#weighed down by morning [ legend of zelda ] | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

adrift-in-thyme · 6 months

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I read Winter Light by sister_dear the other day (highly recommend; it’s adorable) and had the urge to write something fluffy. And of course, I had to include First because I love him and he deserves good things for once

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“IT’S SNOWING.”

The ear-shattering exclamation jolts First out of a deep, dreamless slumber. He raises his head, blinking sleep from his eyes. Wind stands a short ways away, gazing out of the bedroom window and bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

Carefully, First disentangles himself from the mass of slumbering heroes he had been held captive by. Somehow, they had all managed to cram onto a single bed the night before. Though it had been a bit smothering, he can’t help the twinge of remorse at breaking free from the welcome warmth.

“What’s that, Wind?” He whispers, as he gently removes Wild’s arm from where the champion had draped it over his shoulder.

Wind turns to look at him, a huge grin on his face.

“You gotta come see! It’s amazing!!”

The other heroes begin to awaken as First slides out of bed. They come to slowly, groaning and mumbling and shoving off arms and legs and blankets.

“What’s all the ruckus about?” Legend snaps, unwrapping himself from his cocoon of Sky’s sailcloth.

Sky chuckles. First smiles, knowingly, as the veteran continues to grumble, all while taking his sweet time to fully remove himself from the embraces of his brothers. He is a bit like Legend, he supposes — still unwilling to allow himself to grow too attached to those he already holds dear. Both of their carefully constructed walls, however, seem to be crumbling.

The heroes have a way of doing that, First is quickly realizing.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Wind races back to the bed, practically vibrating with excitement.

“There’s white stuff everywhere outside! It’s all over the barn and the field and-and everything!” He grabs Legend as the veteran sits up, and shakes him so hard his teeth chatter. “IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL.”

Legend shoves him off with a scowl. But he eyes the window curiously.

“Snow day, huh?” Warriors grins. “Well, you know what that means.”

Twilight matches his expression. “We’ve gotta go out in it, that’s what.”

Warriors bumps his shoulder against the rancher’s.

“Exactly.”

Sky rises from the bed now and walks to the window. First follows him.

The lawn is indeed covered in a thick blanket of snow. It seems to glow in the dim light of the cloudy morning. It covers the trees, weighing down their branches, and the tops of the fence, the roof of the stable too. Just as Wind said, it coats everything as far as the eye can see.

First steps closer to the window.

“It has been too long since I last saw snow,” he murmurs.

The last time he had reveled in the icy stuff had been before his imprisonment. He hadn’t realized how much he has missed it.

Sky smiles at him. “This is only the second time I’ve seen it. The first was when Zelda and I had just started building a home on the Surface. I’ll never forget it. It was so beautiful.” He chuckles. “Groose was terrified, though he’ll never admit it.”

First laughs. But before he can say anything further Wild shows up at their elbows.

“You two better get dressed. We’re heading out!”

“Hurry up or everybody’ll muddy the snow before you get to it!” Twilight says as he tugs on his tunic.

A mischievous smirk quirks First’s lips.

“If we try, we can beat them all,” he murmurs to Sky. The Skyloftian’s eyes light up. He turns and practically dives for his tunic and trousers.

They aren’t the only ones intent on making it out first. Before long, it’s all-out chaos in the bedroom. The heroes trip over one another in their haste, laughing and throwing clothes and boots. First nearly gets hit in the face with one of Legend’s.

Miraculously, though, he breaks free of the room before anyone else does. He rushes through the door with a burst of victorious laughter, the others racing after him, still pulling on their scarves.

“How’d you finish first?” Hyrule asks, once he manages to catch up. His tone is accusatory but he’s smiling. “Aren’t your joints old and achy?”

First grins at him. “Ancient though I may be, I am the First Hero. All of your tricks came from me.”

“What on earth are y’all doin’?” Malon asks when they come running into the kitchen. She pauses in her task of kneading some dough to look up at them. “The snow isn’t gonna go anywhere, you know.”

“It’ll get all ruined if we don’t go fast!” Wind exclaims, pushing through the front door. He nearly collides with Time who is coming in with a bucket of water in his hands. The hero raises an eyebrow.

“What’s the hurry, sailor?”

“SNOW!” Wind bellows. “Have you seen it?”

“I have.” Time smiles. “It’s quite beautiful.” His eye twinkles. “And perfect for snowballs.”

Hyrule and Wild exchange a glance, mischief glinting in their gazes. They sprint outside, letting in a rush of cold air in their wake. Wind is right after them, grinning from ear to ear.

“You’ll keep them in line, I trust?” Time mutters to First as he watches the others hurry out, trading playful jabs and yelping as the cold hits their skin.

First grins. “I will do my best.”

Time shakes his head, already turning back to Malon. He is smiling fondly though.

“I look forward to your efforts, First Hero. Wrangling these boys is nothing at all like leading troops, I assure you.”

First heads toward the endless white that beckons him.

“I believe you,” he says. At that moment, he catches sight of Wild dumping a gigantic pile of snow atop Twilight’s prone form. He chuckles, exasperatedly, and steps outside.

He pauses once he is over the doorstep to breathe in deep. The air is cool and crisp, biting at his skin and burning his lungs. The light of the early morning sun glints off of the fresh piles of fluffy white, nearly blinding him. But he squints bravely into it, a smile forming on his lips.

This beautiful day brings to mind one eons ago when he and his goddess had walked hand in hand through the winter wonderland that was Faron Woods.

If he closes his eyes, he can almost still feel her beside him, warm and magical and real. He can still see her beautiful face, brightened with a smile, love and joy and, perhaps, a hint of mischief sparkling in her blue eyes. He can still hear her laugh, loud and happy and free…and entirely at his expense after a tree limb deposits a handful of snow onto his head.

“Hey, First!”

He jolts out of his memory just in time to get a face full of powdery ice. He shakes his head, sputtering as the stuff cascades down his neck.

Sky, of all people, is grinning at him.

“Come on!” he says, laughing. “You said it’s been too long since you enjoyed the snow, right? Let’s have some fun!” He steps closer, expression softening. “She’d want you to.”

First gazes at him for a moment, trying to do away with the unexpected lump in his throat. Then, slowly, he smiles back. If Sky sees the glint of danger in it, he gives no indication.

“You’re right. Hylia would want me to enjoy this lovely weather.” He bends and scoops up a handful of snow, twisting it in between two, practiced hands. “And she would want me to enjoy it in a fashion that honors her.”

Sky’s eyes widen. The snowball hits him smack in the chest.

“Hey, no fair!” He complains. “I was trying to help you feel better!”

First is already in the process of creating more ammunition. But he pauses long enough to send the Skyloftian a cheeky grin.

“Ah, but you did help me feel better, Sky. That’s the problem.”

He throws another projectile. This time, however, Sky is prepared. He ducks into a roll and comes up smoothly a short distance away. Instantly, he digs his fingers into the snow, forming a sloppy snowball. First lunges for him and Sky leaps sideways, laughing. He whirls, sailcloth flying out behind him and nails First right in the face.

“SNOWBALL FIGHT!” Wild howls, as First dives for another handful of snow. And just like that the contained chaos is freed.

So much for keeping them in line, First thinks ruefully.

He has to admit though, that this is much more fun. After centuries of just existing and an eternity of pain, to be able to just have fun is almost a shock. A wonderful one.

Snowballs fly to and fro. Heroes tackle each other, rolling around in the snow, cackling. Shouts ring out as they pummel each other with the icy slush and slip and slide on the icy remnants of their footprints.

It isn’t until Malon calls out, “I don’t suppose any of y’all would like some hot cider?” that they decide to finally call it quits.

Exhaustion hits them as they all trudge inside, sopping wet and shivering. First can see it on every face, making their eyes droop and their movements slower, lazier.

