#and then that hylian gets a statue OF HIM RIDING HIS BACK?!?!?!?!??!?! WHERE THE STATUE OF HIS DEAD SISTER USED TO BE?!?!?!?!??! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wolveria · 3 years

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Crucible - Ch 3

Pairing: Link x Reader

Prompt: For the Bittersweet Mini Bang!

Series Warnings (18+ only): Eventual smut, slow burn, violence, mild body horror, lots of whump, angst with a happy ending

Chapter Summary: Link catches up to the Hylian with his face.

AO3

“Excuse me.”

The merchant scowled up at him from where he was tending his stall. The man was ornery because Link had “let” the apple thief get away. Link wasn’t about to let a surly merchant stop him, but he plastered on a sweet smile, regardless. He found turning up his charm could work on the most reticent person.

The merchant didn’t stop scowling, but he did lessen the harshness of his frown to a degree.

“Yeah? Whadya want?”

“I was hoping you could tell me more about the thief.”

The man snorted in disgust, but he beckoned Link closer, to which he obliged.

“That woman isn’t just a thief, she’s a vagrant too,” the merchant said in a conspiratorial tone. “Steals food nearly every day, and thinks she can get away with it.”

Link’s ears perked in interest, hearing the Hylian who wore his face was a frequent visitor.

But doubts had begun to creep in about what Link had seen. Her face had been partially obscured by the hood, and the merchant hadn’t seemed to make the connection of their similar appearance, which one would think he would be judging by his animosity toward the thief who stole his apples.

“Wretches like her are ruining this town,” the merchant continued on with a grumble. “They don’t belong here. This is a town for prosperous citizens who contribute to its glory, not for the leeches who drain it of its lifeblood.”

The man didn’t notice Link’s lack of agreement, nor the tension in his jaw. Link was forced to literally bite his tongue. It would be just his luck to give the man a piece of his mind, only for him to realize who Link was. Link didn’t care about his own reputation, but he didn’t want to tarnish Zelda’s, as tenuous as it was with her still unwed and the gossip of the two of them continuing to grow. Link certainly didn’t need to feed into that by accosting a merchant, no matter how foul his opinions.

So Link just nodded along, relieved when the merchant finally gave him some useful information.

“She’s holed up in that haunted place up north, near the quarry. It’s a fresh spring with a goddess statue, easy to miss if you don’t know where to look. No one goes up there, not even my son, who is a guard for the city gates, by the way. Very important job. Oh, right, that spring. Damned place is full of malevolent spirits. Couldn’t pay me to wade in those waters, no, sir.”

Link nearly rolled his eyes. The Spring of Power wasn’t haunted, or full of malevolent spirits, but he didn’t bother to correct the man on either account. Better the townsfolk stay away, especially if Link needed to revisit it.

Link left the merchant to stew in his resentment, all too eager to check out of the inn and be on his way. He hadn’t been back to that particular place in a long time, probably since he’d first been there. Link tended to avoid the shrines, and the goddess springs reminded him too much of… of the time before.

But Link was nearly impatient to leave the city, checking Raina out of the stables, confident he wouldn’t return. He was supposed to stay in Tarrey Town until the royal procession arrived, but he knew Zelda would forgive him for shirking his duty to follow this particular lead. She might even tease him for being the curious one for once, wandering off the beaten path by something that caught his eye.

He walked his horse down to the road, the streets too crowded to ride safely, and when he was clear of the city he turned left at the fork in the road. Link pulled himself into the saddle, rubbing his forearm as the ache returned, as it always did.

Urging the dark horse into a canter, Link turned his eyes north. The city had expanded so much that the nearby lake had been drained, the entire basin now filled with the housing districts. The Spring wasn’t farther beyond that, and it was still strange to see Akkala densely populated after it had been abandoned for so long.

Link pulled himself from his thoughts and his horse from the road, turning west and letting the horse have her head across the fields of grass. There were no mounted bokoblins here, not even any wolves, all hunted to extinction or chased out of the highlands. Link was a little saddened by that, even if said wolves had tried to maul him more than once. At least they belonged here, unlike the monsters.

Coming to the slopped path that would lead to the front of the Spring, Link encouraged his horse into a walk, marveling at the labyrinth-like columns of stone. The last time he’d been this way, the area had been filled with flying Guardians, waiting to snipe him with their energy weapons at the slightest provocation.

The valley was empty and silent, and Link left his horse to free roam, trusting she wouldn’t go far and there was nothing here to harm her. With a slow inhale, Link entered the tunnel leading to the spring. Golden unlit scones marked the walls, and the midday sun lit up the spring like a beacon. The water glittered and a flock of blue sparrows chittered from the oaks.

For a moment, Link was transported back to a time five years ago when he’d first come to this place. Exhausted, injured, and trying to avoid the mechs ruling the skies, he’d tried to scale down the walls in the middle of a thunderstorm. Ended up slipping and falling into the water, narrowly missing the foot of the goddess statue and bashing his head in.

Wouldn’t that have been the ultimate irony, but the goddesses deemed their champion wouldn’t die from such a useless death, and so he’d been forced to keep going. Just as he did now, he skirted around the massive statue to what lay behind it. The stranger who wore his face wasn’t in sight, but he knew where she must be hiding.

Link gave a small smile at the curtain of ivy that hadn’t been there before. Just like him, this place had changed slightly over the years, just enough to show the progression of time. Wading through the water, Link pushed aside the vines and stepped inside.

A dagger clattered off the wall next to his head. Link drew his bow and fletched an arrow before the weapon had fallen into the water.

Link hesitated as his would-be attacker darted back into the mouth of the shrine. The structure still glowed a comforting blue, having been completed by Link years ago, but there was something blocking the blue ring of the descending platform. A pile of blankets, a rucksack, and a huddled, cowering figure.

She had been hiding in this cold, wet cave on the damp, hard floor of a shrine.

“I’m going to lower my bow. Please, don’t throw anything else at my head.”

The figure didn’t answer, but two hard eyes glinted from the dim light of the shrine.

With careful movements, Link replaced the arrow in its quiver and hooked his bow behind his back. He hoped she wouldn’t attack him again, but he had other weapons hidden within reach if she did. Not that Link would exactly blame her, he probably had startled her.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Link showed his gloved hands, proving they were empty. “What’s your name?”

The figure said nothing.

“I understand you’re afraid,” he added softly, “but I’m just here to talk.”

Silence.

Link decided to push his luck and moved forward, the cold water lapping around his knees. He reflected with some amusement that the last time he was here, it had reached mid-thigh. He truly had been no more than a boy when he’d fought the Guardian who had tested his strength in this very shrine.

“I’m not afraid of you. Go away.”

Link stopped moving. The tone was low, unfriendly, and yet startlingly similar to his own. It sent the hairs on the back of his neck erect, but he pushed away his unease and took a step closer.

“I can’t do that. Not until we have a conversation.”

“What for?” She pulled back further into the shrine. “I have nothing to say. Go away!”

He wished he could get another look at her face, but he knew she wouldn’t come out on her own. Trapped animals never do.

Link was halfway to the lip of the shrine, and he kept his gaze always on that dark shape inside.

“Well, I have something to say to you.” The irony was not lost on him that this was the most words he’d said to anyone in a long time. “You see… our faces are remarkably similar. That’s strange, don’t you think?”

She moved backward again, shrinking away with each forward step he took.

“Leave me alone!”

There was desperation in her voice, panic that didn’t bode well.

“Where do you come from?” Link asked, pressing forward with his questions and his stride. “Why are you here? What’s your name?”

He was met with silence again, but when Link reached the shrine, she actually growled at him.

Link carefully thought over his next options. With a slight tilt of his head, he put on his best I’m-not-a-threat smile.

“Are you hungry?”

There was a glint of interest in those eyes, accompanied by a restless movement of her shoulders. Link knew from experience what it was like to go without food. Those first few days out of the Shrine of Resurrection had been cold, hungry ones.

“I’m going to reach into my pack, all right?”

When the figure said nothing and Link was satisfied she wouldn’t attack, he slowly brought his pack around and sat it on the edge of the shrine to keep it dry. He opened the fastener and reached inside, carefully pulling out a baked apple, sprinkled with cane sugar and wrapped in banana leaf.

Link held out the bit of food, but as predicted, she didn’t move toward it, so he set it on the lip and rolled it toward her.

She snatched it up quickly, so fast he didn’t see more than a flash of fingerless gloves. She sniffed it warily, and then gave him another hard-eyed stare.

For the first time, pity and compassion outweighed his curiosity. What had been done to her to make her so distrustful of others? Of him? Did she genuinely believe he would poison her?

Apparently, she did, because no matter how hungry she was she didn’t even unwrap the apple. Link opened his pack and pulled out a second baked sweet apple, making certain she could see as he carefully unwrapped it and took out a bite, chewed, and swallowed.

The banana leaf was barely out of the way by the time she bit down on her apple, seeming to bypass chewing as she quickly scarfed it down until only the core remained. She licked her fingertips for the sticky juices, reminding Link of a starved animal more than a person.

The compassion deepened into an ache at the sight of someone suffering so unnecessarily. Was Tarrey Town not prosperous enough for them to share their meals with someone in need?

“I have more, if you’re hungry,” he said softly. He pulled out another baked apple and rolled it to her, and she scooped it up just as hastily as last time. As if she believed Link would snatch it out of her hands in a cruel joke.

Halfway done with his own apple, he took the risk of sitting on the edge, but she ignored him. Link was cold and uncomfortable, his pants drenched and his boots soaked, but still, he wouldn’t leave. Not yet. Not when he might be making progress.

Link tried not to stare, the figure would tense up every time he did, so he started to formulate his plan. He’d have to send word to Zelda that he wouldn’t be here when she arrived, but he also had to somehow convince this stranger with his face to come with him.

He decided he would leave a message with a royal courier, telling Zelda he couldn’t meet her in Tarrey Town and had gone back to the castle for urgent business. He wouldn’t leave any details in case it was somehow intercepted. He couldn’t believe meeting this stranger had been a coincidence. It could be some kind of trick to lower his guard, or worse, it could be dark magic at play.

The castle would be the safest place to take her. It was well-defended, and the scientists would be more than delighted for a new project. They would have to keep her hidden; there were rumors the Yiga Clan was regaining their strength.

And beside that… Link was still shaken by the events in the tomb under the castle.

Having made a plan that set him on a path of actually choosing to do something instead of being a passive participant in his own life, Link felt… well, good. He found himself almost smiling as he ate, unable to quash it even when the figure stared at him. It was unnerving to see those eyes, darker than his own but still familiar, watching him with such distrust.

His curiosity got the better of him, and despite her glares, he continued to watch her, or what little he could see. She wore a hooded cloak, ratty and old, and the hair peeking out from the hood was yellow like his, but paler and shorter.

So, they didn’t look exactly alike. Just enough to look like twin siblings, perhaps. Still, it was an uncanny match.

“Do you know who you are?”

The stopped chewing and swallowed slowly, the distrust still there but mixed in with reluctance.

“No,” she finally answered.

Link’s face fell as his suspicions were confirmed. The hard living, the isolation, the mistrust and fear. It reminded him of himself. He knew what it was like to wake up, alone, not knowing who he was or what had happened to him.

He let his mind wander, a hope kindling that perhaps they could find a way to retrieve her memory, find out who she was. Maybe even discover if they had some family connection to explain their similar features.

Or it could be another Yiga trap. A disguise to trick and manipulate him into letting his guard down.

Link shook his head. He was getting ahead of himself and letting his old paranoia seep in, which wasn’t going to help either of them.

“What are you doing here?” he pressed on. “In this shrine, I mean?”

If he could get her talking, maybe lower her guard a little, she wouldn’t throw another dagger at his head when he suggested she come with him.

She eyed him for a moment, just staring, before licking the juices off her fingers, not being shy about it. Then she shifted back into her cloak and leaned against the shrine wall.

“It’s safe. They leave me alone here. They’re afraid of this place.”

“The people from Tarrey Town?”

She gave him a nod. Link allowed himself a moment of hope. She was talking and not screaming at him to leave. All particularly good signs.

“The merchant accused you of stealing food.”

She narrowed her eyes, and Link quickly held up his hands.

“It’s all right, I’m not here to get you in trouble.” He took a breath. “In fact… I want to help you.”

“I don’t want your help,” she snapped, barely letting him get out the offer. “I want you to leave me alone.”

Link released a breath and rubbed a hand through his hair. He’d have to backtrack if he had any hope of convincing her.

“This isn’t an ideal situation for you. Surely, you can see that,” he said, going for the reasonable angle. “You’re alone, unable to care for yourself—“

“I’ve been taking care of myself just fine since I woke up,” she growled. Link’s ears perked up immediately.

“Woke up? As in, from a sleep?” He couldn’t keep the excitement out of his tone. “Where?”

She frowned but pointed at him, but then he realized she was pointed past him.

“In front of that statue.”

Link thought on that for a moment, wishing Zelda were here. She was much better at this sort of thing, not to mention she’d actually paid attention to the ancient history of the Springs. But he did know they held the power of the goddesses, so perhaps he was wrong about the Yiga clan or a long distant relation. Perhaps this was their work.

A shiver crawled up his spine.

“This place is called the Spring of Power. It has a special connection to the goddesses Din, and it’s often used as a place of spiritual awakening. And this structure you’ve been living in,” Link nodded behind her, “is an Ancient Shrine. Specifically, the Tutsuwa Nima Shrine.”

She didn’t speak but she did stare at him unblinking, and Link continued.

“There’s quite a few of these shrines scattered around Hyrule. I managed to find a hundred-twenty of them, but there could be more. They were built by the Sheikah to… to prepare the hero for when Calamity Ganon returned.”

She leaned forward, opened her mouth, and then closed it again. Link hoped she hadn’t noticed his hesitation. It was too painful to think about the fact that if he’d completed the shrines before Ganon had returned, maybe he would have—

“And what did this shrine do?”

It was a relief to be interrupted from the dark spiral of his thoughts. Thoughts that were never far these days.

“It contained a Guardian against which I was tested.” Link didn’t miss her face scrunching in distaste. He could relate. “You remember Guardians?”

“No.”

Link’s disappointment didn’t have time to fully form before she spoke again.

“But I know them. The same way I know that name. Calamity Ganon.” Her face was troubled, twisted with a bitterness that surprised him. “It’s a name that tastes like poison.”

“The beast was responsible for decimating much of Hyrule a hundred years ago,” Link said, unable to tamp down his own venom. He had to tell himself this was good, a hopeful sign that her mind wasn’t as blank as his had been.

A discomforting thought came to him. How would she react when she found out he was the one that failed to stop Calamity Ganon the first time?

Link shook off his doubts and turned his attention back to his… for lack of a better term, his double.

“How long ago did you awaken?”

Her expression soured again.

“Why are you asking so many questions?”

“So I know how to help you. That’s all I want.”

“Why.”

“Because I want to discover who you are. Don’t you?”

She said nothing to his question, delivered with more shortness than he intended. Link looked away.

“Do you have a name?” he finally asked. “Something I can call you by?”

Link didn’t think she was going to answer. Maybe she still didn’t know her name. Link certainly wouldn’t have remembered his if Zelda hadn’t been there to guide him. It was another reason he wanted to help. Who else did she have?

“Blue.”

Link turned his head to look at her, believing he’d misunderstood.

“It was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes,” she said with a pout. “The sky. The water. And small, blue birds.”

Link’s face softened. She must have been talking about the blue sparrow, the first bird he remembered seeing as well. Just after he’d come out of the shrine and been overwhelmed by the beauty of a world he didn’t remember, experiencing it for the first time.

Not everything after his awakening had been awful. In many ways, he was much more fortunate than this Hylian.

“All right,” he said slowly. It was time to stop delaying the inevitable. “Does the name ‘Link’ mean anything to you?”

“No,” she answered a tad too quickly and sharply. “Should it?”

Link was about to reassure her that he wasn’t there to hurt her, when she scoffed and interrupted him.

“I know who you are. You’re all they’ve been talking about for weeks. Link the Champion. The Hero of Hyrule.” She eyed him critically, distain seeping into her voice. “For someone so legendary, I expected you to be… bigger.”

Link frowned, glancing down at himself. It was true it had taken him a few years to find his growth-spurt, but what he’d gained in height he hadn’t gained in muscle mass. It’s what happened when one didn’t eat or sleep as much as they should.

He shifted uncomfortably on his perch and cleared his throat.

“People tend to… exaggerate these things.”

She only stared at him, expression blank. She would be a decent challenger against Teba’s stoicism.

To keep from smiling, Link cleared his throat and said, “I have a proposition for you, if you’d be willing to hear it.”

Her face became even more unreadable. Link didn’t think that was possible.

“I wish to take you with me.” Her lack of response was not going to deter him. “To Hyrule Castle.”

Link had expected more glaring, he hadn’t expected her to shrink back.

“It’s entirely up to you!” he rushed. “I won’t force you. I just want to help you.”

“Why?” she asked again. This time, Link was ready with a response.

“Because I believe we met for a reason. You can’t deny the circumstances are strange. You…” He gestured at her, feeling more like he was flailing for a lifeline. “You and I look the same.”

“So what?”

“So,” he insisted, “it must be important.”

“Then why did I wake up alone?”

That response shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. She probably hadn’t meant it as an accusation, but it felt like one, and a justified one at that. Why had she woken up, alone, in this place with no memories?

“I don’t know…” Link didn’t look away as he spoke, needing to impress his seriousness upon her. “But we’ll find the answers at the castle. There are people there, people who will be willing to help you, and they’ll know what to do.”

She tensed her jaw, but there was conflict in her eyes. A small spark of hope glimpsed by defenses as unknown and immutable to him as a mountain range.

“I don’t know who to trust.”

It was said without hostility, and her shoulders slightly drooped. It was a small gesture that spoke volumes.

“Whatever weapons you have, you can keep,” he assured her. “And if at any point you wish to leave, you may do so.”

Link had absolutely no intention of actually letting her disappear, but he would be willing to track her and send word to Zelda in the meantime. But he didn’t say that.

“You’d be willing to do all this… for a stranger?”

Link gave a small half-shrug. He didn’t know how to explain that this was the sort of thing he did without sounding like an arrogant prat.

“You need help, and I can help you. It’s as simple as that.”

“Everything comes with a price.” Her eyes narrowed. “I have yet to find yours.”

Link frowned unhappily. Forget Teba’s stoicism, now he was thinking of a different Rito, one who was on this same level of mistrust and prickliness.

If Revali could learn to tolerate him, surely Link could gain this Hylian’s trust. Of course, thinking of the Rito made his mind leap to what had become of him, and Link had to wrench himself back out of spiraling down into that familiar pit of despair. He couldn’t afford to, not right now.

“Not everyone is like that. Most folks want to help. Tarrey Town is just one place, there’s a whole world of people out there you haven’t met yet.”

“We’ll see,” she said, her tone indicating the exact opposite. But she surprised Link when she rose to her feet, picked up her rucksack, and slung it over her shoulder. “Lead the way, Champion.”

Link floundered for a moment, stunned by her complete change in attitude, and then he quickly jumped to his feet and nearly succeeded in losing his balance and falling into the water. He regained his footing and she stared, unimpressed.

He picked up his own sack and replaced it on his back, turning away as his cheeks flushed with warmth.

Hugely impressive, Link.

He paused at the cave entrance and bent down, retrieving something glittering from the water. It was the dagger she’d thrown at him, and before he handed it back, he caught sight of the eye symbol etched into the metal.

“Where did you get this?” he quietly asked.

“I found it.” She frowned, eyes darting from his face to the weapon. “In the city dump. Why?”

Apparently, she had no knowledge of what she had found, or of the Yiga Clan markings etched into the metal of the handle.

“If you see this symbol anywhere else, you run the other direction. All right?”

