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hylianmewmew · 3 months

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maybe i do: ch 4 little did he know

read ch 3 here ♡ read ch 5 here

Sidon heaved a sigh on his mad dash to the meeting hall. He didn’t mean to spend most of the night chatting with Link. Not that he minded at all but he was the King!! He couldn’t be late to his own goddesses-damned council meeting. His father, Yona and Muzu would understand he wanted to catch up with his dear friend so desperately. That mental reassurance didn’t make Sidon feel any better about his tardiness. As he neared the meeting hall he straightened his regalia and briefly caught his breath mere minutes before they were due to begin the meeting. He slid into his seat at the head of the table and waited for Muzu to begin reading the agenda for today.

After the meeting Yona pulled Sidon aside. Before he had the ability to panic about whatever she might want to talk to him about she grinned devilishly. Pulling him close she talked softly, “How was your time last night with Link? Talk about anything fun?” With the last sentence there was a glimmer in her eyes, like she knew something Sidon didn’t.

Sidon cleared his throat, “We caught up on everything since the disappearances. Turns out he’s been doing everything but interacting with others.” Shaking his head he sighed. “Poor Link if I’m being honest. I think he’s losing more memories than he’s recovering, he didn’t even remember who Mipha was…” Yona looked into his eyes lovingly, while they lacked the romance they still loved each other like family.

They both knew going into this marriage they weren’t attracted to each other at all, Yona it turned out isn’t remotely attracted to men. She had told him that she was an only child of her parents, the leaders of her tribe which lived outside of the Domain. This was purely political, more of a legal friendship of sorts. Sidon’s father was told after the wedding about his and Yona’s true feelings for each other. Fortunately Dorephan was a kind and accepting man, he simply requested that for the time being they kept up appearances as a couple. This didn’t bother Sidon, in fact it was a great relief. He hadn’t come out to his father as queer before that point, if he didn’t have Yona by his side he might not have ever done so. Never once since that point had Yona pressured Sidon about potential romantic partners nor had he done so to her. They had discussed what they would do about an heir and Sidon had even confided in his father about this concern. Dorephan had simply assured Sidon that the time would come where he would know what to do but until then to live life to the fullest and serve his people well.

Sidon had a sneaking suspicion Yona knew more about his romantic feelings than she let on. Despite his lean towards being more attracted to men he did sometimes crush on another gender. He knew he was probably the biggest hopeless romantic in all of the domain but that didn’t stop him from gushing about an imaginary potential partner or even how he would sweep them off their feet. He had a love for theatrics, if or when he fell in love he was certain he would make his partner feel like they were the most treasured person in all of Hyrule. Even just thinking about someone he had made-up sent Sidon into a blushing tizzy. Zora romance novels were another thing he adored, there was nothing better than curling up with the latest romance book and reading until the sun rose the next morning.

Speaking of the next morning, Sidon groaned as a sleep deprived headache began to grow at the center of his forehead. As much as he loved the precious hours he had spent with Link last night there was no denying he was not a night person and deeply regretted the potential sleep that he had lost. A fair price to pay, he supposed and by the gods he had missed Link. More than he thought. It had been far too long since he had heard anything about what Link had been up to after he had reappeared without Queen Zelda. He had only heard of the power struggle that was occurring in Castletown as they had no direct heir linked to Zelda and the Hyrulian council had no idea what to do if she didn’t return. But more importantly he learned how badly her vanishing had eaten away at Link. He could tell the Hylian blamed himself for everything that had happened in the past 120 years. Especially about Zelda, more than anything about Zelda.

He knew Link had a pension for putting everything on his shoulders, attempting to carry the weight of the world. But Link was slowly drowning, anyone close to him saw that. Link refused to allow talk of his lack of self preservation or habit of bearing the brunt of all the world’s troubles. This pained Sidon, he wanted to help Link so badly, but if Link wasn’t going to accept the help, Sidon feared this would break his dear friend.

Dear. Friend.

Is that what Link considered him? A friend? He had noticed Link seemed puzzled everytime Sidon had referred to him as anything more than a political and combat ally. Something had happened to Link, he was sure of it. Did Link forget again? Forget their friendship, the battles they fought side by side? Was that… supposed to hurt Sidon so much? The idea that Link truly did begin to lose the memories he made and those he had recovered from before his 100 year sleep. It sucked the breath out of Sidon’s lungs and made his heart feel like it was being held in a vice grip.

⟡ ⟡ ⟡

The day went by smooth enough, however he had caught no sign of Link. Not that he had much time to rest or search for him, the council was planning a diplomatic expedition to Gerudo Town to discuss annual trade agreements. As there was no current heir to the throne and his father was in much too fragile of a state at his age that Bazz and a couple of his guards would accompany Mata, one of the newer diplomatic envoys. Sidon wished he could go, it would feel nice to get out of the Domain for once he knew as king, he was needed here.

The sunset looked splendid outside, the light dancing across the water in the reservoir. Maybe he and Yona should take Link out by the reservoir for dinner. This perked Sidon up and he went off to locate Yona and see what her thoughts were.

Seeing her turn a corner, Sidon picked up his pace and called for her once the distance between them was short enough. “Yona! I had a wonderful idea! We should invite Link out to the reservoir for a waterside meal!”

That glimmer in Yona’s eyes was back, but just momentarily as her face saddened at his suggestion. “Oh dear, I’m afraid I was just headed back to our chambers. I’ve developed a headache and would like some resting time. But feel free to go off with Link without me, I’m sure you would be more than glad to spend some more time with him. Don’t worry about me though, I’ll be just fine.” She patted Sidon’s hands which he had unconsciously clasped together anxiously.

⟡ ⟡ ⟡

Sidon had an attendant invite Link to the eastern reservoir so he could run to the kitchens and grab some ingredients to prepare a picnic for him and Link. He’d thought just a sandwich making kit, something even Sidon could think of on the fly. (It was actually one of the cook’s ideas, that way he and Link could spend more time eating and talking than preparing food.) Sidon was giddy as he toted the food in a basket to the spot he had picked out for their ‘outing’. He shook off the fleeting thought that this was a date, obviously. Now annoyed at his queer ass brain latching on to the idea of romancing any pretty man. Wait. No. He definitely didn’t mean it that way. Link was by no means unattractive, gods, he had practically all of Hyrule swooning over him. Which: could mean Sidon was included, but he wasn’t! Sidon most certainly wasn’t swooning over the man that was his dearest friend. Absolutely not.

There was zero, ZERO time for Sidon to regain his composure as Link approached. He was very obviously trying to make himself be heard, trudging across the stone pathway in a very clunky manner. Sidon had never seen Link not be extremely agile and unintentionally graceful in each movement he made. And watching him on the battlefield was like watching a skilled dancer. Link combined the movements of a seasoned warrior with those of the most elegant of dancers, each parry and jab fluid yet methodical.

Link waved, finally giving up on making himself known now that Sidon had noticed him. His eyes snapped down to the food covered blanket then up to Sidon’s face, then back to the food. Confusion became more and more etched into his expression the longer he stood there. Just looking. Look at Sidon, then the food, repeating this ridiculous act a few more times. By the 3rd time Sidon knew Link had caught on and was just fucking with him now. However the confusion didn’t completely leave his face.

“So.” Link’s signs were brisk and somehow a tiny bit sassy. “Picnic time? By the water. Hm. Is this? A date?” By the end of that sentence Link smirked mischievously, he was still toying with Sidon.

This however, was not amusing to Sidon who fumbled over his words, “I– what? No! It– was supposed to you, Yona and I! But– she had a headache! Oh Link I apologize profusely if this has made you uncomfortable in any way whatsoever. You do not need to stay if so! I. I’m so sorry Link!”

Link wasn’t taking this seriously apparently and began to snicker at the allegedly put together Zora King. There wasn’t a doubt in Link’s mind that this man was anything but put together. “Relax! I was just teasing. It’s not like I’m going to expect to be wooed by a King let alone one who’s married. I barely know you anyways, even though it feels like I’ve known you forever.” Link still held that smirk as he casually sat down on the checked blanket and stretched out his legs.

Sidon’s heart dropped to his feet, his heart picking up pace as he willed himself not to have a full blown mental breakdown in front of Link. Forcing himself to maintain composure at least outwardly. He started to speak, so soft he barely felt the vibrations of his vocal chords. “Link.” Nope, try again. “Link, I thought you remembered all your time in the Domain. Even before the 100 years we had played together when Queen Zelda and her family traveled here for meetings and trade agreements.” Sidon’s head tail fell slack, smacking himself in the neck. “Please tell me you at least remember us fighting together and freeing Vah Ruta from the waterblight!” At that, Sidon couldn’t fully keep his composure but refused to let Link see him cry. He choked back a sob and looked over at Link who had such a deathly pale coloring to his skin Sidon was partially worried if he’d caused something horrid to happen inside Link’s mind.

Link didn’t move. He just sat there, eyes aimed at his trembling hands that he had clasped together in a death grip. His eyes might’ve been aimed at his hands but Sidon didn’t think that Link was truly present right now. Oh gods what had Sidon done. DIdn’t Yona suggest that Link might not be back in a mental state where he could handle big emotions, exactly like the bigger than big emotions that it seemed Sidon had just triggered in Link. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

There wasn’t much Sidon could do other than sit there in terror as he watched Link’s eyes dilate so large the brilliant blue of his irises were barely visible. So, so much dread filled Sidon’s chest. If Link never wanted to step foot in Lanayru for the rest of time Sidon could cast no blame. Link’s face crumpled in anguish, a small, sharp gasp escaping his lips. Before he could stop himself Sidon reached across and gingerly took one of Link’s small trembling hands within his own. He stroked Link’s calloused but still soft hand with his thumb. He waited for Link to pull away but his hand relaxed ever so slightly.

“Oh, Link. I so deeply apologize for this. I had no idea your memories were being lost again. I’m so sorry. I would never have said the things I did if I knew how much it would trigger you so severely. I can’t begin to imagine what horrors you’ve had to face. Alone at that.” Link mumbles something, then again slightly louder. “...Song…my ocarina…” This puzzled Sidon, what was an ocarina? It must be an instrument of sorts but he had never heard of such a thing. “Please.” Link signed over and over growing more desperate as he continued to sign. With this small, frantically repetitive sign Sidon’s heart broke in a way he didn’t know it could.

Sidon began to hum a melody he remembers Mipha humming to him as a child. The tune was meant as a lullaby for Zora guppies, the trills in the song were only noises a Zora could make. His breathing slowed, falling into the peaceful rhythm of the lullaby he hummed. Link’s clammy hand that Sidon held trembled less severely now. His breathing began to slow as well, eyes drifting closed. His body, now exhausted from the traumatic flashback he had endured, slumped over with his head landing next to Sidon’s other hand which was propping his body up.

Relieved, Sidon let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He was scared to let go of Link’s hand or cease humming the lullaby. So he sat there, humming, and stroking Link’s hand gently. His gentle snores assured Sidon that he had managed to calm down at least for now.

Sidon could only pray to the gods Link’s dreams were more peaceful than what horrors he faced awake.

#legend of zelda #the legend of zelda #tloz #maybe i do #sidlink #tears of the kingdom #sidon x link #link #sidon #mute link #link is nonspeaking and uses hylian version of sign language #nonspeaking link #breath of the wild #mew fics

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triforceangel13 · 1 year

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Love Across Time Ch. 24 (a SidLink Story)

Ch. 24: The Final Battle

Protecting Zelda was one of the most important jobs that they had to do. Their large army had been seperated into groups each one being led by a champion.

They would each take a section of Hyrule castle and clear it out of monsters or take those that gave up into custody.

To Sidon's surprised he had been asked to take part in being in the team that would help protect Zelda in the center team going into the castle.

She was going for Astor and she had already said she would no stop until this threat was taken care of. With the yiga now they had the numbers.

Link was with him as well which he wondered if Zelda had done on purporse. Their minds were more clear to a point if they were together.

But he had to remember he had to stick with the plan. Despite that he wasn't a plan of it he would not mess it up.

This had to go flawlessly in order for them to win.

At the castle the groups broke off to their respected areas, fighting soon ensuing around them. Sidon swung his tridents as Link used the master sword nearby.

And of course Zelda did her part. She used her magic as if she had been using it for years, not afraid of the golden energy emitting from her hands.

A guardian came charging at them covered in malice, heading towards Zelda at a high speed. Sidon turned to swing his trident.

“Princess! Look out!” Sidon called for her.

Zelda turned slowly, flinching a bit as the guardian came closer.

A large sword soared out of the air and pinned the guardian down, making it cease it's attack. Zelda's eyes widened as she looked up at her savioir.

“Father?” she asked, a soft breath coming from her.

The great King of Hyrule stepped into the room from where he had thrown his sword and rushed up to the small group in the moment of silence from the monsters around them.

King Roahm.

Sidon and Link both sank down to their knees but instead of acknowleding it he wrapped his arms around Zelda and crushed her into a warm hug.

Link and Sidon exchanged glances and slowly rose to their feet as the small family hugged onto one another. Tears ran down Zelda's cheeks, a sad smile on her face as she clung to the only family she had left in her life.

“I thought you were gone,” Zelda said softly to her father, pulling back a bit as she gazed up at the man. Link was hesitant. He had seen the way things had gone between them before all of this had started to happen.

And then Zelda's turmoil that she thought her father had been killed in battle when they had escaped the castle.

“Even guardians cannot take down this mighty king,” Roahm said to her and then wiped away one of her tears with his hand, pecking his daughter on the head. “But I couldn't leave you alone in this world with no one else.”

Zelda gave another teary smile and hugged her father again. He hugged her tight to him and then looked to the two men.

“Thank you for protecting her. I will join your team now to take care of this once and for all. We cleared that hallway there. This could help,” Roahm said.

Link gave a nod and he took the lead to head down that hall, Sidon on his heels as the king and Zelda followed after them.

They had closed in on Astor. The man had backed himseinf in a corner, trying to use every dirty trick in the book that he could have.

He summoned monsters nonstop, guardians surrounded in malice, and even had summoned the blights more than once in hopes to get them off of his tail.

But no matter what one group or another made it so that the princess and her friends could get to him. This was not how it was supposed to end.

He was meant to gain Ganon's power and so forth but he was going to be defeated.

He had one more trick up his sleeve but things had to be in place.

Who knew if they brought that little guardian.

Astor let out a grunt of pain as he was blasted back into some rubble by gold light. Zelda approached him with a deadly look in her eyes, hand raised for another attack.

“Give up Astor. And maybe then your punishment won't be so severe,” she said with a frown. Link stood next to her, his sword drawn. Sidon stood on the other side of Zelda, tridents raised and ready for attack.

They were all tired , exhausted even. But they were winning. They were so close that they could taste vistory on their tongues.

A little more and Sidon could swoop in to hold Link close and kiss him in victory for a job well done on everyone's part.

Astor glared at the princess, noting that more of her troops were closing in on their area. He had to do something fast or he certianly would face defeat.

And that was when he saw him. The small guardian by Zelda's feet, poised and seemed to be ready to attack again.

“Fools,” Astor said with a laugh. “You unknowingly brought me an ally.”

The three of them looked at one another.

“I think you've got it wrong. None of us would turn on one another,” Link said, taking a steap forward. “Now let's do this the hard way since you insist on it.”

Astor held his head back and laughed once more, then shooting a ball of malice towards them. Zelda dodged easily, confused as to why he had aimed it right at her feet.

But the realization hit her too late. The malice surrounded their little guardian friend, the light that was once blue now fading into a pinkish purple.

“Link! Sidon! The guardian!” she cried out, the little guardian starting to morph. The three of them watched in horror as it shifted it's parts seeming to grow arms and legs. Astor laughed hard as weapons appeared in its hands and it made a warning noise as its final try to warn off the malice that had controlled it.

“Oh but you had brought me an ally. Now attack my minon!” Astor cried.

Zelda tried her magic on it, Link swinging his sword with Sidon next to him.

The guardian was fast moving and was able to dodge easily. He was such a small thing, he could effect all of them in different ways. Sidon had the hardest time being so tall.

With a small beam the guardian knocked Zelda clear off her feet. Link swung his sword, the guardian rising up to stand on his sword as Link swung it down.

Blue eyes widened in fear as the minon aimed it's arm back to thrust its spear forward.

Sidon had rushed forward in a flash of red, putting himself between Link and the guardian, taking the full force of the spear into his chest.

He grunted, having swung his trident at the same time and got it right in its side.

“Sidon!” Link cried out.

The guardian staggered back, pulling its spear with it. Sidon clutched at his chest, panting heavily as he felt blood ooze from the wound and down his side.

“What's the matter with you,” Astor growled at the guardian. “Attack!”

The guardian made a noise and ran at Astor this time, but its eye still pink.

Astor was confused until the guardian latched itself to his face.

He let out a scream as it attatched itself to him and surrounded them both in a pinkish ligh made from malice.

But Link paid no attention, watching things in slow motion as Sidon knelt down on the ground, breathing heavily and coughed up blood into his other hand.

“Sidon!” Link cried out again, approaching the Zora quickly but Zelda put her hand in between the two of them as she faced Astor still.

“Still be on guard Link!” she said to him. “No distractions.”

Link's face filled with rage at her words and he glared at te mosnter that had formed from the two beings.

“You have taken my patience for granted,” came a dark voice out of it's mouth. “My patience is now gone. You will now be my vessel.”

The monster pushed from the ground and into the sky, heading further into the castle. Zelda grit her teeth.

“We must follow,” she said to them, turning to them and then her heart dropped. Link craddled Sidon's head in his lap as he settled the large Zora down.

“Sidon,” Link whispered, pressing a piece of cloth from his tunic onto the wound on his side. Sidon coughed again, tears forming in Link's eyes and freely dripped down his cheeks.

“Link,” Sidon said, trying his best to give him a smile and he rose his hand to his chest like he used to, the glint of his smile dulled with the blood in his mouth.

“Stay with me okay? We're supposed to go around Hyrule together after this remember?” Link said to him, hands shaking as he pressed the wound more. “We made that promise together that one night. Remember?”

“I remember,” Sidon said to him softly, his hand reaching out to pet his cheek. “We'll still do it together. I promise.”

“Sidon!” came Mipha's voice soon after as her group approached. Urbosa's came not too far behind from the other side.

