#other person it's the other person/people's love or reciprocated love for them. zelda & link are implied to have really only had each other

[lanayrutower]

this keeps me up at night btw.

[pgas-world]

Decided to make my own LOZ Linkverse AU! Let's call it Chained Timelines for now

Bios Below!

Traveler (The Legend of Zelda NES, Battle of Mirage Castle, The Adventure of Link)

Grew up homeless after losing his parents at a young age

Now lives in Rauru Town, in a house paid for by the Princess

Sopping wet cat /pos

Generally quiet and reserved

Also very modest, to the point of having very little self-confidence

If you ask him, he'll say it's a miracle he made it out of his adventures alive

Wilderness survival expert of the group

His semi-advanced combat ability is due to suffering frequent monster attacks

Somehow really proficient in magic

The only Link with two Zeldas; he’s best friends and adventure partners with one, and the other one has a crush on him that he does not reciprocate

Legend (A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening)

Grew up near Hyrule Castle, raised by his Uncle

Returned home after Awakening to take a break from adventure

Puts on a tough face, but has a lot of depression and anxiety to deal with

Destroying an entire civilization will do that to you

Often tries to severely downplay how he's feeling (it doesn't work)

Is frankly very tired of being “the hero”

A reliable warrior all the same, and will go to any length to defend what he truly cares about

Not looking for love, too many bad memories of his last crush

Great work friends with his Zelda, but nothing more

Sometimes turns into a rabbit, and hates it so much

Arts mistook him for his Gramps at first

Time (Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask)

Grew up in the Lost Woods as a Kokiri

Now lives as a wanderer, searching for Navi and protecting the weak

Trauma baby :(

One of the most experienced Links despite looking to be around 10 years old

Wiser and more mature than people 5 times his age

A bit of a no-nonsense warrior, his emotions hardened by trauma

Very blunt and brutally honest

The “leader” of the group

He does not like when people treat him like a kid

Looks fondly on his descendants, proud that his legacy could inspire future generations

Not super close with his Zelda, but their relationship has grown in recent years when Zelda started having prophetic dreams of the future timeline

Helps his Zelda as they struggle with their gender identity

Has a crush on Malon, but won't admit it

Oddly one of the better therapists out of the group, despite (or perhaps because of) his own trauma

Fairies are one of the only things that can cheer him up

Does he sleep, like ever???

Essence (Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages)

Grew up in the capital of a Hyrule well connected to other kingdoms

Returned home to finish his schooling

A bit of a world traveler, has souvenirs from five different kingdoms

Is something of a trickster underdog, pretty good at preparing plans on the fly

Has way too much self-confidence for his own good

“Oh, they'll be fine! After all, I'm going with them!”

Sometimes charges recklessly into combat and gets himself hurt

Often annoys his Zelda, but they do love each other romantically

Has a lot of rings that all have different magic spells

Can identify the exact type of any tree seed given to him

Can play nine different instruments

Has three animal mounts and none of them are horses

Four (Four Swords)

Grew up alone on the outskirts of Hyrule, raising himself

Still lives on Hyrule's outskirts, but sometimes ventures into Castle Town

Once a petty thief, he's the definition of a lone wolf

Well, he has learned to play nice with others after being forced to work with his alternate selves, but still isn't a great people person

Has a sarcastic streak, will tell people off to their faces

Eventually fell into favor with Princess Zelda, who pardoned his thievery in exchange for his help investigating the Temple of the Four Sword

But he's still not exactly friends with his Zelda

His four copies are now his headspace partners

Not exactly greedy, but isn't likely to take a price at face value

Wind (The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass)

Grew up on Outset Island, leading a quiet life with his Grandma and sister Aryll

Now lives on what will later be New Hyrule, building the kingdom with Tetra

Overconfident, much?

Adventurous, thrill-seeking, energetic, and always down for a scrap

The pirates were not a good influence on him 

But in spite of everything, he retains a positive attitude

Very, very expressive; you'll always know exactly how he's feeling

An outdoor kid to the point that being in sterile conditions makes him physically uncomfortable

Loves his sister very much; she was the first person he brought to New Hyrule with him

Despite his wanderlust, he's actually rather terrible at navigation

Not very fashion-conscious

Knows the absolute least about technology out of any of the Links

Romantically involved with Tetra, but you wouldn't even know it from how they interact, neither of them are into the mushy stuff

Despite the initial shock, classifies “barrel launching” as his favorite pirate thrill

Light (Four Swords Adventures)

Grew up in Castle Town, raised to be a Royal Knight of Hyrule by his father

Still lives in that same Castle Town

Compared to Four, he has a lot of experience working in large crowds

In fact, he suffers from crippling separation anxiety, and spent his entire journey freaking out about how Zelda “left him”

(Has been friends with his Zelda since childhood)

Aside from that, he's generally pretty calm and reasonable

Not exactly a pessimist, but is fully aware of how things can go wrong

“Okay, I think I have a plan.”

