond hair that falls to his chin. 

She tosses her sword, grabs his arm with both hands, using all of her strength to pull him in and kick him back. He flies, hitting the ground roughly, tumbling. 

Shoots to his feet, mask gone- 

The world freezes. 

That’s- that’s- Link- 

“Link?” She breathes, and before she knows what she’s doing she’s stepping towards him. 

He frowns, almost seeming… confused. “Who the hell is Link?” He asks, eyes flicking to the right. 

Then grabs his sword again, stepping towards her- 

Impa rushes and tackles him from behind, sending the winter- Link- to the ground again. 

And she’s stuck standing there, staring, until Impa’s in front of her, shaking her, asking urgently if she’s alright. 

She blinks, shaking her head. “I- yes, yes, I’m fine. I- he- just… surprised me.” 

“You froze.” The general accuses her, and she has no defense. 

“Impa-” she breathes, realizing she’ll have to tell everyone or someone may kill him. “Impa, the soldier-”

Her general sways, clenching her jaw as sweat trickles down her pale face. “Can it wait, Your Highness?” 

“I- yes, yes, you need a medic. Let’s… let’s go.” She manages, shaking her head again. 

Lana joins up with her quickly, casting a quick healing spell on Impa despite the general’s protests. 

“It didn’t fix you, General Impa, merely stopped the bleeding so you can find a medic before you bleed out,” Lana says uncharacteristically shortly, seeming generally beat up but having no major injuries. 

They continue their way, Impa slowly wrapping an arm around her as she staggers again. 

“Medic Argas!” She calls, practically holding Impa up by the time they reach the medical tent. 

“Your Highness! General Impa!” 

“Large impalement on the right shoulder, lost at least a pint of blood, likely closer to a pint and a half, Lana- Sorceress Lana stopped the bleeding with magical means, those effects will wear off temporarily-”

She stumbles, several hands immediately reaching to steady her. “Your Highness?” 

“I’m alright. I’m alright.” She repeats uselessly, sinking into a chair. She’s never felt less fine in her life. 

Her General is bleeding out on the cot next to her. Her friend and most brilliant Captain has turned traitor at best, is… being controlled at worst. Mask and Tune are both unaccounted for at the moment, Lana looks seconds away from dropping herself, she needs a casualty report- 

“Rest, Zelda,” Lana says softly, sitting next to her and taking her hand. “Things are going to be ok.” 

She laughs at that, fresh tears burning in her eyes. “Nothing is ok, Lana!” She cries, making medics stare at her. “The world is falling to pieces and-”

“Shh. Shh, breathe, your highness.” Lana says, ever so gently. Placing a gentle hand on her forehead, getting her to sit back again. “With me, now. In… out… in… out… perfect. Let’s go for a walk. Find the boys, yes?” 

She’s gently tugged to her feet, Lana keeping hold of her hand, squeezing it gently when she tightens her grasp. 

And they walk out of the tent together, hand in hand, her head slowly falling to Lana’s shoulder. 

~~~~

Falling. 

The soldier is sitting in a chair, guards all around him. Handlers. 

“Link!” The girl from earlier screams, hand reaching out. He’s falling. 

People in white, walking around. 

Tumbling into the dark. Laying in the snow for hours. Being found later, his half-dead body losing consciousness as he’s dragged somewhere. 

The soldier’s shirt is stripped, someone inspecting the bruises on his aching chest. 

Surrounded by people in white, pain, pain pain PAIN everywhere, needles pricking all over his body, every single part-

A needle is poked into his arm. 

The soldier lashes out and grabs the man by the neck, throwing him into the wall several feet away. 

In a blink, every weapon in the room is pointed at him. 

“Stand down.” A voice commands, and he falls still. 

His handler marches into the room, halting when one of the guards holds an arm up to block him. 

“Sir, he’s unstable. Erratic.” 

His handler looks at the soldier. “Mission report.” 

The soldier stays silent, staring at his knees. 

“Mission report, now.” His handler says more firmly, nearing the soldier. 

When the soldier remains silent, he gets slapped across the face with a loud smack. 

“That girl.” The soldier finally speaks. His voice is hoarse, raspy. “Who was she?” 

There’s a tense moment before the handler speaks. 

“You met her earlier on another assignment. Eliminating the former king of Hyrule. You’ve seen her before.” 

There’s a moment of silence as the soldier considers this, eyes flicking hesitantly up to his handler. 

“I knew her.” 

It’s not a question. 

“Your work has been a gift to mankind. You’ve shaped the war. And I need you to do it one more time. This war is a tipping point between order and chaos. Soon, we’re going to give it a push. But- if you don’t do your part, I can’t do mine. And Ganon can’t give the world the order it deserves.” 

“But I knew her.” 

A tense moment, and then his handler stands. 

“Prep him.” He orders, turning his back on the soldier. 

“He’s too unstable, his memories are returning-” someone objects. His handler interrupts uncaringly. 

“Then wipe him, and start over.” 

The fear in the soldier's eyes, though well hidden, is obvious to the guards as they each take a shoulder and push him back into the chair. 

One puts a mouth guard in as the soldier opens his mouth obediently, tensing as straps shoot around his chest and waist. 

More are hooked up to his arms, his legs, his ankles, his forehead. And he screams through his teeth as the injections start, slowly taking his memories again. 

~~~~

“My lady, what’s wrong?” Impa asks softly, watching the princess pace around her room.

“Why are we here?” He asks, looking at Tune.

The sailor looks like he may be sick, pale and teary-eyed. 

“The soldier. The- the one who-”

An odd gulp, the girl’s voice breaking. 

“The winter soldier is Link.” 

A tear slips down Tune’s face. 

“No.” He says, shaking his head. 

Zelda’s crying, too. 

“When we were fighting I punched him in the face. His mask slipped off, he looked right at me. It was him, Mask.” 

“No- no, no. He’s dead. He’s dead. He fell into a several-kilometer ravine! He’s dead! He’s dead! You’re lying!” 

