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skyward-floored · 1 year ago

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Spirit Tracks - oneshot

Spirit tracks means so much to me, it’s such a fun game and I love how Zelda is your companion. It makes her and Link’s relationship so interesting, and I love how much they care about each other :)

Also no way Zelda was okay after being a ghost for so long. no way.

Ao3 link

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Ever since Zelda had been a ghost, sometimes she’d get days like this.

She’d wake up and feel oddly distant from everything the moment her eyes opened, disconnected from her body even though she knew she was in it. She’d take a deep breath and prepare herself for a long day, then put on her itchiest dress in an effort to feel something.

In addition to that she’d pinch her arms, cross her knees if she was able to get away with it, and constantly squeeze her wrists, trying to convince her brain that yes, she was still in her body, thank you very much. It usually worked well enough for her to get through whatever her plans were for the day, until she could retreat back to her room and wait it out in private.

But not today.

Today her usual tricks weren’t working, the disconnect only seeming to grow worse and worse. And the longer Teacher went on about whatever he was saying, the more distant and murky Zelda felt.

She hadn’t told anyone about the days she felt off. It seemed silly to worry everyone about a problem that usually went away after a little while, and so far hadn’t been much of an issue. If Link was around he would sometimes catch her pinching her arm and give her hand a squeeze, but he was currently on the opposite side of the table from her, jotting notes and doodles on the papers in front of him.

Normally she’d peer around and try to see what he was drawing. But she was feeling more wrong by the second, like she was floating in place, unable to feel the chair under her or the floor beneath her feet.

Link didn’t typically sit in on her meetings, but this one happened to pertain more towards his area of expertise, and Zelda always valued his opinions. And hearing the ideas he’d always think of both during and afterwards always fascinated her as well. Link would always find some angle she hadn’t considered, and was amazing at finding seemingly simple solutions to things.

But today Zelda could barely focus on herself.

She breathed in shakily, and pinched her arm again, even though she couldn’t feel it at all. The councilman who was now speaking’s voice was nothing but a faint static in her ears, and her throat seemed tight, squeezing all the way down to her chest.

Come on Zelda, she begged herself as the numbness and panic spread. You’re okay, you’re okay you’re not a ghost again you’re okay—

Link happened to glance up and catch her eye, and his face went from one of slight boredom to concern almost immediately.

He tilted his head and gave her a look that silently said are you okay? and Zelda quickly gave him a nod, ignoring how she was positively freezing and numb, and the sensation was only spreading the longer she sat here.

Link did not seem convinced.

“Zelda, are you all right?” he asked out loud, interrupting Teacher and sending the table into silence as her council members all turned to look at her. She swallowed, clenching her fists ridiculously tight even though she couldn’t feel them, and gave a nod she tried to keep natural.

“I’m fine,” she said calmly, trying to hide the fact that she was pretty sure she was shaking, and her breath had started to come faster because she couldn’t feel herself breathing, and it was sending panic rising up in her chest but she couldn’t feel it—

She blinked and suddenly Link was by her side, looking into her eyes with an expression equally scared and concerned.

“Zelda, what’s wrong, are you okay?” he asked, voice worried, but when she opened her mouth to answer him all that came out was a panicked squeak.

Her limbs felt cold and numb, almost like they’d all simultaneously fallen asleep, and she swallowed for what must have been the hundredth time as she tried to stay calm. It had never gotten this bad before, not since she actually was a ghost.

What if it was somehow happening again?

What if something was pulling her out of her body right now?!

Her next breath caught in her throat, and she pinched at her arm again, exerting as much force as she could but she still couldn’t feel it no matter how hard she pushed. Link was saying something but there was just buzzing in her ears and the numbness just kept spreading—

Then something pulled her hand off her arm, and she could feel it.

Zelda looked down in surprise, staring blankly at her hands. Link had taken both of them in his, and was holding them tight, carefully rubbing his thumbs along the backs.

“It’s okay Zelda, you’re okay. Can you take a deep breath?” he asked, voice sounding distant, but rather panicked.

Zelda tried, and managed to suck some air in, but she still felt distant, cold and disconnected. The only thing she could really feel was Link’s warm skin against hers, and she tried desperately to focus on it as she let the breath out.

She breathed in again, rather shakily, and Link continued to hold her hands in both of his, gently rubbing them.

“Okay, okay. Can you keep breathing for me Zelda? Please?” he asked, voice tense but gentle.

She managed a nod, and Link turned to one of the council members standing nearby, asking him something Zelda didn’t catch.

“Just keep breathing Zelda,” Link said softly as he turned back towards her, “You’re here, you’re in your body and not a ghost, I promise.” He continued to rub her hands. “Just focus on what you can feel, not what you can’t.”

Zelda focused, trying to zero in on what few sensations she was getting from her body. Link’s hands against hers were the most obvious, but she thought she could sort of feel her hair brushing her face as well.

“M-my hands,” she started with, and Link gave them an encouraging squeeze.

“Good, okay, anything else?”

“My... hair?”

Link nodded encouragingly.

She focused on herself again, ignoring the parts of her still terrifyingly numb and focusing intensely on what parts she could faintly feel.

“My arm,” she whispered next, looking down at the few drops of blood on her wrist. It was where she’d been pinching herself earlier, and she’d obviously scratched deeper than she meant.

“That’s good,” Link encouraged, voice still holding a flicker of fear. “What else?”

Zelda told him, and Link spent the next few minutes carefully coaching her through focusing on every little sensation she could feel. Zelda’s breathing had finally begun to slow, and she was starting to feel much better, grounded and safe by the time someone else crouched by her side, one of the healers who worked in the castle.

She smiled at Zelda as she began to look her over, and the princess felt herself calm as Link continued to rub her palms.

She felt more solidly inside herself the longer Link held her hands, and by the time the healer had finished her quick look-over, she felt nearly back to normal. Aside from the tiredness and slight headache she always got after one of these spells, anyway.

The healer, content now that Zelda wasn’t going to suddenly faint or anything, gave the princess a pat on the arm, stating that she wanted to give her a more thorough check up just in case there was something she’d missed. Zelda couldn’t really find the words to tell her it wasn’t anything she was going to be able to find, but allowed herself to be escorted over to the infirmary anyway.

Link continued to hold her hand the entire way there.

He finally had to relinquish his hold for a little while while the healer examined Zelda, but the moment she was finished he was back by her side, taking her hand and giving her a little smile as the woman left.

They were silent for a bit as he rubbed small circles onto her palm.

“All clear?” he finally asked, voice gentle, and Zelda scuffed her feet.

“Essentially. She wants me to rest for the remainder of the day, and get someone if I feel numb at all. But she said I appear physically fine,” Zelda sighed. “Aside from a scratch or two. Just a little stressed.”

Link hummed in reply, running a thumb across where she’d been pinching herself earlier. There was a small bandage covering the mark, and Link traced slowly over it, careful and gentle. His gaze turned to the rest of her then, and Zelda looked out the window, ignoring the way his eyes lingered on her face.

“How long has this been happening?” he finally asked, voice quiet.

Zelda swallowed. “Pretty much ever since... you know,” she whispered, and Link squeezed her hand. “It doesn’t happen too often though. Today was the worst it’s been... Usually I can press through it.”

Link’s face turned even more worried, and Zelda mentally kicked herself, not wanting to have made him more concerned. He continued to rub his thumbs along her hands, and the both of them were silent for several long moments.

Until Link suddenly bobbed his head up, meeting her eyes with a determined look.

“I think you need to get away for a little while. Get out of this stuffy castle,” he declared with a determined voice.

Zelda blinked. “Get away?” she asked him in confusion, and his eyes twinkled.

“Want to go for a train ride, Princess?”

(...)

Despite the fact that the sun was already low in the sky and Zelda was exhausted from her spell, she eagerly agreed, and they set out at once in Link’s train.

They traveled across the grasslands in silence, Zelda staying up in the engine next to him. She didn’t bother asking where they were headed, knowing he likely already had somewhere in mind. And she was proven right when Link pulled the train to a stop at a little out-of-the-way station by the ocean, a few solitary gulls crying above their heads.

He knew how much she loved the sea.

Link gestured her out with a small grin, and the two of them walked over onto the sand, kicking off their shoes and stopping just shy of where the quiet waves were lapping onto the shore.

They stood there in silence for a long time, Link’s hand warm in hers as the waves spilled onto the sand. The sun had just barely sunk below the horizon, and the world was cast in the indigo light of dusk as they sat down, still silently observing the beach.

Zelda looked up at the single star that had so far revealed itself, and let out a small sigh.

“Thank you for bringing me out here Link,” she said quietly, breaking the silence. “You were right, I needed it. And I... I’m sorry if I scared you earlier.”

Link kept his hand in hers, the feel of his palm against her skin gentle and grounding.

“Yeah... a little,” he admitted after a moment, and she looked over at him, his brown eyes warm in the dusky light. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. I just... wish you’d said something before. We could’ve helped you sooner. Could’ve been helping you sooner. Then maybe today... it wouldn’t have been so bad.”

Zelda let out a slow breath, looking out over the rapidly-darkening waves that crashed against the shore.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

The last bit of the sun’s light finally faded away, and Zelda watched more stars begin to shine into view, a handful of constellations now visible. A cool breeze brushed past, and she shivered, glad she could feel it, but also wishing she’d brought a cloak.

Link obviously noticed though, and scooted up closer to her. A light blush tickled her cheeks, but she indulged in the hint, leaning against him and letting her head fall onto his shoulder.

“Thank you again, Link,” she whispered.

Link nodded, and hesitated before carefully putting his arm around her shoulder. Zelda froze in surprise, then relaxed, his arm warm and comforting.

They stayed there like that for a long time, silently watching the stars.

#legend of zelda #spirit tracks #loz spirit tracks #zelink #wheeeee #legend of zelda fanfiction #loz st #st zelda #writing from the floor #st zelink #and technically #courage of ages #coa spirit #tw dissociation #ask to tag

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lindseybots · 8 months ago

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SO YOU MEAN WE CAN COME HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BLORBOS IN YOUR AU??

Ahem, so you mentioned something about trying to find a good balance between Wind and Zelda and what Wind will do during the events of ST... I know you're probably still figuring stuff out but I really wanted to let you know that I'm very excited to see how it will end up as! There's so many options and possibilities for WW Link and ST Zelda's relationship (both my beloveds) and it's making me go dsaiuahkadsakb

The dynamic of a trio is so interesting to explore! Petting your AU and tucking it into bed gently rn...

OF COURSE YOU CAN COME HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BLORBOS!! I EVEN ENCOURAGE IT!! PLEASE DO!!

Also thank you so much for the kind words! omg that means the world to me!! I will do my best as I explore this AU further!

I’m very excited to explore the trio, so I am very happy you’re looking forward to it too! I think it’s really interesting that Wind is very experienced when it comes to adventuring while Zelda has no experience in that regard. In fact, they make it pretty apparent in the game that she doesn’t really leave the castle AT ALL. In terms of navigation or even some basic life skills, she has no experience.

Zelda and Wind are opposites in that regard, but in other areas I think they get along really well. They’re both very sassy, spunky, and even a bit stubborn. At the end of the day though, they both want to look out for each other and ST Link as best they can.

ST Link is in a bit of a middle ground. He has probably traveled a few places while as an apprentice to Alfonzo, as such he has some experience in terms of talking with people, navigating, and of course his train expertise. I always headcanoned that ST Link is a bit of an inventor too, or, at the very least knowledgeable about machinery. Just pulling into a station in the game can fix your train’s health, even if the location has no other characters. That definitely implies that Link is the one making any repairs.

On top of all of that, Wind was one of the people who raised him. Wind would definitely teach him some skills that he learned. He has no doubt heard all the stories about Wind’s adventures, if not from Wind himself then from Niko. If faced with an enemy that Wind has fought before, he’d be able to have some knowledge on a good way to approach it.

Still, this will be his first time actually on an adventure to save the world. He still has stuff to learn.

This is the perfect excuse for me to give a quick little update on some things I’ve been thinking about. This is already really long, so i’m gonna put it under a break. If you’re interested, keep reading.

I will eventually talk about this again later, as the stuff I’m going to mention is still being worked on. Still, here is some progress on things.

For ST Link’s nicknames, a few I have been debating are:

Little Spirit / Spirit

Specks (for his freckles and because it’s probably pretty common to find specks of dirt or oil or something on him.)

Engineer / Engine / Eng

I feel like using a mix of these might be good, not just sticking to one. Like how Wind’s primary nickname is Wind, but he is sometimes also referred to as Sailor, or something along those lines. None of these are really set yet and are all subject to change. Let me know your thoughts.

In terms of Wind’s involvement in the events of ST, one thing i’ve been debating is him being the one handling the train’s cannon. I feel like because it’s the “Spirit” Train, I can get away with the excuse that spirits or ghosts have a little more ability when in contact with it. Wind knows his way around a cannon. It’s one of the ways I think he could help. Plus, it would allow ST Link to focus fully on driving.

I also feel like Wind can summon any of his belongings for himself. He can’t give them to anyone else to use. They’re more like spiritual / ghostly copies of the real things, and if it’s something like his sword or bow and arrows, they wouldn’t be able to ACTUALLY hit anything. Still, it would allow him to summon things to help teach ST Link through demonstration.

The Tower of Spirits is really the trickiest part for me. I, honestly, don’t want him possessing phantoms. I feel like that’s something that should be reserved for Zelda.

I want Wind and Zelda to have different things that they can do. At least one thing exclusive to each while in the Tower. The excuse I’m going with is that she still has a tie to the living, even if it’s hanging by a thread. Wind, on the other hand, is fully a spirit. As such, the things they can do are different.

#lindseybot answers #the wind’s track #the wind’s track au #wt au #beyondtheglowingstars #this was really long i’m so sorry #the wind's track #the wind's track au

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fioreofthemarch · 1 year ago

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Finding Her - Chapter 11

Link makes notes, takes photos and keeps time on his quest across Hyrule, in the hopes of finding Zelda and staying sane until he does. [ Previous | Next | First | AO3 ]

Log date: 15:00. 7th month, 8th day 104AC Location: Akkala Citadel Weather: Cloudy

I think it’s gone. I climbed up some ruins to escape it and haven’t moved since. What the hell was that?

My skin’s blistered where it grabbed me, like a bad sunburn. Hurts to move. To breathe.

Made a detour here before heading to Gerudo. Thought I’d find some Shrines, explore the sky or brave whatever’s going on down in the Depths. Robbie has a lab in Deep Akkala that he wanted me to check on. Tarrey Town isn’t far either. Seemed like a great idea at the time.

Used to have fond memories of this place. This was the last stand of the Knights of Hyrule after all, and they were my brothers, once. I feel a responsibility to pay my respects.

Zelda and I were here too, a year back. A rare holiday — no surveys, no official business. We were halfway to the top when the rain came pouring down. Completely soaked us through by the time we took shelter in the ruins. I made a fire and we hung up our clothes to dry, huddling together for warmth. (Won’t write down what happened next, but you can imagine.) Now, this place is tainted and the memory with it.

I didn’t get a good look at the thing until it attacked. Thought I’d stumbled on a wounded animal, bleeding out on the stones. But then I noticed the blood was gurgling, boiling even, and knew something was wrong.

Barely had a hand on my sword before its black mass exploded and congealed all at once. Half a dozen hands, half a dozen eyes, writhing, screaming. I tried to run but it was so fast. One of its arms grabbed me and squeezed, like wringing juice from a lemon, the worst feeling you can imagine.

Some divine luck made me reach for a bomb flower. Not much can survive gunpowder. One bomb was enough for it to let go, and I bolted. Don’t remember climbing these ruins. I just found myself here, shaking from the pain and the tears and the panic.

That thing… it must have been made of Gloom, somehow. I'd thought it was just a poisonous muck (like Malice was) but Gloom is alive, and it hates.

The rain is easing. I was going to make camp here but, not anymore. Not for a long time.

