#what with zelda's aid and the bow of light which is the most powerful bow in the game

[autumnoakes]

"dark beast ganon sucked because he was too easy" ITS NOT ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY ITS ABOUT THE CINEMATICS ITS ABOUT THE VICTORY LAP ITS ABOUT LINK AND ZELDA TEAMING UP TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A HUNDRED YEARS TO TAKE GANON DOWN ONCE AND FOR ALL

[linked-history]

So still going off of the poll where Ghost(Spirit Tracks) was next. I will admit I have limited knowledge of the game so most of the information below will be vague at best or inaccurate in areas but this is my AU so I get to fuck around with it as much as I like. Also Asks are now open so feel free to leave a comment, question about the Links, or a prompt for a drawing if you'd like to.

He has been training to be a Locomotive knight, those who serve the land and travel using the recently established locomotive tracks that sprawl across the entire region. Though Cole, Zelda's advisor who is to help her lead the council until she reaches maturity, speaks against the Locomotive Knights and what a waste of resources they are as the tracks are destroyed by the growing monster population just as quickly as they are built. So following Link's graduation ceremony Zelda pulls him aside to investigate what her Advisor was talking about as he hadn't mentioned anything like this happening in the region and none of the other races had voiced concerns related to it.

BEFORE THE ADVENTURE

A century before the Hero and Queen of the Seas founded "New Hyrule" and established first a small community which later grew into a sprawling Kingdom that welcomed the different inhabitants of the land. Though it wasn't really a kingdom as Tetra never re-established the monarchy that was originally run by her family line before the old kingdom of Hyrule flooded. Instead a council was established with Tetra as the head where the other races would be able to have one of their race represent them. In present time Link lives with his great grandmother Aryll, whose brother he was named after. He is distant cousins with the current Zelda, who continues as the head of the council, despite her young age, following the deaths of her parents.

What they find is more then either of them expected, as Cole reveals his true form and his true allegiance to a force yet unseen in the region. Something that Cole only refers to as "Malice". Once Cole realizes the two are there and watching uses some of his true power to push the two back, pushing Zelda's spirit from her body as he plans to use her body as a vessel for "Malice".

With a temporary physical body found for Zelda the two travel through Hyrule, finding Glyphs within the scattered remains of the Tower of Spirits as Zelda aids Link against the Phantoms, which she is quick to find out that she can control and use when needed, as the initial Armor she typically uses isn't strong enough to combat the Phantoms of the Tower.

DURING THE ADVENTURE

With Zelda traveling without her body, the two travel to the remains of the Tower of Spirits, located in the center of the region, where they meet a member of the Locomo Tribe Anjean. Who offers some advice to the anxious Zelda, explaining an ability that someone known as a sage held long ago. With the advice, Zelda attempts to insert her spirit into a suit of armor that is still relatively whole, found within the ruins of the Tower.

By the time they restore the Glyph and make their way to stop Cole it is already too late as he's already released "Malice" as the physical corruption is quick to possess Zelda's body. They are directed by Anjean to locate the Spirit's Compass as well as the bow of light, before they leave Link is also given the Locomo Sword as they go to get the required items so they can first locate and then combat Cole and "Malice".

The two are joined by Anjean when they head to the "Dark Realm" where Malice had initially escaped to inorder to give it the time needed to fully possess Zelda's body. With the use of the Locomo Sword and Zelda's powers they are able to remove "Malice" from Zelda's body and defeat the now possessed Cole before escaping home and resealing the way they used to enter the "Dark Realm"

AFTER THE ADVENTURE

After Link and Zelda return to New Hyrule they are regarded with concern as those of the council rush to check on Zelda and his great grandmother rushes to check on him. The two are then thrust into a large celebration as the land celebrates the success of Link and Zelda's adventure. Link's Ceremony is finally completed, having been interrupted initially by Cole, and Link is named a Locomotive Knight. Though he has new responsibilities with his new position he still spends a number of hours sneaking around the capital with Zelda as they explore and most time he sneaks her out as she struggles staying put during the time following their adventure.

[elstreem]

ALBW Roleswap AU...thing?

Trying to write about this idea where it's Hyrule that got devastated and so Link seeks help from Ravio and Hilda in Lorule. Long post, but here's what I've written about it. I don't think I'm gonna do anything more substantial for it, but it's fun writing this.

Here's a google docs version that's prolly easier to read: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ar_f6wXBTeY3DGfWeM667QqwvyS-2GfrlZTMCcKQ6BY/edit?usp=sharing

ALBW AU: The Appointed Knight and the Feral Hero

Among the realms created by the Divine mothers, two were tied like the two sides of a coin - both fair kingdoms, with a royal family who protected the sacred relic, Triforce. The Triforce was the sum of the Goddesses’ powers left in these realms, and was even said to be able to grant wishes, leading some to seek its power...unbeknownst to the guardians of the Triforce, it also serves as the cornerstone of their respective realms. No one knows what would happen if the Triforce was broken in some form, for it has never happened before…

As mentioned, the Triforce was left in two particular realms, so close and yet far from each other. The realm bathed in warm sunlight was called Hyrule, while the realm under the cover of soothing darkness was called Lorule. Without knowing of it, the denizens of these two realms prospered similarly to each other. But they were never able to meet, save for when a slight distortion in time and space would show times and places through mirrors and reflections. Only a passing mystery, and were it not for a grievous calamity, perhaps there would never have been a time when Hyrule would need aid from Lorule…

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

The clamor of war rang loudly throughout Hyrule Castle. The castle was besieged by terrible forces, slavering monsters and twisted ghouls, howling as they clashed with the soldiers of Hyrule. Men shouted and attacked, hoping to defend their kingdom to the last. However, this was not where the real battle was to be found. In the chaos, there was only one place of stillness - the castle sanctuary, where the princess stood and her knight stood against the demon king, who had risen again. Behind the two protectors of the kingdom, the Triforce shone with a radiant light. “Hand over the Triforce,” Ganon rumbled, hands flexed around a trident. The princess stretched out a hand, tapping into her magical heritage. Link readied his blade and shield - they would never let this monster ruin the world with the Triforce’s power. Never.

The battle began, trident slashing, magic weaving, sword and shield parrying. Link and Zelda fought desperately against the strength of Ganon, who shrugged off their attacks as though it could only annoy him. With a roar, Ganon swatted away Link, the young Hylian’s slight frame getting thrown into the wall with force to crack his bones. Zelda cried out, but she did not waver - even as Ganon lunged forward to lay his hands on the Triforce, she spun around and reached for the relic herself.

“Oh goddesses, protect us!” Zelda wished with all her heart, but even as her words tapped into the Triforce’s power, Ganon’s own hand had reached the relic.

Even while bloodied and bruised, and screaming from the effort, Link got up, trying to move, desperate, as Ganon wished for Hyrule’s destruction.

The two wishes, opposite to each other, warred within the activated relic. Link tried to run, to reach for Zelda even as the Triforce shattered with explosive power, with blinding light pouring out of it.

In those terrible last moments, Link saw the princess turn to him, her form becoming rigid. Ganon too, had stopped - and Link found his own consciousness dimming, burning with only one thought. He had failed his home.

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

The sun was yet to rise and all was still in the dark hours preceding dawn.

Or so it was supposed to be, if it weren’t for the angry yells of a woman and a sound of scurrying feet.

The village Blacksmith groaned and hauled himself up from his bed, drearily wiping a hand across his face as his wife rushed into the room.

“Now what is this ruckus all about!?” the Blacksmith complained.

“The stinking thief is back! I told you to report it to the castle, but no, you just had to wait for proof! Well, here’s the proof you want!” the hassled woman said sharply, and she grabbed hold of her husband’s arm and fairly dragged him outside, causing a string of complaints. She ignored the fact that he was barefoot and still in his sleeping clothes and hurried him into the cold air of the early morning. She paused very briefly to grab a fresh torch, and continued along. When she stopped, the Blacksmith was not in the most agreeable mood, but even he could see the damage.

The pots they used for storing water and grains were smashed, and their little garden that had once been full of promising vegetables had been ransacked. But even with the messy scene one could see paw prints in the dirt.

“What was it?” the Blacksmith asked, taking the torch from his wife. He knelt to take a closer look at the destruction.

She sniffed and crossed her arms. “I wasn’t sure - I just heard the sounds of a pot getting smashed and I rushed on over here. I only caught it running away, but it looked beastly, all matted fur and glowing eyes - ugh!”

It would be no match for you in your state, the Blacksmith thought, and he hid a grin. Keeping a straight face, he stood up again and said, “Well, I’ll call on our neighbor to help. No need to alert the Castle.”

She gave a disbelieving snort. “That lad is good for nothing but lounging around!”

“But still, he’s the appointed knight of the realm. Go on inside dear, that is enough trouble for one morning,” the Blacksmith said.

After putting on work clothes and making sure that everything was secured, the Blacksmith walked on over to a house on a hill, keeping his eyes peeled for any lurking creatures. However, upon reaching the house, the man gave a groan - of all the mornings he made this trip, today was the miraculous day the appointed knight was not sleeping in. The house was dark and a piece of paper was tacked to the door. The paper read:

“If you’re looking for me, I’m at the Castle!” - Knight of the Realm, Ravio.