He hates the tears that fall down his cheeks, swiping at them angrily. 

Zelda’s openly crying now, tears falling steadily down her face. “Cia captured him, Mask, she was experimenting on him. Who knows what she did to him- maybe-”

The princess’s voice breaks, covering her eyes with her hands. 

“It is possible Cia did something… to make Link stronger. He seemed stronger after his capture, more… invulnerable.” 

Tune still looks like he may vomit, sheet white. 

He turns to the sailor, fury brewing in him. 

“Tune. Tell them they’re wrong.” 

“It makes sense.” The sailor whispers instead. “I noticed… he fought like Link. I didn’t want… I didn’t want to be right.” 

Silence. 

“Lana.” He turns to the sorceress, faltering. 

She doesn’t seem surprised at all. Just… sad. 

“You knew.” Impa’s eyes narrow, and the sorceress nods softly. 

“You knew?! Why didn’t you tell us?! We could’ve saved him before this even started!” He screams, tears pouring uncontrollably down his face. 

“You wouldn’t believe me even if I had,” Lana says softly, making him hate her even more. 

She turns to Impa, eyes on the floor. “I know you guys are weary of me yet. I understand. I didn’t want to add to your anguish, and… I don’t believe you would have taken my word. I apologize for the hurt it caused, but I do not regret my actions.” 

“He’d never fight for her.” He pleads, desperate now. “Link would never- she tortured him! Why-”

“He’s not in control of himself.” Zelda manages, wiping her eyes with a steady breath. “He didn’t know who he was, who I was- he… it’s him, but it’s not… him.” 

“Whatever Cia’s done to him, Link may not be able to be saved. The Winter Soldier needs to be eliminated.” Impa says, in her cold yet sorrowful voice that he can’t stand. 

Silence. 

His eyes widen, shaking his head immediately. 

“Eliminated?” Tune whispers as he turns his back on his friends, starting for the exit. 

“By whatever means necessary.”

He stumbles, moving faster. 

“You can’t possibly mean for us to kill him,” Zelda whispers. 

He throws the door open, breathing getting harder. 

“We may have to, your highness.” 

