#zelda being exiled is so v bittersweet oof

[bae-leth]

FE3H x LoZ Part 2

Hi again! It’s been a while but here are some things I’ve come up with since the last post I sent. I hope you enjoy!

THE CHURCH OF HYLIA

I’m still debating upon whethere there will be a fourth route that focuses on the Church of Hylia, so I won’t touch upon the leader of the Church yet (but if anyone has any ideas, please feel free to bring them up!) The following characters are faculty and staff at the Officer’s Academy, and they are all recruitable.

Byleth - So it’s come to my attention that a huge part of the narrative in Three Houses comes from Byleth. Therefore, I’m going to include Byleth in this AU! It feels kind of wrong especially since this blog has given them so much characterization that I feel they without a doubt belong to Three Houses, but the story needs something to drive it forward (one example being Byleth has to choose a house). Unlike Three Houses, however, there won’t be a super big focus on their origins. Sothis isn’t in this AU, after all, so Byleth will just be a normal mercenary who becomes the new professor by chance. I suppose you could say that Byleth is much more of a Mark than a Corrin here in terms of involvement, though they still can have supports with the other characters. Also, they have pointy ears to match everyone else.

Jeralt - Good news: Jeralt is alive for the story this time! Throughout the story he acts as a source of wisdom for Byleth, and eventually gets closer to the house leader and does that for them, too.

Telma - a healer from Hyrule who serves as a professor and the school physician. She really wants a man, and almost always has some kind of dating problems. However, she is very motherly and excellent at her job. Her favorite hobby is making cocktails (which help her drink her worries away) but she doesn’t make any for the students until post-timeskip. Strengths: Faith, Riding, Authority

Kass - he was a traveling bard in his youth but eventually became a full-time professor. He is known for giving profound yet mysterious advice. He has taken Medli under his wing (pun intended) as a musical apprentice. Strengths: Axe, Flying

Robbie - the training instructor at the Officer’s Academy. Known for his flashy battle moves. He has an interest in tinkering and mechanical work. Possesses close ties to the royal family of Hyrule. Strengths: Sword, Lance, Axe

Orca - a general in the Knights of Hylia. One of the oldest knights. He is strict and has a commanding presence over the other knights, and has risen to his position because of his renowned strategic prowess. Strengths: Sword, Lance, Authority

Linebeck - a rather lazy soldier in the Knights of Hylia. He is often being lectured by  for his lack of effort. Has a habit of taking credit for achievements that he didn’t contribute to. Strengths: Sword, Brawl, Heavy Armor

Osfala - a former scholar who is now a field physician in the Knights of Hylia. He is a graduate of the Officer’s Academy. Quite prickly, but very attentive and quick-minded on the battlefield. Strengths: Bow, Faith

Irene - a mage in the Knights of Hylia. She is a graduate of the Officer’s Academy. She is not devout to the Church of Hylia, but she took the job in order to help those in need (though she would never admit it). Strengths: Reason, Flying

Makar - a noble child born out of an affair and taken in as a servant of the Church. He can often be found tending to the greenhouse, his favorite place in the monastery. Somewhat absentminded, but always wants to do his best. Strengths: Lance, Faith, Flying

ROUTES

Before we begin, I’d like to announce that the name of the monastery is the Great Plateau Monastery! It’s named after the plateau it sits on, which is in the center of the continent. Its high cliffs act as a natural barrier against any skirmishes that happen on the borders of the nations.

This is mostly just a general summary of each route rather than going chapter by chapter.

Part 1: Clear Skies

Jeralt and Byleth save three children (Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf) from a bandit attack.

Linebeck arrives on the scene and thanks the mercenaries for their work… because he didn’t have to do anything!

It is revealed that Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf are students at the Officer’s Academy and heirs to their respective nations. Linebeck escorts them, as well as Byleth and Jeralt, back to the Great Plateau Monastery.

The mercenaries are recommended to the Church of Hylia: Jeralt as a Knight and Byleth as a professor. Byleth meets the students and selects a house to teach.

Byleth leads their house on various mock battles and real missions, while also using their status as professor to teach and train their students. The students also bond with one another, even mingling with the other houses – the three house leaders are notably close.