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

Morning came and went, the sun’s rays bringing cheer and light to the land. Within the Castle’s kitchen, the maids and cooks were bustling about, preparing food for lunch. But in the middle of all this activity, a boy was sitting still, snacking on an apple as he idled the time away.

“Surely you have business to do, Ravio?” one of the exasperated cooks asked, watching Ravio take another apple from the kitchen’s stores and eat it.

“I’m in the business of filling my energy up after an early morning training!” Ravio said, grinning as much as he could with a mouthful of apple.

“...right,” the cook muttered. Sure, Ravio had been in the castle before dawn’s light, but all the staff saw of him was him taking a nap in the knight’s training room.

A page popped into the castle kitchens, and seeing Ravio, marched up to him. Ravio’s grin slid off his face as he saw the page’s gleeful look. He knew what that meant.

“Her Grace, Princess Hilda, commands the Knight of the Realm to the Counsel Room!” the page said as loudly as possible. The nearby kitchen staff snickered as Ravio stood up and wiped the apple juice off his face.

Ravio might not fear monsters, but he had a healthy fear of his closest friend.

-------

"I tell you, your Grace, something has been ferreting around, stealing food and making a ruckus. The missus reckons it’s some sort of beast from what she saw. Maybe a wolf? But then again…"

"There are no wolves in Lorule."

"Exactly!"

"Well, wolves or no wolves, if it is disturbing the peace our appointed knight of the realm should be looking into it," Princess Hilda of Lorule said.

Her crimson eyes flicked over to said knight of the realm, even if he wasn't acting like it. Ravio might have looked the part, wearing armor stamped with the royal sigil of Lorule. It was an impressive enough sight that most never minded the lack of a sword at his back. However, instead of standing at duty, he was slouching, idly tugging at his scarf and wishing the audience would be over.

Hilda cleared her throat and tapped her staff on the ground, making Ravio jump nervously. As carefree as he was, he did not like testing Hilda's temper.

"Yess, your Grace?" Ravio asked.

"The Blacksmith brought his problem personally to the castle, Ravio. And I say, you must look into it this time," Hilda said, emphasizing her last two words.

Ravio groaned. Hilda was annoyed that the Blacksmith had to bring this problem up personally. Okay, so he was the knight of the realm, but that did not mean he had to solve every problem his neighbors had, right?

Then again, it seemed like a monster was involved.

~~~~~~~

The bushes underneath the trees rustled, and as Ravio followed close, he saw a pair of eyes looking out at him from the shadows. They glowed as they caught the light, and Ravio hesitated - human eyes did not glow like that, which could only mean this was a monster.

He quickly grabbed his Hookshot, and fired - the claw shot through the air. The beast leapt clear, but was too slow by just a second and caught a glancing blow. Ravio heard a yelp, and some footsteps going away. Ravio gave chase - even a glancing blow from a Hookshot was enough to give the most hardened monster some pause. And a pause was all he needed for another shot, and whatever his faults, Ravio had a good eye. Again the Hookshot pierced the air, and this time he scored a direct hit. Ravio knew it from the way the Hookshot had struck.

He hurried after the beast and came into the circle of trees, where he found something lying limp on the ground.

"Got you," Ravio murmured to himself, grabbing his bow. He readied an arrow at the beast, and was about to loose the projectile when the beast twitched and groaned - but the groan did not sound at all beastly.

Ravio dropped the bow and came close - yes, now that he was near he could see a hand peeking out from underneath some clothing. Perhaps a humanoid monster? But in the next moment he heard a soft whisper, and the creature went still. Ravio dropped to his knees beside the figure and turned him over, gasping at what he found. The "monster" was a lad his age, covered in a dirty old cloak. He couldn't see much of the boy's face as it was covered in grime and dirty blonde hair that spilled over one side of his face, but it was definitely a human.

"Hey! Can you hear me?"

All he got as a response was a sigh. Ravio's blood went cold, remembering how the boy had gone still. Ravio dropped his head onto the boy's chest, and listened hard - it was faint, but there was breath and a heartbeat within him.

Moving quickly, Ravio pulled up a bottle of Red Potion and carefully tipped it to the boy's lips - he was unresponsive at first, but when Ravio put a drop of potion to his lips, the lad's tongue licked it away. Very, very carefully, Ravio put a small amount to the boy's mouth, and he swallowed it. In this way, the boy finished the bottle of red potion, which brought back some color to his face.

"Hey, hold on, okay? Stay with me, here," Ravio said. He slung the boy's arm over his shoulders, and putting his own arm around the boy's hip, he stood up. The boy's head leaned limply into Ravio's shoulder, and Ravio fought the urge to sneeze - the guy smelled bad - like he'd been sleeping in the wilds and rolled through mud, kind of bad.

The lad was dead weight, and Ravio had a hard time pulling him along. It was with relief that Ravio heard the Blacksmith calling.

"Ahoy! What have you got there? The beast?"

"Nah, I clobbered the beast good, it should stay away. But I found a stranger, he clearly needs help," Ravio reported. The knight's normally jolly tone was urgent and the Blacksmith knew he wasn't goofing around.

"Alright, here I go! Phew, this one needs a bath," the Blacksmith grunted as he scooped the boy up easily.

"And a good meal - he feels almost dead," Ravio panted, relieved at having the weight off his shoulders.

"Bother, the house is full of weapons to be shipped - we should put him in your house, yeah?" the Blacksmith said.

"Mine!?" Ravio said in dismay.

"Of course. You helped him, you have to see it through," the Blacksmith said.

"Oh, I guess. He better pay rent," Ravio muttered.

For all of Ravio's words he was anxious for the boy and was relieved when the Blacksmith put him into his own bed.

~~~~~~

The boy wandered back inside, shrugging off his cloak. Ravio looked up with a smile and then gasped in surprise - with the grime wiped away, he could have sworn the face he was looking at was his own.

Well, not quite - the stranger's hair was blond and his eyes were blue. Also, he had seriously dark bags under his eyes and hollow cheeks, like he had missed many good meals and nights of sleep.

"Whoa - wow, this is a shocker - talk about seeing your twin," Ravio said.

The boy looked blankly at him.

"…look .are you really just speechless with shock all the time?" Ravio asked.

The boy shifted his feet uncomfortably.

"Well, nothing for it. Here, maybe some food will loosen you up. You look faint with hunger," Ravio said.

The boy nodded gratefully, and dropped himself into one of the chairs at the table.

Ravio brought out a plate, filled with goods from the castle - bread, butter, fried eggs and apple slices. He had a feeling that the boy was hungry, and he was right - though the lad tried to restrain himself for politeness, he gulped down the meal as if famished. Ravio busied himself with cleaning his kitchen, which was a little dusty.

“Well, you look much better now that you had a bite or ten in you,” Ravio said as the boy set down his spoon and fork with a sigh.

~~~~~~~~~

"Well Ravio, have you considered one thing?"

"What?" Ravio asked, shifting uncomfortably at seeing Hilda's raised eyebrow.

"That maybe…you're talking way too much to give space," Hilda said tartly.

"Hey!" Ravio said in indignation. Hilda didn't show any outward signs of amusement, but Ravio knew her long enough to know that her eyes were smiling at the joke. It almost made the little jab worth it.

"Anyway, I shall go see this stranger, see if I can loosen his tongue," Hilda said.

The response however, was far more dramatic than the two expected. On seeing Hilda enter the room, the boy's eyes widened, and he hurriedly dropped to one knee and put his hand on his chest in a knight's bow. Hilda and Ravio traded glances.

"Please stand, good sir. I heard from Ravio about your appearance…but please, tell us more about yourself," Hilda said.

The boy raised his head, but looked down again and sadly shook his head. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out. He raised his hands and folded them in front of his throat.

"Ah, so you cannot speak…I'm sorry to have asked it without consideration," Hilda said.

The boy shook his head as if trying to reassure her there was no offense.

~~~~~~~~

A stone statue stood inside the blasted courtyard. Even petrified, the beauty of the strange lass was not marred at all - her form perfectly captured in rock. She would have looked lovely if it weren't for the expression of horror on her face. The wolf circled the statue, and Ravio read a great sadness in Link's blue eyes.

Ravio drew close and saw, among the petrified waves of the lass's hair, a crown, and her dress bore a banner displaying a royal crest similar to Lorule's.

The wolf sat down, facing the statue, before raising his head and giving off a lonely howl.

--------

Aaaand that's it. I have a few more ideas to toss into this (Link and Ravio searching for the lost Master Sword of Lorule? Hilda facing off against Ganon?) but I highly doubt I can add anything more weighty to this. I don't even have a proper explanation for why Link turns into a wolf (though in my mind, what's happened to Hyrule is a similar situation to the Twilight, where time has stopped and the souls of Hylians are left as wandering, dazed wraiths.) I might post other writing scraps if I feel like it?

[loruleanheart]

Desired Fate, Chapter 18

Read on AO3 

Read on FF.net

I wanted to post this tomorrow, but I couldn’t wait any longer. Here it is! Warning, this chapter is coming at you with razor blades and lemon juice. You were warned.