Link handed it back to her, point facing backward toward him, and she snatched it and shoved it back under her cloak. It was as tattered as he had suspected, and the dark, ill-fitted tunic and pants underneath weren’t in better condition.

Seeing her in better light, it also gave Link the opportunity to look past their similar facial features and see the dark bags under her eyes and the unhealthy paleness of her skin.

“It would be best to keep that hidden where no one can see it,” he added. “It would draw unwanted attention. The Yiga Clan tends to do that.”

There was no sign of recognition in her eyes, which was a relief. It was still troubling at the possibility the Yiga had a presence in Tarrey Town, and he made a mental note to inform Zelda as well as the Captain of the Royal Guard.

Link’s troubled thoughts continued to follow him, as did his double, as he led them out of the spring and back to the quarry where his horse waited for him. He reached up to pat her on the neck, and Raina gave a greeting in the form of a soft whicker.

Continuing to pet her neck, Link turned his head to find her staring at the horse warily, remaining back a few paces.

“It’s all right, Raina is plenty gentle.” Link patted the horse on the shoulder. The black horse was fairly large and striking with her white mane and tail. He supposed she could be intimidating at first glance, but the Hylian eyed the horse as if she would trample her at any moment.

“Here, I’ll help you up.”

Link made the mistake of putting his hands out to grab her around the waist. She balked and flinched backwards, and Link was reminded of taming a wild horse as he held up his hands to show he meant no harm.

She pulled her hood further over her face, turned away from him, and said, “I’ll walk.”

Link blinked, catching sight of the symbol on the back of the hood. Faded almost into nothing, he could have sworn it was the Royal Crest, except it was missing the Triforce pattern.

Just another mysterious piece to fit into place. Zelda was going to be ecstatic with this new quest to solve, and he hoped it would give her some happiness. She deserved it for all the worrying and distress he’s caused her.

“It would be faster if we ride together,” he pointed out. He tried to meet her eye, but she just turned away again, literally giving him a cold shoulder. Both of them had been slogging through chilly water, and he hoped she had a spare set of clothing.

“I will walk.”

It wasn’t a battle worth fighting, so Link sighed and pulled himself into the saddle. He guided Raina back toward the road, glancing back to make sure his companion was still following him. She was, albeit at a small distance and reluctantly.

It was a start. To what, Link didn’t know, and he was beginning to wonder if he hadn’t left his adventuring days behind after all.

Next Chapter

#link x reader #botw 2 #link x oc #link x glowy hand #botw #my fanfiction #my writing #crucible

62 notes · View notes

corpsentry · 3 years

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ao3 mirror

fandom: age of calamity, botw rating: g starring: prince sidon and mipha note: spoilers for both games

"You know, Daruk’s my idol,” Yunobo says. He pumps his fists in the air like a kid at a fun fair in line for the big pirate ship ride. “They say he was the coolest Goron there ever was. Plus he had a beard. I think beards are awesome.”

“Great,” Sidon says. He stops peeling the mandarin in his hands for long enough to look up blankly at him. "Mipha was my sister."

the age of calamity, side b.

The thing about time travel is, even if someone stands in front of you and tells you point-blank that there’s a way to bring your dead sister back to life, you’re probably not going to believe them.

“I don’t believe you,” says Sidon.

“Okay,” Teba says patiently, fluffing his feathers with an absent glide of his wing. “Try harder.”

Sidon stares at him. He tries harder, though he’s not sure what that entails and so doesn’t end up really doing anything. “I don’t get you.”

“Which part don’t you get?”

“I get to see Mipha again?”

Teba’s eyebrow twitches. “Let me put this as simply as I can, Prince,” he says, a little too loudly. The soldier stationed at the bottom of the staircase turns to look at them. “We’re going to go back to the point a hundred years ago at which the four champions were killed in their divine beasts. We’re going to save them. We’re going to make sure they defeat Ganon before he can send Hyrule into ruin. And then we’re going to leave.”

By now, they’ve caught everyone’s attention. It’s been a long time since a hundred years ago, but here in Zora’s Domain it still feels like the events of last Tuesday, to be recounted over salt tea and fish skewers, to be mourned over an empty coffin. Everyone’s staring at the big white bird with the angry eyebrows, a little curious, a little apprehensive. For what he’s worth, Teba is indifferent. This much will not faze him.

Sidon twiddles his thumbs behind his back, where Teba cannot see them and the guards at the bottom of the staircase can point and laugh all they want. To be honest, he heard nothing. His heart stopped when he heard ‘killed in their divine beasts’, at which point a watery monster punched its way into his skull and crushed his brain. The monster is nothing concrete, nothing crystal-clear, just what little Link has told him, bits and pieces of a history he was prevented from taking part in. It’s been several months since the kid dragged his beaten-up body halfway across Hyrule and kicked Ganon’s ass, though they’re still feeling the after-effects of that particular calamity today. Mipha’s statue still looms over their heads, a reminder of what it means to die alone and far away from home.

“So,” Sidon starts, hearing his voice echoing in his ears like metal slicing through air. “What you’re saying is, I get to see Mipha again.”

Teba looks like he wants to grab one of the guards’ spears and stab Sidon in the face, but for what he’s worth, he reigns it in. “Yes.”

“Okay.” He grins. “I’m in.”

He tried to fight a lynel when he was fifteen. The domain had been overrun with monsters who had arrived for the pre-party to Ganon’s return, including an outstanding number of wizzrobes, several moblins, and a tall, intimidating figure which spat electricity from its pink-tongued mouth and whose name he couldn’t recall. While his father, the king, and his sister, the princess, breezed through the area like a lightning strike, reclaiming keeps and stabbing moblins with silver teeth so their generals could forge a path ahead, Sidon reveled in the wonder of being left unsupervised at four a.m. in the morning. And then heard the familiar, haunting roar of a lynel. And then decided to go and say hi.

It was a mistake, of course. The lynel was so tall he couldn’t make out the gear on its back. Its face was all squished up, like a birthday cake that had been stepped on, and its horns were too big for its thick, blocky nose. This was funny for all of five seconds. Then the lynel extracted a bow from that unknowable space behind it and aimed the sharp end of an arrow at his face, and it became a problem.

“H-h-h-hi,” said Sidon, holding up his Kid Spear, which was strictly for Kid Use Only, and had the offensive capabilities of a stick.

“RHOOARHGHHGHH,” said the lynel.

He jabbed the Kid Spear at the lynel’s leg. The lynel spat at him, though probably unintentionally, as it seemed preoccupied with the arrow it was trying to send into his face. It was stuck. The big scary lynel’s bow was stuck.

Emboldened by the stupid scary lynel’s broken bow, Sidon decided to try again. “Please go away, Mr. Lynel,” he said in his best and most charming Kid Prince voice, twirling his Kid Spear like a sweet jellyfish skewer.

“RHOAHOARHAGHOGHHHH,” said the lynel, who sounded significantly angrier than before.

“I understand,” Sidon said politely, and then closed his eyes and sent a prayer to the goddess Hylia (the way he had been taught to since he was old enough to speak, the way every child in Hyrule knew that there was a place for them to go to after they left this world behind). He braced for impact, which he hoped would be of the violent sort, earth-shattering and brisk enough to break his bones and leave nothing breathing in its wake. He was fifteen, not five. This was Ganon’s era. Every living creature in Hyrule knew this, the way their ancestors woke up and knew which direction the sun would rise from. Not if, but when. When the Calamity strikes. When your people die. When the knight emerges from the woods with the sacred sword in his hand, and saves you all.

But none came. When he opened his eyes, and he did so reluctantly, adrenalin coursing through his veins like thunder, the world was pitch black. In place of the cool blue moon was his sister, her ceremonial gear glittering darkly, the Lightscale Trident glowing like a star in her right hand.

“Holy shit,” whispered Sidon the kid. Mipha stabbed the lynel in the face.

She hugged him when it was all over and they had put the moblins and the wizzrobes and the electric moblin (so that’s what it was! Terrifying) back to sleep. Their father was upset, but he was frequently upset at Sidon and so it didn’t bother him as much as it could have. Sidon was not Mipha. It was all right if he got things wrong, as long as his sister never did. Coincidentally, the Hylian princess had been in the area at the time of the attack, accompanied by a knight with blue eyes and a Sheikah warrior who looked like she would throw a knife at a fish for sport. It was a good thing Mipha had been at home, and not visiting one of the other tribes or hunting for crabs near Lurelin. It was a good thing she had intervened when she had, lest the pre-party become the real thing.

“Thank you,” said the Hylian princess, trying her best to smooth her brow and failing. She looked anxious, though she had only come to pass on her father’s word, though the word that she had brought was victory.

Mipha smiled at her with a face full of sun. “It is my pleasure.”

He wishes the egg could talk. If the egg could talk then Teba would have less reason to talk, and if Teba talked less then Sidon would have less of a raging headache, which which would make him less of an asshole, which would make their discussions go much more smoothly than the janky, sputtering mess they’ve been all week.

“As I was saying,” says Teba, continuing whatever train of thought he picked up on their way up to Goron City and then dumped unceremoniously by the side of the road. As he does this, Death Mountain spits a chunk of lava out of its steaming gaping top, which lands a few inches shy of his breastplate. He hops backwards without missing a beat and begins fanning himself with one wing.

Riju stops fiddling with the diamond circlet in her hands for long enough to give him a look of inquiry. “As you were saying?”

“I can’t wait to see Daruk.” Yunobo scratches his arm. It makes a sound like two large boulders grinding together. Riju drops the circlet.

“You’re only going to see him for a short while,” Teba comments over the sound of the egg blowing its top at Riju and Sidon plugging his ears with his fingers. “No point getting all worked up about it.”

“You’re just as worked up yourself,” Riju counters. Patricia barks. Teba flinches.

This is true. There are two things Teba won’t shut up about. In ascending order of importance, they are 1) when they should depart for the alternate timeline in which they will prevent their respective ancestors from getting their spirits trapped in giant mechanical monsters for a hundred years, and 2) how incredible Revali is. Because Revali was the most powerful Rito warrior that ever walked the land (or flew over it, or blasted bomb arrows at it, whatever). Revali singlehandedly invented an entire style of aerial combat which involves launching yourself into the air with an updraft that defies the laws of the universe and then setting your surroundings on fire. Revali killed god.

Teba looks like he wants to go back to his wife and kid in Rito village. Good for him. Not all of them have bodies to put in coffins. “I just want to meet him once,” he says quietly.

Yunobo laughs, and it sounds like two extra large boulders grinding together. “Me too, brother.” He picks up the diamond circlet from the floor and puts it on his head like some kind of weird hat. “I’m going to tell Daruk how great he is. And then I’m going to go home.”

One time when they were much, much younger, before he woke up one morning and Mipha was three times his height, one of the guards brought back some durians. The durians were misshapen and spiky and smelled intimidating, though Sidon wouldn’t go as far as to say that the smell was unpleasant. The guard had obtained them from a merchant in the Faron region. He hadn’t meant to purchase them, but they were the last of her stock and she said she could only head home once she had sold everything. He empathized her.

At first they tried to open the durians with their hands, but this only produced several pricked fingers and left ominous and eerily substantial bloodstains everywhere, so someone brought out a spear, almost drove it through the table, and someone else brought out a carving knife. Halfway through the spectacle of watching one of the guards, who was thirty-seven and enjoyed collecting glowing stones as a hobby, attempt to de-spike an entire durian, the crowd parted abrutpyl.

“What are you all doing?” Mipha put her hand absently on Sidon’s head. He had been watching the ongoing debacle out of some kind of morbid curiosity, standing on tip-toes so he could peek over the top of the table, though now he had apparently been relegated to armrest.

“Trying to open this durian, your highness.”

Mipha laughed. His sister’s laugh was a delicate, heartrending affair, like trying to pull weeds from the bottom of a lake without breaking them at the stem. The weather at home was always more or less divine, but whenever Mipha laughed, Sidon swore it blasted a hole right through the clouds. If there were no clouds, then the hole appeared in the fabric of the sky instead. Mipha, at her brightest, was a walking catastrophe of sun.

Still chuckling a little, like she’d been made privy to a secret that none of them knew about, Mipha stepped up to the cutting board. “You have to do it like this,” she said cheerfully, digging her fingers into a seam in the durian’s shell like she’d been dealing with danger all her life.

Cue gasping. Cue the horrors of childbirth.

The durian was sweet. It was also a little goopy, but Sidon was no stranger to things which stuck to your fingers and refused to let go (he was one of those objects when it came to his sister, who he could rarely be found more than an arm’s length away from on any given day), so he felt for the little spiky fruit, and decided that he would make an effort to bring some back home when he went traveling himself in the future. While he examined the inside of the durian’s shell, which had been hollowed of fruit and had the texture of rough sandpaper, the guards crowded around Mipha and demanded that she share her secret to not getting stabbed to death by the fierce and terrifying durian. But either she didn’t know how to explain it to them, or they weren’t very good at listening, because she remained the only one capable of cracking open a durian with her bare hands for many, many years, up until she died while fighting a watery manifestation of Ganon inside the divine beast she had been told by the king of Hyrule to pilot to victory’s end. Then it was someone else’s turn to take over.

Painkillers for fish are a tricky affair. To begin with, charmingly little research has been conducted into the biology of the fish-person because the Zoras simply aren’t interested in how their bodies work, and while others have offered to do so in their place, among them several enthusiastic Sheikah researchers and one Hylian with a thing for huge glowing orbs, his people have never cared enough to give their consent. It’s a unique kind of apathy, one which stems from a place of privilege, or denial. They are, as a general statement of fact, very good at both.

“This will help.” Yunobo hands him a rock roast. Where did Yunobo get a rock roast from? Sidon frowns. They’re in the middle of the desert.

“Thanks,” Sidon says. Smiles. Kind of, like, holds the roast up to his mouth and gives it a sniff. It doesn’t smell half as good as durian. He puts it down.

It takes him several days to make sense of the convoluted sequence of events that Teba presented to him that day on the front door of the world he had rebuilt from scratch, surrounded by mystique and glamor and promising, in a breath of cold air, to bring his dead sister back to life. This makes it sound like he’s finished making sense of it all and will thus never be confused ever again, but if he’s to be entirely honest, he still doesn’t get it. He wants to. He’s scared to. He won’t look Teba in the eye.

“We should get going soon, don’t you think?” says Riju, who is twelve and somehow more put-together than all four of them combined. She pulls another book from the shelf and leaves it on the pile on the desk.

Yunobo shrugs loudly. “Doesn’t make a difference when we leave, does it? We could leave for Hyrule in twenty years, and we’d still end up at the same place.”

“But I want to save them,” Riju says earnestly. The pile behind her has been growing all afternoon, and will soon overtake her in height if she is not stopped. Mission preparation looks like archaeological excavation when you’re traveling backwards in time, and not forwards to some yet unknown destination. Ancient Sheikah records. Research journals. The writings of people who were obsessed with the events of a hundred years ago despite having no personal investment to speak of, and whose words carry with them a hint of reverence, even as they choreograph the funeral song of the old king. This is all that’s left of those ruins, aside from Link, who they’ve all quietly decided to keep uninformed of the current proceedings. Hyrule itself has been kept in the dark. No need for them to know about the maybes and the what-ifs and the could-have-beens. No need for more people to go crazy.

Sidon shuts the book in his hands with a thud. “But why?”

Riju’s eyes go wide. Drama queen. “Why what?”

Sidon opens his mouth, closes it, and opens it again. There’s a heat rash on the back of his neck which he can’t quite reach on his own. The elders had warned him about the desert, but the charm he received from Link has proven to be effective in all areas except for maintaining good skincare. He blinks dumbly at Riju, who has begun to flicker like the glassy surface of a pond. His eyes hurt.

“I mean, why do you.” His eyes hurt. His throat hurts. There’s something large and horrible stuck in his chest, and he can’t get it out. “Why do you want to save them?” There’s a durian in his rib cage. It must have lodged itself there when Teba glared at him like he was an idiot as he came face to face with the cruel reality of the universe, and it dawned on him like a dead body falling out of the sky that he would get to see Mipha one last time, and then he would have to come back. To a Hyrule without her. To the stupid stuck-up world that had to try again and again and again, coughing up blood and dragging itself through the dirt on bruised knees, before it could defeat the monster. “It’s not like they’ll come back to life,” he says, each word a silver knife in his mouth. “They’ll stay dead here. They’re already dead.”

Silence.

Riju has let everything go, including the diamond circlet, the topaz earrings, and three volumes sheathed in gold. Yunobo’s mouth is open so wide, you could stick your head inside and take a look around if you leaned in close enough. For the first time since he met him, Teba is at a loss for words. His chest rises and falls erratically, his hand on the bookshelf quivering, his eyebrows doing a little dance on his forehead. He’s sweating. Of course he is. They’re in the desert.

Riju, Hylia bless her soul, is the first to speak.

“It’s the spirit of things,” she says softly. She looks sadder than any twelve-year-old should ever have to look. But then and again, Sidon was barely old enough to hold a spear with both hands when his sister died and everything went to shit. Then and again, everything goes away eventually.

Sidon stares at her helplessly for a moment, gulping the humid air of the library like a fish out of water, then gives up and walks out of the room. He spends the rest of the afternoon blowing bubbles in the pool beside Kara Kara Bazaar while the other three continue their work, and then buys a durian from one of the vendors and hacks it open with his spear. You can’t crack open a durian with your bare hands, unless you’re Mipha, in which case you can do anything. It’s a good thing, then, that she’s gone.

When they were children and they got into trouble, his father would always scold Mipha far more harshly than Sidon. Mipha was the older sibling, after all. She should know better. This dynamic remained firmly established between them even as Mipha grew into her role as princess, future ruler, and eventually, champion. Of course, the reprimandings grew less stern, but Sidon had a penchant for winding up in places he wasn’t supposed to be in and Mipha had a penchant for being with him whenever this happened. He secretly resolved to pay her back when he got older and was finally able to stand up to his father, and therefore explain that most of the things they got into trouble for were his idea. He would be the one to weep at his father’s feet while his sister looked on with a horrified expression, and in that moment she would understand how much he loved her.

Then she died. You can’t tell the story of Mipha without this part. Mipha was a humble, kind girl, and then she died. Mipha could crack open a durian with her bare hands, and then she died. Mipha was the pride of their people, and then she died, and she died, and she died.

You can’t change the past with the wave of a hand. You’re not a bird. You’re not a fortune-teller. You’re a fish-person with an empty coffin for a sister, and in a few weeks’ time, you’re going to save her specter.

“...What if I brought her back with me?”

“Huh?”

“Hahajustkidding. No way I’d do that. Not a chance.”

“Um. Do you need painkillers?”

“Thanks, but they don’t work on me. I’m over a hundred years old, you see. Us Zoras, we’re different.”

The day before departure. They’re back at Zora’s domain. It’s raining. Teba is running through a checklist of items to bring with them which is so long, he has to hold it above his head to prevent it from touching the floor. Riju is feeding Patricia mandarin peels.

“You know, Sidon.”

Sidon looks up from his mandarin. “Mm?”

Yunobo grins at him. “Daruk’s my idol,” he says proudly. He pumps his fists in the air like a kid at a fun fair in line for the big pirate ship ride. “They say he was the coolest Goron there ever was. Plus he had a beard. I think beards are awesome.”

“Great,” says Sidon, as enthusiastically as he can, because he genuinely wants to be happy for Yunobo who is finally going to meet his idol and has clearly dreamed about this moment for some time. He wants to be happy for all of them. He fucking wants to. This is a rescue mission, not the imprisonment Princess Zelda walked into in Hyrule castle, not the hundred-year nap Link took on the Great Plateau. This is a happy ending, even if it’s not theirs.

Daruk the idol. Urbosa the warrior. Revali the bird. Sidon pictures them in his head, the way Link described them to him once, his voice carrying across the water like beams of light.

