#so for the record ganon is Not the one with the power here and the character i planned on befriending him is. and like | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

joisbishmyoga · 1 year ago

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Do I know that much about Zelda lore? Eh. Do I care? Meh. Did I see that rehydrated Ganon trend a while back? Ok yes that one's on me.

Zelda wakes to a faint shiver in the balmy summer air.

Oh. Oh, it's early this time. Very early. (It's shallow this time, and so very close to the castle...)

She climbs out of bed, wriggling to slide safely down onto her bare feet with a tiny pap on the stone floor. Her thin summer blanket tries to come along, but she untwists it from her chemise and climbs up onto her dresser. It's sturdier than her washstand, can hold her weight without tipping over, and close enough that she can reach into the washbasin there.

That's not on purpose. It's very much something the castle staff would change if they realized it was so close, since the nanny that helps her get ready for bed puts a candle in the basin as a nightlight for Zelda. Not a fresh one, but old tapers at most as long as the woman's thumb. Zelda's seen her measure them like that.

Tonight's candle is still lit. Not for much longer, maybe a couple of hours... but given how close by he must be, it should be enough for her to at least get back into the castle proper.

The Triforce of Wisdom holds knowledge, the shining power of a goddess, an innate understanding of how to hold Power firm, to curb it indefinitely, if not break it. It knows things the people of Hyrule can't, mustn't, discover.

Zelda's tiny fingers prod at the wall next to her bed, prying between the stones above her head until something shifts with a gravelly click. It takes her pushing with her full weight, but the hidden door creaks open, and Zelda scurries onto a narrow passage winding down between the walls.

There's always a passage from Zelda's room in the many castles and temples the family's built and moved on from over the centuries. If the builders don't put in a false wall, half-asleep in the twilight hours after the workday's done, remembering nothing once the last stone's mortar dries, it's heavy rain leaking through tiny gaps -- the burrows left by Keese, who once were called bats and later were spelled Keys, a joke and epithet so old no one else remembers it ever existed at all. The rain soaks into cheap rubble filling the space between defensive walls, breaking it to finer and finer grit as it freezes over and over during unseasonably cold winters. Always there are cold winters after a castle's built, sometimes for decades, but the records are never connected.

Always, the power of Hylia ensures free passage for her. Even if it's centuries before Zelda is reborn, before the cycle begins again... the underpinnings are always set in place. Secret passages and orderly cave systems, cracked walls and lost treasures, villages building temples that their descendants abandon to the wilderness, that fade into myth and rumors.

Always, the power of Hylia does far more.

Zelda puts her candle down on a somewhat flat bit of the sloping floor, and goes around the corner. The passage dead-ends here, or at least seems to. Faint light peppers the wall here, tiny cracks at several different eye-levels, and she peers through the lowest one, listening.

Nothing. The castle basement is empty, and why wouldn't it be? It's the middle of the night, well before servants get up to start bread and stoke fires for the day. Zelda retrieves her candle and slips out into the dungeons.

Usually, her tunnels don't pass through useable parts of the castle. Someone's been interfering -- one of the Oracles, likely. Someday she may find a message to reach forward in time, someday when she's far older and well-settled as the Queen, when she's had decades to charge the Triforce after this turn in the cycle.

(Last time she possessed a descendant, the girl was a sailor -- it'd given her previous true incarnation enough warning to imbue the land with her power, to put the forests and fields in a shielded stasis, burrow the animals away, so the ocean didn't scour the land and leave Hyrule nothing but hundreds of miles of barren salt flat. It'd taken so much power that she died young, that life before the land drowned.)

She exhales shakily, making the candlelight dance across tombs of her ancestors. The effigies have twisted well out of true, armor thickening, developing spikes and jutting curves, crowns long since grown to helms concealing most or all of the flattened face. Their eye sockets don't yet shine -- there could be as much as another decade before they kindle -- but she can feel their bleary attention on her, feather-light for now, following until she steps onto an ancient switch and heads into the natural caverns below Hyrule.

There's no dirt or damp here to stick to her bare feet. There wouldn't be; there never has. It all gets sucked up into the rocky walls. It's another of the effects of the divine powers that no one outside the Triforce knows -- Zelda may carry Wisdom, but Hylia embodies Life. Her rebirth brings fertile fields and abundant harvests, thickens the forests, steadies the flow of water in the desert. As said... a mortal can't fully contain the power.

Ganon also embodies a god. Corrupted, destructive, but a god. His power spills over into the world just as much as Hylia's. Zelda trails fingertips over the tunnel's lumpy wall as she walks. By now, every smooth curve in the stone has visibly rippled, and those ripples are taking on the faint definition of future teeth and claws.

Demise makes the forms, the malevolence and hunger. It can't make the life, though. Just incubate its creatures in Hylia's power, feed on it, hatch in ones and twos in the remote wilds of the land... and tear loose in massive waves when Ganon does, when he wakes from the wash of Hylia's power refreshed -- reborn with Zelda -- and breaks free.

And then someone must slay the beasts before they devour everything, and put Demise back down to sleep and recover until Zelda's reborn once more.

And so the cycle continues.

Ganon's prison lies behind a door flecked with gold this time, black crystal under a shell of dull brown stone that flakes and crumbles to dust at a touch. Zelda can only reach about halfway up the intricate sigil sketching itself out, but that's high enough to poke at the bit of ruby developing into an eye, and the door clunks open just long enough for her to slip through.

The same black, gold-flecked crystal has grown into low braziers in each corner, which puff into flame without the touch of her little candle, casting warm light into the shadowy center of the room.

It's just enough to see a figure lying on a massive altar there: an effigy of Ganon, all thick planes of heavy muscle, dark clay under a fall of coiling terracotta hair. So... it hasn't been nearly as long as it was between Zelda's last two lives. Last time... last time, she'd come down late, already nine when the Call of Power finally reached her, leading her down through sub-basements and catacombs, through a cave system she'd had to return to with rope and supplies, hoping Hylia's power blurred the attention of the palace inhabitants long enough to actually reach his cell.

She'd only found a slowly-churning wisp of energy, that time. The effigy lay cracked, unfinished, the altar nothing but dried-out clay crumbled across the cave floor. His spirit had ended up possessing someone to carry out its compulsion.

This time, though, Ganon lives. Sort of. After all, he never truly dies.

The effigy is no statue. Or it won't be, in a few short years. This is the only reason Ganon never wakes to ravage the land while Zelda and Link are small children -- older ones, yes, sometimes, but never when they're just toddlers. The powers diffused through the land have to build him a body. How quickly that happens, how viable it is...

... that depends on Zelda. She doesn't always remember enough to know that.

The altar's a good three or four times the size of her bed, and stands nearly as high as the kitchen countertops the cook scolds her for climbing. (And then gives her a small treat from a batch of whatever sweets they're making.) Zelda has to put her candle down by Ganon's hip, way over at the tips of his half-sculpted hands, and jump to catch the edge, scrambling up to sit next to his shoulder. Which she then has to throw a leg over, getting one foot down into the gap that will someday divide his arm and chest, to reach the candlestick and bring it back.

Lifting the candle at this angle shows that Ganon's fingers aren't the only thing already half-sculpted. The effigy is never made with clothes on -- those come from some magical device hidden deep in the altar, the same way a number of Link's armors and such do -- but the details of his body are... not always relevant. Not even often relevant, especially if he's... if he's yet again...

She swallows, one hand on Ganon's future barrel of a chest, his massive shoulder between her legs, and allows herself one long -- possibly last, possibly only in this life -- moment to feel the faint powdery surface of clay already halfway flesh, still a bit too cool and stiff to mistake for alive. Then she raises the candle to his face.

The heavy brow and wide mouth are those of a man, with no hint of any kind of beast. His nose is large and sharp, beautiful by Gerudo standards; protruding canine teeth are blunted rosethorn points just visible past his lips, not tusks. His ears, what little of them are visible under the terracotta, are still just lumps, but they aren't positioned in the wrong, too-high manner of his many and varied bestial incarnations. He's forming normally. No dark witches or sorcerers have sunk their spells into him this time, and he's too far along to be caught now.

He'll still be Destruction when he's complete. Compelled to the cycle, just as Zelda is, just as Link will be. But he won't be maddened, won't follow the whims of some power-hungry mortal... will recognize them while he's still chained and until his defeat. He'll be himself when he wakes.

"Oh, husband..." she breathes.

It's been centuries since he was himself.

She'll try to delay his waking as long as possible. Zelda presses a kiss, open-mouthed, onto his forehead, the flat bridge of his nose; another to his parted mouth, then one each, more a breath than a touch, to the barely-there curves of developing eyes. "Slow, husband," she murmurs, patting his cheek with her small hand. "Wait for us."

-0-0-0

She doesn't nap on him that night. She'd started the journey down too late, and couldn't stay much longer than giving the benediction -- even if she blew out the candle for a time, and relit it from the braziers, the nanny would notice if she was missing in the morning. She's still too young to be expected to get up and ready on her own.

At least there isn't much Zelda has to pretend to be well-rested for. Just her writing lessons, scheduled before lunch, since if they have to wash her hands anyway they might as well be splattered with ink. Otherwise she's expected to play, the nanny trailing after her in case she bothers the wrong groundskeeper or stablehand with incessant questions. Though she doesn't do that today. Being tired hurts too much; she sulks under a bench in the garden, toying with a peony drooping low on its bush, and waits for either the sunlight or her body to quit this nauseating, sore horribleness called being awake.

This lifetime's Link hasn't been brought to Castle Town yet. He might not be -- he isn't always found before Ganon breaks free -- but Zelda has a feeling. He'll show up before Ganon wakes.

It'd be nice if it was now, though.

-0-0-0

Weeks pass. Months. Zelda's days slowly fill with formal lessons -- math, science, philosophy and history and civics. The lore of Ganon is slanted towards the terrifying, the theology only somewhat accurate. Why centuries of scholars have gotten the idea that numbers have any more significance than 'Triforce means three Aspects', Zelda does not know. Of course a lot of magical items come in threes. Part of it is, yes, the Triforce influencing how magic tends to settle, but most of what the scholars wandered off into comes from how few numbers even exist before you can start subdividing them back out. The Hero's Items can get into the dozens, but the wise philosophers of Hyrule are dividing them into pendants vs. armor vs. spell medallions and on and on.

Zelda may have Opinions. No one will bother listening until she's grown, though. Centuries of experience have long since proven that.

So Zelda's days are filled with lessons that are dull (this time, she remembers more than usual -- she'd be done with math by now if she didn't keep forgetting to use the new symbols for addition and such), biased (someone's remembered Ganon was once a Gerudo, so it isn't a fun time to be one this century), or outright wrong (no, Zelda is not constantly reborn -- she'd be her own mother and things would get creepy very, very quickly).

Her nights, though, become increasingly filled with visits to Ganon. His body is shaping itself well, thick muscles and large hands, chest defined in mathematically perfect swells of padding that Zelda pillows her head on while she traces sleep spells over his face, sigils for quiet between his ribs.

Ganon's skin reddens from clay to lifelike the same week that his hair finally flows through Zelda's fingers like silk -- on her last visit, it had still been intricate terracotta, fine locks scored like the nonexistent artisan had combed the clay with a wire brush before firing, glazed smooth with a transluscent layer of Gerudo red.

One hand comes fully free of his hip on her tenth birthday. His fingers, each nearly as thick as her wrist, do the same over the next five days, and the split between arm and torso completes all at once right under her foot a couple of nights after that, sending her tumbling onto his head.

Link still hasn't appeared. This may be one of the lives where he grows up in a rural cottage, or half-feral in the woods. Where they don't meet until Ganon's captured her, until she sends the call for help to begin the active questing of the cycle anew... where Link only sees Ganon at the end, over shield and sword.

No. She can't think like that. It's been nearly a thousand years... Link deserves to have this just as much as she does. A few months, a week, even if just a day, he deserves a moment with destiny fallen silent before it must play out.

She's twelve, and a sudden growth spurt has left her tall enough to not have to climb to get onto the altar. Ganon's thighs have fully separated, his body finally warm enough to make a difference when she tucks her chilly toes there. She's going to have to discard her chemise soon -- Ganon is always a furnace by the time he wakes.

Her hair stirs ever-so-slightly as she traces the sleeping spell high onto his chest.

Ganon's finally breathing.

-0-0-0

Link, if you don't hurry, you'll miss it.

But Zelda only has one aspect of the Triforce, and isn't connected to Power -- that one lies dormant until Ganon wakes. She isn't strong enough to reach Link.

-0-0-0

Deep laughter draws her to a small outbuilding that's been used for storage since Zelda was a baby. She'd thought it was a carriage house, perhaps -- it's certainly close enough to the castle gate -- but the latches that made her think so have been undone, and the doors were actually the entire wall, panels folding back in on themselves all the way around the corner and to the stone parts of the cottage. The space has been emptied of the junk that used to be in there -- broken wheels and cart panels, mysterious crates and barrels, a truly ridiculous number of cheap pots stacked to the rafters -- and with it all out of the way, Zelda can identify the place as a smithy. Someone's sweeping out the forge, kneeling on the raised firebreak and half-tucked inside, showers of glittering soot and rupees coming out between his knees.

Her father's talking to a different man near the anvil, a stout and heavy-shouldered one with gray streaks in his frizzly hair and beard.

"--couldn't kick me out with a little tyke!" the man is saying, and he laughs again. "Even if he was a boy! Started him on that sand-sign of theirs, apparently they can talk with their hands if the wind's too loud. Craziest thing."

Her father hums, considering that. It's not an entirely pleasant sound. "I seem to recall the Zora do something similar," he muses leadingly.

"That they do!" The smith -- he's probably a smith -- replies. "Something about not hearing the same under water. They call it water-sign... or it might be swim-sign, I never did manage to figure out the difference. Damn near identical to the Gerudo stuff, though. I hope some people around here know Zora sign," he adds more quietly. "Hyrulian's our native language, sure, but only for hearing. Link's--"

"Link," Zelda echoes, gaze snapping back to the boy eeling out of the forge. The soot is everywhere: his legs from thighs to ankles look like artists' charcoal all up the front and insides; his shorts are gray, the hem freshly blackened and riding too high to not be old childhood clothing bound for the rag bin. The side seams have been pieced with a few extra inches of cloth, quick basting stitches stretching to show tiny gaps as Link twists to sit on the hearth, long legs akimbo. The hands he rests over one upraised knee are also matte charcoal-black, though the palms and fingertips are slightly paler, like he tried to wipe them clean -- the excess soot's spread in long blotches over his shoulders and back. Except, no, that's probably from brushing up against the forge's walls. The excess soot from his hands is actually streaked across his forehead and nose, and in ragged stripes through his blond hair.

He offers her a shy little grin, face going pink under the black marks, and wiggles his fingers a bit.

Zelda does know Zora sign. Mostly political niceties, but that's enough to cover all the forms of hello. "Hello, Link," she signs back, hands flicking warmth and delight at him.

He ducks his head and blushes all the way down to his shoulders.

"So that's where you've been all this time?" Zelda asks later, after Link's uncle has freed him from cleaning duty and he's charmed the bathhouse attendants into opening early. (At least the Hyrulian bath, anyway. Not that either of the other two are in use at the moment, with only Hyrulians in the castle, but if they were Link wouldn't need to make pleading faces at their attendants: the Zora bath only ever closes for cleaning, since its water only gets lukewarm at best and doesn't need well-monitored furnaces, and the Goron bath stays locked as a potentially-lethal scalding risk for most of the palace inhabitants.) She lathers up more soap into a fresh cloth and scrubs at the fading stains on Link's legs. "A wandering smith and his nephew in the outlands?"