During one mission, Byleth and the students are tasked with protecting the monastery from an army led by an assassin known as Sheik. It is at this point where they begin to suspect that there is a bigger conspiracy at work.

Zelda later reveals that Sheik is a phantom that she controls in order to collect information and lead assaults while maintaining her identity as a student. She accuses the Church of hiding the truth from the world, and before she can elaborate, she escapes.

If Byleth has chosen the Azure Owls, they follow Zelda and she explains that there is a prophecy that has been erased from history by the Church, in which the three nations are caught in an eternal cycle of war and hatred over the Triforce Crests. She has learned that Ganondorf, as the bearer of the Crest of Demise, will wage war that will destroy the continent in the future, and she intends to stop that from happening as soon as possible.

If Byleth has chosen the Azure Owls, they join Zelda and siege the Great Plateau Monastery in order to make it a new base of operations for the Kingdom army. If Byleth has chosen the Crimson Boars or Verdant Wolves, they join their students and the Knights of Hylia in defending the monastery.

Regardless of which house they chose, Byleth is knocked unconscious during the battle, and wakes up five years later. The Kingdom, Empire and Alliance are at war with each other, just as the prophecy stated.

Part 2: Relentless Rain (Azure Owls / Kingdom of Hyrule)

Byleth returns to the monastery, where they reunite with Zelda and the Azure Owls. They learn that the Gerudo Empire has allied with the Church of Hylia – though they have different goals, they both oppose the Kingdom – while the Ordon Alliance remains neutral, but is struggling to prevent internal conflict.

The Gerudo Empire invades Kingdom territory, but to everyone’s surprise the Alliance arrives as well, resulting in a three-way battle. There are heavy losses on all sides, with the Alliance army especially damaged.

Zelda’s first plan of action is to eliminate the Alliance while it is still vulnerable. The Kingdom army storms the Alliance capital and though Link is there as the last line of defense, he surrenders upon defeat.

The Kingdom army continues to advance into Empire territory. The Knights of Hylia guard a vital fortress in one last stand, but are defeated.

Zelda and Byleth arrange a secret meeting with Ganondorf in hopes of obtaining more answers about the prophecy, which Ganondorf has learned about in the past five years. When they confront him, they see how much his mind has deteriorated, and they are ambushed by soldiers of the Yiga Clan. Zelda and Byleth are forced to retreat.

Zelda admits that she had worked with the Yiga Clan as Sheik in the past, partially to obtain information about the resurrection of the Demon King and partially to gain their aid in taking down the Church. However, since their goal is to unleash the Demon King, she plans to target them as well.

The Kingdom army arrives at the capital and sieges the imperial palace. Ganondorf has fully lost his sanity and exhausts all of his troops in order to try and overwhelm Zelda. He is defeated, but in a last-ditch effort he uses his Crest in order to transform into a Demonic Beast, Beast Ganon.

Zelda and Byleth defeat Beast Ganon. Zelda briefly mourns that of all people, the Crest of Demise happened to take hold of her friend. However, she is reassured that she has restored peace to the continent. Link steps down from leadership of the Alliance and becomes a lone traveler. The three nations unify into the Great Kingdom of Hyrule, and Zelda ascends as its first queen. She heralds an era of peace and harmony while turning her attention to tracking down the remains of the Yiga Clan.

Part 2: Roaring Thunder (Crimson Boars / Gerudo Empire)

Byleth returns to the fallen Great Plateau Monastery and encounters Ganondorf, who is continuing to grow unstable. He laments that he hears voices and has visions urging him down the path of evil. The two reunite with the rest of the Crimson Boars and claim the monastery as their base.

Ganondorf forces a sudden battle between the armies of the Empire, Kingdom, and Alliance. All three armies are hit extremely hard.

Link arrives at the monastery alone to talk to Ganondorf as a friend rather than an opponent. He urges Ganondorf to stop the war with him so they can live in peace as they did before. In a fit of blind rage, Ganondorf loses control of his own actions and murders Link.

Ganondorf realizes that he needs to locate the source of the darkness within him before he can cause any more damage. However, he must convince Zelda to stop the war, so the imperial army continues its advance into Kingdom territory.

The rest of the Verdant Wolves lead the Alliance army into battle, desiring vengeance for the murder of their friend and leader. Ganondorf is forced to defeat them in order to advance.