Revali drew back the string of the Great Eagle Bow, preparing to deliver the killing strike to Windblight Ganon as it had grown more and more languid in its movement, and while it was still distracted by Sooga.

“This is it!” Revali called victoriously, letting the bomb arrows fly.

Sooga dodged the incoming explosives and they collided with Windblight in a grand explosion. The creature’s resounding bestial shriek was like a reward for a battle well fought.

Lowering his bow, Revali watched, savoring the moment as the blight hemorrhaged malice. He had faced the most grueling battle he’d ever experienced, and he would live to regale his fellow Rito of his triumph. 

He turned his attention to the Yiga, still at a loss for their motivations. What had possessed them to turn against Calamity Ganon?

Well, whatever…  Revali thought. At least it wasn’t the vexingly silent knight wielding the sacred blade who came to save the day. He’d never live it down if it had been him…

Revali alighted before the two, holding back any outward sign of exhaustion or weakness. He regarded the Yiga with a hard look of suspicion.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I must thank you for coming to my aid. But just as a warning, if you do anything to make me question this...alliance, I won’t hesitate to -”

“Your threats won’t be necessary,” Sooga said simply, resheathing his dual blades.

Sooga’s words were clear despite the mask he wore, yet Revali paused, contemplating his words, not fully believing the situation. Revali braced himself for a surprise attack that never came as the moments passed.

He stared into the inverted crimson eye painted on Sooga’s horned mask and the long crack that ran across it, slightly unnerved that he could not see the man’s eyes or facial expressions. He’d have to rely on the man’s body language and tone of voice for assurance that he was not a threat. 

Kohga approached, having remained a safe distance away during the fight. “Well done, Sooga! That was quite the display of Yiga bravado.”

Revali opened his beak to say something more, but before he could form the words, their attentions were drawn to the thunderous and deliberate footsteps of a Divine Beast.

He lifted off the surface of Vah Medoh to see which of the other Champions had come to his aid. Kohga and Sooga likewise rushed across the mossy stone that stretched the wingspan of Vah Medoh to look out into the distance.

“This should be interesting…” Revali remarked as he watched Vah Naboris approach.

“Urbosa’s coming….?! ...That’s our cue to leave!” Kohga blurted before retreating into a cloud of smoke and falling talismans.

Sooga turned to Revali and shook his head. “Master Kohga can be a bit of a coward when it comes to the Gerudo Chief. “Uh… Don’t tell him I told you that!” And with that Sooga followed after Kohga, leaving Revali alone.

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

The was a sterile, stillness that belied the Champion’s victory over the blights as Hyrule Field was cast in a dreary grey. There would be no breathtaking sunset to behold, nor the comfort the moon’s brilliant glow could bring, only the world darkening as night crept in.

The four that had seized the bokoblin camp for a moment of rest could sense the encroaching storm from the dark clouds above, but none spoke of it aloud.

Robbie cleared his throat. There was no longer a levity in his voice. “Where are you headed next?”

Astor didn’t meet Robbie’s eyes as he smoothed Zelda’s long golden hair with his gloved hand. It took a moment for him to respond, too focused on her downcast gaze. 

“Fort Hateno... That’s where she is fated to awaken her inner power.”

“Then I wish you both luck.” Robbie offered, humbly.

Zelda hung her head and Astor squeezed her hand in comfort. The bleak refrain of Zelda’s court came to mind. 

Heir to a throne of nothing…

She said nothing in response, and he wondered if she was thinking the same. She seemed to have retreated inward, having cried herself out.

Purah leaned forward to address Zelda. “Princess, I have faith in you, I do. You are not alone and we’re not going to give up trying to turn back the Calamity. I think we could all benefit if we set up camp here and call it a day. And if any monsters come by, we’ll beat them with our flails.”

“No… I must go to Fort Hateno right away.” Zelda replied shakily.

“I hate to be blunt, Princess, but you aren’t in any condition to operate the Master Cycle.” 

“I’ll be fine, Purah.”

She didn’t sound fine. 

Zelda quivered in his arms, and Astor’s chest tightened with unfamiliar apprehension. 

Purah’s earlier antics would have made Kohga proud. Just like Kohga, she was perceptive, yet Astor was relieved to see a more serious side to her - as the situation demanded. He just hoped Zelda would heed Purah’s warning.

“A rest wouldn’t disturb fate, Zelda. And you do need the rest,” said Astor.

Purah and Robbie observed the couple pensively, and Astor felt like an oddity under their analytical gaze - as if they were trying to ascertain what Zelda had done to tame the Prophet of Doom himself - something Astor was in awe of as well.

“I won’t rest until I awaken my inner power,” Zelda said with as much determination as she could muster looking up at him with reddened, weary eyes.  “We don’t have a moment to waste. Let us be on our way.”

Astor followed Zelda. Despite his fatigue, despite his trepidation about getting back on the Master Cycle, he couldn’t fathom not going with her.

“Astor!” Robbie called after him.

“Hm?”

“Take care of her.”

-----------

Their journey to Fort Hateno proved to be miserable and treacherous as it had begun to rain not long after they departed. As they neared the West Necluda region, the moisture laden clouds above spilled their cold tears on the Goddess’s descendant and her elect. The rain slicked the grass and turned the packed earth roads to mud. The Master Cycle was at times buffeted by strong winds that made it difficult to maneuver. Visibility was low. Bridges became slippery.

Astor’s grip on Zelda’s waist tightened. Dread and guilt crept in as she began to second-guess her decision.

Why are we doing this? All my previous attempts to awaken my power have failed. What is it about Fort Hateno that will suddenly change everything? Ugh, I can’t allow myself to think like this.

The Master Cycle traversed through Dueling Peaks, and Zelda felt as though those towering cliffs were pressing in on them. The cliffs gave way to a vast plain, and the mountains in the distance were barely an outline in the night sky.

Zelda took care as they crossed the Big Twin Bridge, breathing out in relief when she had made it to the other side.

Almost there…

Even as Blatchery Plain stretched out before them, Zelda felt no closer to awakening the power within herself, and she didn’t know what recourse she had if this too did not work. These thoughts lingered as she pressed onward.

Blatchery Plain lay in ruin, desolate, and devoid of life - or so it seemed. A figure appeared in the immediate dim horizon, and Zelda’s heart froze as she swerved to avoid colliding with it. The Master cycle dipped a little too far for comfort to one side. Her heart thumped rapidly as she struggled to keep it upright. The tires squelched through the mud as they veered off the path and then returned.

“It keeps finding us…” Zelda said worriedly.

“Ganon always knows where we are…” Astor replied, trying not to let fear enter his voice.

Zelda looked back over her shoulder, a pit opening in her stomach when she realized the Harbinger wasn’t as far back as she expected. No, it was following them at a speed unlike other Guardians.

“Astor, whatever you do, hold on tight…” her voice was nearly muffled by the rumble of the engine.

A chill ran down Astor’s spine as he perceived the words of Calamity Ganon. It was a voice he knew all too well from prophetic dreams, the one that had urged him so fervently to kill the princess.

You are nothing, my wayward prophet without a prayer.

“Leave me alone!” Astor screamed, tearing his circlet that bore the eye of malice from his forehead. He turned and pitched it at the charging Harbinger. The red and yellow stone was crushed under its rampaging claw the next moment.

Do you think you can rid yourself of me that easily? That was merely an outward symbol of your devotion to me. Nothing more. You’ll never be able to wash the taint of malice away. Everyone is going to know who you are and what you did. You belong to me!

With the Harbinger closing in on them, Zelda pushed the Master Cycle to its limit. The engine chugged. Her stomach soured as the cycle struggled to gain speed.

There was a dreamlike sensation of slow-motion despite her rapid heartbeat, beating in time with Astor’s against her back. She felt as though -

The Harbinger’s laser is trained on them and after what feels like a silent eternity it fires. The high-powered beam of ancient energy tears through his back and exits her chest. They are enveloped in a blinding blue light as that final scream of failure is ripped from her.

She snapped herself out of that grim vision, still awash in panic. It had been easy to outrun the Harbinger in the Lost Woods, but there was nothing to slow its chase out in the open plain.

Her panic-fueled delirium reached a fever pitch. She didn’t dare look again, but she could hear the gurgle of malice and the mechanical whirring of the automaton itself.

Goddess Hylia... It’s right on us...How is it so fast? It’s somehow running at full tilt on three mechanical legs just to get at us. The effort alone should cause it to break down. It wasn’t designed to go at that speed.

Zelda despaired, thinking of how something her mother made so long ago with loving care had been corrupted by Calamity Ganon.

This was her final thought as the Harbinger swung its distended bladed arm, colliding with the vehicle’s back tire. The Master Cycle wavered pathetically from the force of the automaton’s slap, and then went down, skidding through the mud.

The sky and ground spun as she felt herself hit the ground, narrowly missing becoming pinned under the fallen Master Cycle. 

The falling rain on her skin brought Zelda back to a vague awareness. Groaning, she opened her eyes. She barely registered that they were lying in a crumpled heap, but when she did, she reached for Astor as he stirred slightly. Her hands moved over him as she fought to regain her bearings.

“Astor… Please say something...” She could only mumble as her fingers stroked the braids that draped the side of his face.