A photograph taken from Akkala Citadel of Tarrey Town, to the north. West of the town is a large open wetland that has been mostly cleared. Zonai ruins scattered across the ground. The sky is a dark grey, but the rain has stopped.

Caption: Hopefully will have a better time down there.

---

Log date: 11:45. 7th month, 10th day 104AC. Location: Tarrey Town Race, Akkala Weather: Partly cloudy.

Slow travels since the incident. Wanted to leave the area but, curiosity won out. Spent the morning in the sky, exploring the Sokkala Sky Archipelago. There’s a sphere-type island up there. Ended up completing a crystal Shrine and finding something called a ‘Sage’s Will’. Not sure what it does. Another doodad for the pile until I figure it out.

Flew down to Tarrey Town on a wing. Looks like I’m not the only thing that’s fallen from the sky lately. So many Zonai parts have landed here that they’ve set up a research facility in an empty construction lot beside the town.

Thought I’d say hello to Hudson and caught the railcar into town, but him and his wife Rhondson have closed business for the day. They were caught up in an argument about their daughter and I didn’t want to pry. Family matters — outside my area of expertise and usually left for Zelda to handle.

Not that Zelda had much family either, come to think of it. Perhaps I’ll go back into town tomorrow, see what the trouble is.

Anyway, taking a break down at the research site. (Lunch for one: meat and mushroom skewers). Overheard two Gerudo women arguing with one of the Zonai Survey Team members. Something about being promised a race course that uses the Zonai technology, but that they can’t get any of it to work.

The right arm is tingling. Maybe it can sense the opportunity. Zonai Tech acting up? I know just the ancient magical limb for the job.

A photograph of a Zonai contraption: a cart with a steering stick and two small wheels attached. There is a Zonai rocket attached to each wheel. The vehicle looks as fast as it is flimsy.

Caption: The Speedster Mk CIV is ready to roll.

---

Log date: 08:00. 7th month, 13th day. Location: Tarrey Town, Akkala Weather: Clear skies.

Have been in Tarrey Town a few days now. Time to leave soon but… feel like reminiscing a little.

All my life, I’d never imagined a future for myself. Before the Calamity, my only duty was to fight for Hyrule, and die for it if needed. After the Calamity I lived day to day. Exploring, training, searching — building courage to face down the beast in the castle and save the princess within. Then after that, with Zelda, I guess I never got past the shock that we survived it all. I had no memories of peace. I did not know how to enjoy it.

I thought about a future with her, of course I did, but it was more like telling myself a fairytale. The Princess and her Knight, their house, their children, their life. It wasn’t us in that story, it wasn’t me. But I wonder now… was that for the better? Was it better to simply wake up from a dream, rather than lose the real thing?

Little Mattison has gone on her journey to Gerudo now. This was why Rhondson and Hudson were at odds, a few days ago. I can’t blame either of them. Rhondon wants what’s best for Mattison while Hudson just wants to spend more time with his daughter.

I got to hang out with Matti on her last day here, and help her father build the balloon that would carry her across Hyrule. Remember Link, Sundelions! We used a dozen of those flowers to dye the balloon a bright yellow. Josha’s advice came in handy again.

All of us, Mattison, Hudson, Rhondson and me, watched the sunrise while riding the balloon into town. It’s good that Matti was so captivated by the sun… she didn’t see the sadness on her parents' faces, or the tears in their eyes. I know it’s Gerudo custom for Mattison to leave home and I know it’ll be good for her to grow up with her people. But before today she and her parents were a family, with a house and a life together. And now… they aren’t.

I had my own family, didn’t I? I must have, once. I must have had someone other than myself.

Rhondson offered for me to buy a plot of land here. She said that their newest employee Grantéson (hmm) could help me build a dream home. But, I said no. I don’t really know why. It was a good deal. It just… didn’t feel like something I’d ever need.

A photograph taken of the Akkala Sea, from high in the sky. A second photograph of Rhondson, Hudson and Mattison, huddled together in the basket of the yellow balloon. On the horizon, dawn breaks.

Caption: They seemed so happy.

---

Incoming transmission… Processing… Transmission received. Downloading information packet and installing to the Purah Pad. Please stand by.

Upgraded Message Medallion installed.

Connection established. Audio transcription function activated. Standby to begin transcription…

RBB : C’mon, c’mon. [tapping noises] C’mon you piece of junk. Ah, it's working! Now to dial in the others…

[Ringing lasting for ten seconds]

PRH: What? Hello!? Who is this? What is this!?

RBB: Purah! Excellent, the medallion is working! It's Robbie!

PRH : Robbie… [Rumaging noises] Robbie it's six thirty in the morning!

RBB: Is it? …oh dear. Yes, the sun has indeed risen.

JSH: Oh hey, this thing's flashing again. Hello, funny little message medallion!

LNK: H-Hello?

JSH: Ahh! It spoke!

RBB: Of course it spoke, I just finished the upgrades.

JSH : Aahh! Goggles!? How are you-- wait. I'm not here. I don't have this. [Crashing noises]

PRH: We know you took the medallion again, Josha.

JSH : [far away] Do you? [closer] Let me first say how sorry I am—

RBB: Don’t bother—

JSH: And very sorry that I just threw it!

RBB: Josha, I made two more. Now we all have one! Just ask next time.

JSH: Yes, sir! I will, I promise!

[A pause]

JSH: So what is happening right now? I just woke up.

PRH & LNK: [in unison] Me too.

RBB: As I have been trying to say, I've upgraded the message medallions. We can now talk as though we were all in the same room. This will make coordinating our efforts much easier, and as you can tell, each medallion can interface with the Purah Pad in Link’s possession.

LNK: Cool.

JSH: Awesome!

PRH : Yes. [Yawning] Wonderful.

RBB: Now then, Link. Tell me, did you make it to my lab in Akkala?

LNK: Sure did. Just this morning.

RBB: Was it beset by those Yiga scoundrels like I feared?

LNK: Sure was.

RBB: I see. Are they still there?

LNK: Not anymore.

RBB: Good man, very good, thank you.

PRH: So, are you still there, Linky?

LNK: Still here.

PRH: I mean at the lab in Akkala.

LNK: Yes.

PRH: Perfect. Any chance you can pick up my sunshades while you’re there? I left them in the loft the last time I visited, I think. But don’t get too nosey, there’s a lot of top secret research there!

LNK: Sure. Roger that.

RBB: And Link, don’t forget to pick up the Travel Medallion for me to add to your Purah Pad.

LNK: And that.

JSH: Oh, swordsman, if it’s not too much trouble, I left a TON of field notes on Malice there too, in the ground floor library I think? They could be super useful for dealing with Gloom.

LNK: Uh—

PRH: Tsch, listen to yourselves. Link isn’t our personal courier!

RBB: Speak for yourself!

PRH: Well you can’t expect him to do every little errand for us.

RBB: You just asked him to please pick up your spare sunglasses!

PRH: I need those sunglasses to relax. Guarding the Castle isn’t easy work!

RBB: YOU guarding the Castle?

JSH: If it’s too much trouble I really don’t need my notes actually.

PRH : [loud] Someone has to lead the troops here. We’re not all workaholics like you!

RBB: [very loud] Goddess be good, I’M the workaholic? After you demanded we bring forward the Purah Pad launch by a whole year!?

JSH : I’m gonna leave you guys to it. Goddesses keep you and stuff, okay bye! [click]

PRH: We were already behind in develop—! Oh. Josha left.

RBB: Hm. She did. What about Link? Are you still there, Link? [A pause]. I think he’s gone.

PRH: That was probably our fault.

RBB: Yes. Apologies, Dr. Purah.

PRH: Likewise, Dr. Robbie. Jerrin sends her love, by the way.

RBB: I appreciate you watching over her, though I’d feel a lot better if she joined me in Hateno.

PRH: She feels her talents are best used looking after the soldiers here at Lookout. She says they all remind her of Granté.

RBB: Every young man reminds her of Granté. I know because I’m the same way.

PRH: The life of a parent, huh?

RBB: He’s my son no matter where he is. [A sigh] I meant to ask Link to check in on him for me. I heard he’s signed on with that construction company.

PRH: Yes, in Tarrey Town. I’m sure he’s just fine, Robbie. Akkala is remote. It’s safe.

RBB: I can’t help worrying. For him and Jerrin.

PRH: You’ll be together again soon, you know that. We will sort this mess out and get the Princess home. Nothing is forever.

RBB: You’re right, thank you.

[A pause]

PRH: You know, I worry about Link, though. He’s alone out there. For the first time in a while.

RBB: Indeed. Poor boy. We miss our beloved Zelda, of course, but I couldn’t bear it, if it were me. If it were Jerrin missing like that, I could not bear it.

PRH: Well it isn’t. Be glad for that. I just hope Link is okay.

[A pause]

LNK: I’ll be alright, guys, thank you.

PRH & RBB [in unison]: Aahh!

PRH: Link! You’re still there!

LNK: Yep.

PRH: Well… it was nice talking to you both. Let’s do this again sometime.

RBB: Likewise. Goddess keep and preserve you Purah, and you Link.

PRH: Back at you. Later, Robbie.

RBB: Yes. ‘Later’.

Connection terminated. Audio log saved the Purah Pad files.

---

Welcome to the Purah Pad!

— Home Screen —

Today’s Purah Pointer: Remember to take your Purah Pad to Hateno Ancient Technology Laboratory every six months or every 10,000 standard clicks travelled, whichever comes first!

> Camera

Camera selected.

> Scanner

Scanner sub-function selected. Please place text to be scanned in view of the Purah Pad camera.

Scanning… Processing… Scanned text uploaded.

Deed of Sale

Prepared By:

President Hudson 1 Tarrey Way, Tarrey Town Akkala, Hyrule

Return To:

Link – 5 Wildflower Crossing, Hateno Village Necluda, Hyrule

This deed certifies that, for the sum of one thousand and five hundred rupees (R 1,500), paid in hand to the “Grantor”, known as President Hudson, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the following real estate is conveyed to the “Grantee”, Link —:

Lot HVD50N14, Akkala Highlands, Hyrule

THE PROPERTY comprises a flat section of land exactly forty by forty standard units in dimension, located approximately forty standard units west of the nearest main thoroughfare (‘Sokkala-Tarrey Road’).

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the Property, the Grantee, their heirs, successors and executors forever, obtain a permanent and absolute tenure in land with freedom to dispose of at will

AND the Grantor, their heirs, successors and executors shall warrant and defend the Property unto the Grantee and assign forever against the lawful claims of all persons.

P HUDSON Grantor’s Signature Date: 16.07.0104

A note, appended to the transfer of ownership deed for Link’s new plot of land.

Link,

Congratulations on the purchase of the land for your dream home! With overlooking views of Lake Akkala and firm but fertile soil, this lot is brimming with real estate potential!

President Hudson mentioned you had a change of heart after initially deciding against your purchase. I want to say I’m confident you have made the right decision!

I ordered the rooms you requested and should have them delivered to your plot in a week. Come back and assemble your dream home as soon as you can!

Also, I have passed on your enquiry for custom rooms to President Hudson. I am certain we can build anything to your liking for a modest and reasonable additional fee.

Son and done,

Grantéson

P.S. Tell my father I am just fine and that he doesn’t have to send people to check up on me, thank you. But also please tell him that I miss him. And Mom and Auntie Purah as well. I promise I’ll visit the first moment I can.

P.P.S When you said you’d want a ‘nursery’ do you mean for plants or babies?

#totk #tears of the kingdom #zelink #tears of the kingdom fanfiction #link #hudson #tloz #eagled eyed viewers will recall that link was thinking about nursuries back in chapter 8................. ;)

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yiga-hellhole · 1 year ago

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Twilight Forest, Twilight King Chapter 2

I wrote a sequel chapter to my fanfiction! This one is uh... Beefy... but i found i just had a lot to talk about with these weirdos. this one is about 10k words, under the cut, but i’ve split it in two separate chapters on ao3 over here!

this chapter explores the battle for eldin province, and zant’s relationship to midna. mostly, i just wanted to write midna, because she’s one of the best zelda characters, hands-down. hope you enjoy!!

The initial peace of their arrival had long last run out. None were content with simply conquering the Gerudo Desert and claiming it as their territory. No, The Demon King’s plans were far more grand than this. Their forces were ever-increasing, supplied by new recruits that had wretched themselves free from Cia’s control. More and more were pouring out the Gates of Time by the hour, and they were happy to take in any that she didn’t manage to indoctrinate. As Ganondorf’s highest commanders, it was up to Ghirahim and Zant to manage these recruits while they made their way to the Valley of Seers.

Today was one such moment of actively managing troops. To Ghirahim’s surprise, he was finding that the Darknuts and Bulblins were far more talkative than the Moblins he was used to. Their highest generals - recognizable through their large sizes and increasingly more decorative helmets - joined them at the plotting table of their current camp. Maps, pawns, and stocks were laid on the surface of the table and were being thoroughly discussed by a pair of ruffians slightly diagonally across the table from Ghirahim. Frankly, the upfront planning of strategically planned conquests wasn’t his strongest suit. He was far more suited to the actual battlefield, where rallying (or rather, bossing around) troops was one of his greatest strengths. The logistics of ‘strategic outposts’ and ‘soldiers that need to eat and sleep’ simply did not suit his area of expertise. Still, he had to keep up images, as became clear from the two generals currently facing him and Zant, waiting for input on their current plans. Ghirahim frowned at the two documents he had been given and was about to turn to his co-lieutenant to listen to his input, but he came to an absolutely baffling discovery.

Was he… Sleeping?

Standing up? Like a horse?

This was unprecedented. He stiffened his expression as much as possible to prevent his jaw from falling wide open at the absolute audacity Zant was performing right in the middle of an active warzone. Moreso, he had to exercise every bit of restraint he could to stop himself from punching him in the shoulder and yelling at him for his transgressions, right in front of the very people that held them in the highest of regards. Well, he had been silent for longer than five seconds now, and he had to figure out a way to save face, and fast. He squinted down at the scroll of paper that described their current livestock preservations, but before he could give any insightful comment on it, Zant, without having moved a muscle, interjected.

“My apologies, I was thinking through our options. You have been investing far too much attention into warding off archers. I must remind you that soon we are heading into Eldin territory, wherewith their height advantages, we need to prepare far more for their catapults and highland ambushes. We are skirting Goron territory, after all.”

Ghirahim frowned again as his gaze flitted between Zant and the generals beside them, who, now looking pensive, returned to the table for further discussion. Had he been wrong? Was Zant just uncharacteristically quiet, listening on?

Still holding onto the scroll, he stepped back to stand closer to Zant. He figured it would give him a good cover to pretend to be discussing its contents when, in truth, he was about to berate him.

“Zant, I almost daren’t ask, but… Were you seriously sleeping? In the middle of the briefing?” he hissed, eyes on the scroll but face slightly tilted to face Zant.

Where he had hoped to hear an insulted gasp and a denial, he instead heard a muffled laugh. “Ah, good. You only just caught on.”

WHAT?

“What!?”

Zant looked over his shoulder to join his ‘reading’ of the scroll and continued to speak. “I must admit to a bit of mischief. I cannot lie to you, I have been sneaking in a nap here and there, the past few days.”

It took every ounce of his being not to grimace and shout at him. Instead, he whispered increasingly frantically. “You can’t be serious! That’s — Hideous! Wildly irresponsible! In what realm is this acceptable behavior!?”

Zant simply hummed in reply. “I suppose, in the exact same realm you lot continue to insist on attacking in broad daylight, despite most of our forces, myself included, functioning at our best in the dark.”

This was unbelievable. “Napping. During a meeting!”

“Without anyone noticing, indeed,” Zant nodded, stating his response with baffling solemnity.

He was ten seconds from walloping him with the scroll. “Regardless! How can you-“

Zant interrupted him before he could blow his gourd, nudging him in the shoulder with his elbow before leaning down with a whisper. “Let me be clear, Ghirahim. These meetings, especially our presence at them, are mostly for show. The past few battles we plotted have been child’s play. All I need is a quick look over the table, my wit, and the rest is basic improvisation.”