The door to the room slams shut behind him. 

~~~~

Idk how familiar you are with Marvel but consider a Winter Soldier AU with HW

Link ‘falls’ and gets brainwashed by the enemy, the others think him dead. A mysteriously strong masked soldier shows up on the battlefield, covered head to toe, absolutely decimating the field and even Impa. Zelda gets a hit in, knocks the mask off, seeing Link’s face and freezing.

“Link?”

“… who the hell is Link?”

Zelda’s frozen in shock and nearly gets ran through with a sword but Impa rescues her and kicks Link out of the way. He vanishes (runs off bc he’s confused and slowly breaking away from the brainwashing)

Cia resets him so he’s all brainwashed up again.

And Zelda’s stuck telling Impa, Mask, Tune, etc that their captain is brainwashed by the enemy and needs to be stopped.

By whatever force necessary.

OUGH. THIS.

[newtsnaturethings]

Suggestive Zelink comic below the cut. Nudity and implied smut.

Based on this amazingly heartfelt fic here by @luftballons99 . This is from chapter 2 of the fic and I couldn’t get it out of my head, so I did the sensible (lol) thing and made a comic.

[manitschilly]

My notes taken while reasearching the Zelda Timeline lol, mostly cannon a little headcannon in places. Also my Zelink rating aren't how much I like them it's how likely they are in the narrative.

Power: Din ->Demise->Ganondorf. The Gerudo give birth to a male every 100 years, and it's only ever been Ganon. The 100 year system got screwed though because Ganon keeps not actually dying. Pigs. Fire. Red.

Courage: Farore-> heros spirit (fierce diety?)-> Link. Only the hero's spirit is reincarnated in Link, so he's not the same person. Not related at all, except for Twilight Princess where Link is a descendant of Ocarina of Time Link. Wolves and horses. Lighting. Green.

Wisdom: Naydra -> Hylia-> Zelda. Every Zelda is actually Hylia reincarnated through a consistant bloodline. Loftwing. Ice. Blue.

-there is a void called Null

-The three goddess create the earth and the triforce, and that's their only relation to Demise, Hylia, and the heros spirit. They're not reincarnations at all, more like patrons. (Unwillingly in Dins case). Din created the land, Farore created life, and Nayru created order.

-possibly Zonai and Sonia and Rauru founding the first kingdom of Hyrule. This would imply there is a Ganon unconnected to Demise sealed for the rest of everything and a dragon Zelda floating around. Rauru and Sonias light and time magic start off the royal family.

-a long undisclosed time with robots for some reason

-A battle between the Hylia, Demise and the races in Hyrule breaks out over the Triforce. Hylia takes the Hylian kingdom into the sky to protect them, then becomes a Hylian to protect the triforce. She also created a sword with a spirit named Fi with her godly power. With Demise sealed for now, she waits to be born.

-Sheikah are probably started around here, as like a Hylia cult.

-Skyward Sword: First incartion is Skyward Sword, when Hylia chooses to be born as Zelda and chooses Link as her champion to hold the heros spirit. They fight Demise who then curses them to reincarnate forever, and establishes his own incarnation, kicking off the rest of the series. Hylia, now Zelda, is shown to use her time powers. Link, Zelda, and a few Hylians from Skyloft restart the kingdom on the surface.

Link and Zelda are in love, Zelda chosing Link specifically for that reason. This could imply that Hylia and the heros spirit are soulmates in some way, and every incarnarion after is an extension of that. They don't end up together every time, but that makes it even more beautiful and heartrenching. (Just to specify, Links aren't related so don't worry about it) 10/10 Zelink potential this shit is cannon.

Kikwi present. Impa is there as part of the Shiekah. Impa seems to be either a repeated name or a title given to Shiekah warriors meant to protect the reincarnation of Hylia, not their own incarnation.

-another very long time gap

-evil sorcerors are after the triforce which is hidden in the sacred realm. A new temple of time (after the one in Hylias time used to hide the sealed Demise and Zelda) is built around the master sword, which has been holding in Demise this whole time.

-Another long time passes. Zelda's descendants have become the royal family. Princesses are named Zelda after the original incarnation (note, they aren't all reincarnations, just named after her). There is still a lot of magic floating around the bloodline.

-sheikah are sworn to Hylias blood and therefore the royal family.

-Hyrule is again in danger, a special species called the Minish come from the sky to protect them with a special sword, which was then wielded by an incarnation of Link.

-Minish Cap: a bitch named Vaati wants light powers, turns the current Zelda (actually an incarnation, you know because there's a hero) to stone, and that times Link turns the Minish's sword into the 4-sword. Zelda is the light power source, as the light power is still in the royal family. 8/10 Zelink potential

Gorons present

-Another time skip

- Four Swords: the four-sword is used to defeat Vaati again by another Link and Zelda incarnation. 6/10 Zelink potential

- time skip

- Giant ass civil war

- shiekah go into hiding but are still used by the royal family for sketchy shit. (Queue shadow temple 'nam flash backs)

- the first actual Ganondorf is born, or the second depending on if the Zonai are before or after.

- Ocarina of Time: Ganondorf is born as king of the gerudo, and pretends to be allied with the king to gain access to the triforce which is still in the sacred realm, sealed with the master sword. This Link incarnation pulls out the master sword as a child and opens the sacred realm, allowing Ganandorf access to the Triforce, the triforce of power attaching itself to him forever. This also gave Link the triforce of Courage and Zelda the triforce of wisdom. The sacred realm becomes evil and Ganondorf is sealed in it. There's a lot of time travel and it ruins just everything.

Zora, Kokiri, Gerudo, and Gorons present.

Great deku tree dies and is reborn.

and now shit hits the fan

Fallen hero time line

- Ocarina of Time: Link freaking dies and Ganondorf wins, taking the while triforce for himself. He still gets sealed in the corrupted sacred realm, but now he has the triforce. 0/10 Zelink potential long term, as Link is dead, but like 8/10 short term.

- time passes and homies keep going into the sacred realm to get the triforce but they never come back and monsters keep coming out. The sealed it again, at great cost of life and resources

-Echoes of Wisdom: a dark being called Null that was the nothing before the three goddess's created Hyrule starts taking over Hyrule with Rifts. Zelda gets kidnapped and Link is called to save her, but immediately after gets dragged into a rift and Zelda saves Hyrule from Null, who for a second owns a piece of the Triforce. At the end Null is defeated and the Triforce is restored. 10/10 Zelink potential it was glorious

- A Link to the Past: Agahim, some bitch, takes over the kingdom and the remaining sages to break the seal on Ganon. This reincarnarion of Zelda magically contacts the new Link. He kills Ganon and uses his newly acquired triforce to put everything back to normal. Now the royal family has the triforce. 7/10 Zelink potential. Same Link then has Links awakening acid trip. I'd knock down the Zelink potential but Malin like isn't real so.

Zora present

-Oracle series: same Link then has another acid trip but this time it's real, ending with Ganon being brought back to life as a mindless force of chaos. Ups Zelink to like 8/10, and confirms existence of other kingdoms beside Hyrule that aren't in another dimension.