Creates his own techniques that compensate for his lack of physical strength

(Most of these techniques require at least one other person present)

Doesn't like to hoard items, usually only keeping a few on hand

Once nearly killed his own father

Mini (The Minish Cap)

Grew up near Castle Town, raised by his grandpa Smith

Still lives in his family home

Baby! Blorbo! Scrimbly Bimbly! :D

The cutest, most wholesome kid you'll ever meet

Goofy, cracks jokes, and always keeps a positive attitude 

The youngest of the group, and he gets treated as such; not that he cares

Despite his young age, he knows a fair bit about weapons due to growing up under the care of a blacksmith

Never thought he'd have to actually use his grandfather's weapons, though…

Most of his formal training comes from the Blademaster Brothers

The most wholesome platonic friendship with Zelda ever!!!

Is the only Link who can speak with the Minish, and frequently talks to them

Loves nature, and will bring absolute hell upon those who destroy it

For some reason, he rolls everywhere 

His preferred unit of measurement is “mes tall”

Twilight (Twilight Princess)

Grew up in the isolated Ordon Village, raised as part of its community

Left Hyrule in search of adventure, but comes back to visit Ordon Village often

Your stereotypical farmer boy, tough as a Dodongo and not afraid to get his hands dirty

Quite mature, and emotionally distant at times, but with a heart of gold

“Fear is for the weak.” Meanwhile Lanayru's history lesson be like

Second only to Traveler in terms of wilderness survival, and unparalleled in hunting

Often speaks to animals, and loves caring for them

However, he respects the nature of the food chain, and will hunt wild animals to feed himself and the people he cares about

(Will never kill a domesticated animal)

Has the greatest physical strength of the entire group

“I'm down to wrestle! Should I hold back my strength this time?”

Barely knows his Zelda, they are not very friendly

Big brother instincts ahoy!

Has a special charm to change into a wolf, describes this form as his “spirit animal”

Not a mushy guy, even with people he genuinely loves

Acts as a mentor to Wild

Spirit (Spirit Tracks)

Grew up in Aboda Village, raised by the elderly pirate Niko

Moved into Castle Town to work as a Royal Engineer

Energetic, loud-mouthed, and a total nerd

Tends to go on lengthy tangents when the conversation interests him

In his spare time, he will spend hours reading technical manuals

If there's a problem relating to technology, call this guy

Loves trains in particular, and has spent a lot of time learning how they work

The youngest royal engineer New Hyrule has ever seen

An expert navigator, give him a map and he's like a damn GPS

Has next to no weapon skills, his only proficiency is in the Boomerang

Most of what he knows about sword fighting, he learned on the fly

Absolutely enamored with Zelda, but is too flustered to do more than a simple hug

Doesn't understand much about magic

Sky (Skyward Sword)

Grew up in Skyloft, living in the Knights Academy from a young age

Left home to establish the Kingdom of Hyrule on the Surface with Zelda

Kind and understanding, he's the go-to guy if you need a favor done

The resident team therapist for the Links

Is actually rather brilliant, but is the laziest of all the Links

He sleeps in constantly, it even irritates fellow heavy sleepers

Has a bit of a sarcastic streak, but generally only around close friends

Will help whoever he meets that doesn't try to kill him, he simply enjoys helping people

But if you make him mad, oh boy, pick a god and pray, they won't save you

When he gets going, he gets going, and it's almost impossible to pry him from his mission

Absolutely adores his Zelda in a romantic way, and will do anything for her

Feels some amount of guilt for shackling his descendents with the hero curse

Enjoys woodcarving

Arts (A Link Between Worlds, Triforce Heroes)

Grew up in a home near Hyrule Castle, working for and living under the Blacksmith

Now lives in Hytopia as an assistant to Madame Couture

A dork of the highest caliber

Flamboyant and confident, never afraid to strut his stuff

Magnetic personality, tends to befriend everyone he meets

Beneath his pseudo-narcissism lies a genuine heart of gold

Weapons are fine and all, but his true passion is fashion!

Owns around 50 outfits, many of which he helped make

Doesn't give two hecks about his gender presentation

“No, no, no! You call this a color palette?!”