Ghirahim’s kayfabe shattered, and he was fully gawking at Zant, at a loss for words.

“And despite all that, every single one of our battles thus far has been a grand success, no? Not to worry. Once we enter more threatening territory, these briefings will have my undivided attention. But until then, I’ll be preserving any energy I would otherwise spend simply standing around being bored.” He hummed thoughtfully, taking the scroll out of Ghirahim’s nearly paralyzed hands. Zant spoke louder this time, catching the attention of the other commanders in the room. “We need to prioritize fowl in our meat stocks for the time being. Kakariko has an abundant supply, and we can expect the Hylian forces stationed nearby to be making ample use of them. We should be setting forces aside for raiding their convoy from where they least expect it.”

Ghirahim stood in awe as Zant with a wave of his sleeved hand motioned the generals into action, who nodded away and sent the first of their messengers out of the tent and into their camp. The man was a prodigy. An absolute wild genius of warfare. And there was absolutely no way Zant could find out that he had come to this conclusion.

The two had retreated to their usual, casual bickering. After their meeting concluded, they stayed behind in the tent, sat atop stools, and nursed sips from their waterskins. Though the initial shock and dismay had now faded, Ghirahim found himself still irritable after their briefing.

Ghirahim crossed his arms, whipping his hair out his face with a flick of his neck. "I still cannot believe you've gotten away with sleeping during tactic meetings so many times!"

Zant chortled again, needle-like teeth visible past his broadly grinning lips. "You speak as though I've done nothing but slumber for the past few days! All I say is, I can easily doze off a bit when I am not needed, so long as I stand still and keep this helmet firmly closed," he stated, gesturing to his head. It was that damned helmet, for sure. It was growing to be an increasing annoyance to him.

"So long as it doesn't end up in careless mistakes around our Master…" Ghirahim sighed with a noncommittal gesture, to which Zant quickly squawked in reply.

"I would never!"

His irritability was slowly making room for amusement. Getting to know the Twili outside the battlefield was teaching him just how his chaotic behavior intertwined with his personal life. It was equal parts fascinating and completely vexing him. Before their conversation could turn to pointless babbling about semantics, Zant returned to the topic of his helmet. "There really is an art to it. You could consider getting one of your own. It’s so perfectly pitch-dark inside this helmet, it's difficult not to sneak in some shut-eye."

Ghirahim scoffed, dismissively waving his hand at him. "Oh, please. Cut it with your excuses!"

"I am serious! I could very well let you put it on, you can see for yourself."

Ghirahim felt apprehensive about the suggestion. Put on Zant's helmet? It seemed like an awfully intimate gesture, one he certainly wasn't comfortable with. Moreover, it probably didn't smell the best inside that thing. But… Somewhere, his curiosity was winning, and Zant was already undoing buckles by his shoulders.

"I advise caution, it is quite heavy,” Zant warned him, hooking his fingers around the edges of his shoulder guards to lift the massive piece of armor off his head.

He grimaced in return, feeling his pride itch. "Heavy? Realize who you’re talking to, for once, you oaf. I’m made of solid metal, nothing could possibly be too heavy!"

And yet, when the oversized chunk of steel was placed on his shoulders and caged his head in that hollow dome, he had to admit, it was throwing off his balance. How strong was Zant exactly, to be lugging this around all day?

He chuckled, a little caught off guard by the echo. As Zant said, it was completely dark, the only bits of light peeking through the minuscule eye holes above him. It seemed this thing needed an obscenely long neck to properly wear. "Well, how do I look?" he asked, posing idly.

A muffled giggle rang from outside the helmet. "In your own words, unsightly!"

——

Their forces advanced. Today had been a complete and total wildcard, yet somehow, it was working out for them. The outskirts of Eldin Province were but mere hours from being locked in their control, and it seemed they had Zant to thank for it. He had purposely ordered a ceasefire until their wizzrobes could accurately predict the next rainfall and immediately ordered an attack when the heaviest of it would come pouring down. It was almost too ideal; the rain itself vastly hampered visibility, rendering any projectiles, whether arrows or heavy boulders, nearly useless. Wet soil and heavy winds prevented any attempt at cavalry assault from breaking through their forces. As such, the only true way for the Hylians to fight back against their advance was through hand-to-hand combat, and none of these pushovers could ever hope to overpower the beasts they sent their way. More importantly, the thick, rolling clouds above blocked out the sun. If Zant had been a sight to behold before, he was an absolute spectacle this time around. Uninhibited by what could only be called his greatest weakness, he was proving himself to be an absolute beast. His magic was a horrifying flurry of chaos, ripping nonsensical objects from the void and sending them flying through entire platoons of defenseless men. Though battling in the middle of a storm was always a perilous decision, all appeared to be going in their favor.

But not for Ghirahim. Ghirahim was wet, dirty, and miserable. The battlefield encroached the foothills of Goron territory, and the stone-hide busybodies decided to lend their aid to the Hyrulean forces. Normally, this would not be a problem, but at some point, he had been surrounded. During his struggle to break out of the formation, the rock-covered backs of one of those brutes managed to chip one of his blades.

Now, this was one of his many blades. Out of roughly a dozen, it really shouldn’t have been much of an issue. But summoning, much less repairing entire parts of his essence in their physical form, was decidedly a downtime activity. Not one to be spent crouched behind a rock ledge, hoping that the boulders aimlessly sailing through the air wouldn’t collapse his hideout. Now that he was sat, he could assess the damage. No, not that of the mud on his beautiful boots, cape, and bodysuit. Rather, the horrid crack that ran down the razor edge of one of his finest rapiers. He slid his thumb across the thunderbolt-shaped fracture, wincing, not only at the strange ache it caused in his chest but also in rage. Of course, those responsible for this massive blow to his ego had already been reduced to trampled carcasses in the muck, but the insult still stood. He would have to spend the rest of this fight with only one blade.

Suddenly, he was ripped out of his train of thought. The rain was still pounding into the ground around him, but hardly any of it was hitting him. He looked up, only to be met with a large, gaudy sleeve, shielding him from the downpour.

“Ghirahim. It is unlike you to be caught off guard like this. Are you injured?”

It was Zant, standing bent over him. What was this madman doing? This wasn’t the time for smalltalk. Whatever he wanted to achieve, he had to get to the point, and quick. “Not quite,” he grimaced. “Those worms somehow managed to crack my sword,” he stated, showing him the damaged blade. “I will be fine. You ought to put my magnetic personality to the side for a moment and head back out there.”

Zant did not respond to his quipping but did seem to eye the broken sword. “I see.” He quickly turned to look over his shoulder, before staring back down at him. “The Hyruleans have stationed one of their higher commanders here today. Midna. Just as I, she is stronger than she usually would be during clear day, and, well —To put it bluntly, she is not quite keen to find me alive,” he stated with a stiff chuckle.

Ghirahim frowned. That imp? Certainly, she should have been no match for Zant. “Why are you here? You can take care of her, no?”

Zant shrugged in return. “I am not the one who cursed her this time around, and I can’t know the extent of her powers. I’ve pulled back for the moment, to let our commanders exhaust her a bit. She should have blazed through her worst within mere minutes, I reckon.” Though he was concealed behind his helmet, the tone of his voice gave him an inkling of a self-satisfied smile.

Playing cat and mouse with the enemy. Ghirahim shook his head at the concept, but couldn’t exactly berate him for it. It was, by all means, a smart move. In the meantime, he didn’t see any point in keeping the cracked sword laying in his lap, so he dismissed it with a wave of his hand, wincing at the sensation. His soul was like its own scabbard, built to perfectly sleeve every blade that he hid within himself. When one of those blades suddenly bore jagged edges, it stung through his entire body.

This did not go unnoticed. “… Ghirahim. You must rest. Our forces need you in peak condition on the battlefield.”

Ghirahim shook his head. “No! Don’t be ridiculous. I am no child, you needn’t coddle me.”

“Then I speak as your co-lieutenant, and as your friend. I insist you retreat.”

“You ask the impossible of me. I can, and I will fight,” he bit back but was met with the insistent looming of the Usurper. “… Fine. Have it your way! I’ll take five. But the second I’ve recovered from this ache, I’m heading back out there.”

Zant seemed to find his compromise reasonable. “Then I have an attractive offer for you. I will continue to drive Midna back out of the field, and when I give the signal, you can join me in delivering the final blow. You will know when I call for you. Until then, take your rest.”

It was… Uncharacteristically kind. It almost seemed like there was a catch. Ghirahim paused, a little taken aback. "You're saying, you'll share your prized kill with me?"

"If it means you will stop acting recklessly, yes."

Ghirahim blinked up at him, before his expression softened into a smile. How very twistedly sweet of him. For a moment, he didn't quite know what came over him. The one moment he was just crouched over on the floor, and the very next, he craned his head up and reached for him with his free hand. Satin-clad, deft fingers found their way to the back of Zant's neck and pulled him downwards. Before he knew it, he had planted a kiss on the "cheek" of his helmet. "Thank you, Twilight King."

Pristine white lips stained now by rain-diluted blood, he did not break his gaze at the daunting helmet. Zant's expression, unreadable. He had half expected him to screech and run off, but he simply lingered silently until the hand on the back of his neck slipped back down. After a moment of silence, Zant whipped back around again to gauge their position, before stepping back.

An unsubtle clear of the throat rang behind his helmet. "I will call for you when I need you. Be on your guard until then," he demanded, before nodding firmly and sprinting off with a wigglier gait than he'd had when he arrived.

Ghirahim couldn't think of anything than to smile and wave him off.

He sat panting in his hideout a little longer. The pain of his broken blade did not quite fade, but his body slowly learned to adjust to its new shape. He would have found greater success in his recovery, had not every other troop that marched on by paused to fuss over him, nearly the same as Zant had. His co-lieutenant had been right. Witnessing one of their high commanders, beaten and drenched by the deluge, did a big number on the overall morale of their army. It broke his concentration, but not quite yet his will. A small group of lizalfos took to shielding him, hissing and squawking in idle conversation with one another. The curious creatures stood their guard, tongues flitting from their maws as their eyes carefully scanned the battlefield around them.

Ghirahim found it nothing but wasteful. Those beasts should be out there fighting, not guarding someone who could pulverize any approaching threat with a flick of his wrist.

As fate would have it, the two lieutenants found each other in their respective eleventh hour. From the other side of the battlefield, just past his hideout, a series of great purple bolts shot into the heavens. Zant, though a reckless maniac, was not so tactless as to abandon his aim without good reason. He was calling for him, no doubt about it. He dismissed his lizalfos guardians with a booming shout, took his remaining blade in both hands, and sprinted off to the source of his calling flare.

It was quite a distance, taking him to the edge of the field. He could only guess the two Twili had chased each other all the way to the Bridge Keep. Getting there was not much of a problem, not for a demon made of pure metal. The Hyrulean forces were holding out stunningly well, but even their fighting spirit was no match for the being of sheer rage barreling toward them. All decorum had gone out the window as he ran his way through masses of soldiers in his mud-stained suit. He elbowed, kicked, and walloped men with the flat of his blade as he forced his way to his goal. Steel helmets dented and shields shattered under the force of the pommel striking them with reckless abandon. A cacophony of sickening crunches and screeching metal sounded wherever he set foot, as if announcing his arrival with a violent fanfare. He was in too much of a hurry to pay it any mind. Blood. Rain. Whichever, ceaselessly drenched him as he pressed on. The poor sods were too trapped in the crowd of battle to even attempt to get away from him. With the obsidian metal shining under his skin, the Hylians were powerless to retaliate. Such pathetic sticks couldn’t even get a dent in him. Their sheer attempts were disgraceful. It wasn’t his most elegant fight, but he had to save time and energy for what actually mattered.

One last push and he was finally out of the crowd, standing at the edge of the Eldin Bridge. By some miracle, it had escaped the battle unscathed (so far), and he stood face to face with a grand gate. It was wide open, but he was more concerned by what lay beyond. Great orange barriers stood behind the fence, reaching skyward. He could pass through, he knew, but it posed one major problem. One of the two Twili had played their trump card and led the both of them to a Twilight Realm. They were at full power.

He ran up to the gate but ducked behind one of its pillars first. He was not so foolish as to rush headfirst into a keep with two arcanely charged beings, who were undoubtedly, neither in the best of moods. He peeked around the corner to gauge his surroundings. It was almost like a temple, with crumbled walls and pillars lining the mountain corridor. They hadn’t even been here yet, and it was already on the verge of collapse. The two Twili stood in the center, with Zant, shockingly, subdued. Two golden wolves were on each of his sides, biting down harshly on his sleeves. Dark red puddles were already gathering on the floor below him as he tried to wrestle out of their grip. When he looked at the imp who had to be Midna, Ghirahim found himself a little perturbed. For a friend of the Hyruleans, she was awfully menacing. A dark teal aura gathered around her, wafting off of her like smoke from a wildfire. She grinned triumphantly, but her heaving stance betrayed exhaustion. They began to speak, and Ghirahim warped himself closer to eavesdrop.

“I’ve got you now, you wretch! Try casting those wicked spells of yours without waving those gangly arms around!”

Zant laughed at first, but whined terribly as the wolves sunk their teeth into his arms. The thick fabric of his sleeves was failing him. “You must think you’ve gotten a great advantage,” he wheezed, giggling through his pain. “Dear Midna. To think I would find a Twilight Realm in these lands, and it wasn’t even my own doing! Are you finally seeing the advantages-�� he spoke, but was interrupted by a sudden rip at his arm. He screeched in agony as he was yanked to the side, as if the beasts were trying to split him in twain.

She curled her lip in disdain as she spoke. “I don’t even know why I’m continuing to let you yap. Really, I should kill you right now.”

“Then why aren’t you?” Zant asked, panting in his exertion, but with a smugness in his voice as he tried to save face.

“And risk you coming back from the dead? No thanks. I’ll be taking you in as a prisoner, what, with all that bragging you’ve done about your God resurrecting you?” She prattled on, idly examining her nails. Zant, at this point, was starting to shiver, desperation creeping up even behind the concealment of his armor. Midna then turned to him again, a wide, teeth-baring grin on her face. “Though, he didn’t exactly do that last time, did he?”

She threw her head back in laughter as Zant’s composure snapped, and he struggled as high-pitched grunts of rage echoed out from his helmet. She simply yawned and reclined in mid-air while he panicked in her grasp. “Oh, spare me the effort. Do me a favor and hold still, will you? This’ll only hurt… Hm, a lot, probably,” she snickered, as she raised her arms, preparing what looked to be her fate-sealing spell.

It was a shame they were on opposite sides. Ghirahim reckoned he might have gotten along with her.

Right as she was about to unleash a frightening amount of crackling energy, something broke her concentration. Midna’s head shot around in shock at the sound of a horn in the northeast. She glared back at Zant, who was still straining against the insistent jaws of her wolves. “Kakariko! That’s out of the warzone, what are you doing!? Elders and children are hiding there!”

His head hung low, but his shoulders shook with laughter. “Then I suppose you should have hidden them better!”

“You’re a monster!”

Zant raised his head again, gagging on his own spit as he coughed out a snickering, sneering reply. “And you’re surprisingly negligent! The Goddesses know your forces haven’t found our most vulnerable!”

A visible rage bubbled and fizzed inside Midna. The tendrils of her hair glowed a violent orange, twisting and coiling as they raised behind her, like a scorpion’s tail preparing to strike. This was Ghirahim’s cue. He showered himself in the diamond flurry of his teleportation magic, and appeared directly behind Zant. The metallic sound of his quickstep maneuver alerted their foe, but she only truly realized what had happened when an obsidian black blade drove itself through the powerful neck of one of her spectral familiars. The beast yelped, releasing its grip on Zant’s bloodstained sleeve, before dissipating into shreds, like burning paper in the wind. He quickly ducked underneath Zant’s arm and, while his co-lieutenant attempted to break free from the second wolf, sprinted at Midna to deliver a swift strike. Instantly, she changed the directory of her hair, and swung the radiant tendrils towards him, instead, their frayed tips aimed right at his chest.