Link shrugs. Learning other peoples' skills, he says (the reason Zelda's helping him bathe, so that he has both hands free to talk). Don't get him started; he'll flap his hands off -- talk your ear off translates very oddly in sign -- about how different circumstances make different needs, and then go off into anti-corrosion and weight-lowering alloys if you let him. And then complain he still hasn't figured out where the Gerudo get their bronze.

"Bronze?" Zelda asks, though she isn't surprised. Just prompting.

Nomad forges, Link explains. They don't get hot enough for iron. And that, Zelda did not know.

She scoops up another bucket of warm water and dumps it over his head. "What else did you learn?" she asks as he sputters, and settles in to watch him talk.

-0-0-0

That night, she finds Link waiting in the tombs, hovering by an archway deep in the back. He's close to the switch hidden in the floor, but... Zelda doesn't think he's actually waiting at it. He's too close to the archway, his attention on a Darknut too large for the sarcophagus it's lying on. Its armor is starting to tinge blue at the edges, noticeable only by the fact that the rest is a dull pewter gray.

How Link is managing to have a staring contest with something that doesn't yet have eyes, much less is pointing them in his direction, Zelda does not know. He loses when she slips up next to him, glancing her way before his gaze returns to the Darknut.

He passes over his own candle, so Zelda now has two, and slowly raises his hands.

This one... I think it was yours, he says, uncertain and hesitant. I outlived you? That's not a question for her; he sounds like he only half-remembers.

"You may have," Zelda answers anyway. Her own memories tend to fade towards the end of her lifespans, but if Link died first last time, she doesn't remember being told. She offers his candle back, wiggling it a bit until he takes it. "Come on." And she steps over onto the switch and leads him down into the caves.

The golden sigil etched into the door is complete, now. Intricate Sheikah patterns -- what they were in the dimmest reaches of Hylia's knowledge, once when the cycle was new, before they diverged into Gerudo and Zora and Hyrulian styles -- trace out an eye in the center of a Triforce, the triangles solid black crystal amid the curls and coils of gold. But it doesn't need arrows to unlock, not yet, just a gentle tap.

The door won't lock until Ganon puts Zelda in here.

Zelda steps aside to let Link pass. She had her privacy for that first sight of Ganon's untwisted face. Link should have that too.

She's never really bothered to look around the rest of the chamber. It's smaller than the black crystal makes it look, though it's starting to develop bas-relief pillars that distort the firelight where it catches on the gold flecks in the stone. Larger gold flecks than are in the smooth expanses between, actually -- the pillars may well develop gold filigree to outline the room better, so it looks less like a field of stars off behind the firepits.

The crystal to hold her is growing as well. That one's deep in the back of the room, where the light is blocked a bit by Ganon's altar. Not much, but there isn't much light down here in the first place. The crystal -- nearly shoulder height on her now, and almost too large to encircle with her arms should she have the space to try -- all but disappears into the shadows despite being a transluscent milky white.

Link claps at her, and Zelda glances back to find him perched in the same square of space she's had to climb on before being able to reach Ganon himself: there above his right shoulder, where she'd minced about on tiny feet until Ganon's hair softened enough to push out of the way.

Forgot what he looked like, Link tells her, slow and reluctant. One hand slides fingertips back into Ganon's hair, pulled there like a magnet; with the other, he mumbles, Been so long.

"Still the prettiest?" Zelda asks, because she wasn't sure of that herself until a couple of years ago. (He is, by classical -- and all but forgotten -- Gerudo standards. 'Male' generally doesn't fit Gerudo ideas of beauty anymore.)

Link snorts. Nope, he tells her. That's me. But he's not bad.

Red hair slips between Link's fingers, just enough curl that it catches before falling free, and he winds the lock around. After a few passes of this, combing through the strands, Link sighs and lets Ganon's hair fall, turning tired eyes to Zelda. Will we ever get out of this cycle?

"I don't know, Link." She can't see any way it could happen. "I just don't know."

-0-0-0

With Link having finally arrived, they can actually start preparing for the next rise. Link can get around unsupervised far more easily than Zelda, is even ignored somewhat more than should be polite once people realize he can't speak. He can gather and cache supplies, clear the hidden supply (read: smuggling) routes between towns, and spruce up the spellmarks that keep Ganon's beasts out.

Zelda handles setting up bunkers and watch towers, but she can't prevent people from putting up too many at the Gerudo border. Or from cutting off open trade.

Link puts extra effort into the Gerudo routes after that.

-0-0-0

Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen, and one night Link jerks with surprise. Zelda follows his stare to find the tiniest glint of reflected candlelight where there's only been closed eyes for years.

Ganon isn't awake. He's not even animate enough to shift in his sleep yet. But his eyes can open now.

It won't be much longer.

-0-0-0

Even knowing how close Ganon is to waking, it still comes as a shock when it happens.

A hoarse yelp has Zelda spinning away from the buckets she's just set by a brazier, to see Link flailing where he's standing on the altar. He barely manages to throw his weight back, so instead of hitting the stone floor with his face, he lands on Ganon's chest with a distinct grunt. Not his own -- Ganon's eyes pop open at the hit, his back curling in on himself as he wheezes, as Link struggles trying to push himself upright and off of Ganon and nearly topples over again like he's stuck.

Like his legs are stuck. Or, rather, one leg: one large hand has a firm grip around Link's ankle, reaching halfway to his knee, though his other foot is almost caught as well; it's not quite jammed between Ganon's biceps and ribcage.

It takes a moment for Ganon's eyes to focus on Link. His expression goes sharp, confusion warring with... recognition, Zelda hopes, but it might be a threat assessment instead. (It's probably the assessment. Hopefully Link's nightshirt and lack of weapons is overriding the part where Ganon identifies him.)

Zelda has no idea what to say. ".... Good morning."

She has no idea what language that came out in. It certainly isn't modern Hyrulian.

Ganon's burning gaze snaps to her. His mouth works for a moment, air hissing in his throat. Then, voice dry -- barely more than a whisper -- and halting as he searches for words in that same ancient dialect, he says, "... Is... it?"

Of course he can barely speak, this body hasn't ever been anything but magic, clay, and air. Thank Hylia that she hasn't yet put soap in the water she's brought. Though she's been thoughtless enough to forget to bring a cup.

"It's close enough, I suppose," Zelda replies, bending to scoop up some of the lukewarm water in cupped hands. She pads across the floor, that calculating gaze flicking down to her bare feet (and then catching just below the hem of her chemise instead of returning to her face -- fair enough, the modern type is shorter than it's been in a millenium, even before she hit a late growth spurt last season... not that he would know, he's been monstrous for centuries and only ever captured her fully clothed the entire time).

They both pretend to ignore Link, perched uneasily on Ganon's chest.

"Here," Zelda says, coming well into reach. She brings the water to his lips, fully aware that neither she nor Link could move fast enough if he grabs for her. Ganon probably knows that. But he doesn't try, simply raises one thick eyebrow and leans in to sip.

Oh.

Zelda feels the blush rising to her face. Ganon's being warily delicate here, the scarcest brush of his mouth against her fingertips, almost -- almost -- a courtly greeting kiss to her hands.

And then Link shoves Ganon's face aside -- the sheer surprise enough to make Ganon move -- and pulls Zelda's hands up, and he drinks all the water with an impish little smirk.

"Link!" Zelda yelps. "That's for Ganon!"

Link's eyes brighten further, and he twists to face Ganon. One hand's still on Ganon's cheek, and that thumb taps Ganon's mouth. Link taps his own with his free hand, and raises an eyebrow.

Ganon goes very, very still. "... I... may be misremembering some important details here," he manages, his voice still thready but not a harsh whisper anymore.

Link's expectant question doesn't shift a single hair.

Zelda sighs. "If they're at all about taking liberties with either of us," her face is burning, it's not fair that Link's barely gone pink, "you aren't." That gets only a stunned silence. "It's been a very long time," Zelda allows. Ganon's been aware all of five minutes... and they've been fighting and killing him far more often than speaking to him, much less kissing. There's a lot of bad memories for him to consider. "I'll get you more water if you don't want a kiss."

Silence.

... Well, what did she expect. Zelda turns away to get that water. She should probably just bring the entire bucket over. He can wash up later, maybe even get up and find... whatever it is that he cleans in before dressing, Zelda hasn't been looking for a bathing room in here...

A muffled sound of surprise behind her almost covers that of movement.

He. They.

Well.

Ganon's not letting the bad memories guide him after all. He's pulled Link down, one heavy hand keeping his head in place, strands of blond hair caught between dark fingers. Link's bright red now, wide eyes going soft before falling closed; a thin trickle of water gleams in the dim light, trailing down Ganon's jaw.

In several hours, Zelda will have to go attend her duties upstairs in the castle. In several days, Ganon will have the strength to walk the room; just hours after that, to lift his swords, and the cycle will begin again. But for now, she goes to join them.

#legend of zelda #zelda fanfiction #worldbuilding #triforce shipping #idk if there's a ship name but you probably get the idea

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tumblingdowntheway2019 · 1 year ago

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Master List Here!!

Another funny af Tears of the Kingdom dream I had, it was so silly but I'm still giggling about it. 🤣😂 Will place it under the cut as to not take over feed! (Also if you hadn't completed the game yet for some minor/major story detail. Parody dream or not, I ain't gonna spoil the game in any detail here without a cut.)

So how it went was that everybody was at Lookout Landing, Purah can be found at her usual spot, looking out at the castle. Except she was more crouched and peaking over the bannister, more so at the path toward the castle, pile of stuff at her side.

Her eyes were just focused there, gripping onto a random vial, that was most likely Robbie's, and Link went up to her and asked what she was doing.

"The hands Linky!! The hands!! Every Blood Moon, the hands just suddenly appear and I'm tired of those *insert creative gloom related insult here* interrupting my studies!! If they know what's good for them, they'd stop trying."

Turns out the vial was full of Sundelions and so was everything else in the pile. Then the red sky appears along with the Blood Moon, music starts and the Gloom had started to appear everywhere.

"Here they come. New day, another annoying interruption." She was readying her aim for a specific spot further away. "Watch this."

The Blood Moon appears and Zelda phases in, ready to do her usual dialogue.

"When the glow of the Blood Stained Moon Shines -" She was suddenly interrupted by the vial smashing against her head, Sundelions everywhere!! "Agh bish wtf?!

Purah presses the button hidden in her little recorder, "I WARNED YOU BISH!! INTERRUPT ME AGAIN AND YOU'LL FACE THE FLOWER POWER!!"

The button triggered a catapult, launching the previously mentioned pile at her, revealing the man of the hour, Ganondorf, well the Phantom Ganon anyway but still him being his own little avatar.

"For the Love of Din, Purah!! Why won't you let me kill you?!" He scowled.

"For that very reason!! And stop interrupting my researching!!" She argues back.

And boy did that one (1) go back and forth for a while. So many Sundelions it was a wonder how Link found any to begin with on his journey.

And this is why, despite Lookout Landing being right there, Ganon didn't just straight up attack it like I kinda wanted to see happen and was slightly disappointed that something similar to Hyrule Warriors didn't happen cause that would have been epic af. That was another dream I had and I'll share it soon enough as well!!

Hope you enjoyed this still little retelling of the dream!! More meme pics coming shortly. 😂🤣

#totk purah #loz purah #tears of the kingdom #loz tears of the kingdom #phantom ganon #totk ganondorf #Ganondorf

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attllhak · 3 years ago

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Flora’s Musings

So, here’s the WingAU fic I mentioned. It’s the first one I wrote and features the fun trope of “The Unreliable Narrator That Is History”, which I had a lot of fun with.

I, don’t have a tag list for this AU at this point. So, this part is just my preamble I guess. So, preamble over, here’s the fic.

-------------------

Zelda ran her fingertips between her shoulder blades. She tried not to think about what wasn’t there.

Her wings would come in, she hoped, no she knew they would. They had to. As the princess fated to stop Calamity Ganon it was her duty to unlock her sealing powers, face him, and earn her wings.

It was why she was down here now, in the hidden and secret library they’d excavated. No one cared about this area of the castle, but Zelda loved it there. It was so full of knowledge, and there were records about the Queens and Princesses of the past, ones who had wings themselves.

It was certainly a good excuse to hide down there and do research.

There weren’t many documents on the founders of Hyrule, but she’d translated a few of the ancient texts and had learned much. Apparently her powers came from the fact she was descended from Hylia herself! There were exactly three paintings of her down there, and all of them were old and weathered. Two, one of her alone and one next to her husband, the first King of Hyrule, who was holding the Master Sword, his own wings giving him away as the first of Link’s incarnations, were so old almost all of the colour was gone. The last one, however, had been tucked into a book and, protected from the elements, retained some of its colour.

The goddess reborn had gold wings, bright and shining and as beautiful as everyone expected them to be. Her Hero, however, had red wings, a bright crimson with soft gold flight feathers. What was more, this painting seemed to depict them in their downtime, the goddess still dressed up and all, but leaning over the edge of her throne. Her Hero sat on the dias and leaned against the throne, and was messing with something in his hands that the goddess seemed to be watching, though age obscured what it was. It was entirely unprofessional and sweet, and it made Zelda happy. It made them seem less like untouchable figures of pure good and more like real people. She liked that they were people too.

There was only one picture of the next Queen, and it was so old and weathered that Zelda was scared to touch it lest it crumble into dust. This queen had smaller wings, though Zelda couldn’t tell what colour they were supposed to be. Her Hero was there too, and he had four wings, and Zelda couldn’t be sure but it almost seemed like each wing was a different colour. She couldn’t find any other record of these two, and so she’d taken a picture of the image on the Sheikah Slate to preserve it. This painting was important.

One of the Queens came from the point in history called the Split, a strange period of several thousand years where very different events happened at the same time. They had, through the records in the castle libraries and the temples across Hyrule, figured out this Queen had lived three different recorded lives. Regardless, she always looked the same, or similar at least, in all of her lives. She was a warrior, and her wings, indigo and white and flecked with gold, were always held in a way that showed pride.

Her Hero wasn’t always with her, in two of her lifetimes she ruled alone. In one of them, her Hero had died trying to fight Ganon, and was buried with wings wrapped about him, as was traditional for Heroes and their Queens. The Queen had been Princess then, the books say, and was only 17. I made Zelda uneasy, Link had turned 17 just a few months ago, and her 17th birthday was fast approaching. To think the Hero of Time could die at 17 made her worried for her own Hero. The next of the two he just, wasn’t there. There was no record of the Hero after he defeated Ganon, he just vanished without a trace. Zelda still wanted to know why. The last life gave the most information on the Hero, but he wasn’t listed as a Hero at all. There was no fight in this life, just peace and a failed arrest. As far as historians could tell, this was the most accurate life of hers, but Zelda wasn’t so sure. After all, she and the head of her Royal Guard both had wings. Something had to have happened. These were the only records of the Hero of Time where his wings were visible. A beautiful metallic copper, with darker bronze flight feathers. He seemed to keep them close to his body, like he didn’t want anyone to pay attention to him or them. He apparently married a farm girl in this life.