Astor sucked in a breath, wincing. “I... think I’m still in one piece…”

There was mud all over her dress and numerous scrapes on her exposed shoulders and arms. The rain stung her open wounds, but that was only the beginning of her pain.

Lifting her head weakly, she saw that the Master Cycle was a complete loss - and the Harbinger loomed over them, its corrupted red display ebbing outward hypnotically as it regarded them.

“Zelda, run....” Astor urged her, helplessly.

She took in the glowing blue of the Harbinger’s many blades. It was toying with them, taking its time as a predator with prey.

“I can’t outrun it any more than you can. I won’t leave you.” Zelda gripped his hand, her voice resigned and weak.

The Harbinger began to emit a discordant tune. 

To Zelda, it sounded so familiar in her mental haze but deeply wrong. However, Astor knew it all too well.

There were times when the Harbinger used to play a strange song. Even Kohga and Sooga had heard it ‘sing’ at odd intervals. They didn’t know what to think at first. Then, Astor learned the origins of the Harbinger and he realized its significance. The tune was little more than a malfunction - simply the machinery morbidly regurgitating a lullaby meant for the princess out of key. Kohga and Sooga’s howls of laughter carried through the Yiga Hideout on the day they came to the same realization, much to Astor’s annoyance. The toy Zelda had once cherished was now possessed by the most malignant spirit in the realm and Astor was hanging on its every instruction.

“I’m sorry this happened to you, Terrako…” Zelda said numbly.

And then Astor heard her make a seizing sound. The alarm and pain in her voice turned his stomach to rot. 

Zelda stared at her feet in horror. They were as black as a decomposing corpse. She held them out as if paralyzed with pain. The same concerning blackness had appeared on her cheek, and others were appearing elsewhere, spreading.

“No, not her!” Astor screamed, taking hold of her in his arms.

Malice licked and traveled her body like a flame. It had started at her feet, blackening her skin and sandals, and traveled up. The malice infected her body, consuming her dress, her hair, and finally blooming in the whites of her eyes.

He cradled her in his arms, her darkened eyes staring back at him in wide open agony, and he wished the malice would consume him as well. She opened her mouth to say something, but the only sound that came forth was a terrible gasping sound.

“No… No…”

He pressed his face into the exposed skin of her shoulder, feeling the blighted flesh against his own. Her body gave no warmth, just a husk of her former beauty.

The anguish crashing down on him was unbearable as his raging thoughts took over - Hylia’s words turning over and over again in his mind, and all the things he wished he’d told Zelda. 

I was supposed to die that way. Not her… I can’t let her die believing she’s a failure.

Hyrule’s future lay in ruin along with his own. What was fate if even the prophecy of the Goddess could be undone?

The Harbinger watched the prophet grieve, viewing the scene in the red tones of its censor. Certain the princess who bore the goddess’s blood would soon pass away, it turned to retreat.

Astor raised his head, hearing himself utter words he never thought possible.

“I love her… Know this, Calamity Ganon...I love her!” His voice shuddered in horrible defeat and desolation. “And I always will...”

Zelda grit her teeth as she shakily held her wasted right hand high.

The Harbinger had stopped in its tracks. It had ignored its former prophet’s confession, but now sensed a holy power brewing within the nearly lifeless girl.

A golden light had manifested in the palm of her hand, and in the next instant intensified into a brilliant and blinding dome that eclipsed the field.

Astor lifted his arm to shield his eyes, still embracing her with the other.

The dome of light faded out. Astor opened and closed his eyes, his vision coming back into focus.

“That light… It's…”

She held her arm out still, rigidly. Astor could only stare in awe at the unmistakable triangular mark on the back of her hand, and when her extended arm began to falter, he clasped her hand before it could fall limply to her side.

Zelda serenely closed her eyes. Astor thought he heard her exhale softly as she sank back into his arms, going limp. The black malice receded slowly, beginning at the sacred mark on her hand. The skin beneath had an otherworldly immaculate quality to it. And though the malice departed from her body and hair, it was plain to see that her clothing and jewelry would remain corroded and black.

The Harbinger was gone. Astor could only imagine it had retreated. There was nothing but the calming sound of rain falling as it began to taper off, and the dark clouds began to break, leaving nothing but the starry night sky and the moon. Astor’s gaze rested on the soft rise and fall of her chest.

There was the clanging of armor and Astor turned his head to see two Hyrulian soldiers approach.

“What was that light?” The soldier let his gaze fall on the girl in Astor’s arms and then the wrecked vehicle, going silent.

“Who are you? What did you do to the princess!?” the other barked.

“I... I’m her seer. I helped her awaken her sacred power.” Astor gave them a tired, elated smile, too thankful to Hylia that Zelda was alive to demand respect from these two lowly Hyrulean Soldiers.

The soldiers glanced at one another skeptically, not sure whether to take the strange, suspicious man at his word, but there was no denying the light shining dully from Zelda’s hand.

“Should we believe him? I know of no royal seer in attendance to the princess. Where is her appointed knight?”

“He certainly doesn’t look the least bit royal to me… Anyways, we need to get Her Highness to safety. Alright, Sir, you’re going to carry Her Highness to Fort Hateno, and you’re going to mind your hands while you do.”

Astor bit back a scathing insult and gathered the princess in his arms, following the soldiers in the direction of their destination. It wasn’t long before his arms ached terribly, and he didn’t think he would be able to carry her any longer, especially in his condition.

“Just a little further,” the first soldier said, not unkindly.

Astor adjusted his aching arms, Zelda still not stirring, and he pressed on.

They passed by countless broken-down Guardians.

“That light… It seems to have disabled the Guardians in the vicinity.” The soft-spoken soldier remarked.

They passed through the raised iron gate and the stone-faced soldier directed Astor to a tent.

“She can rest here. You rest over there,” the soldier ordered testily, pointing to another tent some distance away.

“You must be joking... We haven’t been apart during the entirety of the Calamity.”  Astor felt the words leave his mouth helplessly. 

“I care not! And I’m going to be keeping an eye on these tents to make sure nothing untoward happens until she can be reunited with her rightful appointed knight or advisor.”

Astor’s chest tightened, furious and in disbelief at the soldier’s callousness. “Just what are you accusing me of? We were attacked! Listen to me, you presumptive scab, there’s a very dangerous Guardian still out there and it's not done with us. I can’t leave her side. She’s incapacitated and defenseless.”

The soldier drew his sword. “Which is exactly why I won’t let you stay by her side,” he spat. “I’m not going to let you take advantage of the Calamity and sully her reputation, whoever you are. You expect me to believe your tall tales? I’ve yet to see a Guardian I couldn’t handle. Now, do as I say. I’m already granting you far more accommodation than you deserve!”

Astor shut his eyes in surrender and hugged the girl in his arms, knowing he could not afford to escalate the situation any further. He laid her in the tent and then turned to tiredly lurch toward the other, grumbling under his breath about how he was going to be sleeping with one eye open.

In his dreams, they stand under the Blood Moon hand in hand. The sky and land are awash in a scarlet glow. As her right hand clasps his left, he can sense her power resonating. Zelda stares up at the beast circling her home, undaunted, and smiles.

[citizenscreen]

It’s been the practice here to honor notable film-related anniversaries at the onset of every year – Looking back to move forward, if you will. This year there is particular excitement across social media because 2020 brings with it echoes of a century ago, the decade called The Roaring Twenties when youth threw caution to the wind and enjoyed life to its fullest. It was an era of economic prosperity and interesting (to say the least) social and artistic changes, an era of happenings and creativity. Some of that is reflected in films depicting the Roaring Twenties, which – luckily for us – happens to be this month’s theme on TCM.

In all pictures about the Roaring Twenties you’re likely to see the Flapper, perhaps the most familiar symbol of the era. The Flapper helped the decade retain a certain “feel,” one of partying and promiscuity with distinct style and energy. In movie terms you might look to Colleen Moore and Clara Bow to get a sense of what the Flapper was like.

Colleen Moore

Clara Bow

While the flapper enjoyed life throughout the decade, she gained considerable freedoms in 1920. On August 18 of that year the 19th Amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote. Due to the great economy at the time, millions of women worked in white-collar jobs and could afford to contribute in ways they previously could not. The increased availability of birth-control devices allowed for more personal choice and advances in technology helped the effort as well. Many homes in America, especially in the industrialized cities, were now powered by electricity, and effort-saving devices such as refrigerators, washing machines, irons, and vacuum cleaners, most of which were used by women, made life much easier as well.

Other inventions that came to be in 1920 include the hair dryer, invented by a women who inserted a hose in the exhaust of a vacuum cleaner. Brilliant! The traffic light was also born that year thanks to police officer William Potts who used red, amber, and green lights and $37 worth of wire to make his traffic light in Detroit, Michigan. The Band-Aid was invented by a man called Earle Dickson for his wife Josephine who cut herself often. The final invention worth noting was the automobile with the combustion, probably the most popular invention in the 1920s, which facilitated the Flapper lifestyle and led to many new jobs. The popular, reliable, and inexpensive Ford Model T made it all possible – and made it in the movies.