This was his greatest gamble, but one he had chosen wisely. He and Midna had never faced each other in battle before, and so, they were both ignorant of one another’s abilities. Ghirahim’s finest ability happened to be his perfect blades. Bracing his free hand against the blade’s blunt edge, he shielded himself with his sword, parrying the oncoming assault with one swift, slicing motion. He hardly had to exert any force; Midna’s own furious strike gave enough of a push to get the job done. Not expecting the sheer sharpness of his blade, instead of pushing it to the side and overpowering him, her tendrils were split instantly like shaved wood.

To most people, the agonized scream that burst out of Midna would have been horrid, but it was music to Ghirahim’s ears. She gripped her head tightly before quickly retracting her tendrils. They did not bleed, but clearly, she had feeling in them. This, too, they could use to their advantage.

“Greetings and salutations!” Ghirahim flourished and bowed, “three against one is simply no way to win, wouldn’t you agree? I thought I’d balance the numbers a little bit.”

Midna, still reeling from the blow, glared daggers at the two men before her. Zant joined by his side again, having wrestled his way out of the other wolf’s grip. She was furious. The energy she had been building returned to her at once, and with a wild fling of her arms, she sent a massive ball of twilight magic hurtling toward them. Zant was by far too winded to dodge the blow, and Ghirahim, shamefully, couldn’t get out of range fast enough. Though the blast only grazed his leg, the impact soon surged through his whole body. Like a lightning bolt, dark energy crackled and conducted through his metal core, nearly sending him falling to his knees. Now, that just wouldn’t do. The ache inside him reawakened from her magic, but his rage fueled him with adrenaline, pushing past the limits his pain oh so futilely tried to restrain his abilities with. Rapier extended, he lunged at Midna, aiming straight for the face. Hitting this little woman proved incredibly difficult; not only was she quite small, but her command over gravity allowed her to zip away from his blows like a buzzing insect. It was infuriating, and not doing many favors to his technique. Still, she was equally struggling to land a blow on him. She now feared the sharpness of his blade and turned hesitant. In his flurry of strikes, she couldn’t seem to find an opening past the barrier of jabs and swings. Even so, Midna was tricky. Before Ghirahim knew it, one of her oversized ankle-biters was gnawing at his injured leg. The beast yelped as teeth struck steel past his negligible layer of skin, but it only added to the distraction. It was only ever a distraction. While his eyes quickly darted to the wolf, she instantly took the opportunity by the horns. The large, hair-woven hand extending from her head clutched his dominant arm in a flash. With a quick twist, she threatened to dislocate his beautiful features, the metal of his joints groaning against the pressure as she forced him to bend backward. It forced his hand open, and his sword clattered to the ground. He could rip and writhe all he wanted. Though he exceeded her in brute strength, any tug he made at that tendrilous arm simply made it extend further from her head. Was this brat going to overpower him so easily?

Obviously, the answer was no. With a snip of his fingers with his free hand, a row of daggers began floating above his head, points aimed straight at Midna. Of course, sharp as she was, she saw this and prepared to dodge.

She could only come as far as preparing. Suddenly, she gasped, and her body froze. Zant had stumbled up behind the two and, with a raised hand, restrained her with his own magic. Spindly fingers twisted and squeezed the air as she began to contort, gasping and choking as the air was pushed from her chest. With another snap of his fingers, Ghirahim sent the daggers flying straight at her face. A miscalculation on his part. The pest managed to rip her head free and, with a twist of her neck, deflected most of his projectiles against her stone helmet. But not all of them. A nasty gash had been cut across her cheek and lip, and her shoulder was grazed by a rogue dagger. Not his finest work, but it had to do.

“I will take it from here,” a deep voice rumbled behind him, before Midna was launched backward, smashing against the wall of the keep. This fight was personal, and Ghirahim stood down. Despite this harsh blow, she was still standing. Zant, limping and swaying from his injuries, dragged his way towards Midna and lifted his hand again. A storm of purple, glowing orbs spouted from his sleeves, hurtling at her at breakneck speeds. She raised her hair-clad hand in an attempt to deflect them, but the last of them managed to burn a hole in her defenses. She was struck, sent spinning from its force, and snarled in pain. But Midna did not go down so easily. With a remarkably quick lunge, she zipped through the air towards him and, with her fist balled, pushed him backwards again. He grunted against the impact but struggled to regain his footing. When he managed to bend himself back upright, he was enraged to find that she had turned her back on him. Midna was getting away. With a screech, he swung his scimitars free from his sleeves and sprinted after her.

It was no use. She looked back at him once more, and with a single wave of her hand, disappeared into a portal underfoot.

Zant screamed in protest, attempting to jump into the portal after her, but it disintegrated before his feet hit the ground. His metal shoes thudded into the dirt path instead. Whimpering and seething, he stomped where she vanished, as if the force of his feet alone could send him where she had gone. His stomps lost their vigor as the pain of his injuries overtook him, and he simply slumped over. That is, until he raised his hand, preparing to conjure a portal of his own.

But before he could attempt to, a glove-clad hand pulled his arm back down. “Zant, that’s enough! She’s fled!”

Zant whipped his head around to face him, his voice shrill and ragged. “Yes! To Kakariko! I know where she’s gone, I can—“

“You can get yourself killed. If that brat retreats, her troops will follow. We won, Zant.”

“But she got away,” he whined, pulling insistently to try to free his arm. He hissed when the nagging pain of his injuries refused to let him do so.

“Yes, but we captured her pinnacle keep. That is enough, for now,” Ghirahim insisted, leaning closer to that tacky helmet of his. “The Master would not be happy to hear one of his lieutenants risked an advantage over foolish, reckless decisions. You told me so yourself, no?”

Zant panted and cried as he regained his senses. They stood there a while, quietly staring at one another. Ghirahim increasingly sternly squinted at him, trying to will him out of his bloodlust stupor through his gaze alone. As they stood there, the taps of the rain on Zant’s helmet slowly began to thin out. The storm had finally ceased, as if through a twist of fate, the Goddesses smiled upon their victory for a change. Ghirahim sighed and peeked past the tall figure of the Twili before him to examine the battlefield. The clash of steel was slowly fading. With the alarm call from Kakariko, it appeared the Hyruleans became far more occupied with defending a single village, rather than guarding their dwindling territory from the Demon King’s advance.

The sentimental fools.

A gangly hand clutched his arm, as Zant fell to his knees before him. Ragged wheezes echoed from behind his helmet, as his body quaked and shivered. Just how much did those two manage to injure each other?

Ghirahim sighed. “You can whine and whimper all you want, but I’m not carrying you back.”

Zant did not respond.

For just a moment, he was caught off guard by his own train of thought. I certainly hope I haven’t gone soft, he thought to himself. He rolled his eyes, and placed a hand on Zant’s shoulder. Before the first rays of the sun could peek through the dwindling clouds, they were already long gone, fading to the keep in the cloak of Ghirahim’s diamond flurry.

—————

That night was one of thorough merrymaking. The capture of the Eldin outskirts had proved to be an overwhelming success, despite the beaten states of their lieutenants. Their own casualties were minimal; Zant’s gamble had proved correct, and the enforcing of hand-to-hand combat of man against man worked magnificently in their favor. The Hyruleans were squished like bugs under their thumbs, and turned tail right when their commander did.

Ghirahim was seated at one of the higher tables in the mess hall, pleasantly mingling with some of their chief commanders. Or, well, seemingly pleasantly. Frankly, he didn’t care much for their company. They were simple beings with simple desires, mortal souls with little in common with him. He just smiled cordially when he was spoken to, resting his chin on his hand, idly looking on at the group of party-goers before him. He wasn’t quite listening to his surroundings. It was all just meaningless noise to him, buzzing in one ear out the other. Had he any equivalent organs to speak of, he would be getting a headache right about now. Or… Perhaps he already did? Midna’s magic had done a strange number on him and hadn’t quite yet run its course. He gazed at the mannerisms enfolding before him. Large mugs of ale poured into the gaping mouths of his monstrous forces, fizz bubbling down the corners of their mouths as they billowed with laughter. They sang, playfully hit one another, and stuffed their faces with the spoils of war. Despite many of them being injured, some missing entire limbs after the battlefield, it was like it had been simply any other day. Of all the distasteful things they were doing, Ghirahim supposed he admired that kind of resilience, in a way.

Something was awry, though. He hadn’t actually seen Zant since the preparations for their feast started.

Something unprecedented rang through him. As he sat staring in his seat, as though looking directly through the crowd before him and into another world, he managed to put his finger on just what that feeling was. Anxiety. A mild one, but certainly there. He found himself a touch worried for his co-lieutenant.

And that annoyed him. Certainly, he hadn’t succumbed to his injuries, but instead locked himself in some secluded room, tucked away like a sick animal feeling sorry for himself. Just the thought of such a piteous display made him angry. He hesitated to say that Zant was better than acting like that — it would have been fairly typical of him, in fact — but, if the man wanted to masquerade as a powerful ruler so badly, he ought to at least act like it. He excused himself, and promptly left the hall.

The new Eldin keep was a rather straightforward building. A large block of a structure, with one main ceremonial hall (currently being desecrated by their partying forces), some storage rooms to the side, and a second story of personal dwellings. Ghirahim reckoned it was a servants’ house, once. Well, it was better than a tent. His search for his companion did not take too long. He swung open the door to one of the storage rooms, only to see a distinctly bamboo-shoot-shaped silhouette a ways out the little window. At least he’s not holed up somewhere, he thought to himself, before zipping himself to the other side of the window.

He found Zant outside the keep, facing west, seated upon a stool he must have snuck out of the dining hall. The sun was only barely peeking past the horizon in front of them, blurry and shivering in the illusion of its own heat. He figured those last rays of light were the reason Zant’s helmet was still on.

Ghirahim cleared his throat, catching the attention of his co-lieutenant, who struggled to turn back to him. “We seem to keep finding each other at dusk, don’t we?”

“It was you who found me, but yes, it seems so,” he replied. Zant’s voice was its usual haunting depth, suggesting an overall calm mood. Surprising, considering his state when they last saw each other.

Ghirahim shook his head with a chuckle. “You’re not joining us for the festivities?”

Zant shook his head in response. “No, ah… Far too noisy. I do quite prefer it out here. It’s peaceful, this time of day,” he stated, idly examining the mug he held in his grip. “Though,” he said, grunting a bit as he turned in his seat, “I wouldn’t mind sharing this peace with fond company.”

A second stool materialized next to him, and he gestured with his sleeve with a sweeping motion, inviting him to come sit. Declining would only be impolite. Ghirahim sighed through his nose and smiled, playing along with his offer, moving over to sit next to him. Zant appeared to be doing not much more than staring at the sun. He surmised there was some form of bittersweetness to the sight to him. Such a thing of beauty, even if it threatened to scorch his skin if he bathed in its glory too long.

He turned to Zant again, who, as if on cue, met his gaze before he could even speak. “I do think you should at least show your face in there, Zant,” he began. “I do so hate to admit it, but we only won the way we did today because of your planning.”

Zant sighed in reply, but Ghirahim interrupted him before he could smack down his offer. “They’d be carrying you through the hall on their shoulders! Our forces are in an exceptionally good mood after today.”

Nothing but silence came from the stone-cold helmet, before he spoke again. “… You have been bragging about me to our men?”

Such an astute observation! Ghirahim thought he’d been subtle enough with his words. “Ha! I suppose so. I had to repay you for what you did for me on the battlefield somehow. I’m not quite fond of the thought of being indebted to you,” he chattered, reclining gracefully in his seat.

If Ghirahim didn’t know any better, he thought he heard a snicker. Zant sat back, temporarily retracting the tongue-like visor of his helmet to take a sip of his beverage. His pointed lips curled into a smirk against the cup. Oh, he was laughing. He had to put him in his place again quickly before the smugness got to his head.

“… Next time, I suppose taking naps in the middle of our briefing is off the table. If you hadn’t been dozing off, then perhaps you would have considered the possibility of finding Midna among the enemy troops, and we wouldn’t have gotten battered the way we did.” Ghirahim sneered, though playfully.

Zant’s smirk faltered, and the shutter quickly closed over his mouth again. “I suppose,” he sighed, “I got a little ahead of myself.” His fingers idly drummed on the edge of his cup, cyan nails knocking on the ceramic. Did he… Paint his nails?

“This too, however, is an advantage. I believe I have sufficiently teased out the worst of her abilities today. Now we know what to expect,” Zant continued, at this point more talking to himself.

Ghirahim just grinned at him. “So you let yourself get clobbered on purpose?”

Zant hummed, unable to restrain a laugh. Ghirahim joined him. “Please, let it rest.”

Silence fell on the amused pair. They were content at that moment to sit, drinking in the view with the distant sounds of celebration behind them. Still, it seemed the two were as starved for conversation as they usually were, as Zant soon turned to him again.

“Ghirahim, how are your injuries? I do hope you’ve managed to restore the damage done to your sword. As a living weapon, your ability to fight is quite a pressing matter.”

He raised his brow behind his bangs. He didn’t expect genuine concern from the man. “Injury isn’t exactly the right term, you know. But, no, I’ve not yet managed to repair it. I was planning on doing so tonight when all calms down.”

Zant nodded. “I reckon it might be a while before it ‘calms down’, though,” he stated, gesturing idly to the bustling noise behind them. “I’m aware of how well you take care of your weapons. I imagine you must be on edge, with one of your favorites in such a state of disrepair.”

Ghirahim sighed. Zant was right, but it didn’t matter to him either way. He didn’t exactly need to sleep, so there was no real rush to repair his sword. So long as he didn’t have to move too much, or think too hard, the ache the lodged blade radiated through his body was perfectly manageable. His eyes quickly flitted to Zant. The Twili, though sitting in a semblance of comfort, didn’t seem to be managing his own pain well. There was a stiffness in his pose and a wheeze to his breath, as one would when struggling to alleviate the pressure of an injury. Still, his robes and armor were clean, as though he hadn’t set a single foot on the battlefield.

He supposed he had to ask, too, for politeness’ sake. “What about you? She really let you have it back there, and I don’t exactly see any bandages.”

Zant swallowed in reply. “They’re under my clothes. Ah, I will — Manage. So long as I can walk and move my hands, all will be well.”

That reply was all Ghirahim needed to know that he wouldn’t be seeing Zant leave his dwelling all too much the next day. To his foes, he could lie and scheme as though it was his mother tongue, but it seemed his honesty slipped through the cracks around his allies. How thoroughly unexpected.

The sun was truly setting now, reduced to a mere sliver on the edge of the horizon. They once again found themselves in that orange and pink haze from several nights before, though there were no trees to shield them this time around. Such a fledgling twilight got Ghirahim thinking. He wondered if Zant was loose-lipped enough from the candidness they had since established, and whether he was enough of a lightweight to get chatty after half a cup of mead.

“… Zant, forgive me if I pry, but I have been wondering,” he began, Zant turning to him as he spoke. “The battle of this afternoon seemed… Charged. I can’t help but assume there’s a certain history between you and that Princess.”

A sigh heaved in reply. “To put it simply, she despises me. I hesitate to say I don’t do the same.”

He was silent for a moment, hunching over to rest his elbows on his lap as he considered his next words. “We were friends as children, but… As it became clear that we were both suitable competitors for the throne, I suppose we must have drifted apart. She and I had… Different, ideas, about what it meant to rule.”

Zant clenched his fist as he spoke, his voice gradually rising in pitch and his teeth clenching. “While our people, our lands, were deteriorating before our very eyes, Midna chose inaction. When she ripped my spot on the throne from me, she gained the power to change everything, and she simply sat idle. I could not stand for it.”