He chuckles as Wild dares to take one, last swing at Twilight. The snow hits Warriors instead. If the captain weren’t already beat, First is certain he wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate.

“Next time, champion,” he warns, pointing a finger at him. A dangerous grin lifts his lips. “Next time I’ll get my revenge.”

“He will, believe me,” Time chimes in from where he stands in the doorway. He hands the heroes each a towel. “Now, dry yourselves off before you ruin the floors.”

When First steps up, trying to subdue his chattering teeth, Time smirks at him.

“I suspect you had fun?”

First grins. “I did. And you?”

He hadn’t missed the stray snowballs that had lacked an apparent source. Nor the mysterious footprints that would sometimes appear on the outskirts of the ruckus.

“Me? Of course. Spending time with my wife is always enjoyable,” the hero replies, calmly, and drops his towel right on top of his head.

First laughs as he drags it off.

After changing and drying themselves off, the heroes drift into the living room. They huddle close, mugs of cider cupped in their hands, drowsily watching the flames dance in the fireplace.

Malon and Time sit side by side on the couch, Malon’s head resting on her husband’s shoulder, Time’s arm wrapped around her. Twilight sits on the other side of them, slumped against Time, blinking as he tries to stay awake. Wild has settled down at his feet and the rancher lazily cards his fingers through his hair. Four is slumped on the champion’s shoulder, already fast asleep. Wild shifts to pull him closer.

Legend and Hyrule are close by, mugs close to tipping as they drift off in each other’s arms. Wind is wrapped in Warriors’ scarf and the captain smiles softly as the small hero sighs and cuddles against him.

First watches them all with a small smile on his lips. Beside him, is Sky, a blanket draped over his shoulders and First’s. The hero settles in closer, resting his head on First. Gently, First puts an arm around him.

This, he thinks as Sky gives him a bleary grin, this is pure bliss.

He almost can’t believe he is free to enjoy it. It feels as though any moment something will appear to shatter it all, like awakening from a pleasant dream.

Perhaps, it will. But for now, in this moment, he chooses to pretend that it won’t.

“Did you,” Sky mumbles, sleepily, “did you enjoy the snow like she would’ve wanted you to?”

First raises his eyes to the window. He swears he can see a figure dressed in white with hair the color of the freshly fallen snow. She turns and smiles at him before dissipating like the morning mist.

He smiles at the space where she once stood.

“Yes, Sky,” he murmurs. “Thanks to all of you, I did.”

#a wild fluff fic appears #sometimes I’m capable of writing cute fun stuff #although notice the subtle bits of angst I slipped in there ;)#I can’t resist #trin writes #fluff #snowball fight #linked universe #linked universe fic #lu first #lu sky #lu chain #light angst #and just a touch of #hylink

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trollamulet-archived · 4 years

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the nuances of jim’s leg.end of zeld.a aus

as a general rule of thumb, jim is a knight that ends up under a curse, and depending on the secondary ‘world’ of the time the thread takes place in, he’s either a troll by night, or while he’s in that world. he can be defined as either a monster or ‘some kind of goron’ due to being rocky. over time, he tends to start blurring the line between forms, as they are both him, one and the same, and has more control of the fluidity of transformation - world allowing.

pre sk.yward sword //

a demon on the surface - jiki is one of the few demons that remain that revolted against demise and is in hiding. he lives outside of the faron region. relatively human with three fingers and a thumb on each hand, he’s helpful to link, and gives him five gratitude crystals upon the completion of a fetch quest of a strange amulet, somehow lost in the lanayru desert.

he’s welcome to talking about the past, but certain topics ( like demise ) make him uncomfortable, and certain demon lords make him extremely skittish, after all - he did revolt and flee from demise’s regime. jiki just wants peace, and somewhere to have a quiet life.

little does he know, demise set a curse upon him to be bound to the same cycle as the mortals he so loves, and upon his death he is fated to continue to reincarnate as a mortal that will eventually find themselves a cursed demon form, one of stone and unable to feel humanity truly.

he doesn’t realize what comes to pass when his life comes to an end.

sk.yward s.word // legend has it that the moss grows on the north side of the trees

a student in the knight academy on skyloft, in the same class as most of the others. acquaintances with link until he’s roped along to go to the surface. he follows along to help save zelda, while exploring faron, they come across an old house, run down and covered in moss. it feels familiar, somehow - impossibly so.

there’s enchantments that have kept the interior in alright shape, it’s where jim and link stay on the surface if they’re unable to make it to the night. but it’s the first time they are there at night that jim changes. there’s no pain, but all of a sudden, he’s a foot taller, horned and fanged.

he gets stuck outside of boss battles often though, even though his swordsmanship could come in handy in those fights, he’s just... stuck. he does end up in a couple, but most of the ones where link duels ghirahim end up out of reach for jim. probably for the best...

tw.ilight princess: // lift up the evening ; just for a while

a resident of kakariko village that has since moved to castle town to seek out an apprenticeship with the knights of the castle. after learning more about corruption within the knights, he ends up joining telma’s band, frequenting her bar. he’s rather ordinary - just a swordsman who likes cooking and talks to telma about food there. that is, until zant takes over and twilight covers hyrule. he watches in horror as he transforms into a monster with skin as hard and unforgiving stone. once the twilight is clear from the region, jim still changes at twilight, and back to human at dawn - eventually getting used to it, but the condition never goes away, and he fears someone finding out about the dual life and hating him, or worse.

breath of t.he wild: // and what if they should falter

jim strangely finds acceptance among others in a world full of oddities. malice corrupts the landscape, yet a young man who shifts between human and inhuman like day does with night is a little concern when the moon can grow red and revive the dead beasts. he doesn’t know what caused the change - it has happened since he was ten, but he would like a way to stop changing forms, or at least as frequently. he has no control over when he changes, and it’s painful and sore for him. he’s often found during the morning and evening after he changes on death mountain in the pools, soaking away the pain. he sides with link, and will hand over crafting materials he’s found on his travels, ranging from gems to various bugs. he’ll trade for rarer objects he’s found, such as weapons and star fragments. he has a personal sword that he uses the most - a one-handed weapon named daylight. in areas of darkness, jim has a habit of transforming anyway. his other body has a better night vision, as well as a general sturdiness against unpredictable threats, as well as the fact malice tends to affect that in the dark a little more.

hy.rule wa.rriors // backwards ; upside down and inside out

pulled from the era of twilight, jim stumbles across the army while they fight with the twilight realm and cia’s fight. he’s pulled into the battle when all he wanted to do was have a small break from the mystery occurrences being unraveled in the era. ultimately, he returns home with agitha and midna.

#bury me in armour when i'm dead and hit the ground [ headcanons ]#weighed down by morning [ legend of zelda ]

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trollamulets · 4 years

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more tags

#under loves heavy burden do i sink [ jim / claire ]#i have to wait for the stars to come ; you take me home [ jim / toby ]#i've got to find my soul all before i sleep [ main i ]#if i want to be rich [ main ii ]#slippery roads and sunburned dreams [ 3below ]#i was housed by your warmth ; but i was transformed [ trollhunters ]#i'll will my wild eyes bright [ wizards ]#don't be long; for the end is nigh [ rise of the titans ]#weighed down by morning [ legend of zelda ]#i rose up at the dawn of day [ fire emblem ]#something isn't right [ unbecoming ]#don't go in there ; you'll become one freaky creature [ ic ]#i'd be the voice that urged orpheus [ ooc ]#bury me in armour when i'm dead and hit the ground [ headcanons ]#where do we go to draw the line [ starters ; memes ]#music is the weapon of the future [ music ]#i had been lost to you ; sunlight [ aesthetics ]#be still my foolish heart [ musing ]#and we dream of making our escape [ promo ]

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snidgetwidgeon · 3 years

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Son of Hylia, Daughter of Farore