- triforce splits again somehow, power returns to beast Ganon

- time skip

- A Link Between Worlds: new Link, new sages, Lorule exists so that's fun, opposite Hyrule dimension without a triforce. Ganon is freed and eats a man probably. Confirms this Link and Zelda have their respective triforces. Upon returning to Hyrule, the triforce is again in 1 piece and peace is restored to Hyrule and Lorule. 8/10 Zelink potential and like 9.5/10 Hildio potential.

- same Link goes to Hytopia, yet another kingdom in the same dimension.

- time skip. Great time, royal family again has the United triforce.

- King breaks up the triforce and sends Courage to the next Link incarnation, hiding its physical location from all except his daughter Zelda. New King puts that Zelda under a sleeping spell and regrets it. Tries to rule with just power of Wisdom but it doesn't go great.

- time skip

- The Legend of Zelda: same Ganon steals the triforce of power, new Zelda and Impa. New Link, without triforce of Courage, again postponed Ganon

- Adventure of Link : same Link is helping Hyrule not burn down, when suddenly he is given the triforce of Courage mark. He wakes up the old Zelda. I'd say the Zelda born in his time is the actual incarnarion, the older Zelda just a princess. 9/10 Zelink actually but like also he's a little weird with old Zelda to little odd but okay.

Child timeline

- Ocarina of Time: Link defeats Ganondorf and is sent back in time to relive the childhood he didn't have. He warns the royal family before Ganondorf can gain any power and therefore the events of Ocarina of Time never happen. Link leaves on a horse to look for Navi and has a Majoras mask acid trip. 10/10 short term Zelink and like 2/10 longterm, but also one of my favorite dynamics. This is one of the tragedy timeliness, where Zelda loved him before sending him back in time (Sheik was a simp). He could have ended up with this Zelda, but he probably didn't because his descendant in the next game isn't royalty like at all. Scrodingers Zelink, if the next Zelink happened then this one didn't, but we don't know if it does.

-Twilight Princess: Ganondorf is banished to the Twilight realm, where the wizard sent there a Hella long time ago got busy. He gains power with a guy named Zant who takes over the Twilight realm and breaks out to Hyrule. The princess of the Twilight realm named Midna finds the new Link incarnation, an actual descendant of the last one and holder of the triforce of Courage.

Link is trained by the like ghost of the hero of time, who is an adult and missing an eye. The hero of time means nothing to this Hyrule because Ocarina of Time never happened.

They kill Ganondorf finally holy shit and the Twilight mirror is shattered, forever separating the two places.

Like 8/10 Zelink potential, frick Illia freaking hate her. I follow that Zelink both had a crush on Midna but she's gone sooooo

Gerudo, Gorons, and Zora.

-big ass time skip

-Four Sword Adventure: new Ganondorf is born finally, but is like immediately sealed with the 4-sword by a new Link. I don't think there even is a Zelda so 0/10 Zelink potential

Adult timeline

-Ocarina of Time :This is what's left when Link gets sent back in time. Ganondorf is sealed in the corrupted spirit realm and the triforce of Courage shatters into 8 pieces, master sword is returned to the temple of time. 10/10 horribly tragic Zelink poor Zelda good lord.

-time passes without any reincarnations.

-Ganon escapes his seal in the sacred realm but there's still no Link or so Hyrule is effed. The gods flood Hyrule, society continues on mountaintops that are now islands and Hyrule is frozen underneath a giant ocean. The Triforce of Wisdom is split in two between Zelda, who stays on land, and her father, in the frozen Hyrule.

-Time passes badly

-Windwaker: Gannon escapes to the surface and kidnaps "girls with pointed ears", or descendants of Hylia. A new Link appears and gets the master sword from the frozen Hyrule, but it doesn't do shit until he fixes the triforce of courage. The king appears and bestows Links pirate captain the other half of the triforce, as she's reveled to be this time's Zelda. The triforce is restored and the old Hyrule gets genocided. Ganon is sealed, not dead, and Link and Zelda/Tetra go to establish a new hyrule. 10/10 Zelink potential this is some good shit. Rito, Kokiri, and Gerudo present

-Phantom Hourglass: Same Link and Zelda have a bit on their quest, no lasting consequences except for 11/10 Zelink potential. They discover New Hyrule.

-Spirit Tracks: some train shit in New Hyrule, new Link and Zelda have a soft romantic adventure with no lasting consequences except no more trains. 10/10 Zelink it's the whole plot.

Gorons present

After or before

-all the three timelines get just apocalyptic and society is just like gone, so the Zonai come from the Heaven's and with their arrival comes the merging of the three timelines.

-OR potentially Rauru and Sonias time is actually before Skyward Sword, as Ganondorf isn't actually a reincarnation. This would imply that every other game happens inbetween Rauru and Sonias time and Breath of the Wild, which i like better but it makes some leaps in logic, however it also explains the existence of both time and Light magic in the royal blood line.

-time passes

-Hyrule is once again reformed OR formed for the first time, by the last of the Zonai, Raruru and his Hylian wife Sonia. The incarnations are still going strong, so Ganondorf is born but their kind of hosed because there isn't a Link or Zelda OR the incarnations havent started yet and this is the first Ganon, before he was tied to Demise.

Luckily, either way, a Zelda comes from the future, and after a battle ending in the death of Sonia, Rauru uses himself to seal Ganondorf away and Zelda turns into a dragon.

-Time passes, the kingdom grows and hyrule castle is built over Ganondorf.

-Time passes and either all the other games happen or nothing happens, either way Zelda is still a dragon.

Definitely after

-a Link and Zelda are reincarnated to fight Calamity Gannon, whatever is left of the monster Ganon that was never killed in the other timelines. They, with the highly technogically advanced Shiekah, build weapons and postpone his return. We don't know much but like 8/10 Zelink I don't know could be cool. Shiekah go off, creating shrines and all types of shit.

-abreak off of the shiekah called the Yiga form, which is like the shiekah but for Ganon instead of Hylia.

-Breath of the Wild: a new Link and Zelda are born. They are so far ahead that they no longer have a grasp on the incarnations before them besides a few sparce legends. They know Ganon is coming back but they don't know who he is. They know Zelda is suppose to have powers, but they have no idea how she's gets them. Link finds the master sword in the lost woods, guarded by the great deku (the 2nd actually the first one died somewhere).

So they fail, whoops. Link dies and gets put in a Sheikah shrine for healing while Zelda holds of Ganon for 100 years.

-hyrule collapses and turns into almost a tribal society very unconnected.

-Link wakes up, wrecks havoc, and defeats Calamity Ganon, freeing Zelda and starting the reconstruction of hyrule.

10/10 Zelink potential. We got the before when Zelda cononicly loved him but we don't know Links feeling, and then Link might remember her and its like a reuniting thing and it's lovely or he doesn't and they fall in love again. Or possibly he didn't love her before and either way its a saga and his rubber band was in her study in "her" house thats all I'm saying.