There were different heirs in each of these lives. For the first life the Queen was a fighter, one with all kinds of magic at her fingertips. Her wings were pink and red, and when she spread them a little bit of gold could be seen at the base of them. This was a Queen who never shied away from the many, many issues her people faced. And many issues there were, records argued whether the number of quests her Hero went on was five or six or twelve. He seemed grumpy in every painting, but after seven-ish quests Zelda would be too. His wings were pink, a million different shades at once. He also seemed to prefer long tunics or dresses to pants. Apparently he didn’t like pants.

After them came a pair of Queens. Zelda initially thought they were cousins, but apparently one was the other’s ancestor, as bizarre as that was. Only one of the two had wings, a soft amber or honey colour, a safe, warm brown. The Princess didn’t have wings, but was no less important if the records and paintings were to be believed. Their Hero didn’t look like much, but his wings, a deep, dark green with earthy brown flight feathers, told of his heroics enough that his looks didn’t have to. Records said he married the Princess, but they never had children, instead helping the Queen raise her bastard twins as a group. Zelda wondered if perhaps the three had all been together, so to speak, and the twins were actually his.

In the second life, there was only one heir, a woman who was named ‘Tetra’ and not Zelda. Her wings were blue, with red separating the blue from gold flight feathers. It was a beautiful colour. Her Hero was usually pictured at her side, his silver tipped sea foam green feathers shining next to her. Those two were always painted outside, and usually on a boat of some kind.

Following the timeline that was decided to be ‘true’, the Queen following the Queen of Three Lives was her great-granddaughter. Her wings, sleek and graceful, were solid black save for the lowest layer of feathers, which was a soft golden-orange colour. Her Hero was hardly ever at her side, history said he spent most of his time in his home village or on assignments for the Queen. Zelda didn’t know if they didn’t get along, or if he hated the city and castle, or why it was that he was never around his Queen, but there was only one painting of him next to her. His wings were big, wide and strong, a range of soft oranges with a rare black feather scattered across them. He also wore a strange charm on a rope around his neck, but no one seemed to know what it was.

The only other Queen, save for the one from 10 000 years ago, was one with a story so outlandish that historians debated on whether or not she was real. She always held a sword or bow in hand, and her wings were either spread for flight or held in close for combat. They were gold, with white flight feathers that seemed to go indigo at the base of each feather. Black flecked the gold, making it obvious she was a fighter. Her Hero was always with her, his wings out behind him, flared up in a show of pride or confidence, a rallying cry for his troops. They fought in a war, so the records claimed. His wings were gold, shiny silver spots scattered over his wings, not dissimilar to the stars in the sky, that made his wings look like they glittered. He was beautiful, as was his Queen, and it was clear that the two were very close.

There weren’t any records on the wings of the Queen 10 000 years ago, nor her Hero, and Zelda didn’t know why that was. Perhaps those records were lost when the Sheikah split. It was unlikely she would ever know.

Zelda didn’t know when her wings would come in, and some days she feared they never would. It was a comfort at least that Link’s wings hadn’t come in yet either.

He found her a few hours later, bringing her a blanket and some food. He sat with her and politely signed a request for her to read to him. They read all through the night, and Impa found them the next morning, Zelda leaned over the desk with her head on her arms and Link leaning on the side of her desk, head tilted back and drooling. She left them there.

When the Calamity hit and she didn’t get her wings she felt like such a failure, especially since Link’s wings had just broken skin a few moments ago, greyish brown wings that were still all fluff coming through the slits in his tunic designed to accommodate them.

She sat next to him in the Shrine of Resurrection, just before they sealed it. His wings were still small, they had never had the chance to come in fully before he fell. She reached over and brushed hair from his face, watching his relaxed features and ignoring the burns on the rest of his body.

“Don’t worry, Link,” she whispered. “I’ll make sure they’re all safe until you wake up,”

She marched on the castle then, staring down the Calamity and ready to give everything she had to keep him at bay.

She reached forward, holding her hand out to the monster and ready to fight. She could feel the triforce on her hand burn in response, her body spilling a radiant golden light. The monster dove for her, and she held her ground, eyes open and ready to stand and fight.

A push on her shoulders, then the pressure bursting and wings spread out behind her.

Blue and white feathers sat on the ground where she was moments before.

(---)

Link stepped into the castle, tiny wings fluffed up in anxiety and nerves making them quiver. He paused as he moved towards the heart, lifting one foot.

Under his boot, was a pair of blue and white feathers, perfectly preserved from when they fell there 100 years before.

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kintatsujo · 3 years ago

Text

LoZ AU- The Courage of Running Away Part FIFTEEN

Okay so first of all if you haven’t seen part fourteen with Astramorus’s friend Serenumbra showing up you’re going to want to because there’s a bit at the end of this one that will be providing context for.

#AU August

#LoZ AU: The Courage of Running Away

So it’s high time we got into Whatever The Fuck Ghirahim is Doing and we’re not gonna get ALL the answers but we ARE gonna get a whole fuck ton of flirting!

Let’s start with what I think will be Ghirahim and Dinravi’s first revealing scene together once we’re out of the 0.5 Draft, which takes place right after Ghirahim shooshes at Astramorus and scares the marbles out of him:

[Image descriptions: Ghirahim is throwing off his fortune teller’s cloak while striding toward Dinravi, who is putting his necklace onto a dresser with a large mirror. “What an INVIGORATING outing that was!” Ghirahim declares. Dinravi says, “YOU’RE in a good mood-” he starts to remove his outer duster- “You didn’t KILL SOMEONE while I wasn’t LOOKING somehow, did you?” Despite his words he’s smiling, perhaps in amusement at Ghirahim’s good spirits. Ghirahim puts a hand to his face, brushing his hair out of his eye slightly while pursing his lips flirtatiously. “Oh, Sweet Prince, how UNCOUTH,” he says, then comes forward and puts a hand on Dinravi’s chest, smiling up into his face. “I do HAVE other INTERESTS,” he says, a heart accompanying his words. Dinravi seems mostly unmoved, if amused. “There’s hope for you yet, thank Din.” he says. End ID.]

(In case it wasn’t clear Ghirahim is intimating that his other interests include scaring the wits out of old men.)

Basically Ghirahim showed up under the fortune teller guise fairly recently, revealed himself to Dinravi and has been trying to seduce him into becoming the demon lord Ghirahim knows he can be ever since.

But it’s actually not working very well because Dinravi is basically chill as fuck:

[Image description: Ghirahim has his arms around Dinravi from behind and is leaning up to murmur into his ear. “You and I, wielder of Power,” he says, “We could BATHE THE SANDS RED and drink the BLOOD OF YOUR ENEMIES, crush their bones in my TEETH.” Dinravi, amused, answers him “I don’t WANT to drink blood Ghirahim, I want poultry pilaf and some fried bananas- please don’t cling to me while I’m COOKING.” End ID.]

(Dinravi cooks for himself as a hobby.) Also for the record I’m letting Ghirahim have randomly sharp teeth as he pleases because I think it’s hot. XD

On Eltani’s side of the situation, well:

[Image Description: Eltani is talking to Dinravi, and says, “There’s something OFF about that fortune teller, Belovéd, you WATCH YOURSELF with him.” Dinravi answers, “Of course Mama.” He then thinks, pursing his lips, “Do I TELL HER that he’s an ancient demon trying to SEDUCE ME for some reason?” He then blushes. “ABSOLUTELY NOT,” he thinks, and a label pops up reading “Reminder this kid is only 20.” End ID.]

And no, Dinravi’s not really fully aware he’s technically Ganondorf and whether Ganon and Demise are fully connected is something I’m gonna choose to be vague about; all he knows is this sexy demon man showed up one day claiming as the holder of the Triforce of Power that makes him a worthy master.

And Dinravi’s response to that? By sheer force of will, he’s determined to influence Ghirahim for the better instead of being influenced for the worse.

Because Dinravi’s a particular sort of badass and also an optimistic 20 year old kid gunning to be a good leader and possibly save the world, from Ghirahim specifically if it comes to that. Preferably by pointing out to Ghirahim that he doesn’t have to railroad himself into his own fate.

[Image Description: Ghirahim is showing Dinravi his hands transformed to claws, tapping the heavy necklace Dinravi usually wears. He says, “I’m a SWORD, Dinravi, what do you THINK makes me feel ALIVE?” Dinravi answers solemnly, “Even a SWORD can become something ELSE, Ghirahim.” Ghirahim’s demeanor suddenly shifts as he pushes his hair out of his face with what is now a normal human hand, and, remarkably, blushes. “WELLL,” he begins, then shifts to flirtations, leaning his back against Dinravi’s chest. “Maybe with some BEATING, HEAT... And no small amount of SKILL.” Dinravi scrunches his face, trying not to laugh. “Pff do you EVER turn it OFF?” he asks. Ghirahim’s face lights up as he goes in for the figurative kill: “My RAPIER WIT?” he asks. “NO!!” Dinravi bursts out laughing. End ID.]

So who do you think is more doomed, the person laughing at bad puns or the person aiming to get a laugh with the bad puns? This version of Ghirahim’s had a little more time to settle into himself, and in some ways that makes him more dangerous, but in others it might make him a little more... human. Dinravi is young and inexperienced, but he’s had a lot of good examples to look towards.

The real question is how Ghirahim got here, and he’s not answering that one as of right now.

And in the meantime, Astramorus is trying to sort out his atonement:

[Image Description: Astramorus enters a room with Serenumbra. The centerpiece of the room is a glowing bow on a pedestal, set at the feet of a statue of Hylia. Serenumbra asks: “Is that-” “Yes,” Astramorus answers. “Manifested by the previous Hyrulean princess to have fought Ganon. A BOW OF LIGHT.” The Bow of Light glows. Astramorus takes it in hand. Serenumbra says, a hand to his mouth, “Ah, surely that will help, I hope the boy will ACCEPT it from you.” Astramorus looks slightly surprised at the statement, then slightly exasperated. “Sure, sure, yes, I’ll figure something out.” Serenumbra smiles cheerfully. The scene switches to show Astramorus outside the Sky Temple in the middle of the night. He is releasing fairies. End ID.]

Astramorus what are you doing???? Didn’t one of those fairies literally save you just a few scenes ago???

#my art #au august #loz #loz au #Loz au: the courage of running away #sorry this is in the literal middle of the night

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needs-to-stop-looking-at-yigas · 3 years ago

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Yay! I'll be a patient little footsoldier! When the time/mood strikes... my request would be for someone (some asshole like Cil or Astor) to realize Kohga is trans and give him a hard time about it, and for Sooga to just defend the hell out of him/his identity. Especially if the discovery happens in an unexpected way, like he starts his period somewhere and is outed and already feeling vulnerable (happened to me, it sucks). Sooga standing up for trans rights is just so good for the soul <3

Ooh i get the feeling on the period, anon. Long story at work, it's super embarrassing. Hope this helps!

"I'm pretty fucking sure dude's got mange..."

Kohga nodded at one of the yiga soldier's words. He hated this weird guy telling him what to do all the time. He also REALLY hated that Astor kept telling him how useless he was. Always calling him a failure, and with Ganon's influence, it didn't leave Kohga with much to say. He sat upon his chair, trying to just let Astor ramble on his shit alone. But Astor just, wanted problems today. He sat in front of the weird deviled egg demon, praying over it obsessively.

"I apologize for yet another failure on their end, my lord. You do not deserve as such. Granted, their actions play into the greater picture, but the incompetence of so many of their followers. It's upsetting."

That was the last straw for Kohga. To make fun of him was one thing, it was something that unfortunately happened often. But to talk shit about his ENTIRE crew? That wasn't right. Cil, Von, and Sooga watched as their Master got off his throne, giving Astor's shoulder a slight shove. Astor turned around, looking at Kohga as if he was just a toddler.

"Hey. You talking shit about ME? I get that, I talk loads of crap about you too. But about MY boys? That shit is off limits for someone as slimy lookin' as you."

Astor chuckled, clearly finding Kohga's words amusing.

"How cute. Unfortunately, they are all but fools. They believe their master is as they see them. But no. Their master is but a fool. A fool who brings the wool over their eyes."

Kohga was going to ask him what he meant, when he saw what Astor was looking at. Kohga had his period earlier than he was supposed to, all over his chair. He crossed his legs, just knowing he was soaked in blood. Astor didn't let him just wallow in his shame.

"You are a fake. A liar. A deceiver. You are a FAKER. A fake man, running a fake army."

"I'm...I'm not a fake."

"But you are! Your competency is fake! Your strength is fake! Your BODY is fake. All of it. Flesh, bone, and womb. You are no leader, let alone a man."

Maybe...maybe Astor had a point. He couldn't even tell his boys that he was different from them. If he couldn't keep his shit together here...maybe he was just a shitty excuse for a man. He still had all the parts. The only way he could call himself a man was by title, and title alone. He felt himself shrink under Astor's smirk, only to have the view replaced by Sooga’s back.

"I will not let a blind seer say such nonsense. Master Kohga is a man. A man who does too much to deal with a pathetic eel like you."

"SHE is a woman. A fool. A mockery of all Ganon stands for-"

"Wait so what's happening here?"

Cil piped up, just now standing up from his seat. Sooga put his hand on his shoulder, and after gaining silent permission from Kohga, explained.

"Master Kohga was born as a woman. But he is a man in soul. So that makes him a trans man."

"Wait so he still has a vagina?"

"Yes."

"Ew. Er, I mean- doesn’t matter. Kohga could have nothing, doesn’t mean THIS train wreck gets to make him uncomfortable."

Cil stood up, finding himself peering behind Master Kohga, and glaring at Astor. Astor chuckled, shaking his head.

"You're both the same fool as every other man in history. Blinded by the scent of a woman."

Sooga leaned down to Astor, clearly not appreciating his words.

"One, you REALLY don't know what you're talking about. With me OR Cil. Second, you have some nerve, speaking such foolishness."

Sooga felt Von appear at his side, cracking his knuckles.

"Actually guys, let's test how full of shit he is. He says Ganon is all powerful right? Well. Surely he's powerful enough to protect his little prophet from a bunch of 'idiots', right?"

Another blade master locked the door, standing in front of it. Cil chuckled, taking enough slow steps towards Astor to make him very uncomfortable.

"That's the smartest thing you've EVER said, Von. Let's absolutely test his claims."

Astor suddenly didn't look so confident.

"You. You can't hurt me. Making an enemy of me makes an enemy of Ganon-"

"Don't think of it as making an enemy. Think of it as uh...a sacrifice to the guy. Little bit of blood IS a god's deal, right? He doesn't want it, he could absolutely stop us. Till then...its us against you, little man."

Von picked Astor up by his collar, slamming his back against the wall. Sooga turned to Kohga.

"You want to watch first, or would you like to get cleaned up?"

"Much as I want to see him get his ass kicked, I'm...really embarrassed right now. So, clean up please."

"Understandable. I'll have someone take care of the chair, lets get you a bath."

Cil called out from his hold on Astor's throat.

"I will record the important parts for you, Master Kohga."

"Thanks Cil, you're a peach. And you,"

Kohga lifted his head up to look at Sooga.

"I love you."

"I love you too. A terribly handsome man, you are."

#asks #Kohga #Sooga #Von #Cil #Astor #listen Cil ATTEMPTED to say trans rights #gotta give him a point there

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luckywolfsbane · 2 years ago

Note

Here's my theory, you ready?