Friendly with his Zelda, she goes to Hytopia often just to visit him 

Surprisingly strong, can carry the weight of two other people his weight

Still has the other Triforce Heroes on his contact list

Wild (Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity, Tears of the Kingdom)

Grew up in Hateno Village, became a knight at the request of his late father

Now lives in a custom ordered home outside Tarrey Town

Absolute gremlin :3

Prior to the Calamity, Link was a stoic knight who vowed to never show his true feelings for the safety of his loved ones

Now, having forgotten those vows, he's unabashedly himself

Loudmouthed, chaotic, destructive, and hedonistic, he lives life for his own pleasure

Will cook up the most scatterbrained schemes ever, and will often get himself hurt trying to show off

When Wild shows up, expect disaster

He does still have a kind heart and will help people, just in his own way

Curious almost to a fault; can get distracted easily 

A great swordsman and archer, but can't seem to keep a weapon intact for more than a week; not that he cares what weapon he ends up using

Is a stellar cook, but often doesn't bother being fancy, because he will eat anything

(He once ate an actual rock steak; and liked it)

With Ultrahand, he became a technician to rival Spirit, although his creations are often less practical than Spirit's

Romantically involved with his Zelda (sorry Sidon)

Enjoys screwing with the Koroks for reasons I'm not sure even he understands

Has a personal motorcycle, the Master Cycle Zero

Unafraid to wear women's clothes, or even nothing but his undies

Warrior (Hyrule Warriors)

Grew up in Castle Town, living and training among the knights

Still lives in Castle Town, dutifully guarding the Royal Family

A pretty serious guy, outwardly fairly stoic

He does have his habits, though; especially his flair for the dramatic

Pulls off elaborate sword techniques and then refuses to acknowledge them

Is proficient in at least 5 different weapon types

The best combatant of the group, bar none 

Has a bit of a narcissistic streak, though he's working on fixing that

In the past, he'd rush in guns blazing into a battle and ride off his talent and luck, but he's come to understand the importance of a good plan

Not that he could come up with a plan to save his life

Knew a few other Links personally even before (insert timeline fusing event here)

Selectively mute, often has Proxi act as his voice

Friendly with his Zelda, they're a class A platonic power couple

Has absolutely zero interest in romance, and is completely clueless about the requisite concepts like marriage or sexual attraction

Is utterly terrified of Great Fairies, too many bad memories

His scarf was a gift from Impa, no touchy!

Rhythm (Cadence of Hyrule)

Lives alone in the forest, far from any major settlements

Still lives in that same home

Cynical and bitter, rarely cracking a smile

His friendships outside of the other Links are few and far in between

Was cursed from birth; whenever he hears any kind of rhythm, he'll only be able to move to its beat, impeding his life

He hates music because of this curse, and will go out of his way to avoid it

But the curse spreading to all of Hyrule for a few hours softened his temper just a bit, and made it easier for him to accept his cursed movement

Essentially, he learned to somewhat embrace his curse rather than avoid it

Weapons combat is his autistic special interest, and he has something for any occasion

“You think I haven't planned for this?”

Enjoys the company of his Zelda, she's the only thing that can lighten his mood

Fully expects to one day have to fight the other Links

Oddball (The Faces of Evil, The Wand of Gamelon)

Grew up in Hyrule Castle during an era of peace

Still lives in the town as a knight of Hyrule's Royal Family

An absolute dork who loves adventure

Happy-go-lucky and energetic, never sitting still for too long

Gets bored very easily, and if there's no adventure, he'll often make one

Most likely to crack a joke at a gravesite

Has a massive appetite, once ate an entire Octorok

Arrogance is his downfall; he thinks himself invincible, and it's gotten him in serious trouble more than once

Not very intelligent, often bombing simple puzzles

But when it matters most, he can cut the jokes and fight until the bitter end

A bit of a hopeless romantic with his Zelda

Valiant (TV Series, Valiant Comics)

Grew up in Calatia, before leaving home in search of adventure

Now lives in Hyrule's North Palace as the defender of the Triforce

Sarcastic and brutally honest, can often come off as rude even when he doesn't mean to

Over the years, he's become more mature than his reputation would belie

He didn't care much for being a royal defender at first, finding it boring compared to his old life of roaming the world and hunting monsters

But it was made worthwhile by his relationship with the Princess Zelda

Despite often coming off as a hopeless romantic, he and Zelda do genuinely love each other, and would likely die for each other

He can be lazy at times, sometimes ditching missions when he doesn't feel like it

He can be arrogant, and not take threats seriously at times

But through and through, he is an incorruptible soul and would do anything to protect Hyrule and Catalia

Scholar (Zelda's Adventure)

Grew up near the Hyrule/Tolemac border, raised by an elderly author

Now lives deeper in Hyrule for his combat training

Shy and reserved, rarely heard in a crowd

“Sorry, you probably don't want to hear my opinion…”

Underneath his anxious tendencies is a kind soul who just wants to help people

The only Link to never have any real combat experience; is being trained by Zelda

Is a massive bookworm

Has the most general knowledge of any of the Links

Has some magic experience, but is hardly proficient at it

Massive inferiority complex around the other Links

Looks up to his Zelda as his hero

Mystery (The Crystal Trap, The Shadow Prince)