The imperial army arrives at the Kingdom capital, where Zelda faces them in one final stand. She refuses to yield, as she believes that her mission to eliminate Ganondorf is the only way to prevent further conflict. Ganondorf regretfully defeats her, and in her dying breath she says to “beware the eye of the Yiga.”

Byleth and Ganondorf obtain a posthumous letter from Impa, which details all of the information Zelda has collected about the reincarnation cycle, and Ganondorf learns of his true nature as the reborn Demise, the Demon King of ancient history. The Yiga Clan are a cult that seeks to revive Demise and bring forth the apocalypse, and the letter includes directions to their hidden base.

The imperial army storms the Yiga Clan Hideout, but in the chaos Ganondorf is restrained by the Yiga. They use their powers to extract the Crest of Demise from his body, and from the Crest’s power Demise is fully revived.

Byleth and Ganondorf engage in one final battle against the origin of evil itself, the Demon King Demise. Upon defeating him, the curse is broken permanently and Ganondorf is freed from its hold.

Ganondorf takes his rightful place as the King of the Gerudo Empire, and eventually repairs relations with the Kingdom and Alliance. He visits the Great Plateau Monastery, where Link is buried, the day before his coronation, and says a prayer for all of his friends who had fallen in the war. He is renowned centuries into the future as the catalyst who laid the continent’s demons to eternal rest.

Part 2: Shining Sun (Verdant Wolves / Ordon Alliance)

Byleth returns to the Great Plateau Monastery and reunites with Link, who has been hopeful for their return. Together they meet up with the other Verdant Wolves and rally their troops at the monastery, which has become their new base.

SIDE NOTE: in this route, Link has the option to recruit any units who were not recruited in part 1 if he approaches them in battle.

The Alliance army advances into the Kingdom, but are stopped by the Zelda and the Kingdom army. Ganondorf and his troops also arrive, resulting in a three-way battle. All three armies are forced to fall back, and Link decides to travel along the border between the Empire and Kingdom in order to avoid more ambushes.

Link confesses that as a commoner who ascended to leadership, he has always been treated as an outsider. His dream is to rebuild the continent into a place where everyone is treated equally, and where the bigotry and discrimination between social classes and nations is abolished. This is why his goal is to end the war in its entirety and unite all three nations.

The Alliance army is attacked by the Yiga Clan, which is when Byleth and Link first learn of the cult’s existence.

Before departing from the border and heading into Kingdom territory, the Alliance army faces Ganondorf and the imperial army one more time. Cia is particularly conflicted about her loyalties, and if Link recruits her during the battle, Ganondorf calls in reinforcements that surround them completely. Link is forced to defeat Ganondorf in order to proceed, and in Ganondorf’s last moments, Link promises to bring peace to the continent. (Though Link is not aware of the prophecy, he unknowingly fulfilled it by defeating Ganondorf.)

The Alliance battles its way through the Kingdom until it reaches the capital. Zelda refuses to hear Link’s pleas to cease the war, and the Kingdom engages the Alliance in battle. Midway through, she calls upon the Yiga Clan, and they arrive as reinforcements. Byleth and Link are able to endure and come out victorious, defeating both the Kingdom and the Yiga.

Zelda survives, but is exiled out of the continent. The three nations are united into the Hylian Alliance, and Link becomes its first ruler. Link is still upset over losing Zelda and Ganondorf, but makes sure to honor them by making his reign a just and noble one thats brings the Alliance into a golden age. He is remembered as a progressive leader who utilized his kindness and generosity in order to bring together people from all walks of life.

CRESTS

I’ve decided that Crests and Relics are also in this AU! Here are all of the ones that appear in this universe.

There are four crests that are not passed on by bloodline: the Triforce Crests (Din, Nayru, Farore) and the Crest of Demise. These are the oldest Crests; they can manifest in anyone regardless of status, but appear very rarely. The Triforce Crests are capable of manifesting in someone who already has another Crest, and they won’t have any negative effects, unlike what is shown in Three Houses. The Crest of Demise is a different story.