The smaller zora knelt next to them, trying to asses the damage.

“He took a spear to save me,” Link said. “And now I...I can't stop the bleeding Mipha. What do I do to help him?”

“You must go with the princess and the others and go after him,” Sidon said to Link. Link's blue eyes widened and he shook his head.

“No, I won't leave you,” Link said, grasping his hand tightly. “I won't let us be apart again. Not after last time.”

Sidon knew what he meant. When the Link he knew passed away.

“I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here when you get back. I cannot come with you, but we're so close to finally finishing this. Zelda needs you,” Sidon urged.

Link bit his lip bit. He knew what he had to do. But he had to try to keep Sidon alive. He was the reason that Sidon got hurt, at least in his own mind.

“I've got him,“Mipha said softly to Link. “I will do what I can with as much healing as I can. Go now. Before it's too late.”

Link swallowed, picking up the master sword once more and slowly stood Sidon's hand still clutched into one of his own.

“I will be back. And then we will start making travel plans, okay?” Link asked with a wobbly smile on his face.

“Okay,” Sidon said to him with a sad smile, his hand slowly pulling away from Link as the hero turned to follow the large group after Astor.

“Be safe,” Sidon said softly to him as he left, looking to his sister as she tried to heal the wound on his side.

“Stay awake Sidon,” She urged im. “I'm not sure how much I can do...”

“I'll try,” Sidon said, though his body was starting to feel cold.

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onesunofagun · 3 years

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I shall now yell about Ingo, please stand by:

Ingo’s transformation from the underappreciated backbone of the ranch to an absolute ruff-wearing cantaloupe of a man is also pretty interesting (if you’re the kind of person who absorbs the Zelda series through your skin like a frog to live).

I’ve bolded the key points for skimmers.

Granted, the manga has it that Ingo just gets brainwashed by Twinrova into being a staunch follower of Ganondorf. That’s not canon, but it’s not informing any of this thinking, either way.

In the beginning of OoT we meet Talon by waking him up from a nap, and we learn pretty quickly that he’s lazy and often yelled at by his daughter for slacking off like this. Ingo at the ranch confirms again that Talon doesn’t pull his weight around there, and since Malon’s still a child, it’s pretty obvious that Ingo’s settled with the bulk of the work.

Ingo is grumpy, he’s resentful, and he complains a lot. But he does do the work, and you can find him (presumably) in the process of mucking out the stables.

Let’s examine what he does at the ranch:

Epona really liked that song... Only I could tame that horse... Even Mr. Ingo had a hard time...

Now, Epona is established in game to be a real winner of a horse. She’s fast, she’s smart, she’s got a lovely sorrel coat and white mane that seems to be quite rare or highly prized coloring. The catch is, she is notoriously wild. The only people she tolerates are Malon and Link, due in large part to being soothed by the song Malon’s mother taught her.

Ingo had to really try to crack this horse, which Malon’s observation suggests is unusual.

Epona is very young when we first see her, so it’s never really revealed if she was caught wild, or bred at the ranch with a very headstrong temperament.

Ingo’s clearly the guy that’s breaking them in, though. The most Talon is doing is... sleeping in with the cuccos. We never see any organisation of the cuccos, in terms of egg collection or poultry farming, but nevertheless, Talon has the much less physical jobs even if he was doing them. His focus seems to be cuccos, deliveries to the castle and book keeping between naps (and to be fair it’s probably a little depression related, given the dead wife).

Malon gives us a cow later on, and she’s got the egg for the crowing cucco that wakes up Talon, so I’d like to assume for simplicity’s sake that even as a kid, Malon was up at dawn most days helping Ingo with the cows and milking them. It’s never really implied that she has amazing skill in dealing with horses, just that Epona has a special connection with her specifically. Other than that, Malon is simply kind and respectful of her animals (though I’ve got no idea how she got that cow to Link’s treehouse and that’s worth investigating).

Later on, Ingo is also shown to be a competent rider. Enough that he has absolutely no qualms in challenging Link to races for wagers, and was quite confident of his ability to win.

The takeaway is, Ingo is usually VERY GOOD with both caring for and training horses, if not breeding them for the ranch.

That kind of lends to his grumbling, when he is referring to himself as ‘the Great Ingo’ and comparing himself to Talon, who is a ‘bum’. His claim to greatness may not be undeserved, at least in horse circles, and especially if he’s not getting particular credit for it, his bitterness and frustration (alongside envy, exhaustion, and dreams of recognition) would be quite deeply run.

So it seems that his friend and employer is clearly taking some advantage of him, especially after the death of Malon’s mother.

So now, let’s examine his feelings, and how he changes.

The feelings Ingo has about that are pretty textbook for the sort of thing ‘evil takes hold of and twists’, in the Zeldaverse.

Focussing on the game itself, Malon says this as an adult:

Since Ganondorf came, people in the Castle Town have gone, places have been ruined, and monsters are wandering everywhere. Mr. Ingo is just using the ranch to gain Ganondorf's favor... Everyone seems to be turning evil...

We do see other characters in Hyrule become influenced by the ‘darkness in their hearts’ as byproduct of Ganondorf’s reign.

A prominent example of a character who was visibly dissatisfied with their lot, and then notably changes (while praising Ganondorf for what he’d done), is the Castle Guard who is heavily implied to have become the Poe Dealer. Even if by some slim means it’s not the same person, the Poe Dealer does still express that they could not do the work they do without Ganon as King, and that they now benefit from him being in that position and are grateful to him.

The Kakariko Carpenters seem to have given into their fantasies about living among the Gerudo women, and gone out to the Valley and gotten themselves taken prisoner. Following work near the fortress, the team chooses to act on their selfish desires and go for broke, chasing their dreams. They weren’t previously prepared to act upon these fantasies when Link was young, admittedly much milder in their still very prominent obsession, but seven years later, they’re quite happy to risk it all and piss away the stability of their careers (and nearly their lives) at the first opportunity.

Anyway, the trend is, those across Hyrule who are unhappy with their lot before Ganondorf’s coup tend to be ‘corrupted’ by seven years later, and appear to have given in to a twisted version of whatever they most wanted.

This is noteworthy especially because the language in the game revolves around the Sacred Realm being opened and corrupted, too, by Ganondorf’s unbalanced heart and selfish goals. It is unable to be ‘sealed’ again while Link has the Master Sword. In aLttP, we know there is a mirror like effect to do with the sacred turned dark realm, in which it reflects the hearts of men.

So it is very reasonable to say, that for OoT in particular, much of this evil influence plaguing the land and preying on the darkness an people’s hearts is a result of the corruption of the Sacred Realm. It is an indirect byproduct of Ganondorf’s acquiring of the Triforce, but not necessarily something he himself does to people on purpose, unlike the brainwashing of Nabooru.

Mr. Ingo is just using the ranch to gain Ganondorf's favor... But Dad... He was kicked out of the ranch by Mr. Ingo... If I disobey Mr. Ingo, he will treat the horses so badly...

This explains a lot of the more callous and greedy behaviour that Ingo shows later on, and why it seems to disappear when he is truly humbled by Link.

Link’s win serves as a reminder of Ingo’s stagnating skill with horses, the very thing that made him feel so deserving of praise and recognition in the first place, in that for everything he now has control of at the ranch, he still cannot control that horse. He has become as much of a bum as Talon ever was, relegating Malon to do all the hard work while Ingo struts around uselessly. He’s even lost his touch with the Horses so much, in his arrogance, that now he has taken up mistreating them and using harsh and abusive methods (according to Malon’s concerns).

The humiliation and shame takes hold, his pride shattering with the loss of Epona-- not only as a valuable asset, but also as the horse he could never truly tame.

The dark feelings he was holding onto are let go of, as he regains a sense of humility, and the corruptive influence upon him dissipates. He even seeks out Talon to bury the hatchet and invite him back to the ranch.

Oh, I have to tell you about Mr. Ingo... He was afraid that the Evil King might find out that Epona had been taken away... It really upset him! But one day, all of a sudden, he went back to being a normal, nice person! Now my dad is coming back...I can't believe it, but peace is returning to this ranch!

But what about his obsession with Ganondorf in particular?

When the coup happened, Ingo watched the King of the Gerudo unwittingly play out a sort of grand parallel to what Ingo felt should happen on the ranch. To Ingo’s perception, I think Ganondorf was representing an ideal version of Ingo himself.

A man of the desert, where hard work and grit are as second nature to survive the harsh conditions. A man frustrated with the King of Hyrule’s shit, and forced to swear fealty to him despite being a King himself. A man resplendent with wealth, with fine and flashy clothes and plentiful jewelry.

And perhaps the most important note of all, the Gerudo in OoT?

They’re horse people.

They love horses. Ganondorf’s horse is reputed to be a purebred Black Gerudo Stallion, which is obviously a specialty breed, that is fully armoured and as flashy as he is. When the Gerudo cut the bridge leading to the valley, the only way in and out is to have a skilled horse jump the gap.

They also have a huge horseback archery range, and prowess in the sport is an incredible source of respect amongst the Gerudo, and many of the guards possess bladed polearms suitable for mounted use. From this, it can be assumed that during the recent civil war, Gerudo weapons, war tack and military tactics were probably built around mounted cavalry archers foremost, with a lesser focus on light and heavy cavalry aside (iron knuckle armour springs to mind).

Anyway, Horses are very important to the Gerudo in the era of Ocarina of Time.

So Ganondorf is also unique in the sense that he is the King of a people who value what it is that Ingo does very highly. He, of all people, stands to immediately recognise the knowledge and skill that Ingo possesses in rearing horses.

So this is a man who successfully stages a coup of Hyrule, who clearly inspires Ingo to do much the same of the ranch, and who Ingo also feels is very likely to take his side should he appeal the matter.

And Ganondorf does.

And if that’s not a great compliment to Ingo’s actual skill, I don’t know what is, because Ganondorf is not a man that suffers fools. He’s got a limited patience when it comes to shit that is beneath his notice. Clearly, he recognises that Ingo is indeed the backbone of that ranch-- and the main reason for the quality of its Horses-- and rewards this accordingly.

And for Ingo, being on decent terms with the big scary goth King is a very, very good place to be. But it’s more than that!

What a guy! Not only did he deliver on Ingo’s long due validation, he gave Ingo everything he’d ever dreamed of having to his name, and the authority to kick Talon to the curb. He gets it! Ganondorf, this great eight foot beacon of freshly sought divine power and topaz-encrusted glory, this absolute unit of a man, this great underdog horse-lover after Ingo’s own heart; he really understands how great Ingo is. Ganondorf is paving the way for people like them! Oh, to rub shoulders wiht such greatness when the rest of Hyrule is scorned.

Ingo feels seen. The Great Ganondorf made all that thankless time spent shovelling horse shit while Talon slept mean something. The Gerudo appreciate Ingo’s talents.

And all Ingo has to do is keep turning out really good horses, and promise to present the King with his finest.

So Ingo knows he’s in deep shit when he gets cocky and loses Epona to a wager, who at this point, he’s prepared pretty well and sunk a lot of money into on the idea that she’s going to Ganondorf.

Who he’s probably bragged to about how fast she is.

He lost her to some jerk in tights who’d barely ridden before, too. And then when Ingo tried to cheat him out of the win, the kid jumped the damned fence an in ass-bustingly cool move that really just drove home how excellent and rare Epona was.

One does not promise the King of the Gerudo a fast horse and then fail to deliver, let alone for such a stupid reason.

Honestly, by the end, the man’s just happy to be alive.

Also I’d like to think he and Talon had a much fairer delegation of work and forgave each other, each really learning to appreciate what they have and what’s really important.

how the fuck did the Kokiri leave the forest for this scene anyway, they don’t even have their faries???

#tloz #tloz oot #Ocarina of time #legend of zelda ocarina #nostalgia #ingo #malon #talon #lon lon ranch #hyrule #zelda meta #legend of zelda #gerudo #ganondorf #zelda discussion #zelda theory

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anthemxix · 3 years

Note

Had an interesting conversation with my best friend in the car today, and I thought you might be interested in a bit of Warriors angst we came up with.

So, it started as a different conversation, but basically we realized that in order to be a good ruler you can't be a good person. Rulers are forced, constantly, to choose between bad things. You have to make sacrifices to make sure your people are safe and cared for. You need to be selfish and focus solely on your people.

And you can see this in LoZ sometimes. Lullaby flees her castle and goes in hiding, since she's the only one who can help Time defeat Ganon and save Hyrule in the long run, but she's forced to watch her kingdom curmble and people suffer in the meantime. Short-term sacrifice for long-term victory. Dusk is forced to surrender to Zant because the other option it worse, she just gets lucky Twilight shows up when he did. Rhoam is a great example. He's looking down the apocalypse, and in order to be a good King, he feels forced to be a bad father (and he does realize later being a bad father won't save the kingdom, he just realizes it a bit too late). But he is, for all intents, a good ruler.

So, the Warriors angst.

Hyrule Warriors shows a war. Artemis is very much a good ruler but not a good person. She can't afford to be a good person. I have abandoned keeps playing that game, and the men in those keeps. In universe, those men died. And she had to let them. She had to sacrifice her troops because the alternative was far, far worse. It's not a good situation, and you couldn't call her a good person after some of those calls, but she is a good ruler.

And Warriors has to make those same calls. He has to let some men die, not even counting the ones he actually had to kill himself. He's had to make calls that he probably hated having to. He isn't a good person anymore, because he can't afford to be. He's led a war, and people leading wars can't be good people. He's a good leader instead.

And then compare to the other Links, who are good people. They had the privilege of being good people. A privilege that Warriors didn't get. And yet the others still think he did. They still think he's a good person instead of just a good leader. And he's probably clinging to that as hard as he can. Because he wants to be a good person, but he's not, he's a good leader.

(I also imagine he probably realized he can't be both around the time he ended up in Skyloft. Which is actually good, since he's paired there with Fi, who is very logical and factual. Percentages and numbers. Her advice don't care about how he feels. His emotions are irrelevant. Which would suck to hear, but she's right, his feelings don't matter here. They don't. And he needs to deal with that and adjust. And he does. And it sucks, but he does, and he ends up a good leader.)

(Also, now imagine in LU, Time realizing now that being a leader is a lot harder than he thought it would be. He was pretty sheltered from the war, I feel, and probably saw Wars in a very positive light. He's a Hero, and he saves people, and he's a good person and a good leader. And so he doesn't realize you can't be both, not really. And so he goes to Warriors for leadership advice, and has to come to the abrupt realization that Warriors is not who he thought he was, but that doesn't make Wars a bad person either.

"How do I save everyone?"

"You don't,"

And Warriors is right, and is sucks, but it's true. You save who you can, and feel bad about the ones you can't, and then you move on. And it's going to force Time to do a lot of reevaluating.)

-Attllhak

@attllhak thank you for sharing your thoughts! what an impressive and, in my opinion, very accurate analysis~

compared to the other links, warriors did have a unique experience. he regularly faced dilemmas with no positive outcomes and with immediate life-or-death consequences. i’ve had the same experience in hw that you described: sometimes you have no choice but to leave soldiers to die. logistically, it’s just not possible to protect everyone.

i appreciate that you used rhoam as an example of a good leader. folks tend to vilify him for the way he treated zelda, but he was doing what he thought would best serve his kingdom. in such dire circumstances as an impending apocalypse or a war, people have to sacrifice their own needs and emotions in favor of “the greater good,” so to speak. the situation is more complicated than “he didn’t respect his daughter, so he’s a bad person.” (and after all, wasn’t he right in the end, that zelda’s goddess-given powers were key to hyrule’s salvation?) and as you noted, warriors’ morality also occupies this complex grey zone.

your analysis here also raises some bigger questions that don’t really have answers. what truly makes someone a “good” person? warriors didn’t want people to die; he made these choices out of necessity. does that matter?

and the classic question of ethics: if ethical behavior means behavior that minimizes suffering, how do we quantify that suffering? is it the overall number of people suffering, or is it the amount of suffering each individual endures? that is to say, is it ethical to allow a few soldiers to die violent deaths in order to win, and thus end, a war? is it ethical to sacrifice a few in order to save the many? or is this sacrifice unethical because it causes a great amount of suffering for those few individuals?

ANYWAY, thank you again for sharing your thought-provoking ideas~ <3 <3

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu #warriors #time #anthem answers

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4n0da · 3 years

Text

"Fly through the earth, run through the sky, eyes of the sky and eyes of the earth"

Chapter 1: The Return of the Legendary Warrior

Snap, snap.

The arrow released by the boy was not blown away by the air currents and broke the shiny blue target in a straight trajectory.

"Holy shit! Link's as good with a bow as Mr.Revali!!"

A small Rito boy who was watching the scene (he was probably still new to handling arrows, since even a small bow seemed to be too big for his body) commented with a twinkle in his eye on the boy...Link, who had already broken all the targets in a few moments.

Revali.

It is the name of a young warrior who was chosen by Rito to defeat the evil 100 years ago.

The arrows he shoots pierce the fine.

His flight through the sky is like a gale.

He handled the bow, which was as tall as he was, with ease.

Even though it is only in literature, his name and strength remain in the village of Rito, and even today, all men grow up being told to "become a warrior like Master Revali," and this is passed on to their children when they are born.

"Hey Dad, did you see that?"

"Of course."

The dignified-looking, white-feathered warrior of the Rito tribe, who was called "Dad," was named Teba.

Teba had been sitting in front of the cooking pot earlier, but he stood up and came over to Link with his son, Tuli by name, and laughed and showed his white breath.

"You're always so good at what you do, I'm going to have to start making targets again."

The place where the three of them were was a place called the Flight Training Center, which was built by the old chief to help Revali hone his skills.

In this place where the updrafts are always blowing up from below, he created an unconventional technique called "Revali's gale", which is a vertical leap.

According to his diary, which has recently been found, he allowed the children of the village to use this place freely, not only for himself, but also for all the warriors of the village.

Thus, the availability of Teba and Tuli was a remnant of this.

It was quite rare for a Hylian Link to have access to this place, and it was safe to say that Teba's recognition of his high level of archery was the reason why.

Now after the defeat from the disaster,

The hero of Hyrule, the boy Link, and the princess Zelda, who possesses the power of the seal, and,

Unbeknownst to the people of present-day Hyrule, the disaster was safely contained by the divine beasts controlled by the four champions who had become souls and were waiting for them.