“Mipha was—”

He stops peeling the mandarin in his hands, his nails still embedded in the soft skin of it, the white-tinged flesh peeking out like a wound. Outside, the rain keeps falling. A river of tears from the sky.

Yunobo tilts his head to the side. “Mipha was?”

Mipha was the pride of their people. Mipha was the first person he wanted to live forever. Mipha was the only one he knew who could crack open a durian with her bare hands, like she was peeling open the heart of a monster, only to reveal that it had been something soft and scared all along. Mipha was a flesh-and-blood person. Mipha was the light of their world. Mipha is an empty coffin with a name inscribed on the lid, a house with the lights off, a memory drenched in ocean.

Yunobo prods his shoulder, though he barely feels a thing. “Mipha was?” he repeats kindly, herding him along to the end of the line, to the boat at the edge of the water.

Sidon puts the mandarin away. He stares long and hard at Yunobo, and hopes that his eyes will convey the wound his body no longer knows how to carry.

“Mipha was my sister.”

Let’s say you’ve been entrusted with the future of your kingdom. There’s a bad guy coming, and everyone’s scared to death, so you learn how to pilot this big robotic elephant which shoots turrets of water like a machine gun, and you get really good at it, and when the bad guy arrives on your new friend’s birthday suddenly you can’t do it anymore. You’re trapped inside the giant elephant. You’re bleeding out all over the floor. Your chest hurts like something awful, and your vision is beginning to blur. Sensing your despair, the monster closes in on you, wielding that big blue trident like fury. It holds the sky up over your head, and as it does so you close your eyes. You send a prayer to the goddess Hylia (the way you have been taught to since you were old enough to hold your little brother in your arms, the way every child in Hyrule knows that there is a place for them to go to after they leave this world behind). You brace for impact, which you hope will be the gentle sort, a slap to the wrist that’s conclusive enough to break your bones and leave nothing breathing in its wake. You’re twenty, not five. This is the end of all things as you know it. Every living creature in Hyrule knows this, the way their ancestors woke up one day and knew that this world would come to ruin. Not if, but when. When the Calamity strikes. When everyone you’ve ever loved dies. When you walk into the mouth of the elephant, and the elephant changes its mind, and decides to keep you in its belly forever.

None arrives. You open your eyes slowly, hesitantly, fear a living memory in your bones, but you are not faced with the stinging end of a trident. In its place is a boy almost three times your height, his eyes glittering darkly, the spear in his right hand shining like a star.

He is not your brother. But, Hylia bless you all, he is.

So what can you say, when the evil has been defeated and you are standing on the balcony of the castle, smiling up at him through tears while this big overgrown baby stares at you like you’re the answer to the universe, except:

We’ll definitely meet again, won’t we?

He flinches, but you don’t ask, and he doesn’t say why. He pulls you into an earth-shattering, bone-crushing hug. It’s a beautiful day to be alive, the sun shining like sin, Hyrule’s beaten but stubbornly breathing carcass laughing up at you from the fields below. He takes your hands in his. He’s shivering. He’s shaking from head to toe.

Of course, he says in the kindest, saddest voice you’ve ever heard, though he has only come to pass on someone else’s words, though the word he has brought is salvation. From now on, I’ll always be by your side.

: : : : :

You smile at him with a face full of stars.

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agoldengalaxy · 3 years

Text

The Silent Knight

read on Ao3

Zelda hears Link speak for the very first time.

Zelda remembered meeting Link all those years ago, filled with a wide range of emotions - some nerves, some fear, some anger - but mostly confusion. To her younger self’s surprise, it was Link’s father who had done all the talking, while the boy stood close, staying in his kneel far too long before his father brought him to stand again.

“Link is an incredibly capable warrior, Your Highness.” The man - whom Zelda vaguely recognized as one of the royal guards - assured Rhoam with a kind smile. “But you see, he…” he paused, looking to his son. Link dropped his gaze to the floor, and the knight continued. “He does not like to speak. Why, even I have only heard him utter but a few words in his fourteen years with me. But I assure you, he will be a great soldier.”

While Rhoam had thought over the offer, Zelda found herself looking curiously at the boy. Doesn’t like to speak? Who didn’t like to talk? She was certainly the opposite, having her handmaidens often tell her to be more ladylike and allow others to speak every now and then. Link looked up and found her staring. His eyes were almost piercing in their blue color - she’d never seen anything like it. Feeling heat rise to her cheeks, she looked away.

The king rose from his throne, stepping down to their level, looking to the soldier. “You’ve served me for many years. Of course I trust your judgement, however…” his gaze fell to the boy, who swallowed and looked up to meet it. “Link, was it? Perhaps you’d show me what you’re capable of, first.”

Smiling, the man put a hand on his son’s shoulder, nodding. “Of course he will.” All of a sudden, the boy’s face hardened, and he nodded. Perhaps he was up for the challenge.

And with that, Rhoam guided them outside, and Link grabbed a training sword. Soldiers willing to participate ran at him, though they seemed to take it easy, at first, due to his young age. They learned very quickly that his age would not stop him. He took on hoards of Hylian soldiers without help, with loud cries of exertion and speed that Zelda had never seen before.

She just couldn’t look away. It was like he was a completely different boy from the mute one she’d only just met. He really was amazing - and as his father had promised, the boy came out on top, breathing hard as the soldiers lay on the ground, breathless. Rhoam, of course, was impressed - how could he not be?

Two years passed before she was told that Link would become her appointed knight. Some part of her was almost happy for the chance to get to know him better - perhaps he might even open up a little. She’d seen him laughing and smiling with other soldiers before, but other than that, he was stoic and silent. It got worse when he received the sword that would seal the darkness. He never smiled when he was around her, he barely showed any sort of emotion. She knew it was because he had the same amount of pressure on him that she had on her.

And yet, she still couldn’t help but be angry. She shouldn’t need her own knight to protect her - she was trusted with the Goddess’ power, she should be able to protect herself, to protect everyone around her. But there was Link, standing in front of her at a moment’s notice, not thinking twice about his own well-being. And he didn’t ever seem to have any trouble.

She took it out on him often. But he just stared blankly, just like he normally did. She didn’t ever seem to have much of an effect, considering no matter how much she shouted or said awful things to him, he still came back to save her, to help her, to occasionally make her laugh. And she was beginning to feel something more for the silent knight, even though he’d never said a single word to her.

“Hey, princess! Snap out of it!”

Zelda blinked out of her memories, finding Impa standing beside her with a hand on her hip, a small smile pulling at her lips. “Impa, I-I apologize, I...got lost in my thoughts for a moment…” she trailed off, her gaze fixated ahead of her.

The sound of Link’s yells filled her ears, something that had become rather familiar, and she sighed softly as she watched. He was training with Mipha and Daruk while Revali stood off to the side, most likely making snide comments to anyone who would listen. Urbosa, of course, waa most likely not listening. Just as he had that day, Link didn’t seem to have much problem fighting. That sword of his...they really did work well together, didn’t they?

“Pardon me for being so blunt, Your Highness, but you seem to get lost in your thoughts a lot while watching Link. Care to divulge?” There was just the smallest hint of smugness in the Shiekah’s tone, but enough to make Zelda’s cheeks grow pink.

She cleared her throat and shook her head. “It’s nothing.” That was true, of course - before, it had all been jealousy, but now it was a mix of jealousy, determination, and...and something she didn’t really want to think about. “I’m going to the Spring of Courage to train,” she decided, mostly because she didn’t want to continue having this conversation, but also because she might as well continue trying to awaken her power. Link and the Champions weren’t giving up, so why should she? As Impa tried to argue, the princess just shook her head. “I’ll be fine, Impa. I promise.”

And with that, she mounted her horse and rode off. To her knowledge, no one knew of her leaving. She hadn’t wanted to break Link’s concentration, and it wouldn't be fair to interfere with his training. So she went alone.

But as she stood in that all-too-familiar cold water, staring up at that stone statue that had never offered her anything no matter how hard she prayed, the distant sound of hooves grew closer. And she sighed, but she smiled, too. Her knight, always coming to her rescue.

She was learning now to be more...empathetic. To understand that he was under pressure too, that he was only carrying out his duty to protect her. It wasn’t his fault. Really, her anger should be directed toward her father, but...that was out of the question for now.

Quiet steps signaled his entrance, and she took a deep breath, then straightened up a little, turning around to face him. Perhaps he’d been expecting an outburst, but she simply greeted him. “Hello, Link. I apologize for running off without telling you. I simply didn’t want to interrupt your training with my own.”

His face was as blank as ever, though she wondered if she imagined the slight twitch to the corner of his lips. Still, he shook his head, which she knew to take as It’s alright.

“I haven’t been making it easy on you, and I apologize. I’m just so…” she trailed off, a gasp escaping her as her arm flung forward in a point. “Link, look out!”

Behind him, a Lynel roared - somehow it had gotten so close to the entrance, it had fit itself through the archway. Link gasped, turning around, and immediately unsheathed the sword. Though she couldn’t see his face, she could imagine it clearly - the way that his eyebrows furrowed and his gaze hardened, just like the day she met him.

All she could do was stand beside the statue, feeling useless, watching as Link hopped around the stone, ran through the water, waiting for an opening to strike at the monster. It charged, and he tried to dodge but moved a moment too late - he was flung across the room, tumbling to the ground without so much as a noise. Zelda filled that empty space with a cry of her own, which caught the attention of the Lynel. Snarling at her, it struck its hooves upon the ground, then charged. Covering her eyes with her arm, she bent down, waiting for the impact -

But there was a quiet grunt and the sound of a sword hitting those tough horns, and she looked up in surprise to see Link standing in front of her, shoulders heaving with how heavy he was breathing but protecting her nonetheless. Glancing over his shoulder, he nodded once, which she knew meant she had to get out of the way. Moving backward, she hid behind the statue and peeked out from behind it, watching him take a deep breath and spin the sword around, earning a pained roar from the Lynel before it fell to the ground, unmoving.

The only sound that filled the spring was his breathing, matched with her own. The sword was sheathed, and he stumbled a little on his feet. “Link!” she cried, racing to him, placing her hands on his shoulders to keep him steady. “Are you alright?! What’s…” she trailed off, noticing a trickle of blood trailing down his right temple. “Y-You’re hurt.” Her voice was small and broken, and she didn’t like it. “We...Let us get you to Mipha. She can help.”

Link nodded, though the action made him wince. She felt even worse. Placing his arm around her shoulders, and one hand on his chest, she guided them both out the door. She would return later to get his horse, but for now he was in no condition to be riding. Helping him up onto her own, she grabbed the reins and headed back to the castle.

Her thoughts raced as the horse galloped. Link lay his head on her shoulder, his grip tight on the saddle. All she could do was murmur, tell him that he was going to be just fine. But she couldn’t help but think it was all her fault. All of this was her fault. It always was.

When they reached the castle, she found the rest of the Champions exactly where she had left them. “Mipha!” she exclaimed, pulling the reins of the horse, feeling her eyes burn, “There was a monster, and I-I...Link hit his head rather hard, please, please help him…”

Urbosa and Daruk exchanged a look, and even Revali was silent for the moment. Mipha nodded, clenching her jaw. “Daruk?”

The Goron nodded, stepping forward to gently take Link from the horse, cradling him carefully so as to not hurt him further. “Easy does it, little guy.” Link’s eyes were half-closed, and Zelda felt her heart break at how small and vulnerable he looked in Daruk’s arms. Almost like that boy she met two years ago.

Sliding off of the horse, she moved to step closer, but Urbosa stopped her. “Give Mipha some space, little bird,” she said gently, though her gaze stayed forward. Even she looked worried - but then again, each of the Champions had taken a liking to Link, besides Revali. And even he looked a little uneasy.

It took awhile, but eventually Mipha stepped back. “He will be alright,” she assured them, her gaze falling upon the princess with a small smile. “He just needs to rest for a little while.”

Zelda felt herself let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, and nodded. “Thank you, Mipha.”

Daruk took Link into his arms again, and she guided him toward her own room - after all, he deserved to rest properly in a bed, didn’t he? She thanked the Champion once more before he left, then found herself alone with her knight yet again.

The blood had been cleaned up, though he still looked quite pained, even in sleep. She swallowed, trying to push away her guilt as she stepped forward, gingerly pulling the blankets up to his chest. He didn’t move, and she found herself sitting in the chair beside him, just...watching. The pit in her stomach felt heavier by the minute, and she let out a shaky breath as she leaned forward, gently brushing some hair from his eyes.

What kind of a princess was she? She was supposed to be the one to protect everyone, but people...but Link would keep getting hurt for her.

She sat there for a long while, not sure how much time had passed before a soft groan escaped him and his eyes fluttered open. Immediately he tensed in the unfamiliar environment, and she placed a hand on his arm, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “It’s alright, Link. You’re safe. You’re just in my quarters.”

He blinked up at her, then tried to sit up, his ears reddening at the statement. She knew how unprofessional it was for her own knight to be residing in her bed, but no one would know. Besides, it was perfectly reasonable. She shook her head.

“Please, take it easy. You’re alright. Just lay down, Mipha ordered you to rest.” Upon realizing she wouldn’t take no for an answer, he sighed quietly and lay back down. “Do you remember what happened?” Thinking it over for a moment, he nodded slowly, a hand coming up to touch the temple that had been bleeding earlier. Her guilt resurfaced and she nodded. “Yes, you...saved me again.”

She had to look away, feeling her eyes burn. Closing them so he would not see, she pulled her hand back from his arm and let out a shaky sigh.

“You must be tired of it, Link,” she continued, her lower lip quivering. “Coming to my rescue day after day. Why, I wouldn’t be surprised if you simply walked out on my father one day. I’m so sorry I can’t...I can’t do what I’m supposed to do. Everyone’s paying the price for it. I’m just...I’m so useless.”

Staring at the wall, she found herself holding back tears like a child. How she wished things weren’t so difficult - she knew her studies wouldn’t be enough, but…

“You’re not useless.”

Three words, said in a voice she didn’t recognize. Her eyes widened and she gasped, looking over at him. His eyebrows were furrowed and he’d propped himself against the headboard. “Link, you...you spoke !” Now that she thought on it, his father had said something - that Link only spoke to those he was most comfortable with. Did that mean…?

He swallowed, nodding. “It...will be alright.” His voice was soft and pleasant, though scratchy without use. All she could do was stare. “It will come. And I won’t leave.” There weren’t many words to go on, but she could tell they were sincere. And her eyes filled with the tears she had been holding back this whole time, leaning forward to rest her forehead on his shoulder.

She felt him tense beneath her, and hesitant arms came to wrap around her. Hearing words from her silent knight may have been what she needed, after all.

“Thank you…” To know that Link believed in her was good enough for now. He wouldn’t leave. He’d always be there for her.

And she was going to seal Ganon away for good.

#the legend of zelda #zelink #botw #breath of the wild #age of calamity #aoc #tloz #zelda #link #tw blood #I just think They're Neat #I finished age of calamity so now I have brainrot #im sorry it's not ace attorney #anyways #enjoy #my writing #agoldengalaxy #my post

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nom-central · 4 years

Text

A Prince’s Aid (Si//don x Reader)

Happy vore day everyone! Here’s the fruits of my labor, a reader insert fic starring a certain prince! I worked really hard on this and I’m eager to share it with you all, depending on the reception it gets I may do more fics like these in the future!

You didn’t know how you managed to get yourself into these situations.

You were traveling through Hyrule, on your way back home after traveling to another village. Everything had gone well so far, up until the past hour or so of your life. A sudden bokoblin ambush startled you right off your horse, leaving you alone and without your bag to defend yourself against them. You were forced to flee from the volley of arrows and haphazardly swung weapons, the adrenaline kept you going even after an arrow struck you in the thigh. And to make matters worse, in your haste to escape you didn’t watch where you were going and ended up tumbling down a hill and partially into a river. And there you lay now, partially sprawled out on the riverbank. Your injured leg is oozing blood in the water, and now it's started to rain. At least none of your bones were broken from the fall and the arrow isn’t stuck in you anymore, but you were too exhausted to even move yourself out of the water. You wondered now if this was going to be it for you, if you’d freeze to death from your own exhaustion or maybe a lizalfos will be lucky enough to make dinner out of you. Deciding not to think about it too hard you close your eyes, too worn out to keep them open any longer. Some splashing to your left catches your attention but you ignore it, if it’s some river monster attracted to the scent of your blood you’re in no position to fend it off anyway. The splashing only gets closer and you think you hear a voice, but you figure you’re imagining it. You let your mind grow hazy, and you start to drift off right where you are despite the approaching splashes…

“Hylian! Are you okay?”

Okay, that was definitely a voice and it was close.

You open your eyes and are greeted with the face of a shark man of some sort, who seems to be staring down at you in worry. Startled, you summon enough energy to yelp and jerk back a bit, but the action causes you pain. You’re definitely bruised up, or worse... “Ah! You’re awake, I was worried I was too late! You see, I had smelled blood in the river and swam downstream to investigate... and here you were! I’m glad I got to you in time!” You’re a bit disoriented, for a river monster that was totally going to eat you, he seemed rather...concerned for your safety. He notices your befuddled look and edges back from you. “Ah, my apologies! I must have frightened you being so close. I am Sidon, prince of the Zora!” Zora? You had heard of them before, but you had never met one in person. And he was a prince...that explained all of the flashy accessories.

“I cannot sit idly by when someone is injured, so please allow me to take you to Zora’s Domain! You’ll be safe there while you heal.” You’re saved! You try to sit up to take his outstretched hand, but you hiss in pain. Moving your body hurt, and SIdon looked you over with worry. “You’re too injured to move? Your leg certainly looks bad...hmm, you won’t be able to ride on my back upstream like this…” His golden eyes looked skyward in thought, before he looked back down at you with a very toothy grin. “I’ve got it! I’ll just carry you up to Zora’s Domain! You don’t need to worry about a rough ride, I’m the best swimmer of my people!” He's going to carry you? You weren't sure of how he would do it, but you decided to put your trust in him as you gave him a weak nod. "Ah, good! Don't worry, I'll be gentle with you." That remark he gave confused you a bit, but you figured that he meant with handling you as he gently lifted you up, apologizing after every wince and noise you made. What confused you even more was the fact that he was holding you above his head, and pulling off your shoes. You gave him a befuddled look, to which he responds with a slow lick of his lips. “It’s a good thing you Hylians are so small, this will be a cinch!” He opens his mouth wide, leaving you to gaze straight down his throat as he begins to lower your feet into it. He’s eating you! You’re in no position to resist, being chilled from the rain and sore from everything you’ve gone through, so you opt to whimper quietly as your feet sink into the warmth of his mouth. Hearing your distress he gives you a reassuring pat with his free hand, now using it to support you as he starts to slowly gulp you down. He’s pretty warm on the inside for a fish, and you find yourself involuntarily relaxing as your legs are pulled into his throat. He was being truthful about being gentle with you, even with all the licking he’s done he was careful to not lick around your injury so he wouldn’t hurt you. Maybe this won’t be bad after all...he certainly seemed to be taking his time despite your status, he must be enjoying the way you taste. Only your upper half remains outside in the cold air, with the rest of your body encased in his warm throat and steadily sinking deeper. You gave an involuntary shiver, you’re still pretty cold and this gives Sidon the incentive to hurry up a bit. A few thick swallows bring you all the way inside, and you’re forced still as you slowly slide deeper. You can feel your legs getting pushed into a more open space, and in a few moments the rest of you joins them in what must be his stomach. It gurgles quietly at your arrival, and you sink into its warmth without a peep as you can feel Sidon’s hand pressing against you. “There you are, safe and secure! You fill me up a bit more than I thought, but not to worry! I’ll get you to Zora’s Domain and we can get your leg looked at.” Well, he said you were safe...his stomach is just burbling and churning around you, and you only feel warm and a bit constricted. You find enough strength to make yourself more comfortable in his gut, and it’s met with a gentle rub. “I’m going to start swimming now, okay?” You push on his stomach as a response, and your world suddenly rocks as you can hear a faint splash from outside. He’s swimming now, but the ride is smooth as you’re only gently rocked from side to side. You find yourself getting drowsy again, the warmth of his body and the sound of his heartbeat making you relax. You’re sure it’s fine to doze off in him, it’s already clear that you won’t be hurt in his care. So you doze off in the belly of the prince, and when you wake up later you’ll have your injuries looked after, with him fretting over you all the while. You wonder how you’ll make things up to him when you’ve recovered, your bag is still missing out in the wild…

Maybe you’ll let him eat you again as a sign of thanks. It wasn’t actually that bad, and you noticed how much he seemed to enjoy your flavor...