Din - one of the Triforce Crests, also known as the Crest of Power. Its Hero Relic is the Mirror Shield. Bearers: Ganondorf (minor)

Nayru - one of the Triforce Crests, also known as the Crest of Wisdom. Its Hero Relic is the Bow of Light. Bearers: Zelda (minor)

Farore - one of the Triforce Crests, also known as the Crest of Courage. Its Hero Relic is the Master Sword. Bearers: Link (major)

Demise - an ancient Crest named after the Demon King who bore it. Bearers of this Crest eventually lose their sanity and gain an unquenchable bloodlust. Its Hero Relic is the Demon Trident. Bearers: Ganondorf (major)

Hylia - a Crest that is usually found in members of the royal family of Hyrule. Its Hero Relic is the Goddess Sword. Bearers: Zelda (major), Fi (minor)

Nabooru - a Crest that comes from one of the first warrior heroes of the Gerudo Empire. Its Hero Relic is the Scimitar of the Seven. Bearers: Urbosa (minor)

Kakariko - a Crest that originates from Hyrule. Its Hero Relic is the Sahasrahla Staff. Bearers: Osfala (minor), Robbie (minor)

Holodrum - a Crest that originates from Gerudo. Its Hero Relic is the Golden Gauntlets. Bearers: Onox (minor)

Zora - a Crest that originates from Hyrule. Its Hero Relic is the Lightscale Trident. Bearers: Ruto (major), Mipha (minor)

Lokomo - a Crest that originates from Ordon. Its Hero Relic is the Light Force Gem. Bearers: Byrne (minor)

Goron - a Crest that originates from Hyrule. Its Hero Relic is the Boulder Breaker. Bearers: Daruk (minor)

Rito - a Crest that originates from Hyrule. Its Hero Relic is the Harpstring Axe. Bearers: Revali (minor), Medli (minor)

Kokiri - a Crest that originates from Ordon. Its Hero Relic is the Fairy Bow. Bearers: Saria (minor), Makar (minor)

Twili - known in Hyrule as the Interloper’s Crest. The first bearer of this Crest left the continent and founded the kingdom of Twili, and it is only found in members of the Twili royal family. Its Hero Relic is the Twilight Spear. Bearers: Midna (major)

NEW CLASSES

These are some classes that I would’ve liked to see in Three Houses, so I wrote them down because it makes sense for certain characters. Also, the house leaders have their own Lord classes.

Dark Flier - a wyvern rider who uses lances and reason. I imagine this to be Midna’s canon class.

Holy Flier - a pegasus rider who uses axes and faith. I imagine this to be Cia’s and Medli’s canon class.

Blade Scion - an infantry unit who uses swords, lances, and gauntlets. I imagine this to be Impa’s and Groose’s canon class.

Goddess Knight - a horse rider who uses bows and reason. This is Zelda’s advanced class.

Holy Queen - a horse rider who uses bows and reason. This is Zelda’s master class.

Radiant Knight - a horse rider who uses swords and faith. This is Link’s advanced class.

Legendary Hero - a horse rider who uses swords and faith. This is Link’s master class.

King of Thieves - an infantry unit who uses lances, gauntlets, and reason. This is Ganondorf’s advanced class.

Demon King - an infantry unit who uses lances, gauntlets, and reason. This is Ganondorf’s master class and Demise’s only class.

OTHER NOTES

I forgot to mention in my last post that Shad is also a Crest researcher, so he’s basically Linhardt but without the sleepy.

Pre-timeskip, Zelda has shorter (BotW2) hair, Link has a ponytail (BotW), and Ganondorf has short (OoT) hair. Post-timeskip, Zelda has long (BotW) hair, Link has short (TP) hair, and Ganondorf has long (HW) hair.

Zant is Midna’s adoptive brother, so he is from Twili, but not of royal heritage. He hates Midna because she is the true heir to the throne but seemingly takes it for granted and does not take her responsibilities seriously. Upon enrolling at the Officer’s Academy, both of them were members of the Crimson Boars, but Midna transferred to the Verdant Wolves after meeting and befriending Link prior to the events of the story.

The equivalent of the Death Knight is Cherry. Yes, Robbie’s ancient oven Cherry. She can create Ancient Arrows at will, so she’s basically the definition of a scary unit.

I’m in love with the Link’s Awakening remake and I wanted to include Marin in this AU somehow so, so badly, but she’s basically Malon + Medli, so it seems a bit redundant. Just know that I love Marin with my whole heart.