Maybe there's no reason to fight anymore.

However, in order to protect their loved ones, both Link and Teba spent their time training as knights and warriors.

Teba wanted Tuli to become a great warrior, and whenever Link stopped by the village of Rito, she asked him to teach Tuli how to use a bow, saying, "There are other men besides the Rito who are good at archery.

"By the way, Link."

When his name was called, Link, his face flushed from the cold, looked back at Teba.

"What about the Steller's sea eagle bow? I'm sure you can handle it no problem, can't you?"

The bow said to have been used by the former champion Revali.

That is the Steller's sea eagle's bow.

It is made of wood so that it is easy to use in the air, and it is no different from other Rito bows in that the master craftsmen of Rito can draw the string faster than other bows, making it easier to shoot in rapid succession.

However, the weight was increased by four stabilizers, which were like weights, and there were no Rito who could use them to get the right arrow flight, not only at that time, but even now, 100 years later.

Of course, Teba tried to use it, but although he could pull the string, the weight of the bow greatly reduced her speed in the air.

This fact must have made Teva and many other warriors envious of Revali, and passed his name on to future generations.

And Link, this thin-armed boy who showed great skill in the air, might be able to handle this bow.

After the two of them sank the divine beast, Va-Medo, Teba told the chief about entrusting the family's treasure to Link, and he agreed, saying that of course the descendant of a champion would do it.

Teba wondered if it was his imagination that Link had muttered "nostalgic" when he handed him the bow, even though no one had been let out of Rito's village in a hundred years.

With that in mind, Teba let Link try out a shot at the flight training area.

Link dropped a number of targets in a moment, just like the legendary champion. After Teba finished her praise, "That's great," most of the visible targets were gone.

Even though it is an excellent bow, there is inevitably an affinity between the bow and the user. And bows are different depending on how they are used.

Teba had heard that the bows of the Gerudo region were suitable for hunting in the desert, and that the bows of the beast kings were powerful enough to finish off their opponents.

What Link was holding now was not a Steller's sea eagle bow, but one that had been adjusted for the Hylians, but would a Steller's sea eagle bow really be suitable for his purposes?

That bothered Teba, so he called out to him.

"...I think I'm going to confuse you."

That's what Link says back.

"Confused? You didn't break it, did you?"

"I didn't break it.

"Did you lose it?"

"I didn't lose it.

"What do you mean?"

Just then, He heard a gurgling sound of wind.

Teba and Tuli peeked to see if the wind was blowing up from the flight training area, but there was clearly one updraft that was stronger than usual.

The Ritos have ten times the visual acuity of other species, and also have excellent kinetic vision.

They could clearly see a bluish or black-feathered Lito in the middle of the current, carrying a Steller's sea-eagle bow and climbing up the current like a swimming fish.

The dry snow fluttered in the wind and hit them cheeks.

"I got it back."

As soon as he heard the sound of the strings being pulled, three bows were released and snatched Link just short of his hair.

No way, no how, no how.

Teba didn't blink and stared at the Rito warrior.

There were no details of his appearance in the literature, only that he was not that tall, as the Steller's sea eagle's bow was as tall as he was.

Four braids of jade, interlaced with thin cloth.

The red of his cheeks showed that he was not yet of age.

"Dad, is that..."

Shortly after Tuli called out, the Ritos landed on Link, Teba and Tuli.

"Do you know me? Well, of course I do."

#revalink #breath of the wild #link #revali

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melanielocke · 3 years

Text

Entrance to the Forbidden City

This is a one shot Breath of the Wild AU, where Thomas is Link and is seeking a way into the Gerudo city. Close the the city, he encounters someone who might be able to help him. At this point, I have no plans to continue this, but you never know.

Taglist: @alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @foxglove-airmid @alastair-esfandiyar-carstairs1 @justanormaldemon @styxdrawings @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @alastair-appreciation-month @writeordie-4 @amchara

Thomas sheathed his sword as he entered the Kara Kara Bazaar. He wouldn’t be needing it here, he hoped, but during his travels he’d learnt to always be on guard. Calamity Ganon was growing stronger, and with him increased the number of monster attacks, not to mention he’d heard the rumors the yiga clan was active in the Gerudo Desert. His next stop should be Gerudo City, but there was a problem. For centuries, the famous city of the Gerudo had forbidden entrance to men. Thomas believed it had something to do with previous evil kings leading the Gerudo into pointless wars, but there hadn’t been male Gerudo in centuries. He needed to speak to the chief about appeasing Vah Naboris and freeing Urbosa so he could defeat Calamity Ganon, but lately the Gerudo had been on high guard and the chief would not be leaving the city.

He’d come to the Kara Kara Bazaar instead, a place where the Gerudo traded with Hylian men who were not permitted entrance to the city in the hopes of finding someone who knew another, secret way into the city. Thomas didn’t want to harm the Gerudo and respected their customs, but he liked to belief this was a life and death situation. He overheard a couple of Hylian men.

The Bazaar was a nice place centered around an oasis. A little Gerudo girl was swimming in the water, and Thomas would like to go for a swim later. The desert heat had proven a bit much for him and he was glad for the shade the buildings offered. Most of the traders were seated outside on carpets, displaying their wares.

‘It’s impossible to get inside,’ one of the Hylian men argued.

Thomas was not included in the conversation, but the men did not have the good sense to keep their voices down.

‘There are rumors, of a man in the city,’ another said. ‘There must be some truth to it.’

‘Even if you could get past the gates, I imagine traversing a city full of Gerudo women might be dangerous,’ Thomas said. ‘They’re quite handy with their spears and scimitars and would not look kindly to men sneaking in.’

‘You make a fine point,’ one of the men begrudgingly admitted.

‘Better to send messages through my wife,’ another said. ‘None of this hassle of getting in the city, I bring my goods here and if I need anything from the city, my wife makes the journey.’

Thomas, of course, didn’t have a wife. He’d woken up from a long slumber not long ago and had been fighting monsters and traveling Hyrule ever since. Not to mention he was not attracted to women.

‘I’ll have to find another way in then,’ Thomas said. ‘For I don’t have a wife to ask favors of.’

‘In that case, you might want to talk to that Gerudo girl over there,’ one of the men said. ‘The one selling cakes. Rumor has it she can get you inside the city, but she refuses to talk to any of us, she will only sell us her cakes.’

Thomas followed the man’s gaze to a lone girl with a golden brown skin sitting on a patterned Gerudo carpet. She wore a purple veil that covered both her hair and her face from the nose down, combined with a short purple top and a white sirwal Thomas knew was popular among Gerudo. Her stomach was bare, and Thomas realized that despite being slim, she was quite muscular. She wore lots of jewelry, a pair of topaz earrings. Thomas had been looking into getting a pair of his own as he’d been told they offered shock resistance.

She looked up, caught his stare. She had beautiful dark eyes, he noticed. He rarely looked at girls that way, he wasn’t sure what was different now.

‘She seems into you,’ one of the men said. ‘I say grab your chance, Gerudo girls are said to be hard to get.’

Thomas left the men behind, growing a little uncomfortable with their conversation, and sat down on the carpet beside the girl. He was aware that might be odd or too forward, but he needed to speak to her.

‘Seen something you like?’ she said.

Her voice was a little deeper than he’d expected of a girl, but perhaps that was because she was Gerudo. Thomas didn’t know how to respond. Was she flirting with him?

‘I like men,’ Thomas said.

He preferred being direct, and this way it would be clear he didn’t like her flirting, if that was what she’d intended to do.

The girl laughed. ‘I meant the cakes. As for your preferences… that shouldn’t be a problem.’

Thomas looked at the person in front of him. ‘You’re not a girl,’ he said.

‘Never claimed I was,’ the boy said. ‘My name’s Alastair.’

Gerudo males were rare, some said they didn’t even exist. Of course, it had been a hundred years and Thomas barely remembered anything. Perhaps Alastair was the first male Gerudo centuries. Or perhaps there were more of them nowadays.

‘Why are you dressed like a girl?’ Thomas asked and he realized that might be a stupid question.

‘I like these clothes,’ Alastair said. ‘And considering there are no male Gerudo, you can hardly say these clothes are gendered, are they? I think it’s nonsense for clothes to be gendered, yet so many male Hylians would rather die than put this on. I say, their loss, I look great. Besides, I’d die in the desert heat if I had to wear that tunic of yours. Not that it doesn’t look well on you.’

Thomas smiled. ‘Right. Sorry, I’m Thomas. And you’re right, what I’m wearing is pretty hot. I actually traversed the desert without my shirt, but I figured that would be indecent here.’

‘Now that’s something I wish I could have seen,’ Alastair said. ‘You could go for a swim here if you want.’

Thomas felt his cheeks flush. Was Alastair flirting with him? He had to admit, Alastair was very attractive, although he couldn’t see most of his face. A few locks of ink black hair escaped his veil, framing his face.

‘I’m looking for a way to get inside Gerudo city,’ Thomas said. ‘Do you know how? Wait, you must be forbidden entry as well, right? You’re a man too, even if you’re Gerudo.’

‘I’m not Gerudo,’ Alastair said.

Thomas frowned. ‘Really? You kind of look Gerudo.’

‘If I were, I’d be a lot taller. And my hair would be red, not black. No, I’m Hylian,’ Alastair said. ‘But I live around here, work for the Gerudo chief. I grew up in Hateno village, but I like it here better.’

‘Even if you’re not allowed in the city?’ Thomas asked.

‘You mistook me for a girl,’ Alastair pointed out. ‘I can go in the city whenever I like as long as I wear this. It’s almost time for me to pack up. Why don’t you join me for dinner? We can have whatever I don’t sell for desert.’

Thomas smiled awkwardly. He was very much interested in having dinner with Alastair and not only because Alastair might help him get inside Gerudo city.

One of the men he’d spoken to earlier came by to buy a mighty fruit cake. As it was made with banana, it increased someone’s strenght for a while. Thomas had always been interested in the strange way cooking meals and elixirs could come with beneficial effects.

‘Fond of bananas, are you?’ Alastair asked while scribbling something down.

‘My favorite,’ the man said with a smile. ‘Can’t get enough of them.’

He helped Alastair box the remainder of his cakes, and they went inside. The house was small, with a two person bed, kitchen and table all in the same room, and a small door leading to a bathroom. One wall was decorated with several Gerudo spears.

Alastair removed his veil and put it in a closet. His black hair reached his shoulders, falling in soft locks. Thomas wondered if only male Gerudo had dark hair. As far as he knew all Gerudo women had red hair. He was pretty, Thomas had always loved the combination of dark hair and eyes, and he once again wondered about Alastair’s possible interest in him. He’d definitely been flirting, right? But Thomas didn’t have time for romance, he reminded himself. Lucie was in Hyrule Castle all by herself, holding back the calamity. She needed his help as soon as possible. He was here to appease Vah Naboris.

‘I’ve been selling lots of fruit cakes with banana in them,’ Alastair said. ‘Bad news.’

Thomas frowned. ‘How is that bad?’

‘The yiga clan is said to be fond of them,’ Alastair said. ‘Have you heard of them?’

The yiga clan was a group of evil sheikah dedicated to resurrecting Calamity Ganon and destroying the Hylian champion. Thomas knew who they were, considering they were all after him.

‘I am familiar with them,’ Thomas said. ‘Fought off a couple of their foot soldiers during my travels.’

‘You’re very brave,’ Alastair said. ‘The real reason I’m here, selling cakes, is to investigate them. Hylian men come here, yes, but so do the yiga. I’ve had my eye on that man who bought the banana cake for a while. He’s been here on and off for some time, and the time intervals wouldn’t allow him to travel all the way to a Hylian town. He could come from the Gerudo Canyon Stables, perhaps, but the traveling distance would also match up with the hideout of the yiga clan.’

Thomas’ eyes went wide. ‘You know where their hideout is?’

Alastair gathered some materials onto the stove, Thomas could recognize hylian rice, goron spice and some vegetables.

‘Not yet,’ Alastair said as he added everything into his cooking pot and put on the stove. ‘We know it’s somewhere north of Gerudo city, and they’ve been around a lot. My sister’s been fighting them off, but not long ago they stole the thunder helmet, an heirloom to the Gerudo chief’s family.’

Thomas wondered how Alastair knew so much about the Gerudo. He claimed not to be one, yet dressed like one, seemed familiar with their customs and heritage.

‘I could help retrieve it,’ Thomas offered. ‘I’m familiar with the yiga clans’ fighting style, and am quite accomplished with this sword.’

Finding the master sword had been quite a journey, as Lucie had taken it back to Korok Forest. To find it, he’d had to traverse the lost woods in the north.

‘Good. I like your sword, it looks good. But first, I should introduce you to my sister,’ Alastair said. ‘The chief of the Gerudo.’

Thomas frowned. ‘You said you weren’t Gerudo.’

‘I’m not, my mother is,’ Alastair said. ‘And so is my sister.’

‘I’m confused,’ Thomas said.

‘Gerudo men are extremely rare, none have been born in centuries,’ Alastair said. ‘Gerudo women usually find Hylian men to be their lovers and have children. My mother was different, she was married to my father and lived with him in Hateno village, but she returned to her hometown not long ago. Anyway, this means all Gerudo have a non Gerudo father, and most only give birth to daughters. I’m the exception, but I’m Hylian, even if I do look a lot like my mother. Although you could say that culturally, I’m more Gerudo than Hylian.’

‘That’s weird,’ Thomas said. ‘I had no idea it worked like that. I always thought the children of a Gerudo are always Gerudo.’

‘Most of the time,’ Alastair said. ‘My sister is Gerudo like our mother, I’m Hylian like our father, even if I look like the Hylian version of my mother. People are always very confused. Since the chief of the Gerudo is my sister, I can get you an audience with her, no problem.’

‘Is that why they said you could help me get inside?’ Thomas asked.

‘I’ve spread that rumor myself, actually, to draw out the yiga,’ Alastair said. ‘Unfortunately, they still got in somehow to steal the thunder helmet. But I recognize you, you’re the Hylian champion and you carry the sword that seals the darkness. However, that won’t get you into the city.’

‘You know who I am?’ Thomas asked.

To most people, the Hylian champion was just a story, someone who’d died a hundred years ago. The Zora recognized him, of course, for to them a hundred years wasn’t much and most Zora from back then still lived. He’d encountered his cousin Christopher too, a renown Sheikah researcher of ancient technology who’d accidently turned himself into a six year old. But beyond them, people didn’t know who he was.

‘I recognize that sword. I’ve always been interested in weapons, although I prefer spears myself,’ Alastair said, gesturing to his collection. ‘My sister will be quite interested in you as well. But you can’t walk in like this.’

‘So, then how?’ Thomas asked.

Alastair smirked. ‘I think I have a veil and outfit that would fit you lying around here somewhere.’

Thomas frowned. ‘I’m not slim or feminine like you. No one’s going to believe I’m a girl, not with these shoulders.’

‘You’re right, your shoulders are quite extra ordinary,’ Alastair said. ‘But it’ll be fine. I think at this point, about half the city knows I’m not a girl, but as long as I dress like one no one kicks me out. Besides, Gerudo women are very tall and muscular.’

‘So all these men claiming it’s impossible, they could just put on some feminine clothes and they could go in? And they never realized?’

Some of them had facial hair, but Thomas imagined the veil would conceal that as well. He couldn’t imagine anyone would believe he was a woman ever, not with his height, his broad shoulders Alastair thought were extra ordinary. But according to Alastair, that didn’t matter as long as he was willing to dress like a girl. Alastair had a point though, clothes being gendered was strange.

Alastair rolled his eyes. ‘Most men are far too proud of their so called masculinity to dress in women’s clothes. Never mind that any Gerudo woman could defeat them in battle with their eyes closed. You seem like a strong warrior though, watching you fight a Gerudo warrior might be interesting.’

‘Thank you. You seem strong too. Do you often use your spears in battle?’

‘I am currently undercover, but I do fight. I travel sometimes, and these days anyone should be able to defend themselves if they wish to survive outside the few cities that remain.’

‘True,’ Thomas said. ‘I’ve encountered monsters everywhere lately.’

‘Ever defeated a molduga?’ Alastair asked. ‘My sister and I have. They’re very large and live in the desert, killing unsuspecting travelers. They are sensitive to shifts in the sands and will know where you are in an instant.’

‘I can’t say I have,’ Thomas said. ‘But I’m willing to give it a try. My ultimate goal is to defeat Calamity Ganon though.’

‘I hope you succeed,’ Alastair said. ‘If you ever need help, or someone to accompany on your journey, I’m more than willing.’

‘It would be dangerous,’ Thomas said.

‘Have you seen my spears? I defeated a molduga with those,’ Alastair said. ‘And my sister is even stronger a warrior than me. I’m better at stealth too, so if you need to break into the yiga hideout unseen you could use my help.’

Thomas guessed he should take Alastair up on that offer, he could always use extra help. His journeys could get lonely, would Alastair be willing to come with him beyond a trip to the yiga clan hideout?

‘Alright,’ Thomas said. ‘We can go together after I speak to your sister. When do we leave?’

Alastair made two plates of the food he’d made, and Thomas thankfully ate some curry. It didn’t have any special effects, but he loved eating food with goron spice.

‘After dinner. I think it’s best to start searching for the hideout early tomorrow morning, or it’ll get too hot. Or, and I think this is a pretty solid idea, we wait until it’s so hot you’ll have no choice but to take off your shirt.’

Thomas smiled. ‘Let’s go early. Not that I don’t want you to see… I just don’t think it would be practical, and we only just met…’

‘Don’t worry, I’m just joking. But you should go out with me sometime after we defeat Calamity Ganon.’

‘You’re going to help me?’ Thomas asked.

‘Of course,’ Alastair said. ‘If we break into the yiga clan hide out and wreak some havoc, I won’t have to go undercover as a cake vendor anymore. I’m sure Cordelia won’t mind if I join you.’

#Thomas Lightwood #Alastair Carstairs #Thomastair #Breath of the wild au #Zelda au #fanfiction #the last hours #tlh

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deiliamedlini · 3 years

Text

The Time-Traveler and Her Knight

Just a little fic I’ve been working on while having writer’s block from everything else. Heavily inspired by (but not a crossover with) Doctor Who.