-7 years, hyrule is being rebuilt by Zelda.

-Tears of the Kingdom: A sickness is spreading through Hyrule, Zelda and Link go to investigate and find what's left of the Ganondorf Rauru fought, who is either the first ganondorf or the most recent one. Zelda is sent in the past to Sonia and Rauru, along with the destroyed master sword.

Zelda is turned into a dragon and lives out thousands of years as one, potentially during every other game in the series. If so, the cloud layer established by Hylia was probably around until the upheavel, hiding her.

-The Upheavel happens and the world gets a little more cracked out, but Link defeats the Ganondorf and Zelda is turned back to her Hylian form. 11/10 Zelink potential and the dragon bit is so upsetting.

The three goddesses are present as dragons. Are they dragons? Are they just manifestations of their power? Idek but it's sick.

What the hell is Beedle? I read a fanfic once that he never dies because he helped Hylia once and it was really good so I highkey stand by that.

Sages kinda hop around, usually there's 7, one for each major group, even though not every race exists in every game. Are they extensions of the gods somehow?

(Rito, Zora, Gerudo, Gorons, Hylians, Shiekah, and whatever weird shit they got going on that game usually just Zelda)

One main issue with the Zonai before theory is that there's all the races when the Rito specifically doesn't seem to exist outside of the adult timeline.

There is a possible Kikwi, Kokiri, Korok pipeline.

I prescribe to the fierce deity as the original hero incarnation because it's just fits well and I'm obsessed with him, but it it doesn't really matter either way. I also read a fanfic once where the Fierce Deity loved Hylia and fought with her against Demise, but he died and the hero's spirit in each Link is what's left of him. Also read one where he saved Farore once from Demise and that's why he's specifically blessed with courage. Might have been the same one. I cannot remember it is 5:30 am and I haven't slept yet.

Ears are cool and plot relevant. The closer they are the Hylia the pointier their ears are, they get less pointy over time. Which adds to the Zonai being before because they got the pointiest ears. Also Gerudo ears get more pointy as time goes on.

Din gerudo pipeline? That's interesting. Farore and Nayru don't really have anything like that. Hylia has the Hylians but that's it.

Great Deku tree? Who? How? Why is he still kicking? Kind of adds to the Before Zonai theory or else he would have had to survive whatever apocalypse destroyed everything

In summary, somebody off me and therapy is probably a good investment.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

In regards to that ask about Legend, I've always liked the idea of him being Fable's half sibling or something, because it is a different Link/Zelda dynamic. I also think Legend wouldn't really be interested in relationships after the whole Marin thing. It does get tiring when Link is always paired with Zelda.

That being said, what are some of your favorite Link/Zelda dynamics? Or who might a Link be interested in instead? Sky and Sun are the only ones I can't see with anyone else, and I know you like Mipha/Wild. Which if I had actually taken my time with BoTW I probably would too, but I don't know enough of the story there to really have an opinion

There are some who like the whole “Link & Zelda are destined to be soulmates no matter what and that means romance all the time,” and if that floats your boat, sure. But I do definitely prefer variety. Also I could make a really cursed observation about Zelink through the ages based on the reincarnation that’s mildly implied, but for the sake of my lovelies who adore all the Zelink, I won’t 😂

I’m probably just gonna sound like I’m repeating myself from other asks, sorry, I haven’t played all the Zelda games so I can only truly speak to the ones that I have, but I’ll throw in my two cents for the ones that I’ve at least seen play through snippets/vibes I get from LU/ideas I liked.

Skyward Sword: They’re definitely, 100% in love, and they are adorable. 10/10 pairing

Minish Cap: They’re childhood friends to my knowledge, so it could go either way, I think. They’re so young in this game, I can’t say what’s gonna happen to them. Definitely would stay friends though.

Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask: It’s so complicated. I can see Adult timeline Zelda having an attraction to him, having hoped and prayed for his return to see a handsome young man appear. I can see Link physically being attracted to her while not entirely comprehending what that means because he’s still nine, and I can see than becoming an issue when he does naturally grow a little older. I can see Link being unable to separate the Zelda in the “nonexistent” timeline he fought alongside from the Zelda in his current timeline, who didn’t have to endure the same trials and therefore isn’t exactly the same, and I can see that messing him up too. So I feel like they’d be friends at best, have a professional relationship with maybe some fondness being likely, or cold and distant at worst. It seems most likely that they’re friends but Link keeps her at an arm’s length… by Majora’s Mask he seems to keep everyone at an arm’s length, tbh.

Twilight Princess: Eh. They could be friends, they could become lovers, it could work. But there definitely isn’t enough in the game to say for sure with the latter option. Link very clearly finds her beautiful based on his reaction to seeing her the first time, but he also had the same reaction to Midna lol, boy just goes :O with every pretty girl he sees. 😂 I think he had more chemistry with Midna but he also had time to develop that relationship, and since she’s gone that’s a sadly moot point anyway. But most likely, I think he’ll either end up with Ilia (he does seem to genuinely care about her, and you can see she has some strong feelings for him… you can make them a sibling dynamic or romantic, I haven’t played through the entire game yet so I can’t say for sure, but I can see them getting together) or someone completely different, despite his restlessness at the end of the game, he seems very much a guy who would settle somewhere quiet and have a family eventually. He’s very domestic and gentle and stuff ☺️ And honestly it would be interesting and fun to see the quiet, regal, stoic Queen Zelda get invited to middle-of-nowhere country village to wind down, or for her to invite Link to the castle and his kids sneak along and cause chaos or something 😂

Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass: I’m pretty sure Tetra and Link found New Hyrule together, so it’s heavily implied they’re a thing. From what I’ve seen they have cute chemistry together, so I’m down for it.

Spirit Tracks: I’ve barely seen anything about this game, but given Zelda is the companion for this one she at least is one of the likelier Zeldas to be in a romantic relationship with Link. Dunno 😅🤷🏻‍♀️ everyone seems to think they are, so I guess I’ll go with it

A Link to the Past/Link’s Awakening/Oracle games: I honestly really like the implication that Zelda and Link are siblings. It’s very different from the others and could have so much potential for either fun or angst! Or both! Link obviously has feelings for Marin, and I do think he’d definitely need a break from romance after Koholint. I can’t say he’d never be interested in another relationship after that, but definitely not for a while.