Harold Lloyd in GET OUT AND GET UNDER 1920

Stan Laurel in a Ford Model T 1920, which appeared in several Laurel and Hardy movies

  While previously mentioned freedoms were expanded, others were curtailed in 1920. The most famous being the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1919, but put into effect in 2020. The Federal Volstead Act, formally the National Prohibition Act, established to carry out the intent of the 18th Amendment, banned the manufacture and sale of “intoxicating liquors,” and at 12 A.M. on January 16, 1920, the Act closed every tavern, bar and saloon in the United States. Tragic as that may seem to some, there was plenty of booze to go around thanks to unseemly types who took control of underground “wet” businesses.

Hollywood’s fascination with Prohibition and the times during which it took place have resulted in fantastic film offerings through the decades. Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition (2002) is one example of a great modern film dealing with the subject. But I am here for the classics and suggest you revisit the following to get a sense of how colorful the world was during the Prohibition era:

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Another right was curtailed on June 13, 1920 when the US Post Office stated that children could not be sent by parcel post. Various instances of this occurrence made the law a necessity.

More interesting facts about 1920:

The average life span in the United States that year was about fifty-four years.

The top ten toys of the 1920s were:

Teddy bears

Erector sets

Lionel trains

Lincoln Logs

Raggedy Ann

Radio Flyer Wagon

Tinker Toys

Crayons

Tin toys

Tiddlywinks

On January 29, 1920 Walt Disney started work as an artist with KC Slide Co. for $40 a week.

On May 1, 1920 legendary slugger Babe Ruth hit his 50th career home run, his first for the NY Yankees in a 6-0 win over the Boston Red Sox. How sweet it was.

On May 16 Joan of Arc (Jeanne D’arc c. 1412 – May 30, 1431) was canonized a saint. Her life has inspired numerous films starting as early as 1900 with Georges Méliès’ Joan of Arc. I must admit I’ve only seen two films on this topic, but can recommend both: Carl Theodor Dreyer’s deeply affecting The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) and Victor Fleming’s visually appealing Joan of Arc (1948).

On June 2 the Pulitzer prize for Drama was awarded to Eugene O’Neill for Beyond the Horizon.

On July 29 rebel leader Pancho Villa surrendered to Mexican authorities. As it turns out Villa who had an interesting connection to movies as this Smithsonian Magazine article explains.

On November 2, 1920 the first commercially licensed radio broadcast was heard, from KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The first broadcast was live results of the presidential election, a transmission of breaking news that was new and unprecedented. The impact of the medium of radio and the importance of this 1920 event cannot be overstated.

1920 in Hollywood

By the early 1920s, the film industry had made its (more or less) permanent move to Hollywood from the East Coast. The face of American cinema was transformed. Hollywood was now the world’s film capital producing virtually all films shown in the United States and 80 percent of the revenue from films shown abroad. Many American towns had a movie theater with over 20,000 movie houses operating in the U.S. by that year. Most Americans went to see the movies at least once a week. The movie industry became a big business. And Hollywood’s position only got stronger as many of Europe’s most talented movie players arrived.

By the end of the decade, the movies claimed to be the nation’s fifth largest industry, attracting 83 cents out of every dollar Americans spent on amusement. It’s only natural then that through this journey Hollywood also became the ideal of many things in the audience’s eyes. In particular the movies excelled at extravagance, fun, and glamour – and they were the primary distraction through tough times. Here’s more…

In 1920, Metro Pictures Corporation (with its already-acquired Goldwyn Pictures Corporation) was purchased by early theater exhibitor Marcus Loew of Loew’s Inc. In another acquisition, Loew merged his Metro-Goldwyn production company with Louis B. Mayer Pictures.

In 1920 C.B.C. Film Sales Corporation was founded in 1920 by brothers Jack and Harry Cohn, and Joseph Brandt. C.B.C. was renamed Columbia in 1924.

On March 28, 1920 the wedding of the century took place when Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford joined in matrimony. Fairbanks bought a lodge for his new bride and it was named Pickfair, a place that soon became the social center of Hollywood. In June 1920 the couple joined fellow newlyweds Frances Marion and Fred Thomson on a European honeymoon.

On April 3, 1920 F. Scott Fitzgerald wed novelist Zelda Sayre at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.

Director John Ford wed Mary Smith in 1920.

Charlie Chaplin discovered Jackie Coogan and chose him to play The Kid released in 1921.

Alice Guy, the world’s first female filmmaker and a key figure in the development of narrative film, directed her final film, the feature-length Tarnished Reputations (1920).

Born in 1920

I am astounded by the talent born in 1920. Expect major centennial celebrations for these important people who have given us so much joy through film and television.

Vincent Gardenia

Constance Moore

DeForest Kelley

Federico Fellini

Delbert Mann

James Doohan

Toshiro Mifune

Jack Webb

Denver Pyle

Peggy Lee

Yul Brynner

Maureen O’Hara

Shelley Winters

Ray Bradbury

Jack Warden

Mickey Rooney

William Conrad

Walter Matthau

Laraine Day

Montgomery Clift

Merlina Mercouri

Hy Averback

Nanette Fabray

Gene Tierney

Ricardo Montalban

Noel Neill

Virginia Mayo

Frances Gifford

Jack Lord

Tony Randall

Ray Harryhausen

Deaths in 1920

1920 is relatively early in the life of the movies so it’s not surprising only one stood out as notable…and particularly sad. On or about September 10 of that year actor Olive Thomas ingested bi-chloride of mercury from a French-labeled bottle in a darkened bathroom, believing it to be another medication. Found unconscious, she died five days later. The death made worldwide headlines. Olive was only 25 when she died.

With Olive’s death came a flood of stories linking her to alcohol and drug use and to sexual promiscuity. The evils of “movie people” were spotlighted along with her death by moralists everywhere. Regardless of the circumstances, which I believe have never come to light, this was the tragic death of a 25-year-old woman. Olive was survived by her husband Jack Pickford who was with her in Paris when the tragedy occurred. You can read more about the life and death of Olive Thomas at Silents are Golden.

Olive Thomas c. 1919

Among the notables who made their film debuts in 1920…

Mary Astor made her film debut by way of an uncredited part in Buster Keaton’s The Scarecrow

Madge Bellamy made her debut in Edward José’s The Riddle: Woman.

Charles Boyer in Marcel L’Herbier’s L’homme de Large

Greta Garbo in Ragnar Ring’s How Not to Dress, which according to the New York Times obituary is a short sponsored by the department story where Greta worked as a sales clerk.

Alfred Hitchcock – Hitchcock submitted a portfolio of title cards for The Sorrows of Satan and The Great Day and is hired by Famous Players-Lasky British Producers Limited. (Hitchcock.zone)

Barbara La Marr , the girl who was too beautiful caught everyone’s attention when she co-starred with Douglas Fairbanks in The Nut in 1921, but she made her debut the year prior in Bertram Bracken’s Harriet and the Piper.

Victor McLaglen in A. E. Coleby’s The Call of the Road (1920) he gets a starring role right off the bat as a gambler-turned-boxer.

Nita Naldi – the story goes that her dancing was spotted by John Barrymore, who obtained her debut role for her in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920).

Claude Rains – we see him for a brief moment at the end of the film, but it’s a brilliant turn he delivers in his formal film debut as James Whale’s The Invisible Man in 1933, but as is news to me at this writing, Rains appeared in Fred Goodwins’ Build Thy House in 1920.

Notable Film Releases

Germany’s silent landmark classic, director Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released in the US in 1920.

Douglas Fairbanks’ first swashbuckler, Fred Niblo’s The Mark of Zorro (1920).

Buster Keaton made his first solo film appearance in the comedy short One Week (1920), after co-starring with Roscoe Arbuckle for the three previous years.

Legendary Broadway stage star John Barrymore appeared in the adapted Robert Louis Stevenson tale-horror film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) directed by John. S. Robertson.

Ernst Lubitsch’s Passion was released in the U.S. bringing attention to Polish actress Pola Negri.

Way Down East, a romantic drama directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish was a top grossing movie of the year.

Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton released several shorts each that are worth watching so check out their filmographies and get to it. Roscoe Arbuckle had a slow year given his star status in 1920, but that would all fall apart in 1921 following the Virginia Rappe scandal.

Harry Millarde’s Over the Hill to the Poorhouse or just Over the Hill starring Mary Carr was one of the top grossing films of the decade.

Paul Powell’s Pollyanna starring Mary Pickford was popular despite both screenwriter Frances Marion and Mary Pickford not liking it.

Shipwrecked Among Cannibals, a travelogue/documentary directed by William F. Adler, was the first Universal film to gross $1,000,000.

Cecil B. DeMille’s Something to Think About starring Elliott Dexter, Gloria Swanson and Monte Blue was popular with audiences.

Top Money-making actors

According to Quigley Polls from results of 1919 film releases.

Wallace Reid

Marguerite Clark

Charles Ray

Douglas Fairbanks

Mary Miles Minter

Mary Pickford

Clara Kimball Young

William S. Hart

Norma Talmadge

Theda Bara

Theda Bara in THE LIGHT 1919

◊

I hope you enjoyed these hundred-year-old highlights. I look forward to what I hope will be a stellar, enjoyable year of blogging and wish you and yours the very best. Now, in 1920s lingo, “Go chase yourself!”