Summary: Link is a knight for the Royal Family of Hyrule. He patrols the halls, he stops intruders, he carries a sword he rarely gets to use... until the day a strangely dressed girl bursts into the castle and changes his life forever.

Part 1 below (or also on Ao3/FFN)

Part 2

Link patrolled the halls of Hyrule Castle late in the evening in the rippling heat the summertime sun had trapped inside. He was sweating, desperate for some air, and willing to admit that he wanted a break.

But tomorrow was the day he’d be reassigned, moved out into Hyrule Field where the real threat lay, rather than protecting the King and Queen from local night raiders or burglars, which so rarely happened anyway.

Link spotted one of his fellow guards asleep against a windowsill, snoring peacefully.

There was a crooked portrait of the married royals on the wall, and Link longed to tilt it just slightly.

The floor trembled, like a windstorm hitting the palace.

The nearby books were—

The floor trembled?

Link’s hand flew to the sword that rested on his hip. His eyes darted around before he ran to the nearest window and flung it open. There was barely a breeze, but he could still feel the rattling of the floor.

And suddenly, he saw a glint in the light, a flash of something in the distance. Link’s grip tightened as he squinted outside, and then he drew his sword when he realized it was getting closer.

Link was a trained knight. He was personally chosen by the royal family. He’d fought his share of monsters and men. He was prepared for anything.

Well, almost anything.

The light disappeared, and all of sudden, the door on the other side of the window flew open. Link swung his sword, stopping just short of the creature.

Creature? No, it wasn’t a creature.

It was a woman.

“Whoa!” she muttered, backing up. “Is that a sword? It is. That’s a sword! Oh great! I can’t believe this. I’m in dire need of a power coupling, not a stupid lump of steel, you know? If I had one, then this wouldn’t KEEP HAPPENING and you could just take me where I wanted to go!” she yelled into the air, as if speaking to someone invisible.

Link lowered the weapon and looked her over. She was blonde, had green eyes. That much was normal. But… her hair was short and choppy, above her shoulders and bouncing as she bounded over to him, and a braid was looped around her hair like a band. It wasn’t at all the long or pinned style the ladies around town typically wore their hair. She had a thick black object on her face, just resting on the bridge of her nose, like two tiny windows that allowed her eyes a clear view of the outside.

And oh goddess.

“You’re wearing… trousers,” he managed dumbly.

“Thank the gods I am! I’ve had that dream one too many times!” she laughed before her mouth twitched, remembering her task. “Right! You’re going to want to run.”

“Why wou—”

The girl grabbed his hand and dragged him behind her.

She was remarkably nimble, and seemed to almost have an uncanny sense of direction in the otherwise confusing castle.

Not moments later, there was a resounding crash, and Link turned around to see a hoard of angry bokoblins crash into the hallway, screeching before giving chase.

“Stop!” Link yelled, waving his sword behind him, though the bokoblins were still far away.

“Not yet, Sword Boy! There’s too many!”

The girl pulled him up the stairs and then immediately pushed him into the nearest doorway. It was a small closet, and she slammed the door, trapping them both inside. There was a window behind them that Link took note of. It was an escape if this girl was some sort of killer. But from her appearance, he highly doubted it. Besides, the window led onto the tall rooves of the castle and he wasn’t keen on traversing them unless he had to.

“Okay, breather time,” she said, getting comfortable, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

Half of her was pressed into Link, and she made things far worse for him by squirming to reach something behind her.

Link was dumbstruck and at a complete loss for words. This girl… this very, very odd girl in trousers and strange, stretchy bands of fabric that looped over her shoulders and seemed to hold them up. This girl in a shirt that revealed… oh goddess.

Skin.

She had a high collared shirt, buttoned together over her throat, but there were two triangular cutouts that revealed her collarbones.

He was beyond grateful that she had long sleeves and gloves—albeit fingerless ones—to conceal the rest of her. For her own honor, he looked away, skin burning and red with secondhand embarrassment.

But, despite that all, she hardly seemed to care in the slightest. Perhaps it was her diverted attention.

“Oof!” he hissed, snapping out of his state when he felt a hard jab to his stomach.

“Sorry!” She pulled her arm away and rubbed her elbow. “I’m sorry!”

She gave him a once-over, as if she were truly looking at him for the first time, and then grinned. “You should wear armor if that hurt.”

Link scoffed and sank himself as far away from the girl as the closet allowed.

She was fiddling with a long, brown object, trying to get it in front of her. Finally, she did, and the entire closet lit up an eerie blue.

Link tried to reach his sword again, but it was impossible, and instead, he practically threw himself into her to get a better look. “What is that?” he gasped out. “Is that a fairy?”

“A fair— where did I even end up?” she said, almost disgusted at the notion that he thought this was a fairy. Then, she aimed the device at him and stared into the light while he attempted to cover his face from the harsh light.

She turned it back so they could both see it, but to Link, it was absolutely foreign, so he watched her instead, hoping he could tell if her reactions were good or bad to whatever was on the screen. And as she stared, her eyes moved, like they were reading.

Then, her eyes darted back to him. “Link?”

“How do you know—”

“It says it here. You’re registered in the compendium, which is… odd, to say the least.” Her eyes flickered between him and the screen, trying to figure something out. But she shrugged after some time, resigned to not knowing… for now. “Well, Link, it’s nice to meet you! I’m Zelda.” Then her eyes went back down. “Hyrule Castle, in the era of the… hrmm… it’s a little fuzzy. One more thing to add to the list. I think… are we in the Era of Air? No… that’s silly…”

“The what?”

“Never mind! It’s not really that important. We went farther back than I wanted. Which, I guess now the pants comment makes sense.” She aimed the device at the door, and Link balked as he watched the screen.

“What in the name of the Goddess is happening? Is that magic?”

He could see straight through the door on the screen.

“It’s X-Ray, which is science, not magic. Want to see the bones in your hand, too?” she asked with a pleasant smile, offering the device out to him like such magic was a toy.

“I’m the best fighter in this Kingdom, and I’d like to see you try to peel the skin from my hands. You’ll die before you can get your knife,” he growled.

But Zelda scoffed. “Calm down, Fairy Boy. I meant with this, not a knife.” She waved the device. “It’s called a Sheikah Slate. And I need my Guardian to fix it. But my Guardian fell out of the GOT, and I need to find him before I do anything else.”

“A Guardian? GOT? Sheikah Slate? Ma’am, I believe you’re unwell.” He glanced down at her trousers again. Yes, definitely unwell. “Let me help you to the physician.”

But Zelda laughed and turned in the tight space, patting his cheek before opening the door. “I am a doctor. Don’t worry. I’m fine, and you will be, too. Shock wears off eventually. But come on, those bokoblins didn’t take this path yet, but that doesn’t mean they won’t!”

Link held his sword out. “You go, My Lady. I will stay here and keep you safe.”

“Mr. Knight, I can keep myself safe. Come on.”

“My name is Link.”

“Yeah, I got that,” she grinned, keeping a tight grip on her Slate. “Link, thank you for the offer, but I’m good.”

“Z-Zelda?” he stuttered.

She hummed her acknowledgement but didn’t turn.

“What is a… ‘doctor?’ Or pants? Or a Sk-Ski… Ski-ha Slate?”

Zelda picked up her pace as she looked around using the Slate. Her eyes flickered to him, and she motioned for him to keep up. “Pants are trousers, a doctor is a physician, a Sheikah Slate is this rectangle thing, GOT is the Gate of Time, a Guardian is my friend, and I think that’s everything you asked!” She smiled. “Come on! Signal’s getting stronger.”

“What? Where are we going? To what end? Doctor Zelda! Will you please stop for a moment?”

“No time, Little Bird. We’ve gotta fly!”

Link tightened his grip on his sword and followed the mysterious girl. Goddess, he didn’t even know why he was doing so. She was insane! Clearly!

But if she got near the King or Queen… he had to be sure he was close by to stop her. Yes, that was the reason he was following her still.

She skidded to a halt, her short hair bouncing with her, and she spun around, directly into Link. She pushed him by the chest, her nose still in the Slate, and had him backing up down the hall they just ran through.

Zelda looked up at him, narrowing her eyes. “You have tachycardia.”

“I do not!” Link said, indignantly. But his eyes softened, and his eyebrows raised. “Wait, what?”

She chuckled and turned him to face a closed door. “Fast heart rate. You should get that checked.”

“Aren’t you a physician?”

“No, just a doctor. There’s a little important difference. I’ll explain it later.”

“What else is new?” he muttered, dutifully following her through the doorway.

Zelda stopped short and looked around. “Oh, wow! This is amazing! I wonder—"

In all the confusion, Link hadn’t noticed where she was leading him. Paintings of every royal family member for generations hung on the wall. Link watched Zelda bound around the room, eyeing each picture individually until she came to a triumphant halt.

“Come here, Sir Knight!”

“Why won’t you just call me by my name?” he grumbled, though he still listened and appeared beside her.

And he froze.

They were looking at a queen from centuries ago. A queen… who was identical to the girl beside him, though her hair was distinctly longer.

“How…”

“Gate of Time. This was the last time I had long hair. I got married by accident, which sounds hard, but let me tell you, if you think we’re in the dark ages now, you should have seen it when—” she stopped short and pointed to Link. “You’re still in shock. I shouldn’t give you details. Honestly, I’m surprised you haven’t passed out! You’re doing pretty well!”

“Because I am pretty sure I’m dreaming,” he said, voice flat. He truly believed this was all a dream, and that it was something he’d conjured after a long, dull night on patrol again.

But Zelda giggled. “Whatever you have to tell yourself, I guess. But those bokoblins won’t think it’s a dream when they arrive, so just stay alert Dreamer.”

“Stop calling me names.”

“Don’t make me call you Whiney!” She spun on her heels and took out the Slate again. “Okay Terrako… where are you?”

“Terrako?”

“My Guardian,” she said, plopping herself onto the floor and crossing her legs. “It says he’s right here.” She leaned forward and rested her chin in her hand as she stared at the screen.

Link took the moment to take a breath.

He’d been injured in his dreams before, so pinching himself certainly wouldn’t wake him up. And he was tired for sure, which was something that he never remembered experiencing in his dreams in the past. That was new.

But what if he wasn’t dreaming?

He glanced at the blonde girl, no older than someone in her mid-twenties, about the same age as him. It was entirely possible that he was dreaming when he looked at her. She had a face that he was sure he could have dreamed up, for she was nearly perfect. Nearly, because he still couldn’t wrap his head around the trousers and her strange shirt. But till, it was as if his mind had conjured up perfection, in terms of her appearance.

And her personality? He didn’t know yet. She spoke near nonsensical gibberish about Slates, Guardians, Terrakos; she pulled him into rooms, had little to no sense of personal space, and was now sitting on the floor of the royal palace after claiming to have been painted in a portrait centuries ago. She was an enigma.

“Okay,” Zelda said, rolling off the floor and hopping up with a literal bounce. “I believe he’s above us, not below. The readings indicate an energy spike that amplifies upwards, so if he was below us, we’d see higher readings on this floor. But as it is, there are little to none. I think his locator beacon might have been tampered with, which means someone has him. I need to hurry. Can you get me to the room directly above us?”

But Link’s sense of duty finally kicked in, and his fingers gripped the hilt of the sword tighter. “I cannot. That’s the King and Queen’s quarters, and it’s strictly forb—”

“Great! I remember where those are!” she said, clipping the Slate into place.

“You’ve been here before?”

Zelda pointed to the painting. “Queen Zelda, remember?”

“I can’t… you’re… serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious!” She laughed, almost implying that she was, in fact, not serious. Link had never felt so confused. But she shook her head out and pulled her hair back, almost as if to tie it up before remembering that it was too short for that now. “Are you going to come on adventure with me, or shall I see who has Terrako on my own?”

This girl. This insane, trouser-wearing, time-traveling, insane girl.

Bokoblins were running through the halls of the palace. A ‘Terrako Guardian’ was missing. The King and Queen were unprotected. He wasn’t doing his job. There were people in danger. People at risk.

He shouldn’t.

He should go back into the halls and stop the bokoblins. He should destroy this Terrako if it’s anywhere near the royal family. He should protect his King and Queen.

But this girl was offering him everything he’d ever wanted from his mundane life with one simple question.

And of course, he knew his answer.

#legend of zelda #LoZ AU #breath of the wild #botw #age of calamity #aoc #link #zelda #terrako #zelink #time travel #sheikah tech #writing

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raviotherabbit · 3 years

Text

royal pain in the ass- chapter 6

Chapter 6: Era of the Great Sea Captain Tetra saves some castaways.

[first] - [previous] - [next] read it on ao3!

△ ▲△

There was just something about Outset Island.

Tetra hated pretty much everything about it. The people there were soft, even the fishermen who spent their days hunting down the monsters of the sea. Everyone was preoccupied with their simple lives. Rearing their children, washing their clothes and hanging them to dry, playing with wooden swords…

They all went on like this, day after day, as though a great and powerful kingdom did not lay in ruins, miles below the sea.

But still, some little part of Tetra couldn’t help but want it. She wanted that simple life, to live without a care in the world. The burden on her shoulders was heavy, but the time she’d spent on Link’s little island, where nobody needed anything from her, had lifted it.

So when she found Link on Outset, of all places, well… that just sweetened the deal, didn’t it?

Rats… Wind was his name, now, wasn’t it? At least for now it was.

The best part of Outset, though, had to be the woods. The Forest of Fairies was quiet these days, which perhaps made it all the more ideal in Tetra’s opinion. She never got a second alone on her ship, not truly, but she could here.

Gently, she placed a hand on one of the trees, tracing the grooves in its bark. She was familiar with this one. When the Helmaroc King dropped her, it was this tree that she fell into, the branches snagging on her clothes. And then she met Wind.

Goddesses, where would she be without Wind? If this one, special, stupid kid hadn’t found her that day. Part of her wanted to think she could have taken Ganondorf on her own, and that was the part of her she let control the narrative.

Still, the Forest of Fairies was beautiful. Tetra could only hope their new home would have places half as pretty. With its cool breeze rustling fallen leaves, the ever-present smell of fresh dew, and gentle harp strumming…

Wait. Who the hell was playing the harp up here?!

Her good mood thoroughly ruined, Tetra followed the sound of the harp. Eventually, she came upon one of the heroes, sitting at the forest’s cliff.

What was his name? Cloud? No, that’s close, but not right… What’s a Hero of the Clouds, anyway? That sounded stupid. Hero of the Sun? Hero of the… Wind? No wait-

Sky! It’s Sky!

Yikes, though. Sky didn’t look so good. He kept plucking at the strings of his harp, but each time he only made it a few notes in before wincing. There were dark circles under his eyes, which kept darting up towards his clear, blue namesake with desperation.

Tetra almost left right then and there.

But there was a voice in the back of her head, one that sounded a bit like Wind, a bit like an old king. A princess would try to help her people.

Ugh. Fine. This would be a good practice run, anyway.

“Hey, buddy,” Tetra awkwardly tried to put on her cheerful princess voice. “What’s- what’s up?”

Sky looked back at her, almost no emotion on his face. “Oh, Zelda.”

“It’s Tetra,” she responded instinctively, mentally cringing at her own bluntness. She’s trying to be nice now!

“Right, Tetra,” Sky nodded, as if reminding himself. “I have a question for you.”

“Alright, I can answer questions.” Tetra took a seat next to Sky, letting her legs dangle off the cliff’s edge. “What do you want to know?”

“Your Hyrule,” he gestured towards the Great Sea, expanding as far as the eye could see. “How did it come to be this way?”

Right, this guy’s the first one. “Well, Ganondorf was sealed in the Evil Realm,” she started.

“Then what happened?”

“He broke free. The people of Hyrule, they prayed to the Goddesses to save them from his wrath, and-” Tetra swallowed. “And they flooded the land.”

For a moment, Sky was silent. His grip on his harp was tight, and for a moment, Tetra was concerned he’d break it. It was such a nice piece of treasure, after all, and it’d be a shame if it were harmed.

Finally, he spoke again. “How many died?”

“What?” Tetra almost shouted, certain she’d misheard him.

“When the flood came, how many died?” Sky reiterated, his gaze focused on the waves lapping at Outset’s shore.

“I- I don’t…” she sputtered helplessly. “I don’t know.”

“This is the legacy I’ve left the world,” Sky said. “What did their blind faith bring them?”

△ ▲△

Standing on the stern of her ship, Captain Tetra takes in a deep breath and sighs. There’s nothing like the open ocean, is there? Cutting through the waves, the smell of salt in the night air…

With Wind gone on his little hero quest, searching for new land has taken a backseat. He would kill her if she even thought about founding her kingdom without him there by her side. Well, at least try to. They both know who would really win that fight.

But it’s not so bad. New Hyrule can wait, Tetra has a chance to focus on some of her own passions.

“Captain!” It’s Gonzo, Tetra’s right-hand man. He stops a few feet behind her. “We’ve spotted the Ghost Ship at Greatfish Isle!”

Like hunting down and destroying every last Ghost Ship on the high fucking seas.

“Excellent.” Tetra smirks. “Alter course for Greatfish. We’re going to destroy some undead tonight.”

“Uh, that’s just it, Captain,” Gonzo says. “There’s people on the island, yeah? And they’re fighting the monsters!”

“What?!” Tetra snaps back towards her subordinate. “Who would be stupid enough to fight a Ghost Ship?!”

△ ▲△

Of course, the second they noticed the ship, that’s when the undead started jumping onto their islet.

“Get it off get it off get it off get it off!” Flora desperately shouts as, using the Magnesis Rune, she slams the shield from Artemis down onto the Stalfos that has an iron-tight grip on her ankle.

“Flora, use the shield!” Dusk shouts over her shoulder, focused more on parrying off the sword of a Stalfos. In the same swift movement, she drives her rapier cleanly into its skull. As much as Artemis hates to admit it, Dusk is good. “Don’t make it a mallet!”

“She knows what she’s doing!” Artemis contends, just as her sword meets the lantern of a poe. “She doesn’t need you telling her what to do!”

“Now isn’t the time for arguing with each other!” Sun’s exasperation drips off her words. She’s just barely able to duck, dodging a swing from a Stalfos. On the ground, she kicks a leg out, knocking the walking skeleton off its feet.