A Link Between Worlds: 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ not a clue, never seen an interaction between them

Four Swords: Also not a clue lol

Legend of Zelda/Adventure of Link: I mean, clearly they’re at least friends if Link’s still helping her out six years later, that’s all I’ve got 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

Hyrule Warriors: Ugh. This game lol. They give each other lovey dovey looks, so sure. Why not. At least make Zelda interesting if you’re (general you, not specifically you) gonna write it though. Idk. Honestly, them being war buddies is awesome. But the way this game portrays Zelink grinds my gears so I usually struggle to get beyond that. Link honestly should probably just be left alone after he has Cia’s creepy self stalking after him while simultaneously trying to kill him (girl did not know what she wanted, nor did she know what clothes were). Of Link’s options, he definitely wouldn’t want Cia, Lana would be sweet and loving and kind but he probably couldn’t get beyond her being a part of Cia (RIP poor girl, I really do like her and she genuinely loves Link), and Zelda would be ok. Both Zelda and Lana could be war buddies with Link, which is fun. I don’t think Link/Lana could happen because Cia, and I can see the war and politics after the fact impeding Link/Zelda. LET LINK JUST FIGURE HIMSELF OUT DANG IT HE’S A TRAUMATIZED WAR VETERAN WHO HAS BEEN SEXUALLY HARASSED.

Age of Calamity: Link/Mipha all the way! It’s heavily implied in BotW canon that they were a thing anyway, and here they get the chance to actually live! And be together! As such, I feel like Link is a very caring friend to Zelda, and I also think a strong friendship/siblinglike relationship between Zelda and the Miphlink couple would be adorable (and very beneficial for diplomatic relations between the Zora and Hyrule). I know in botw Zelda had a crush on Link prior to the calamity after he rescued her, not sure if that’s the case in AoC because I haven’t finished the game but it seems less pronounced. Either way, a crush isn’t the same as a strong friendship changing into a romantic one. Also I had this idea that Zelda, being the scientist she is and far more interested in just helping rebuild her kingdom (and perhaps not knowing how to cope with being alone when the guy she crushed on is married), announces some kind of competition or presentation for eligible bachelors and Link and Mipha are facepalming and Link (and Urbosa) is 100% gonna vet all the men by glaring at them from behind the queen and Mipha’s gonna be the Vibe Check girl (Daruk thinks they’re all nice, mostly; Revali is like “keep me out of this nonsense” but will low key stalk all the bachelors to make sure they’re up to snuff)

Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom: Given the fact that these two traumatized beans only have each other for points of reference/mutual understanding of their trauma and entire viewpoint, they very likely get together. I have a hard time with it only because people are so insistent on botw Zelink that they completely disregard Mipha and ship Link with Zelda before the calamity as well, which I do not. But honestly, botw/TotK Zelink is fine with me. Though TotK keeps it so vague sometimes, I feel like you can reasonably imply that maybe they haven’t gotten together yet by that point but they’re very close to doing so. Or it’s early in their romantic relationship.

Echoes of Wisdom: TBD! They haven’t interacted much yet from where I am in the game (Gerudo Desert), but considering (MILD SPOILERS) they didn’t even know each other until he rescued her, it’s gonna take a lot to convince me they’re gonna fall in love. Also, it’s hard to tell how old they are with this chibi style but I get the vibe they’re on the younger teenager side? Nothing’s set in stone for relationships at that age.

…I think that’s all of them?

[morkiemcfly]

I think albw implied that albw Zelda was the descendant of alttp zelink, since the painting of them embracing in the castle implies they got married. So if they did something like that for wild zelink I'd go crazy. Would never happen, but imagine a statue of wild zelink somewhere in the next future hyrule. Or some book or painting. Or some offhand mention about a great hero from the past in the royal family that the next zelda looks up to or something similar that's juuust vague enough.

Knowing me though, all they would have to do is give the next zelda some vaguely wild zelink traits in her design/hobbies and I'd still get deranged about it. They so much as give her blue eyes and I'm gonna be like "that's my granddaughter right there"

Anon are we the same person?? Because I’ve had those exact thoughts too! Like I also would go absolutely feral if we got any kind of vague hint or Easter eggs. Probably unlikely, like you said, but hey, you never know! These games are always chock full of easter eggs and vague mentions of past characters so, fingers crossed 🤞🏻.

And yes, it would be awesome and I’d also get deranged if the next Zelda had any vague traits of wild Zelink, like if she was a geek with a huge appetite or something. But I’m getting ahead of myself lol.

I enjoyed this particular ask so thanks for sending it!

[legendofzeldasilentprincess]

zelink spoilers below

okay now that I know who Sonia is being the FIRST QUEEN of Hyrule alongside King Rauru there are MAJOR parallels btwn Link and Zelda and King Rauru and Queen Sonia 👀 I mean HANDS

we kept seeing how important this scene was in trailers and now knowing they weren’t able to catch each other this definitely means this is a significant meaning that this will play into part at a later time for the story (like when they reunite)

and in the shrines, after you complete it, the statue that is shown is a statue of Queen Sonia and King Rauru with one hand on top of the other hand

plus we get to see this at the beginning with the murals

and when Link “kinda” meets Zelda again

they hold hands for a bit for Zelda to give him the “recall” ability.

but with more parallels King Rauru gave his ability and arm to Link to be able to use since Link’s arm was technically completely destroyed from Ganondorf and Queen Sonia and Zelda have the goddess powers like shown in a memory when fighting off some monsters from Ganondorf to help Rauru defeat them.

and you know with King Rauru and Queen Sonia being a married couple and paralleling with Link and Zelda...that definitely implies the romantic relationship btwn the two ;) 

I think there’s gonna be plenty more parallels that’s gonna show up but I’m currently playing the game with the facts that I have learned so far and basically only have like 3 memories LOL but can’t wait to see them reunite again cause most likely it’s gonna be a scene of them falling and Link being able to catch her

[science-lings]

okay so if i make myself a Dink (dark Link) i would want to make him a version of one of the links that doesn't have a Dink (so not Hero or Gish, or even Huntress or General/ Linkle, or Guardian (maiiced Guaridan counts as a dark link in my eyes))

My first instinct is to give the dink to Sage, not just because they are my blorbo but bc it's easy for my to come up with an idea as to how the dink was made. So maybe Rauru actually removed Links arm (implied to be the case as he mentioned that he had to 'replace' it in his dialogue) and that arm fell into the depths. So all that gloom with the DNA of the hero grew into something that woke up thinking it was the hero (maybe it had made it's way to the secret underground springs under the shrine of resurrection where it was reborn), so in the depths, there's this being that thinks it's the hero just trying to find Zelda and a way out. I could see Sage coming across them while doing the stuff for the spirit temple or even in the depths below the lost woods. (bc it's made of Gloom it may not even be able to leave the depths... who knows I'm just brainstorming lol)