HAPPY NEW YEAR…1920, A Centennial Celebration It's been the practice here to honor notable film-related anniversaries at the onset of every year - Looking back to move forward, if you will.

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of Hyrule | Chapter 52

Now that Link and his friends were the talk of the world, he shouldn't have been surprised when he got more attention than he was used to. Still, when he got to school the next morning, he wasn't prepared for the entire school to fall silent, their eyes turned to him. Unfortunately, there was still a few minutes before the first bell, which meant that no one would make their way into the school until then, too content to be staring at the six students that were plastered all over the news.

Link shoved his hands in his pockets and hurried over to his friends, but the staring did not stop.

“This is uncomfortable,” Mipha muttered. “What are we supposed to do?”

“Milk it,” Revali said. He scanned the crowd that had gathered outside the school and winked at a few of the cute girls he spotted. They giggled and turned to whisper to one another. After a moment, a few of the students stepped forward.

“Is it true? Is Ganondorf coming back?”

Another kid elbowed his friend in the ribs. “Of course not, you idiot,” he hissed. “They're a bunch of liars.”

Zelda's brows knit together, but she bit her tongue.

Revali, however, was not about to let himself look foolish. “Idiots,” he spat. “Do you really think I'd waste my time with Link for nothing?”

“Thanks,” Link muttered.

“Prove it, then,” the kid said. “Let's see it. The Triforce.”

“Well, they can't just will it to appear,” Revali said, as if it were obvious.

“How convenient.”

“Don't waste your breath,” Urbosa said. “They're uneducated biggots.”

To their relief, the first bell of the day rang. It took a few moments, but slowly, one by one, the students started to make their way inside the building, mumbling to each other and casting final glances towards the six Champions. They waited until most of the students made their way into the school before following suit. They were, however, stopped in the hallway, by none other than their principal.

“Let's have a talk, shall we?” he said to them.

Without argument, they trudged after him, following him into his office. Though in adequate sized office, with eight people in there, it proved to be slightly cramped. Still, he closed the door behind him and sat himself at his desk. One of the school's counselors sat beside him. He smiled at the six students that stood before him and was the first to speak.

“You should know,” he started, but Revali interrupted him.

“We're not crazy,” he snarled. “And we don't need help from the likes of you.”

The counselor cleared his throat and folded his hands in his lap. “I never said you were crazy,” he said, meeting Revali's gaze. “There are people in the world that still believe the legends.”

Daruk narrowed his gaze on the man. “You say that as if it's nonsense.”

“We're not here to make life anymore difficult for you,” their principal said. “But after what happened last night -”

“You're in the eye of the media,” the counselor said. “You're being watched by the entire world. Some of you are minors. There is going to be a lot to handle in the next few weeks.”

“And, you know, saving the world,” Urbosa said. “We gotta do that, too.”

The counselor nodded. “I trust you know what you're doing,” he said. “But I wouldn't be doing my job if I stood idly by.”

“So,” Revali started, “What's your job? You're not exactly a pysch.”

“But if I believe it is in your best interest to -”

“We don't need therapists,” Zelda hissed. “What we need is the world to stop breathing down our necks.”

“That will never happen,” he said. “Your lives will never go back to normal.”

The six of them were quiet as they considered this. It never occurred to them what their futures could be like. They were simply too busy worrying about Ganondorf, and if they were even going to survive the war.

“A price we must bear, then,” Revali said simply.

“I don't think you understand the severity -”

“I don't think you understand,” Zelda said fiercely. “The entire world is in danger, and its our job to save it.”

“If you ask me,” Revali said, “it seems like you doubt us. We're not children. We know we're in way over our heads.”

The counselor smiled. “Perhaps, then, you should take a step back and consider your options.”

“There are no options,” Zelda said. “It all comes down to us, whether you like it or not.”

“That's a daunting task, don't you think?”

They were quiet again, waiting for the counselor to speak further. When he did, he stood.

“You don't have to be alone in this,” he continued. “Don't be afraid to ask for help.”

The principal stood, too. He walked around the students to open the office door. “You can get late passes from the front desk,” he instructed them.

The six Champions said nothing as they left the office, though their anger and frustration was written on their faces. They didn't speak to one another until they were back in the hallway.

“That was a load of bullshit,” Daruk said. “Thank the Goddesses we're out of this shit hole soon.”

“On the plus side,” Urbosa added, “we'll be able to finish this war without worrying about school.”

“I don't think I can stand their stares much longer,” Mipha muttered. “Why couldn't the media get involved after school ended?”

“You're telling me,” Zelda said. She shifted her bag on her shoulder and sighed. “This is going to be a very long day.”

And a very long day it was for Hyrule's Champions. Still, they managed to pull through to the end, all too eager to leave the suffocating walls of the school, only to be stopped by Teba in the parking lot.

“I want to know what's going on,” Teba said.

They stared at him for a moment, then turned their gazes to Link, as if they expected him to explain it all to him.

“Nothing's going on,” Link muttered.

“Cut the bullshit,” Teba barked. He stepped into Link's space, glaring down at him. “Tell me the truth.”

“Fine!” Link shouted. “We're a crime fighting team and we call ourselves Hyrule's Champions. We go around fighting monsters because some fucked up bad guy is about to rise from his pit in hell and take over the world with his evil power. And guess what? I have a magic sword that's gonna stop him. And Mipha and Urbosa and Daruk have magic powers. Revali? He's fucking good with a bow and arrow and he has matrix-like reaction. And there's this old hag is a Sheikah who's probably a thousand years old and she's kind of our leader.”

Teba stared at him long and hard for a moment before a grin split his face. He laughed sharply. “That's a good one. I like it. Do you wear costumes and capes and shit, too?”

Link smirked and shrugged. “I voted for crime fighting bikinis for the ladies, but that got shot down.”

“So, that's the best you've got?” Teba asked. “You're not even trying with the excuses anymore.”

“For the love of the Goddesses,” Urbosa said. She put a hand on her hip and raised her other arm in the air, snapping her fingers. Lightning split the clear, blue sky out of no where, and Teba jumped back in surprise.

“What the fuck was that?”

“My super power,” Urbosa said, rolling her eyes.

Teba blinked at her. “No it's not,” he said after a moment. “You're fucking with me.”

Revali sighed. He leaned over his car, pulling out a plain looking dagger, and plunged it into Link's arm. Link shouted and doubled over in pain, clutching at his arm.

“What the fuck, Revali?!”

Urbosa turned to Revali and slapped him across the head. “Are you fucking serious?”

“The fuck is wrong with you, man?” Teba shouted at him.

“You're such a dick,” Mipha muttered as she hurried to Link's side. She got to her knees and moved her hands over his arm. A light emitted from her palms, enveloping the wound, and within a few moments, Link's arm was healed. Link sneered up at Revali as he got back to his feet.

Teba stared at Link's arm, his mouth gaping open as if he were trying to speak. His mouth opened and closed for a moment before he finally managed to spit out “What the fuck!”

“Obviously Mipha's the healer,” Daruk said with a smirk. “I'm the tank.”

“You... heal... tank...” Teba shook his head. “This is a fucking dream.”

“I wish,” Urbosa muttered.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Teba said, holding up his hands. “So, you fight monsters?”

“Yes,” Link said in a bored tone.

“And some bad guy is trying to take over the world and you need to stop him?”

“Yes,” Zelda said, exasperated.

“But,” he continued, “why you guys?”

“Because they were chosen by destiny,” Paya said. “Zelda is a descendant of the Goddess Hylia and has inherited her power, just as Link is a descendant of Hylia's appointed hero. Over the years, she has gifted others with a power that would be crucial in aiding them in the war against Ganondorf.”

“Ganondorf,” Teba muttered. “The bad guy?”

“Ganondorf holds a piece of the Triforce, which grants him enough power to rise time and time again, no matter how many times he is defeated and sealed away. He is after the other two pieces, which Zelda and Link possess. He will never rest until he claims the full power of the Triforce.”

“So, this has happened before?”

“It is the job of the Sheikah to make sure each hero finds the Master Sword and takes up the duty to defeat Ganondorf. It is our job to keep our history alive and not lost to legend. The moment we lose touch with our past, we will lose all of Hyrule.”

“This is real,” Teba said. “You're not fucking with me.”

“Honestly, Teba,” Urbosa said. “I have better things to do than craft elaborate lies with these idiots.”

Zelda nodded in agreement.

Teba frowned. “Why am I always left out of all the exciting shit?”

“Don't worry,” Revali said. “I was the last to know, too. And it's not as exciting as I expected it to be.”

“Not for nothing,” Teba said, looking around. Students still had their eyes on the Champions as they slowly made their way home for the afternoon. “But ya'll in way over your heads.”

“This isn't news to us,” Daruk muttered.

“What can I do to help?” Teba said.

“Nothing,” Revali hissed. “Get as far away from us as you can. Its for your own good.”

“Yeah, I don't think so,” he said, shaking his head.

Link opened his mouth to argue with Teba, but Revali stepped in instead, his fierce gaze on his friend.

“Do you think this is a game?” he snapped at Teba. “Do you think we want to be doing this?”

Teba hesitated. His brows furrowed as Revali continued angrily.