Grew up in a simple home in Hyrule, training to become a knight

Now lives in central Hyrule as a royal knight

Brave, playful, and extremely outgoing

He can make friends with nearly anyone, and often does

Not very bright, and is very inclined to follow his gut

Which often means he'll do things nobody wanted him to do

Is a bit of a prankster, and gets a kick out of annoying people, especially Zelda

Naturally curious, but would rather learn through experience than through reading

The most skilled archer of the Links

Friends with his Zelda, they go on adventures together sometimes

Is somehow the only one who can decode number-letter code

Knows a bit of sign language, but not enough to carry a conversation

Won't accept a ring as a present from anybody, doesn't elaborate why

[yiga-hellhole]

ship opinion bingo with gan-based ships

rauru/gan

sonia/gan

zelda/gan

link/gan

bonus : kohga/gan and demise(or Ganondorf hw)/ghirahim

the whole shebang, huh? here we GOOOOO!!!!

RAURU/GANONDORF

AND WE HAVE A BINGO! so i haven't finished totk but bro. bro. holding your arch nemesis by the tits for 10.000 years. yeah something happened there. i adore a good divorce ship, and this is the one where the divorcees just keep coming back to each other because the homoeroticism is too on the nose. i see it. i see it. i see it.

SONIA/GANONDORF

again, haven't finished totk. i have only seen sonia in like two cutscenes thusfar. but i love it when women get to be pissed off at huge burly men and in doing so get to be recognized as a viable threat. so i will be rotating this one in my mind on the backburner until i'm more informed on their canon dynamic and each characters' backstories in the game

ZELDA/GANONDORF

this is one of those ships where i don't really care for it but some people do interesting stuff with it and i see what they're going for. the fun with zelda and ganondorf is that he doesn't necessarily want her, but wants everything that she has. this old man is so fucking jealous of someone half his age at minimum. so honestly the age difference is a bit too big and dynamic is a bit too antagonistic for me to actively like this ship. i guess i can see it playing out as a bodice-ripper type story, but that goes against nando's character to me, and i've never quite been fond of them in the first place. something like an arranged-marriage-turned-something-more or a hyrule warriors esque wartime romantic tension could work. they *are* entangled eternally in a cycle of being tied by soul, but fated to be enemies each time. at some point something could spark i guess. but at the end of the day its a solid "eh" from me

LINK/GANONDORF

the same kind of arguments as zelda/ganondorf, but instead of royal diplomacy, link has a sword. again there's gotta be something about being the one prpphesized to slay the same guy cycle after cycle. maybe in one of the cycles, he won't want to...? how scandalous. but generally, i don't care too much for this ship

BONUS ROUND!

KOHGA/GANONDORF

i love divorce and i love horny old men thirsting over big buff dudes. i have a feeling kohga has a thing for large and bulky men, for no reason at all, that's not at all present in the game. so, in botw i see ganon's worship as a purely "riding-on-the-coattails-of" thing where kohga doesn't actually care much about ganon, he just wants a reason to make his personality cult and have an ez way to overthrow the monarchy. when that fails, he ditches the joint. but then ganondorf awakens into this absolute handsome beefcake and the illustrious master kohga would probably be like. "okay. hold on. Pause." and the rest is history. i see it. i havs the vision.

GHIRADEMI/GANGHIRA

this has already been answered in the ghirademi bingo. but if you go for ganghira, there's the added tension of "you remind me of the man i devoted myself to, and his presence lingers within you", which would definitely have some serious emotional weight to ghirahim. but that i don't see reciprocated, once again, given that ganondorf always pursues power first. and this time there's not even the shared bond that ghirademi has, where ghirahim served as his sword for centuries! they basically just met, and all ganon knows is this sword freak is devoted to him! oh ghirahim, stop going after men who terrify you!!

[totk-headcanons]

On the Topic of Shipping

Gotten a few questions in the notes recently about why people ship different ships.

Simplest answer is because they can. Different people have different views and different characters and interpret them in different ways. Some people may find certain ships cuter or more agreeable than others but bottom line is that unless it is objectively and morally wrong (we’re talking ships that promote abuse, violence or relationships between adults and the under aged) there is no such thing as a stupid ship.

That being said, let me go over some of the popular ships from Breath of the Wild and why people might enjoy them.

Revali x Link: This one is mostly rooted in a classic type of character in romance nowadays refereed to as a tsundere (soon-der-ay), a Japanese word which refers to a person who is outwardly aggressive or hostile to somebody that they are secretly in love with. INCREDIBLY popular in anime and video games but also seen in Western stuff like the classic Nicktoon “Hey Arnold.” The common idea is that Revali is hopelessly gay for Link and has no idea what these emotions mean or how to deal with them so he channels it into being hyper competitive with Link.