A roleswap Zelink AU

Art by @anxioussailorsoldier and used here with permission

This story is a one-shot inspired by the prompts from @drsteggy and was gifted to her in a fic exchange.

~~~

Link awoke suddenly, desperately trying to cling to the vision of a woman surrounded by bright light as it diminished from his foggy mind. Try as he might to enter back into the haze of his mysterious dream, sounds came louder and clearer to his ears, and he registered the rustle of the sheets sliding against his feet as he stretched, his senses slowly returning. Today would be a trying affair. He always remained fatigued after she appeared to him, ever speaking yet rendered frustratingly silent.

Perhaps he could try to lay low, hide in the library, and search yet again on the shelves he’d already scoured for something he may have missed; something to prove it was possible that he was having the visions vessels were known to have had. He just couldn’t interpret them. He spared a bittersweet thought for his late mother. She would have known, would have shown him. Or perhaps she would have bore a daughter, and there would be no question; and he could have supported his sister when they found out the Calamity was foretold to return.

But the Kingdom of Hyrule was left with a Prince at the precipice of doom. He’d never felt more useless, or more determined to do something about it. He would find a way. He would protect everyone.

Zelda shifted her feet, practicing her forms to warm up before training. She missed her scimitar. This new blade felt so different and she had to relearn how to make it an extension of herself. It was humbling when sparring partners she had previously bested came out on top. It just proved she still had much to learn and needed to become proficient with many weapon types if she wanted to be the greatest.

She recalled being a bit intimidated as her group of friends grew over the years. Where they used to be physical equals, they now towered above her; but she supposed she could be thankful for the challenge because it caused her to become an incredibly scrappy fighter, always looking for openings she could wheedle into.

This time she wheedled too far and forgot to watch her flank while in pursuit of one of her opponents. Another warrior swept in and bashed her ribs as she was on an upswing and it sent her flying. As she was pulled up, she couldn’t help but think spitefully that the same would not have happened if she were allowed her weapon of choice. She could have recovered with her scimitar but the swing on the Master Sword was different.

“Nice air you caught there,” her sparring partner teased in Gerudo. “Again?”

Zelda recovered her blade from a few paces away and declined, “I think I’ll just nurse my wounds and ego for awhile, thanks.”

“Suit yourself. I recommend you do solitary for a few days with your new acquaintance,” she pointed her chin towards the Master Sword in Zelda’s grip. “See if you two can make friends,” she winked and ran back to join the fray.

Zelda stared down at the sword with slight contempt. Urbosa had told her of the legends she’d learned from the late Queen of Hyrule, and her son, Prince Link- that the sword was wielded to protect Hylia, and how the blade itself chose its master and would even communicate. Someone being chosen meant that a shit storm was likely brewing.

Urbosa also mentioned that preparations were being made against some sort of Calamity. The word made Zelda’s blood run cold and she knew it was something to be feared. If the sword was not speaking to her, perhaps it chose wrong and she was not suited to the challenge. She had tried everything she could think of, even hours of meditation, which she hated because she didn’t like sitting still for long.

But it was all for naught.

She wove her way through the stalls and bustle of the marketplace, sword heavy on her back, and day after day it had only served to weigh her down even more. She could no longer stand it. She exited the north-western gates and ran along the outer wall. Heart pounding and sweating all over, she dug a rather shallow and pathetic hole, chucked the sword in and kicked sand over it before walking away in a huff, muttering, “Curse the day I found your infuriating silence!”

She’d been training in the desert when she discovered it, exploring further than she ever had over the dunes. Following the statues with their guiding swords, she finally came upon the last one and sheltered under her cloak at its base as a sandstorm passed. Thankfully, it was short and as she stood to shake as much sand as she could off her person, she noticed something strange in the distance. She could have sworn she’d reached the last statue of the warriors. Perhaps she’d miscounted as there stood another on the horizon, the reflection of its sword glinting brightly in its grasp.

Zelda took a drink from her ration, taking note of how much was left before deciding she could manage one more. If anything, it would improve her survival skills.

As she neared the solid figure rising out of the sands she noticed that the sword it held was elaborate. Oddly enough, a scabbard for it was slung over the shoulder which made it appear that someone had just left it there. She looked around but only saw a few cacti bearing voltfruits, perfect for carrying around extra moisture for the return trip. Some movement caught her eye behind a cactus and she ran over, pulling her scimitar, in case there was meat to be had, but she was met with a poof of sparkling petals and could have sworn she heard a childish giggle.

After investigating thoroughly, she cut the fruits and placed them into her bag before returning to the statue. It would be a shame to leave such a fine piece of work out in the middle of nowhere. She climbed the figure and slipped the scabbard off the shoulder, letting it fall to the sand before holding the neck and planting her feet against the torso so she could reach the hilt with her free hand. It did not budge. Hiking herself up, she wrapped her legs around the neck so she could use both hands to pull on the wings above the hilt.

She was straining when she heard the laugh again, accompanied by a rattle, and in her distraction, the blade suddenly came loose and they both tumbled into the sand.

She’d thought nothing of it until returning to Gerudo Town.

During a routine visit to the throne room, Chief Urbosa had nearly sent away visiting dignitaries when she spied the sword on Zelda’s back. After the meeting, Urbosa called her into her private quarters, which was very unusual. Perhaps she was to be given a special assignment.

“Where did you find that sword?” Urbosa asked with intense interest and a hint of concern.

Zelda stood at attention and replied concisely, “In the desert, Chief.”

“Zelda, have you any idea what you’ve found?”

Zelda began to doubt her decision to play finders keepers. Maybe it was a ceremonial sword or relic that should have stayed where it was. Though she had been raised with the Gerudo, she certainly did not purport to know all of their culture and was horrified by the idea that she’d deeply offended them.

~~~

Urbosa removed her bracelets and hair ornaments, letting the thick, red locks fall down her back. Making sure her tea would be in reach, she snuggled into her bed and opened a letter from her favorite Hylian. She always saved his letters for the end of the day when her attention could be undivided and she could imagine actually having a conversation with him. He was so bright and inquisitive, and optimistic- as his letter revealed. Just like her love.

~I have not given up my search. I keep thinking that surely, there is a pocket in the library I have not scoured. But then another duty and another day takes me away from it. I see her, Urbosa. It has to mean something. If only I could find evidence that there has been a son of Hylia. Why else would I be given visions? If only I could interpret them...

Do you know how mother did it? Did she ever say anything?~

He then went on to describe his involvement with the funding of the research at the Royal Ancient Lab as well as other gossip that he and Urbosa kept up on, including their inside jokes about stuffy nobles. He also wanted to hear more about the warrior who had pulled the Master Sword.

~Does the bearer of the Blade that Seals the Darkness fare well? The moment I learned of her, I hoped that it was a sliver of evidence to prove my case. If there is a woman as Farore’s chosen, then perhaps it lends weight to the fact that a man could be Nayru’s chosen. But I’m harping. Perhaps I will be able to meet her soon, though father keeps me tied up in social engagements. He has taken to parading me at events where there are ample amounts of young debutantes to vie for my attention. I’d much rather be studying.~

Urbosa wrote back early the next morning after skimming the letter again.

~It seems our chosen Hero is having trouble awakening the power within the blade. When you sent word of legends that say the sword speaks to a worthy master, she immediately felt inadequate. Zelda excels at any challenge and eventually overcomes all obstacles, so when she continually failed to connect with the sword’s spirit, she took out her frustrations in a childish manner. The other day she was witnessed burying it in the sand outside the town walls. She must have blown off all her steam because she did retrieve it later that night.