“Shit, we'll be lucky if we live another day. Our lives are on the line. The lives of every person in the world is in our hands. If we fuck up, that's it. And if by some miracle we win this, nothing is going to be the same. The media has turned us into fucking pariahs. In the end, no one will trust us, even if we come out on top. You get to go on and live your life, marry Suki, whatever the fuck you want to do. We'll always be judged, everywhere we go. We'll be held to expectations we can't live up to. We threw out futures away for this. So everyone else could live. Don't make us regret it.” Revali turned on his heels and got into his car, slamming the door behind him, still fuming. He turned the key in the ignition, then looked up and pointed a finger at Link.

“End this before I end you.”

Link narrowed his eyes on Revali, but said nothing. They watched as he peeled out of the parking lot and disappeared around the corner.

“College seems so meaningless if the world is going to end tomorrow,” Teba muttered.

[malykrisoftheazuresky]

The Legend of Zelda - The First Legend

In 1986, Nintendo came out with a game that would go on to live as the beginning of one of the greatest series of all time. The Legend of Zelda was one of the most influential games of its time, being the combination of an action and adventure exploration game. It was hard to see a library of NES games that did not have the golden cartridge standing out for all to see. Despite the limitations of the NES, The Legend of Zelda managed to do quite a lot for its time in terms of gameplay and structure. 

The story, while not necessarily bad, is extremely simplistic. This is due to the fact that most of the development of the game went to the actual game, leaving the very short story to be told in the manual that came with the game and in the Star Wars-like crawl text that appears if you wait a few minutes in the start screen. The premise is that Ganon, the villain of the game, has captured Princess Zelda and the relic called the Triforce of Power. Before her capture, Zelda split the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces so that Ganon would not be able to obtain it. The hero of the story must find the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom in Hyrule and save Zelda from Ganon. The manual tells a much more detailed version of the story, but because it’s something you won’t read unless you’re looking for it, what you’ll likely see is the crawl text that tells this simplistic story. Despite the fact the canonical name of the hero is Link, the player is left to choose what to name the hero of the game. This is really all there is to the story. The only other characters that show up are a nameless old man and a nameless old woman who might tell you a hint or sell you items. There aren’t any twists or plot based character development that occurs. Instead the story of the game unfolds by the wordless actions the player does, rather than through dialogue between characters. 

The gameplay is where the game shines the most, having the player traverse the land of Hyrule to find the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom, which reside in eight hidden dungeons. The game initially starts by immediately putting the player into the game, being able to control the hero in any direction they wish. The player views the world and the hero in a birds-eye view. When traversing the world, the player can move seamlessly in the specific section of the world they are currently within. The moment the player moves into a new section of the world, the screen will shift into that section. This can slow down the experience a bit, but that’s more of a limitation of the game at the time rather than a bad design choice. Exploration of the world will lead players to find secrets that contain rupees(the world’s currency), items or the dungeons themselves. While it can be missed, the first screen all players see has a cave for them to go into, granting the player with a wooden sword to aid them in their quest. 

The sword is the main weapon of use to fighting the monsters the roam Hyrule. The player is only able to attack in the direction they are facing, having the player require them to be close to perform a stabbing attack. However, if the player has their health 100% filled, their sword will shoot a beam, acting as a projectile to shoot at enemies from a safe distance. Health is indicated by heart containers, with the player initially starting with three. When filled, the heart containers will be shown as red. Upon being damaged, the heart container will be depleted in increments of fourths, halves or the entire heart container. When low on health, the player will begin to hear beeping. Once all the containers are depleted, the player dies and is presented with the game over screen. The player has the choice to save the game or to continue, either it be by starting back at the first screen of the game or at the first screen of the dungeon they died at. At the time, most games didn’t have a “save” function that didn’t require some insane password that needed to be written down. The Legend of Zelda was one of the first games to have a function that most people take for granted today. 

The character progression isn’t told by the story, but rather by the equipment the player acquires throughout their quest. As stated before, the hero initially starts with three heart containers, as well as a small shield, a wooden sword and a green tunic Throughout the game, if they manage to acquire them, the player will obtain additional heart containers, stronger swords and shields, and even stronger tunics. The player can visibly see these things, where its just seeing more heart containers or the change in color of the hero’s tunic and sword. The player can also sense how the hero has become stronger because of how they can now survive the more difficult enemies of the game and defeat the earlier ones with significantly less strikes. This sense of progression can also be segmented into how many pieces of the Triforce you’ve obtained so far, which you can keep track of and see how it all comes together piece by piece. Its this progression that the player will need if they wish to delve into Hyrule’s eight dungeons.

This next point can be a bit mixed, but finding the dungeons is not an easy task. There is nothing to guide the player in finding the dungeons, with the exception of cryptic hints from old men and women who are hiding in caves. The player is truly left to actually explore Hyrule and is left to their own devices to discover the secrets to finding all the dungeons, which can range from bombing a wall or solving the secret of a forest maze. Once the player reaches a dungeon, its up to the player to explore the dungeon to find a piece of the Triforce, which will be guarded by a dangerous beast. A dungeon may also contain a new item for the player to use, which can range from a bow with arrows, a boomerang or a raft. In addition to these tools, dungeons also contain keys to open locked doors, which can be used in any dungeon. Dungeon specific maps help the player keep track of where they are inside, that is if they can find them. Dungeons are filled with difficult enemies and locked passages, usually require intuition from the player to figure out how to access its secrets. This can consist of defeating enemies, pushing blocks, bombing weak walls to open new pathways or a combination of the three. Egoraptor(Arin Hanson) made a video on comparing A Link to the Past and Ocarina of time, where he touches on the idea of mixing exploration and combat. The game does not stop the player from exploring Hyrule/the dungeon while enemies are on the screen. This is probably one of the game’s strongest traits as allows the players to have the freedom to adjust their own focus on the game rather than having the game forcibly tell you that you need to focus on combat before exploration or vice versa. However, the concept of leaving the player to their own devices to discover and complete the objective can be hit or miss. Because the game doesn’t have any in-game guide to assist the player, one can easily get lost and get frustrated when they can’t find the dungeon they’re missing. At the same time, there’s also the level in non-linearity as the player is able to do all the dungeons out of order, with the exception of the final dungeon, and that can make it feel like the player is going on their own journey.  If you’re playing the game without a walkthrough, this can be the hardest Zelda game to date. 

Something I will keep brief is the music and the aesthetic of the game. While not large in variety, it’s one of the most iconic things about this game as most of the tracks have been reworked into later games. The overworld theme is particular is the most memorable track, giving a large sense of adventure. The dungeon theme does a great job at giving the player the idea that their delving into somewhere dangerous and unknown, yet mysterious and full of secrets. The theme of Ganon’s Lair is the only dungeon that uses its own track, giving the tone of entering the den of someone menacing and evil. Smaller sound designs, such as when acquiring an item or the sound of the sword beam hitting an enemy, feels rewarding and empowering. They go a long way down the line to help indicate what’s happening to the player while the game progresses. The same can be said about how the game looks. The overworld uses colors that pop out to indicate how bright and wonderous the world is. It’s very clear who you are, what the enemy exactly and what items are being presented. In addition to that, it’s easy to know where you are in terms of environment. When the environment changes, you’ll see the foreground go from trees to rocky terrain. Entrances to caves stand out in the bright space, which lead appropriately to a black spaced screen where only two lit fires stand and whatever lies inside. The exception to entrance indication are dungeons, in which they have this grand and large opening that seduce the player to venture in. The dungeons are represented by dim colors, showing how little light exists inside, but not dark enough that the player can’t see where they are and what they’re seeing.

The final thing I want to talk about is the end of the game and the difficulty of the game. I mentioned before that the high level of exploration in the game can make the game extremely difficult, but there are other things as well. Enemies can start to hit quite hard and take more hits as the game progresses. If you don’t find the sword and tunic upgrades, which are quite well hidden in the game, you’ll find it quite difficult to defeat the monsters in later parts of the game. The lack of direction can make it difficult to progress in the game as well, which probably lead to later games having a companion to help guide the player as to where to go next. However, the very end of the game is a little too much. The final dungeon, Ganon’s Lair, will open up once you acquire all eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. It is riddled with locked doors and hidden bomb walls. The problem is that there aren’t enough keys in the dungeon and if you open the wrong door, you’ll have to find another key outside the dungeon. That leads the player to go to a shop that sells keys and have to gather rupees to buy keys. It bloats the game a bit. In addition to that, Ganon cannot be defeated unless you have the silver arrows, which is also difficult to find. The game doesn’t indicate properly that it is his weakness and if you miss getting the item, you’ll end up in a fight that you cannot win. 

I feel like I touched on a lot more criticisms towards the game rather than praise, but I’d also like to say that this game is still quite wonderful to play. If you aren’t aware, Nintendo used to have their own magazine called “Nintendo Power”, which talked about games to be released in the future and secrets for games that were out already, including The Legend of Zelda. These magazines actually helped a lot back then because of how cryptic the game was, leading those secrets to be spread by word of mouth to those who didn’t have access the magazine. It was so well spread that, before I even played the game, I was told about the secret of a burnable tree that held a heart container, many years after the game was released. I had managed to finish this game without a guide and I can’t deny that it was extremely satisfying to defeat Ganon and save Princess Zelda at the end of the game. Is this worth playing today - the answer is a definite yes. Is it worth finishing? That’s if you have a guide or if you really want to challenge yourself. It’s the best way to see where the spirit of The Legend of Zelda series started and how it evolved over time. It’s a game that somehow still stands the test of time. Having Breath of the Wild done a phenomenal job at revitalizing the old philosophy of it’s father game, I can’t wait to see where the series goes next. I leave you with the line that all who play this game will remember for the rest of their days.