He shook his head, slumping over as he thought to himself. “I will not pretend that I’m proud of everything I did to her then. But let it be known that Midna was, and is, an infuriatingly unreasonable, stubborn hellion. She just wouldn’t listen until I made her. There was some painful irony in forcing her into a body she would grow to hate, but she left me little choice. If I had left her unencumbered, she would have tried to either stop or kill me.”

Zant sighed, but chuckled bitterly as he realized something. “I suppose she succeeded at both, in the end.” He regained his composure and pulled himself back upright with a groan. “Perhaps this second time, I — We, rather, will be more successful.”

It was a curious development for Ghirahim. Truly, Zant struck him as a remorseless, cruel fiend. He was like a living tornado on the battlefield. Same as he, Zant delighted in the trail of carnage he left behind. He spoke so nonchalantly about his plans and deeds that to find a man such as himself carrying regrets of his own was like cutting a stone in half, only to find it bleeding. “I didn’t expect a brooding man like you to be so eager to tell me his life’s stories like this,” he pondered out loud with raised eyebrows, struggling to conceal his surprise.

In their silence, Zant appeared to have been drifting off to someplace else, but Ghirahim’s comment pulled him back, grounding him. “Ah, well… I spend plenty of time inside my own head. It’s nice, in a way, to have a listening ear, other than my own.” The shutters of his helmet rose again as he put his cup back to his lips, draining it with a tip of his head. He growled when the liquid slid down his throat, setting the cup down on the ground beside him with a light smack. Ghirahim figured, in mild amusement, that he wasn’t fantastic at holding his liquor.

Zant sat hunched over, breathing a little less heavily than he did before. “Ghirahim, won’t you trade me a tale for a tale? Surely, in your centuries of living, you have stories worth telling.”

Ghirahim laughed, his fangs peeking out from behind his lips. “Oh, no,” he raised a hand, as if to halt him, “you will not get candor out of me so easily. I’ll not let you be privy to my many secrets just yet. Perhaps when we face my own rival, I may tell you a thing or two about her.”

And yet, that little information was enough for Zant to find a topic to hook onto. He sat perked up, lips mildly pouted in intrigue. “Rival? You mean, the spirit of the Master Sword,” he questioned, childishly mimicking a walking motion with his fingers. “The dancing one?”

Ghirahim groaned and nodded. “That very one.”

Zant gazed at him for a while, seemingly thinking, before speaking again. “Something just occurred to me. How come that that blasted hero always wields the same blade, but our Master battles with something different every time? Wouldn’t his weapon of choice logically be… You?”

Didn’t he just tell that nosy, impudent fool that he wasn’t going to indulge him? And to pry in such a sore spot, after he himself had been so considerate. If he wanted to make things awkward, then so be it. “Oh, well,” he sighed melodramatically. “I was supposed to be, indeed, but in our fateful battle against the Hero of the Sky, my Master, Demise… Shattered me.”

Zant’s curious expression from earlier faltered. He seemed to be feeling bad for asking. Good. The Twili’s lips tightened in a frown. “… I see. How very careless.”

Ghirahim’s lip twitched, annoyed by not only his prying but now also an insult towards his true Master. He was perfectly content with letting the conversation drop and excusing himself, but Zant continued. “I suppose it’s a good thing you’re back now, same as I.”

He smirked. “And thank the stars for that. Where would you lot be without me?” he cooed, resting his chin on his hands.

Zant laughed in reply, toeing a fine line between genuine warmth and mockery. “Oh, yes! I would propose a toast to that, but it appears that you don’t drink, and my cup has since gone empty,” he moped, picking up his mug to examine its lack of contents.

“Please don’t get a refill. You’re already woozy.”

“That,” Zant raised a finger in emphasis, “would be the blood loss.”

The sheer timing startled him into a laugh, which Zant responded to with his own guffaw. “Oh, you’ve got jokes, now?” Ghirahim snickered, covering his mouth with his fingertips. He hadn’t meant to lose his poise like that.

“You and I are learning quite a lot about one another lately, it seems,” Zant wheezed as his chortling died out.

If there was anything Ghirahim wasn’t expecting, it was Zant’s ability to lighten the mood. From the moment they met, he had been a silent, awkward, ominous being, incapable of responding in sentences longer than five words. Perhaps it had been the booze, or simply a long-dormant desire to chat with a like-minded being. Probably both. They continued to chat absolute nonsense until the sun disappeared completely, draining the keep’s terrain of its light and color. Now, the only things keeping them out of the dark were the torchlights of the feasting hall behind them, and the soft, teal glow of Zant’s clothing, bouncing off of his metallic skin. At some point, he had scooted closer to him, as Zant’s combined exhaustion and inebriated state began to dim his voice. At one point, the man had turned to him, eyes only somewhat visible, glowing behind his helmet.

“Ghirahim, I had one more question, if I may.”

He rolled his eyes in return, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. “You’ve already waltzed right over my toes several times tonight, what’s one more?”

Zant paused, looking for the right words. “What you did when we parted on the battlefield this afternoon. What did you mean by it?”

Now things were getting interesting. Ghirahim was wondering whether Zant would bring up the topic and was pleasantly surprised to see him being even a semblance of boldness. “You’re being frustratingly vague as usual, but I assume you mean when I kissed you.”

Zant sat there tongue-tied for a second, mouth tight and expressionless. “Yes.”

He sighed. “Oh, I don’t quite know,” he prattled. It was an honest reply, and despite his eagerness to tease, he found himself unsure of what he actually thought of what he did then. “You had shown me such kindness amidst all the chaos, and I suppose I must have gotten a little carried away in the moment.”

“I see,” he mumbled in response, turning his head to look out in front of him again.

After a pause that seemed like ages, Zant straightened himself up in unforeseen, yet anxiously stiff determination. “Ghirahim, I suppose — I wouldn’t mind, if you were to get carried away again,” he crooned, his attempts at cloaking his nerves with courtesy failing miserably.

“Twilight king,” he smirked, tipping his head as he leaned towards him. “Is that your pathetic attempt at asking me for a kiss?”

Zant swallowed audibly, seemingly a bit peeved by how forward Ghirahim was being. “If you wish to put it so bluntly…”

His unexpected bashfulness caused Ghirahim to titter. Certainly, those aiming for the throne should have more confidence in their attempts at courting. He casually rested his arm on Zant’s shoulder, leaning on him to lock them in intimate eye contact. The Twili turned to him but did nothing to escalate his advances. To Ghirahim’s great interest, it looked as though Zant was expecting him to take the lead. “… Well? Are you going to take that clunky thing off your head so I can reach? Unless me kissing your helmet already does it for you.” He was powerless to deny such a power trip.

Clearly, Zant was not a being of great subtlety. Nearly instantly, a clunk sounded from the back of his neck, and the complex mechanisms of his helmet folded into one another. To Ghirahim’s surprise, he did not wear his usual balaclava; the garment must have been pressing too tightly on his bruises. Pinkish red hair draped in chopped locks down to about his chin, and long, pointed ears extended from either end of his face. Any other time he would comment on a haircut so atrocious, but he let it slide this time. The second his helmet retracted fully, Ghirahim draped his arms around his neck, pressing his chest against his. He wanted to tease the man just a little longer, and it was working magnificently. Zant’s ears perked up and twitched and, unless it was a trick of the light, a blush began to spread across his cheeks. He gazed at the man blinking sheepishly down at him, and slowly took note of how oddly graceful his features were. His markings glowed softly under the starlight, tracing down to the gentle slope of his nose. Those big, unrelenting eyes, normally shy to face him, now looked straight at him, wide and with a feline sharpness. There was truly not a shred of subtlety to him once that helmet went off. Every bit of fluster was clear as day on his face. Ghirahim broke their eye contact with a bat of his lashes, peeking down at his grey, angled lips, before looking up at him one last time. He closed his eyes, humming as he leaned in.

As their lips met, Zant once again stiffened beneath him. Though he had requested it, it seemed the Twili hadn’t the slightest idea what to do with himself while they kissed. After a beat, the orange glow faded from beyond Ghirahim’s eyelids, meaning he had at least closed his eyes instead of dumbfoundedly staring in front of him. It then dawned on him that either it had been a very long time since Zant’s last kiss, or that he had just stolen his first.

After a few seconds of being pressed together, Ghirahim pulled back, tongue quickly darting past his lips. He hardly tasted of drink at all. What a lightweight. “There,” he purred, “are you quite sated?”

Zant let out a squeaking gasp as they parted, once again staring wide-eyed at him. He was still stiff as a board. Such an absolute bore, Ghirahim thought, now aiming to loosen him up.

Before he could respond, Ghirahim made the call for him. “I know that look. That’s a ‘no’,” he chuckled, before quickly moving in again to kiss him a second time. Zant yelped in protest, the flapping of his sleeves and tassels sounding between them as he struggled to put his hands on his waist. They separated again, mostly due to Zant’s head bucking backward.

“Ghirahim,” he stammered. “Show some restraint!”

He just rolled his eyes in response, pushing against him to send the pair of them swaying. “Oh, why? It’s just the two of us. What are you keeping up images for?”

Apparently, he made a compelling enough argument. With a single determined grunt through his nose, it was Zant who initiated the kiss this time. He was clearly unpracticed, but oh, the lanky arms wrapping around his lower back were just too endearing. The poor sod was really trying here. Ghirahim just hummed against his lips, allowing himself to sink into the pillowing of his robes. His steel-hard body must have been painful against his beaten flesh, but from the way Zant held him, he wouldn’t have thought it. To think that a man such as he was capable of such sweetness.

Still, he noted that Zant forgot that he could still breathe through his nose, and so, he pulled back. He lingered in his arms just a moment, head tipped with an amorous smile when they locked eyes again. “And,” he asked him, “was it everything you’ve ever hoped for?”

Zant, who had been staring, panting softly in his trance, slowly regained his composure. “Oh, spare me.”

“No, I don’t think I will,” he snickered, still hanging from his shoulders. Frankly, it had been a long time for him, too, to show affection for someone else. Affection? Was that what he felt? Zant was a strangely adorable figure, who, the past few days, he’d be getting along swimmingly with. Though he hated to admit it, they complemented one another. He was an irksome, unpredictable person, but just so terribly interesting. Had it not been for him, then their conquest would have been an equally lonely, frustrating affair as his attempts to resurrect Demise. Ghirahim thought he preferred to work alone, but to be honest, he did so hate to be bored. Since their friendship had come to fruition, he hasn’t been bored for more than a minute. Certainly, getting to shove him about in a more romantic sense would prove to be devilishly amusing too.

Oh, Hell. Was he staring?

Even if he was, Zant stared right back at him. The moonlight framed him so handsomely, his radiant features contrasting against his skin like stars in the midnight sky. He truly was a creature made to dwell in the dark. Maybe the perpetual twilight wasn’t exactly in Zant’s plans anymore, but it certainly would do his appearance far more favors than being locked behind that tacky helmet all day.

While Ghirahim was more than happy to stay locked in this embrace for a few more hours, his companion was getting a touch nervous. He averted his gaze, and with a clear of his throat, slowly disentangled his arms from the Sword Demon's back. “Ghirahim, I thank you for your companionship and your indulging of my — Advances, but,” he quickly looked to the keep, anxiously checking for any peeping toms, “after such a day, I do think I must retire for the night.”

So formal, even as they stood in each others’ arms. He couldn’t resist taunting him a little bit. “Oh? Are you inviting me to your room already? How cheeky.”

He managed to make him stutter. “Ghirahim..!” he sputtered, hiding his hands in his sleeves. “I… Am flattered by your offer, but my body is far too worn from battle, I don’t think I—“

Ghirahim shook his head with a laugh. “I’m just yanking your chain,” he drawled, idly tucking a strand of hair behind Zant’s ear. It truly was such an abominable haircut. “You hurry along, now, Twilight King. Thank you for tonight. I’ve truly had a splendid time.” He stepped back, his arms sliding off the tall man’s shoulders and crossing before his chest. Zant nodded in affirmation, supposedly cordially, but he was shaky from both his injuries and his fluster.

“Goodnight, Demon Lord.” He slowly stepped back from him, ribbing him with his proper title, before heading back to the keep.

Before he could leave him proper, Ghirahim called out to him again. “Rest well! I expect to see you again at the briefing tomorrow,” he paused, as Zant looked back at him. “Awake, this time!”

… Did he just flip him off? Wow. Perhaps a trip to Lake Hylia wouldn’t be a bad idea for their first date…

#beararts #bearwrites #ghirazant #ghirahim #zant #tp zant #midna #tp midna #hyrule warriors #tftk

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prayers-to-hyliarceus · 10 months ago

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from: @paradox-research-team

This is Daniel Richardson Fawkes. It's been... Quite some time since our last correspondence. Apologies if we concerned you, we've been dealing with other concerns for some time now. No real research progress has been made since... Well, that doesn't matter right now. What matters right now is how you two are holding up. I know it may be confusing, with everything that happened with us, but we-I truly value your patience especially, Zelda. Link, I do not believe you have spoken to any of us before, but we have gotten some info on you through our research, and you seem like a kind and protective guard, as it should be. I hope you two are faring well, despite what we at the team are enduring. Gadget will be in contact soon enough with more research, so look forward to it. Fawkes out.

ah, yeah. i mostly left these for Zelda to answer— she gets really excited about them, and they’re all sciencey and stuff. not exactly my area of expertise. but thank you. if you require any assistance of me, i’ll be happy to provide.

We are doing… fine, for the most part, albeit rather busy. I hope you're doing alright. Are the Paradox Pokémon well?

#ooc: 'albeit rather busy' means i'm an anxious wreck with upcoming midterms lmao #pokeblogging #rotomblr

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lucky-clover-gazette · 2 years ago

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Top 5 Poutine moments (or photos, your choice)!!

oh my god oh my god yes okay STORYTIME

poutine is my daughter my sunshine the light of my life who does not pay rent and sleeps on my chest nightly. i adopted her right after graduating college during the pandemic in 2021. the majority of college was a long traumatizing crawl through hell for me, and by the time i graduated, i had lost hope and passion for my desired industry of like a decade (as well as gaining a general hopelessness for my future and the future of the world). i had no idea what i wanted to do, what i COULD do, and where i belonged. so my single goal, post-grad, was to create circumstances in which i could adopt and support a cat.

unfortunately my mother is deathly allergic to cats, so in order for that to happen i had to prepare myself with a stable post-grad living situation and a job. early in my senior year i signed a lease for a studio, move-in june 1st, and lined up a retail position closer to graduation. re: my mom, it does make her sad that she can't visit my apartment, and it sucks that i have to leave poutine behind during short trips, but i'm like eight hours from my hometown and my mom understands how happy poutine makes me. we're okay.

anyway, after graduating i moved into the studio apartment and started the retail job (i have since found work in my area of expertise, and i'm moving to a nicer place in june as a result of that job change) in the same town as my college (i genuinely love it here). i adopted poutine a day after graduation, which i did not attend because pandemic, and she's been my best friend ever since.

my life has gotten so much better since 2021, mostly because i've made several intimidating and difficult choices to improve it. but adopting poutine will always be the best decision i've ever made, and it's one i made and executed even in the seemingly unescapable depths of hopelessness. i've found that after each success i only feel more emboldened to tackle something scarier--and adopting poutine, in a way, was like the first domino in that sequence. and she's been here the whole time since, keeping me company, letting me know i'm loved and that i'm capable of loving. also that she's hungry and just used the litterbox.

anyway, here are five Epic Poutine Moments in no particular order:

The Mister Saga

i live in a city so outdoor cats often wander around at night. because my apartment is on the ground floor and Poutine cannot be deterred by blinds, she has no choice but to acknowledge these cats when they stop by. back in august of this year, an outdoor cat named mister started visiting her, which at first was very upsetting to her AND me, because he'd be out there serenading her at like 3am. but after a few months i think they actually got used to each other, and just started to enjoy vibing together with a window between them. although poutine goes on walks on a leash, i unfortunately can't let her meet mister because i don't know if he's had his shots and i'm not risking her safety for the bit. even more unfortunately, a second unnamed cat started coming around a few weeks ago and ATTACKING THE FUCKING WINDOW, and now poutine seems agitated at mister again too. this saga is ongoing and i think she's like a regency romance novel heroine and it's all very unthinkably stupid and i had to buy a hormone diffuser recommended by the vet so she'd chill the fuck out about all these outdoor cats on the porch

2. she likes catnip

she likes catnip :P my supervisor at work gave me a cutting of his catnip plant for my office so i can bring it home for her

3. found footage poutine

i have a pet camera for when i'm away from home. this means i have a lot of cursed cat images

4. this photo

idk it just makes me laugh and it's zelda so here

5. various other photos

no context just take them

#asks #txt #my cat #i could go on all day

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44gamez · 11 months ago

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Top 12 most anticipated games of 2024

2023 was among the best years for video video games in latest reminiscence; what’s cooking in 2024? Since I’m a lover of mainly each online game style, this record will include AAAs, indies, and every part in between.