ALL events listed in Totk and BoTW are post the pre-established timelines. Some catastrophic event caused the timelines to not be split anymore or caused another timeline altogether. We don't see it because it happened before Zelda went back. Theoretically, it involves Ganon realizing his connection to Demise and using inherited god powers to fuck shit up so completely that Hyrule and all records of kings/royals prior was lost. So the survivors of the aftermath, including one remaining person with Hylia's bloodline, made a new Kingdom of Hyrule, which Rauru is the first king of.

This actually explains why there are references to stuff all over the place and why all the races are seen in the 10,000 year past. I'd bet it's closer to what the devs had in mind because they said "distant future" for where botw lands on the timeline. They didn't say 5,000 years or even 10,000 years post Skyward Sword. I don't think, at least.

Anyway. Rauru is the first king of the newly refounded kingdom of Hyrule.

I personally think it would be interesting to say that the child timeline merged with the downfall timeline first. And here's how: the events that came to pass in downfall eventually happened in the child timeline. It just took longer. The same happened with the adult timeline, but this time, WITH the spirit of the hero and a lot less trains.

Instead of trains, we get Sheikah and Zonai tech. Which is really nice and cool. I like that a lot.

And it was AFTER a solution was found post great flood, and all this tech started popping up that Ganondorf did his "oh. I'm connected to Demise" thing and wrought havoc.

Which brings us to the Imprisoning War and events seen in BoTW and ToTK. Idk. Just a theory.

something im very confused about in totk that i wanted to get your take on: do you think the imprisoning war is the war from the tapestry impa mentions in botw? iirc the time matches, and the sages are wearing divine beast masks, but there’s no mention of sheikah tech whatsoever (makes sense bc of the game’s focus on zonai tech instead i guess but still) + they aren’t really fighting calamity ganon in totk. also to me it seems like they sorta implied in the hateno school quest that the tapestry was depicting the calamity 100yrs ago (might be misremembering but that’s the vibe i got)

they're 2 seperate events as far as i can tell! the timeline looks something like this:

some unspecified point over 10 thousand years before botw: sonia & rauru's hyrule is founded, the imprisoning war happens because ganondorf, the king of the gerudo, becomes power-hungry and attempts to gain power via sonia's secret stone. rauru seals him below hyrule castle.

roughly 10 thousand years before botw: the first calamity as depicted in the tapestry. presumably a manifestation of ganondorf's power, but not actually ganondorf himself. closer to the calamity as seen in botw. divine beasts and guardians are built, champions and hero & princess as depicted in the tapestry fight this calamity and win, but neglect the root of the problem (sealed ganondorf.) guardians and divine beasts are buried after this calamity.

roughly 100 years before botw: the SECOND calamity, experienced by botw's link and zelda. guardians and divine beasts are unearthed. link, zelda, and the champions fall at the hands of this calamity.

events of botw -- link's resurrection, reclamation of the divine beasts, eventual defeat of the calamity.

sometime before totk: divine beasts & guardians are dismantled (?) lookout landing is built, hyrule begins to rebuild

roughly 5-6 years post-botw: events of totk--ganondorf's resurrection, the upheaval, zelda's time-travel, link's defeat of ganondorf.

so the imprisoning war and the calamity are 2 entirely separate catastrophes. hyrule truly cannot catch a break

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fatefulfaerie · 4 years ago

Text

Animal

Linktober Prompt Day 15/31

Incarnation: Breath of the Wild 2

Word Count: 815

Triggers: None

“Link?” Zelda whispered.

She only heard a muffled “Mm” in response.

“Do you hear that?”

“No,” he said, his voice obviously against his pillow. “I’m not awake.”

Zelda narrowed her eyes as she focused her ears. It was definitely a small scratching sound.

She slid out of bed, bare feet meeting the floor and, not to her surprise in the slightest, bare skin meeting the morning air of their Hateno home.

The first thing she saw on the ground beneath her was Link’s blue champion tunic, so she pulled that on to cover herself. The end of the shirt stopped at a point where everything private was covered, but her scandalous outfit wasn’t new to her, Zelda not at all phased as she crept down the stairs.

These past few weeks were the start of a very hot summer for Hyrule. While later months may coax her to bundle up, the morning brought no chill. The shirt really was in case she were spotted by neighbors or passersby.

Now down the stairs, she listened closely, the noise seeming to have stopped before it resumed once again, small scratching definitely coming from their door.

Link was still in their bed, laying on his stomach with his head face down and his arms bent close to his forehead. His legs were splayed out, one leg bent, one leg straight, and regrettably, he was awake in these early hours.

He heard the door open before Zelda made a high “oh” sound obviously adoring something.

“Hi,” she said. Link could hear her smile.

“Link, come here.”

He opened an eye and grumbled something incoherent, likely something not meant to be coherent and slowly twisted his back so that his eyes faced the ceiling, convincing himself to get up.

When he finally did, he came down the stairs in his Hylian trousers to find Zelda petting a cat, fur a dark tan with various black stripes.

“I’m sorry,” she said without even looking in Link’s direction. “I know you aren’t a morning person, but this cat is so cute.”

Link knelt beside Zelda with a sigh.

“Can we keep it?”

“I’m just your husband, Zel,” Link said. “I’m not in charge of you.”

“True,” Zelda said. “But for the record, Link, you aren’t just anything. You mean so much to me. Don’t downgrade yourself.”

“I’m just saying you don’t have to get permission from me,” Link said. “If you think we can take care of a living being that isn’t ourselves, then I don’t have any problem with it.”

“It’d be good practice,” Zelda reasoned.

Link didn’t reply at first, looking at how both their hands pet the meowing cat.

“We’ve never talked about that,” he finally said.

“Have you ever thought about it?” Zelda asked.

Link shrugged.

“I don’t know. I guess I just assumed that with me in the shrine for a hundred years and you fighting Ganon for a hundred years, it’s kind of…”

“Scientifically out of the question?” Zelda suggested.

Link nodded.

“Yeah.”

Zelda stopped petting the cat, looking to Link.

“Is it something you would want?” Zelda asked.

Link continued to pet the cat, who was starting to purr.

“Eventually,” he said. “But I’m not really in any rush to put you in that position.” He looked at her. “Although, honestly Zelda…we’ve been running the risk of it already…”

“I know, I know,” she said with a sigh as she thought upon it. “It would just be so bizarre.”

“Thanks.”

“No,” Zelda insisted. “I mean bizarre as in after a hundred years we are still viably fertile.”

“Zelda…”

“No, really, it’s quite fascinating, Purah might even have some books on—“

“Zelda,” Link said with a slight laugh and his hand on hers. He continued slowly, “not everything must be controlled and studied.”

“But if I do some research we may be able to—”

“Zel,” Link interrupted. “Just because I want something, doesn’t mean you have to drop everything to make it happen as soon as possible. I’m your husband and that means I have no right to command you to do anything. We took an oath to life our lives as one, and that is what I plan to do. Although we’re both clearly interested in it, we’ve only just broached the subject of children. We’ll take it one day at a time, not forcing the subject but considering it. I know you have a tendency to view something as a problem and study it ad nauseam to fix it, but Zel…this isn’t a problem and nothing needs to be fixed. This isn’t your sealing power or Calamity Ganon or Ganondorf’s hidden corpse, and so we have time. This is just something new to think about and discuss as the days go by, and that’s okay. Today we’ll start by taking care of this stray. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Zelda nodded.

“Okay.”

#linktober #tloz #breath of the wild 2 #the legend of zelda #botw 2 #breath of the wild #botw #zelda #link #zelink #hateno #hyrule

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violet975 · 4 years ago

Text

Random thoughts.

So i replayed BOTW a while ago for the first time and decided to write down some of the random thoughts that i get while exploring Hyrule, here they are.

… A lot of these things gave me some fanfic ideas and I hope that they will do the same for someone more competent.

It's realty in character that the response to being asked why you took the man's torch is either to bludgeon things to death with it or to be a pyromaniac.

When the tower pedestal shines, Link instinctively leans back for a second before diving right back in because curiosity kills the cat.

The message from the slate/tower is to watch out for falling rocks which either means that

1: zelda is writing them (and has a fair bit of free reign still).

2: the ancient Sheikah could see the future.

3: Ai to the likes of Fi.

Ganon kinda reawakens when the towers are up so maybe he was resting and building a body until he was interrupted here, which could be why his form later is such a hodgepodge of the Blights?.

Link is not too naive since he kinda clamps up in his answers to the totally unimportant old man.

Did Link briefly make eye-contact with the camera when he got the spirit orb!?

Link is a bit freaked out in his "How did you know!?" Response cas now he knows something major is up when the old man directly mentions the spirit orb.

Again, in character that you can choose to be an impatient brat with the "paraglider please?" Or inquisitive when Roam points out the slate.

Either run out of temper with the "that wasn't the deal!" Or be resigned with "so I need more now?" When the old fart sends you off to the other three shrines.

Ohh, another adrenaline junkie option with the "got it!" Over climbing the tower for a good view or a Deadpan "are you joking?".

"Or so i heard quite some time ago.. I do not know if it actually works as such" so they did not get teleporting to work before? or he just didn't learn how it was done.

So the monks, according to how the Triforce signs they held, apparently associate Power with Magnesis, Wisdom with bombs, Stability with stasis and Courage with cryonis?

The monks dissipate into green specks like Ganon’s soul does under the castle!

I'm not into men but damn if Link doesn't look good in the Warm Doublet.

Oh. My. God, he was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule!!!!!

Link is such a dumbass, you get to ask Kass "are you a ...bird?" As if the man isn't standing right in front of you. No shit Sherlock! What next, is that a recorder?.

OhhohoHO! You either say "no(, i have not heard of them)" or "Ancient songs?" As if you do not initially realize why they are thought to be ancient which either is old memories warring with the now world or Link not realizing what impact The Calamity had on culture.

Another flat-faced sarcastic remark everyone!

When Manny mentions that his job is checking for beauties/sus people you can either be a dumb dunce and ask about the said beauties or a little menace with "sounds though".

Manny is an Incel, talks a big game and puts himself on top of a pedestal alongside being demanding and a creep.

Does Hateno not have a goddess shrine? Just the ~Evil~ one?

There is a pair of rusty knights sword and shield by the leftmost part of the walkway of Fort Hateno. Some knight probably died laying there, watching out over the field of guardians having been/being purged by Zelda.

A traveler (Chelessa) is interested in history and wants to question Impa about it, and is on her way to do so in fact. . Describes her personality as very pleasant, that must be wrong.

The Yiga know exactly how Links first waking moments played out so either they have extensive knowledge about his character and the setup of the Shrine Of Resurrection or Ganon was watching in on Zelda's call and relayed it to a minion in the clan.

"Hero boy" - derogatory.

Arrow in the eye of the bridge at the entrance of Kakariko, the Yiga are petty and I love it.

Piano's (the painter) hair bun thing that is styled like a pencil has paint on the tip... this man painted with his hair.

So the great fairy Cotera makes it sound like she will enchant your gear because you rejuvenated her, not because you bring the materials to do the enchanting.

The levels of enchantment seemingly depends on physical closeness to the Fairy (blow< indirect kiss< kiss < sex)

She can not enchant beyond Lv 1 without her sister's help, so they share power?

Paya specifies that they have watched over the Orb since the grandmother of the grandmother of Impa, that's 9 whole generations of long lived Sheikah! roughly 1000 years of recorded history!

Again with Link being a dense Shonen protagonist with "where is it?" Or a sly bastard with "really, though?"... maybe so that she would want to prove it ;)

…”I'll answer you some day, just not today!”

Either Paya is just not ready for that or she is so nervous that she did not think about the fact that her own grandmother was in the room when she said it!

“Served the royal family in secret” so it's not common knowledge that the royals have a village of Magic ninjas!? No wonder it took a damn demon to topple it instead of rebellion or infighting... probably has been like this since the old old king banished 'em.

"The royal family was destroyed, and the members of our tribe scattered."- okay so it was probably some Sheikah that either thought the royal family was completely extinct and either fled or, according to this next bit- "Sadly, there were some who swore allegiance to Ganon at that time. They joined together as the Yiga Clan, seeking out all who opposed Ganon... cutting them down, one after another."

So from that we get to know that not all Sheikah deserters became enemies (unless the Sheikah dislike defectors enough to hunt them down) and others who either joined an existing opposing group or simply up and created the Yiga clan that then aligned itself with Ganon... probably under either the belief that Hylia's line was extinct and that it was join or die or because they wished to spite the goddess and her followers.

I actually like this way more because it makes no sense that the Yiga could survive before the Calamity when the Royals would have an entire damn country and anbu black-ops to hunt them down with.

"Master link, now that you are awake, you are surely the most formidable opponent standing against them!" Either hero worship or the Sheikah are freshly out on capable warriors with Ninja magic tricks, probably the latter which would explain why the world isn't infested with Lynels or why hynoxes haven't just trampled every settlement.

"No doubt they will come for you, employing whatever underhanded methods they can device"

oh come on! Do not tell me that i'm stuck with the goodie two shoe ninja clan!? Underhandedness is your bread and butter! No wonder you served the royals in secret because you and them by proxy would have been a laughingstock otherwise!!!

"The great fairy Cotera... few remain who know that this village was built under her watchful eye." So the village is fairy new and the Yiga came about before Kakariko or it is old and so well protected that they can't get in... at least not easily.

"The mysterious power of Cotera is that of sacred protection..." so the Great fairies are linked to either Hylia or the gods, good to know.

So it’s not that Cotera “-would be happy to help” but, instead “i can't think of any reason why she wouldn't be happy to help you”. so either she only directly helps men or the earlier "you can put your trust in the great fairy" means that she judges more favorably for the chosen hero.

"I heard that the weather is going to be beautifully tomorrow... to bad you won't be alive to enjoy it"

So they have weather accurate~ich prediction? through magic or old time methods?

Again: Hero boy - derogatory... It's a common nickname for Link within the Yiga.

The lush green shrine could tell that a buck was on it, so the platforms are most definitely scanners.

A travelers sword by a campfire at the foot of mount Lanayru, so someone either took a swim and died to the Lizardfo, dramatically quit or got killed in their sleep.

Love the effect when you have metal weapons on the ground and swing a ThunderBlade!

You automatically reflect the Octorock's rocks, goes faster if you do it manually.

There is a hollowed out part of a hill/mountain with a lot of fic potential to the North-West of the Sword by the campfire.

Located where the lines meet if you draw a line to the right from Rabia plain and up from Trotter's Downfall.

Koko of Kakariko has been deceived by my cunning and slight-of-hand.

Yes, Sagessa (woman by the lake of the Dueling peaks stable), there is, in fact, something "quite romantic" in Link's "endeavor" to save Zelda, thank you for noticing!

The chests inside the shrines can only (non-violently) be opened by use of the Sheikah slate so why not steal a few? prefect safe-keeping for more stuff to keep in Links house.

Dunce moment everyone!

The Yiga traveler tries to seduce Link and you either go with "OK..." so he either has no damn idea about what is going on or is just not good with women?

Orrrrr you go with a straight "I refuse!" cas you see through their ruse and want to rub their face in the dirt!

According to Mina the Hylian, taking out two Bokoblins is considered as great martial caliber which both she and her traveling companion could not do while decently armed.