I think that learning her fate has been weighing on her. She puts on a stoic face but I can see she has reservations. Perhaps if you two came together, something will give?~

After reading Urbosa’s reply, Link laid the parchment back down on his desk and pondered her proposition. He had been wanting to expand his search outside the castle for sometime and though he enjoyed visiting the Royal Lab, it did not hold any answers for what he sought; they were just a bunch of rowdy mechanics who were a lot of fun to hang around with. But to understand his history and role, he wanted to go on a pilgrimage to the known spiritual sites of Hyrule, and perhaps discover unknown ones as well so he could be better informed on how to defeat the Calamity, and possibly awaken the power of Hylia along the way.

He would start making arrangements right away.

~~~

King Rhoam rapped his knuckles on the door of his son’s study. When Link answered with a curt nod and a polite greeting, he entered, leaving his guard detail outside. He thought it prudent to retain at least some privacy for this matter, considering the gossip it could generate.

“I hear you’re planning some sort of trip,” it came out as a statement more than a question.

“A pilgrimage. To try and find any proof of my suspicions-”

He was interrupted by his father’s large, dissatisfied sigh. “Link, you really must stop harping on about that nonsense. Hylia has only ever been reincarnated into the mortal body of a female, that’s just the way it is. A tradition that extends even far beyond what we have in written history.”

“Exactly. We don’t know everything. How do you explain my visions? Mother had them. She knew how to interpret them.”

“Perhaps they’re just dreams,” Rhoam offered again in a misguided attempt to engage.

Link smacked the book he was about to pack on the table in frustration. “I can’t believe you keep saying that, you just don’t understand.”

“What I understand is that you continue to foolishly insist on chasing dreams and fantasies rather than doing something tangible for your people. You’re wasting time, Link. You should be courting and choosing a wife so that you can pass on the bloodline to a potential Princess who will-” Rhoam saw the shock in his boy’s face and tried to change track, “We have no idea when the Calamity will strike, we should be doing everything we can to prevent disaster.”

Link clenched his jaw as a deep anger and loathing swelled in his breast. Voice trembling in rage, he rebutted, “I am not going to produce an heir just to send her to the slaughter. I will fight my own battles. This Calamity is coming down on us! I just need to figure out how to awaken Hylia’s power.” He grabbed his bag and stormed out before Rhoam could push his agenda further.

~~~

The next letter Urbosa received from Link outlined his travels. She grinned as she read through them, glad that he’d managed to get away.

~The Forgotten Temple was very difficult to access, and though it did not produce any results, it was a breath taking trip. It has the largest Goddess Statue I have ever seen and I felt a peculiar familiarity while standing under her benevolent smile. I think this is promising.

We’re now at the ruins of the Temple of Time on the Great Plateau. I’m no stranger to the place of course, but the Priestess has been most helpful in providing old texts to study that were not available at the Castle. She’s even offered to assign a scribe to make copies for me.

I hope to be underway again soon and I would like to visit the Seven Heroines. I want to leave no stone unturned. I shall send a dispatch for when we expect to be arriving in the desert.~

When the time came, Urbosa bid Zelda to be an escort for the Prince across the sands to Gerudo Town. “Listen carefully, Zelda. Being the Prince is more than reason enough to keep him safe, but there may be a chance that he is so much more. The fact that you wield that sword lends weight to his theory that he may be Hylia reborn.”

Zelda’s eyes widened but she remained silent, nodding dutifully.

“I’ll need you to deliver some supplies to him so that he may enter unmolested upon arrival.”

“Chief?” Zelda asked, uncertain about the order. Hylia possibly being in a boy she could handle, but in all her time there, she’d never heard of a voe entering Gerudo Town. For Urbosa to speak of it almost as if it were done every other day was- confusing, to say the least.

Urbosa raised her brow at the question. “He is my Oten’vehvi and knows how to behave within these walls. You need not concern yourself with the politics, just act as his personal guard.”

“Yes, Chief.”

She made her preparations and checked that all was secure with the ‘contraband.’ The idea of meeting the Prince was troubling to say the least. She felt completely inadequate, bearing a sword that considered her unworthy. Perhaps she could pass it onto him and he could find the most courageous person in Hyrule. With his resources she was sure it wouldn’t be that hard. Then again, legendary swords weren’t known for choosing incorrect Heroes, so what was wrong with her?

They would just have to work together somehow.

She rode most of the way at a leisurely pace behind her sand seal until she noticed a scuffle as she neared Kara Kara. “HUP!” she directed her seal to go a bit faster to investigate.

A couple of Hylian vai shrieked when they saw her. “The Prince! Please save our Prince!” they cried as they pointed west.

There were two Yiga chasing after a nimble blond clad in light blue. She sprung after them, tongue rolling in a call to let her mount know they needed to go as fast as if they were fleeing a molduga.

The Prince was doing well for himself until he fell, a prey disposition coming over him. He scooted back but could only stare at the assassins, frozen in fear.

Zelda used her inertia to whip across the sand and jumped to land between the Prince and his attackers. She drew her sword, imbued with courage and confident that she could easily protect the boy against the likes of this desert rabble. She almost become distracted by the sword’s sudden glow before exchanging blows with the masked Yiga. They soon realized they were no match for her and dispersed in pops of red and orange light, laughter echoing in their place.

Breathing heavily, she turned back to face the Prince who was still flat on his bum. They both ogled the glowing sword.

An ethereal, disembodied voice broke the silence, “Master, it is good to see you again.”

Their eyes snapped to each other and searched for understanding. There was an immediate and unmistakable bond between them. They’d both heard it.

“I see...” Zelda began. She glared down at the Master Sword, fist clenching the handle and shaking with anger. “So you only deign to speak when your charge is present?” Her voice rose, “I wasn’t good enough for you?! You picky piece of shit!” she yelled as she hurled the sword into the dunes.

Link gaped in disbelief that his protector was so uncouth when something profound occurred to him. He fell back into the sand laughing, a massive wave of relief washing over him.

She looked at him curiously. “What? What is it?”

His laughter died down and he gazed into the sky, moisture glistening in the corner of his eye. “She’s with me.”

Zelda’s eyebrows knitted in confusion, unaware of the turmoil he had experienced regarding his identity.

Link stood and brushed himself off then held out his hand in greeting. “You must be Zelda. Bearer of the Blade that seals the Darkness.”

She accepted his shake and added spitefully, “More like the blade that won’t open its trap unless its mommy is around.”

“You know, I find it very intriguing, my mother’s name was also Zelda.”

“Yes, my mother was a big fan. It’s kind of flattering, she was a great lady. But people always joke that I’m the lost, secret princess and other nonsense.” She started to move away but he touched her arm and she paused.

“Thank you- for saving my life; but also for revealing the truth. Now that I know she’s here,” he touched his heart, “I will find her.”