High 12 video games to sit up for in 2024

I’ve seen individuals on-line joke that with all of the extraordinarily anticipated video games and films coming in 2025, 2024 has been dubbed a filler 12 months (like how there are filler episodes in anime). After seeing this record, I feel you’ll disagree. Associated: 10 finest PC equipment you’ll want you had sooner Whereas there are numerous video games we all know are coming in 2024 that we don’t have an official date for and there are numerous video games that can be launched this 12 months that we don’t learn about but, this record accommodates a handful of video games I feel are gonna be nice. Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth

Picture: Sq. Enix Arguably, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth goes to be the largest recreation of the 12 months. Personally, I’ve by no means understood the hype round Final Fantasy, however I do know it’s beloved by many — and this one has Sephiroth, so it’s gonna be loopy. Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth is popping out on February 29, 2024. Now could be the time to play by means of Final Fantasy 7: Remake Intergrade to get caught up with the story. Pacific Drive

Picture: Ironwood Studios Actually, one of many video games I’m most anticipating in 2024 is Pacific Drive. I like the area of interest style of video games that offers you possession over a customizable, purposeful car and allows you to free-roam with that residence base, and Pacific Drive is simply that in a survival roguelike type. The spooky Pacific Northwest environment, the customizable, upgradable, drivable automobile, the road between exploring and surviving — it’s all calling my title. Pacific Drive doesn’t have a agency launch date but, however it will likely be launched in 2024. Associated: 10 Video games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Future 2 The Remaining Form

Picture: Bungie It’s completely comprehensible if you happen to aren’t a Future 2 fan — at this level, I hardly am myself. Nonetheless, since I’ve been engrained within the recreation for thus lengthy, I can’t wait to expertise the epic conclusion of the Mild and Darkish Saga that we’re getting in Future 2 The Remaining Form. Future 2 The Remaining Form is releasing on June 4, 2024. I’m hyped Bungie has delayed it, going again to the drafting board to verify the standard of The Remaining Form is as excessive as doable. As excited as I'm for The Remaining Form, it’ll be equally attention-grabbing to see what occurs after The Mild and Darkish Saga. Metaphor: ReFantazio

Picture: Studio Zero I’m not the largest Persona fan and even I’m stoked to Metaphor: ReFantazio. This recreation is a model new IP for the Persona builders set in a medieval fantasy. Prepare for a deep (and lengthy) story with turn-based and motion fight. Anticipate Metaphor: ReFantazio in Fall 2024. I’m ready for Metaphor: ReFantazio to transform me to the Persona-like methods. Dragon’s Dogma 2

Picture: Capcom Dragon’s Dogma 2 appears insanely good. It’s a single-player medieval fantasy expertise the place you get to decide on your class and work your means towards slaying a dragon. The buildcrafting is robust, the fight appears stable, and the choices for how one can take down enemies ranges from climbing on them to destroying them with smoke magic. Dragon’s Dogma 2 comes out on March 22, 2024. If you wish to get a style of what the sport can be like, you possibly can play Dragon’s Dogma 1 now because it’s free in lots of locations together with PS Plus. associated: 14 Greatest Bethesda video games Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Picture: Ninja Principle This one has been in growth for some time and I’m very excited for it. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice rocked the gaming world in 2017 with its extremely character-driven story centered on a Celtic lady affected by a type of psychosis. It’ll be very attention-grabbing to see the place Ninja Principle takes the story in Hellbalde 2. Like many video games on this record, Senua’s Saga: Hellbalde 2 doesn’t have a confirmed date however it's coming in 2024. I’m extra assured in Hellblade 2 releasing this 12 months because it has been in growth for thus lengthy. Zenless Zone Zero

Picture: MiHoYo Zenless Zone Zero is mainly Genshin Impression or Honkai Star Rail however in an city setting. MiHoYo has killed it with Genshin Impression and Honkai Star Rail, and if you happen to haven’t at the least tried these video games, it is best to. Zenless Zone Zero comes out on April 26, 2024. Put together to grind for anime mommies and zaddies (I hate that I wrote that). S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Coronary heart of Chornobyl

Picture: GSC Sport World There's considerably of a cult following round S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and that’s as a result of it’s one of many best-crafted open-world survival video games thus far. Individuals have been anticipating S.T.A.L.Ok.E.R. 2 for many years now and at last, in 2024, we’re getting the sequel. After just a few delays, I’m hesitant to imagine that S.T.A.L.Ok.E.R. 2: Coronary heart of Chornobyl can be launched in 2024, however my fingers are crossed. I cherished the Metro collection and if that is higher than that, you realize I’ll be enjoying it day one. Star Wars Outlaws

Picture: Ubisoft In the event you love the Star Wars: Jedi collection as I do, you then’re most likely jazzed on the prospect of extra of that with Star Wars Outlaws, however sprinkle in some GTA parts. Ubisoft could be form of hit and miss, however I received’t cross up the chance to play a bounty hunter open-world Star Wars recreation. I wouldn’t be shocked to see this recreation get delayed to 2025 or past, however it's presently scheduled for a while in 2024 and I hope that’s once we get it. Associated: 10 Video games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor that can make you one with the Drive Tekken 8

Picture: Bandai Namco I’m not a lot of a preventing video games fan — I performed my justifiable share after I was youthful with Tekken Tag Event 2, Soul Calibur 2, and Tremendous Smash Bros. — however Tekken 8 is gonna change preventing video games eternally. I’ve had a few fighting-fan coworkers play the Tekken 8 beta and so they’ve been blown away. The discharge date for Tekken 8 is January 26, 2024. Avenue Fighter and Mortal Kombat 1 followers aren’t prepared. Hades 2

Picture: Supergiant Video games Hades was among the best indie video games of all time. It redefined the roguelike style by means of attention-grabbing characters, a significant story, and tight gameplay. There’s little question Supergiant Video games will do it once more with Hades 2. Hades 2 is launching in early entry in Q2 2024 which I’m form of upset at. I’ve performed video games that I’ve cherished in early entry earlier than and it hurts to tear myself away from the sport to attend till it's completed and it’s typically awkward to return. I’d a lot moderately get a full-game launch, however with Hades 2, I’ll make an exception. Avowed

Picture: Obsidian Leisure Although it’s been a minute since we’ve heard something on Avowed, it does have a 2024 launch date and it’s completely one to sit up for. In the event you favored Fallout: New Vegas (which is arguably the very best of the collection), Outer Worlds, and/or Grounded, then get psyched as a result of the developer of these video games, Obsidian Leisure, is making Avowed which is mainly Skyrim within the Pillars of Eternity universe. Lately, I get hesitant to construct my pleasure for a recreation when there isn’t a agency launch date, so, like with Star Wars Outlaws, take the Avowed 2024 launch date with a grain of salt. If Avowed does drop this 12 months, it’ll be large. Wishful considering and honorable mentions

Picture: All Doable Futures These are the massive swingers coming in 2024, however there are just a few honorable mentions and wishful-thinking video games I hope come out in 2024, or at the least get introduced. The Plucky Squire is an indie recreation coming in 2024 that appears adorably enjoyable. It blends 2D and 3D fight right into a storybook fashion that I must play. The Gecko Gods is one other indie that appears superb — lovely artwork and also you play as a Gecko, what extra may you need? The opposite AAA video games that I’m wanting ahead to in 2024 are Cranium and Bones (I’m crossing my fingers that it doesn’t flop, however I additionally wouldn’t be stunned), Visions of Mana (I’m a brand new fan and the brand new recreation appears superb), Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (to me, the delays seem like they’ve paid off because the traversal and fight appears extra enjoyable… we’ll see), and Black Fantasy: Wukong (historical Chinese language mythology is such an untapped angle). I’m an enormous Sony Pony, so all I would like in 2024 is video games (or at the least recreation bulletins) from Naughty Canine, Sucker Punch, Guerilla Video games, Housemarque, Media Molecule, and Santa Monica Studios. All of these Sony studios have been quiet for much too lengthy which is why I’m looking forward to an thrilling 2024 for Sony… however I’ve been let down earlier than. General, 2024 has some superb video games popping out. I hope there are some surprises as properly like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Hello-Fi Rush, two of my favourite video games of the 12 months, have been in 2023. Read the full article

#Anticipated #Games #top

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bugcatcherwill · 11 months ago

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Honestly I don’t know if that’s what you have planned but I hope we get a moment in either RATC or Sympathy for the Devil where Ganondorf reflects on his thoughts and feelings towards the previous Links, like we know he hates OOT Link considering how petty he is with the “fairy boy” comments.

I’m guessing he hates TP Link but to a lesser extent mostly because he’s either the son of or a distant relative to OOT Link (I can’t remember which it was) but he can’t really blame TP Link for being the descendant/child of the one guy he hates more than anyone else.

Honestly since he was more “chill” in WW I’m guessing he’s more neutral towards WW Link, like he actively doesn’t hate him but at the same time he did get stabbed through the skull, turned to stone, and sunk to the bottom of the ocean because of WW Link.

I don’t know enough about the Fallen Timeline Links to say his opinions on them tbh.

I don’t even think he knows SS Link exists and that would be more Demises area of expertise towards having an opinion on SS Link.

Also possible Zelda death foreshadowing?

It would be really neat to use this as a way to play with the "convergent timeline" theory - how this is so far ahead that every timeline just meshes into one. This means that Ganondorf is basically the amalgamation of everything that has come to pass - and everything that could have come to pass. He has experienced it all. But also that makes my head hurt thinking about it.

Anyways, I'd like to imagine his hatred for the past Links has mostly faded since his innumerable years in the Malice - and that he calls this Link "fairy boy" more as a tongue-in-cheek way of bothering him. He knows how well he gets under his skin and revels in it knowing Link can't do anything about it. And OoT Link was the first time he had been thwarted, but after finding out what became of him almost pities the fallen hero. At least that's how I see it. I love it when earlier Ganondorf has this feeling of superiority and feels deserving of his rule, but still has something of a respect for Link as being one of the few Hylians to actually stand against him...

God, I really do need to update Sympathy for the Devil but I need inspiration for the 3rd chapter hjklasdfklhj

And I wouldn't call the Zelda line foreshadowing, just setting the stakes a little higher! I would never dream of having Zelda dying during BoTW's events due to the fact that I've barely gotten to write her and that'd be such a travesty cuz I love her character, and her whole involvement with ToTK's plot.

#ratc ask #ratc lore dump

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64bitgamer · 2 years ago

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atimelesslullaby · 8 months ago

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There was no denying, that she felt the same way.

But the kingdom was still so set in their old fashioned thinking, that there would be an uproar if she dared break tradition, and be seen in anything other than her traditional dress. She liked to play dress up in her room, wearing all the beautiful clothes she'd acquired over the past year, but it never was allowed any further than that.

Yet. When she was finally crowned as queen, there'd be nothing they could do about it.

Close attention was paid to what he did. Eyes widened at the sight of a flame. Oh, how beautiful it was, and how impressive Mario seemed to be able to conjure it up! She could feel her smile slowly growing as she watched him work his literal magic. Of the magics she was blessed with from the Golden Goddesses, fire was her strongest element.

As a Sage, her strongest element in general was magic over time itself. But Zelda was a great sorceress, with many different elements of magic at her disposal.

"Oh, it is amazing!"

The princess clapped her hands.

"I have never met another who could do the same thing!"

To emphasize what she meant, Zelda did exactly that. Putting both hands together, one could almost feel a gust of wind pass by. It took concentration, but soon enough, there was a glowing red flame in between her palms.

"I do find fire magic to be very useful practically, not just something to be used as a weapon. But... I can sense it. I can feel, that your control over the element outweighs even mine. Consider me impressed."

That was a compliment she didn't give out often.

"Fire magic is nowhere near my area of expertise."

Her status as a Sage was not a secret. Just that nobody ever really asked about it, a lot of those in Hyrule didn't even know about it.

"To be princess may be my most known title, however, it is not my most important one. I am Zelda. Seventh Sage, the Sage of Time. I specialize in controlling time itself, with a strong affinity for light magic. I lead the other six Sages in keeping Hyrule safe from any form of evil."

"Mumamia. I'm-a sure you don't need to hear it but that's-a not as comfortable as they make-a royalty out to be. Y' should be able to walk around in-a overalls if-a you want. The person has authority not-a their outfit." He reasoned from his position. Now that he thinks about it, Peach always wears the same shade of pink eh? Did she pick that out herself or did Toadsworth do that? Although his eyes didn't gloss over now his brain was flush with thoughts of what Peach could and couldn't do given her position trying to posturize and such.

It all sounded so tiresome now that Zelda was breaking it down to him. But that's another thing she probably didn't need to hear. For real this time.

"I-a misspoke! We can-a walk if that's-a the case Zelda, don't-a worry. A nice stroll is always good." The clarification was followed with a hearty laugh. They'd certainly draw more attention from her handlers if they were running all over the place anyway, right? For a moment, the thought of running in heels crossed his mind and how difficult that may be. Said thought was quickly let go. He also realized that she was playing hooky and that's something he'd need to remain tight-lipped about. They were sealed!

"All righty Zelda! Feast-a your eyes on....." The grand introduction out the way he began to gyrate his hands again. Although there were powerups the enabled easier access to the element, Mario still was blessed by a particular entity to call upon a blazing flame. All it took was stillness and focus. In between the gloved palms a condensed ball of flames came to life. Momentarily Mario's mind came to consider all the greenery around them and what may happen should he misstep.

Nerve won out. The flame grew and then his hand consumed it. There he stood with a flaming glove and no pain to speak of. "This! Pretty neat huh??"

#red man of mustache #v; to sing a timeless lullaby #[oh my goodness so am I ;v;]

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darthlenaplant · 5 months ago

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"~StAr FoX 64 BuT bEtTeR~"

*Looks at sales numbers for Star Fox Assault*

*Looks at sales numbers for Star Fox 64 for 3DS*

*Looks at sales numbers for Star Fox Zero*

For real, Krystal certainly DID deserve better than just being Zelda recycled IN SPACE.

Would also have made the game more interesting, have her and Fox team up in a co-op mission, like, Fox has his blaster locked on the stun setting, so he can only stun enemies, maybe give him the melee/brawl moveset, and Krystal WHACKS them into oblivion with her staff LOL. Or like, ground mission are SOLELY Krystal's field of competence, maybe with the odd extra firepower from Fox (sniper?), and anything that's doing with vehicles or aerial missions are Fox' area of expertise, maybe have her do funny stunts LOL

people really slept so fucking hard on Star Fox: Adventures and I will die on that hill. The reason Star Fox never has any sequels is because the fans seem to demand that they re-invent the wheel and just release "Star Fox 64 but better" (whatever that means) Like- Seriously. Imagine a re-interpretation where, perhaps, Krystal isn't locked up. Give her the staff to manipulate the Blue Guy Avatar-ass mystic temples. THERE ARE MAMMOTHS AND TRICERATOPS AND STEGOSAURS AND TYRANNOSAURS ALL ON THE SAME ASS PLANET THIS IMPLIES A LOGIC OF "oh, hey, no-one actually gave a shit about when the period was!" WHICH MEANS A RE-IMAGINING COULD INCORPORATE, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE FUCKING CAMBRIAN AND PERMIAN AND TRIASSIC CRITTERS.