#soft vore #safe vore #halfsize vore #extreme cuddling #protective vore #reader insert #vore fic #blood tw #not a lot tho #lmk if this needs more tags!#he would be the type to help anyone in danger hes a good shark #and an attractive one #vore day

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the-soupiest-artist · 3 years

Text

The Legend of Zelda: Lost and Found

Chapter 1: Searching for the Missing Girl

In celebration of the 2 year anniversary of Song of the Healers, my webcomic, I decided to start a new journey!! Please be warned this trail of stories will have MAJOR SPOILERS for the comic, so if you want to stay pure I’d advise you to stay away....or stay....There are some pretty nice art pieces scatter throughout this fic. ANYWAYS! Thank you all so much for your love towards my OCs in SOH! I hope you enjoy this new tale!

~ The Healer Palace was in a crisis. The tailors and servants alike were searching the palace high and low for someone of the utmost importance. Most people were searching by themselves but some chose to travel in groups as they covered as much of the palace ground as possible. One of the palace tailors, the head tailor to be precise, met up with one of the other frantic servants. Her jewelry jingled as she halted to a stop.

“Azalea! Have you found her yet?!?!” The head tailor asked.

The servant shook her head, her eyes plastered with worry, “No Sister Iris!”

Sister Iris, the head tailor let out a groan, “Oh for Akane’s sake! Of all the days to go missing!”

“Keep searching!” Iris shouted, turning on her heel and running in the opposite direction.

Azalea continued on her path, running through the crowded inner courtyard of The Healer Palace. The round marble structure shielded the inhabitants of the palace from the hot evening sun.

Running through the crowd Azalea spotted the familiar uniform of someone who might be of more help.

Sprinting towards him Azalea called out towards the young soldier. “Link! Link! Thank the gods I’ve found you!”

The young guard turned around and pushed some of his blonde hair from his eyes. “Azalea? What’s wrong?!”

Azalea halted to stop her words spilling from her as she explained the crisis that she and the palace staff were in, “we can’t find Mara anywhere! We were going to do her final fitting for her outfit! The Choosing is in less than twenty-four hours and if the tailors don’t get her fitted soon they won’t have time to make any alterations!”

Link sighed and encouraged the frantic servant to sit down and rest a bit. “Are you sure it’s not just Mara being her classic self? She is late for quite a few things.”

“That’s what we thought! But when Camilla showed up before her we knew something was wrong! Please help us Link! If anyone knows where she is it’s you!” Azalea exclaimed her tired eyes begging the guard for help.

Link looked out beyond and to the outer courtyard of the palace. The orange glow of dusk teasing the white city. He stood up with a sigh.

“I know where she is.”

The turquoise blue of the bay clashed with the orange glow of the setting sun. The water started to darken as the light of day fled the land.

Letting out a sigh Mara stood in front of the divine statue of the goddess, Din. Who watched over the city in line with her sister gods, Nayru, who was in the heart of the city, and Farrore who watched over the ships that docked in the bay.

It was a beautiful sight, just how small the city looked from here, Mara could see the entire capital. She looked out over the sea, she could see beyond the great thorn wall that protected the fisherman’s ships from the outside world. The sea beyond was still barren. No ships, no people, not even whales graced the waters. It was empty, just as it had been for the last well...however long her people had been in hiding.

She looked up at the face of the goddess Din. It was hard to spot her eyes because of how tall she was. Still, they looked out onto the city, towards her sisters. Her power unwavering, just like the flame that’s held in her hand once the night falls.

If she could just climb it. Maybe she would be able to see what lies beyond the great thorn wall towards the land.

Her train of thought was cut short as a familiar voice broke the peaceful silence Mara was enjoying.

“Don’t start...you know how it ends…”

At the sound of Link’s voice, Mara jumped, a bush along with several hosts of white flowers erupted from the earth and landed gracefully in uniform on Mara’s head.

She turned to him with a frown. “LINK! You scared me!”

He laughed, “I’m aware! But I’m glad I stopped you from doing something stupid….again….”

“Again? There had never been an ‘again.’ The last time I tried to scale The Golden Goddess Din’s statue was when I was six!” Mara huffed. “And I distinctly remember a plucky little boy chasing after me in that great climb!”

Link gave her a knowing look, “Yet you were the one who broke your arm.”

“Yeah…” Mara groaned with a defeated sigh, “I still remember Aunt Amarylis’s glare.”

She shivered, “It haunts me to this day.”

“Speaking of your Aunts.” Link folded his arms across his chest, “You know everyone is in a panic looking for you. Apparently, someone is missing a very important fitting.”

Mara kicked a stray rock, “I know…”

She climbed up on top of the platform of Din’s statue, joining the space where the marble folds of the goddess’ gown dropped over the sides of the great platform. “But then I would miss the sunset.”

“Mara, I know you’ve heard this speech a thousand times already, and I know I’m the last person you want to hear this from, but The Choosing is tomorrow. This is what your aunts have been preparing for your whole life. A lot is riding on you being the next Leader.” Link climbed up with her, his legs dangling over the edge as dusk kept its hold on the city. “You could be chosen by the Goddesses themselves one day. You’re the hope of our people’s future.”

Mara laid back onto the platform, “Augh….I know I know...I’m not sure I’m ready...I just feel like well….Like I’m meant for more than this…”

Link gave her a puzzling look, “what do you mean by that?”

Mara sat up and looked out to the sea beyond the wall, “I’ve been feeling this call.”

“Like a voice?”

“No!...Maybe? I don’t know but it’s like….a yearning in my heart for….more.” Mara sighed. “Like there’s more beyond the confines of the great thorn walls. I can feel it...It’s like something beyond it is….calling for me…”

Link looked back, towards where the land wall separated the city from the land beyond. “You want to go out?”

She nodded, “I know we’re not supposed to, and no one has ever tried since….ah…”

“My mother.” Link muttered, resting his chin on the palm of his hand.

“Right….but I just keep feeling it in my blood..like I’m supposed to venture beyond it just….just once in my life...before I’m doomed to…” she gestured towards the city, “a life full of leading and social gatherings.”

There was a long moment of silence between the two friends before Link got an idea. A wide smile appearing on his face.

“Hey Mara, remember at our Coming of Age Ceremony where I promised to take you on one more adventure before adulthood struck us for real?” Link’s eyes sparkled and Mara frowned.

“I believe you still owe me that trip.” Mara turned to him, her eyes softening. “Link, what are you planning?”

“I’m getting you over the wall.” Link stated standing up.

“Wait...YOU ARE!?” Mara smiled and Link nodded.

“Should be easy enough, we’ve got the skills!” Link rested his hands on his hips, “and if we die we won’t have to face adulthood anymore.”

Mara laughed, “Let’s hope we don’t.”

“Well, throw a bead into the ocean.” Link laughed, “For luck.”

Mara jumped up and hugged him, “Thank you so much! Thank you, Link!”

Link hugged her back, “Ah it’s nothing for my best friend. However, you still gotta face your Aunt back at the palace.”

Mara pulled away and whistled for her horse Elias. The stallion whinnied in almost an annoyed tone. He was rudely interrupted from his peaceful grazing of mountain grasses and such.

“Come on Elias we’re going back,” Mara shouted, running to him. The Horse huffed at her as she climbed the stallion’s back and rode off down the mountain trail.

Mara indeed got a scolding from her Aunt Amaryllis, and the same speech about growing up and her being the next leader

Amaryllis was the second of Mara’s aunts, yet she was the leader of their people. Her icy stare was legendary and everyone feared her...in the best of ways.

Amaryllis’s younger sister, Camellia was the life of the party, she passed down her habit of always being late to things to her dearest niece, she belongs to no person but would rather float from person to person whenever the mood struck her.

Lilija was the second eldest. She was a powerful Healer who focused much of her time on being a midwife and nursing injured Hylian’s back to health.

Even though Amaryllis was their named leader, chosen by the Goddesses themselves, the sisters all considered themselves to be a council of rulers in their own rights. They were all still family and they all still loved the people their bloodline had been governing for thousands of years. They hoped Mara would take to heart the guidance and training the Aunts had given her...even in this unfortunate moment when Mara was getting an ear-full from the cold monotone voice of Leader Amaryllis. Mara looked back at Link as she was dragged away to fulfill the last-minute preparations that Mara had been working so hard to avoid.

Link shook his head and returned to the guard room. The Head Guard, Atlas, smiling at him as he entered.

“Good work on finding Mara.” Atlas chuckled, setting his helmet on his armor stand. “It seems you two always know where to find each other.”

“You’re just now noticing this?” Link laughed, “Damn Atlas you must be getting old.”

Atlas smacked the boy across his back playfully. “This ‘old man’ is still able to beat you in a spar.”

Link threw his hands up in surrender, “Aw come on Atlas! I was really close to beating you last time.”

Atlas nodded, “no one likes a sore loser, boy.”

“Don’t you boy me!” Link grumbled, throwing his chest plate at him, with quick reflexes Atlas caught it and laughed.

Hanging the armor on Link’s marked peg the rivalry dwindled.

“Are you looking forward to The Choosing tomorrow?” Atlas asked, his eyes gentle.

“Yeah of course.” Link smiled, “I get to see my best friend take on what she’s been training for.”

“Is Mara nervous at all?” Atlas asked

“Well, it’s Mara. She’s nervous about a lot of things but this….” Link let out a long sigh as he finally managed to free the last part of his uniform from his tired body. “I think she’s just scared of not doing a good job if and when The Goddesses chose her.”

The Head Guard nodded, “all reasonable fears to have. She’ll be a fine Leader.”

“She will be. Once she learns to be on time for things.” Link chuckled and Atlas laughed with him.

“I’ll stop keeping you.” Atlas waved as he headed towards the exit. “Your father’s probably expecting you, and you need rest. It’s a big day for us Healers.”

“And for us Hylians.” Link remarked setting his satchel over his head. Atlas nodded in agreement as his dark brown dreadlocks disappeared down the hall.

The nightlife of the Healer capital filled the streets as the gondoliers were tying up their boats for the night. Some counted their coins and others playing music softly for the people of the town.

Link arrived at his father’s bakery. The windows were closed and dark. The day was done and Learen was probably inside making him a delicious meal. He opened the heavy wooden door and called out to his father.

“Papa! I’m home!”

Learen’s head appeared from the kitchen, his hands scratching his blonde scruff, white from flour and age. “Ah! There he is my brave warrior!”

Learen welcomes his son into his arms, patting his back each with wide smiles on their faces.

“So did you save the world from ultimate destruction today?” Learen joked, pulling the lids off of the dinner he had made.

“If you call saving Mara from the icy scolding of Leader Amaryllis saving the world.” Link sat down at the table. “Then yes, I absolutely saved the world from total annihilation.”

Learen shivered serving some of the hearty stew to his son. “Gods Leader Amaryllis. That woman even scares me half to death with the mere flash of her eyes.”

“You got that right Papa.” Link snickered, slicing himself a large portion of bread.

“The Choosing is tomorrow.” Learen sighed, “the hopeful new leader of our people will be presented to the public.”

Link nodded, “I wish Mama were here to see it.”

There were a few moments of silence between the father and his son as memories of one loved and lost filled their minds.

“She’d be so proud of Mara.” Link sighed.

Learen rested his hand on his son’s shoulder. “I know she would’ve been.”

The two started to eat and Link entertained his father with stories from the palace. How he chased a stray cat from the kitchens, saved a young girl’s guardian familiar from drowning, and how he got to enjoy the sunset with Mara before returning her home. Shortly after dinner and a lovely little dessert. Laren and Link said their goodnights and went to bed. Both of them sharing the same feelings with the rest of the city. All of the city hardly slept, for the excitement of tomorrow’s gathering was near and the people were so looking forward to meeting their hopefully new leader.

The following morning was met with the bells from the harbor ringing. Signaling that today was a day of celebration. Everyone filled the streets with much dancing and singing as they waited for the command to meet at the palace. So their chosen leader could be anointed in the eyes of her people. Today was The Choosing and the entire capital expressed their joy.

Mara exited the chamber, her Auntie Camellia greeting her.

“Why the long face flower?” She asked with kind eyes.

Mara let out a deep sigh before answering her aunt, “I just got done bathing in olive oil and rosemary. I know it’s ceremonial and supposed to feel relaxing...but I just feel like a batch of focaccia bread ready to be thrown into the fiery depths of an oven.

Camellia hugged her niece, “Oh Lily complained about that too...it’s just nerves Mara”

Mara melted into her aunt’s embrace.

“The worst of it is almost over, flower. Then it’s just partying until the sun rises.” Camellia smiles and twirled Mara around. Mara laughing before linking her arm in her aunts as she was led to her room, Camellia shooed the rest of the servants out of her niece’s chambers. Mara looked at her aunt puzzlingly, but before she could speak Camellia answered for her. “This is a special moment for me personally. I designed every part of your garb for this day ever since your mother brought you to us. The design changed over time as you grew older and you changed.”

Helping Mara into the pure white dress, Camellia continued to explain, “I was going to ask Lily if I could help her dress you for The Choosing, but, now knowing that she won’t be here for it….I feel almost guilty.” Picking up the gold and navy waist scarf, the gold metal coins jingled as Camellia fastened it around Mara’s waist, “she’s so proud of you. You know that I know that.” Mara nodded and kept her head down, the anxiety of what was to come was getting to her, “ do you think I’ll be ready? If the Goddesses choose me?”

Her Aunt rose back up onto her feet, cupping her niece’s face gently. “I know you will be. You will be the finest ruler our people have ever seen.” Camellia’s compassion-filled eyes sparkled with a bit of mischief, “you’ll be more kind and compassionate than Amaryllis that is for sure.” The two softly laughed, lightening the mood of the serious conversation.

“Now remember,” Camellia smiled as she went back to dressing Mara up for the ceremony. “When you enter the hall, don’t look at the people, stand tall, and pretend you know what you’re doing.”

Mara scoffed, “you know you’re sounding more like Aunt Amaryllis the more this conversation carries on?”

Camellia smacked her niece’s backside jokingly, “oi! This ceremony, believe it or not, is the only time ‘Serious Camellia’ is awakened. Once Akane’s Token hangs ‘round your neck, your Auntie will be dancing and drinking with the rest of our people.” She pinched Mara’s nose and shook her head gently the two bursting out into laughter.

Camellia took her niece’s hand, twirling her around her room, the two of them singing a loud Healer tune. They both sounded like drunken fools, spinning and wobbling around the room as the two grew dizzy. The Aunt and her niece collapsing on Mara’s bed in a heap of laughter.

Once the laughter had died down, Camellia rolled over and kissed Mara’s cheek.

“Flower you are so loved. I love you so very much Mara.” Mara hugged her aunt, “I love you too Auntie Camellia.” The two sat up and Camellia kissed Mara’s forehead, “you are going to make a wonderful leader. Our people are lucky to have you.”

Mara smiled bright the two of them hugging tightly, “Come.” Camelia sighed, “it’s time. Remember, pick a spot on the back wall. Don’t look at the people and you won’t feel sick, or like running away.” “Thanks, Auntie Camelia,” Mara muttered