Sidon x Link: Big, strong fish man who loves and supports his tiny Hylian love of his life in anything and everything. He will always tell him how incredible he is and be there for him through whatever happens.

Zelda x Link: Literally canon. There are other ships that I prefer over this one, as I’m sure is the case for many, but like it or not this is what the game bashes you over the head with during the entire course of the story. There are also elements of tsundere early on in their relationship as seen in the memories.

Mipha x Link: For the ones that like to cry. Before the whole amnesia thing and... well, Mipha’s death it’s likely that these two were VERY close. If we go by the story DLC it may have been one sided but most prefer to think of them of having been an actual couple before the calamity, or at the very least everyone expected them to get together soon.

Mipha x Zelda: It’s heckin CUTE. They also share a common bond in that they are both members of a royal family and entrusted with incredible power and responsibility. Their mutual affection for Link gives them another bond that could potentially strengthen into something more. While I personally this would most likely end up in a close friendship or friendly rivalry, I can see where people are coming from when they ship them.

Riju x Link: My personal favorite so I may be a bit biased, but I feel like the story of Riju mirrors both that of Zelda and Link to some extent. Lost her mother at an early age, burdened by a massive responsibility from an early age and needing to remain calm and stoic for the sake of her people in spite of their worries and concerns about whether or not she is fit to rule. I may be reading into this a bit but I feel like it’s obvious from her dialogue and diary entries that she develops a crush on Link. Whether or not Link feels anything for her is up to the individual. Also HECKIN CUTE.

Paya x Link: Paya explicitly has a massive crush on Link but is too shy to do anything about it and basically gives up before even trying to win his heart. She has the whole “So long as my beloved is happy...” attitude down pat. Most shippers who ship her with Link do it because, once again, IT’S HECKIN CUTE!!! Imagining her reaction when Link reciprocates her feelings makes people feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

I think I hit all the major ones. Are there any I missed? What are some of the reasons all of you have the ships that you do? Would you like to see more shipping breakdowns for other Zelda games or characters? Let us know in the notes or ask box!

[Lonely Voe]

[mavda]

Melted

Ch.1 | Ch.2 |

Ch. 3: I understand

He knew her feet must hurt, but she remained silent and bore with it.

"Link?"

He stopped beside a rock, sighed and then motioned to her to sit.

"I am also eager to leave the desert, but I won't stand for you to just get hurt."

Zelda looked puzzled, but then Link pointed at her feet and she understood.

"Oh, Link, I can still bear with it, really."

But his face left little to discussion, so she sat. He began cleaning her feet with cloth and then ripped a large piece and wrapped one foot and then the other. She stood and thanked him again, he looked at her, hopeful, but she just smiled, curtsied and kept on walking.

It was endearing, really, the way he looked out for anything that would be a bother to her and try to fix it, but she wasn't going to take advantage of that. He had offered to give her his boots to walk in the desert, she had been thankful, but when she had asked what he was going to wear, his face had remained stoic and he had mumbled - barely audibly - that he was going to walk barefooted. Zelda hadn't lost her smile, she just had thanked him again and began walking. Link had showed worry at every moment, but Zelda hadn't swayed from her decision.

The few bokoblins they encountered weren't a problem for Link, and Zelda watched his movements with fascination. He was feral, ruthless, and clever, whatever he could find to make him have the advantage he took; he had once thrown his boot into a bokoblin's face just to have a few more seconds to finish the one that he was fighting. He always had an eye on her, she didn't know how he managed to be aware of everything and not fail miserably, but he did. After a while, and to Link's great relief, they encountered a group of bokoblins with bulbos, he made quick work of everyone and explained to Zelda how riding one would be a great idea. If she had concerns about riding a huge monster she hid it well, and soon enough, with some slight difficulties thanks to the beast's wild nature, Zelda grabbed Link's torso with strenght and they moved through the desert towards Lake Hylia.

The winds changed near twilight, and they saw the sun hide under green luscious grass, they had said goodbye to the bulbo before exiting the desert and now Zelda felt the need to kneel and kiss the ground, but controlled her impulses. Link lead her to a spring, unwrapped her feet and asked her to please tend to her wounds. They were barely bruises, but she did as told and washed her feet, she also took advantage of the spring and washed her face and arms, as she turned to tell Link to follow suit she saw him cut some grass and bring it to his mouth. A clear, strong tune came out of it, he repeated it three times and then turned towards her.

She must have shown confusion, or Link was really good at reading people, because he answered without being asked.

"Horse grass, my horse will hear its call and come to us."

Zelda looked to the distance and frowned.

"Epona will find us," he commented, almost offended.

Zelda smiled at him, "Of course your horse would be the most amazing horse ever."

Link puffed his chest and nodded, "I have nothing to say against that."