Zelda eyed him like a strange bug, still unsure as to what he was on about. She patted his shoulder as she walked over to retrieve her weapon, “Good luck with that.”

~~~

A few nights later, Link and Urbosa took a stroll just outside of town to enjoy each other’s company, catching up on their daily lives. The stars twinkled brightly and the moon shone pale on the dunes, a steady breeze drifting the sands away to the dark horizon. He’d just intimated what his father would have him do to stay the coming Calamity.

She touched his shoulder in support, “And what did you say?”

“That this was our battle. And I would absolutely not have a child just to-” he sighed deeply. “I mean, I know the legends. There will always be a vessel of Hylia and her chosen Hero, but to be so deliberate and unfeeling about it, I just...”

“It’s alright. Your father has always been rather blunt, and practical to a fault. For what it’s worth, I believe in you. The visions you describe sound very similar to what your mother shared with me.”

He looked up to her with a smile, “It’s worth a lot, you’re my Oten’baba; your opinion matters to me more than anyone else.”

They continued on for a short time in companionable silence when Urbosa stopped and lifted her head to the night, listening and placing a hand on her scimitar.

“What is it?” Link asked, only noticing after he’d taken a few steps ahead.

A raucous laughter cut across the desert and as quick as Urbosa had been to draw her blade and prepare a snap of deadly electricity over her foes, two of them grabbed the Prince and held their sickles to his neck causing her to stay her hand.

“What a lovely package we have here tonight. Not only can we bag the boy, we can finally rid ourselves of the thorn in our side, Gerudo Tempest!” a Yiga foot soldier, hidden amongst the rest, spat the last two words out in disgust.

They attacked and dozens fell upon the Chief, running head on and popping up behind. A dance of blades began and Link struggled to free himself. Urbosa tried to lead her foes away but Link’s captors followed, dragging his feet through the sand.

“You’ll not be using your lightning with the precious Prince so close, will you?” gloated the same antagonizing voice.

Link cried out in terror when he saw a Yiga succeed in cutting her arm. She seethed and decked them right across the jaw. When they fell she jumped onto their back and launched herself in the air so she could shoot off a bolt.

“Oh, no! Is the Tempest in distress?” the voice goaded, and the masks cackled.

Link couldn’t tell where the mocking was coming from, they were everywhere and nowhere at once. There were too many. Urbosa was becoming overwhelmed and aid may not arrive in time- a gash landed on her leg- he was going to lose her. The laughing was getting louder, the air becoming so thick with magic that it tasted like chalk on his tongue- a slice was delivered up her back and she cried out. He squeezed his eyes shut and thought of his mother. What would she do? There hadn’t been anything he could do for her then, but he was here now for his living mother.

Link’s eyes shot open just in time to see Urbosa drowning under the onslaught and his insides fell into oblivion. They were replaced by a warmth that spread through his body and beyond. He jerked his head in confusion as those that held him fell away. He was free. Sparks akin to those he felt when he fell asleep on his hand in the library spread through his fingers and he launched himself into the foray. He clawed through Yiga soldiers to get to her and did not see how each one he yanked was thrown back with a force of golden energy.

“Urbosa! URBOSA!?” They hit the ground.

The desert was lit with a false sunrise as Link crushed Urbosa in a desperate embrace. The light washed over her, healing her wounds as it cascaded around them in a dome, their enemies lying motionless on the outside.

After a few stunned moments, they opened their eyes and picked each other up. Urbosa held his face in her hands and wiped his tears. “Just look at you,” she said, smiling proudly.

“I- I couldn’t. I was,” he stumbled over his words as more tears fell, “I was going to lose you. I couldn’t lose you too,” he cried into her chest and she held him close.

~~~

Link was a natural at seal surfing. That’s what Zelda thought before she realized that he must have actually visited Gerudo Town previously and she just didn’t know it. They had left at sunrise and arrived to their destination mid morning. After taking a much needed rest, re-hydrating and snacking, Link took a leisurely walk around the place to get his bearings while Zelda tended to the sand seals. She joined him after they were settled for a long siesta and the two of them began their research of the Seven Heroines in interest.

There were orbs scattered about the place. Very large, Link noticed. He pushed one with his foot. And heavy. The sand seals might have to work after all. He tasked Zelda with collecting any she could find and in the meantime he studied the statues, picking up rather quickly that some had prominent corresponding symbols to the orbs on various parts of their bodies. Some he couldn’t make out as they were too high so there would be some educated guesses by process of elimination.

Zelda couldn’t help being drawn into his enthusiasm, the way he took notes- the face he made when he took those notes; it was all very quaint, and a bit impressive. Having spent most of her time advancing physically, she appreciated the mental gymnastics they were doing. Where most might sit back defeated, Link pushed through with a calm determination. They tried dropping the orbs in the pedestals in numerous combinations, each with a sound theory behind them. How was Link to know that if shrines had been activated, he would have succeeded in getting a result on the first try? A fact that they both wouldn’t learn for another 103-odd years.

After the sun set, Link scrawled until the dimming light rendered the page unreadable. Zelda had already set about making camp. They could head back to town in the morning, both were knackered. Even with the help of the seals, they’d heaved plenty of orbs around for hours. Eventually he plopped down on the rug with her and heaved a big sigh.

“Wow, you been working all day or something?” she asked in jest as she turned the vegetables in the fire.

“Yeah, something like that. It’s been a long while since I’ve been out in the field.”

She regarded him thoughtfully. “What’s it like up at the castle?”

“Stuffy.”

She chuckled and didn’t press but it wouldn’t be fair to leave it at that. For all its faults, it deserved more. “I loved exploring the halls as a boy. I’m fairly certain I found long lost passages even the castle historian didn’t know about. My favorite places are the Library and the Observatory. “

“Sounds about right,” Zelda smirked.

“Ha ha. But really, the Library has books as far as you can see, you’d never finish them in one lifetime. And my mother used to take me to the Observatory. I still go there to feel close to her.”

They sat in silence for a moment when Zelda touched his forearm. “I’m sorry you lost her.”

Link nodded in thanks and Zelda started to collect the hearty truffles from the coals. “I lost my father,” she began, and Link was a bit surprised she was sharing.

“He was a knight. We didn’t have any other family close by and mom didn’t fancy moving to Tabantha Village. She hates the cold,” Zelda added as she passed Link a stick laden with dinner.

“Thanks. So she just came to the desert instead?” Link asked before blowing generously and taking a bite.

“She had a close friend here who is practically my auntie. I think she was hoping we could just get away and start fresh from everything we knew before. But then I had to take after dad. Took her a while and a lot of arguments to come to terms with the fact that I was also a warrior.” She shook her head. “I feel bad. I’ve put her in a constant fear of losing me too but... you have to do what your soul tells you, right?”

Link closed his eyes and thought of Hylia, feeling a vibration in his core. “Right.” He agreed thoughtfully.

“Anyway, then this happened,” she said, unsheathing the sword on her back a few inches and letting fall back in with a shinck. “That was not a fun conversation.”

“I can imagine,” Link commiserated as he thought of his own recent rows with his father.

Zelda took a bite of her own truffle and regarded him up and down. With no tact for manners, she said with a full mouth, “You’re alrigh’ fo’ a Pince.”

Link laughed and his genuine mirth spread warmth through Zelda’s chest. “And you’re alright for a Hero.”

#breath of the wild #zelink #fanfiction #roleswap au #prince link #champion zelda #urbosa #king rhoam #Son of Hylia Daughter of Farore #snidgetwidgeon scribbles

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baeklooming-day · 3 years

Text

Meet me at the game arcade | Baekhyun

𓍢 Summary: There is this boy at the game arcade who is determined to win not only the plushie, but you together with it.

Masterlist

𓍢 Mini-playlist 💖 Moodboard by @kjikaila

𓍢 Genre: 90s!AU, Fluff, Cheeky Baek is back (you know the thing!!)

𓍢 Word Count: 6.6k

𓍢 A/N: Big credit to my beloved Tokyo, because I used to hang out at game arcades after school and often cute boys could be found there. 😇

Purple-ish, violet-ish, even blue-ish looking twinkling beams were soaking through the two lonely, candy floss bearing resemblance to fluffish clouds which appeared to cover the city beneath for a little while.

It wasn’t even summer anymore, but the sun seemed to be in a mood to let the light spill on everything beneath, letting little sparkles of vitamin D play on the walls of buildings, shining through the glass in windows, gleaming on all these colorful advertisements plastered around the district and making it seem as if the city was floating in the glinting sensation, warm light reflecting all possible kinds and shades of beautiful lilac color palettes.

Usually, you wouldn’t be the one to appreciate a similar weather very much, but given that the last two weeks had been nothing but wholly rainy and generally anything but pleasant in terms of weather outside, you found yourself being happy to be able to welcome the prickling sunlight on your skin.

You rested your chin on your knuckles, slowly closing your eyes and letting a lazy smile fall onto your scarlet tinted lips. You considered yourself lucky enough that you usually managed to arrive in class before all of your classmates, given that in that manner you could always pick the best seat without having to rush through the hallways to reach the classroom and dash to your desired desk.