“Of course Flower.” Auntie Camelia sighed giving Mara one last peck on the forehead, for luck.

~~~~~~~~

This fic couldn’t have happened without the wonderful help and guidance of @ridersoftheapocalypse Truly this story would’ve never happened without the beautiful work you and @s-kinnaly have made! Your universe is a huge inspiration to me and thank you so much for letting me take part in it!! It’s an honor!! Of course none of this would’ve ever happened without @figmentforms their comic, ATOTR was the reason I even started scripting SOH in the first place! And I honor their work by doing my own comic in greyscale as well! And it’s because of that comic I even fell in love with greyscale in the first place!!

All of you are huge inspirations to me! Thank you for your creations, and please keep making them!! They never fail to give me the truest of feels!!

There’s more to come from this story!! And I am excited for ALL of it!!

🌸Next Chapter🌸

#art #layneart #the soupiest artst #soh #the legend of zelda #legend of zelda fanfiction #soup makes fics #the Soupiest fiction #the legend of zelda: lost and found #Mara #Link #Learen #Camellia #Amaryllis #Elias #Atlas

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cascadena · 3 years

Text

Rekindled - Ch 2

SUMMARY: Post-BotW. Zelink. Hyrule now turns to an exhausted Princess Zelda to pick up the fragments of the fallen kingdom. Link, who is still piecing together his own past and traumas from his own journey, realizes that he has to be the one to help Zelda back on her feet. Together, they travel the land to begin the rebuilding process, and uncover a new, mysterious threat along the way…

GENRE: Adventure, Romance, Hurt/Comfort

WORDS: 44K (12 Chapters)

STATUS: Complete

RATING: T for Teen | Contains Action/Violence, Blood, and (Of-Age) Alcoholic Beverage Consumption, Kissing Scenes.

Start at Chapter 1 here, or

[Read on FF.Net] & [Read on AO3]

...

CHAPTER 2 - The Princess Releases Her Knight

Zelda

Impa somehow caught onto my intention to leave before I even stepped down the stairs into the gathering room the next morning. “Where will you and Link be headed?” She asked before I greeted her. Paya sat beside her.

I froze in place. “How did you—?”

Impa laughed. “We saw you two talking outside in the moonlight last night, all romantically,” she said. Paya clasped her hands to her cheeks in embarrassment at her admission of spying on us and stepped out of the room.

“Oh, Impa! You watched us?” I sighed in exasperation. If one thing hadn’t changed, it was Impa’s keen senses of my feelings towards Link. A hundred years ago, she had claimed she knew I’d develop a crush on him even when I still despised him for holding the Master Sword. Ironically, her granddaughter, Paya, seemed to be exponentially more shy than Impa at the same age.

“I was disappointed I didn’t see a kiss, but maybe he hasn’t quite caught up with you yet,” Impa smirked, and I felt my face heat. “So… where are you two going?”

“Hateno Village. I have been convinced to take a rest before starting my duties,” I said.

Impa hummed. “Hateno, huh? You might not be resting much if my sister gets wind you’re there…” She pointed to a small plate of scrambled eggs on the table and I sat down across from her.

“We will only be there a short time. However, I have faith that the Sheikah can begin cleaning up the castle without my presence...” I said between bites of egg. My stomach immediately protested at the presence of food but I managed to keep it down, thankfully. At least Paya remembered to only prepare a small amount for me.

“I will see to it, Your Highness.” A hint of sorrow touched Impa’s smile. “I should have known better than to direct you back into the castle so soon. I’m sorry.”

I shook my head. “No need to apologize. It’s important to begin as quickly as possible but I…” I trailed off, unsure how to put my feelings into words. I’d always been shot down quickly by my father when voicing my opinion on the running of Hyrule in the past.

“You are lucky to have him looking out for your health,” Impa said quietly, referring to Link. “He has always looked out for you, even before the calamity.”

I nodded as I finished up the breakfast, and Paya stepped into the room. She held out something folded in her hands. ‘Your Highness, these are yours.”

I gasped. It was my old field research clothes. A hundred years ago, I had stopped at Impa’s home to change into my prayer dress before traveling to Mount Lunayru before the calamity. I couldn’t believe they were still intact, and Impa had kept them in perfect condition over all these years.

“I always had faith you would return victorious, and then want them back,” said Impa with a grin when I went to hug her.

I found Link outside the inn tending to his horse. He’d seemingly stuffed the saddlebags with as much produce from the shop as possible. His eyes looked tired—I hoped he hadn’t stayed up all night on guard. “Good morning,” I said. “Did you sleep?”

“Enough to ride. Are you ready to go, Your Highness?” He asked. I frowned, wondering if he had stayed up keeping an eye out for monsters all night. He tightened a belt on the horse to secure an impressive spear—one of his spoils from the castle, no doubt. “Epona can hold us both, though I’m willing to walk to give her a break every so often.”

I patted the nose of his horse as it turned its head to me. It was a slightly larger beast than his old horse. A pain shot through my core as I remembered that my beloved horse was most likely yet another casualty in the calamity. Link’s horse seemed to sense my change of heart because she nuzzled into my hand.

“I’m ready,” I confirmed.

After thanking Impa and Paya for their hospitality, we set out on the southern path. I had never ridden with Link on the same horse before. Before the calamity, we used to ride around on our horses together, exploring Hyrule between my training sessions—only after I had warmed up to him, of course. On those days in the wild, riding around with Link, I felt free from my burdens.

It felt… familiar to be alongside him again. It was just the two of us, riding through the lush, quiet mountainside to the rhythm of Epona’s drumming hooves. We passed over the Kakariko Bridge and I watched sunlight dance on the water surface below.

I wrapped my arms tightly around Link’s torso to steady myself as Epona trotted up a steeper hill, and I was a little surprised at his slenderness. Perhaps he’d lost a lot of weight during his slumber, or maybe his knight armor had always made him appear larger than he was in actuality.

“You are quiet, Your Highness,” said Link.

Admittedly, I was still incredibly tired which lent to my abnormal quietness, however I was still taken aback with his comment. “I guess… I’m not yet used to the idea that you’re much more conversational now.”

“I just seem to remember you speaking a lot in the memories I do have, Your Highness, even if it was a one-sided conversation.”

I scoffed. “What is that supposed to mean?” I couldn’t hide my giggle when I heard Link chuckling. That was a rare sound to hear… Or was it, now?

Initially, it horrified me to think about how his personality could change and he could grow to resent me after his restorative slumber. Robbie and Purah had explained, upon the shrine’s discovery and excavation, how the facility would deprive patients of their memory, and its restorative powers should be a last resort. I had no choice when he fell, and the spirit of his sword told me it would save his life.

Yet, he still returned to me with a smile, and though he acted a little different around me now, I decided I did like this new, more relaxed Link.

I eyed the Master Sword, still on his shoulder, and I wondered if he should return it to the Lost Woods to slumber, now that the calamity was over. Its spirit hadn’t spoken to either of us, as far as I knew, since the calamity. Perhaps we would need to visit the Great Deku Tree soon.

I bumped lightly into Link’s shoulders when his horse stopped. I looked around in confusion as we had not yet reached Hateno Village. The damaged remains of the gate to Fort Hateno sprawled ahead, and a plain littered with Guardian corpses spread around us.

I inhaled sharply. “Blatchery Plain,” I breathed. My chest felt heavy. “Can we stop at the wall? I would like to pay my respects.”

Hundreds of decaying Guardians, frozen in time, destroyed by the Hylian soldiers and my own awakened power, were spread across the field. I crossed my arms as I looked out at them from where we stood. The tall grass that fluttered in the wind revealed piles of rubble and small graves decorated with flowers from loved ones hidden around them every so often. The damaged wall of Fort Hateno was covered in moss and vines, unkept and left to the elements over years of abandonment.

This was the state of the once great Kingdom of Hyrule. Ruined.

...Because I only found the secret to unlocking my power too late.

I dropped to my knees and made no effort to stop the tears from flooding down my cheeks as I sobbed. Link stood beside me and held his sword to the ground. I had no idea how long I sat there and cried, looking over the battlefield, and letting the remorse wash over me.

Link stepped away behind the wall for a few minutes at one point. I paid him no mind, figuring he’d gone away to relieve himself or something. However, I was surprised when he returned with food in hand. Cooked food.

“Where did you—?” I gasped, wiping tears away when I saw the cooked bird leg he offered in front of my face.

“There’s a cooking pot outside a cabin back behind the wall. Try to eat. You need to build up your strength,” he said.

I nodded and dried my cheeks before accepting the meat. I bit into the flesh, surprised to find he’d seasoned it with some salt and spices. I had never seen Link cook in the castle when he was just a knight, so he must have learned in the wild.

He seated himself beside me and leaned back against the stone walls, gnawing on a bird leg of his own. I ate about half of mine until I felt my stomach twist and decided against eating further.I offered him the rest and he took it without protest.

Link stared down at the grass. His eyes glossed over. “This is where fell—where I failed you.”

“Link…” I whispered and rubbed new tears away from my eyes. “You protected me to the last moment. I could not have had a better Hero.”

Link exhaled and I saw him staring at one of the guardian corpses from afar—possibly even the exact one that had prompted me to unlock my power. I wondered what he was imagining in his head. “Your Highness, I will attempt to live up to the knight I once was to you…”

I offered him a small smile. “Just please try not to jump in front of a laser for me and die again, if you can help it.”

He clicked his tongue. “If I have to do it again, I will,” he said. I blinked, feeling my face flush even though his sentiment should not have been a surprise to me at this point.

We arrived at Hateno Village late in the day. I had fallen asleep against Link’s shoulders shortly after we passed under the Cliffs of Quince, and I only woke once I heard the high pitched giggle of a child as we trotted into the village. Link waved at a villager hunched in a field of bamboo that called out to greet him. I sat up in the saddle, attempting to look more presentable, but the villager paid no special mind to my presence. Two small children bolted by us, waving at us as they passed before continuing on. I waved back at them before Link directed his horse down another path. Another person sweeping the area outside her house greeted us briefly before continuing her work.

I’d never experienced this feeling of… anonymity? No, normalcy, perhaps, before. No matter where I traveled in Hyrule as a child, the people always knew who I was. If not for my royal clothes, then because of my entourage of knights or accompaniment with the King. A hundred years later, with no formal entourage, none of these villagers knew my identity yet. In their eyes, I was probably just a guest of Link’s.

It was...strangely refreshing.

We passed over a bridge that led to a cozy looking little cottage. Link stopped the horse in front of the door. “This is it,” he said before helping me down. As I stretched my legs out, he unlocked the door with an old key on his belt, and ushered me inside. “Welcome, Your Highness.”

I stepped inside as Link fetched his groceries from Epona’s saddlebags. It was a humble home in size, yet the lofty ceiling impressed me. On the walls in the dining area were various weapons and shields hung on simply crafted display racks—more of Link’s spoils. The kitchen occupied one side of the space. A small sofa looked towards the fireplace on the far side of the room. Stairs to the right led up to a lofted area. Link slipped through the door behind me and lit a lamp on the wall.

“This is lovely,” I said. I wasn’t sure what I expected from the house of Link, a bachelor knight of Hyrule, but it was certainly a lot nicer than what I imagined many of the knights had in the barracks. “Is this the same home your family once owned? Your father’s?”

Link froze mid-movement as he packed fruits away into the cold storage below the stairs. “I…. I’m not sure,” he said very quietly.

“Oh…” I realized I may have struck a weak point in Link’s memory. I remembered Link’s father, a knight of the royal guard for my father, originally hailing from this village before moving to Castle Town. I wondered… Did Link even remember his own family?

My thoughts drifted to my own family. My mother, who passed away of sudden illness when I was seven, and then my father who cared so much for Hyrule and always pushed for me to train… Regret of leaving him under bad terms and never reconciling before he was killed by the calamity clawed at my soul.

Link stepped over to me and the floorboards creaked under his steps. “I’ll start the fireplace,” he said, then he put a hand to his head. “Oh, I am such a bad host. I do have tea somewhere, I think, from Gerudo Town...”

His fretting flattered me, though I was just glad to be in a peaceful place away from the castle now. Link started up a fire in no time which warmed the house to a cozy temperature.The patter of rain on the roof above us signaled a shower had blanketed over the area. I sat at the table while he warmed a kettle and watched him as he gathered up ingredients to presumably cook later. I’d never seen him be so… domestic before. It amused me.

Once the kettle whistled, he poured us each a cup of tea. He handed me the ceramic cup. “Your Highness…” He said.

I took the cup. “Link, there is no need for such formality with me. In the past, we hardly used them with each other outside of the castle, and there is no Kingdom of Hyrule at the moment, anyways. Please, just call me Zelda,” I said.

He stared at me and raised an eyebrow. I wondered if I had somehow offended him as I wasn’t used to his new expressiveness. Finally, he spoke. “As you wish… Zelda,” he said. He grinned when he said my name, as if the word was sweet on his tongue.

I felt a hard beat in my chest that I hadn’t felt in… quite a long time.

We sipped our tea quietly for a few minutes, listening to the rain hit the terracotta roof above. I was unsure what to speak about with Link. The horrors of fighting the Calamity were so fresh in our minds, I’m sure neither of us wished to discuss it. Link seemed content to lean back in his chair, and listen to the rain, as if the sound grounded him to the moment.

It wasn’t long before I once again felt the pull of exhaustion on my eyes and my head nodded. Link stepped up into the loft above for a few minutes. When he returned, he held out a hand for me. “If you would like to head to sleep, I just put new blankets on my bed. It’s all yours while you’re a guest here. I can take the sofa down here.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “I apologize. I know it is still early to retire for the night, I just…”

“Nonsense, you haven’t slept for the last hundred years.”

Link beckoned with his fingers and I accepted his hand. He led me up into the loft. It was small, only large enough for a small bookshelf, a desk, and a single-sized bed in the corner of the room. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “It’s uh... not fancy, and probably not anything like your old bed at the castle but… I always found it comfortable enough on nights when I was able to sleep here.”

“It’ll be perfectly suitable, Link, thank you,” I said as I pulled back the quilt.

He nodded before going back to the stairs. “Sleep for as long as you need. Whenever you’re hungry, I’ll be glad to cook something for you. Good night, Zelda.”

I nodded in gratitude as he stepped down out of the loft. I wrapped myself in the comfortable blankets, and quickly fell asleep as exhaustion once again took its hold on me.

I must have slept through the evening and the entire night, because when I awoke again, early morning sunlight spilled into the window. I sat up, disoriented by the unfamiliar walls, and blinked a few times before I remembered I was in Link’s house. My stomach growled for the first time since I sealed Ganon.

The whoosh of a sword splitting the air outside caught my attention. I crawled to peer out the window by the bed and looked down below. Link was outside already, practicing his swings. I smiled as I watched him. One thing that hadn’t changed was his dedication to routine training. His style was different though: rougher than before. He raised the Master Sword in a slow arc around his head, until he faltered to the side. I tightened my lips in concern. It had to be the injury on his arm. I decided to go down to see him.

Sparkling drips of water fell from the eaves above as I emerged from the cottage. I looked across the bridge towards the village beyond. Children played as adults whistled, carrying goods on their shoulders. It was such a lovely, peaceful town, completely untouched by the calamity.

I shifted my gaze back to Link, who hadn’t noticed me yet. The villagers had welcomed him here so warmly. Who wouldn’t want to live the rest of their life in peace here?

I was the tie keeping him away from such a peaceful future. As long as he was with me, he would follow me into political situations, battles, or anything else that came with being involved with the Royal Family. It was not a passive lifestyle.

My heart ached for the suffering Link had gone through. His scars were only the tip of the pain he’d endured. I couldn’t force his duty upon him any longer, after his incredible service to Hyrule.

“Good morning, Zelda.” He’d finally noticed me. I stepped over to him as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

“Good morning, Link.”

“Did you sleep well?” he asked.

I nodded. “I do feel much better than yesterday.”

He sheathed his sword and placed his hands on his hips as he smiled at me. I had no idea where he picked up that stance after his restoration but it amused me. “I’m going to clean myself up inside, but how does breakfast sound?”

“Excellent. I do feel hungry now,” I said. When he moved towards me, I noticed dark circles under his eyes. “Didn’t you sleep at all last night?”

He hesitated. “Yes.” It was a short answer.

“...Link?”

“Yes, Zelda?” He said again, and stopped to turn to me.

I folded my hands as I considered how to put my words together. “Seeing this lovely little village, I wouldn’t be surprised if you wanted to stay here for the rest of your days to live peacefully. I… I want you to...not feel pressured to continue as my Appointed Knight now that our sacred mission is over. You have given Hyrule incredible service. I want it to be clear that you are released of your duty, if you wish.”

He stared at me, speechless, as an incredulous look appeared on his face. A songbird fluttered overhead and landed on the roof above us. Then, he laughed as if I had told an incredibly funny joke, holding a hand to his face. He stepped closer to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Princess, I’m not leaving you any time soon. Wherever you go, I will be by your side, for as long as you allow.”

I blinked, not expecting him to refuse my offer. “But…?”

He grinned. “If memory serves me right, you’re my friend… I can’t just leave you now when you still need so much help, especially after I went and died for you once already.” He patted my shoulder and then re-entered the house.

My eyes dropped to the ground and I laughed to myself as my cheeks warmed. How silly of me to think my friend would ever leave me alone.

We decided to visit Purah’s lab after breakfast. Link had changed out of his dirtied champion tunic into a Hylian styled red tunic with leather braces and armor. When I complimented his new outfit, he beamed. I still wasn’t used to his new expanded range of expressions.

We reached the center of town when Link told me to wait outside one of the shops for a minute because he wanted to surprise me with something. I’d taken the sheikah slate from him and was playing with its camera feature as I waited. Link soon re-emerged from the shop and handed me something. “What’s this?” I asked as I belted the slate and took it from him.

“It’s a hood. I have one too in the house. It’s good for traveling,” he said. I unfolded the hood. It had a pattern on it that resembled a flower. He rubbed the back of his head. “I thought you’d like that design better than the one I have, since you really like flowers—if I remember right.”

I smiled. It was a lovely gift, and the Goddesses knew I needed new clothes since mine probably all burned up in the castle. “Thank you, Link,” I said as I threw it over my shoulders. My long hair caught up in it a little bit but it still fit. I twirled around, feeling like a schoolgirl showing off her new outfit. “How do I look?”

Link smiled. “Great!”

We continued up the hill until we reached a curious looking building: the Hateno Ancient Tech lab. I frowned as I recalled the violent destruction of the Royal Ancient Tech lab. Thank the Goddesses that Robbie and Purah made it out alive and were able to migrate their work to safe locations...

Link was about to knock on the door when he turned to me. “Oh, I should probably tell you…”

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by the door flying open. “LINKY!!!” A child’s voice trilled. “I KNEW YOU WOULD DO IT!”

A small girl rushed into Link’s legs, embracing them tightly as she squealed. I tilted my head in confusion. The child had the signature hair of a Sheikah, and even wore their traditional clothing—though sized down considerably. But it was her red glasses and hair accessory that gave her identity away to me. I could never forget her signature style... but why was she—?

The child noticed me and gasped. “P-Princess Zelda!? You’ve come too?” She turned her head back to Link. “She looks so weak. Linky, aren’t you taking good care of her?”

Link’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment at her chiding. I was fairly certain I was not mistaken by the child’s identity now. “Purah? Is that… you?”

She grinned. “Yup, it’s me. I guess I have to explain it to you now. Come on in and let’s catch up! Click, snap!”

We entered the lab and I was introduced to Symin, Purah’s current assistant, before she sat us down at the table. She snatched the sheikah slate away and placed it on the Guidance Stone nearby, stating she had an update for it. As it loaded, she informed me about why she had reverted to a child-like form, and how she’d been continuing research over the last hundred years. I glanced around the lab and my eyes drifted to her shelves of books about ancient civilizations and sheikah technology: my past passion. She noticed my attention drifting to the shelves and laughed. “Princess, you’re welcome to come study here any time you’d like.”

When the slate’s update was complete, she handed it back to me. “I’ve created a feature where you can check the operational status of the Divine Beasts in real time, remotely. It should make studying their efficiency much easier.”

“Thank you Purah, this will be incredibly helpful in managing them,” I said, tapping the screen to view the new functionality. Link poked his head over my shoulder in curiosity. All of the Divine Beasts were currently functioning at full capacity, though their most powerful lasers were still recharging from blasting Calamity Ganon a few days ago.

“Fascinating,” Link commented.

We chatted a little longer about our current plans and the Sheikah’s order to begin clearing out the castle. I instructed Purah and Symin to continue their research, as there was still much to learn about the ancient technology and how we could prevent it from being corrupted by malice again. We left the lab, and I continued to fiddle around with the slate.