“It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this.” - The old man as he gives you the wooden sword. 

[ifanfictiondreamerworld]

LCS:Hyrule Chronicles-Twenty Second Page

We stood before Malbella as she was endeavoring to toss the large orb of Darkness towards my friends. Malbella: “I shall not ask of you again! Give us both of your pieces of the Triforce now!” Myself: “Sister, don’t do this!” Zelda: “Is wasting away your enemies truly worth your selfish desire towards something as heinous and reckless as Ultimate Power? For you and Ganondorf to receive the rest of the Triforce, even this terrible curse you have brought upon our land pales in comparison to the excruciating agony and suffering that both of you will bring forth to all of us. Do your worst, Malbella; we can endure.” Out of rage, my sister tossed the large orb towards my dear friends. As I was about to advance towards their aid, Link, with one slash of his sword, delivered a blow at the orb and sent it back towards my sister. She managed to act fast and cushioned the impact with both hands as she took the large essence of her own Dark Magic back into herself. Malbella: “I did not anticipate this outcome!” Myself: “Link! Zelda!” I was to approach them once more. Zelda: “No, Glentina! You must not stay here! You still need to seek out Lanayru!” Link: “She’s right. You must complete this mission that we have started together; that is your only priority.” Myself: “But what of the both of you? I can not just leave you with them!” Link: “Don’t worry about us, we can handle them.” Zelda: “We don’t need to see the last spirit, you do.” Link: “We’ll hold them off as long as we can. Just go!” I hesitated, but I knew what was to be done. Myself: “I...I shall return for you, noble friends.” I flew off and continued my way towards the spirit. Malbella: “Oh, no you don’t, sister! You shall not hastily retreat from us!” My sister made strides to chase after me, but was struck by a projectile of pure Light. She then turned her attention back towards Link and Zelda. Zelda held in her hand a sacred bow, the weapon which had shot the projectile towards my sister. Zelda: “You’re not going anywhere, Malbella!” Malbella: “Hm…you non-eternal be full of many surprises. It matters not, you are still not stronger than I. But should you insist on a fight, than I shall not deny said request. This shall not take long.” Zelda: “I’ll handle Malbella, you go and bring down Ganondorf.” Link: “It’ll be my pleasure.” Both Link and Zelda commenced with each of their respective battles. As Link and Zelda valiantly faced Ganondorf and my sister as I continued on with my search for the last of the spirit. It did not take me long to encounter another nasty trick brought on by my sister in the form of a horde of monsters. Myself: “I figure that my sister would derail my advancement towards the spirit. Though…greatly immense, her endeavors shall not ensure that I am to falter during my imperative quest to protect this faire land.” I conjured an orb of Light from my hands. I allowed it to increase in size prior to its release. Myself: “Sister! I shan’t allow you to enforce me to admit defeat! It is you who must fall. I mustn’t allow you to torment these good people any longer!” I hurtled my orb of Light towards the horde and managed to eradicate all of them. Even with that threat disposed of, I still had a most unfavorable problem on my hands. Myself: “This is not good. I may have done away with the monsters, but…I am…unable to sense out the last spirit. Where could it be?” The surrounding area was massive, to seek out the Great Spirit was what I had little time to do. I made an attempt to undergo a deep focus technique in order to strengthen my sensing powers, however, I was only able to sense out my 2 dearest friends not being able to last in their bout against my sister and Ganondorf, so even the technique would deplete too much of our time. Our situation seemed most grim, that is until I heard an unfamiliar voice from an unbeknownst origin. Voice: “Glentina…can you hear me?” Myself: “Huh? Who is there?” Voice: “I know why you have arrived. If you wish to seek out what you have come for, then search for a cavern that sits beside the lake.” Myself: “A cavern that sits beside the lake? How shall I be certain if I am able to locate it?” Voice: “Do not worry, youthful one, you will know. It should not be hard to find.” Myself: “Very well then. I shall take your word for it.” I flew off to seek out what the mysterious voice instructed me to find. I had to act quickly for I truly did not have much time left.

[minhthangcoi9993-blog]

Review Game Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus for PlayStation 4 is a stunning return to the classic that first wowed us on the PlayStation 2 in 2005. With completely redone art and spectacular lighting, it expertly captures the original’s unique beauty, awe-inspiring scope, and absolutely heartbreaking story while simultaneously fixing a handful of imperfections. The result is not only an incredible remaster, but one of the best and most beautiful games the PS4 has to offer.

Part of Shadow of the Colossus’ enduring legacy is in its relatively simplistic design. You explore the vast, gorgeous world in search of 16 unique, terrifying beasts. These range from humanoid giants to airborne birds and massive underwater hydras. Though it’s never actually explained, your motivation is clear: slay them in order to restore life to a comatose woman who is clearly important to you. But while this premise is simple, the act of embarking on this six to eight-hour quest is remarkable.

Riding out of the central shrine and using the beam of sunlight reflecting off your sword as a dowsing rod to find your next target is a continually satisfying way to kick off a hunt. And every time I started making my way toward a beast’s literal stomping grounds I was left stunned by just how gorgeous Shadow of The Colossus has become. From the way light drips through a forest to the swaying clumps of matted hair on a colossus to the textures on your character’s cloak, it’s leaps and bounds past most other contemporary games, to say nothing of its source material. It looks great even on a launch PS4, and even better on a Pro.

This remaster also does a fantastic job of fixing some of the problems of the 2005 original, while completely modernizing the entire experience to our 2018 standards. The frame rate no longer buckles in the presence of a particularly massive colossus, and when you set it to performance mode on a PS4 Pro it even maintains 60 frames per second with minimal sacrifices in quality. You can see all the way to the horizon while riding across the vast, somber planes, revealing a sense of scale hidden in the original due to short draw distances. And the new control setup remaps the jump and grab buttons in a way that simply makes more sense than the strange original configuration. Combine all of this with a flexible photo mode and a handful of new Easter eggs and this remaster made me forget that I was playing a 13-year-old game.

There are still a handful of minor nagging issues that exist: for instance, the scope of some of the battles and your close proximity to a giant, hairy colossus means that the camera will occasionally get lost in tufts of fur and obscure your view at a crucial moment. Likewise, success in a few of the encounters relies on getting the colossus to stand in a very specific position, which can sometimes be a bit like trying to get a dog to stay in a bathtub.

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But overall, the classic design of Shadow of the Colossus has stood the test of time without a trace of wear. Each of the 16 colossi are puzzles in and of themselves, and they ramp up from simple as you begin to learn the controls and mechanics, to deviously challenging and complex by the end. I love how that initial moment of awe and terror when you first see a beast is quickly replaced by curiosity; surveying a creature and learning its nuanced movements and distinctive behaviors as you map out a path to the top make it feel like you exist inside of a nature documentary. It’s this illusion that they’re living creatures that creates an internal conflict in hunting and killing them, and Shadow of the Colossus twists that knife brilliantly.

Likewise, having a minimal set of tools at your disposal – only a sword, a bow, and your awesome horse Agro – means that you need to master each one in order to take down the beasts. There are some cool upgrades that can be gained by completing the optional Time Attack modes, such as stronger weapons, different colored horses, and even a parachute that aids exploration. And while none of these are necessary to defeat any of the beasts, they provide some solid incentives to replay the fantastic encounters.

Once you actually hop aboard a Colossus, the entire experience feeds into a fantastic sense of tension. The wonderful and evocative score swells, the creatures try to shake you off, and your grip meter ticks down as you try to find a weak point. This impending sense of dread is heightened by that last point — stamina management leads to awesome cinematic moments where I’d make it to a safe ledge just as my grip fades away. This mechanic brought to mind some of the most incredible moments of last year’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which in retrospect was clearly inspired by the original Shadow of the Colossus.

All of these encounters feed into the emotional arc of the story. The journey of your character and his sleeping sister (Queen? Lover?) is one marked in tragedy. Watching him slowly become less and less human as you slay these innocent beasts, all in the name of saving this person he clearly loves, is nothing short of brutal. It’s a moral problem that’s driven home by every part of the act of taking down a colossus: There is none of the congratulatory fanfare we’re conditioned to expect after a boss fight. You aren’t given XP or money. Instead, you’re met with a notable silence that prompts you to reflect on what you just did. And, without going into spoiler territory, the emotional climax of the story remains as one of the most powerful moments in all of gaming.

The Verdict

The true definition of a classic, the gameplay and story of Shadow of the Colossus are every bit as great and emotional today as they were in 2005. This outstanding remaster skillfully enhances those qualities with improved controls, performance, and sheer graphical beauty. It remains one of the best PlayStation games ever made, and it’s wonderful that Sony has brought it back to the fore so a new generation of gamers can experience it without having to look past its aged facade.