And today, after all those gloomy days soaked in cold raindrops and weighing dust grey clouds, you found your seat to be even more than perfect.

The classroom wasn’t big, it was actually way smaller than you would like it to be, but as if to recompense that it had really large windows. And large windows meant a lot of sunlight to pour into the room through them, an obvious fact of which you couldn’t be more content about as you sat comfortably in the penultimate seat right beside one of those windows.

You had stopped paying attention to the lesson for what already felt like a whole thirty minutes ago, the dancing sunbeams only making you feel lazier and also kind of sleepy, completely switching off your usual concentration. You continued letting your face bathe in the pleasant sun rays which, now playfully peeking through the glass were gracing the monotonous classroom in cheerful gold shimmers. Your thoughts in the back of your mind started to slowly mix together with your teacher’s soft voice speaking about the last pages of your Japanese lecture in the background of which, right in that moment, you couldn’t really bring yourself to care about.

Your classmates were surprisingly quiet today, and in that current state you would probably soon drift away into your own personal dreamland even further, if not the little vibration coming from your phone placed under your hand on your desk.

For a split second you almost got a mini heart attack as the sudden text message made your pastel purple Nokia 3310 let out some rattling sounds as it moved ever so slightly on the wooden surface of your desk. You looked around a little bit startled, hoping that nobody noticed the brief faint noise.

Pulled back into reality, you quickly slid the device behind your equally purple colored pencil case, unblocking the screen with a click of one button and checking the received SMS. You felt a wide smile spreading on your lips as you read the text, it being from your friend announcing to you that her classes ended earlier today, and that she would be waiting for you to join her outside by the school entrance.

As you threw a quick glance at both the clocks on your screen and on the wall above the door, you found yourself seriously envying your friend, because it looked just as if she was always getting the cooler and chiller teachers who were actually able to understand that on the last lesson on Friday the kids weren’t the most likely to sit still and obediently follow the lesson anymore. Also given that today’s schedule, just like every other Friday which was simply laughable in your honest opinion, was absurdly long. Your lessons extended from eight in the morning until past three in the afternoon, which compared to the earlier weekdays you just refused to acknowledge.

You let out a deep sigh as another long minute had passed on the clock, mentally begging the time or whoever or whatever might be in charge of time management in the universe to quicken it up a bit.

Almost fifteen minutes left until the long awaited, two days freedom, also commonly known as the weekend. Just like everybody else, you were always impatiently waiting for the last lesson to be finally over and to let you hang out with some friends, and do other longed for fun activities for which you unfortunately didn’t have any time during the normal school week.

Until just now, you had always been included in the casual hangouts at the mall with your wide group of school friends, in going to the theater to check out the latest movie releases, or meeting up at your, by now beloved, cute small diner to eat some cherry cakes which quickly became popular around the area. But as of recently, the loud ringing sound on Fridays which announced the end of the lessons and beginning of the weekend, totally changed its meaning for you.

You weren’t as thrilled as you saw the large advertisement for the opening of a brand new game arcade for the first time on your way home one day, but as soon as you and your friend Miko decided to quickly see what it was all about and peeked inside on the big opening day, you already knew that you would visit and spend your coins at that place much more often than anyone could even imagine.

It was one of the branches belonging to SEGA group, it wasn’t any super large game arcade but at the same time it also wasn’t the smallest you had ever been in.

It was just ideal, and managed to balance perfectly the two things which you used to be crazy about the most when you were a little younger.

With that being said, the new game arcade was divided into more or less two sections, one being filled with all kinds of games starting with The Legend Of Zelda and ending on Pokémon, Super Mario, and many, many more in between. The second section was a little bit different, but not less interesting, perhaps only overlooking the fact that most of the time it tended to be a lot more nerve-wracking than you could ever expect from its harmless and pretty appearance.

The free space was filled with all kinds of plushie and toy automats, the whole room being so eye-catching and colorful that it was almost impossible to just pass by without giving it a proper look. It had literally everything you could ever dream of, soft and lovely teddy bears in every possible color, dolls, game characters, manga figures, even little charms which you could attach to your keys or your bag.

Truly a magical place flowing with milk and honey, if not the one unnerving fact that very often it was literally impossible to get the doll you wanted out of the automat at first try. Of course, it wasn’t such a big deal given that one turn costed exactly one hundred yen which wasn’t a handful of money after all. But if you calculated all your losses and all your future, probably failed as well, attempts together, you were very likely bound to leave at least around one thousand yen at the game arcade for literally nothing in return.

Sometimes you couldn’t hold yourself back from wondering that maybe that was the secret of the success of game arcades, and that the companies designed the automats like that on purpose to always drop the toy before it could even reach the hole and land safely in your hands.

There were times where you would loose even more than a thousand yen in an attempt to win the plushie you wanted, almost throwing your wallet against the glass as it became always much lighter and lighter with passing of each failed round.

There were times like this at the very beginning of that arcade fever, but after a while you found yourself becoming always better and better at fishing out all those dolls and bears. As the time flew by, you also found your bedroom nearly starting to drown in all those soft joys of every childhood.

But you didn’t really care.

And as soon as you got a notice that there was a new plushie automat to be about to be installed in the game arcade, you just knew that you needed to try it out immediately with the first better opportunity.

Which just came perfectly today.

You almost let out a squeak of joy as the bell finally rang, announcing the long awaited end of the last Friday’s lesson.

You quickly collected all your belongings from your desk and your seat, swinging your lilac bag over your shoulder and rushing out of the classroom in the direction of the stairs.

Luckily enough, you managed to dash through the corridor and down the stairs before the crowds of other students could block you.

As you reached the exit of the school building, you saw Miko standing right in front of it, her back turned at you. She was lightly swinging to the left and to the right, probably listening to some music on her brand new MP3 player she’d been talking about lately.

A little mischievous smile fell on your soft lips as a marvelous idea popped up in your head.

You took a few steps forward, careful to be quiet but, considering the fact that the music in her earphones was probably blasting, you didn’t exactly need to. You slowly pushed the glass door open, sneaking up on her and swiftly throwing your hands before her eyes to cover them.

„Holy freak!” Miko let out a startled scream, gaining a muffled laugh from you. „Who’s this? Y/N?” She started to turn her head to one side and to another, making you chuckle even more at the sight.

„It’s me. Mario.” You said, still covering her eyes and trying not to laugh out loud, seeing that you were visibly in a great mood today.

„And I’m Luigi. Can I get my vision back now, please?” She said, placing her hands on yours and pulling them away.

„Do you have enough ready money for the afternoon?” You asked, moving to stand in front of her.

„No duh, I’ve got exactly ten of one hundred yen coins just for the occasion.” She held up her blue wallet for you to see, the sound of loose coins bumping into each other audible as she gently shook it. „And I’m not going to spend a single yen more today, last weekend was fly but I became poorer of a whole six thousand.”

You sent her a scrutinizing look. „And you really think that it will be enough? You know, I’ve already told you before that they have a new automat and stuff.”

„Yes, you have, but still. If I don’t get the doll I want after two tries, I’m bouncing. And I will play Super Mario for the rest of the evening.”

„As if! I know you Miko, you will get just as addicted as every other time.” You let out a laugh, grabbing your friend’s hand and pulling her forward together with you.

„No, I’m telling you!”

The two of you continued to chatter along as you walked in the direction of the game arcade. It wasn’t that much of a long walk, knowing that it was located just a few streets away from your school.

The sun had yet quite an amount of time to start setting, but as you walked between the buildings decorated with bright and colorful advertisements of all possible kinds, it started to throw even more beams which reflected all those purple, blue, and yellow colors, surrounding you with a fairy like atmosphere in the afternoon hours.

„You know, last time as I was in the arcade I asked which dolls will the new automat have, and they told me that it would be supposed to have teddy bears, and-” You talked, being completely caught up in your own bubbling excitement about the new gain in the game arcade.