Best way to deal with a guardian scout when you have weak weapons: hit with electricity, switch weapon, hit 2-5 times, switch to electric, repeat.

When you first enter the area around Hyrule Castle, smoke Ganon throws a fit until Zelda slaps him away.

This either means that Zelda canonically gets a larger workload from there on and out or that the both of them push harder against each other every time you get close.

According to Zelda's diary, Link was assigned as her guard after the champions had been appointed.

How Link was focused on her yet did not voice his thoughts apparently "makes my imagination run wild!". Either romantic or dense.

Link admits to staying quiet because of the pressure of being the boy chosen by the sword.

King Rhoam mentions that he decided to honor THE royal family's traditions by naming his daughter Zelda, and that he is "not a man accustomed to frivolous musings".

Basically confirming that he is not the parent of royal blood.

They probably knew about The Calamity for a good while cas the page after zelda's naming speaks of the fortune teller, probs 3-8 years since Zelda was described to already have vast interest in the relics.

Pikango gets up at 10 past 5, I spent the night watching him and Beetle sleep.

According to all known laws of aerodynamics, Rito should not be able to fly, is Revali's gale then just an absurdly strong variation of some kind of sky Arcanum that all Rito possess? Do all the races possess one as Well?

Slimes ate the Bokoblins in the tree base at the center of the west Hyrule fields.

Savelle is a helpful guy without a pension for violence.

Munk Shae Loya is just flexing on all the other Munks, those old farts need to sit down while he's been squatting on one leg the last 10'000 years.

Chork of the Tabantha Bridge Stable is drunk.

Toren is either naive or a simp for the Faireys.

If you have the Hylian hood equipped with no weapon while riding at max speed then your cape will flap.

"Sweet boy..." "...I see now that my first impression of you was correct. You most definitely are pleasant to look at."

So link has some kind of presence/soul-thingy that appears pleasant to mystical creatures? Might be the spirit of the hero or this link in particular.

The Fairy Kaysar makes Link blush! No player input needed! We’ve found one of his types!... either that or he's just shy.

The fairies almost never use normal materials to enchant, it's always either monster parts that don't dissipate or things that grow in magical arias.

The Sheikah towers are sturdy as all hell, the Tabantha tower did not even get a scratch from a giant fucking pillar falling on it.

Okay, am I just crazy or is a Lizardfo and a Moblin holding a class for 5 bokoblins just to the left of the Tabanta fairy fountain!?

Lester, the wise curry rice guy at Rito Stable, describes Link as sunny boy, another point to the soul/aura theory thingy.

Phontos laughs to hide the pain.

According to the story that Kass sings.

Calamity Ganon was the result of sealing the enemy at its source.

It fought not only the spawn of the Goddess and the bearer of the Spirit Of The Hero but also the army of Guardians and the Champions that piloted the Divine Beasts for quite some time, as implied in the "and the guardians protected them throughout every hour".

So what i get from this is that the attack 10 000 years ago was the first sighting of what we know as calamity Ganon.

It was also far stronger than the one that attacked 100 years ago which implies that that one was either a rush job or that Ganon bounds had been tightened, both of which would drive him to seek out other methods like corrupting the Guardians.

...And the Guardians are apparently powered by the ancient blue energy which was, time-line wise, first shown when the Golden Goddesses created the world.

No wonder that Ganon was capable of doing this since he most likely is running on fumes, spite and the power of the Triforce which likely is made of/channels said energy.

According to the rumor mill, you need the blood of the Hero in your veins to wield the Master Sword, if this is accurate then that means that Fi is sentimental or that Link has magic blood.

Wildberrys are fucking massive.

Genli (the salmon child) is a cunt, one kid was crying about someone Vah Medoh killed and then Genli is all like "no don't stop it, if you do then i have to go to class again!", She would fit right in with today's youth.

Monk Akh Va'quot has the best position so far, he is just done with your shit.

"You adventurers are Crazy" -> "you're right"

You get nothing if you melt all the ice by the Tabantha tower! You lose! Good day sir!

Monk Daka Tuss got bored during his self-inflicted quarantine and started stacking his arm bands.

Tula (the bathing Zora) said "wow either you are a Hylian or hideously deformed"

Phura has vandalized and mounted one of the spirit frog statues above her door.

Okay but the fucking noice that comes out of Bolson when you buy everything!! It's as if you just walked up and twisted his nuts with the power fit to shield block a Lynel’s charge.

Is the flower by Link's bed a Korok version of a Silent Princess?

The monsters of Hyrule are show to have interest in consumption based on three accounts.

1: the Bocoblins and the Moblins by Hateno bay steal cattle.

2: Hynoxes carry around warriors foodstuffs.

3: Moblins (or at least the ones by the camp near the Serenne stable/forgotten temple) have a resting animation where they dig through the dirt and stuff something down their goblet.

...not to mention that nearly every camp has a bit of meat roasting by the fire.

Koyin has joined the fan-club!

God, the Naydra snowfield is fucking loaded in chill-shromes!

Stasis is perfect for looking for ingredients in forests, just open it, look around and bam! No more hidey hoe.

Why no shiny text for hylia's statue!?

I really do not like that they changed Naydra's colors when the malice was removed, they were so cool and then bam! White! White is not the color for ice and cold!

When praying by the spring of wisdom you are facing Hyrule castle, the same with courage and power if my memory serves me right.

...The master Torch

The Katona Aug shrine is just fucking mini-golf, how is that meant to prepare the hero?! Imagine how that Monk goes to the afterlife and has to look his fellows straight in the eye and admit that he was so lazy that not only did he make the hero play golf, not only was he so lazy that he made the Hero play mini-golf, but that he was so lazy that he did not even make a course! It is literally just a straight line!

Robie wants to see Links scars to verify that he is who he says that he is, Robie was likely one of the ninja that took Link to the shrine of resurrection.

Oh and Robin has two interesting sketches in his lab, the first is a detailed graph of a Sheikah tower so those were likely known about long before Link activated one (the one closest to Robin would be the one covered in malice and guardians so he could not have gotten enough detail from that one).

And the other is a sketch of what I believe is either a tier 2 or tier 3 guardian scout. Now, how can Robin know how that looks if only Link can/could enter shrines?

The Sheikah shrine that has the Barbarian helm is located at the end of the Sinai maze, did they just plop the shrine down there and steal the treasure of the ruin to later present to the hero?

There is one usable room in the citadel.

There is no compendium slot for the malice eyes that litter Naydra, Hyrule Castle and the Divine Beasts.

You can change the element of already elemental slime, not just the neutral kind.

Those head-spitting fuckers inside the divine beasts! They are partially reanimating mobs! So it's not that the Blood Moon is the time where Ganon is at his strongest, it's just where he chooses to revive everything.

The edge of duality can also be found in the shrine at the top of the dueling peaks.

#botw #lore #fanfic ideas #the legend of zelda #breath of the wild

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misterewrites · 4 years ago

Text

I get by with a little help from my friends (and Link)

Hey everyone! E here with a random story popped into my head! I needed to write this for practice for another project but I still had a lot of fun with it. So this story takes place in the wild timeline between Age of Calamity and breath of the wild. Like that weird middle ground where the champions were getting ready. Upfront I did as much research as I could cuz it has been a while since I played BOTW and I did use a wiki with some references to the game and such, avoided spoilers I think and I did kinda go with my own conclusion in some places for the sake of story cuz the wiki only knows so much and I can't replay the entire game again. Well I can but not in a short time for this story. Also some Light Zelda and link cuz they’re cute and if nintendo wont canon them, I will!

So I hope you enjoy! have fun, stay safe, wear a mask and wash your hands! E is out! have a great week everyone! If you want to leave me comments or just have an easier time reading this story, it has been uploaded to Ao3. My user name is MrE42

“He’s still there, isn’t he?”

Impa shrugged, unsure what the princess was expecting her to say “You know he is.”

Zelda huffed, irritated at her father’s watchdog who silently kept watch just outside, stoic and stalwart in his duty to an annoying degree.

Zelda, princess of Hyrule and aspiring scholar, trained from birth to be poised and refined in the harshest situations, made a face towards the library door.

“I do not need a babysitter.” Zelda fumed as she filmed through the bookshelves “You are here Impa and far more suited to the task than my father’s knights.”

“Your knights” Impa corrected “And normally I would agree but with Yiga clan beginning to cause more and more trouble, you and the kingdom need my Sheikah to prevent their tricks. I am their leader and I have to lead. Same as you princess.”

“I know” Zelda replied, unable to keep out the frustration out of her voice “But I wish my father chose a...different person”

Impa rolled her eyes “We both know that Link is the most capable solider in the kingdom. He is without equal and you are only mad at him because your father chose him.”

“I am not a child Impa.”

“No but you are the magical princess whose power would help keep the calamity at bay. I can’t fathom why your father would want you protected at all times.”

Zelda glared openly at her best friend “Your sarcasm is noted and ignored.”

“Excellent” Impa beamed “But in all seriousness, these are dangerous princess. Your father caused quite a ruckus choosing a country bumpkin instead of the nobles lovely, incompetent children.”

Zelda shifted guiltily at the mention of the nobility. They were not pleased that the king of Hyrule had decided to entrust the safety of his only heir and future ruler of their kingdom to a nobody from Hateno Village. It did not matter that Link had come from a long line of knights whom had been protecting the land for almost as long as Zelda’s family had been ruling it. Nor did it matter that he was their most fierce and well trained warrior. He was not of nobility and it angered her that someone who simply wanted to do their best was being mistreated.

Even if she was guilty of the same crime.

“I just wish he appeared more human.” Zelda quietly admitted, hoping Link could not hear “He is emotionless. His gaze is entirely steely and he has not spoken a single word to me. He simply stands, watching and waiting.

“Judging?” Impa added.

Zelda glanced to the side shamefully “Judging. Judging that his talents are wasted on a princess who cannot even perform the single duty that has been entrusted to her.”

“I think you’re projecting.”

“And you are far too calm.”

Impa giggled cutely “Appearances. I’m as nervous as you princess but I know better than anyone how uneasy people get if their leaders show panic. Your powers will come when they come. You will figure it out.”

Zelda turned to the ninja leader fearfully “And if they don’t?”

“Then I’ll protect you.” Impa answered truthfully “Link will protect you and the champions will kick some ganon butt! You’re not alone so stop acting like it.”

“Thank you Impa.” Zelda moved in for a hug.

“Nope!” Impa took a step back “No, no, no! That’s not proper.”

“I order you to give your princess a hug.”

“…..sigh, yes your highness.”

-----

Zelda’s eyes twinkled with a rare softness as she, Link and Mipha watched the young zora prince Sidon swim so carefree in the deep blue waters of the lake. Link was further ahead of the two princesses, standing at the shore of the lake vigilante for any signs of trouble.

“He certainly takes his duty seriously.” Zelda murmured under her breath.

Mipha laughed softly “It is nice to see how age has calmed him.”

Zelda tilted curiously to the champion “Mipha, you’ve known Link since you were both children, correct?”

Mipha nodded in confirmation “Yes ever since he arrived with a group of knights on orders of King Rhoam. Even then he was courageous. Impossibly reckless however but I suppose that is simply who Link is.

Mipha’s soft laughter grew into a playful chortle. Zelda quizzically stared at her fellow princess.

“Sorry your highness.” Mipha waved her hand in embarrassment “I was just thinking to myself how much healing practice Link has gotten me. I suppose I am as proficient as I am thanks him.”

“Oh?”

“He was always getting into trouble.” Mipha began, her voice taking on a hue of nostalgia “Always injured after throwing himself head first into danger. He hated sitting still, allowing others to suffer for him. His shell might be more silent and stoic but he is still the kind boy I knew. That I…”

Zelda caught the slight longing in the zora princess’s tone “Mipha?”

“It is nothing.”

Mipha slipped into a comfortable silence but Zelda bristled uneasily at a sudden realization.

“Mipha….”

Mipha faced Zelda, worry and concern etched in the scholar’s face.

“Do you think…” Zelda spoke slowly “Link hates me? That his talented and training is wasted watching a princess who cannot even produce a glare of light. I drag him everywhere, fuming at his presence all while he watches with an endless vigil.”

Mipha gently placed her hand onto Zelda’s shoulder. Zelda felt a calming presence fill her body and a quiet peace that came with it.

Mipha gave a soft smile “Link knows better than anyone how hard you are trying. He knows how desperate you must be. He does not disdain your loathing. He simply is giving you the space you desire. His duty is everything to him and he will perform it to his dying breath. You are his princess. He will ensure your safety.”

Zelda said nothing and despite the calming peace she felt, the twinge of guilt began to eat at her.

“LINK!”

The tension broke as Zelda and Mipha glanced back towards the lake. Sidon giggled and chuckled at a full swim, rapidly heading for the shore and Link. Link, caught off guard in a rare moment, began to panic. He moved this way and that, frantically searching beyond the approaching zora in search for a nonexistent threat.

He realized, too late, what Sidon was up to.

With a mighty push, Sidon flew out of the deep blue waters and sailed through the air, hands outstretched as he collided with Link. Link flailed backwards, struggling to keep his footing but ultimately losing it. He fell backwards onto the shore, Sidon embracing him tightly a bone breaking hug. Even young, a zora was strong.

“Sidon!” Mipha chastised but before she could move closer, Link stood up with the still embracing prince, an evil glint in his eyes.

“Oh dear.”

“What is happening?” Zelda asked, unsure what was going on.

Link picked up Sidon, holding him high into the air as the young prince chanted “Do it, do it, do it!”

And just like that, Link spun around. Around and around, once, twice, five times building speed with Sidon’s cheers filled the air. Without warning, Link chucked the young zora through the air and back into the lake.

Sidon dove in wholeheartedly and broke the surface with a triumphant yell.

“20 feet! A NEW RECORD!”

Mipha rubbed her eyes tiredly “Boys.”

Zelda giggled softly as Link rose his arms in victory.

-----

“Daruk?”

“Yeah tiny princess?”

“Is that...a rock?”

“Yeah it is!”

“And why...is Link….eating the rock?”

“It’s prime rock roast! He got a real taste for it after the first time.”

“Oh. Right. I recall that now.”

Daruk bellowed with a hearty laugh “Dontcha worry princess, little guy might a hylian but he’s got the stomach of a goron! I bet he’d eat anything. Even some kind of dubious food that’s just too gross to look at. KEEP IT UP LINK!”

Link raised a thumb as he continued to chew on the rocky texture of the roast.

Zelda couldn’t help but smile the Daruk’s presence. His good nature and cheeriness were too infectious for even the royal princess to resist.

“Now what brings you out here tiny princess? Did you finally want to try out the roast? I can have cooks whip up a fresh, steaming one for ya.”

“What? Oh no.” Zelda quickly responded “No. I ate at home before we arrived so I am quite full. Perhaps next time. I am actually here to see if you needed anything.”

Daruk rubbed the back of his neck shyly “Aww thanks tiny princess! I appreciate it! Though if you don’t wanna eat the roast, you can just tell me. I know it isn’t everyone’s taste.”

“Oh. I am sorry I simply did not want to hurt your feelings.”

“Not to worry, I can’t be hurt!” Daruk beamed, posing heroic as an orangish translucent dome appeared over the goron chief for a moment, shielding him from the outside world.

The pair broke into a joyful laugh.

“Thank you Daruk.”