#yelling into the void #I AM SO FUCKING MAD AT JONTRON FOR THIS #FUCKING STAIRFAX TEMPERATURES INFURIATED MY 9 YEAR OLD ASS SELF #JUST ANOTHER REALLY GOOD REASON TO HATE JONTRON #LIKE MOON MOUNTAIN PASS IS SO FUCKING COOL #YOU'RE TELLING ME A MOON FELL ON A PLANET AND THE ECOSYSTEM INCORPORATES ITSELF IN #HOW IS THAT NOT THE COOLEST #AND THE TRANSITION LOADING AREAS ARE LIMINAL SPACES #THEY ALWAYS FASCINATED ME #it's almost assuredly why I am such a weird furry #I ADORED that game #triceratops is my favorite fucking dinosaur because of it #I remember arguing in first grade with a kid who said T. Rex would kill one because T. Rex is a predator #triceratops would fuck you the fuck up #prev tags are so true #op you are right and you should say it

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formulinos · 4 years ago

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SEGA Hyperfixation Corner | The 1993 European Grand Prix

sometimes in history, we have a hard time realising that certain events and relevant people coexisted in the same moment in time. for instance, the university of oxford already existed when the aztec empire was created or how 1929 was when both anne frank and martin luther king were born. for me, it didn't kick in until recently that the lap of the gods, the greatest lap that we have ever seen in formula 1, took place in the same grand prix as the sonic trophy. in fact, if you think about it, the sonic trophy was *the* reward given to ayrton senna for pulling that insane lap! so, today, for this hyperfixation corner, we're gonna tie all the loose ends and come to peace with the 1993 european grand prix, or better, the 1993 SEGA european grand prix.

part 1: it takes AGES to sponsor a team part 2: your dreams are the same as mine - the race circuits of autopolis and donnington park part 3: it takes AGES to sponsor a grand prix part 4: the race of the gods epilogue: where in the world is the sonic trophy?

disclaimer: this edition isn't actually sponsored by sega and i have never made a single buck out of this blog. in fact, i have lost money since i started doing this. i am a broke student. please don't sue me if you're reading this sega.

part 1: it takes AGES to sponsor a F1 team

All of this starts in the 1960s, when a bunch of companies joined together to form Sega Enterprises, a company that had its roots in providing slot machines and things of the genre to US military men in Japanese bases during the war (can you believe THAT'S how Sega started? Me neither). With the company's growth, Sega's operation became focused on the Japanese market and their area of expertise was arcade games - something they became very good at in the 70s/80s - and as money grew and so did their operations, they formally came back to their roots in America and, most importantly for our story, expanded their business to Europe with an office in London. They were going global baby, and soon they weren't satisfied with only arcade business, they wanted to get inside your house too. So, by the 90s the video game industry was booming and with it… Nintendo, also Japanese, also in vidya and doing much better than Sega due to the fact they actually knew how to market their releases. Not only they had consoles, but two bitching franchises in Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda and the Game Boy (I always wanted one of those). Sega had a few consoles released (Master System and Mega Drive) and in 1991 they landed a MAJOR hit with Sonic the Hedgehog and its ramifications, their answer to Mario.

You guys won't be seeing any memes due to the ABSURD levels of Sonic exposure there will be here, so I might as well start with this absolute banger here

Sonic was so big that the console they marketed with it, the new Sega Genesis actually managed to outsell the SNES outside of Japan, so all they had left to do was propose a portable player, in that case, the Game Gear, designed to be a portable version of Master System. As the Game Gear launch was very slow (it was released in 1990 in Japan but only in 1991 in Europe/North America and it took them another year to get to Australia), Sega needed to boost their visibility as much as possible, since they seemingly had the advantage in Sonic of a more compelling character but the Game Boy was far much popular due to being smaller and having a better battery - even though the Game Gear screen was in color while the og Game Boy was in greyscale. Anyway.

TBH the amount of Pokémons that exist doesn't make sense to me. I have a friend who recently bought a Game Boy just to play Pokémon Red. How is the Pokémon red if it's on greyscale? Anyway, I really don't get video games.

So, money for ads wasn't particularly a problem, they just needed strategies, and Sega Europe came up with a partnership with F1, on the basis of it being a sport watched worldwide with the fastest cars in the world and they had as a mascot the fastest hedgehog as well, so it just made sense, I guess. Overall, Sega already had some know-how of how much potential there was in Formula 1 since they had a series of arcade games called Monaco GP that was later transported to their console platforms, and in 1992 they even made a version called Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II that had input and narration from the man himself….. so of course they proposed a sponsorship to Williams for the 1993 season.

South Africa, 1993. You can see that the lads are in full Sonic gear (blue suit, red shoes, white racing gloves). Alain actually kept the red shoes for the rest of the championship and both of them had Sonic on their helmets. Every day.... every day I thank Sega for that one.

OK, I'm not going to be biased here because Williams was the best choice for Sega, factually. The 80s were extremely kind to them when it came to competition - 4 WDCs and 3 WCCs, even more special when you think that they were founded in 1977 - so, at that point they were one of the top teams on the grid and England based, very comfortable for Sega too. McLaren are also Brits and for 1993, both teams had a world champion in their team (McLaren had Sega's partner Ayrton Senna while Williams had just hired Alain Prost back from retirement), but Williams had two advantages: they were the most recent champions and their brand identity/livery was yellow, white and blue (due to their sponsorships with Canon and Camel, amongst other brands), while McLaren had Marlboro Red all over their cars and working with a brand that has the colours of their direct competitor is not so cash money.

Actually, a question mark appeared while I was researching for this. In an interview for Eurogamer in 2016, Simon Morris - one of the marketing heads for Sega Europe at the time recounts that:

"We knew one of Damon Hill's oldest friends and via this contact we committed to giving him the money which was instrumental in getting a drive with Williams that year. Bringing sponsorship into Williams meant that he got his seat confirmed, which meant he was in a position to do what he later did, which was win the world championship in 1996 and become the first - and at this moment in time, only - second-generation driver to do so."

Lovely, except that in a 1993-aired documentary about Williams preparation for the upcoming season (shot at the end of 1992) there is no direct mention of Sega on the livery or race suits- expected anyway since they're not gonna test the car that's all set. But, more interestingly, you can see in it that Damon's helmet that as far as late 92 when he was announced as the next Williams driver, there was no Sega decal and, in 1994, Sega only returns as Damon's personal sponsor later in the season after Senna's passing (as you can see here in a picture taken in May but not here in the team presentation with Ayrton -notice how Senna's suit has his personal sponsors). So, I actually think it's fair to say that Sega didn't have as many ties with Damon Hill as Morris claimed they did but oh well.

Naturally, they threw so much money at Williams that the only reason the team didn't become Sega Williams was that Canon was already there. Since as I previously mentioned the livery already matched the Sega brand, the result was even more interesting as when you look at the FW15C, their contender for the season, at first you don't even notice how much detail there is in it, but as this video from Blackbird Automotive shows, they were everywhere, from the body of the car to the rear wings and even in the mirrors. Morris said that they even considered painting the floor of the car so that if it went upside down during a crash, the Sega logo appeared (ok cycle path go off I guess).

The decal on the side that makes it look as if Sonic is driving the car himself is chef's kiss, not going to lie. Curiously enough, the mirrors decals (that can't be seen here because honestly you could have been removed from the cars after 1993 and you can't see them when Damon took the car for a spin in Goodwood.

There is also an interesting tidbit I didn't know, and for that I credit Badnik Mechanic (who basically has a YouTube channel devoted to Sonic and did a really cool video on the Sega/F1 partnership). One of Sega's marketing strategies was a series of TV spots called "Sega Pirate TV", where a bunch of crazy looking characters would take over the TV stations in the middle of fake ads and push their own TV shows (and Sega products with it). The "mascot" for Pirate TV was a skull with crossbones behind it (called the Sega Pirate) and this becomes relevant when you look at the rear wing of the Williams car: for every win Williams had during the championship, a little Sega Pirate would be added to the livery with the location of the GP.

Fun fact: McLaren, in return, added a small decal of a hedgehog being ran over by the Marlboro chevron on their car after Ayrton took the second GP of the season in Brazil, according to Peter Burns motivated by the fact of Williams' then marketing honcho having worked for McLaren a few years before.

Last interesting tidbit I thought was cute was that in double rear-wing races, when they had extra space, Damon would have a decal of Sonic raising one finger (not the middle finger!!! creeps!!!) - he also took the racing number 0 as #1 was reserved to the champion, Nigel Mansell, who was in CART - while Alain took #2 (he didn't want to be 0 lol) and, because of that, Sonic would raise two fingers on his car!

part 2: your dreams are the same as mine - the race circuits of autopolis and donington park

We’re gonna head back to 80s Japan to actually look at how we got to Donington. Japan’s economy has always been weird, to say the least, and the little capitalism study they had going on back later became known as “bubble economy”. The international implications that that has are incredibly surreal so here is a different sort of technical break.

TECHNICAL BREAK: BABURU KEIKI

I think we’re all aware that due to that small uneventful happenings during this little get together called World War II led to a rapid growth in Japanese economy between the 50s and 70s, that began stagnating from 1973 to mid-80s with the oil crisis. Hats off to Japan, they managed to keep it together relatively speaking during that and still had some economic growth, joining the vanguard of major world potencies as they kept making correct investment choices in their industrial and educational sectors.

Anyway, the hows don’t really matter, the whats do. Around 1985, the Japanese Yen was worth waaaay less than the US dollar, which sucks theoretically as the currency rate is stupid but since money is all made up and the Japanese industry has basically taken over the electronic industry, that meant that importing products from Japan was silly easy and the preferable route while exporting to Japan was stupid hard, so while the Japanese folk were lining their pockets with the trade surplus and receiving several investment proposals, the Europeans and the Americans were relying a bit too much on them and not making any bucks back. To solve this, the Plaza Accord was signed in 1985 in order to put a halt to this and a series of interventions took place to depreciate the dollar in relation to the German, French, British and Japanese currencies (gentle reminder Europe was only invented in 1993 and the Euro in 1999).

If that was the only measure the US had pushed Japan to do (and hey. I’m Latina. I will blame everything I can on the Europeans and the Americans), that would have been OK. However, they also gaslit them into being more relaxed over their domestic policies in order to appreciate the yen a bit more, and so the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Japan did, loosening up their financial regulations, opening their stock market and progressively cutting the interest rate during a year until it was just half of its original number. The result was that domestically, the money power jumped upwards due to the new economic scenario: people’s money was worth more and they were allowed to invest more in it, so the real estate market became crowded as fuck, people would take bizarre loans to get real estate as investment, the taxes were pathetic, and then ???? profit, etc. On the other hand, the dollar depreciation started making the Japanese exports less attractive in comparison to the US products, the shift in the industry meant that in a matter of years, the Japanese products were more expensive and no one wanted to buy them. Since Japan was relying so much not only in their industry but in the export aspect of it, and since more and more of their economy during that period was basically relying on the fantasy aspect of it (make crazy investments and then wait for it to pay off), the market crashed HARD in 1992 and people just went bankrupt. Was all of this necessary? No. Do I understand the economy after this? No. But we’re gonna get back to the context now.

I told you the bubble bursted...

END OF THE TECHNICAL BREAK

The Japanese economic miracle of the late 80s before the bubble burst comes into play with the Asian Grand Prix project. Japan’s automotive industry took part of the economic miracle of the 50s-70s and they had some sort of presence in F1 since 1964, when Honda first attempted to have a team, later expanding their participation from the 70s onwards with the creation of the Japanese Grand Prix, taking place at the Fuji Speedway, the appearance of Japanese drivers starting with Hiroshi Fushida and team sponsorships - Sega isn’t special.

Naturally, with more money comes more imagination, and[says this while crying and pleading for mercy] Bernie Ecclestone knew where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Soon, the prospect of having another race take place in Japan became a proposal, and the asset bubble made it possible for all sorts of real estate investors to just..,,..,.,, build race circuits…. please make it stop I don’t understand money but I know these people are doing stupid things blease….,..,,.,

The biggest and therefore, more favoured proposal was made by Tomonori Tsuramaki (guy in the picture above, this is literally the ONLY picture i can confirm it's of him), who wanted to make things more classy. If the bubble made some people rich during that period, Tsuramaki-san became a bajilionaire as he was already a banker/real estate investor and, crucially, insane. He took it to himself (and his company, Nippon Tri-Trust, originally a steel manufacturer) to hire a constructor, Hazama, to build a race circuit close to the Mount Aso volcano, located in the Kyushu island. Naming it a circuit is a crime, to be frank. The lad ended up spending FIVE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS to build not only a circuit but also three hotels, a spa and a ski slope. He wanted to turn the Grand Prix into a full experience, and he soon decided to also create an art gallery there, filled with Monets and Magrittes and what have you, and, as the pièce de résistance, a Picasso he bought for 51.3 million dollars.

"Las Noces de Pierrette" (1905), by Pablo Picasso, the 51 million dollar painting

Tsuramaki named the whole complex “Autopolis,” really making it clear that he wanted to create a whole ass city and make it a synonym with racing in Asia. Just in case you didn’t think he was ballsy enough, he decided to sponsor Benetton F1 from 1990 to 1992 - in fact, Benetton personnel like Nelson Piquet and Flavio Briatore were in the Autopolis inauguration ceremony (of course they were) and the tactics worked as the Asian Grand Prix to be held in Autopolis would take place at the third round of the 1993 Formula One Championship.

the Autopolis track layout... looks kinda cool tbh!

B190, B191 and B192, the three Autopolis sponsored cars. I'm sorry I didn't find any pics of the Autopolis inauguration ceremony but I hope to have compensated this with THREE WHOLE YEARS OF MONEY SPENT BY A CIRCUIT IN TEAM SPONSORSHIP. Also, interesting to note: the average figures for 2015 sponsorships were 17 million pounds for the sidepods and around 2 million pounds for the top of the nose. I'm sure these figures aren't exactly what it cost for in the 90s, but considering F1 sponsorships were never cheap, the fact that between 1991 and 1992 Autopolis had to change their placement from sidepods to nose... red flag.

Of course, if this had actually happened then we wouldn’t be talking about a shitty rainy afternoon in England, and as you can imagine the 500 million dollar project blew on Tomonori’s face pretty hard. Turns out, the whole idea of putting a circuit in the middle of buttfuck nowhere is not that practical, and there were little to no roads that could take you to Kyushu. Once you did get there though, good luck finding a place to stay because there were practically no operational hotels and the ones that were around were fucking expensive, as apparently the Autopolis Experience was just for the mega rich. The second the bubble burst, so did Tomonori’s wealth, unfortunately, and he had to file for bankruptcy, leaving a vacancy in the calendar. Enter Tom Wheatcroft.

Wheatcroft was born in 1922 to a relatively humble family and from an early age he fell in love with motorsports, going regularly to Donington Park to watch races, attending even the Grand Prix there in 1937 and 1938. The war kinda kept him away from his hobby for a bit, to say the least, and after it was over he created a construction company, successful enough to start a race car collection in 1964.

Just so what we're clear... these are the 1937 and 1938 Donington Grand Prix

The collection soon turned into Wheatcroft Racing, a team that would buy ex-works chassis from Brabham and rework them for competitions they would enter sporadically. Sincerely, the model was shit because the investment just wasn’t there, my guy would buy a 2 year old Brabham to race twice in Formula 2 and call it a day. Still, that was good enough to build a relationship with… [cries once more] Bernie Ecclestone, and once again we will get back to it shortly.