But if I really wanted to lean into the whole 'made to protect the triforce' thing, I could have it be something that King or Queen (sksw Zelink) made after their adventures as a way to protect both the triforce and the Master Sword. That would give my Dink a reason to even have a 'dark' Master Sword that isn't really dark. (It's not evil, just in a different color palette to match Dink's vibe) It likely would know that it's not the same person as Link, and is a creature made by Hylia, likely out of the remnants of dark magic that either Girahim left behind or pieces of the imprisoned that were shed. I love the whole vibe of making something good out of something pure evil. (It's aesthetic would likely include some gold/light/prismatic elements rather than just black gray and red, due to being a creation of Hylia)

I could also have the Dink from the child timeline who has been waiting in the water temple for a hero that would never come, so eventually, he just leaves, and as he's still connected to Hero, he has the same yearning for a normal life but he's also too spooky to be seen around so he's just sadly walking around the woods being all soggy. (I'm gonna be honest here idk if it has lore in tp and I'm thinking about putting some distance between those two stories anyway aka the Heroes Shade is not the Hero of Time, she's just a badass who is in between the family line at some point who had a bad time)

Or I could always just make a guy that I can drop anywhere in the timeline and fuck around and do whatever I want with.

[fioreofthemarch]

Rules: Give us the links to your fics with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and your fic with the least amount of words.

I was tagged by @zeldaelmo, who rocks!!! I suppose I'll do a quick summary & reflection on each.

Most hits - From the Ground Up - A BOTW sequel. Link and Zelda find their feet in a fledgling Hyrule that has all but forgotten them, getting into plenty of fights, political squabbles, and dimension-hopping rituals along the way. This one got away from me a bit (FTGU remains a hot mess), but I'm still immensely proud of it.

Second most kudos - Hateno Housemates - Post-BOTW. Link and Zelda spend a year finding time and sanctuary in their Hateno House. This was a fic request from @liv-andletdie way back in the day! Still in shock sometimes that this did as well as it did lol, but you can't beat domestic fluff.

Third most comments - The Ballad's Beginning - Pre-BOTW. The untold story of King Rhoam's rule and how everything he did went to hell, lmao. This fic is the problem child. I am immensely unhappy with it but cannot find the energy to fix it and am considering orphaning it (!!!). Kill your darlings is good advice people, sometimes you absolutely should!

Fourth most bookmarks - On the Life of Queen and Consort - Post-BOTW. This was a Zelink week fic! Written from the perspective of Larella, royal advisor, it tells the story of Zelda's reign, her life with Link, and their children post-BOTW. It's very sweet and low-stakes. I'm glad I wrote it.

Fifth most words - Where The World Ends - Spec/Lore fic. Exploring the Lomei Labyrinths, Link and Zelda uncover their original purpose and the great secret they contain. My one and only fic about the Zonai that was immediately ripped apart by TOTK lmfao. Still proud of the way it blends past & present and tells the story of the Ancient Calamity

Fewest words - Oasis Abandon - Zelink fluff through and through. Link and Zelda get invited to a wedding and party it up. I think the title implies something more risque than what actually happens though, lol. I'm not even sure they kiss in this.

Tagging @bahbahhh, @sillylildude and @liv-andletdie (since I already tagged them haha). Hope you are all doing well!!!!!

[trixstriforce]

the funniest person on tumblr is the person who pointed out if u ship zelink for Twilight Princess and for Ocarina of Time its incest bc. yeah. that Link and Zelda would be cousins. that isnt even the only time that would occur ALTTP Link canonically has the blood of the hero as well and its heavily implied Wind Waker Link is also descended from a hero. this is one of the many reasons why "Zelda and Link are destined to be together throughout every life" gets really weird really quickly!! also why u should play games other than Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild lol. itd not that hard to find oldee games online or play them on nintendo online they have the og loz, aol, alttp, la, and mc!

[riddlerosehearts]

Zelda x Link from Legend of Zelda

Shulk x Fiora from Xenoblade Chronicles

zelda/link:

i ship them more in some incarnations than others, but like, they're literally soulmates and every time they interact, no matter which version of them it is, i just love them. i'm playing majora's mask right now and ugh i miss zelda, why is she not in this game >:( also, it actually kind of drives me nuts that botw/totk-verse zelink specifically isn't canon?! like literally how are they not!! the game like. heavily implies that they share a house because "zelda's" house is just straight up link's old house and it has his champion photo and his hairtie and stuff in it. and also only one bed. but then, nope, link doesn't live there anymore and you've gotta buy him another house?? whyyyy nintendo. why would you have zelda steal link's house but keep his stuff in it akjsdfgfdkggd--

okay, sorry. the point is i love zelink lol

shulk/fiora:

i like to multiship with the xenoblade 1 cast, partially because it's a bit of a niche fandom so i'll take what i can get--for example, did you know that one of the most popular ships in the xenoblade chronicles ao3 tag is a smash bros-related crossover ship (it's shulk/robin from fire emblem)? i know this because after i played xenoblade chronicles definitive edition i basically went on a huge xenoblade 1 fic binge and during that time i read a lot of shiora fics! i've seen some criticisms of fiora's character, saying she should be more developed outside of her relationship with shulk, and to an extent i agree but i also still really like how their relationship is portrayed in the game? they're childhood friends who are just really sweet and supportive of each other and i'm glad they get to be happy together. i only didn't circle "i need this to be canon" because of course, they're already canon!

[25ticupsinacupboard]

Saw a post on twitter saying they thought zelda should’ve saved the day in botw with her knowledge science instead of dormant ability activation and ngl as much as I absolutely adore that moment for zelink, seeing that made me realize I agree lol

It’s a cute moment for them because it’s implied that Zelda realizes her love for link or whatever or at least loves him so much that even if she doesn’t know it she’ll do whatever it takes to protect him but with the build up from the other memories, it should’ve been science

From a story standpoint she should’ve like figured out a way to fix the guardians because of her knowledge or smth like that and uses her intelligence to save everyone rather than an ability that never showed any hint of showing up

But the main story is not that part, that’s just yknow history and exposition, smth you don’t even need to finish the game tho it’s nice

Ngl im getting tired, I had more to write but I’ve lost all thought lmao so y’all get an unfinished post