Artemis’s eye twitches, and she snaps back around in anger. “I’m just saying-!”

But that moment of distraction was just a smidge too much. The Poe rises behind her, raising its glowing hand, preparing for the one, fatal strike. But before Flora can even gasp, or Sun can yell for her to watch out-

BANG!

The Poe’s lantern shatters, and with an agonizing shriek, it disappears.

There’s another ship in the water, bearing a red and white sail with two crossed swords. And there, gripping onto a rope as she leans off the bowsprit, is Tetra, the barrel of her gun smoking.

“Tetra!” Artemis could breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank the Goddess you’re here!”

Tetra blinks, taken aback for a moment. “Queenie?! I thought the Time War was over!”

“Fight now, talk later!” Sun shouts over the Stalfos she has in a headlock.

Tetra nods, tilting her head back towards her ship. “Boys! Lend them a hand!”

At her word, a crew of men lapel down from the ship and into the shallow waters. With their cutlasses drawn, they begin slicing away at the Poes and Stalfos attacking the stranded ladies.

Tetra sharply whistles, catching Artemis’s attention. “Queenie, take your best, leave the other two behind! We’re boarding that ship!”

Artemis bites her cheek. Her best, huh?

Well, there was no doubt about which of them had the most training.

“Dusk!” she cups her mouth as she yells.

And Dusk almost instantaneously freezes, her rapier dropping slightly as she looks at Artemis, her eyes wide.

“Come with me to the ship!” Artemis points towards the Ghost Ship. “We need you!”

For a moment, a very brief one, Dusk doesn’t react. Then, she smirks, a smugness only a queen could have.

“It’s about time,” she says.

△ ▲△

The second they step into the Ghost Ship’s hull, Dusk’s nose wrinkles. “I can practically feel the dust in the air.”

The whole interior of the ship seems to be filled with smog, solidifying the undead ambience. Its wooden walls groan as it’s rocked by the sea, giving off the same eerie blue lighting it had on the outside. Below them, on the ship’s bottom, were monsters. Poes and ReDeads.

“We need to get back there,” Tetra gestures towards the back of the ship with her cutlass. “Once we take the treasure, the ship will disappear.”

“Right, because you’re pirates,” Dusk crosses her arms. “Remind me how you two know each other, again?”

Artemis and Tetra exchange a glance. “The War Across the Ages,” the former explains. “We recruited many individuals adrift from their own eras.”

“But pirates? Really?” Dusk gestures to Tetra with a hand.

“I’ll have you know, I’m the greatest pirate who ever sailed this sea,” Tetra jabs her thumb towards herself.

Artemis rolls her eyes. “Come on you two, behave. You’re cousins, after all.”

“Wh-what?!” Dusk sputters. “I thought you said her name was Tetra!”

Tetra snorts. “Yeah, but to some people, it’s Princess Zelda.” She holds out her hand, winking at Dusk. “Welcome to the family, cousin!”

Hesitantly, Dusk shakes her hand. Tetra responds with a shocking amount of vigor.

“Now that that’s settled,” Artemis claps her hands together. “How about we defeat some undead?”

As if answering her question, Tetra shoots right at the ReDead’s skull. While her bullet is enough to defeat the single ReDead, the sound also draws the attention of the other monsters on the ship. Slowly, they begin shambling towards the ledge the ladies stand on.

“Oh great,” Dusk mutters to herself. “There goes our element of surprise.”

“Dusk, we should stick together,” Artemis suggests, careful in her phrasing as she draws her rapier. “We can watch each other’s backs.”

With a nod, Dusk retrieves her own sword. “Let’s go,” is the only thing she says before she jumps off the ledge.

△ ▲△

These new guys, Sun decides, are good. They’re decent with their swords, though she knows they’d be better if they’d attended the Knight’s Academy. At least they’re good enough to make up for both Artemis and Dusk’s absences.

One of the taller pirates slices clean through the neck of a Stalfos, its head landing just at Sun’s feet. Rearing her foot up, she crushes it under her boot. Of course, she’d never admit it, but that crunch! is such a sweet sound. Like music to her ears.

Sun’s ears twitch slightly as they pick up the faint sound of clanging metal. She’s just in time to duck again, missing a swing from an angry Poe.

“Hey, pirates!” she shouts, hoping to catch the attention of at least one of them. “Think one of you can take this for me?”

The tall one with the bandana nods, quickly moving himself between Sun and the Poe. She sighs. She just isn’t equipped to deal with that, today. Maybe if she’d remembered to bring a sword…

Sure, hand-to-hand combat isn’t usually her first choice, but Sun has grown to appreciate it over the past few minutes. Hylia, not just appreciate it. She loves it, more than she ever thought she would. Who would have guessed that punching things would be so fun?

“Well, well, look who’s decided to grace us with her presence.”

Oh, that sounds considerably less fun!

Turning behind her, Sun sees what must be the monster Artemis and Flora told her about. Because as her eyes lay on him, it’s almost as if his form is wobbling, before solidifying into a figure she knows well.

It’s a shadow of Sky. A representation of her Link, but if he was dunked in black paint and given terrifying red eyes.

“I’ve heard of you,” Sun’s eyes narrow at Dark Link.

“Ah, and I know you, your grace,” Dark Link laughs, and though it’s cruel and contemptuous, some part of her head thinks, ‘That’s familiar.’

“But tell me,” he continues. “What’s Hylia herself doing so far from home?”

Sun freezes, her blood running cold. “How did you…? Who are you?”

“What, you don’t recognize your own hero?” Dark Link frowns mockingly. “You know, I thought he’d take the longest to crack, but just a few whispers about the sea, and-” he abruptly snaps. “He was as good as gone. Now that fairy brat, on the other hand…”

“Stop it,” Sun snaps at him. “Just tell me where they are.”

“Oh? And why would you care?” The shadow tilts his head, and for a moment, his confusion almost seems genuine. “You goddesses have never cared for the fates of your heroes.”

And then, there’s a spark inside of Sun, and it sets her whole mind on fire. “I am not Hylia,” she asserts, grabbing onto his arm. “I. Am. ZELDA!”

It’s a moment of pure focus, the first time she’s ever said anything like that aloud, let alone screamed it. Unfortunately, it’s also a moment of distraction, just as Dark Link wanted. He draws his shadowy Master Sword, raises it above his head, and-

“SUN!”

Suddenly, Flora pushes Sun out of the way. The sword’s hilt strikes her head with a loud, sickening CRACK! She ends up collapsing right on top of her ancestor.

“Flora!” Sun gasps, tilting the scholar’s chin up to get a better look at her. After such a nasty blow, it makes sense that she’s out cold. But there’s blood, a lot of it, practically running down her face from above her left eye.

“You hurt her!” Sun exclaims, drawing Flora as close as she can bring her. “You son of a-!”

But, just then, they’re interrupted by two more shouts. In all the hassle, Sun hadn’t even noticed the Ghost Ship’s disappearance. Dusk, Artemis, and Tetra stand on the shore, staring right at the mess in front of them.

In an almost simultaneous burst of light, Artemis and Dusk summon their Bows of Light. Tetra draws her pistol, all three taking aim at Dark Link.

“Not another move, asshat,” Tetra warns him. “Attacking a princess is rude, you know.”

“She’s a queen,” Artemis informs her.

“Attacking a queen is rude, you know,” Tetra amends.

“Well,” Dark Link raises his hands above his head. “It seems we’re at an impasse.” He catches Sun’s eye one last time. “Farewell for now, your grace.”

Before any shots can be fired, Dark Link’s shadowy mass collapses in on itself. Like a splash of water, he sinks into the ground and disappears.

As the adrenaline fades from her body, Sun suddenly looks down at the bleeding body in her arms. She tightens her grip around her descendant, instinctively covering Flora’s wound with her hands.

“Oh no,” she mutters to herself as her fingers turn red. “Guys! We need help!”

△ ▲△

It’s just a head wound, Tetra told them. And a head wound means it looks worse than it is, and it’ll bleed more than usual. Flora’s fine, she insists, she’ll wake up soon. All they have to do is keep an eye on her bandages and wait.

“I mean, you’ve seen my Link,” Tetra explains, leaning against her ship’s railing. “He gets a concussion every other week. He’s bounced back from worse than what Flora has.”

There really was no reason to stay on Greatfish any longer, now that they had Tetra and her crew. She’d been so generous as to waive the transport fee, something about a family discount that Artemis didn’t really hear. They’re heading to Windfall Island, so that they can restock their supplies before the next portal appears.

Flora was set up in one of the bedrooms below deck, tucked safely into one of the beds. Artemis has taken it upon herself to remain by her side, at least until she wakes up. She’s just so pale, and she hasn’t moved an inch…

As the first rays of light touch the sea, there’s a light knock on the door.

“Come in,” Artemis calls out, rising from her chair at Flora’s bedside.

The door creaks open, and Dusk pops her head in. “How’s she doing?” she asks, tilting her head towards Flora.

“No change,” Artemis crosses her arms and sighs. “I know Tetra said this is normal, but still…”

Dusk steps into the cabin, closing the door behind her with a sigh. “Sun’s a bit of a wreck. I told her I’d check in on Flora if she ate something.”

“She doesn’t blame herself, does she?” Artemis questions, wringing her hands together.

“The hit was intended for her, from what I can gather,” Dusk reveals. She gently places a hand at the top of Flora’s head. “You’re quite brave.”

Artemis smiles weakly, sitting back in her chair. “How are you holding up, Dusk?”

“I’ll admit, pirate ships aren’t as bad as I thought,” Dusk chuckles lightly. “It’s quite cozy here.”

“Dusk, I’m-” Artemis starts, but she swallows and starts again. “I’m sorry. You haven’t really spent that much time travelling before, and it was irresponsible of me to assume you’d feel comfortable with it immediately.”

“Artemis,” Dusk sighs. She kneels next to her, taking her hands into her own. “I should be the one apologizing. You were trying your best, but… I’m sorry, I was rude about your night watch, and I really ruined the whole thing, didn’t I?”

“Oh come on,” Artemis scoffs, but for once, there’s no malice behind her words. Her hands return Dusk’s grip with a tight squeeze. “You clearly weren’t okay with it, and I took that personally instead of making sure you were alright.”

“I just…” Dusk purses her lips together. “I’m scared of being alone in the dark.”

“Then you won’t have to cover any watches,” Artemis asserts. “But, you know, I spent a lot of time in a warped version of your era. I even met the most peculiar woman, a princess of the Twilight Realm…”

Dusk gasps. “You met Midna.”

“I did,” she nods. “So if you ever need someone to talk to, please consider me.”

Wordlessly, Dusk leans forward and pulls Artemis into what might be the warmest hug she’s felt in years. And instinctually, Artemis hugs her back.

For a long time, they stay like that.

“You know, I never figured it out,” Dusk suddenly speaks. “Flora’s down the family tree, and Sun’s up it. When exactly does the War Across the Ages take place?”

“From your perspective? You have about two-hundred years to go,” Artemis reveals. “You’re my grandmother a few times over, by the way.”

“What?!” Dusk suddenly draws back. “Why didn’t you lead with that?!”

△ ▲△

Waking up is quite the process. When Flora opens her eyes for the first time, her vision is blurry. Like the world’s been spun around. Just barely, she’s able to lift her head, though her neck protests such movements.

There, sitting at the edge of her bed, though. That has to be Mipha. Who else would wait for her like that, within arm’s reach should she need an extra bit of healing?

Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Daruk and Urbosa just a few feet away. They’re talking to each other, maybe about her. Their tones are quiet and subdued, though. And Revali! Revali is waiting, just by the door. That's just like him to hover, even if he pretends not to.

‘Did I pass out in the spring again?’ she wonders.

“Flora?”

But then, she blinks, and it’s almost as though the scene shifts. It’s Sun sitting on her bed, a look of hope clear on her face. Artemis and Dusk freeze, gaping at Flora’s awakening. Tetra is the one who’s by the door, though she’s clearly keeping her distance.

Right. Of course.

“Flora!” Sun springs to her feet. “You’re okay!”

And then, before Flora’s sluggish mind can catch up with her, Sun wraps her up into a tight hug. Flora’s head throbs at the sudden, jerky movement.

“Ow…” Flora groans.

Sun gasps in shock, dropping Flora back onto her pillow. “Sorry!”

“Hylia’s fucking tits-” Tetra curses, missing Sun covering her chest with an arm at those words. She pushes herself between Sun and Flora. “Do none of you know how to handle head injuries? Stop moving her around!”

“I’m sorry, it’s just-” Sun awkwardly fidgets with her fingers. “She got hurt because of me! I need to make sure she’s okay!”

“And I want to make sure my travels with you four start off on the right foot,” Tetra insists. “Without anyone dying.”

“I’m fine,” Flora croaks out.

Dusk gestures a hand to the young queen. “See? She’s fine.”

“You’ve decided you’re coming with, then?” Artemis suddenly appears at Flora’s side, lightly patting her head. “You didn’t need much convincing.”

Tetra shrugs. “I figure I owe Link this much. He’d do the same for me.”

“Woo,” Flora weakly cheers, lamely raising a fist in celebration.

Artemis gently pushes her hand down. “We’ve still got a few days left on the Great Sea, Flora, don’t get your hopes up. We’re not going anywhere until that head wound of yours closes.”

“Aw…” Flora pouts, crossing her arms.

“Get some rest, kid,” Dusk instructs her. “You look like you need it.”

“You,” Flora points to Tetra, though there’s already a drowsiness to her words. “You’re going to tell me more about your time.”

Tetra nods mockingly, taking Flora’s hand into her own. “When you wake up, your majesty.”

#linked universe #lu tetra #lu flora #lu artemis #lu dusk #lu sun #rpita #fanfic #rav's writing

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violet975 · 3 years

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Random thoughts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

2: the ancient Sheikah could see the future.

3: Ai to the likes of Fi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another flat-faced sarcastic remark everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Hero boy" - derogatory.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dunce moment everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Savelle is a helpful guy without a pension for violence.

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

Chork of the Tabantha Bridge Stable is drunk.

Toren is either naive or a simp for the Faireys.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Phontos laughs to hide the pain.

According to the story that Kass sings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wildberrys are fucking massive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2: Hynoxes carry around warriors foodstuffs.

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

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

Koyin has joined the fan-club!

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

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

Why no shiny text for hylia's statue!?

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

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

...The master Torch

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

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

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

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

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

There is one usable room in the citadel.

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

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

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

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

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

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transthaumaturge · 4 years

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Queer Zelda Theory

The Legend of Zelda universe has some interesting lore about the Gerudo Tribe and today I’d like to argue that one of the prevailing theories about them, namely the one about how they have children, isn’t as likely as the one that I’m about to propose.

The Gerudo Tribe was introduced in Ocarina of Time as a desert tribe comprised entirely of women. They have persisted in later games along more or less the same premise. We know that they have children, because 1) they need to keep making new Gerudo, 2) we see adorable Gerudo children (all girls) in Breath of the Wild, and 3) there’s that weird BS patriarchal prophecy from Ocarina of Time that the first boy born to the Gerudo in a century will grow up to be their king--that boy ended up being Ganondorf.

The prevailing theory seems to be that the Gerudo have babies with men of other races, namely Hylians, and that they integrate any girl babies that they have into their tribe while leaving boy babies with the father. The primary evidence put forward for this is the fact that a Sheikah Stone in OOT says they go to Hyrule Castle Town to look for boyfriends, and the fact that if you go to Gerudo Town in BOTW, many of them have plans to depart from the city and meet a voe (”man” in Gerudo) to fall in love with.

But I’ve always had a big problem with this theory: if the only way that Gerudo women can have babies is through interbreeding with males of other races, how are they not getting shorter and lighter-skinned over time? How do they look different from the other races that they’re having babies with after thousands of years of interbreeding? One possible explanation is that for all of the physical characteristics that we know the Gerudo for (dark skin tone, tall, etc.), the Gerudo genes are dominant to any of the other races they have children with. But that seems like a long shot. How would all of the genes coding for their characteristic body type, hair type, face shape and skin tone be dominant when genetics itself is so random? I think there’s a more likely theory.

The Gerudo women are genetically isolated from other races in Zelda because they’re having babies with each other.

Hear me out. First off, the Gerudo are not the only race in Zelda that’s all one presumed sex. We have no problem accepting that all Gorons are born male, or that they at least look male to the races like Hylians who have a sex binary. Maybe that’s because there aren’t any other races that Gorons could plausibly interbreed with, but still. They’re a race that only produces “males”. So what if the Gerudo are the same way? There are no Gerudo men because all the Gerudo are born looking female to races with a sex binary. That’s just what their species looks like. We further infer, because there’s an false but automatic assumption that sex and gender are synchronized for everyone, that all Gorons are men and all Gerudo are women.

Some Gerudo want to fall in love with men from other races, but that’s not unheard of for non-Gerudo either. Before the Great Calamity, Link and Mipha were basically a couple. And they’re not even the only instance of Hylian-Zora romance in that game! All we know is that Gerudo women sometimes get romantically involved with men from other races, full stop. We don’t know anything about their genitals, so why would we assume? Some Gerudo women have penises or don’t bear children, get over it. Maybe they can reproduce with each other and other races, or maybe their genitals and reproduction don’t look anything like what you would see on a Hylian. It doesn’t matter, because that’s not what determines how they look. It’s just us attempting to apply a cisheteronormative framework to a species that doesn’t fit those constraints.

Gerudo women call themselves women because that’s the closest approximation in common tongue to what they look like, at least in terms of what races with a gender binary can understand. Gorons do this too when calling themselves “men” and referring to their close friends as “brothers”, and they’re a notable exception to the “no men” rule in BOTW Gerudo Town. The Gerudo recognize that, like them, the Gorons are a race where everyone has a similar body type and no gender binary.

Some Gerudo have relationships with men from other races, but it seems impossible that some Gerudo wouldn’t also have relationships with one another or with women from other races. We don’t hear about these “same-sex” relationships either because we’re shown the game’s narrative through a biased lens, or because the Gerudo know that folks from other races can get homophobic and they don’t want to deal with any of that shit. You can’t tell me that Gorons, a race made entirely of rock, really have any need for clothes. They wear the bare minimum needed to not offend the other races. Us only seeing Gorons with clothes across all of the games they’re in doesn’t necessarily mean that they have anything under those clothes, so why should we assume that Gerudo only have “heterosexual” relationships because Link only sees them romancing men across the different games?