“Think nothing of it tiny princess. Though, now that you mentioned it I might need a little favor from ya.”

Zelda eagerly listened “Name it Daruk and I shall do everything in my power to ensure it done.”

“It’s about Rudania.”

Zelda’s heart sank “The divine beast? Is something amiss?”

“Oh no no no.” Daruk raised his hands as if to physically stop that line of thinking “Nothing serious. It’s just that that wonderful fantastic machine is able to have some alterations. The controls aren’t exactly goron friendly, ya know?”

“Oh! Hmm, I shall talk to Purah and Robbie. If anyone can alter Rudania, it is them.”

“Thanks tiny princess!” Daruk patted her back in a friendly manner. Zelda had to brace herself to make sure she didn’t fall sprawling to the floor.

Rudania.

Zelda glanced upwards Death Mountain, the divine beast in question clinging to the side the volcanic mountain as if keeping an eye out for the calamity.

The divine beasts, ancient Sheikah machines made of stone and an unknown source of power. Her father claimed these machines had been around since the dawn of Hyrule. Though information on these and other Sheikah made devices were contradictory at best and nonexistent at worst. Even Impa, clan leader, knew next to nothing about their functionality or purpose. Luckily for everyone Purah and Robbie had devoted their lives to the study of these machines and it was only thanks to the pairs ceaseless work (and Zelda would say sometimes obsession) that the champions could practice and grew proficient with their individual machines.

“How is your training with Rudania going Daruk?”

Daruk scratched the back of his neck anxiously “I wish I could say it’s going good but it’s not exactly a stroll in the lava, ya know?”

“Of...course.” Zelda nodded slowly, unsure what a stroll in lava would entail “Perhaps we can search for some sort of manual or instructions.”

“Nah” Daruk waved her off “We both know nothing like that probably exists but that’s alright. I’mma going just go for it and do my best!”

Zelda stared at the goron with admiration “I wish I could be as confident as you are.”

“I’m not!”

Zelda watched as Daruk’s face beaming grin melt into an uneasy smile

“I’m not confident” Daruk admitted “This is hard. This is a piece of technology unlike anything else in our little home. I have no idea how to use it or even if I’m doing it right. Heck, I don’t even know if what I’m doing is working. I’m a goron and I’m good at that but this? This is something else.”

Zelda felt that. Her inability to draw on her powers. Her failures and her father’s growing desperation pushing her to extremes, to find an answer regardless of the cost.

“But, I’mma gonna try all the same.”

Daruk’s smile returned. Not with happiness but with determination.

“That’s all we can do, right tiny princess?” Daruk chuckled “Do our best. Maybe it’ll be enough. Maybe it won’t but we gotta at least try.”

Zelda smiled “You are right Daruk. We must at least try. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome! Haha, for what?”

-----

Zelda could feel Link shift his weight back and forth ontop of the snow bank. The pair were bundled in winter gear, huddled close in an attempt to stay warm in the frigid chill of the snowy breeze. Though Zelda knew that wasn’t why Link was unhappy.

“You still here knight? Go home. You need to train some more if you want to keep up with me.”

Link’s face remained as impassive as ever but Zelda could see by the tensing of his cheeks that he was fuming: Revali had that effect on the knight.

She was unsure why the Rito had such a deep disdain for Link but it made it difficult to plan training exercises between the two. Even visits to check on Revali were scarce given the fact Link followed his orders diligently. Nothing would dissuade Link from his task, not even insults and mockery.

Zelda had been softening her stance on Link over the last few weeks. True she hadn’t reached the point where she completely accepted his presence but she no longer loathed him for it. It was not his fault her father was so stubborn and final in his decrees. He did what he was told and he did it with as much respect as he could muster. It was oddly comforting to have him near in the rare moment she was being honest. Whether it be researching any leads to unlocking her powers to her hobby of cataloging the various flora and fauna of Hyrule, he did not judge her. He watched in a quiet reverence, his eyes darting about for signs of danger so she would feel safe enough to focus on her task. And the more time they spent together, the more she realized he was more expressive than she previously thought.

His emotions were far subtler: A twitch of the ear, a raised eyebrow, clenching of his jaws. This is how Link spoke. This is how he displayed his emotions. Little signs easily missed unless you had been searching for them.

Not that Zelda was looking. That would be silly for her to simply stare at the knight accompanying her all across the kingdom, protecting her from the various threats found throughout. She was merely making observations like the good scholar she was. Link was no different than the flora and fauna she studied. Granted he was a much more interesting subject but….

“Princess.”

Zelda snapped out of her thoughts, her face flushed with embarrassment at her trailing thoughts.

“Are you well?” Revali cocked his head sideways “Your face is red. I rather you not get sick simply because you wish to stand in this cold.”

“I-it is nothing Revali!” Zelda stammered out “Perhaps a small chill. It will pass. I am here to…”

“To see if I need anything” he finished for her “No princess, unlike certain people” he eyed Link distastefully “I am fine.”

Link said nothing but rather shifted the weight on his feet once more.

“Link” Zelda turned to her knight “Perhaps you could patrol the area. I fear the winds are growing more fierce. I would not want to walk back to the castle among an ambush if there is a storm.”

Link remained silent but gave a rigid, steely nod. He caught Revali’s gaze for a moment then trudge off into the snow.

“I don’t why you bring him” Revali sneered “He’s a worthless knight.”

“If he’s so worthless, why do you waste your time berating him?”

Revali turned his head “Hmmph, if your knight is so fragile that a little mockery scares him off, he has no business being with us.”

“Revali!” Zelda began but was silenced by his outstretched wing.

“I am the best princess.” He spoke matter of fact “I am your greatest warrior. My skill is unrivaled across the kingdom.”

Zelda fumed but allowed him to continue.

“I have overcome many challenges and challengers to my title” Revali’s looked out to the various snowy hills and slopes of the mountain, the Rito village barely visible among the snow flurry “I bested them all. When you are so talented, many eyes will fall upon you and their expectations as well. They will say whatever they wish. You must ignore them. You must not allow their pitiful jealousy distract from your task, your goal. I am here to protect my people and for that, I must be the best. I must work with the best and I must train with people with some skill.”

“Revali, what are you…?”

Revali scoffed “You have kept me from training princess. Your knight might be the best among you but he certainly is no match for me. How is he supposed to survive the upcoming fight unless he fights with his all against a superior opponent.”

“I see” Zelda slowly caught on.

“Good. I will be at the castle tomorrow. Make sure your knight is ready for bruises and sores. I won’t have him die on us because he was being lazy.”

“Of course Revali. I’m sure Link will appreciate your concern.”

Revali huffed “I don’t like deadweight is all.”

Zelda said nothing but remembered that Link had won the champion’s last archery contest a few weeks ago.

-----

The desert was colder than you would expect at night but Zelda was not stranger to it. She loved coming out to the Gerudo desert with her mother, spending all day among the Gerudo and its splendor. It was quiet out here, bringing a rare peace not found in the city. The distant sound of thunder boomed but it was soft and enlightening more than frightening. It comforted Zelda.

“Thinking of her again little bird?”

Zelda nodded honestly, the desert stretched out before her as the twinkling stars glimmered beautifully overhead.

Urbosa, champion and her mother’s dearest friend, stood watch nearby.

Zelda turned back to Link, unable to keep the grin off her face as he remained slumped against the wall, his riding hood and cloak turned into a makeshift blanket. His breathing was slow and steady and while it was clear he was sleeping, she also knew that with one word from her lips he would awaken, ready for whatever awaited him.

She was glad he was resting at least. This had been his first trip to the desert and he had not quite been prepared for the intense heat nor the attention he received from the town. A male within its walls was a rare sight. She knew Link disliked attention above all else, except perhaps Revali.

She giggled at her joke.

“You seem more comfortable with Link than I remember.”

“Oh.” Zelda cleared her throat, willing her blush away “Well y-yes. Some of my conversations with the others have led to some interesting insight. Perhaps I had not been considerate towards Link. He is just performing his duty.”

Urbosa leaned in teasingly “Link now is it? Not the knight or he?”

Zelda’s blush spread rapidly throughout her cheeks.

Urbosa laughed loudly “You are far too easy to fluster little bird.”

“I am not flustered!”

“I don’t blame you” Urbosa glanced at Link’s sleeping form “He is quite handsome and not like most men.”

“Urbosa!”

Urbosa laugh once more “So it worked then?”

Zelda was confused “What did?”

“My distraction.”

“Distraction? From?” Realization washed over Zelda “Oh.”

Urbosa gave a solemn nod “I miss your mother terribly. She was an amazing woman and I feel her loss deeply now as I did then.”

Zelda tucked her legs under her arms “I feel like she would be disappointed in me. Not having unlocked my power. Chasing down lead after lead with nothing to show for it.”

“Don’t be absurd!” Urbosa scolded “She would be proud of you. Her beautiful daughter, a natural leader. Especially between Link and Revali. Hylia’s miracle you managed to wrangle them into line. I thought they were going to murder each other at their last training session.”

“I admit I was worried I was about to have to arrest one of them for murder.” Zelda admitted.

The two shared a laugh.

“Do not fret little bird.” Urbosa cupped Zelda’s cheek lovingly “She would think the world of you. She would want you to do your best, not hers.”

“I miss her Urbosa.” Zelda shed a single tear “I just miss her so terribly.”

“Me too little bird. But she lives on in you.”

Zelda clenched her fist, holding it close to her heart as she closed her eyes “I suppose I’ll just have keep at it.”

“That a girl. Now want to see something funny?” Urbosa grinned mischievously, a snap at the ready while she approached the slumbering form of Link.

-----

Link was unsure what to make of princess Zelda’s request to ask him some questions. It had been a few months since he was first assigned to her guard detail and while it had been rather rocky start, she grew to tolerate his presence and was almost friendly with him.

Almost.

Today started off no different than any other: Princess Zelda wanted to stretch her legs out in the fields. Link was used to this particularly outing. He noticed the princess often wished to leave the castle on the days her father was being forceful about her training her powers. Something that was happening with increasing occurrence nowadays.

Despite his lack of talking and general stoic disposition, he enjoyed his time with the princess. True most of it had been at a distance, carefully watching out for her safety but these last few weeks had been a nice change of pace. She allowed to walk closer to her, hadn’t scoffed or turned up her nose at him trailing behind her and became more visibly relaxed when alone with him.

Though she had also become more distracting to the young knight. Everyone knew the princess was beautiful but Link still hadn’t gotten used to it even after all this time. Every morning he would face that same beauty and every morning he would be thoroughly flatfooted at the sight of her. It was easier when she forced him to watch far away, when she spoke to and about him with a quiet disdain. She didn’t like him and he was just here to do his job. Nice, done and easy.

But lately the princess had been asking him to stay close regardless if they were traveling through the countryside or to the frigid Rito Village or the blazing furnace that was Death Mountain. She smiled often now, especially when she found a new plant or animal about. Link would be standing, vigilante when the princess would call for him and when he whirled around, sword at the ready, he found not monsters but the sight of the princess mid-smile and holding out some new thing for him to see, excitement twinkling in her eyes.

It was getting really hard to focus on his task.

“Link, are you alright?”

Link flushed, nearly tripping over himself as the princess broke him from his stupor.

They were sitting at peaceful meadow not too far the castle, the princess’s notebook at her side filled with her various observations and musings.

Link must’ve spaced out because he had not noticed the princess approach him, her face inches away from his.

“I am sorry.” She apologized “I did not mean to startle you.”

Link shook his head in disagreement, raising a hand to tell her not to worry.

“I-if you don’t feel comfortable answering my questions, you do not have to.”

Link gestured for her to continue.

“Link” the princess composed herself “Why don’t you speak?”

Link was caught off guard by the question. No one really questioned why he chose not to speak. Most assumed it was some strange choice by some stranger lad from the country. Or perhaps he could not speak. As long as he stabbed the bad guy, no one seemed to care beyond that and the more renown he gained, the more Link felt he needed to maintain the illusion, the stoic unflappable hero of Hyrule.

Well, until the real hero of Hyrule appeared.

Link mused for a moment, wondering how to best explain his situation to the princess.

“I’m sorry.”

Link was taken aback by the princess’s shameful tone.

“I….I did not mean to be so personal.” She began, eyes cast away from him “It….it just occurs to me I have known you for a few months now and yet I have never once heard you speak. I know I have not been most friendly person to you and I understand if you find me rude or perhaps annoying. I know watching me wade through the fields is not the most effective use of your talents.”

Link could feel panic setting in. He couldn’t let the princess blame herself! Especially now that she was making an effort to open up to him. Link licked his lips, willing the words to form into existence.

“I am sorry Link” Link’s heart fluttered at the sound of his name. She said his name! She said his name! She’s never said his name to him before!

“Perhaps I should just remain silent.” the princess went on “I am truly sorry for mistreating you and taking my frustration about my father out on you. You did not deserve that.”

Wait! No no no no!

The princess sighed dejectedly, turning away from Link.

Link bit his lip, taking deep slow breathes as he tried to form the words in his head.

-----

Zelda was disappointed but not surprised by Link’s lack of a response. She knew it might’ve been a little too late given her treatment of him but she had been hoping perhaps she could convince him that she was not as nasty as she appeared to him. Alas, it seems it was for naught.

“W-wait.”

Zelda blinked, unsure if she really heard what she thought she heard. She turned slowly to Link, surprised to see him with a hand outstretched, sweat forming upon his brow as he awkwardly moved his mouth as if trying to get it to work.

“D-did you say something Link?” She asked quizzically.

Link gave a short nod.

Zelda whirled around, knees against the grass as she leaned in closer, unable to get Link’s voice out of her ears.

Link gestured to himself, touching his chest with an open hand.

“You.”

Link nodded, wincing as he struggled to speak.

“I. Don’t. Like. Talking.”

Zelda was in awe at Link. For a warrior so fierce, so steely, so loyal his voice was soft. It was gentle and quiet like a breeze yet still lingered in her mind.

“You don’t like talking” Zelda repeated “I understand.”

Link nodded once before breaking into a toothy smile.

Zelda’s heart raced at the sight of the indifferent Link forming a full smile on his face. She pulled back, trying to will the red out of her hair.

Link tilted his head curiously towards Zelda before he closed the distance.

Zelda’s heart thundered in her ears as Link placed a cool hand upon her forehead, his face returning to its stony indifference but his eyes filled with worry.

“I’m fine!” Zelda waved him off, pulling away before she turned any redder “I...just thought of something.”

Link looked unconvinced but let it go. He stood to his feet and offered his hand to the princess.

Zelda stared up, the sun glowing brightly behind Link’s form as he waited patiently for her. She took his hand and he, firmly but gently, pulled her to her feet.

Link gestured to her horse.

“Yes.” Zelda nodded in agreement “Perhaps it is time to go home.”

Link gave a thumbs up and went to retrieve their horses.

Zelda pinched her cheeks with all her might.

“Urbosa was right. He is handsome.”

#Link #zelda #Mipha #Revali #Daruk #Breath of the wild #Age of calamity #Legend of zelda #Zelink

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loruleanheart · 4 years ago

Text

Desired Fate, Chapter 8

Read on ff.net

Read on AO3

The sky was an overcast grey, giving little light to Zelda’s chambers as the princess sat on a small settee, trying to focus on the book she held which contained her carefully written research notes. Urbosa, Link, and Impa had left that morning for Gerudo Desert where they would all board the Divine Beast, Vah Naboris, and set out for the Yiga Hideout.