Zelda sat in the grass and played with it while looking at Link. Blonde hair, blue eyes, strong body, the sweetest smile, and the softest voice. All she could think of was that he was a boy, a pure boy she had unknowingly tainted. Zelda could only berate herself since the Goddesses where too far away. She gave such a sweet boy such horrible experiences.

She had awoken near dawn with a nightmare, fire in her kingdom and she was unable to do anything, not that it was far from reality, which only made it harder; but she couldn't go back to sleep and soon after, Link had awoken with a start too. She had calmed him down, his hands were gripping his covers with such strenght his knuckles were white, his breathing was labored and sweat pearled his forehead. He had looked at her, smiled, and then he had breathed out and relaxed. Zelda was too scared to ask about his nightmare.

"Zelda?"

She looked up and saw him smiling and pointing away, she followed his finger and surely, a horse was galloping in their direction. She laughed.

"I had no doubt, you know, none."

He took a last handful of water, splashed his face with it, and went to meet his horse.

"Epona!" his voice was filled with love, and his horse reciprocated, its head came straight to his chest, he patted its head, and looked at Zelda.

"Zelda, Epona," he then motioned towards Zelda, "Epona, Zelda."

The horse looked up to Zelda.

"I have nothing to bribe him," she whispered.

Link snickered, "She, and she actually doesn't like bribes, she's too smart for that."

Zelda sighed and took a step towards her, "Well, then I guess an introduction is in place. It's a pleasure, Epona, my name is Zelda, I am impressed by both your beauty and strenght, and I would be most grateful if you could let me ride you and take me to Castle Town."

Epona blinked, took a step back and then went towards Zelda, breathed her in and then let her head hit her arm.

Link laughed, "She likes you!" he put a hand in Zelda's shoulder, "come on, give her a pat."

Zelda did as told, Epona's eyes were shining, "Is she... She's happy, isn't she?"

Link gave her the biggest smile she had seen so far, "She is! She would've taken you to Castle Town anyways, since I would've taken you there, but she's happy you took your time to adress her." he patted Epona's muzzle, put his forehead in there and closed his eyes "we'll go home, soon, girl."

He opened his eyes and turned to Zelda, "Up we go."

Zelda grabbed Epona's saddle and mounted the horse, Link was about to do the same when he stopped.

"Link?" "I realise I should've asked this before, but you have no problem with me being in such close proximity, right?"

Zelda made a face, "No, Link, I don't. Come on up."

Link sat with a swift movement, "It won't get you in trouble, will it?" Zelda shook her head no, "Are you positive?"

Zelda looked vexed, "I will get really angry with anyone that picks on you."

"Don't make it too obvious," he laughed.

They had a day before they arrived to Castle Town, and as the night settled over them, Zelda wistfully looked towards Lake Hylia, she had recollections of entering Hyrule Field when her head fell into Link's back.

"...Zelda," Link repeated, " let's change positions, you sit on front."

Zelda furrowed her brows, confusion seeping into her face, "What?"

"You're falling asleep, come on, let's change."

He didn't wait for and answer as he stopped Epona and got off her, Zelda grabbed the saddle, "It won't happen again, I'm sorry." She had no recollection of falling asleep.

Link raised and eyebrow, "I want you to sleep, though. Let's change so you can do it, also I'll get to be at peace, since I won't have to worry about maybe dropping the future Queen of Hyrule from a horse."

She could taste his good humor, and she was too tired to keep on protesting. She moved to get off, and into Link's arms.

"Uh? You didn't have to..."

Zelda looked confused and then shook her head.

"Shoot, sorry..."

Link helped her get on this time, he got on and grabbed the reins.

"Are you alright?"

Zelda sighed and looked at him, "How awkard is this going to end up being?"

Link flashed her a smile, "Zero awkardness, of course. Just use me as a pillow, I'll wake you when we're near the Castle, and nobody will be the wiser."

Zelda let her head fall on his chest, "You, sir, are a blessing."

"My, I'm flattered."

"And I'll take you up on your word and let myself be comfortable, so bear with me a little."

Link remained impassive as Zelda sat with her legs together and off the side of Epona's flank, she then put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Link."

Link sat motionless and then cleared his throat, "May I?"

Zelda raised her eyes, but before she could understand, Link's arms enclosed her and secured her by the waist.

Improper, was the first word to come to her mind, but she could feel his heartbeat and she was so tired that knowing that she wasn't going to fall in the middle of her sleep helped her rest.

Link made sure to go through the less stony roads, go around any kind of threat and also any kind of traveller, Zelda slept soundly against him and he could feel his palms sweating. He could make out the Castle's outline, and he could imagine the people's uproar at not finding the Princess, he glanced at her and then sighed, if only he could give her some more time to recover.

Zelda woke with the slightest of nudges on her arm, Link hugged her to keep her from falling and she raised her head from the crook of his neck, the shiest of sunrays touched her and she hid her eyes with her hands.