“You’ve missed tinkering,” said Link as we walked through the village.

I nodded before I opened up the camera feature again and snapped a few pictures of some textiles on display outside the clothing shop. We passed beneath a shrine looming on the cliff above, and I snapped a photo of it.

“I should show you the inside of one of those shrines sometime,” said Link.

I gasped. “You would take me?”

He nodded. “Only once you’ve recovered, of course, and as long as there aren’t any guardians inside.”

I smiled at him and felt more motivated than ever to regain my strength. I placed the Sheikah Slate at my hip once more. Only much later would I notice a cloaked figure peering at us from behind the shrine that I’d captured in the photograph.

#this is up on AO3 now!! yes I made an AO3 just to post this lol #botw zelink #zelink fic #zelink fanfic #botw fanfiction #zelink fanfiction #zelink fanfics #zelink botw #breath of the wild #legend of zelda #linkxzelda #LoZ #botw #My fanfics #fanfics

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sidon-reader-support · 5 years

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Sidon with an S/O who has also lost a close family member, and one night they hold each other and cry together over the loss of their loved ones and it's comforting for both of them and a bonding experience because they show their more vulnerable sides to each other.

(I hope nobody minds me combining asks, I’d like to give you each your own individual story but when they line up so nicely like this how can I refuse?~ Sorry it’s not quite a young hylian, hope you like it anyways! Enjoy!~)

Mutual Mourning (In The Morning)

Word Count: 1241Warnings: Angst, Death mention, Loss of a loved one

It was too late to go to sleep, but too early for anyone to be awake. Yet, here you were wandering the palace halls pondering all of life’s greatest mysteries. Why couldn’t you sleep? What would you have for breakfast tomorrow morning? The one currently on your mind however was the most befuddling. Why had you woken up to an empty bed?

You knew you had gone to sleep enveloped in the arms of your lover, listening to the gentle thump of the heart in his chest. When you awoke seeking comfort after a rather unpleasant dream, you only found empty sheets. They still felt warm but the heat was starting to fade, so you figure he hasn’t been gone for too long. But where could he have disappeared to so late at night?

Rising from the bed, you wipe the sleep from your eyes and wander over to the balcony. Opening the glass pane doors, you meet the humid breeze of the domain. From here you can see the entire kingdom, the metal architecture gleaming from the luminous stones skillfully carved into the immaculate framework. Scanning the shimmering domain below, you focus on the curved pathways and staircases hoping for a glimpse of familiar scarlet scales.

They were mostly barren as everyone in their right mind had already turned in for the night. The only poor souls still awake, were the guards always on alert for the sake of their kingdom, yourself, and your beloved who you can just barely see in the center of town. There was only one reason he would be there so late.

You spare a moment to grab a jacket and shoes before rushing out the bedroom, making your way down the halls of the palace and winding steps to get to the town square. When you reach the banister that overlooks the center you lean over to get a closer view of Sidon, still standing before the statue of his late sister. His head is held high to meet eyes with the lifeless work of art, and though his shoulders are up he’s not standing as tall and proud as usual. Something is wrong.

Slowly you make your way down the final staircase, hand gliding along the smooth railing until it reaches the glowing podium at the bottom. It falls your fingers clenching as you approach Sidon, stopping short of the pool surrounding the statue that just barely laps at the edges of his feet. He remains cemented to his spot, the night completely silent aside from the sound of ever-flowing water that cascades down the borders of the domain.

“Sidon.” You muse, carefully slipping out of your shoes so you can sink your bare foot into the shallow pool. “What’re you doing out here?”

A heavy sigh as his shoulders go slack. “I… was having difficulty sleeping. So I decided to go on a walk and think over some things.”

“I couldn’t sleep either.” Sidon straightens up a little at this news, looking back at you with concern. It’s almost amusing how quickly he is able to discard his own feelings in favor of comforting someone else. You carefully close the distance between you two and he tenderly cups your cheek with his hand. “I had a bad dream, and then I woke up to an empty bed.”

“My apologies, love, I didn’t mean to worry you. I also had a rather troubling dream.” He confesses cold air kissing your cheek when he pulls his hand back, returning to his stiff posture gazing upwards. The practically luminous face dutifully overlooking the heart of the domain staring right back at the prince. When you look at his eyes you notice the gold of his eyes has lost its luster, dulled by the shadows of the past bearing down on him through the lifeless eyes of the princess.

Your heart sinks and you take hold of his hand giving it a gentle squeeze that he returns after a moment, sending a small smile your way before looking up again.

“Sometimes I have nightmares where I can hear her crying out from the belly of Vah Ruta. I never see her demise, how she fell to the blight, but that doesn’t stop the despair from crafting the most wicked torment. Not only do I have to live with losing my only sister, I have to spend my nights in agony knowing there was nothing I could do.” Sidon laments, his hand shaking as his grip tightens.

You lean against his arm, the images of your dream popping back into your head. “I know what you mean. I lost someone too, someone really close to me. I thought they’d always be beside me, watching over me as I grew up, teaching me how to live, and making me laugh. Then suddenly they were gone.” A soft laughs falls from your lips as tears brim in your eyes. “And everytime you have a good dream about them you almost feel worse, because it’s a reminder of the light in your life that you’ll never get back again.”

Sidon tears his hand away in such an abrupt manner that you step back. He hides his face in the palms of his hands, his body shaking as he falls to his knees with a splash. You crouch down as well, completely disregarding the water that seeps into the fabric of your pants because your boyfriend is much more important. Tentatively, you place a hand on his back while the other gently massages his arm. You can’t seem to find the words, so you simply let the silence fill in the space once again.”

“I miss her.” Sidon finally manages, his voice sounding so strained that your heart almost instantly shatters into little pieces. “Every day… Every night… I miss her. I miss her so much it hurts.”

Your hand carefully moves to his wrist, pushing down his hands with little resistance from the prince. They slowly break away, revealing the puffy, red eyes as tears pour down his cheeks in an endless cascade of liquid sorrow. This is the first time you’ve ever seen him cry like this, it’s almost beautiful how torn apart he looks.

“That’s okay Sidon, you’re allowed to miss her. You’re allowed to be upset that someone you love was taken from you.” You say gently guiding his head down to rest on your shoulder, blinking through your own tears to console the man who always puts others before himself. “You’re allowed to be sad, you’re allowed to mourn even if it was decades ago. The wound is still there, and sometimes it never fully heals. That’s okay.”

Sidon quietly sobs into your shoulder, his hands clasping your clothing and pressing you closer to him as the currents of the world continue to flow around us. This downpour that fell upon us was merely a small ripple in the stream of life just as the droplets of despair that leak from Sidon’s eyes fall into the tide pool. When we leave these waters will return to calm once again, we will return to our bedroom and fall asleep together wrapped in each other’s arms trying to forget the tragedies in our lives.

I will kiss away Sidon’s tears, he will wipe away mine with the pad of his thumb, and we will ride out this ripple together.

“I love you Sidon.”

“I love you, my treasure.”

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zeldagang-hyrule-hylians · 4 years

Text

50 Extremely Helpful Tips and Tricks for Breath of the Wild

These are 50 things I learned from playing Breath of the Wild for hours on end. These are all personal discoveries, nothing was Googled (because I dislike rumors and hearsay, I would rather see for myself).

1. Horses will naturally follow along paths, making it easy for you to look around at scenery while on the horse. Be careful, because they aren’t perfect. You can’t turn and charge your horse at once, as they will get mad and throw you off.

2. You can use both remote bombs at once.

3. You can shield deflect Calamity Ganon’s fireball.

4. You can turn on and off your Champion’s Blessings (Mipha’s Grace, Revali’s Gale, Daruk’s Protection, and Urbosa’s Fury).

5. The Hebra Great Skeleton is behind a big door that you have to open by rolling a big snowball.

6. Thunderblight Ganon can be defeated by holding a metal rod up to him (by using Magnesis), Windblight Ganon can be defeated by perfectly timed arrow shots, Waterblight Ganon can be defeated by similar attacks, and Fireblight Ganon can be defeated by having Remote Bombs get sucked up and detonated in his fire ball.

7. You can use Cryonis to break Vah Ruta’s ice blocks instead of wasting arrows, and using Magnesis with metal objects against Vah Rudania’s Sentries is quite useful.

8. Giving 10 Luminous Stones to the Zora Ledo will get you 1 Diamond worth 500 Rupees, but just selling 10 Luminous Stones will get you 700 Rupees.

9. It’s technically possible to defeat Calamity Ganon using only Tree Branches.

10. Blood Moons will sometimes occur in the middle of the day without warning. This is because there was a malfunction and the Blood Moon fixes the problem.

11. Cooking during a Blood Moon (during 11:30 to 12:00) will cause the food to be of highest quality.

12. Royal Guard’s weapons deal a lot of damage, but they have very low durability. Royal weapons are more balanced and look impressive.

13. The Hylian Shield (earned in Hyrule Castle’s Lockup by defeating a Stalnox) can break, but you can buy a new one from Grante at Tarry Town, along with a bunch of other awesome gear!

14. Ancient Arrows instantly kill anything they hit (Guardians too if you hit them in the eye). Guardians will drop ancient tech, but anything else will just die without dropping anything, so only use Ancient Arrows when necessary!

15. It takes practice to do a Perfect Dodge and Shield Parry, so if you’re not the best, don’t worry!

16. The three Dragons (Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra) drop scales and fragments when you hit them with regular arrows, depending on where on their bodies you hit them. Don’t get too close though, because touching them will hurt you. Offering scales at each of the Springs shows you the way to Shrines (except with the Spring of Wisdom, at which you need to defeat the parasite infecting Naydra to get in).

17. The Sheikah text found almost everywhere in the game directly translate to English (except for Impa’s parchment, which translates into Japanese). For example, the Pins you can place on the map have Sheikah text that translates into “It’s dangerous to go alone” (a reference to the first Zelda game).

18. The best weapon (damage) is the Savage Lynel Crusher, which deals 78 points of damage. However, there is a special Royal Guard’s Claymore that deals 114 points of damage.

19. Lynels are the hardest things to beat in Breath of the Wild. You can defeat them by stunning them with arrows and mounting them, attacking while mounted, OR you can defeat them by doing a bunch of Perfect Dodges with flurry attacks (make sure you have multiple strong weapons, as Lynels have crazy health).

20. Having full outfits enhanced by Great Fairies will allow you to have set bonuses, giving you special abilities when you wear an enhanced set.

21. Horses can die. Fortunately, the Horse God Malanya located past the Nette Plateau will bring them back to life!

22. The best places to find the three dragons (again, Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra) are (in order) Floria Bridge and the Bridge of Hylia, Tabantha Great Bridge and the Eldin Great Skeleton, and Lanayru Promenade and Mount Lanayru.

23. Locations of Lynels include Lanayru Road East Gate, Oseira Plains, Gerudo Summit, Laparoh Mesa, East Deplain Badlands, North Akkala Valley, Ploymus Mountain, Coliseum Ruins, and the First and Second Gatehouses of Hyrule Castle. Depending on where in the game you are, the Lynels are of varying strengths (except Ploymus Mountian, which always has a normal Lynel). Lynels drop a whole bunch of loot!

24. The DLC has so much extra stuff including extra quests, gear, and Master Mode with GOLDEN LYNELS that have 7,500 points of health!

25. Silver enemies have insane health, but they drop awesome loot (such as gems that you can sell for Rupees).

26. There are three Labyrinths (Lomei Labyrinth Island, North Lomei Labyrinth, and South Lomei Labyrinth). These Labyrinths are easier than you think, and you obtain the Barbarian Armor just for navigating them.

27. The Labyrinths hold more than just Shrines (for example, the Lomei Labyrinth Island has a secret underground area with a ton of active Guardians and a chest with a Diamond Circlet in it).

28. Although difficult, it’s possible to cut down a tree, use Stasis on the tree before it falls, hit it with a blunt object a bunch of times, then climb it to travel short distances VERY fast. However, if you don’t do it right, you could take damage.

29. The White Horse can be found on Sefula Hill. It’s a good quality horse, but make sure you have extra stamina and stealth to mount it. Take it to the Outskirt Stable, register it, and take it to an old man named Toffa to get the Royal Gear.

30. The Giant Horse can be found in Taobob Grassland and can be registered as an actual steed at a stable. It doesn’t have any stamina at all, but it runs faster than any other horse gallops, so... (and be careful of the Lynel that prevents you from leaving).

31. You can ride some wild animals including deer and bears, however, you cannot register them.

32. Although you can’t register him as a horse, the Lord of Satori Mountain can be mounted like a horse (with stealth and lots of stamina, of course).

33. Lynels (again, I know) are unaffected by elemental weapons, and always carry elemental arrows. If you want to attack a Lynel, face them head on instead of attacking from a distance, because they attack by shooting an arrow up into the sky that follows you and lands directly on you every time.

34. Breath of the Wild is full of references to other past Zelda games (wink, wink).

35. The underneath of Hyrule Castle (the arena for your fight with Calamity Ganon) has Sheikah text that reads “LABORATORY” on the floor and a map of Hyrule (including the Divine Beasts) on the walls).

36. To navigate the Lost Woods, pick up a torch and light it on one of the provided fires. Whichever direction the embers and smoke go, that is the direction to go!

37. You can actually buy and own a house in this game. The house is in Hateno Village and it costs 3,000 Rupees and 100 Rupees for each upgrade.

38. Avoid Hyrule Field if you don’t want a run-in with Guardians.

39. There are five types of Guardians (Decayed Guardians, Guardian Stalkers, Guardian Skywatchers, Guardian Turrets, and Guardian Scouts). Guardian Scouts are found in Shrines, Guardian Turrets are found all over Hyrule Castle, and the other types are found throughout Hyrule. Sentries are miniature Guardians dispatched by Vah Rudania, so those weren’t counted.

40. The Silent Princess is found in sacred places such as Great Fairy Fountains and near the Master Sword pedestal.

41. It takes 13 hearts to lift the Master Sword. Yellow added hearts don’t count. The Master Sword can’t break, but it will run out of energy and become unusable until it recharges. The Master Sword normally has 30 points of damage, but when near Guardians or Calamity Ganon (or in Hyrule Castle), it glows and has 60 points of damage.

42. In Hateno Village, there is a statue (similar in appearance to the Goddess Statues) that will exchange hearts, stamina, and Rupees.

43. When you have found all of the Shrines, the Sheikah Monks will gift you the Tunic of the Wild, which is Link’s famous green outfit (recieve this at the Forgotton Temple).

45. At Kilton’s Fang and Bone store, you can buy monster masks that will make you blend in with the monsters they look like. This will make specific monsters act friendly towards you. Be careful though, as Lynels are too smart to be fooled by the Lynel mask for too long.

46. The key to Eventide Island is to be patient and attack enemies from a distance. Reach Eventide Island by gliding from Cape Cales (carry extra stamina).

47. Upon arriving on shore of Eventide Island, a mysterious voice will inform you that you will be stripped of everything in your inventory. Don’t panic! Leave some gear in the water before you walk on shore and then retrieve it after the challenge starts.

48. To completely obtain the Zora gear, get the Zora Armor from the Zora King, the Zora Greaves from the Zora Laflat after showing her a picture of the Lynel on Ploymus Mountain, and the Zora Helm from a chest in Toto Lake.

49. Wearing the Champion’s Tunic allows you to see the number of health points an enemy has.

50. Looking for something? Simply looking on the map helps locate quite a few things, for example, Leviathan Bones, which are huge.

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katedoesfics · 4 years

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Breath of the Wild: Chapter 26

He felt leagues better when he got up in the morning. He stuffed his face with a few of the cheap breakfast danishes as he hurried out of the motel, sliding back into his car and turning the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life as if it, too, were rejuvenated by the night's rest, or perhaps Link's mind was just more clear and focused after the good night's sleep.

Before his ambush on the Yiga Clan, he had planned on stopping at Kakariko to update Impa on his progress. But now that he knew, or better, remembered, what he did, he decided his best course of action was to shoot straight to Zora's Domain. If luck were on his side, he would be able to activate the Divine Beast there and shoot over to the Great Forest to reclaim the Master Sword before Dorian realized what he had done. Link was certain that as soon as Dorian and Impa found out that he destroyed the Yiga Clan, they would be on him faster than a Goron on rock and would have his head hung on their wall as a trophy. Hyrule would fall, Ganon would emerge triumphant, and a new age of darkness would dawn.

He drove faster than he had ever driven before, making his way north across Hyrule and towards Zora's Domain. With only a couple of Guardians to dodge on the interstate, he was able to make it to his destination in just a few hours, arriving just before noon. However, he was not met with eager arms as he had been in the other sectors of Hyrule. And he knew exactly why, now.

“How dare you show your face here,” Muzu hissed as Link stepped out of the car.

“Back off, Muzu,” Link muttered, shooting him a warning glare. He looked up to see Sidon approaching them, shouting to the elder Zora.

“Muzu, enough!” He reached Muzu's side and pulled his arm back before he could get his fins around Link's throat.

“It's his fault this all happened,” Muzu barked. He thrust a fin at Link. “It's your fault Mipha's dead!”

Link had managed to control his temper for quite a while. To compare the last couple of weeks to a roller coaster ride would have been the understatement of the year. And with his latest ambush of memories, it was as if he had lived every moment of his life – the good and the bad – in that one moment, and he was worn thin from the abuse, emotionally, physically, mentally. He had had enough of it all, and he snapped.

“Maybe if you got your damn head out of your fucking ass for two seconds, you would see that I'm the only one doing anything to give this fucking place a fighting chance in this war.” He spat at the ground. “You want to blame this all on me? Fine. But don't you dare tell me I'm the reason Mipha's dead.”

Muzu grit his teeth together, his gaze hard on Link. “You are not welcome here, Hylian,” he hissed. “The Zoras are no longer your allies.”

“Well, actually, Muzu,” Sidon interrupted. “My father is the one who makes that decision, and he hasn't agreed with your-”

Muzu spun around and glared at Sidon. The prince Zora's mouth snapped shut quickly. He hesitated before he spoke again.

“Link's the only one who can reclaim Vah Ruta. If we have any chance to survive this war, we need Vah Ruta, and we need Link.” Sidon paused, his eyes sad. “Mipha believed in what she was doing,” he said softly. “She fought for what she believed in, to keep an alliance with the Hylians. She knew what she was doing and she knew the risks involved. She fought protecting this country. You cannot put that blame on Link.”

“She did it for him,” he hissed.

Link had had enough. He wasn't about to listen the old bat any longer. He had a job to do and a country to save, apparently. It all came down to him.

“Get out of my way,” he growled as he pushed passed Muzu and Sidon. He let his hand rest on the butt of his gun in an attempt to send a final message to Muzu.

He strode angrily through the city, ignoring the shuffling that was Sidon behind him to catch up with him. At one time, Link had admired the beauty that was Zora's Domain, but now, the memories only haunted him.

“Don't listen to Muzu,” Sidon said as he reached Link's side. “You know how he gets.”

Link looked up at the statue of Mipha that had been erected in her honor. It stood tall in the center of the city, just as elegant as she had been.

“Mipha -”

“Where's Vah Ruta?” Link asked sharply, but he didn't meet Sidon's gaze. He wasn't interested in talking about Mipha anymore. It simply hurt too much.

Sidon hesitated, then turned his gaze to waterfall at the other end of the city. He pointed in the direction with a fin. “Vah Ruta's at the reservoir,” he said. “But ever since the attack, water has been shooting out of its trunk and threatening to break the damn and flood the city. We can't get close to it without it attacking us. The damn is a ticking bomb right now and it could break at any minute.”

“Guess we don't have time to waste,” Link said gruffly. “Can you bring me there?”

Sidon nodded. “I can do you one better,” he said. “You can ride me across the lake.”

“Swell,” Link grunted. “I've always wanted to ride a giant Zora.”

“Well, it's not like we have a need for boats,” he said. “And unless you're a good swimmer that can dodge Vah Ruta's attacks, you'll need some help.”

“Sounds like you already have a plan.”

“I do,” Sidon said proudly. “There's only one way aboard Vah Ruta, and that's by scaling the waterfalls around it. However, it deals heavy blasts of water from its trunk that could slow even a Zora. If you can cut off its water line, that should stop it from attacking and even prevent the reservoir from overfilling. I can then scale the waterfall with you and bring you on top of the Divine Beast.”

“How do I cut the water line?”

“You'll see it right away,” Sidon assured him. “There's a spot on its chest that glows red. It's large, but if you can shoot at it, that should be enough to break the line.”

Link followed Sidon through the rest of the city and down the road leading away and through the mountains. The path climbed up and wound around towards the reservoir where Vah Ruta was stationed. When they neared the edge of the lake, Sidon dove into the water. He pointed towards the spot where the water line would need to be cut, and Link nodded.

“All aboard, then!” Sidon said.

Link hesitated, pulled his gun out of its holster, then climbed awkwardly onto Sidon's back. He clung to the Zora as he shot through the water at surprising speed and focused on keeping his balance so he could aim at the water line.