There was a light knock at her door.

“Come in.”

Zelda turned her head to see one of her ladies-in-waiting holding a tray with a teapot and a cup for her.

“Thought this might lift your spirits, Your Highness.”

This gave Zelda pause. Was it that apparent she was feeling low?

“That’s very thoughtful of you, thank you.” The Princess acknowledged but barely smiled.

The attendant poured her a cup and gave a bow before turning to leave.

The tea gave off a pleasant earthy aroma, and as Zelda waited for it to cool she anxiously wondered what sort of news her champions would return with.

She redirected her attention back to her research which she’d gathered from books at the Royal Tech Lab as well as the castle’s library. She skimmed what she’d written down, finding it helpful to return to these notes every so often. Perhaps she’d add more soon where she’d record everything she’d learned thanks to the little Guardian with knowledge of the future.

This made her recall records that Robbie and Purah had shared with her before the arrival of that mysterious Guardian. These records indicated that there were many different types of Guardians stored in five giant columns that rested beneath the castle. These Guardians would be key in combating the Calamity, just as they had 10,000 years ago.

But how do I access them? Despite knowing every inch of the castle, I’ve never seen these columns. They must be buried deep underground, but I can’t give up looking… Even if I can’t find the columns themselves, maybe there’s something to activate them?

She thought she’d go insane from the feeling of impending doom if she didn’t do everything she could. Especially after being excluded from accompanying Urbosa to the Yiga Hideout, Zelda was feeling especially useless. She couldn’t afford to waste a single moment. She could at least agree with her father on that, even if they didn’t see eye to eye on what constituted a waste of time.

As unproductive as she was feeling, she forced herself towards the first area that came to mind for her to begin her search. She made her way to the secret passage in the library that led to the docks, praying she wouldn’t cross paths with her father on the way there.

After traversing the castle’s long hallways, she reached her destination and breathed a sigh of relief that she had gone unnoticed by castle staff. She began to descend the darkened staircase, illuminated only by torches that lined the natural rock walls.

As she rounded the corner and began to descend the last flight of steps she froze. She wasn’t alone down here. Her heart leapt and she audibly exhaled when she perceived who it was. The strange variation of the Gerudo emblem on the back of the Prophet of Doom’s robe had been etched into her mind both from her meeting with him in Korok Forest as well as the newest image on the Sheikah Slate.

“Halt! Take down your hood.” The princess ordered.

Astor turned to her slowly, appearing caught off guard by her presence. He rolled his eyes and smirked, doing as she asked.

His collarbone length dark hair nearly covered his Hylian ears. He gave her a look as if to say ‘Are you satisfied?’

Zelda stared at the man before her, speechless. A little in relief that he hadn’t put up a fight, but also feeling that he wasn’t as intimidating without his hood. She wondered if he ever got distracted by the braid that hung in front of his right eye. Still, he was undeniably beautiful to her, and she hated herself for thinking so, given who he was and what he’d done and probably would do if she couldn’t stop him

This man is going to be the death of me… If not literally, then figuratively… He seeks to revive Calamity Ganon. You should find him repulsive just from that fact alone. Ugh… What is WRONG with me… I truly am just a failure in more ways than one… I’m just broken… Horribly and irrevocably broken...

Astor was transfixed by the princess’s serene expression as she descended the stairs coming into the light of a nearby torch. She looked at him imploringly, and it unnerved him how she held him in her gaze. She only averted her intense gaze away for a brief moment to sweep a lock of her golden blonde hair away from her face before folding her hands in front of herself in a self-conscious manner. The luxurious fabric of her royal blue dress melded nicely to her figure. This girl, a woman and a queen-in-practice really, was the picture of Hylian beauty, not that Astor would allow himself to acknowledge that. She appeared so out of place in this dark, underground environment. The urge to look away was strong, but still, Astor held her gaze. He almost felt ashamed that this delicate girl was his mortal enemy. She didn’t look capable of sealing Calamity Ganon. She didn’t look like she was capable of sealing anything really, even though he’d so clearly seen it play out in prophetic dreams - more like nightmares, really - and he knew better. It would have been so easy to call upon his Hollows to end her existence right then and there, but something stopped him.

Zelda spoke softly. “Astor… How did you get in here?”

It had been such a long time since Astor had been addressed by name. Hearing it on the princess’s lips was somehow sweet.

“You think it would be difficult for me? Don’t insult me! This isn’t my first time.” He said in an intimidating manner, his voice smooth. He’d been called here before by Calamity Ganon. That was when he’d found his Harbinger. He now sensed something or someone different calling him to this place. Normally he’d disregard such a calling. It was just a distraction from his purpose as Calamity Ganon’s chosen. But the pull towards this place on this occasion was so strong, he couldn’t deny he was curious. And it had led him to the princess of Hyrule.

The Princess continued to hold him in her gaze, her voice taking on a more serious intonation. “Here to make another attempt on my life?”

Astor gave a wicked smile, questioning the vision he’d seen of her. Pathetic girl is being run ragged by fate… She’s practically begging to have her thread cut.

“Are you inviting me to do so? The princess with the blood of the goddess volunteering herself as a blood sacrifice to the Calamity… Exquisite… Your power could be mine for the taking forever.” His irises constricted in desire, and then his expressions darkened. “Then maybe I could, at last, get you off my mind….”

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. It was a morbid sentiment, of course, but hearing him say it sent her reeling. There was a strange energy between them, a sort of magnetism.

“It’s not mine to give. I have my own destiny to fulfill.”

“Your answer doesn’t sound very confident, Your Highness.” He purred.

He’d seen right through her somehow. The Princess’s eyes widened and her face paled a bit in shame. Her lips parted to speak, but she said nothing.

“You… Certainly aren’t what I was expecting. I could never foresee that Hyrule’s princess would spare me, a disciple of Calamity Ganon.” Astor said, his voice held a sense of awe. “I wonder what your appointed knight had to say about that? Where is that despicable little pest? I thought he never left your side.”

Zelda bit the inside of her cheek. “Well, I… I couldn’t just stand by and watch you get killed.”

“Why not? I nearly succeeded in killing you. And you know I am bound by fate to try again…”

The princess sensed his words were just as hollow as hers. She narrowed her eyes at him, taking a few steps closer to the Prophet of Doom.

He takes a step back, his smile faltering. “You dare to test -” But it was too late, as he was hit with a multitude of images flashing through his mind's eye’. He recoiled, holding his head.

Zelda looked on with concern. “What was that?”

Astor tried to clear his mind, shaking. For a moment he had been back in that strange place that seemed to be an amalgamation of Korok Forest and the Lost Woods. A surreal place where the Silent Princess flowers grow abundant.

“Stay away from me….” He growled.

Zelda blinked, perplexed as to what had just overtaken the prophet. “Astor… Why would you want to destroy Hyrule? This is your home, too. What have you to gain from destroying it?”

Astor bristled at the question. This foolish royal girl wouldn't be able to comprehend his motivation given her station and role in this world, so he just answered simply, “This world is rightfully Calamity Ganon’s.”

Zelda reflected on this a moment. His answer was off-putting for her to hear, but still, she was determined to better understand what had led him down such a dark path. “But, why devote yourself to Calamity Ganon? How do you even know Calamity Ganon isn’t using you? Or do you plan to sacrifice yourself for this insane cause?”

Astor recalled Sooga’s words. He wanted so much to lie through his teeth and say yes, but he honestly wasn’t satisfied with that answer. But, to answer truthfully would be a weakness and disloyalty to Lord Ganon. Not that he was ready to accept that the Great Calamity would ever require such a thing of him, or worse betray him.

Instead, he simply said, “My fate is to be at the right hand of Calamity Ganon.”

“I see…” Zelda said unconvinced. “I’m no prophet, but if you continue on your current path you’re almost certainly going to fall, either by the sword that seals the darkness or by your master when your usefulness has ended. Please stop what you’re doing… I… I don’t want to see this dark fate consume you.” Her answer sounded so confident this time.

The prophet’s insides twisted up. He hadn’t been prepared for the princess of Hyrule herself to beseech him in such a forthright manner. No, he had just expected her to oppose him with only righteous anger and nothing else. Why did she care so much? Why did she have to make this so complicated… and even uncomfortable. It was one thing to hear such a warning from Sooga, as rudely as he had put it. But it was another to hear it again from his mortal enemy, and he was so unaccustomed to kindness. And here she was… She wasn’t begging for her life. She was begging for his. This wasn’t going how he expected. No, she just felt like an unwanted distraction, perhaps even.... a temptation?

“Spare me, Your Highness, “ He spat. “I don’t need pity from the weakest chain in the goddesses’ bloodline!”

Zelda shifted her posture, turning her head slightly away from him, wounded by his words. He might as well have stabbed her in the heart and left her to bleed. But she held back. If he thought she was going to cry over insults she’d heard before and internalized, he had another thing coming.

“It’s so much more than pity...” Zelda said softly as she looked at the ground, her voice wavering.

However, It was painfully obvious he was a force she wasn’t going to be able to persuade, she thought, losing hope. Not that she was surprised.

Astor turned to go and Zelda let out a little gasp, knowing where he might be going. “Wait… Please, don’t leave…”

He turned and gave her a strange look.

Zelda chose her words carefully, knowing her champions were still in the middle of a dangerous mission at the Yiga Hideout, and she couldn’t put them at risk.

“Astor… If you don’t heed my warning... you will almost certainly face defeat… And it may come sooner than you think…” Zelda wished her final warning wasn’t so cold, so sterile, even vaguely threatening, but it was the best she could do all things considered. Still, she knew the moment he left she’d be in a world of self-loathing and regret. Self-loathing that she cared a little too much for him, and regret that she had failed to stop him.

He scoffed at her warning. “Your pleas are meaningless to me. I am a great seer and prophet of the Calamity. And you… are but a mere nuisance in my path. You will not impede my fate any further. Farewell, Your Highness…” He paused a moment as if hesitant to leave. He almost looked a little sorry. “If you should survive the Calamity... What will I do with you?” And with that, he vanished.

#Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity #Age of Calamity #HWAOC #Astor #fanfiction #Some real interaction here between the two #I can just imagine all the Zelda's of the past judging AOC Zelda and being like #"Don't despair he's got plot armor and he'll be around at least until the final battle.#Zelast

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ashleyswrittenwords · 4 years ago

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Whumptober No.5

Where Do You Think You’re Going? (On the Run | Failed Escape | Rescue)

Series Summary: After Calamity Ganon awakens, Zelda is left alone and heartbroken. Now something horrible has happened to Link and no more is she merely tasked with fighting the Calamity - but also what is left of her knight.

Growing up, everyone was taught about the inevitable prophecy.

Esme knew as much as anyone did that 10,000 years ago a fabled princess and her hero fought against a dreaded evil, ultimately bringing peace to Hyrule. It was a tale told in primary school alongside the common alphabet. As a young girl, she nearly obsessed over the prophecy – reading legends and mythos to find similar themes that all led back to a girl with the blood of Hylia and a boy blessed with Her sword.

So, when it was decreed by the historians that the ancient evil would soon break from its seal Esme was not afraid. She knew their crown princess was the goddess’s descendent just as the many princesses before her. Esme had grown from a girl and into a young woman and with that, she found love and bore a family. Still, with so much at stake now, she wasn’t afraid because by the time her daughter was born, they had found the boy who will wield the sword that seals the darkness.

It seemed that everything was falling into place.

Her hometown, just west of Castle Town, was evacuated in preparation for Calamity Ganon. Her husband refused to leave as this was his father’s home and so she left with her children to the outstretches of Hyrule.

Naturally, the Calamity resurfaced and with it was destruction.

News traveled relatively fast. The events that were meant to happen fell out of place. The princess did awaken her power; however, it was too late. Her knight had died at Fort Hateno while they were fleeing from Calamity Ganon. As she was meant to, Princess Zelda was able to fight back against the Calamity’s adversaries even though the time in between had collapsed their current monarchy and resulted in a stand still.

With no hero, who was going to slay the darkness?

It had been nearly a full year since the Calamity overshadowed them. Hyrule was experiencing one of its coldest winters on record and Esme hadn’t seen her husband in months. The only acknowledgement of his whereabouts came from the men who visited their wives or the housewives that have returned to their settlement. It was grueling to be away from him, but she knew he was alive and her two young children were safer away from where Calamity Ganon was the strongest.

Esme also knew her husband wanted to protect their little farmhouse for as long as possible, but it was unforeseeable how long that demon would hold reign over Hyrule. And, of course, she missed him. Their family was alive and well. Without him it only felt incomplete and if she had to drag that man from that house, then so be it.

Perhaps it wasn’t the wisest to leave in the dead of winter. The thought occurred to her as she began trekking east. Her children were safe with her parents and in-laws, so she knew they would be well-cared for. Hylia had blessed them with being so close to Rito Village and the inhabitants were more than generous with supplying them foodstuffs and winter gear. Because of this, Esme told herself she would endure.

Hylians weren’t the only ones that hated the cold, according to her many tomes on Hylian legends, the monsters were adverse to these conditions. So, yes, should she not run into anything particularly difficult – Esme would endure.

She took her old horse east without a hitch. It was true that there was an influx in monsters. They tended to watch her from far away, not willing to chase after one woman. If anything, they were disinterested in her and if she weren’t as smart as she was, Esme would’ve been slightly offended.

Families didn’t stay in her little village, especially in the months following the Calamity. Those that stuck with her stubborn husband were other men and the elder families whose children were already grown.

When she arrived, Esme didn’t see one person on the roads. The sun was setting over the horizon and beyond the windmill of their village was Hyrule Castle in the distance. When prior she had felt blessed to have such a view, it now felt like an awful reminder of what they lost. Their village was modest, but it had never been so quiet.

Winter or not, one of the major roads passed through here and there was always something happening. Mr. Hutchinson would have his world-famous bread baking every morning, his wife just as busy with winter treats. The children here were always so active in the snow. They never tired of their games and would dress up every year to sneak ale from the midwinter festival. (They never succeeded when Esme was around, but sometimes she would overlook the older teens because she was young enough to remember how it feels to yearn for adulthood.)

Mrs. Hutchinson opened her door the moment Esme rode into town. Her wrinkles had deepened and the stress had worn her features. They embraced briefly.

“I saw your old man just the other day,” she had said. “There aren’t many that have stayed, but he’s been beyond helpful.”

Esme scowled at that, “He should be with his family. Just like you and your husband.”

The baker’s wife sighed, “With the raids happening all around this place… you’re right, we should. The timing just hasn’t been the best.”

In response, Esme should have asked what she meant. She didn’t. Instead, she was all too eager to see her partner. Not a moment longer she had bid Mrs. Hutchinson goodbye and promised she’d stop by after wrangling her own husband into leaving.

At the end of the road was her home. It was still standing in one piece with the stable beside it empty. With a gentle voice, she left her horse in the open field in front of her home. She’d properly feed and stable him once she saw her husband.

The door creaked open under her fingertips and she shivered from the sudden shelter from the wind. The fireplace was out, however the embers were glowing and the house looked properly lived in. The lock to the door clattered shut. She unwound the Rito scarf from her shoulders and set it on the coat rack, shedding her first layer of clothes with it. The living space had a set of dishes atop a table, a hearth on the far wall, and a small kitchenette that Esme had always adored.