This opens the door to a lot of exciting genderqueer analysis of Gerudo culture. Are they agender? Do they have gender variation, but it’s based on things like personality types or aesthetic preferences? After all, if they all look similar to one another they would have an understanding of gender that’s different from ours and unbound from what their bodies look like. Finally, what does it mean for Gerudo to have a “male child”, like they did with Ganondorf? Was he a particularly rare genetic phenotype? Are there trans Gerudo, who identify with the concept binary races have of ‘men’ and identify as men themselves? Do the concepts of ‘Vai’ and ‘Voe’ just exist to appease the other races and define the Gerudo relative to those races, or do they mean something different in the Gerudo native tongue than what we think they mean?

There’s a lot to unpack here, but this solves the issue of why the Gerudo are still genetically isolated after so many thousands of years in a way that the prevailing theory doesn’t. The only reason more people aren’t thinking about it this way is because it doesn’t fit into a gender binary framework, and Gerudo look enough like Hylians that we want to use the gender binary to define them. Plus, Nintendo isn’t going to risk the controversy of implying that the Gerudo have babies with one another or don’t experience gender the way we do.

Some clarifications so you know where I stand on things, because sex and gender analysis is often a touchy subject:

1) Sex isn’t a binary for any species, neither is gender. Anytime that I referenced a ‘sex binary’ or ‘gender binary’, I was saying that some races act in a way throughout the series that suggests they believe there’s a binary for sex, gender, or both. In reality, I’m sure there are plenty of nonbinary Hylians, intersex Sheikah, trans Zora, and a whole slew of other gender identities and biological realities that don’t fit within a binary construct.

2) The goal of this theory wasn’t to “make The Legend of Zelda about genitals”. If that’s what you got out of this, then you’re missing the point. I’m just taking one theory about how the Gerudo have babies and suggesting a likelier alternative. If you’re unhappy with that, you’re probably also unhappy with the fact that BOTW show us what Gerudo children look like or that we see a pregnant Hylian woman in Twilight Princess.

Do you agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you have anything to add about how this might fit within queer theory. Thanks!

#genderqueer theory #queer theory #genderqueer #gerudo #the legend of zelda #queer zelda theory #zelda theory #queer video games #genderqueer video games #trans analysis #written by a trans woman #thaumaturgethoughts #long post

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loruleanheart · 3 years

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Desired Fate, Chapter 1

Read on FF.net

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Yiga footsoldiers bent the knee as the hooded man passed by. The seer held an ancient piece of Sheikah technology that resembled a crystal ball by its outer rings. He moved through the maze-like corridors deeper into the Yiga hideout, where his harbinger rested on an altar.

It would only be a short time before the Calamity would be at hand, for he knew this event would take place on the Princess of Hyrule’s seventeenth birthday.

“Happy Birthday, Princess ,” he said in a sardonic tone, laughing to himself.

Little did the seer know that miles away, that very princess was mirroring his actions as she made her way through the halls of the castle. She listened to the sound of her footsteps echoing on the stone floor, her burdens weighing heavy on her mind that morning, her gaze downcast.

Astor, the Prophet of Doom arrived at the inner sanctum of the Yiga hideout where the harbinger, a small Guardian possessed by Calamity Ganon, slept. Sometimes, though, it wandered off to some corner of the kingdom only to come back with a vision of what it wanted to impart to the seer. Malice rose off the dark egg-like Guardian, giving off a rippling, gurgling sound that had become familiar to the prophet.

Sitting at one end of a long table was Master Kohga, the leader of the Yiga Clan. Astor had allied with the clan somewhat recently, but in truth, he’d never seen the man’s real face, for every member of the Yiga Clan always wore a white mask painted with the inverted eye of the Sheikah. Next to Kohga stood his bodyguard, Sooga. Master Kohga was a rotund man, while Sooga was all muscle. Both men, however, towered over Astor, who was himself of a slender build and average stature. Neither of them seemed to acknowledge his arrival, at least not right away. Kohga was telling Sooga some sort of joke or story.

Astor held back a sigh of disapproval. The Yiga Clan itself was….serviceable, but the leadership…

There was an obscene amount of bananas in a decorative bowl in front of the altar, even more than the last time he was here. It was like they had put more in the bowl just to spite him.

“Hurry it up, Little Lord Malice, I’ve got naps to take!” Kohga finally acknowledged Astor’s presence.

Astor glared at him. “Could we PLEASE move those bananas off the altar! They’re an eyesore! What a baleful affront to Lord Ganon.”

“Watch yourself, seer. And do not disrespect the sacred fruit.” Sooga chided. The Yiga ate mighty bananas as if they were a gift from Lord Ganon himself.

“There’s nothing special about those disgusting bananas,” Astor said in an authoritative tone.

“Eh, shows what you know…” Kohga shrugged.

Astor resigned himself to dropping the subject, for there were more important matters at hand. He approached the altar and held out the ancient orb. The little black Guardian that housed the spirit of Calamity Ganon shrieked as embers of malice erupted, swirling above their heads. The orb then reacted, levitating as a barrier marked with constellations spread out before them.

The princess of Hyrule was in the vision, dressed in full royal regalia, appearing far more regal than how she looked when she was dressed to go out and do research. She wore a crown instead of her usual braid. The corseted area of her dress nicely accentuated her tiny waist. Her golden-blonde hair fell like a waterfall well past the small of her back. The princess appeared deep in thought, but her deep green eyes lit up when she greeted her Sheikah aide.

Disgusting …. Astor loathed just looking at her.

As he watched the vision presented to him by his harbinger, the prophet furrowed his brow. His lips parted slightly. “No…. no… This wasn’t part of the prophecy. What is the meaning of this?!

Kohga and Sooga craned their heads to get a better view, curious as to what earned the prophet’s ire.

“What is it?” Kohga asked.

“WHAT. IS. THAT?!” Astor said, pointing to a Guardian similar to the one that housed Calamity Ganon, except this one was white. It was being held by a young knight, apparently trying to hold it up and away from the Princess should it attack her.

“Is... this a problem?” Kohga asked.

“No…. Nothing can stop the coming Calamity. It’s just that...” Astor didn’t want to admit he hadn’t been aware of this second little Guardian before and it honestly had soured his mood.

“Will you look at that, Sooga. Little Lord Malice and the princess have twins!” Kohga laughed. Even Sooga, who was usually serious to a fault, shared in a short burst of laughter.

Astor turned slowly, shooting Kohga an unamused look, trying to cover how flustered he felt.

Degenerate goon, may the Calamity strike him down, Astor thought and turned back to the vision, but the princess, the Sheikah aide, and the young knight were making their way into the castle.

Astor gave a frustrated growl and ended the vision. The ancient orb disappeared with a wave of his hand. The prophet held his arms out, beckoning the harbinger to come to him. The little guardian stood, moving its mechanical spider-like legs. It hopped down off the altar, barely acknowledging the prophet.

Sooga gave a pitying shake of his head, which didn’t go unnoticed by the prophet.

“I sense that you are envious of me,” Astor said in a matter of fact way, confronting the Yiga bodyguard. “You’re wondering why Lord Ganon would choose a Hylian to help bring about his resurrection over a member of the Yiga Clan. Of the countless souls that have lived the past 10,000 years, Lord Ganon selected me. The Calamity has given me this fate and I will gladly play it to see Hyrule burn.”

“Calamity Ganon is a tool for no one. And it certainly doesn’t care about your fate or what happens to you. The moment it’s done with you, it will toss you aside and I’m going to laugh my ass off,” said the Yiga second in command.

The light left his eyes, yet Astor sneered back, smiling. “We’ll see which one of us the Calamity decides to cast aside.”

oOo

The sun was setting over the Gerudo Highlands, harbinger at his side. It was a vastly different climate than Astor had grown up with or preferred, but he had made it his home for the same reason as the Yiga. It was there that one could feel most connected to the Calamity. Legend had it that in the distant past the Calamity was once a Gerudo male that was a great king to his people and a powerful sorcerer. That such terrifying entity could have once been mortal deeply inspired the prophet.

Stopping outside the network of caverns similar to the Yiga’s he’d claimed as his personal hideout, Astor looked up at the stars in the sky. They were easier to see from this altitude. It was the stars that he first used to prophesy the coming Calamity. It truly was fate that the harbinger would come to him.

And now this second Guardian… Astor thought, trying to brush aside the creeping apprehension he felt at not having foreseen this. It looked a lot like the harbinger at his side. Same size, same design, but pearly white instead of black.

Astor materialized the ancient orb and held it towards his harbinger. “Show me the purpose of that Guardian.”

#Age of Calamity #Astor #Zelda #fanfiction #Master Kohga #Sooga

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underthedekutree · 3 years

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Gender and Race in Zelda Games - Pt 1

Hey, can we talk about how the Gerudo’s defining trait is their gender? It’s very explicitly marketed to the player that they are an all female race and that has a lasting impact on their culture and how they interact with other races, considering they are reproductively compatible with hylians (and is the only way to ensure their survival as a race).

Although Nintendo likes to distance themselves from any political statements, the Zelda franchise does give an insight into their views on gender identity and racial representation. I’m going to be mostly going off of Breath of the Wild (and a bit of OoT) for this.

There are 7 major civilised races in BOTW’s Hyrule, and they’re mainly based on standard tropes of the high fantasy genre, which has most of its roots in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Things like the Elder Scrolls and DnD follow a similar set of race tropes. Basically in a nutshell:

Hylians = Humans (protagonist material, has a far reaching empire, medieval aesthetic, predominantly white because yay colonialism amirite)

Zora = Elves (attuned with nature, long life/immortality, thinks they’re better than you, thin/sexy/youthful appearance, feminine)

Gorons = Dwarves (associated with earth, overtly masculine, stocky/stout appearance, b e a r d s)

Koroks = Halflings/Hobbits (smol, associated with plants and greenery, often the starting point in a story, disconnected from the world, humble people, old english farmer aesthetic)

Gerudo = Orc/Haradrim/Khajiit (the Oppressed Minority, often desert people, has an ”Exotic” accent/language, vague mix of middle-eastern, african and/or south american aesthetics)

Rito = Bird People (free spirits, archery for days, native american/canadian aesthetic)

Sheikah = The Asians (tm) (the wise philosophical ones, always has a shrivelled up old Confucian-inspired leader, are probs ninjas)

First of all, no, Hylians are not elven-coded; just because they have pointed ears does not equal elf. The way they are coded in the text is very much human.

So I’m going to elaborate a bit more on the Gerudo here for this post, since they are the strongest example of what my whole point of this is. I’ll be talking about the Gorons in another post later down the track (that’s a whole other can o beans).

Ocarina of Time is where we are first introduced to the Gerudo as a race, and red flag number one comes up: the main villain is Gerudo. The only man in an entire race of women, who has automatically assumed de-facto leadership because of his gender. Hmm. Okay then, game.

Because of Ganondorf’s actions throughout OoT, the Gerudo garner a sour reputation amongst the other races, and a lot of this context comes from reactions to Link wearing the Gerudo Mask. Many are terrified or unsettled by the mask, such as King Zora, some will comment on how it reminds them of a woman in their life, and Darunia very gruffly states how much he hates the Gerudo (wow dude, not cool). There is an everpresent stigma against them as a people, one that only compounds in the Adult time after Ganondorf takes over. In Windwaker, Ganondorf talks about how his original motivation was to take Hyrule for its resources, as his people were suffering in the desert whilst Hyrule florished. But his actions only caused them more suffering, as he seemed not to care for his people once he took Hyrule Castle, and the Gerudo could no longer mingle with Hylians, because this takeover increased the stigma against the Gerudo tenfold.

This stigma was so great that even in Breath of the Wild, thousands of years later, their people are still recovering from their collective shame (eg. Urbosa). Look how long its taken Germany to recover post WWII, and some still hold grudges against them, even though they’re now practically one of the most anti-Nazi nations ever. But clear strides have been made in Gerudo culture - they now seem to be a proud people, embracing both their strength and their femininity. But a new interesting issue arises.

It’s alarming how much suggestion there is in BotW that the Gerudo are being taken advantage of. Men are barred from city walls, and for good reason. All of the men outside of the walls are there for the sole purpose of entering the Forbidden Garden, as it were. Like the men at the bazaar who freeze up when they see lady Link. Or the creepy guy with the sand boots circling the town like a hawk in the hopes of catching a lady’s eye. There are a couple of guys in trouble on the other side of the desert you can save (from a lizalfos I think? If memory serves), and all they will talk about is how Gerudo Town is some kind of paradise of hot women, like they’re using their dicks as a compass. I hope they never get there. And to top it all off, there’s Voe and You, an entire dating class teaching women on how to interact with men, and how to walk the line between being cautious of predators, and not being Risa.

I don’t know how to articulate how this messes with my brain, and I’m very bad at conclusions. Nonetheless, what I am trying to say is this. What does this all tell us about how Nintendo writes women, and how the changing times have affected the representation of women in Zelda? Why are there entire races who are tied to their gender? This trend of coding races to a gender in video games isn’t confined to the Zelda series either, its present in a lot of Nintendo games (if I may gesture to the Lochladies from Mario Odyssey), and media as a whole. Is this a good thing? What is the purpose? I don’t know how to answer those questions. There is always a form of subconscious meaning ascribed to the stories we tell, whether we intend to or not. I don’t know what to do with this information really, its just something to think about. And this is a starting point too, there’s a lot more to be said if you start training your eye to look for these things in the games you’re playing, especially Nintendo games, since they seem to have been free from The Discourse because of how they market their company to be so Opinionless and therefore accomodating to people from all backgrounds. But they most certainly aren’t opinionless.

Disclaimer: I do not believe that Nintendo are trying to push some Political Agenda (the opposite, actually), it’s mostly subconscious coding and association due to, as I mentioned, for us as people to express our own views through story.

Segway to part 2: I said at the start that it’s strange how the femininity of the Gerudo is so heavily highlighted, and its a core part of their identity as a race. So why the hell does this not apply to the freaking GORONS?

Have a nice day, and thanks for reading my rambles :D

#legend of zelda #loz #long post #ocarina of time #breath of the wild #nazi tw #nazi mention

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ashleyswrittenwords · 4 years

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How to be a Queen [Part 25]

Summary: Princess Zelda is at a loss. Her handed royal responsibilities have begun to weigh heavily on her and she is eventually backed into a corner. Live a life she loathes or run away from everything she’s ever known? Navigating life is hard, and Link forces her to learn that she doesn’t have to do it alone.

Part 1

How To Be A Queen

I’m afraid your apologies fall upon blind eyes. The fact that you were able to sneak three letters was a surprise in itself. Please do not believe you have the power to bring your queen to her knees by missing your imaginary quota. We have a mutual understanding of priorities.

Remember, your safety is my everything.

No matter how you prefer it not to be.

Days folded into weeks and I was tied fast to the rolling waves.

The goddesses willed today to be kind. The skies were clear and though summer was coming to an end, the breeze that rustled the trees was still warm. Hyrule Castle’s grounds are expansive and stretch into densely wooded forests owned exclusively by the Crown. Birds chirped sweet songs from the tall branches alongside the distant hum of the royal apiaries.

I shrieked. A clank of metal cut through the peacefulness.

My thin blade raked against the ground before its little momentum made it favor one side and hit the clay lamely. The backside of my hand burned an angry red and I pressed my lips together to hold a curse. The attacker, who I tossed an evil glare at, laughed gutturally.

“Infirmi vehvi.”

The passing glance turned into a scowl. I straightened, shooting a pointed accusation at Urbosa. “I am not weak.”

The corner of her mouth hiked upward. She even bent down to grab my weapon for me, tossing it my way instead of handing it over. I let out a short gasp as my fumbling hands took hold of the hilt.

“Oh, you’ve been studying!” Urbosa clapped mockingly with her own blade. “A shame your swordplay doesn’t match your academia.”

The sword was heavy in my hand, almost weighty enough that I needed to use both arms. My biceps burned and breath didn’t come to me easily. I let the weapon droop, a particularly undignified stance. “Impa, I implore you to reconsider.”

A tea table with two petite chairs sat at the edge of the copse. It didn’t belong with the scenery and had been drug from the castle several weeks ago. Impa looked up, languish in her movements as she pulled down her spectacles – another quality to her that made her seem so much older than she was. Odd rocks acted as paperweights to hold down the documents before her.

“Certainly, Your Majesty,” she said, dryly. “Inform me of which physical activity you prefer.”

I almost whined. “None. This is counterintuitive.”

“And wasting away in your office is better? No, don’t say your bedchambers because I have caught you time and time against sneaking letters out in the middle of the night,” Urbosa leaned on one hip.

Honestly? Even when I stamped my foot on the dirt and made a child of myself in front of the royal guard, I couldn’t completely disagree. It was mid-August in central Hyrule and for weeks at a time I would go without seeing the sun. Urbosa and Impa had been scheming for this together; forcing me outdoors to play petty games and when I vehemently worked against them under the guise of productivity, they played a hand I hadn’t seen coming.

“Ah, well,” my advisor sat back in her garden chair, towards her work. “I ponder how I should word a castle report to General Forester now that our Queen has given up swordplay.”

“Impa!” I met Anju who nervously shrugged from across the table.

As much as I hated it, Link didn’t need another disappointment. No matter how inferior, especially as of late. The supply line had been established by the time any skirmishes began. Though, from the coming reports, it was a project that was started far too late. Our strength out bested Gerudo forces as they were largely unorganized – at first. The following battles showed their adaptiveness and exposed our own faults.

It seemed that no matter how fortified the supply line grew, there would always be an attempted attack. Seasoned travelers were growing rightfully paranoid and provisions couldn’t be sent in large quantities, which burdened both the army and Gerudo Town.

And worse, the usurper was gaining ground.

Refugees were pouring from the Gerudo capital and, to my horror, learned that they attacked groups with small children. In our correspondences, I had to plead with Link to force one of his admirals to send men to sponsor their treks. There wasn’t opposition in his letters, but the strain in sparing troops was evident.