Tom would sponsor a few drivers over the years, but the real apple of his eye was Donington Park, that had been left abandoned after the war. He bought the circuit and a good chunk of the surroundings for 100 thousand quid, seemingly a cheaper investment than the Autopolis, but quickly proving itself to be more expensive than it looked as it took six years for the reconstruction of the track to be finished. Still, Tom liked the aesthetic of having a sort of museum around - familiar much? - and transferred his racing car collection, by then the biggest one known to men, to the circuit (you can see what the museum looked like in 2018 here in this very cool video of Circuits of the Past on YouTube!)

They had a whole room for McLaren... and for practically every British team tbh.

Donington Park held a few races over the years while Tom lobbied hard to get it to join the Formula One roster from 1983 onwards, hosting several junior Formulae races over the years. He got close in 1988, but eventually the RAC (the union of the British circuits) went with Silverstone instead, vetoing the participation as anIrish Grand Prix as well. Hm. I prefer not to speak. I suppose that Tom Wheatcroft would live to see his dream come true, as Bernie called him up after the Autopolis bankruptcy news and proposed to him the date. That way, the European Grand Prix was born again.

I think it’s a good moment to highlight that I don’t think Wheatcrofty here is any better than Tsuramaki for having cute childhood dreams instead of a 51 million dollar Picasso. At the end of the day, both of them had the same goal of building a circuit and getting a F1 race to be held in it. While Tsuramaki-san got so close but ultimately didn’t get to have his beloved Autopolis to host the Asian Grand Prix, Wheatcroft managed to see it happen once… and then quit making formal bids the following years because he felt the return was minimal. So, basically Capitalism sucks and eat the rich, but if you really look closely Tomodori was a big victim of western-centric economy and you know… dumb ideas. And Donington Park kinda flopped too after all. The British man is not that much better than the Japanese man, that’s my point. He had a Picasso… that’s clout.

part 3: it takes AGES to sponsor a grand prix

The “European Grand Prix” title had been given over the years to races that the FIA wanted to happen but that couldn’t under the standard country name format (for instance, Brands Hatch held the 1983 European Grand Prix because the British Grand Prix title was already held by Silverstone). Same thing happened here, but it still made it feel different and exciting as all of us F1 fans are happy with so little. Still, when you cancel a Grand Prix out of the blue and replace it for another one, a few headaches are expected. For instance, sponsors pulling out of it… right?

Sega saw an opportunity. Well, not Sega exactly, just Sega Europe. Ok, to be more precise, Simon Morris and Phil Ley, the two dudes that were responsible for the Williams sponsorship thought that they might as well go full throttle (what do you mean “full throttle”?) and just paint Sega blue and stamp Sonic everywhere in Donington Park. That way, they got the naming rights and made sure that everyone knew that this was not the Sony European Grand Prix. It wasn't the Nintendo European Grand Prix. Fuck it, this wasn't even the Monopoly European Grand Prix, this whole party was only possible due to Sega and you are gonna shove a Sonic figure up your ass. If I just tell you what they had, this wouldn't be half as fun as showing it, so take a good look at the circuit decoration:

Yeah, there are Sega Billboards everywhere besides just the Sega car, BUT there is also...

A big fuck off zeppelim - No, sorry, a "Sega Blimp"...

A big Sega Game Gear screen and...

Sonic and Tails (idk who that one is but he seems shy uwu) fursonas to hang out with the lads. But if you are like me who only watches F1 for the milfs, don't worry:

Yeah. Sonic Grid Girls.

Sonic Grid Girls.....

"But tumblr user formulinos, this isn't enough," you might tell me. "There must be more Sonic! I can't get enough of that blue mf with the spiky hair!". And I won't reply with words, because I won't need them. I will only show you this:

Unfortunately, not everything is about pleasure in the Hyperfixation Corner, and I must give you terrible news. As the weather became worse during the weekend, they took it down due to safety concerns - if anything happened and they needed a helicopter, then a huge Sonic could be a bit of a trouble, so it's just better to KILL THE POOR INFLATABLE SONIC THAT NEVER HARMED ANYONE and you can actually see it slowly getting deflated through the weekend before the race in these two Damon Hill onboards (please, this is so funny):

friday qualis: good weather, good sonic, can't lose

saturday qualis: sonic is down bad

This was more of a visual chapter just so we could address the blue hedgehog in the room. If you want to see some extra footage, like Alain and Damon suffering while pretending they they're interested in the Game Gear and our Lady Di, this lil video has some stuff that could interest you. Done with playing games [david caruso.gif], let's get to the sexy part.

part 4: the race of the gods

Theoretically, we don’t really need racing context here since this is only the third race of the season. However, because there can never be peace, only pain, leave it to Senna and Prost to make a mess out of F1. They’re like 50 at this point so why are they still bickering. ANYWAY.

The teams that did make it to 1993 - because there were 3 bankruptcies - were thriving since the cars had so many gadgets and technological/electronic controls that they're still considered the most refined out of all F1 history... until all of those got banned because the FIA will FIA. Williams were the favourites for the season because not only was their duo amazing, but they had the hottest car since Adrien Newey and his friends had turned the thing into the Batmobile.

note: i'm not gonna get into the merits of the FW15C here because it warrants a post of its own. maybe one day if i stop hating Williams or if any of you car geeks out there are interested, please go ahead, make my day!

Williams took round 1 in South Africa but since Senna was down to make their lives as miserable as possible, he got his Obligatory Brazil Win with McLaren in round 2. Although we are far from Suzuka in 1990, it is relevant to note that Prost and Senna were still… Prost and Senna and it's a well known fact that in order to get Alain back from retirement, Williams had to agree not to sign Senna as well as part of the contract - someone was traumatised! The result was that Ayrton was under a contract per race agreement with McLaren, but most of all, he was LIVID that Prost had vetoed him out of a Williams contract and there would be revenge!!!!!! (Except there wasn't because Alain won the championship and retired again, they realised they were in love all along and then Ayrton died. But that's not the point).

Finally, we get to Donington Park, all adorned in Sega fashion and.. the weather slowly turned to shit. It was lovely on Friday with a blue sky, lovely sight, etc. but by Saturday it was already clear that it would rain [RIP Sonic Inflatable 1993-1993]. Still, things were ok enough that the two practice and qualifying sessions - yes, they held qualis over two days, got the best time of each driver over the two days and then decided the starting grid on that - were interesting with the variations. Even though Senna was first on Qualifying 1, the Williams had managed to do better on the second day and we had Alain on pole, while Ayrton was in fourth. The whole starting grid is worth checking out, but for didactic purposes I'm gonna ask you guys to just focus on the three first rows for now. (yes graphic design is my passion)

note: this is Sauber's first year in F1, interesting to many since their car was branded as "concept by Mercedes-Benz". honestly, you could tell looking at their first season that it was indeed, just a concept, not a concrete car, but you know… Sauber is iconic and they were able to show Mercedes that a proper comeback could be very cool and sexy.

When I say it was clear that it was going to rain, I mean they expected some drizzle, not the downpour that greeted everyone on Sunday. Alain was a bit concerned since historically, he wasn't a big fan of wet conditions while Ayrton… well, le mec had a right to be concerned:

But that was OK, Williams had covered him by hiring a Weather Control centre nearby to send them their rain predictions. Plus, he had pole in the most sophisticated car of all time (so far), Ayrton was in fourth with a shitty McLaren, Damon and Michael were his boys, there was nothing to sweat as long as his race start was chill. Yeah.

youtube

Yeah.

I don't even know how to explain the massacre that started right there. Ayrton got pushed out by Michael (classic Schumi), lost a position to Wendlinger who took advantage of it and just decided to become Speed, destroyer of Drivers. Of course you can call some other first laps excellent, like Kimi's first lap in Portugal 2020, but Kimi's charge started from the get-go in a damp track. Ayrton started his charge after being pushed back, losing his position, getting back to it and by the end of it all, being comfortable in the lead with a 4 second gap. IN THE POURING RAIN. He didn't even care about the spray… Jesus. It's just sublime.

While Ayrton was having one of his certified "tunnel vision" moment, Wendlinger and his concept Merc were off to the gravel trap holding hands with Michael Andretti (as in F1 WDC Mario Andretti), who hadn't been able to finish a single race in 1993 yet, truly having a shit rookie season for someone who was already doomed considering his teammate was in the middle of reaching driver's nirvana. However, there was another rookie, a guy who most people call "Rubinho" who was enjoying quite a bit the wet conditions. The Wendlinger/Andretti tussle meant that Barrichello had managed to jump from P12 to P4, overtaking the entire midfield on the way to it. In his own words, although his Jordan was pretty mint, he didn't understand why everyone was driving so slowly. PLEASE.

Senna only furthered his gap, not even taking 4 laps before he started lapping the field - and he did that multiple times. He was rushing it, for sure, as he knew he only had as good as the rain would allow him to and the track was starting to dry up, with Williams closing the gap that had gotten to 6.8 seconds. Teams were starting to despair as it seemed swapping to slicks was now reasonable, and Martin Brundle's Ligier opened the pit lane. Was it the right call? I'll let the audience be the judge:

I'm not gonna laugh but I will cackle at the audacity of this man to spend 20+ years talking about how drivers are washed up when he was never washed down for starters. Even Coulthard had two good races. Anyhow.

While Rubebs, Schumi and Jean Alesi were battling for fourth, Damon took himself to pit first on lap 17, followed by Senna the next one and Alain the one after. However, the rain came back right after, causing Prost, who was afraid of water, to immediately duck back to get new wets. This is a GREAT time to remember you guys Williams had the Weather Control centre giving them advice on how to handle their tires. By lap 25, when Damon Hill came back for his new set of wet tires, we had:

Gerhard Berger go in, out, and back in due to a suspension failure

Mark Blundell tossed aside by Senna when he decided to battle for positions with Christian Fittipaldi while Ayrton was trying to lap them

Schumi spin. Schumi spin :(

Ok, to be fair you can't see that well in the gifs that Senna just pushes Blundell aside... but it did happen. I'm not insane.

By my maths, 8 drivers were out - Katayama and and JJ Lehto had also dipped between Brundle's spin and the first part of pit drama - and this was barely one third of the race done. Still, it took 4 more laps (and two more DNFS from Alliot and Aguri Suzuki) for Senna to come in for his set of wets. Didn't really matter though as it got dry again and the whole pit party started AGAIN in lap 34, with Prost blinking first (seriously, what's with Alain and the rain?). This time, Ayrton actually agreed with the Weather Centre assessment and pitted just one lap afterwards, but whatever lead he had was ruined when the wheel gun decided to fuck the right rear tire and he had a 19 second pit stop.

I mean, I was angry. Senna was just having a normal rainy Sunday it seems.

Jean Alesi joined his friend Gerhard Berger in the Ferrari pits after he also retired, unable to start his car after a pit stop. By lap 40, the Williams came back for wets as it was raining AGAIN, but this time Senna said "fuck it" and skipped the pit stop. This proved to be Very Wise, as the rain stopped again, came back and stopped one more time in a space of mere 8 laps, bringing Prost back to the pits once again for slicks because he wanted to pull as many fast laps as Senna did! Did this work? No! He stalled his car!

When he came back, Senna had lapped him and his teammate and the random Brazilian at Jordan were also ahead. Depressing. To make matters worse, Damon Hill pitted the next lap, came out behind him and when they were fighting for third, Alain locked up his wheels and got called to the pits again due to fears of a puncture. Scenes, but he managed to save face since Andrea de Cesaris was busy also DNFing due to gearbox issues. Thanks for that one, Andrea!

The race went on and it was basically done. Rubens says that at this point, when he got the memo he was in P2, he almost bust a nut. He looks at his mirrors and notices Senna is there, right behind him. The whole thing is chaos, but he is weirdly calm. It didn't feel too early for a rookie to win, it felt just right, and the Old Man be damned, he might be his racing hero but it was time for him to become the symbol of the new generation! Everyone was going to hear of Rubens Barrichello and his incredible feat at Donin- wait, what? A blue flag? "Rubens, you need to let Senna through, he is P1". Ok, nevermind, the world could become more acquainted with Rubinho in the next round.

Senna heads one more time for the pits in lap 61, but since McLaren has always been McLaren, they're not ready for him, so he needs to go straight. This turns out to be the best thing ever, because the Donington configuration meant that the pit lane was a shortcut if you ran through it at normal speeds, which everyone did anyway because the speed lane limit was only invented after San Marino 1994 after the Minardi came bursting through, running over everything that was available (yes. That San Marino Grand Prix).

After Senna's last pit stop in lap 62, all was as good as over. What we had left were three more retirements: Thierry Boutsen and Derek Warwick had faulty gearboxes while my guy RUBENS BARRICHELLO GOT MUGGED 4 LAPS TO THE END OF THE RACE BECAUSE THE JORDAN DECIDED TO LOSE FUEL PRESSURE. FUCK OFF HE WAS IN THE PODIUM!!! ALL I FEEL IS RAGE AND PAIN!!!!

Anyway, not all was lost. Senna won, deservingly so, Damon actually managed to make it to second place without getting lapped… and Prost was there since Rubens wasn't.

A little nice touch that Sega gave to the GP was that once it was finished, the Game Gear screen they had actually displayed "Game Over". Maybe I should get into vidya after all...

The last surprise that Donington Park held for us was at the podium. They really had Tom Wheatcroft, who was fulfilling his dream of hosting a Grand Prix race with perhaps one of the most sublime races of all time hand to Ayrton Senna, perhaps the greatest driver to have ever,,, driven and who had just gone through 2 hours of pure bliss and was still visibly in heaven… they really gave him a Sonic trophy.

epilogue: where in the world is the sonic trophy?

If both Tom and Ayrton were more than OK with the Sonic trophy, Ron Dennis was not, and the rumour is that while McLaren had on contracts that drivers would only be able to keep replica trophies, he actually hated how Sega had seemingly made F1 look cheaper (get a therapist) and kept Sonic captive in a cabinet for over 20 years, until McLaren brought it back, first for a picture in 2018…

And then finally, to the trophy cabinet at their Technological Centre in June 2020!

To round things up, while Ayrton got to shine in Donington Park, Alain came back from it to win his fourth title, before ceding his seat to his rival (ultimately killing him). If it makes it better, Alain and Ayrton actually called it quits after 1993 and let bygones be bygones, with Senna going so far as asking Prost to stick around one more year because they made each other better. While Ayrton would never get to win a fourth title himself, I think we can see with his outdriving of the McLaren car in 1993 that he was far from done after his championships.

Tom Wheatcroft tapped out of further Grand Prix during the rest of his tenure as the owner of Donington Park. Turns out dreams were only as good as they could line up your pockets and as fun as the race was, it wasn't that lucrative and, nowadays, Donington is administered by MotorSport Vision, owned by Jonathan Palmer and some close friends. Unfortunately, the museum was closed in late 2018 and Tom's Grand Prix collection was sold. As to Autopolis, it is currently owned by Kawasaki (cool motorbikes!) and while they still haven't held a Formula 1 race, they have a lot of success as part of the Japanese motorsports route. And Tsuramaki-san? I have no clue, I honestly couldn't even find if he was still alive online, the only piece of news I got was when one of his horses died???

Finally, Sega are more than OK, going through some very necessary restructuring (pandemics, huh) and celebrating this year the 30th birthday of our homeboy Sonic. Even though they toned it down with Williams for 1994 and didn't sponsor a Grand Prix again, they don't really regret it, since because of the legendary shit that Senna pulled on lap 1 and how it has been aired over and over for nearly 30 years now, it's impossible not to see along with it several Sega logos and Sonic drawings everywhere. While they don't get paid for the reruns, it's enough to get people to keep talking about the brand way after its heyday and well, isn't that the intention behind marketing? Sounds like everyone was happy to me.... Except Rubens.

This is it for the Sega Hyperfixation Corner this time, thanks for reading it. Feel free to let me know if you loved it or hated it, and see you around for the next one! Screw you guys, I'm going home!

#hyperfixation corner #1993 european grand prix #historic f1 #ayrton senna #sonic the hedgehog #FINALLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY F OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!#SINUSITIS 47373 X 1 ANA!!!!!!!

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