And just as Sidon had said, Vah Ruta began its assault as soon as it noticed them moving towards it. Its tinny, trumpeting roar bellowed through the air. It raised its trunk and a heavy blast of water shot towards them. Sidon avoided these blasts with ease as he navigated the waters, circling around the Divine Beast.

“We're coming up to it now,” he shouted to Link. “As soon as you get a clear shot, take it out!”

Easier said than done on a speeding Zora. Link kept his gaze focused on the water line where Sidon had indicated, steadying himself as Sidon dodged the Divine Beast's attacks. He took aim, then fired off two rounds at the water line. He couldn't be entirely sure if he had hit its target; the glow to the water line remained and Vah Ruta continued to throw its watery blasts at them.

“It's tougher than it looks!” Sidon said as if it encourage Link. “You'll get it! We'll circle around again.”

The process continued in this manner. Sidon sped through the water, dodging Vah Ruta's attacks with ease, and when the water line came into sight again, Link too aim and shot off two more rounds. This time, it seemed to be cracked, but it wasn't cut off yet.

By the third time around, Link shot off another pair of bullets, and this time, he see the water line crack and burst. Vah Ruta let out another trumpeting bellow and the water from its trunk ran dry. Its movements slowed as it settled into the water and Sidon changed direction, making his way to the waterfall before it, too, ran dry.

“Hang on!”

Link clung to the Zora as he zipped up the waterfall, shooting into the air and landing gracefully on his feet on top of the Divine Beast. Link slid off Sidon's back, reloading his weapon quickly as soon as he feet touched down.

“Looks like we're not alone up here,” Sidon said to Link.

“Yeah,” Link muttered, knowing exactly what he would see as soon as he looked up. “I expected as much.”

The Waterblight, to Link's surprise, did not attack right away. Something about the phantom seemed different, as if it were already struggling before their fight even began. Its anguished shriek suggested that it something was wrong; it had been cut off from its power source, the water. Without the water, it could not rely on its attacks. It raised an arm in the air, but nothing happened, and its screams grew more fierce.

Realizing it would not be able to rely on its water based attacks, it resorted to using the laser attacks Link was all too familiar with from the Guardians. It locked on them quickly and Link threw himself against Sidon, pushing the Zora to the ground and narrowly dodging the attack. He scrambled to his feet and took aim, pulling the trigger three times at the blight. The bullets ripped through its flesh much like it had done to the other three blights before and it roared in agony.

The blight rushed at them then, a large sword in hand, and swung it at them. Once more, Link and Sidon dodged the attack, and Link spun around at the last moment to fire off two more rounds. The Waterblight was slower than the other three, and Link's shots hit it square in the back. It shrieked and prepared another laser attack, locking on to them, but Link pulled the trigger again and the bullet ripped through the phantom's head.

The Waterblight fell to the ground, its anguish screams fading away until they were just echoes around the mountains and the phantom lay still and lifeless.

“Well,” Sidon said. “That was easy! Great job!”

Link rolled his eyes as he made his way to the control panel. He placed the Sheikah Slate on it and the final Divine Beast was activated.

“Thanks for the help,” Link said as he moved back to Sidon, replacing his gun and the Sheikah Slate.

“You did all the work,” Sidon said. “We owe you our thanks. Muzu included.”

“I'll believe that when I see it,” Link muttered. He turned his gaze to Sidon's. “I'm sorry. About Mipha.”

Sidon smiled, but it was a sad smile. “Me too.”

#breath of the resistance #chapter 26 #botr26 #loz #legend of zelda #botw #breath of the wild #fic #fanfic

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gerudospiriit · 5 years

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[I’m having Zelda thoughts so I’mma share them. Specifically, Breath of the Wild thoughts.

On the car ride home, I was thinking about some art I saw and how I’m just like, “This character is so overrated??? They’re nothing all that special so why all the hype other than pure sex appeal????” And this is frustrating in any fandom but then I got to thinking of why I’m not particularly a fan of pretty much any character in BOTW, how and why none of them particularly stuck out to me. Except one (three if you count Zelda and Link but I mean...hard to ignore them and that’s another Momo Talk entirely): Revali.

Besides being the asshole of the champions (we all know I have a soft spot for ‘em lbr), I paused to think about why out of the other champions he intrigued me. There are a few reasons but the one that struck me most was this: he changed. Not a lot, and not in particularly obvious ways. But he did. He was given the propensity for change as well, and none of the other Champions (or, really, any of the characters in the game) were given that room. And I don’t know how many times we talked about characters changing in my creative writing classes so that’s probably where this stemmed from.

Disclaimer: I don’t necessarily hate the characters I’m about to discuss. Also, it’s been a tick since I played the game so this is going to be based on my memory and not particularly detail oriented. It’s more my own thoughts about things and why I enjoy some characters more than others.

More under the read more because whoops it got long.

So, I’ll start with Revali. As mentioned, he immediately grabs your attention because he basically despises Link, definitely something we don’t see in the other Champions. He is jealous of his status as the Hero and Hyrule’s Champion who will be the one to slay Calamity Ganon according to the legends. This is more speculation but I think he’s also jealous of Link’s link (heh) and relationship to Zelda as well. Adding onto that, he’s unapologetically cocky and proud, very uppity but absolutely confident in his skills which is a huge reason for his envy of Link. Basically, his argument is “Why him and not me?” or, more interestingly “Why does the hero have to be Hylian?” He is the only Champion to question destiny, the gods, how things are, what have you, and that automatically makes him more interesting to me. (I’m mad that I don’t have this edit of Revali’s face on RuPaul saying, “Why’s it gotta be Hylian?” because it was gold).

The minute change in him comes when you meet him a century after his death as a ghostie goo. He’s still cocky af but his demeanor and attitude has changed quite a bit from earlier meetings with him. He thanks him (a little backhandedly) and even recognizes his skill as a warrior specifically after his infamous “Don’t preen yourself for doing your job” comment (which is another thing that sets him apart and goes back to his general questioning of the status quo). He seems more humble and accepting of his role of assisting the hero rather than being the hero, and he even admits that Link was the right choice after all because he proved it. He never showed any of this before that point. When it came to Link, he was rude, terse, and hateful before.

All this makes him so interesting and a more enjoyable character.The others pretty much stay the same as when you first encounter them in memories vs after freeing their beasts. Mipha is still super sweet, p much little sister trope. Daruk is Stronk Dad trope. Urbosa is the Mom Character trope. They get small moments of interesting dialogue, but nothing that shows much change in them (Mipha, arguably, has to realize that her thing for Link can never be since she’s dead which is a change as well, but is it an interesting one? Not to me. Sad, but meh). They don’t question things as Revali does and accept the legends and Link as the hero with, as far as we can see, little to no proof of his skill. They are almost nice to a fault, never having a negative thing to say except about Calamity Ganon and the blights and such. Which, of course, is fine. Hating on the hero doesn’t automatically mean interesting. If Revali didn’t have a reason, I wouldn’t like him. But he does, and from his position, it’s a valid reason.

Anyway, that’s all I got right now. Car ride thoughts are always the best next to shower thoughts. I’m sure a lot of you will disagree but again, this is my opinion. Revali deserves more love.]

#[ ;;σσƈ ] ☀ α ɠαȥҽ Ⴆҽყσɳԃ ✧#i've probably talked about this before lol #but meh #i like revali a lot #he's an asshole but a justified asshole

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zomowrites · 5 years

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Shards of Memory

100 years after the Great Calamity, a hero rises to right the wrongs of Hyrule. With the help of the Princess who carries the blood of the Goddess, the warrior wielding the soul of a Hero defeats Calamity Ganon for another 10,000 years. Zelda and Link then begin the arduous process of rebuilding Hyrule. But a mysterious stranger threatens to ruin everything for which the Princess and the Hero have fought.

Chapter 2: Not-So-Silent Princess

Link could see the resemblance. That’s what frightened him most. When Dorian had stopped him at the door, Link brushed him aside. As an ex-member of the Yiga Clan, he could be especially cautious when it came to strangers, and Link chalked his nervous demeanor to Zelda’s sudden appearance. But now he wished he’d paid more attention. He could have been more prepared.

Zelda stood as still as a statue. Link felt a stab of concern for the princess. He’d spent the ride to Kakariko mostly stewing in his own head, anger brewing at his companion. But now was not the time to get lost in such thoughts. He had a duty to his princess, even if he was mad at her. And Goddesses, was he mad. They were his memories, and he had a chance to get them back. But she’d refused. Why should she decide that now was the time to stop messing around inside his head when she’d been doing that ever since he woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection?

Link shook off his swirling anger and redirected his sights back to the young woman in front of him. Yenobia was not identical to his princess. Where Zelda’s hair was the color of golden sunshine, Yenobia’s was more like the soil in his own garden back in Hateno: rich and dark, with glints of silver from the lamplight. Yenobia was a bit taller, closer to Link’s height, with a more muscular build. But both had the same shining green eyes, like the water in the Faron Sea. Link recognized the way Yenobia held herself, with her arms behind her back and her feet close together, much like Zelda did when she was curious. And yet, the similarities only served to heighten Link’s unease. Could she possibly be telling the truth?

Link allowed his eyes to sweep over Yenobia and her companion, performing a cursory check for weapons or threats like it was second nature. Link realized with a start that it probably was; he’d once been a soldier and his former commander, whoever that had been, had surely ingrained that into his head. Link shook off his pesky memory haze and returned to the present.

Yenobia looked no more of a threat than Zelda, which was not necessarily reassuring. She carried no weapons that Link could see, but that only made her more dangerous. The unknown made Link antsy.

Her companion looked similarly benign, but Link had met enough Yiga disguised as travelers to never discount a friendly face. The skinny young man was not much older than Link, with a mop of dishwater-blond hair hanging in his eyes. He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, as if he could not find a comfortable position to stand; he’d clearly not yet grown into his lanky frame, with his long legs crossed clumsily at the ankles. Link silently calculated how to use the young Hylian’s height to his own advantage, should it come to a fight. He also carried no visible weapon, though he looked like he was more likely to hurt himself than anyone else.

Link’s fingers itched to clutch the hilt of the Master Sword, not necessarily because he felt a threat, but the Sword always felt comforting in his palm, like a missing piece finally reunited. He glanced at Paya standing half in shadows in the corner. With the shadow of a blush on her cheeks, she gave him the tiniest shrug, eyes focused on the scene before her. Impa’s granddaughter was often too shy to speak without stuttering, but Link never underestimated her for a moment. Impa was once the greatest Sheikah warrior of her time; he knew that she’d passed that training down to Paya. The young Sheikah woman was far deadlier than she looked.

Link trusted Paya’s judgment. She would never let any strangers harm her grandmother, especially not after the Yiga had stolen Impa’s relic. If she was willing to hear out Yenobia and her Hylian companion, there must be something to their story. Link felt his shoulders droop. What did that mean for Zelda?

“My… twin sister.” Zelda’s voice sounded blank.

Yenobia took a half-step forward, then seemed to think better of it, bringing her hands out from behind her back and crossing them around her chest. “It’s quite a story, if you care to hear it.” She seemed nothing but earnest.

Zelda turned her attention back to the old woman. “Impa, what is this?”

The Sheikah woman smoothed her robes. “My dear Princess.”

Link could swear she had tears in her eyes.

“I have waited to speak to you again for one hundred years.” Impa adjusted herself on her stack of pillows, wincing as though the slight movement hurt. "But we shall have to wait just a little longer. You should listen to what Yenobia has to say.”

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#tloz #tloz botw #tloz breath of the wild #loz #loz botw #loz breath of the wild #the legend of zelda #legend of zelda #breath of the wild #botw #zelda #princess zelda #link #zelink #fanfic #chapter 2

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botwriter · 6 years

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Desert Sun, Chapter 8

The next morning, Zelda was woken up by hushed but impassioned voices from downstairs. She stirred and groaned a little to herself, rolling in the blankets and wishing she could fall back asleep, but then she remembered - today they were going to Karusa Valley, to see what had happened with the other warriors.

Hurriedly she got dressed then, and stepped quickly but lightly down the stairs, to find Urbosa, Mipha, and one of the other guards in the middle of a discussion.

“Zelda - thank the heroines. You want to come today, correct?” Urbosa asked, and Zelda nodded fervently. Mipha, with her hands clutched together, seemed to deflate somewhat.

“I wanted both you and Link to rest today, to get better. But he wants to go, too. I don’t know why you each have this notion that you need to be at the front lines all the time,” she said, clearly upset.

“Because we do have to be,” Zelda replied honestly, though she was sympathetic to what Mipha had to say. “But we won’t do anything crazy. I promise. Urbosa can go first,” she said, joking somewhat as she smiled up at the chieftain, who laughed.

“That’s usually how it goes, isn’t it? Don’t you worry, Mipha. We’ll take good care of Zelda and her chosen hero,” Urbosa said, and Mipha looked somewhat disappointed at those words, which Zelda didn’t miss. She shot the Zora a reassuring look anyways, and then followed Urbosa and the other guard out of the palace.

“You’re looking in much better spirits,” Urbosa observed, casting a curious look sideways at Zelda as they walked through down. “It seems that trip did you well. Besides yesterday’s monsters,” she added with a laugh, and Zelda agreed silently.

“I feel a bit better now that Link has his triforce,” she admitted, and for once the feeling wasn’t coupled with shame at her own failures.

When they reached the tent outside, Revali and Link were already ready to go, dressed and chatting near the shrine. Link looked clearly distracted as Zelda approached, and she watched in amusement as Revali waved a feathered wing in front of his face.

“What is wrong with y- ugh,” she heard Revali scoff, as the Rito noticed what Link had been looking at.

“I told Urbosa we didn’t need the Princess to come along,” Revali said stubbornly, folding his wings and looking at Zelda disapprovingly.

“You might not, but I’m coming anyways,” she replied. “You look a lot better than yesterday,” she said then, looking to Link with a smile. For the first time, she felt genuinely happy to see him. Revali and Urbosa exchanged glances over Zelda’s head.

“So do you,” Link replied, “I’m glad. I never said thanks for - for your saving me,” he said then, causing Revali to look sharply sideways at him.

“You saved me first,” Zelda protested, and Urbosa let out a groan.

“You two are adorable, but we need to get moving. Come on!”

The ride to Karusa valley was quick, especially compared to the recent trips Zelda had made. When they arrived in the valley an hour later, the tall highland cliff walls towered above them on either side and they slowed their speed. The sand seals could only take them so far, and Revali flew in for a landing once they’d reached the edge of the sand.

“It’s strangely quiet,” Urbosa mentioned as they began to slowly walk up and through the caverns. Now and again the wind swept through, and sand slowly spilled from the cliff sides above, but that was it. There were hardly even any animals or insects around - just a large number of frog statues.

Before long, a voice spoke to them, though it was impossible to tell from where.

“You’re not on home turf. Turn back.”

“Bluff all you want,” Urbosa called out, grinning to herself, “but we’ll be continuing on.”

“Then you have only yourself to blame!”

In a flash, multiple yiga appeared around them, puffs of smoke announcing their arrival. There was a clatter of noise as each of the champions readied their weapons. Zelda ran towards a yiga nearby, scimitar at the ready, but an arrow pierced his mask clean in half and knocked the slim man away immediately. He disappeared promptly in a cloud of smoke, but the others weren’t so lucky. As she looked around the small clearing, Link and Urbosa had stopped short of fighting their yigas as well, as Revali quickly dispatched a volley of arrows all within barely a second.

“Target practice,” he smirked, putting his bow away a moment later and continuing to walk. Link and Zelda exchanged surprised glances. Perhaps the Rito did have a reason to be so cocky, after all.

“Let me get a couple hits in,” Urbosa sighed as they continued, but Revali only laughed.

“If you can beat my speed, then by all means, go for it.”

Zelda glanced up at Urbosa, who looked back at her with a smirk. The next clearing they found, more Yiga appeared, and Zelda simply lifted her hands to her ears and gestured for Link to do the same. The Hylian looked confused, but slowly put his sword away and did so.

Before Revali could get his arrows out, lightning cracked in the clearing, and each of the yiga fell immediately. Revali’s beak dropped open and he slowly let go of the tension in his bow.

“Pfft,” he scoffed, “that’s basically cheating.”

Urbosa only laughed in reply, and the group continued on, soon finding themselves in the heart of the Yiga base. Link suggested they bait them with bananas and sneak through, but Revali was too impatient, and itching for a fight. They decided to go in by force.

It had clearly caught the Yiga by surprise. Some of their bigger hitters were a challenge, but between the four of them they had no problems slowly but steadily making their way through the base and clearing it out. By the time they reached the back and found themselves outside again, they must have gone through two dozen Yiga - but now, surrounding the massive hole in the ground, another dozen appeared, and with them, their prisoners.

“Torae!” Urbosa called, and Zelda gasped, seeing the guard captain with her wrists tied and mouth gagged. The others were in the same boat, and the four Champions readied their weapons as the Yiga attacked.

It was many more at once this time, and proved more of a challenge. Zelda became increasingly frustrated at how close Revali and Link stuck by her; between the two of them covering either side, she barely got a hit in to any Yiga at all, but as a result they were both somewhat overwhelmed. An arrow pierced Revali’s leg, and Link had been hit with an electrical arrow. The Hylian shuddered at first as it rocked through him, and dropped both his sword and shield as he hit the ground on all fours. The last Yiga left nimbly took hold of the sword and disappeared, but Urbosa seemed to know where he would land, and struck out with her shield as he teleported nearby.

He skidded in the sand towards the hole, but stopped just at the edge. He still had the sword, and seeing so seemed to give him pause. The man looked at the sword once, then back at Zelda and Link and the others, and then - in a moment that must have been slow-motion to everyone, and yet much too fast - threw it into the massive hole in the center of the valley.

Link sprinted from his spot on the ground, and would have probably tossed himself in after it if it wasn’t for Urbosa suddenly intercepting and grasping his arm to stop him right at the ledge. Zelda’s mind was racing as the Yiga disappeared - Revali was the only one that could go after the sword, but his pride would stop him from doing anything purely for Link’s gain. There was only one thing to do.

She broke into a run.

“Princess?”

Revali’s confused voice was already faraway by the time he spoke it. She wasn’t paying attention to anything except the sword, and praying to the heroines and her ancestors that her plan would work. If her it failed, it didn’t really matter. They needed the sword as much as they needed her. In fact, at the moment, they didn’t need her. She had given them no reason to. Not yet.

She didn’t look at Link and Urbosa as she flew past them, didn’t hesitate before leaping into the hole and diving down towards the sword, which was still glinting in the sunlight as it fell.

“ZELDA!”

She immediately remembered the vision from Impa’s house. So this was it. Link’s voice had more emotion in it than she ever figured he’d be capable of. He sounded hurt, and shocked, and panicked, but she didn’t have time to think about it. Her eyes were watering, but she couldn’t really tell if it was purely from the air rushing past her or actual tears - whatever it was, she wished it would stop, so she could keep a better eye on the master sword. The hole was getting darker the lower she went, but now and again the blade would catch on rays of light, and finally her outstretched hand caught onto the handle.

She clutched it towards herself - swore she heard some voice from it say Thank-you - and then found her descent suddenly slowing. Talons pierced hard into either side of her shoulders, and wings flapped desperately above her as Revali took a painful but sturdy hold on her.

“Have you completely lost your mind?!”

The Rito grunted as he began flying back up, and Zelda shut her eyes and held tight to the sword as they suddenly spun quite quickly. Not a moment later, and Revali’s signature updraft was rocketing them back towards the surface.

The two of them crashed into the sand near where Link and Urbosa were waiting. Both of them looked as if they wanted to hug her, but stopped themselves short, likely at seeing the look on her face. She wasn’t sure what it was, really - a mix of relief and bitterness.

As she stood, she couldn’t look Urbosa in the eye. She didn’t know what she’d say or even look like. She wanted to apologize, but the words wouldn’t come, not now.

Then she turned to Link, who reached forward hesitantly, and she thrust the sword into his grasp.

“There,” she said decidedly, her voice already breaking on the words. “So we won’t have two useless Champions.”

Zelda turned on her heel and begun walking back towards the Yiga camp. She barely registered the sound of the sword hitting the sand, but not a moment later Link caught up with her, his hand wrapping tightly around her wrist and pulling her back quite forcefully into a tight hold. He hugged her more tightly than she’d been hugged in - wow, it’s really been forever, hasn’t it? - and she struggled not to cry against his shirt as he did so. She wanted to tell him she hated him. She wanted to tell him she should have left his stupid sword in the hole, for all the good it was doing them now. But it wasn’t the truth.