„Teddy bears?” Miko interrupted your flowing thoughts. „Y/N, you’ve already got like, a whole room of teddy bears. Not mentioning that last time you won not one, but TWO identical Totoro plushies and a Sailor Moon doll, too.” She rolled her eyes, giving you a questioning look. „You own a whole load of them. A whole storage! I’m actually asking myself if there is anything in the entire arcade what you haven’t got at home yet.”

„Well, I mean, that new automat is supposed to have a panda bear plushie and a plain white teddy bear, so, you know, I need to enrich my collection with these two.” You said, reaching your hand to your bag to pull out your phone.

You failed to notice the small group of boys, more or less around your age, walking past you and directing themselves straight into the game arcade building which finally came into your view.

You were just about to answer a text message from one of your other friends, when you were rapidly pulled back into reality with a not so gentle nudge to your side.

„What-” You turned your head to your left to look at Miko, question marks visible in your eyes as you were met with your friend’s amazed expression. „What? Why did you stop all of a sudden?”

„Y/N, I think you don’t see what I’m seeing. Look.” She pointed her finger at some point in the distance, a little blush coloring her cheeks.

You followed where she was pointing, finally noticing the group of boys from earlier which you failed to see.

There were four of them altogether, standing before the open arcade entrance and talking eagerly. Two of them were really tall, whilst the other two were rather short in their height, but all of them were wearing plain white tees. Your eye caught one of the shorter boys, who as the only one among them was wearing a blue bomber jacket with white prints. He had what you would call a baby face, his features were soft, or at least you could observe that much standing a few meters away from him. His hair was of a chocolate brown color, and as his voice reached your ears, you had to admit that it sounded truly so smooth like velvet.

You felt your own two cheeks warming up a little, a sensation which you didn’t like even a bit, as the boy locked eyes with you, his wide smile immediately disappearing from his lips only to be replaced by an expression of awe.

You stood there completely frozen in your spot, clenching your purple Nokia in your hand and feeling slightly flabbergasted by the whole sudden situation, not really knowing what was going on.

The last thing you saw before you were harshly pulled back into reality once again, was the other three boys looking questioningly at their friend who’s eyes were fixed on you, soon the entire group looking right at you.

And then you heard it, the loud ‘ooooooh’, ‘damn’, and ‘oh my god’ followed by the three of them lightly hitting the shoulders of their friend, starting to shake him and becoming even louder when he didn’t react, instead still looking at you.

When you finally snapped out of the weird trance, you quickly turned to your side to Miko who was now covering her mouth to prevent the invasive giggles from escaping.

„Oh snap.” You only said.

„Y/N, THIS, this is exactly what I’ve been talking about.” She said. „You are always so immersed in the games that you totally fail to notice all those cute boys being around!” She almost exclaimed the last words, stomping her both feet on the ground repeatedly, for some reason visibly excited.

„Well that was hella weird.” You said, still trying to process what had just happened. „Do you know them?”

„Um, well, I mean-” She started, now her being the one to grab your hand and pull you forward. „I keep my eyes always wide open, you know. And I just happened to see them at the game arcade the last time we were there. That hottie in a blue jacket seemed to have taken an instant liking to you back then already, but we bounced out too quickly for them to approach us.” She blabbered, instantly becoming a thousand times more cheerful than before.

The two of you were coming always nearer to the entrance of the arcade, and what followed always nearer to the group of boys who, now noticeably quieter, were still standing in their spot.

With your left hand still being held by Miko and your right hand still holding onto your phone, you tried your best to avoid the gaze of the said boy in a blue jacket as the two of you continued moving closer to the entrance.

What was his deal anyway?

„You know what Miko, did you take a good look at them when you said that you saw them before?” You asked your friend, feeling your cheeks heating up once again as you accidentally locked eyes with the boy one more time. „I mean, maybe from a close up they’ll be total monets.” You added, not even knowing what you were trying to convince yourself about, because as you came always closer you had to admit that the said group were even better looking from up close.

„Awe, Y/N, always the negatory. I’m sure they’re not some scrubs too, though. Besides, just look at them now.” She said, an ounce above a whisper. „They could totally be in a boy group with those looks.”

And unfortunately, you couldn’t deny, as with every following step you were getting a more detailed view, as well as you were feeling more and more being practically eaten by those two dazzling eyes which didn’t leave you even for a brief moment.

You just wanted to get inside the arcade and concentrate yourself on the new plushie automat, not on dealing with some random group of boys who apparently enjoyed staring at girls way too much for your liking.

That was right, as said it was too much for YOUR liking, but Miko didn’t seem to mind at all.

Even the whole opposite, she seemed to be having the time of her life, particularly when the other shorter boy with big cat-like eyes sent her a dazzling smile.

„Oh snap, oh snap, oh snap, did you see that, Y/N, I think I forgot how to breathe.” A scarlet blush spread on her cheeks, whilst she nervously squeezed your hand. „That guy is literally so handsome.”

„Girl, Miko-” You started gently, but as you looked at her frozen in her spot with literal hearts in her eyes, you knew she was already gone to make some lovey-dovey unthinkable scenarios in her head.

You talking wasn’t probably going to do much anyway, but you needed to snap her out of it.

You tried to gently pull her with you and finally enter the arcade. „Miko.”

Nothing.

„Miko-”

Still nothing, and as you threw a quick glance at the boys, you saw that the one with big eyes was continuing to unceremoniously smile at your friend, meanwhile she was returning all those candy smiles.

What was it, a smiling contest?

No, you thought, that was completely stupid.

„Miko, I swear-” You snapped your whole arm into the direction of the entrance to bring her attention back to the arcade a little too harshly, forgetting that you were still holding your phone in that hand.

In the result, your phone was sent flying out of your hand all the way across the sidewalk which separated the two of you from the group of boys, before you could do anything to stop it.

You watched in terror as it ended its small flight right in front of the boy in blue jacket, landing with a loud thud on the ground by his feet.

„MY NOKIAAAA!!” You yelled, not caring at all about the other people around who were now giving you weird or startled looks.

„Y/N-” Miko seemed to finally notice what was going on when you let go of her hand, and started to take large steps closer to the boy to collect your phone.

You could clearly see it as his face immediately lit up and his eyes rapidly fell on your purple Nokia laying on the ground, apparently an idea coming to his mind.

„For the love of-” You mumbled through your teeth, as you watched him bend over to pick up your item. „... all the snaps given.”

You let out a low sigh as you ruffled your silky hair with your hand, starting to finally walk into the direction of the boy, being extra careful not to accidentally lock eyes with him once more.

You had always been that exact type of person who wanted to avoid any unnecessary interaction with other people, in particular if you had other, significantly more important plans ahead of you and didn’t want to lose your time.

That could be an issue right now, you thought to yourself as with every step closer to him his smile grew wider, not even trying to conceal it.

„Um-” You started, as you stood right in front of his frolic face. „That would be mine.” You said, raising your finger up to point at your phone.

Your eyes quickly fell on the purple surface and the screen, trying to thoroughly inspect if any possible damages had been done by the fall.

The boy seemed to notice the visible concern im your eyes, letting out a soft, melodic chuckle whilst handing your Nokia to you. „I wouldn’t worry too much about it.” He said. „This model is practically indestructible. Lasts longer than most relationships.”

His remark made you raise one eyebrow at him, squinting your eyes ever so slightly whilst you retrieved your phone. „What a nice comparison. And you’ll be speaking out of experience, I assume?”

You were absolutely sure that your unpleasant comeback would make him immediately not wanting to continue to talk to you, but to your surprise you couldn’t be more wrong. Instead of a sign of dislike, you could make out a sparkle of fondness shining even brighter in his brown eyes.

Weird, you thought.