If they take the capital, then it will give reason to fear they will be able to travel north, Link had written. Fierlin has already proposed to establish a temporary camp by the Great Plateau, but I can’t do that to them now. Not this early on.

By them he meant his admirals, his captains, his men. I understood why Whitehurst had stopped me one day in the halls, admitting something he would never tell his counterpart.

“If you ever doubt our choice,” he had said with an uncharacteristically sound smile. “Nathaniel spoke of him several times after he pushed for replacement hearings.”

Urbosa attempted to bait me into swinging blindly again by lightly touching her blade to mine. Instead of loosening myself to anticipate her attacks, I tensed at the threat of suffering another rude smack to my wrist. The sight made her reprimand me.

“Feet parted!” she shouted, swiping at my feet. I gave a pathetic hop out of an irrational fear that my ankles would be cut through. She would never do anything to hurt me and the action was mostly born of annoyance: I haven’t been the ideal student she had been hoping for.

“Truly, Urbosa.” My voice was shaking more than I needed it to. “This is very harsh on a beginner!”

“Forgive me, my Queen,” Urbosa said without a drop of sorrow. Then, she smiled with a measure of mischievous. “Although you did have the advantage of Hyrule’s most renowned swordsman as your knight attendant.”

“Renowned?” I yelped as her sword clashed against mine. She was holding back, I knew, but my arm wavered under the kickback. “I had no idea that standing beside a person warrants a personal gain of their skill.”

Her response was in Gerudo and I paused our circling to process the words. I had been studying the language during my downtime. Since the Gerudo aristocracy was being housed within the castle, there was no shortage of conversation partners. Some words I couldn’t make out yet the little I could made my face catch a rosy red beyond the sweat that caught my forehead.

“That is entirely unwarranted!”

I swung back against her sword with the strength she had been vying for. It made me curse myself when the pride in her face swelled. Urbosa harked out her triumph, “Translate your emotions into force. Even the most beautiful of desert flowers bare thorns.”

A strand of hair had loosened from my braid and in grew matted against my damp forehead. “Some find my words to be prickly, but my bite has no comparison.”

“Depending on your opponent,” Urbosa nodded as I mirrored her footwork. I was a little shaky, my feet stuttering to match her own while keeping in mind where her eyes were. “Words with a sharp tongue can strike deeper than any blade. However, I think we can both agree that action has more immediate results.”

Our sparring went on until my muscles trembled and the soles of my feet were sore. We weren’t alone either. The notion of a group of noblewomen seeking solitude amidst wartime was laughable at best, outright reckless at worse. The ten men that surrounded us were once apart of my father’s personnel, an inner circle of knights who were both experienced and battle hardened. They were at ease, much to my preference, taking turns scouting the area and sharing a basket of foodstuffs. At one point I had suggested they be allowed to join in the war effort but I was told that my general wouldn’t even entertain the notion when it presented itself.

Still, I did my best to converse with those within the King’s Guard (a name I hadn’t had the energy to bother with changing). They were typically older men with families of their own presiding within the capital; each a story of their own that I would think of in the night when news trickled in riddled with death and carnage.

The victories, despite being so sparse, hadn’t allowed me any reprieve. My whereabouts were a constant reminder of my privileges, luxuries I didn’t feel fit for. Guilt – or was it shame? – made a home in the back of my mind when I would yearn for more than what my power could afford. As with my materials, I was rich in company to dine with. Platters that would never grow scant and goblets that would never run dry.

My father, Impa, Urbosa, and an army of advisors were dazzled by my smiles and ability to save face in adversary. There would always be those against war and my court was not without; all I could do was take it in strides with each evening I entertained the court.

“Any news?” I said to Impa as I maintained a neutral expression. Courtiers twirled about the floor, most were newly returned from the summer harvests and ready to gain favor with their still-new Queen. Little factions of particular lords and ladies clung to the borders of the throne room, gossiping or scheming, I couldn’t tell. But, really, was there a difference?

It almost made me regret not socializing with these people in my youth. Not that Father would permit such free time.

Without turning my head, I heard her make a noise of acknowledgment. “Nothing of consequence, dear.”

Exhaustion was heavy in her murmur. The real question was if that exhaustion was born of current events and from me. I kept the inquiry on my tongue.

“If there is,” I kept my voice low. “Please send them to my room.”

She didn’t need to respond. I stood, acting indifferent to the hundreds of eyes watching me and made my own way to the door. The upside to power was the lack of need to request an exit. Outside the doors was a man of the Knight’s Guard taking leave of another who he was talking to. I nearly felt bad for abruptly ending their conversation.

The knight bowed to someone behind me and Urbosa made herself known in a formal Gerudo fitting; glittering gold that would look odd on anyone that wasn’t her.

“Do you need accompaniment?”

I didn’t need to downplay the tiredness in my movements for her. “No, enjoy the reveling without me. I know how much you like the festivities and all too well of our aristocratic visitor’s tendencies to celebrate nothing until dawn.”

There was a critical look in her eye before it fell to a degree of understanding. We bid one another an uneventful goodnight with a short hug and I made my way towards the spiraling staircases without a care if there was anyone following.

My rooms were a bit tidier than I had left them. The bed was made with fresh linen and my night dress was spread over the covers neatly. Silently, I thanked myself for having Anju teach me how to lace a front-facing corset and let the drapes of fabric fall around my feet. Not long after, I was between the covers already half-way into sleep.

My mind clung onto the little consciousness I had left and I began to feel as if I were missing something. I tensed, the attempt to fall asleep slightly dashed.

He’s not here, I told myself, he’s not here and there is nothing I can do in this moment nor the next. The thought swirled like a mantra, but even then the coldness of the pillow beside me left no aid. A silly notion to miss a moment you felt only once in your life.

Step… two-three. Step.. two-three. Step… two-three.

A waltz, or at least a whisper of one, danced through me and into the movements that were both mine and not. My recollection didn’t come from seeing but knowing that I was in the throne room. It was much different from tonight, emptied and desolate.

“Do I humor you?”

The man with striking eyes was here, the charm of before now replaced with an intimidating seriousness. I wanted to spit venom at this nightmare and tell him he hadn’t broken me after all, but just like last time I wasn’t here to do that. His gaze was glowering, heated with all intentions that dream me ignored.

We took a turn about the room. I tilted my head and blinked up at him, “Only in the ways you hate.”

The words were backed by the knowledge of who he was. Knowledge I desperately tried to learn as I searched his vague outline.

Who are you? Tell me.

There was little response to my utterance aside from the slight pressure on my waist, which only caused a smile to form on my lips – barely there at all. I was teasing.

The pressure disappeared instantly. “You have met him.”

I watched him carefully now, feeling suspicious of his tone.

“We will always meet.”

The man’s chest heaved in laughter. “Yes,” he harked, “Indeed we will, but that was not in the way you and I shall. Never in the manner that he dallies in. We have an… inclination to put aside petty discrepancies, wouldn’t you agree?”

Confusion soured me. It was odd to feel like a third wheel in a conversation I was meant to be partaking in. Words bubbled in my chest yet I seemed to decide otherwise. He made a sound.

“Alas, you need not to tell me. Your ways speak clear that the mortal walks in your steps. Worshipping you like the dog you’ve made him.”

“You have come to mock me. Nothing more? As my children starve under your thumb?” I scowled, itching to say more but biting down on my urge. Already, I had said to much.

“Oh, no, my love,” he spat, “I have come to sing you sweet songs of our future.”

Suddenly, I was taken by scenes from far places. The heat was stifling, so hot I could hardly breath under the blaring sun. There was commotion around me and noise of huffing horses as wagons of supplies were being carried away. A quick glance at myself in my night gown said that no one could see me when they walked passed.

I breathed in the dry air, turning when I heard a particular conversation.

“The transport cases are too heavy for the mules to pull at once.”

It came from a large tent, the opening flap fluttering in a breeze that was just as hot as the air around it. This was unmistakably the Gerudo Desert and my chest grew wanton at the thought of who was inside. The business around me toned down and I took my first steps towards the tent.

My breath rattled uneven in my chest as my thoughts were spoken without the shapes of my lips.

“Why are you showing me this?”

Soft dissuasions beat vaguely against my urge to continue on, but my newfound control of my body and piqued curiosity were overwhelming. I pushed back the tent opening to see a dimmer setting. Light filtered through the canvas and persisted enough to void the need for lanterns. A large table sat in the middle of the space, littered with books and loose papers. Unpacked boxes coincided with the miscellaneous items and at the table, bending over to speak, was a man in uniform.

However, I didn’t pay much attention to him. The one in the chair held me rapt. I was unable to feel the carpet under my feet as I walked further within the tent, not particularly caring about much else.

“Then let’s pull them one by one.”

He was seated with his back to me and now I could make out the unmistakable wheat-blond hair. The man, officer, he spoke to sagged slightly in posture. “But, sir, by then-”

“Burn them,” my general said chastely, “Unless you plan to leave them as a gift to the our Gerudo friends, we either take our supplies with us or burn it. I have no intention of assisting in even the smallest stick of firewood. Is that clear, Captain?”

The tone he employed was foreign to me. Link sat up, looking at him where I could a glimpse of his side profile. My heart ached in a way I hadn’t expected. The man gave a silent sigh.

“Yes sir.”

Without another word, the captain stood straight and walked by me without an ounce of awareness. I swallowed, watching Link lean over what he was working on. Warily, I approached him and studied the way his appearance had changed.

How many months has it been already? Four, almost five months since his departure.

More importantly, how was this possible?

His hair was hardly tamed and seemed to had been shorn with a blunt tool – probably a knife. Ruminants from the vast sands clung from his cheeks to his hands, a testament to his time out here. It was obvious that he wasn’t happy and studied the pages of a book with heavy eyes that hadn’t closed for sleep in far longer than I cared to examine. One of his hands thumbed the next page while the other braced the side of his face as he slumped over the table, a straight seat long abandoned after the captain left.

Link looked far older than he was.

I watched his eyes skim the words and whispered uselessly, “I wish I could help you.”

Blue eyes wandered astray in my direction. I thought they would see right through me as all the others but instead…

“Zelda?”

A breath caught in my throat as his expression of distress morphed from shock to disbelief to a certain relief. “Goddess, Zelda… what are you… what are you doing here?”

Link stood to his full height, clad in uniform and every emotion flashing over him.

“This is a dream,” I immediately said, staggering back. His confusion followed me.

“What do you mean?”

He began taking steps toward me.

“This is a dream,” I repeated, this time more persistent.

It barely occurred to me that we weren’t in the tent anymore. We weren’t anywhere. Link didn’t seem to care. He smiled, reaching towards me.

“I don’t understand,” he shook his head. “I don’t understand, but I don’t have to. I missed you, Zelda. More than anything.”

Link’s eyes held an adoration that I had always yearned for… and yet it was out of place. His hands shook as they closed around my shoulders. “I thought about you every night, Zelda. I crave only you and your light. Your love and pity. I have prayed for a moment like this and here you are!”

“Link-”

“Don’t you get it?” his volume raised sharply. “I do this all for you. I slave for you, I plead for you, I kill for you!”

Then a sickening wet sound cut through his speech. He looked down first and I followed to where his gaze stopped.

Red coated his uniform, staining the midnight blue darker around the tear. Protruding from his abdomen was a silver blade tinged in his blood. I think I might have screamed. He looked back up at me with blank eyes and made a choking sound. Link’s lips formed a word.

I wasn’t in a tent with my dying general. I wasn’t anywhere, but I could still see the image of him dying in my arms with overpouring blood running from his stomach. I wanted to scream. I wanted to sob. Only tears ran from my eyes as the man of my nightmares swung me through our dance.

“A reminder of what I’ve done in the past. A warning of what I’ll do in the future.”

---

I had awoken in a sheet of sweat and tears. My throat was scratchy from the sobs of my sleep and I didn’t move to begin my day immediately. I spent the early morning hours curled in a ball on my bed without the energy to cry more nor the exhaustion to fall back to slumber.

Anju found me staring into the shadows of my room and decided to fetch my breakfast from the kitchen for me. While she sat with me, stirring a cup of strong tea in her hands, I didn’t talk about my dream and allowed her to tell me all the silly rumors the castle maids push around. Gratefulness ebbed at me with every smile she pulled from my lips. I still don’t think I deserve her loyalty and friendship.

“Any decent ones about me?”

She took a long sip of her tea, rolling her eyes. “Some ladies of the court fancy a royal wedding. They don’t have much care for wars.”

I hummed my understanding and took my time spreading strawberry jam on toast. “Predictable. I don’t blame them for looking for distraction. I’m sure the bordering lands have heightened concerns with quartering troops.”

My maid paused. “Quartering troops?”

I blinked. It was a dream, I thought harshly. It was a dream and nothing more. Why am I scaring her by thinking it was true?

“I meant for the injured,” I mended hastily. “Transport isn’t so secure until you cross Lake Hylia and some feel more comfortable healing in the towns than traveling all the way here.”

“Ah,” she nodded, “I suppose they aren’t as patriotic as I thought. I get it, though, I would be uncomfortable by the idea too. You know how Kafei and my father feel about taking holiday away from here.”

I breathed a breath of relief.

The remainder of the morning went without a hitch. I hadn’t received any intel overnight and despite my increased pestering, my inbox lacked anything regarding the war to the southwest. It seemed that my mind had fled any sense of reason regarding the mythos of premonitions. I jumped at any counsel about the conflict or how Admiral Byron’s spies should proceed.

I frowned at the sound of another unsuccessful mission. “I want eyes on him.”

“We have been monitoring their encampments for months,” Byron gestured to the war room’s map. “All aspects of their movements are accurate to the square footage.”

Half of the admirals, including Whitehurst and Fierlin, had taken leave early this month while the other end of the cabinet returned to Hyrule Castle.

“That’s not what I meant,” I watched the short man carefully. “General Forester has written that the war prisoners regard him with a reverence of a king. Please recall to me one specification he has recalled for us.”

He rustled through his papers before coming upon one and folded his arms over it. “The one true King of the Gerudo, Your Majesty,” he exhaled, then looked at me with tired eyes. “He is nothing but a usurper, a traitor, of the aristocracy.”

“How am I to react when I have no description of this man? When our men only hear of him as this… fabled legend? I will not accept the prolonging of that,” I sighed. “Do you see where my plight is coming from, Admiral Byron? I realize you’re without a doubt an accomplished man and leader within my army, however this problem still pesters me.”

The man pressed his mouth into a fine line, looking down. “I do. Moving forward I will follow through with this issue and provide you with results. Though I assure you that this Ganondorf is only below you, I will unmask him all the same.”

I bent my head towards him with a smile. “You are will met, sir. Thank you.”

The meeting in the war room was productive and filled appropriate guidelines to send Link’s way. I was pleased to see a familiar face.

“Sir Elian!” I grinned when he approached me after the meeting. “What a pleasant surprise!”

The knight took a short bow with a muddied helmet cradled under the crook of his arm. He must have just arrived in time for the next set of deliverables. I had seen him every now and again lately; his visitations becoming scarce as the war drew on and more precautions were put into place on the road.

“Queen Zelda,” Elian acknowledged kindly. “It seems the news hadn’t arrived yet. I was recently handed down a promotion.”

A conservative smile graced him as he sat on his heels, making the extra stripe on his uniform more pronounced. I clapped my hands together at his bravado.

“My apologies, Captain,” I laughed and voiced my congratulations. He deserved it, after all. There weren’t many that are up to the task of supervising shipments in this climate. “I must attend to Lady Urbosa in the gardens, however you’re more than welcome to accompany me.”

“Why, I could never turn you down,” he acquiesced.

The path from the war room was winding if one wanted to go to the gardens and I was happy to have a companion. I learned from our conversation that the roads were steadily becoming less fraught with ambush but it did little to calm the nerves of anyone who travelled.

“The Rito are slowly warming up to the idea of aerial surveyance. Especially now that we’ve proven to uphold our trade agreements,” I told him. “Their ambassador and Lady Urbosa butt heads constantly during court. It hardly helps.”

Elian chuckled. “I wonder if the threat is the reason why they’re barely trying to thwart us.”

That made me turn to him with concern. “Do you think they monitor that?”

“If the walls have ears, I wonder how they use our secrets?”

I was about to ask him to elaborate when a strangled noise of a shout cut me off. The gardens were around the corner when we heard it.

“Where is she?” a voice boomed down the hall. “Relinquish me and tell me where she is!”

When I realized that Urbosa was shouting over the demanding voice, I gathered my skirts to avoid falling on my face and ignored Elian’s warnings. Once I rounded the corner I saw Lord Ibauna staring down Urbosa’s sword. Guards stood around them, unsure of what to do.

“What is the meaning of this?” I said about their shouting match. Ibauna twisted to me with eyes full of malice.

His fists clenched tightly. “It’s your fault! My brother is dead and it is your fault!”

Lord Ibauna began towards me with a heavy foot, fury red in his face and step. Elian blocked his path with a heavy pull of his sword from its sheath. Two guards wrangled him to a stop before he made it to us and made him kneel. One of the man looked up with question.

“Lady Urbosa?” I asked, looking between her and Ibauna with growing worry.

“He approached me in the gardens looking for you,” she sniffed in his direction, “I wouldn’t tell him where you were because I’ve heard tales of his insolence… then he began insulting your honor, Your Grace.”

“Because you are leading a losing war!” Ibauna yelled, struggling against his binds. “We’re being slaughtered. Don’t pretend, Princess! I have seen the reports and the dead eyes of my family. Give up the aristocracy to Ganondorf!”

I stared, words refusing to surface on my lips.

“Apologies, Your Majesty,” a guard said, pulling the lord harshly back to his feet. “We should lead him to the dungeons for his sharp tongue. At your word, of course.”

I pulled at my fingers and couldn’t look away from his anger. Thankfully, my voice found me. “Who is it you speak of? How do you know that name?”

Lord Ibauna seemed to sober up and watched me with suspicion. “Consider it, Zelda. The very basis of this war is within an area that does not affect us. Send the aristocracy back and let them handle their own mess.”

I considered him coldly and nodded at the guards. He struggled against their hold, “I know who you are, girl! You’re meant to be a goddess among men yet you lead us towards tyranny and death!”

His screams haunted down the hall and I startled when Urbosa sheathed her sword. She gave me a look of concern.