[legendofzeldasilentprincess]

I haven’t finished the game yet for totk or know the whole entire story but I have been hearing about how it felt there wasn’t much zelink compared to what we got in botw but I’m thinking maybe there could be more implications around by npc’s or little hints here and there? cause thinking about it I thought there wasn’t much in botw but it took time for me to understand that damn wait there was so much because of the memories in the past and the hints that npc’s would imply or diaries from other characters and like you’ve mentioned how it was part of the story.

so I’m wondering if we gotta do a little more digging into this…or maybe nintendo devs have more ideas for future dlcs for totk that could add more story to the game (and maybe more implications of zelink cause you never know lol 👀)

I will say though, they make it very obvious zelda is definitely into link but it’s also nice to see hints of link also feeling the same way

BOTW storyline was based in Zelda and links relationship ( memories and all that) with everyone and their mother in the kingdom to rlly driving home how she was in love with him. So I see the angst, the love the fan service BOTW gives us. Because it was PART of the story to defeat calamity Ganon, and look if you aren’t someone who wants them romantic you could easily play the game ignoring the memories and just rescuing her and not get the “romantic ending” ( because it totally was fight me)

So hear me out..

TOTK story has nothing to do with their relationship, it’s based on saving the kingdom and how to get back (albeit to eachother but mostly for the sake of saving Hyrule) so it HURTS not being given the same crumbs as BOTW … but I GET IT. all we really got was the insinuation that MAYBE they live together, we got the cutscene where she talks about link at tea time ( and honestly like, I feel like I’m reaching?) and we got him diving for her in midair and holding her to which she said she woke up to a “warm loving embrace” which idk. It made me happy but something was missing! and of course once again not even a handshake or hug!!!! I’m so sad we didn’t even rlly get an option for a secret ending that gave us some crumbs! We literally got 3 ish implied scenes. But alas… I know different story and not the focus this time so fine… I get it.

EDIT: I’ve let the dust settle a bit and I can also interpret some other cut scenes but idk I feel like I’m doing too much! Lol. The scene where they sword travels back and they both kinda stand there in angst and idk like, “felt” eachother was that a moment or just me?

Open to discuss:

[ofcowardiceandkings]

I've seen you reference story implications in the sequel to BOTW a few times but I can't find an explanation and I'm still not sure what you mean 😖

not to worry being a vague mess is one of my fortés lol

im gonna get mad english-class serious a second because i need it to explain my shit hold on to yer horses lads this is gonna get long and over the top im SO SORRY in advance ..........

what i generally mean is if we take every interaction in BotW as if it had actually happened, not in the details minutiae sense like if you felt like Link would be nice to Bozai or want to spin kick him in the head way, but if Nintendo included an interaction or lore then it happened at some point or was learned way (the correct answer is spin kick though), then Link would know a LOT of very personal thoughts and feelings from a LOT of people.

to be fair, most of said people have passed away by this point in the story BUT more to the point Zelda is still very much alive and is also in some kind of tenuous contact with Link throughout the course of the game via Spooky Voice On The Winds just for good measure

regardless of what opinion you come away with of Link's own emotions - original Japanese text adventure log and player point-of-contact poker-face not withstanding - it is 100% canonical that Zelda had a thing for Link before the Calamity after they got to actually interacting and understanding each other. even if you wanna side-eye the construction of the story told by "Captured Memories" to be at LEAST a little romantically orientated (which in my opinion is a dubious stance to take given how typical storytelling structure works), what Kass has to say about the whole thing is explicitly textual, if only through secondhand information (although i will say a court poet seems like a sound bet in terms of reading people and especially if the person youre reading is a teenager with no concept of not wearing her heart on her sleeve and Small Emotions). trying to ignore ALL of that and - to be honest - what the latest batch of writing team has been doing since Skyward Sword isnt so much "reading the subtext/story wrong" as it is willfully ignoring it lol

not that im saying thats a bad thing, i also ignore chunks or details of stories i dislike because "fuck that im having fun" but i can also acknowledge that whatever im ignoring did in fact happen even if i think its stupid ... anyway

and the only reason i think this is a train of thought less-travelled is purely due to how HUGE BotW is, theres a LOT of stuff .. like i hang out with friends mostly playing BotW on twitch every day and we all learn things constantly. if you dont go hard for the lore and story you miss it, thats the nature of storytelling in the way BotW went about it

like i said, it's kind of dependent on what content is to be taken as having ACTUALLY happened. the only thing that isnt up for debate is that he regained all of the main-game memories since that's how you get the "true"/full ending. but did Link really read those diaries, did he really have that chat with Kass in Rito Village, is The Champion's Ballad lore going to be carried over,, that sort of thing. in my opinion? yes, because more solidly Nintendo included it for a reason no matter of what percentage of players found it, but in an off-shoot opinion if i was trying to regain my lost memories i'd give ANYTHING a chance of getting them back even if it meant the awkwardness of reading my long-gone friends diaries 🤷‍♂️

basically, what i mean when i have a meltdown over "the plot implications of BotW on BotW2" is im extremely curious to see how Nintendo handle 1) Zelda's established feelings towards Link (assuming they still exist, which i think we have reason to believe they do) and 2) Link quite possibly KNOWING about it. oh and them not existing in an extremely rigid class-driven society anymore.

i dunno about you - or the writing team for that matter - but if i was made aware that a pretty and smart person who i used to be around a lot had a thing for me i would be going out of my MIND lmfao

while their dynamic in past games has been quite developed or had romantic overtones before, BotW is by FAR the most complex understanding of them with the most information given to the player about how their characters grow from more than one angle. like having known each other for some time, general depictions of them existing around each other, visible emoting around the others' circumstances .. these things have happened before but not in such a huge combination. oh AND an abject change in their relationship after having come to some kind of understanding, which is definitely new, let alone that understanding happening OFF SCREEN.

i'll stop now before i actually write a full essay, but lets just say this is even more uncharted territory than Skyward Sword's obvious love story and the "oh and then he was king of hyrule :)" at the end of the original, because like ... its a sequel ... after the fact ..... unresolved

........ yeah