"Oh, Nayru, did I sleep too much?"

She felt Link's rumbling chest, "You slept enough, don't worry," he motioned with his head to the nearing Castle, "we're almost there."

Zelda let her eyes wash over the wrecked Castle before realization settled in.

"Oh, Nayru!" she looked at Link, he looked back, worried. "You didn't sleep!"

Link snickered, "No, ma'am."

And then he kept staring ahead, Zelda shook her head. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry-"

"Zelda, don't worry, I'm completely fine, I got used to a few hours of sleep."

"But you have to sleep."

"And I will, I'm not invincible, sadly," Zelda didn't appreciate the joke, "as soon as I make sure that you arrive well to Castle Town, and I go back to Ordon, I will take the biggest nap Hyrule will ever record."

As that didn't sit well with Zelda - he wasn't sure her face could look more malcontent - he tried to look apologetic.

"You can rest in the Castle, you must know that."

"Since I will be condecorated with every badge and title you will find, I find it hard to believe I won't at least get a personal room inside the Castle, maybe a whole wing if you're generous," Zelda still didn't find it funny, "but even if I stayed for a whole day, I wouldn't sleep a wink." He locked eyes with her "I must go back to Ordon and make sure that everyone is all right."

Zelda bit her lip and nodded.

"I appreciate your offer," he assured "wholeheartedly."

She could feel him trying to ease this on her, and she squeezed his arm, "I know, don't worry."

Zelda gazed at the Castle, and tried to prepare herself for it.

"I'll take you to the Castle, people are surely looking for you," she nodded, "I will then return to Ordon, I don't know how things are there, they musn't be too bad, but I'll come back as soon as I can," he could see a smile forming on her face, "I would say a month and a half before I return."

Zelda nodded, "Okay, I'll be waiting."

Before they could be seen from the Castle, Link dismounted, Zelda looked as he grabbed the reins and guided Epona inside. Just before they entered he looked at her.

"I am and always will be your ally, do not doubt my allegiance."

Zelda felt the fear easing its hold on her heart.

"Link, from here on out, and whenever I am in the presence of more people, I will have to be less..."

The words died in her throat, but Link could recall her nickname. Her face lost sight of color, of movement, of life. Her eyes washed over him before settling to the first people awaiting for them.

"They view feelings as weakness," she offered.

Link squeezed her hand, bit down the urge to ask her what she thought of it, "I understand."

He reminded himself that he had no right to feel robbed when he saw the Ice Princess before him. Regal and beautiful.

And terrifying.

[shadyvaati]

eldraftsman replied to your post:

“Link and Mipha were interested in each other and were going to be...”:

D) On my personal opinion? I just wish Nintendo wasn't a massive tease and just picked sides. Want Zelink? Good, let em' f*ck or something. Don want it? Fantastic, just don't dance around the idea like a moth around a lightbulb.

“A) Wether Link reciprocated is left ambiguous. B) Mipha died and Zelda is alive, what is up to the future has no chances for her “

-To address the first point, sure I suppose, but compared to Zelda, Link knew Mipha since childhood, they’ve known each other a long time to both know each other as just friends and possibly something else. I say that because Mipha made the Zora tunic for Link, which is a tradition with the Zora as a sign of proposal and you don’t just propose (and I mean seriously propose) if you aren’t already with someone, just saying

-Second, I don’t care if she’s dead????? Idk what kinda of person people think Link is, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t just jump to be with some other girl he not too long ago in his own memories had a strained relationship with. Maybe in the future, sure, but as it stands with what the game presented, I highly doubt it :/ Also like, after a loved one dies, some people pledge to never be with anyone else? Idk why that also wouldn’t be a possibility for Link. It’s honestly really tragic what happened with them, but Mipha isn’t Zelda so we can just ignore her once her part in the story is done.

“C) If RANDOM NPCS point out the possibility of Link having a thing for Zelda(like Paya does) AND a LOT of the backstory revolves in how close the two of them got(and there IS subtext), you can't just say "it's all about Mipha" “

-See the thing about that first part tho is that people can and will take that as a “it’s so obvious theyre meant to be together if they see it!!” it literally takes so little for people to see that ship where as if another couple as someone literally make a proposal gift and have their family (both Mipha’s father and brother say Mipha loved Link, while his feelings are never stated out right I lead u back to my first statement as well as then that goes double for Zelda where if you just look at how they interact it’s hard to even tell how close they are beyond Link being her protector). And the backstory isn’t so much focusing on their relationship bc it existed, it’s bc those were the pics Zelda took herself and Link was there because he was her protector, in some of them they didn’t even really interact, they’re there to help him remember and in a way catch the players up to speed with things going on. People can have their own interpretations, I’m not stopping that, but I’m also not saying “Mipha’s dead so now Link HAS to be with Zelda he has no choice!!” which is kinda sad another girl has to be out of the picture for there to be no ambiguity. This isn’t even a hate on Zelda, like she even says it herself that she’s the only one that seems to think for herself, but apparently no one else could imagine her having a love interest other than Link (shrugs). It isn’t “all about Mipha” but the girl /did/ plan to propose to this boy she was rather close too is what I’m saying. This is the one part where there is literally zero room for interpretation if we’re comparing the two. A girl and boy can have a lot of screen time together and still just be friends in the end.