He wasn’t home, evident from the empty space on the coat rack, but she popped in front of their mirror anyway. Her hands went to smooth down her hair, combing down her pale locks after two days of riding. Her eyes held extra lines she hadn’t noticed before now.

A thought snuck into her head and she cursed herself for her vanity.

“Ben?” she called out, turning slightly to glance at the stairs that disappeared to the upper floor. There wasn’t an answer, so she turned back with a crease in her brow. The emptiness bothered her more than she’d ever admit to him.

He’d tease her about missing him. She’d bully him into confessing that he missed her too.

Esme turned fully away from the mirror and bounded up the steps, calling out again, “Benji?”

It was darker upstairs. She passed the kids’ room and peered into her own. The sheets on their bed were mussed, the workmanship of a man whose heart was only half into the task. That, too, was empty.

She resigned to looking out their bedroom window over the snow-covered cabbage field. They didn’t make much money by farming. Her husband had once done reservation work in the Royal Guard before leaving prior to the Calamity. Even if she believed it was all going to work out, she didn’t want him in danger. Esme knew how guilty he felt, but they weren’t as young as they used to be – only living for each other. They had two more little lives to support, and she wasn’t sure she could do it without him.

Dusk had fallen over the town when she heard a loud bang coming from the village. The picture frames on the walls shook before ebbing back into place. Esme’s heart stuttered in her chest and she pressed her cheek flush to glass to find the source of the loud sound. Her hands launched herself from the windowsill and she bounded down the stairs. Her scarf tangled with the coat rack so she left it a flurry of motions to open the door.

From the entrance of her house were a varied array of screams emanating from the center of town. Smoke rose steadily into the air, illuminated ominously by fire. Esme tried to hold down her horse, but he was already spooked and shirked away from her touch.

Esme did the second best thing, she began running. The air was colder than before and it pinched her cheeks as she reached the road. On her way out, a stocky man she recognized was running her way.

“Esme, gods, what are you doing here?” he huffed out a breath, his hands placed tactfully on his knees. He was the butcher’s apprentice, no doubt staying to safeguard the butcher shop.

“I came for Ben,” she glanced at the direction he came from with concern. “What’s happening?! Are we being robbed?”

“Monsters. A lot of monsters. They’ve been going around raiding villages for food instead of finding it on their own,” he frowned. “You should flee. Come on.”

He went for her arm, but she tore it away. “What about the Hutchinsons? Are you just leaving them?”

He glared at the accusations, “It’s too late!”

She held in her disbelief, again starting down the road.

“Esme, stop! It isn’t just the monsters!”

It didn’t matter. It was beyond awful to leave an elderly couple to fend for themselves. Hopefully he was the only one to abandon them.

The fires roared over the town square and were already spreading towards the bakery. It looked like they started at the general store. Esme reached the bakery entrance, pulling at the door and pounded for them to open up. The porch to the general store creaked to a slump before falling completely into charred smoke. She hacked on a throatful of it and stumbling from the bakery front.

Her name found her ears and she saw a crouched form slumped against the building. Esme’s sight adjusted and she stumbled over.

“Margaret! Are you- Hylia above,” Esme choked on her words and held her hands in front of her month.

Mrs. Hutchinson looked up at her mournfully, tears in her eyes, then looked back down at her husband. He was limp in her arms and stared with unseeing eyes. Sweet Mr. Hutchinson was dead and surrounded by a puddle of his own blood.

Mrs. Hutchinson sniffed and spoke through watery words, “You should leave, Esme. Those monsters…”

She heard them. A bokoblin snort coming from the other side of the wall, then a crash. They were rummaging for food.

“Come on,” Esme began, ignoring the bile forming in her throat to help Margaret to a stand. The women was hesitant at first.

“But…” she motioned to her husband.

Esme found her eyes, “He’d want you to live. Let’s go.”

Her hands shook with uncertainty, but she willed it not to appear on her face. If she could get this woman to her horse then they could start west. The search for her own husband would have to wait, even if the thought of his fate made her heart ache horribly.

Another crash was heard and across the square was a shout of anger.

“Burn it all, damn it!”

It was so loud that Esme stopped in her tracks. Across the square passed the town well was a man in front of the mayor’s broken-in door. She had half a mind to call out for help until his mannerisms sunk in. A blue moblin knelt before him… groveling at his feet. The man brought a swift kick to its head, glaring down at the thing.

“Animals. The lot of you. I want it to the ground. Do you hear me?! You’re not here to scavenge!”

Esme expected the moblin to rear up and attack the idiot, but he only made a noise of pain and slunk backward. She began to think that this idiot wasn’t an idiot after all.

Anger welled in her chest, but she wasn’t reckless. She wouldn’t be. The man turned to them, bright yellow eyes against the darkness. His motions stuttered for a few seconds, enough time to tell Margaret that her horse was waiting at the farmhouse.

He began walking towards them. A nondescript expression forming on his face.

“What about you? I’ll ride this way,” Mrs. Hutchinson whispered harshly, already backing away at the sight.

“No,” Esme said immediately. “No, you leave first thing. I’ll find another way.”

The woman ran off, leaving Esme to glower in the man’s direction. She shouted, hoping to seem indignant instead of startled. If she distracted him then maybe he wouldn’t care to go after her friend.

“What are you doing to my town?”

He was still fairly far away, but she could see the unnaturalness in his movements. His sword in his hand… Esme stumbled back. Blood, red and recent dripped from the tip.

She took a step back and he tilted his head, watching her curiously. “Your town?”

Esme held in a gasp. She knew that face. “I-I thought… I thought it wasn’t true…” she breathed out.

Even with the fire illuminating from behind him, it was unmistakable. She had taken her family to Castle Town to see one of the many military parades and festivities the king threw to keep public morale high. The Champions were a staple, famous. Esme could spot the Hylian Champion easily in a crowd.

But she made a mistake – her voice wavered. His steps grew faster and she staggered back before falling into a run. The fire had spread further, wicking up from the rooves. Rich laughter followed her, echoing off the walls as she ran past the bakery.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

A yelp escaped her as she tripped over Mr. Hutchinson’s dead body. Her leg twisted awkwardly, but she scrambled up anyway. The short alleyway led to a brick way where the bakery furnaces were along with a storage area for the general store. Esme bypassed these too, cursing herself for not taking another avenue.

With the town cut out of the hills, the back alleys were sloped and craggy where infrastructure wasn’t held as a priority. It was often that snow was left undug. Her ankle pulsed red and gave out under her weight once the snow grew too high.

Esme cursed bitterly, scraping by her hands and knees until even that was pointless.

The princess’s knight had loud boots. They were thick and distinctly of military garb. The rest of it wasn’t. He wore a common coat, but peaking out was a Hylian royal blue. In his grip was a broadsword, drawn and ready.

“Please!” she began, her voice taunt. “I-I have children waiting for me.”

In a blink, things were slightly different. He blinked down at her with a blankness and when he kneeled before her, she winced and pulled away as far as she possibly could. When she opened her eyes, she saw normalcy in his. A cobalt, brilliant and beautiful.

The knight brought a hand to her bangs and smoothed them back. It was a gentle gesture. Her hair threaded through his fingers.

“Your hair is the wrong shade,” he said absently, as if disappointed. “And your eyes are the wrong color.”

Esme went to speak but as soon as she did a piercing sound flew through the air and an arrow burrowed into the knight’s shoulder. The force propelled him backward and he made a sharp sound. It happened quick. He rolled into a stance, but then her view of him was obstructed by another.

The woman turned to meet her eyes and gave a minute signal to leave. Her blonde hair was braided back tightly and in her hands was a bow with an arrow readied on the string. The quiver strapped to her back jostled when she faced the knight once more.

“I was wondering when you would show up,” he grunted, Esme heard the snap of wood.

“What do you have to gain by doing this?” she sneered. She stood readily; her thick clothes clear that she was expecting a fight.

Esme shuffled in the snow to get off the ground, but with her injury her getaway was slow.

“You never come out to see me,” he said, a grin was audible. “What else was I to do? Oh… are you going to kill me?”

The knight was referencing the woman’s bow. Esme held in a gasp as the arrowhead shown with bright light. The fingerless gloves she wore readjusted on the bow.

That must be…

From Esme’s position, she could see the broadsword loosen in his grip then falling to the dirty snow altogether.

“Was my sword not enough for you? We both know you can wield it now, but – no – you choose another weapon. I should be insulted,” his humor was palpable. “How poetic would it be to be struck down by something so dear to me?”

“Shut up,” Princess Zelda said through gritted teeth. “Pick up your sword.”

He sighed heavily, falling to his knees in a grandiose slump. “I suppose my charge will do.”

“Link.”

“Death is only good when it’s swift.”

“Link!”

Esme watched as he just barely made eye contact with her. Back was that cat-eye yellow. She opened her mouth to yell out a warning but Zelda had already loosened the tenseness of her string.

In one motion, Link gathered the hilt of his sword in one hand and sprung towards the princess. Her reflexes acted quickly, attempting to parry with the bow’s neck. She braced herself, becoming easily overpowered by the man’s weight and twisted away from him quickly. She drew the sword at her hip in time for his follow through. Steel clashed against steel.

A hand on Esme’s shoulder startled her. She met the amber-red eyes of a Sheikah who tried her best to express that she wasn’t in danger.

“Please, come with me.”

Esme wanted to argue in favor of helping the princess.

“We can only leave him to her. Quickly now.”

At that, she acquiesced and took the woman’s hand. Ducking through a series of alleyways, the Sheikah seemed to know this town better than Esme did. Finally at the town square, she led her to a pair wearing traditional garb. Their faces were covered, but when they saw the woman leading her, they stood.

“Let us go inside,” the smaller of the two said, she took her hand gingerly and Esme turned to thank the one that found her, she was gone.

“Always in a hurry,” she tsked. Her hair was cut to her shoulders and despite her stature, she had no problem carrying Esme inside the house. The fire of before seemed dampened now.

“They must have found him,” the man exasperated, following them inside. “Did you even scout the area? What about those bokolins?”

She gasped at the accusation, wriggling her mask down to glare with full effect. “Um, yes, Robbie. I did. I sent those little soldier boys over.”

Robbie scoffed.

“My name is Purah,” she said with a smile a little too bright and motioned for her to sit. They were in a hallway where a skinny bench sat. Immediately, she saw a dampened Mrs. Hutchinson sitting on the same bench.

“Margaret!” Esme smiled. “You’re safe.”

Purah raised a brow, “Oh good you know one another. The ankle, is it?”

In response, she nodded.

“Are you well, dear?” Mrs. Hutchinson said, enveloping Esme’s hand in hers.

She sobered up, remembering sharply that this woman’s husband was dead. “I am. Thank you. I believe the princess saved me.”

The woman blinked, “Princess Zelda? I found her and her group on the way to your farm.”

“How miraculous,” Esme winced as Purah rotated her ankle.

“Pardon,” she said under thick glasses. “I may be a doctor but my medicine for alive things is a bit rough.”

As Purah examined her ankle, the Sheikah woman of before returned with the princess beside her. Through the small window, Esme watched as they were chattering together and only stopping when a group of men returned with reports. There were at least a dozen men and women, all carrying some sort of weaponry, scurrying through the village either looking through debris or taking the remaining monsters.

The princess’s clothes were slightly more disheveled , but before she could examine further Esme’s thoughts were cut off.

Purah sniffed, “Sprained – probably. According to my calculations, I’m pretty sure.”

“Not that confident, it seems.”

“Robbie, shush!”

Attempting to put weight on it, Esme stood and braced the wall. It wasn’t as bad as she expected.

Robbie opened the door for her and when she hobbled down the steps, she caught Zelda’s attention.

“Your Highness-”

At that, she shot up from the conversation she was in.

“Just Zelda,” she remediated, softening the hurry in her speech. “Please. Did he hurt you?”

Esme bit the inside of her lip. “No, I fell… though I was convinced he would. Thank you.”

“He most likely would have,” the Sheikah woman beside the princess muttered.

Zelda politely acknowledged her before smiling graciously at Esme. “Of course.”

There was a sharp tear through one of Zelda’s sleeves with the faint trace of red. She didn’t seem bothered by it. Purah went about looking at it with a gruff series of mumbling.

“You really should be evacuated,” Zelda spoke up again. “This area is only miles from Castle Town. The creatures here are stronger.”

“Forgive me but… I didn’t know it was true. The hero,” Esme swallowed her nerves. “He’s….”

Purah’s chattering stopped and even the soldiers’ side conversation settled to silence. The group came to a standstill. The only sound came from several men working on outing the fires.

Zelda worried her lip between her teeth. “It happened during the Calamity. We think that somehow Calamity Ganon infected his body with Malice. I’m unsure what it amounts to…”

The Sheikah woman put a hand on her shoulder when she trailed off. Her voice was cool, prepared, “He is the Calamity Ganon’s adversary now. We’re in the midst of stopping him.”

So, the tales were true. And like that, the Sheikah commenced once more into delivering orders to the men and women putting out the fire. Zelda met her eyes with a subdued smile, “Again, I implore you to take as many people to the evacuation zones. They’re the same as planned prior to Calamity Ganon. Do you need a guide?”

“No, actually, I’ve come from the settlement near Rito Village. I’m looking for my husband.” Hope flooded Esme’s breast. “His name is Benji Feidelm.”

Slight confusion screwed the princess’s lips together until her face slacked slightly, she turned to Robbie and asked a soft question. He nodded and walked away towards the smoking buildings.

“He’s been a fantastic help,” she smiled again.

Only moments later, cheeks marred with soot, she saw him. His hair was that same mussy brown that she’d grown to love so much. Ben’s eyes met hers, widened, then ran up to wrap his arms around her. Her feet left the ground while in his embrace and she couldn’t help but laugh as tears escaped her eyes.

When he put her down, she punched him squarely in the shoulder.

The princess watched kindly but left soon after.

Eventually, the commotion died down to make camp in the village square. Benji and Esme insisted that their farmhouse be used, but the group who followed the princess refused in place for the tents they packed. They hadn’t been soldiers’ after all, well, not all of them. As Benji had explained, they were people who were willing to thwart Ganon in any way they could – no matter how menial.

Zelda placed a hand on her arm, partially steering her away from the campfire songs.

“I’m sorry,” she lowered her voice and glanced behind her at Impa, who was caught in an argument between Purah and Robbie. “But was Link telling you something? Before I intervened?”

Esme searched her, taking in the slight glimmer in her green eyes. She was a beautiful girl, but it wouldn’t be so surprising. She was the Princess of Hyrule. As she waited, there was intelligence within her, guiding her.

“I wish I knew what he meant. He said that my hair and eyes were the wrong colors,” she frowned at the short-sighted answer. Esme was smart. She’d fallen in love with the legends of heroes and princesses. They were a staple story in her family, so she had an inkling of an answer. “I believe he was looking for you.”

Briefly, Zelda’s face softened. Her brows knitted together and her eyes grew. Esme reached for her, as any woman would to comfort another, but she had already regrouped. Her jaw set and she added a plastic smile.

“I see, thank you.”

Esme watched her leave the square altogether.

#IM LATE I KNOW #im busy man #whumptober2020 #no.5 #failed escape #loz #tw blood #tw death #legend of zelda #corrupted!link #zelda #link #zelink

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