“I suppose our teatime is cancelled?”

“Yes, I – um – I feel a little faint and I should retire,” I said, frowning. My mind worked through his words and felt a feeling I hadn’t since I was a girl. An impossible responsibility setting itself on my shoulders. A crown too heavy to bear. I turned to Elian, “I have another message for you if you wouldn’t mind.”

How did he know that name? The same way Link had learned of it?

Lord Ibauna came from money nearly older than the Crown. His silver spoon kept him from any type of military service that may be passed to an ordinary man. Very much like his family, he sought to gain favor in court circles through ways of blackmail and empty promises; a prime example was his attempted seduction of me at the ball. Everything he did was a double edged sword and when his first plan is rejected, another more devious execution settles into place – that being my subsequent judgement from my father.

The only regret I have now was not wearing more rings on my fingers when I hit him.

My hands were shaking when I reached my quarters. Despite my reassurances that I was fine, both the captain and Urbosa followed me. I asked them to wait outside as I scrambled through my desk drawers for my ink pot and pen.

I was going to write to Link to go through with moving resources back behind our lines. If he didn’t want to transition his men there immediately, fine, but I wasn’t about to let pride put anyone at risk. He wasn’t going to be happy… though there would be a good chance he would understand.

A flash of yellow out of the corner of my eye made me freeze. My desk was cluttered already but the yellow yarn was unmistakable. I forced myself to look at the black button eyes and the mouth the formed a slight frown. My mind tried to process when I had taken it from my drawers. Surely, I hadn’t forgotten. In reality, I had gone out of my way not to see it at all and briefly contemplated discarding it. I rose to my feet and swallowed my nerves, almost completely collected when I saw what the doll laid upon.

An envelope, sealed by red wax, was positioned on the side of my desk. It was in a place I knew for certain had been empty this morning.

Tentatively, I skipped the letter opener and ripped an opening with my hands. The doll fell to the floor. My movements were frantic, shaking, as I scanned the words within.

Someone had broken into the castle to place this in my room.

Someone had access to this wing of the grounds and placed this in my room.

Someone had been in my room.

With my introduction having been made, I patiently await yours.

Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo

#sorry this took so long #i was making money #and crying bc i wanted to fight my boss but i can't bc assault is illegal #anyway #htbaq #how to be a queen #loz #zelink #zelda #link #ashleyswrittenwords #zelink fanfiction

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junnie133 · 4 years

Text

where’s the flower girl? pt.2

Continuation of this. Pt.1 | Pt.3 ft. some Wind & Sky bonding time bc my boys deserve it. This is set some years after they end their journey together (like 4 i think), so they’re all grown up already. You can read this without reading the other parts if you like, there is kind of an standalone. Enjoy!

{+}{+}{+} Skyloft was a beautiful place, even without all the wedding decorations hanging from buildings all around the plaza. Everyone was happy for their local hero and recently named princess, helping with the preparations and sporting wide smiles on their faces. The Statue of the Goddess was crowded with villagers, as Sun’s father made sure everything was in order.

Skyloft reminded Wind a lot of Outset Island.

Every person living there knew each other, just like back at home. He remembers his neighbors and family getting all excited for a wedding when he was little, and honestly, it wasn’t very different from the actual situation here. People laughed, people cried, all of them happy for their friends, and suddenly he wondered if his Grandma and Arryl would cry and laugh as well when Tetra and he decided to take the next big step on their relationship.

He grimaced at the thought. Don’t get him wrong, he absolutely loved Tetra with all his heart, and if he could be honest, Wind didn’t imagine himself marrying anyone else than her but…

Wind sighed, leaning over a railing at the top of some hill. The fall behind the railing promised to be painfully long, but he couldn’t care less about it right now. Sky told him that some knights and their loftwings were patrolling under the floating island, making sure to catch everyone who fell from the edge before they trespassed the wall of clouds below them, he would be fine.

But what?

He was eighteen already, practically an adult, he could get married if he wanted.

But he wanted it, though? Did Tetra want to?

Growling under his breath he closed his eyes, feeling the cool, pure air gently caressing his face as he slumped on the railing, arms dangling over the void.

The New Kingdom of Hyrule was getting bigger and bigger as the years passed by on his world, Tetra was an amazing leader and someday she will be an awesome Queen. The question here was, could he be a remotely decent King for their people? For her?

After he finished his adventure along with the other incarnations of courage and Wind returned home, they both had been dancing around the other for months, figuring out their feelings, and for a long time Wind couldn’t really put a name on the… thing, they had before.

A couple, friends, crewmates… friends with benefits? He shook his head, a blush spreading over his cheeks. He learned not to go with Warriors for relationship advice that time, even if the description he gave him back then was mostly accurate, despite being unbelievably embarrassing.

“Everything alright, Wind?”

He jumped in surprise as he heard Sky’s voice behind him, his back now straight and hands clutching the railing so hard his knuckles turned white.

His brother laughed quietly, walking towards him to make him some company. When Wind calmed down he took a look at him, raising a brow as he noticed he wasn’t dressed for the ceremony yet.

“Aren’t you supposed to be dressed up already?” he asked, puzzled. It was still early for the ceremony to begin, but his friend was still in his everyday clothes. Didn’t Warriors say something about preparing the groom taking a lot of time or something like that?

“There’s still time” he shrugged “What are you doing here?” he asked then.

Wind bit his lower lip, avoiding Sky’s gaze. Well, who better than him to share his insecurities with? The guy was getting married, and with a princess, too.

“Is it… hard?”

Sky looked at him like a lost puppy, and Wind almost laughed at this. He only smiled softly though, and coughed into his fist, awkwardly.

“Uh… getting married, I mean”

It was Sky’s turn to smile, raising a brow and looking funny at him.

“Can you be more specific?”

Wind pouted slightly and would deny he did it if someone pointed it out. Pirates didn’t pout, he was a man now, not a child anymore.

...do kings pout? Serious question.

“I…” he inhaled deeply, letting the air get out of his lungs little by little under the patient blue gaze of his brother “Is it hard to get married to a princess? Does… does this make you a king?”

The man’s eyes widened for a second before he relaxed again, and Wind feared he touched some kind of sensible subject. However, Sky only smiled, just as calm as before.

“Yeah, I think this kinda makes me a King. I mean- I’m starting the Royal Family line, aren’t I? Your girlfriend, Miss Tetra, is my great-great-great-granddaughter or something like that I guess” he laughed, a little bit nervous. Suddenly he seemed to realize something, as Wind's expression changed slightly with the mention of his significant other “Oh, I get it now”

“What?” asked Wind, a little bit quicker than he intended to.

Sky sighed, and said nothing for a while. Wind looked at him out of the corner of his eye, alternating from the sight in front of them and his brother from time to time. Then Sky made up his mind, and kept talking.

“I think none of us intended to fall in love with royalty.” he began, catching the young man’s attention with a tired yet lovingly voice.“You see, the hero and the princess are always involved with each other. I mean, Legend and Miss Fable are siblings, Miss Artemis and Warriors are princess and knight, and Miss Dot and Four are best friends since childhood,” he wasn’t looking at him, blue eyes the shade of the sky itself fixed at some point in the distance. “and even if some of the others and their Zeldas are not in the best terms...” Wind nodded, an image of Twilight and Wild appearing on his mind “They’re destined to help the other and build a kingdom together, full of peace and hope”

Wind swallowed hard. Sky continued.

“I’ve known Zelda, Sun, since we were babies I think,” he scratched the back of his head. “And yeah, she’s the daughter of someone very important in Skyloft but when I fell in love with her I never imagined we would be forming a family so big it would persist through the ages.” he chuckled. “For what you say in the stories from your adventure, you weren’t thinking on continue it, either”

“How could I know? Not even she knew back then” Wind sulked.

“And does it change something between you two?”

Wind frowned. “No, I don’t… I don’t think it does…” then a tiny smile made its way on his face, his gaze turning gentle and loving, and a little bit exasperated. “She’s the same bratty pirate I met while trying to save her from that giant bird”

“Then… that should be enough, don’t you think?”

Wind kept frowning. He doubted he would ever stop loving Tetra anytime soon because even if they tried to deny it, the both of them were hopelessly in love. The thought of it made him feel lighter, happier, but he was also terrified.

“What… what if it isn’t?” he hesitantly said.

“I honestly haven’t seen someone more in love in a long while”

“That’s very hypocritical from you, groom boy” a huff.

“Shush” he nudged him with his elbow with a smile before sobering up again “...you’re feeling insecure not for your relationship, but because you don’t think you can be a good King”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah, after all those questions it’s hard to get lost” he patted his hair like he was fourteen again.

He didn’t slap the hand away as he did with Time or Warriors this time. It felt good, not only the touch but the fact that someone actually understood.

“I don’t have the answer, sadly” Sky sighed, giving a last pat before withdrawing his hand “But you see, I asked Time some things…”

Wind snorted a laugh. “Old-men reunion,” said under Sky’s half-hearted glare.

“In the end, the answer he gave me was very simple” he adopted a straighter posture and a stoic face, closing an eye as Wind wheezed “If there are love and trust, what else do you want?” he made his impression, voice cracking in the end as he joined Wind on his fit laughter.

“You nailed it!” Wind said, patting Sky’s back roughly. His laughter subdued for a minute, smiling with sincere thankfulness to the other man “Thank you, Sky”

He nodded, getting close and hugging him tightly. “No problem buddy”

Wind returned the gesture with his head more clear and a mess of feelings on his chest. The insecurities won’t disappear just like that, but knowing that he wasn’t alone well… made things not as confusing as before.

“So, that’s how I sound like?”

They froze, feeling a heavy glare on them from behind. They separated slowly, watching Time standing not far from them with arms crossed over his chest.

“You’re lucky you’re the groom” whispered Wind “He won’t kill you today”

“I might not be Miss Tetra’s predecessor after all, then…” said Sky back.

#linked universe #sky #wind #time #sun #sky/sun #sky is so in love #i love them so much #where’s the flower girl?#kinda unrelated #yeah <3

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fatefulfaerie · 4 years

Text

Priority (Part 1/2)

Wind Waker Link and milk for @chocolit-mxlk.

He silently begrudged his height as he crossed his arms over the wood of the counter, his shoulders popping up. He knew this was normally a place for adults but he had to get taller sometime.

Right?

“Hey Link,” Gillian said. “What can I get for you today?”

“Four deku nut cakes,” Link ordered.

“Those pirates have you running errands again?” She said with a smile, adoring the boy.

“Yeah,” Link replied with a shrug.

“Anything else?” She prompted.

“Do you have the Lon Lon Milk in yet?” Link asked.

“Sorry, Link,” Gilllian said. “The island we get it from still hasn’t sent any shipments. I’d go ask myself but my pop is still sick. I can’t leave him alone and if I leave the cafe, I lose business. All we can do is practice patience and wait for them to sort themselves out. Everyone got hit by what has been happening on these oceans recently. It’s only a matter of time before they recover.”

Link nodded as Gillian placed a stack of four individually boxed deku nut cakes. Link looked forward to having something sweet on the ship, but doubted Tetra would let him have all he wanted.

“That comes to forty rupees,” Gillian prompted, Link pulling a purple gem from his pocket, to which Gillian furrowed her brow. She thought upon the oddity of a youth like him having so much money on him, but didn’t remark at it.

“Do you need change?” She asked.

“No, I…” Link started. “Can you tell me where that island is? I want to check for you.”

“You’re tipping me ten rupees for information?” She questioned. “Shouldn’t I be paying you for helping me get to the bottom of it all?”

Link shrugged.

“I...I don’t know,” Link said. “Is that normal? I just want to help.”

Gillian smiled. What a strange boy.

“It’s not far,” she said. “Straight north of Crescent Island. It’s hard to miss.”

“Thanks,” Link said with a nod and smile before taking the stack of cakes into his hands.

He started towards the door.

“Link,” Gillian prompted, Link looking behind him.

She tossed the purple rupee, Link catching it with nothing but surprise as he held the cakes with one arm.

“Humility is rare,” she said. “And so is selflessness. Do me a second favor and don’t grow out of them.”

Link nodded in acknowledgement before departing.

“You want to do what now?”

“It’s an island to the north,” Link explained. “It’s where the cows are, where their milk supply comes from.”

“Yeah, you’re on your own,” Tetra said, her head hung over the map. Their ship was docked at Windfall, yet it still was rocked by the waves of the ocean. “You have a lot to learn about pirates if you think milk is of any priority. This isn’t a cargo ship. Actually, it took quite a while to convince the boys that you weren’t cargo yourself. If you want to go off on your own, go ahead.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it that,” Link tried to explain, but she was already walking away.

“I would come back!” He called after her.

But she had already closed the door to the innards of the ship, Link huffing a sigh of impatience before following in.

He looked from his right to left before seeing the burly pirate Nudge.

“Can’t allow you to go further, scrub,” Nudge said. “Miss Tetra’s cabin is private to her and her only.”

Tetra stood with a smirk and crossed arms just behind him.

“She’s right there!” Link said with a gesture pointing at her. “Can you just step aside?”

He didn’t budge. Link shook his head, forgetting about convincing this pirate out of his duty.

“Will you at least wait for me?” He asked Tetra, meeting her eyes past Nudge.

“Wait for you?” She retorted with a slight laugh.

“To get back from the island.”

“I suppose my boys can spend a few extra days here in Windfall,” Tetra said. “If they feel like it.”

“We’re staying longer?!” Niko asked from below the stairs, among the many pirates who were loading supplies. “That sounds great!”

Tetra’s eyes burned with frustration at his stupidity, her eyelids twitching.

“If we feel like staying,” she continued nonetheless. “Then maybe we’ll see you again. But you’re not in charge of anything. If we get a tip on a good loot, we’re gone. Not exactly part of our code to wait for people, especially people like you. We would get on without you fine.”

Link peered at her stoicism. He knew her better than her current demeanor. This ship hadn’t pirated anyone for as long as he’d been in the picture. Perhaps her main concern at one point, it wasn’t anymore.

“Right,” he said slowly.

They were both there when the King of Hyrule instructed them to find new land together. He knew her better than the front she put up. Perhaps cold on the outside, he had seen her vulnerability clear as day when she assumed her identity as Princess Zelda.

Link copied Tetra’s smirk.

“Well, I guess I’ll be going then,” Link said, walking off. “See ya later, Princess.”

Her face fumed red with anger at that one word. Tetra pushed herself past Nudge only to see the door to the outside latching closed.

She pursed her lips.

“Remind me again why he joined our crew?” Nudge asked.

“He’s good with a sword,” Tetra reasoned. “Better than any of you. Besides, he bested Niko. Anyone that can put that sniveling sailor in his place is welcome on this ship.”

“But he’s so small,” argued the pirate.

“He’s as tall as I am,” Tetra said, looking behind her to Nudge. “Is there a problem with that?”

“N-no,” he stammered. “O-of course not, Miss. No problem at all.”

“Thought so,” Tetra said, facing the door again.

Her eyes scanned the door and thought about chasing after Link with what she wanted to say. A good luck or a goodbye that came from a place within her that was hard to dig for. Only when she wore that dress or when she saw him come face to face with death was her sincerity easy to access.

Here, she was the pirate Tetra, the orphan, the successor to her mother. Her crew saw her a certain way but Link saw that side of her that her mother’s death had hidden. In fact, it was him and his adventures that pulled it out of her, proved it existed. Maybe someday she would learn to show it again.

“Don’t die, Link,” she said quietly, apparently to no one. “You’re good at not dying. Keep it up.”

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

The small red boat creaked as the sail folded down, the wind that had caught upon the sail now whizzing past the boat instead, the speed of the boat slowing considerably.

His brown boots sank into the sand as soon as they could, Link hopping down from the soulless form of the King of Red Lions.

The island was larger than Windfall as he peered with wide eyes. The ground was flat and, after a stretch of sand, had green grass that spread for at least a mile. If this island were on his map, it likely would have taken up most of its designated square.

Link saw the cows in the distance as he walked towards the first house, as well as other animals like pigs and sheep and cuccos. He knocked on the door with the courage he could always depend on.

“Come in,” he heard a voice holler.

The man Link opened the door to was surprised, his eyebrows moving upwards with a twinge.

“Well, hello young man,” he said, putting his hands on his hips. “What can I do for you today?”

“I’m here on behalf of the Cafe Bar on Windfall Island.”

“Yes, I expected someone would come eventually,” he said with a couple nods. “Although I expected it to be that Gillian. My son actually fancies her quite a bit.”

Link’s expression was unchanged, only blinking in his unamusement.

The man cleared his throat.

“Yes, well,” he said. “I suppose you’ll understand when you’re older. If you’re here about the milk shipments, there’s nothing I can do. You see, there were rumors of a Ghost Ship around these parts. I didn’t believe it and sent shipments anyway, but none of them ever came back. I lost two ships, two men, and about four dozen boxes of goods. I’m not risking it again.”

“But the Ghost Ship is gone,” Link said with a creased brow. “I got rid of it myself.”

“You?” The man said with a slight chuckle. “You expect me to believe some nine-year-old got rid of a ship that haunts the seas?”

“I’m twelve,” Link corrected.

“Still.”

“Send me to Windfall with a shipment of milk,” Link insisted with a step forward. “If I make it there and back in one piece with the rupees I receive from Gillian, then you will start sending shipments again. If I die, you can keep the rupees I leave here, as well as anything you’d like from the pirates of these seas.”

“How do you know them?” The man asked.

Link held his hand in offering without answering the question.

“Deal?” Link prompted with a tip of his head.

The man hesitated.

“How much money are we talking about?”

Keeping his hand right where it was, Link pulled out his entire wallet and threw it to the man, who caught it with a visible surprise.

He looked inside and his eyes immediately widened before scrunching it closed.

“For Farore’s sake, how does a twelve year old kid get so much money?” He whispered.

“Deal?” Link repeated.

The man let out a chuckle. All this just for some milk? This kid must have known he was getting the short end of the stick.

But, if he’s going to profit off of some kid and his death wish, then he may as well profit from it. The deal literally ended in either business with Windfall that would set him and his family for life or an amount of rupees that would set him and his family for life.

“Deal,” he said, shaking Link’s hand.

#tloz #Wind Waker #windwaker #link #tetra #zelda #the legend of zelda

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