“D) On my personal opinion? I just wish Nintendo wasn't a massive tease and just picked sides. Want Zel*nk? Good, let em' f*ck or something. Don want it? Fantastic, just don't dance around the idea like a moth around a lightbulb.”

-And finally, sEE I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH YOU HERE. Nintendo should just do it if they want it, but they haven’t. I understand why they don’t because they don’t /want/ there to be any straight up love interest and I’m fine with that tbh lmao. Excuse my annoyance tho when every little hint for Zelda and Link is amped up to a million and Mipha is just left off to the side bc she isn’t a character they were already rooting for. She doesn’t matter, right? Because we’ll never hear of Mipha again lmao (tho there were serveral nice little easter eggs to past characters in botw so who knows maybe we’re on our way to a new canon), but as it stands Zelda and Link are “the destined ones” always reborn in the same timeline and meant to meet again and again, and kudos to people who like that, I also don’t mind those types of stories! Link and Zelda tho just aren’t my number one cup of tea hense when I see a more reputable ship being pushed to the background it sorta fires me up that it can just be ignored. I can’t make anyone pay more attention, but it just would be nice to have a different focus everyone once in a while. The same thing happened with Midna too and people fucking love her. This isn’t Skyward Sword where I wouldn’t even argue that there might have been more between them because they were childhood friends there and had plenty of hints to become more--this is Breath of the Wild tho, and that honor this time belongs to Mipha.

I like Mipha and Link. I don’t hate Zelda and Link, but in this particular game I don’t see them getting together either during or afterwards. TLDR: I wish it didn’t always have to be about Zel*nk and that there could be more focus from the fandom on something other than their romantic relationship that may or may not exist. I don’t mean to come off as aggressive, but it always feels like there needs to be a mountain of evidence for any other coupling to be valid in canon when Link and Zelda just need to be in the same room together.

[totk-headcanons]

How would Paya, Zelda, Mipha and Riju go about trying to seduce/woo/court Link who is completely oblivious to their feelings of love?

Paya

- oh this sweet, shy girl would stumble over her words like crazy around link, but she’d definitely try to show more of who she is in an attempt to see if there were some things about her that he would take an interest in!

- she’d show him her favorite parts of kakariko village, like that small area with the grave that overlooks the land and invite him to watch either the sunrise or sunset (or both)

- probably express to him about how passionate she is towards her duty as a sheikah, hinting around that she would protect link in any way she can

- also expresses her interest in him by paying attention to the things he likes and dislikes, remembering stories he’s told her, and keeping in mind small details like that

Zelda

- since they grew up together, link can be a little dense at times, but zelda’s stubborn and persistent

- zelda would show off her lovely dresses to link, ask for his opinions, and sometimes make more-than-subtle requests and comments (i.e. “this corset pushes more up than keep things in!” or “link, could you (instead of her assigned handmaid) help button me up?”)

- encourages personal and intimate conversation. she likes to hear him talk about himself and get an idea of what goes on in his head. she likes the fact he listens to her, so she reciprocates the gesture

- openly supports any ideas or dreams he has like his personal cheerleader. pom poms included because childhood friends always tease each other and he doesn’t particularly like them

Mipha

- everyone knows she has a thing for him EXCEPT, of course, for link. this girl could not be anymore direct

- she’ll ask him in plain black and white terms, “I’d like to spend more time with u; just u and me,” 

- invite him to any traditional zora arrangement, be it a ball or sidon’s crowning as king or their wedding (lets admit he wouldn’t know then either) where she can dress up and look good, good, GOOD for him

- runs straight to him whenever he needs her for physical or emotional healing. would never leave him vulnerable or make him feel vulnerable

Riju

- I feel like she has no chill but, believe it or not, is also remarkably shy

- she’d take him for a romantic fun sand-seal ride around the desert and tease him every time his seal ran from him and later get some personal interaction with him by teaching him how to tame a seal

- loves to see him in voe outfits so she’d probably enjoy dressing him up and showering him in new accessories and the latest trends

- treats him like an exceptionally honored guest at formal occasions. he sits next to her, he eats the best foods first, and soon the people begin to refer to him as riju’s prince after she sneakily started to refer to him as such

-mod makar