He held her tighter, his arms squeezing around her shoulders and his head dipping into her hair as she stifled back tears.

“I thought I-”

Link cut himself off, and she noticed that he was shaking slightly.

“I thought I’d lost you.”

She blinked through her tears, her heart suddenly heavier than ever. She’d been frightened like that just yesterday with him and the Lynel, though not even as bad as it would have been to see him fling himself off a cliff like she had. Does he really worry for me like I worry for him?

“I’m sorry,” she said, hoping he knew it wasn’t just a sorry for scaring you, but a sorry for being such a mess all the time; a sorry for the way she’d mistreated him when he first arrived; a sorry for how she felt about him, but couldn’t say. A wet feeling distracted her, though, and she pulled away slightly from his embrace as blood began to seep through her shirt from her shoulders. The cut from the Lynel had clearly been hit again, and it was searing with pain now that she realised.

“We’ll get you to Mipha,” Link said suddenly, and as he turned away she swore she saw him wipe tears from his face, but perhaps it had just been sweat. He lifted the sword back up from the ground, sheathed it on his back, and then spoke briefly to Urbosa and Revali. Zelda met the Rito’s gaze briefly, but he looked away sharply, and she felt her stomach sink. I owe him an apology.

It was a long and quiet trip back to Gerudo Town. The end of the day had been a bit of a mess, but she was otherwise happy with how things turned out, considering they found the missing Gerudo warriors and cleared the entire Yiga hideout. She knew they would be back, she knew there were other strongholds, and she knew Ganon was still closer than she liked, but it was still something.

Zelda found it hard to take her eyes off of Link the entire way home. He looked back at her from time to time, but she no longer had any qualms about occasionally meeting his gaze, and for once she didn’t mind that he knew she was looking. It felt like they’d reached a turning point. Maybe not Link, but she had at least, and felt better about herself as a result. But now her heart was heavy when she thought of him; and she had no idea what he felt, if he felt anything, in return.

Thinking of that made a surprising warmth spread through her cheeks, and she shook those thoughts away and finally looked from Link, focusing hard on the quickly-approaching Gerudo town in the distance. What am I thinking? Link wouldn’t want anything to do with her, not… not in that way, surely. She’d be surprised if he didn’t already have a girlfriend back home. Or Mipha, for that matter, though he seemed either completely oblivious to her feelings or simply didn’t want to let her down. And now that she thought of it, he’d never mentioned anyone back home, and if he was seeing someone, the rumor mill would surely have spread that to Gerudo by now...

“Almost there,” Urbosa called, “Revali! Take it easy tonight,” she added, looking up to the Rito that had so far been flying quietly a ways above them. He gave a feathered thumbs-up, and then took off ahead of them, heading straight for the tents outside town. Zelda frowned. She’d give it a night, and then speak to him the next day.

As they got off the sand seals next to the town gate, Zelda glanced back to Link, who looked as if he wanted to talk to her, but Urbosa cut him off before he could begin.

“Go to bed, Link. It’s been a long day and you could use the rest.”

Urbosa looked at him sternly, and the voe looked just a little bit disappointed, but there was no arguing with the chieftain.

“Sav’orr,” he said quietly in response.

“Sav’orr,” Zelda and Urbosa replied in unison, and Link’s gaze lingered on Zelda’s before he finally turned away and disappeared into his tent.

“Can I ask what’s going on there?” Urbosa spoke, turning on Zelda as soon as the Hylian was out of earshot. Zelda felt herself get red up to her ears.

“You may not,” she replied, trying to hide her embarrassment, but there was nothing hidden from Urbosa. The woman tilted her head at Zelda, waiting for an answer she knew the Princess had no choice but to give.

“I just - he’s been very good to me, and I shouldn’t have been so hard on him before. It took me too long to realise it.”

“Oh really? That’s the revelation you finally had today?”

Urbosa’s voice was a little harder, a little more sarcastic than usual, and Zelda looked at her with an exasperated expression.

“You need to go easier on yourself too, little bird,” Urbosa sighed, resting a hand on Zelda’s shoulder. “It’s scary. I know. But you should be accepting all the help you can get. So I’m actually quite glad to hear it.”

Zelda was silent in response. She should be accepting all the help she could get? What did that say about her, and her own failures? Link had finally won her favor, but it wasn’t because she wanted him to help her. She didn’t want to have to ask anyone to get in harm's way for her, but she didn’t have any power, any triforce to speak of.

The gold clips hanging off Urbosa’s skirt clinked together as she turned abruptly, suddenly smiling down at Zelda reassuringly.

“But you know what? We did some good work today! I’m proud of you.”

Zelda could have cried at hearing those words, but she felt all cried out lately, and instead just smiled back at Urbosa. That’s right - she didn’t let the Yiga rid of the Master Sword. She led a team to rescue the Gerudo warriors that had gone missing. But as Urbosa left to check on Captain Torae and Rhiari’s squads, and as Zelda found her way upstairs to get ready for bed, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were somehow… behind. That Ganon was still a step ahead.

Mipha met her again that night to heal her shoulders, and by the time she’d finished, it was already quite late at night. Zelda dozed for a while, not ever really falling asleep. At first, when she woke to the sound of footsteps in her bedroom, she thought she was having a nightmare. Her candle had burnt out long ago. She squinted towards her doorway, waiting for her eyes to adjust, when suddenly, whoever was in her room had jumped to her bed.

Hands pushed her down hard - legs pushed against hers - she tried to scream, but a hand covered her mouth and nose, and all the noise she tried to make went nowhere. Another hand quickly grasped her neck, so tight that Zelda felt her mind go fuzzy, but finally their grip loosened.

When her eyes had adjusted, she finally got a good look at who was above her, and again thought, this must be a dream. I’m dreaming.

#zelink fanfiction #botw fanfiction #breath of the wild fanfiction #zelink #desert sun #cliffhanger oooo

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minuetofthewild · 6 years

Text

want

Author: minuetofthewild Rating: T+ Warnings For: Language and a lot of angst with a bittersweet ending Words: 2,157 Pairing: Sidlink Songs Used To Get In The Mood: The Atmospheric Calm playlist on Spotify Notes: A fic based Sidlink hcs from @honestground – so basically a fic in which Sidon and Link don’t think it’s going to work out. Read on Ao3

The problem with this was the fact it was all a problem to begin with. Taking away from the facts alone about this relationship, Link knew that the thunderstorm bubbling in his stomach wasn’t going to disintegrate into delicate fireflies.

The facts could be broken down into three parts:

Link wanted to fuck him

He was his dead ex-fiancée’s baby brother

He knew him as an actual infant

Granted, Link’s age practically froze stiff in the Shrine of Resurrection, but nothing really sat right about the facts regardless. It really didn’t help that they were of different species altogether – not that it’s stopped him before – but as far as settling down? He knew it wouldn’t work, and he knew that he’d really like to have kids someday. As much as it ached, it was something that Sidon just couldn’t provide.

A part of him knew that the feeling was mutual, but a lot lighter on the prince’s end; Link seemed have already made up his mind, but there was so much left that he couldn’t just establish.

Such as, the fact that Sidon was a living reminder of his failures.

Reliving Mipha’s loss as time granted him his memories was absolutely devastating, the sudden realisation of who she was and how he loved her made him feel sick at himself for even glancing at her brother. And the fact that he failed her? The fact he failed all of them? The guilt was immensely crushing.

All he could think about, all he could imagine every time he’d see her face in Zora’s Domain was how she most likely died within her own Divine Beast. He remembered that monster he had to fight – he remembered how he nearly died once or twice from the spear alone. It was almost ironic, really, the princess with a reputation of being ruthless with a spear was most likely taken out by one. That was if her death was quick and painless.

Knowing Mipha, she probably put up the fight of her life – and the fight of her death.

Link likes to pretend that he doesn’t see Sidon practically praying to the statue of her sometimes during the day, asking if she’s alright and worrying that what he’s doing isn’t enough, as if it’s his fault that she died. He likes to think that Sidon probably never noticed him staring, his eyes bowed and wishing he didn’t have to screw things up all the time.

They know better than that.

No amount of Grace or healing could save Link from the pain that he felt every time they’d make eye contact. There was a part of him that sees her, every time he’d stare behind the gloss in Sidon’s eyes – there was some kind of spark in her soul that he’d find there every time.

Link tries not to think about her every time she looks at him, he tries not to let the very image of her seep into his subconscious and remind him that he was a living, breathing, failure. He tries this, but still he cannot sleep at night.

It’s everything he can do to push him away like this, to prevent them from going forward. It’s everything he can try to withhold those thoughts so he doesn’t destroy everything. He’s adamant about this, knowing for a fact that a relationship between them would be such an insult to Mipha’s memory, and he refuses to let himself and his selfishness be the cause of tainting it.

Sidon wonders this, too, and there are many nights where he finds himself asking her this very question while he’s outside. The statue gazes back in silence, and speaks no answer.

It was a sick joke, really. The one thing he would be searching for would never come up.

Sidon makes his way up the spiral steps to where Link is staying for the night – he always made sure that the Hylian Champion receives the best room in the inn. He knocks on the door gently, waiting for something to indicate whether or not he should stay or leave. Nothing comes at first, but as he turns to leave, he hears the door open.

He turns back, his smile wide as he’s about to tell the Hylian goodnight, but he freezes and his smile falters.

“Goddess,” Sidon gasps. “You look awful.”

Despite having only been in the Domain for just a few days, Link looks as though he hasn’t slept at all. There’s a reddish tinge on his nose, the same tinge that cradles his cheekbones and cushions his eyes, just around the hollow dark circles that seem a little more prominent during the night. Link leans against the doorframe, clearly exhausted in more ways than one.

“Do I?” he laughs. It was unclear whether or not it was intended to be humorous.

“Have you eaten today? Have you bathed?” Sidon asks, now visibly worried. “Hylia, Link, when was the last time you slept?”

Link shrugs, honestly unaware of the time he’s spent before he finds himself being hoisted up and into the bed. He pats him, hard, as a way to tell the Zora to put him down, but it’s not until he’s back on the bed where every part of him is released.

Sidon sits at the end, waiting there calmly. “You can bathe in the morning and I’ll have the best breakfast prepared for you. For now, you look like you’re going to collapse from a lack of sleep any minute. You need to rest.” He isn’t leaving, just sitting there anxiously as he waits for the Hylian fall asleep in the bed, but he doesn’t.

Instead, he’s staring off, his eyes beaming out the window directly towards the statue of Mipha, where it’s clear what he thinks, and it’s clear where he stands.

“It’s not your fault, you know,” Sidon says, finally, noticing the look in his eyes.

Link just hums. It’s unclear if he was even listening.

“Even if you would have made it to Vah Ruta in time, it probably would have killed you too,” Sidon thinks, trying his best to comfort. He understands where the pain is coming from, the guilt as well, but he still is trying to wrap his head around why the Hylian Champion seems so off-put around him. So afraid. “Then we’d all be doomed.”

Link finally sighs, turning his head to face the prince. “I know I couldn’t save her,” he breathes. “But what if, now, I can’t save you?”

Sidon tilts his head, suddenly taken by surprise. He stares for just a brief moment, before he just smiles warmly. “Is that all you’ve been worried about?” He thinks, maybe if this was the thing that kept him so distant, then things would actually be smoother sailing from here on out. However, there were no such waves.

He scoots closer, but Link pushes himself further away. “There’s more than one meaning to save, Sidon.”

Oh.

Sidon pauses, then purses his lips together. He isn’t sure how to take this now that he knows what they want won’t be easy. He thinks, and for a just a moment, everything might just turn out alright, even past the doubt in their heads. He lowers his voice, to something small, and almost weak. “Maybe, then, I don’t want to be saved.”

Their eyes connect in contact, and before Link can say anything more, and in their moment of vulnerability their lips connect with the same force. His hands freeze somewhere in mid-air, his body matching with his mind for a brief moment as he feels the sudden heat crawling across his spine. And while they kiss it seems that they reach a similar ending at the same time – but Link takes it one more step far.

He scrambles off the bed, his hands shaking as his breathing is heavy. He struggles to think for a moment, ignoring every ounce in him that’s telling him to get back on the bed and have the ride of his life. Finally, Link frantically shakes his head and steps back. “We can’t do this,” he grits his teeth and is careful to breathe. “Ever. We can’t do any of this.”

Sidon swallows hard, watching the hero scramble for his sword and start to walk. He practically leaps off the bed after him, reaching for him as if he was going to leave forever. “Let’s talk about this—”

“—I absolutely do not want to talk about this.”

The door slams, and Link takes this opportunity to dip somewhere away while Sidon scrambles to open it and chase down the stairs, thinking that he’s somewhere along there. However, Link takes this chance to leap from the tower, using his paraglider to land somewhere offshore, marching up the side of a mountain to where he knows he can find something to fight. At this point he doesn’t care if the only thing he has are his underpants and a sword that most likely is going to break, but he knows that there’s arrows up there. He’ll make good use of them.

Link has a tendency to be self-destructive.

By the time Sidon thinks to check somewhere out of the Domain, he hears a roar piercing from the top of the mounting.

Fucking Hylia.

He races to the waterfall to swim up, and after doing so he rushes up to the mountain, preparing himself to sweep in and take Link away to recover from the damage, but by the time he reaches the top he sees that there is no lynel in sight. He freezes, watching as Link pants, holding onto his legs and practically gasping to his knee.

“Are you alright?” Sidon manages to ask.

Link turns, only bearing a small reaction when he notices it’s the Zora that’s speaking to him. He nods, turning back to the nothingness for a moment – that must have been where it died – before curving back around and starting to descend.

Sidon rushes to him, quickly catching him in his arms and pulling him up. He quickly scans the boy, then notices there’s hardly even a scratch on him. “For someone that’s supposed to be so brave, you’re awfully reckless,” he comments with a sigh. Link only grins, his limbs weak. The prince carries the exhausted hero back to his room at the inn, and lays him down, but this time, he doesn’t stay behind.

When Link wakes up the following morning he’s practically swimming in his thoughts. He pries himself off the blankets, forcing himself to prolong his stay so he could clean himself and get something to eat, the events of the night before on repeat. He wanders down the steps and into the grand open hall, noticing where Sidon stands again – staring at her.

This time, Link doesn’t pretend that he doesn’t see.

He walks up to the Zora, standing next to him and not saying anything at first. He’s already packed and ready to leave, his eyes looking at her but already focusing somewhere beyond else. He doesn’t speak, and it’s not for a few more minutes before finally he hears someone else’s words.

“I think it’s impossible to detach her from us,” Sidon says. “My sister played such a vital role in both of our lives, I feel that it would be an insult to her to try and throw that away to focus on ourselves.”

Link agrees.

Sidon’s eyes glance down, somewhere off to the side, before he turns his head and finally faces the Hylian. “But that doesn’t mean we can turn this into a bad thing,” he smiles, warm and hoping. “We’ll always be connected through Mipha, but we can take that and just build upon it.”

This time, Link finally seems to understand.

He looks down at his armour, his hand caressing over the tiniest of fine details upon the print – before he rips something off. Sidon perks up, about to question his actions before he sees the object that is being pressed against his palm.

“You’d make better use of it than I would.”

Sidon looks down – the Zora’s Sapphire glistening brilliant and bright against the mist surrounding his hand. He stares for just a moment, before looking up at his friend. There’s smiles there, but he’s also unsure. “She wanted you to have it.”

Link just shrugs. “And I want you to have keep it.”

They pause, before Sidon reaches in and pulls the tiny Hylian into a tight hug, closing his eyes and taking in the scent of him there. “I still have to keep telling you how incredible you are,” he whispers. “And how thankful I am.”

Link finally opens his eyes, and after a brief moment he steps away. They lock eyes, no more words exchanged as their looks convey the promise they intend to keep as long as they’re still alive.

Please, remember me.

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pjarox-journey · 4 years

Text

Breath of the Wild - Session #6

Adventure in Necluda

Hey again! The last time i had cleared my 10th shrine, if i remember correctly. But i was still far away from my next goal: Hateno, a small and lovely village with some scientists. At least, thats what Impa told me.

I didn’t know how far away Hateno was - i was still missing the map of the area. But i could see the tower, and i had also marked it on my map. I encountered various threads on my ride, like more Yiga...

No, i don’t want to talk about bananas, go away!

...or some Bulblins...

Maybe they wanted to ask how to have an own farm...?

...and also a Moblin.

Still weak against bombs!

I learned one thing: Bombs are nice, but it takes forever to kill something with them. Don’t do that, except when you are desperate and/or mad. But... i was able to reach the tower fairly quick, and a new part of the map was revealed!

The map i have right now. Don’t mind Fiona there, she is doing a-okay!

From the top of the tower, i managed to reach another Oktoplatform, this time with a Moblin on it. I couldn’t oneshot him, but... it had a looong fall, and... eh... yeah. Got some good loot, too!

Oh yeah, baby!

I searched the area in the valley beneath the tower for some more loot, but there were monster everywhere. I killed a few, but it was not worth it, sadly. I saved a traveler, though, and got some cake from her.

Caaaaake!!

But besides that... there was not much of interest there. Except for...

I swear, these bastards are litteraly everywhere!

...little guy #25. He likes metal doors, to, as you can see. I think there is another Korok there, too, for which i have to shoot some targets. But... i’m not sure about that. I didn’t want to try it, because arrows are still important and there are way too many monsters around.

I also learned, that the monsters are waking up at exactly 4am. Like “Oh boy, 4am! Time to beat some shit out of the hero!”

...i ran away, so everything is fine. Fiona too, but... she was still waiting nearby the tower, where i had left her. I could have gone to Hateno, as it was nearby now, but... i didn’t want to abandon my trusted horse. So i went back, while exploring the nearby area. I found, eh...

...Stones?

LIVING STONES!!

I told you about the Iwarok on the plateau? This one was way tougher. I broke my hammer, and my Knights Broadsword. But i got a lot of minerals from him, so... i think it was worth it. Hammers can be found in most villages, so... i would have to search Hateno for a new one.

On my way i found yet another Korok (#26).

You ow me 5 arrows now :<

Also, there was a quarry or something like that nearby, with some Mini-Iwaroks. Can you guess their weakness? Right, it’s BOMBS!! I got some more minerals out of it, so yay me! More Rupees!

After defeating some more Bulblins, thus saving more travelers, i finally found Fiona and rode to Hateno. Immediatly. Without further explorations into the wilderness! I know, crazy, but i managed it this time.

In Hateno, i was ‘greated’ by Knut. With a pitchfork. I don’t know what he had intended to do, but after talking to him, he let me enter the village.

Knut taking his job very serious!

As you can guess, there are various things you can do in Hateno. First of all, a little boy showed me a forgotten statue.

Certainly not evil!

I can change my health/stamina-spread here for some Rupees. Might you that in the future, but for now, i’m good.

There is also a shrine (#11) nearby...

NONONONOOOO, NOT THIS ONE AAAAAHHHHH--

...which i had much fun with, haha.... ._.

There is a house i can buy for 3000 Rupees (AHAHAHA) with a lovely neighbour:

I shall call him... Bob! (#27)

There are also some quests in the village, but i couldn’t do them, because it was night. It has been 9 days since i got the glider, and day 10 would start very soon. But i was able to visit the clothing shop, but... i didn’t buy the armor there. It would be better after upgrading, yes, but... for that i would have to visit Kakariko again. Also: money. And i like the look of the Hylian Tunic... which i was able to color here! Of course, i chose the one and only color link could wear:

BLUE!!!

...anyway: Impa told me about scientists, right? They were living on top of a hill nearby, at the other side of the village. They had been waiting for Links return after his 100 year long slumber. It is:

Adorable little girl Purah!

As you can see, she is 120 years old. Or... not. There was an incident not too long ago, where she tried to get a bit younger, and... well... it worked. Kinda. A bit too well, maybe, but anyway: to be able to upgrade my Shiekah Slate, they need to activate their terminal again, and for that they need blue fire. Only the true hero can obtain it - or they were just to incompetent to retrieve it.

Well, that’s my task for the next session. After that, i will finally be able to make some photos with the Shiekah Slate, and upgrade my moduls. Stronger bombs and such things. If i have enought materials... *sigh*

I hope you enjoyed my journey so far! I had much fun to document it all, and also playing it. Though... the fights are exhausting, and i might run into trouble if i intend to not use the ability to port. Maybe i will change that sometime. We’ll see. Maybe i might allow me to teleport from Shrine to Shrine? It would make things a bit more convenient, but not too strong. Well, we’ll see. Anyway, thanks for reading so far, and look forward to the next entry! o/

#journey of the wild #The Legend of Zelda #Breath of the Wild #the legend of zelda: breath of the wild

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