“No, I’m not.” The boy replied, smiling contentedly. “I was actually quietly hoping that mine would outlive any model of Nokia 3310.” He added, giving you a smile sweeter than the previous one.

In response, you merely granted him a brief look before taking a step away, intending to finally enter the arcade. “Good luck with that.”

Trying to completely conceal the awareness of his glowing presence still behind you, you quickened your pace, basically dashing through the open doors to the inside of the colorful arcade and not even bothering to wait for Miko anymore.

As soon as you went inside you were met with a lot of frolicsome lights and sparkles, the small alleyways between all sorts of games being flooded with light coming from the screens of game automats, each one of them showing the start menu of a different popular game on the lambent display.

It didn’t take you too long to find the longed for, newest, totally polished and even more so inviting plushie automat which has been continuously on your mind this whole time, basically calling out your name to you as soon as you finally came to a view of it.

It was lovely, appearing even more so enthralling to you in real life than as it did on the mere advertisements plastered around the arcade.

Without losing a single minute, you took your wallet out of your bag and took a large step closer to the automat, your eyes stopping on every plushie trying to decide which one to go for.

Finally, they stopped on a cute small panda bear which instead of being just plainly black and white, was purple and white.

That was the one.

You opened your wallet, taking one shining coin of one hundred yen worth.

Just as you were about to throw it into the automat, you were startled by a sudden familiar voice coming from right behind you.

“Hey home skillet, why did you run off like that?” Miko materialized herself next to your ducked down figure, leaning on the glass of the plushie automat.

You looked up at your friend, feeling a little guilty for doing so. “My bad? But I really didn’t want to talk to that dude in a blue jacket.” You murmured, bringing your attention back to the purple panda.

Miko scrunched her nose, letting out a loud sigh. “Why are you always rejecting all the sweet boys? He even picked up your phone for you, come on.” She said, before startling you again with a sudden squeak. “BUUUUT! Y/N-” She started, covering her mouth to prevent the next invasion of uncontrollable giggles from escaping, jumping up and down in her spot and causing her black soft locks to slide on her forehead. “ That hottie with those big eyes. Oh my god Y/N. I actually talked to him just now, and guess what he told me.” She paused for a brief moment, only to let out another squeak. “His favorite game is also Super Mario! And he asked me if I wanted to play it with him today, oh my god, Y/N.” Miko was breathing so quickly, that as you looked up at her once again, you started to become honestly worried if soon she would start to hyperventilate.

“And I assume you said yes?” You asked, but you already knew the answer anyway.

“Of course! I mean, did you see him? A model!” She answered.

“So you plan on leaving me all alone here?” You asked. “Are his friends still here?” You added, carefully peeking from behind the plushie automat you were still ducked down by.

Your eyes widened in terror as you sneaked a look and spotted the group walking down the aisle.

“I won’t leave you! But just let me have this one? You know how much I would love to get a proper date!” She replied, throwing longing looks in the direction of the boys. “And Y/N, if that blue hottie comes to talk to you, please be nice.” She added quickly.

“Miko, do you perhaps know something that I don’t know?”

“What? Noooooo, not at all, what makes you think that?”

You let out a small sigh, rolling your eyes at your friend. “Whatever.”

You brought your attention back to the display with all the plushies inside, finally inserting the coin into the automat and starting to try to fish out the purple panda bear.

You were still sensing a presence next to you, so thinking it was just Miko who hasn’t left yet, unbothered and completely oblivious, you continued to give all your concentration to the little plush bear you already almost had clasped.

Just as the bear was nearing to fall into the designed hole and right into your hands, the metal claws let it go in a trice, in effect the bear bouncing back, away from the hole.

Unbelievable.

A soft snicker reached your ear, so without even caring to turn your head you just rolled your eyes again. “Very funny Miko, you know that it usually never works at the first try very well yourself.” You said, taking out another one hundred yen coin to insert and try again.

“Sometimes it does.” Said a velvet like voice.

You immediately snapped your head to the left, your eyes widening one more time as you realized that it wasn’t Miko standing next to you, but the boy in a blue jacket.

You involuntarily squinted your eyes at him, looking up. “You again.”

He seemed to be completely immune to you not being the nicest, instead jumping straight into any normal conversation you would usually have with a friend.

Out of all people, and out of all days, why you and why today?

Guess you would never know.

“Your name is Y/N, right?” The boy asked. “Your friend with the black hair told me when we were still outside.” He continued, his melodic voice filling the space between the two of you, for some unexplainable reason making you kind of distracted and causing you to drop the purple panda once again, failing at the second attempt to win it.

You sent the boy a heavy glare. “And your name is...?”

“I’m Baekhyun.” He replied with a sweet smile.

You decided to ignore him, taking the already third coin out of your wallet and inserting it again.

“What are you about to get?” Came yet another soft question.

“The purple panda.” You replied briefly.

Baekhyun’s eyes left your figure for a transient while, to fall on the plushies inside the automat. “Well, guess what I would be about to get?” He said.

“On my nerves.” You murmured quietly, but loudly enough for him to hear.

You weren’t looking at him anymore so you obviously couldn’t have noticed it, but even when he received nothing but snarky replies from you, the boy was all smiles with little dazzles dancing in his brown eyes. “I actually hoped that I would get on your calendar.” He said, giving you a winsome smile as soon as you graced him with your attention again. “On a weekend when you’d be free... Or after school...” The cheekiness audible in his soft voice just seconds ago wasn’t as strong as it was anymore as he said these words.

In the result to his question, you scrunched your nose, looking up at him. “You don’t even know me. You’ve literally seen me one single time.” You said.

The moment you said that, you observed as the cheeky look fell back on his soft features. “Dante wrote forty two chapters of a whole opera for Beatrice after he saw her one time on the street, so I think I would be reasonably justified to ask you out like that.” He smiled at you in the most candy smile anyone could probably ever master.

What in the world?

“You know Dante? Are you into literature?” You asked, a little flabbergasted and surprised, knowing that most of the boys your age weren’t particularly interested in the art of similar old literary works.

That was definitely new.

“I like art in general.” Baekhyun said.

“So, how do you feel about art?” You asked, genuinely curious.

Baekhyun’s eyes seemed to have a whole million of sparkles dancing in them as he replied. “Well, I think you are really cool to talk to.”

Wait-

“What the freak man.” Was the only thing which you managed to say after you connected the dots of what he was really referring to.

This boy surely was having the time of his life right now.

You brought your attention back to the plushies, trying to suppress a muffled quiet scream which threatened to leave your lips because, even at the third try, the purple panda was dropped back into the soft pile of other plushies as if totally mocking you and your efforts to win it.

You aggressively grabbed the ziplock of your wallet, practically snatching a new one hundred yen coin and slamming it into the automat, determined to win it this time.

In that moment, it was a serious matter of life and death for you, and being completely focused on that one thing before you, you were also still completely oblivious to your surroundings.

If only you knew how your small act of chagrin to the automat and throwing the coin inside in a total state of fury made Baekhyun’s heart melt even more for you, thoughts of how cute you were flowing through his mind.

“How many more times are you going to try this?” He asked.

“You know, I’m actually really good at this. Today just doesn’t seem to be my best day.” You replied, without giving him one look.

The claws clasped around the purple panda once again, lifting it up and sliding slowly to the direction of the hole, through which you really hoped it would finally fall out this time.

“I already own a whole room of plushies and dolls I won in the arcade, so this should be no sweat.” You added.

“Well that’s phat.” Baekhyun said, his voice always sounding like a smooth velvet which, for some reason was becoming always more difficult to ignore for you.

“I know.” You said. “But I’m totally buggin’ right now.”

You watched the purple panda hanging just above the destined hole, being completely sure that you would finally win. You threw a content look at Baekhyun next to you, resting your elbows on the automat. “It’s already falling, you see? I’m da bomb. All that and a bag of chips-” You interrupted mid sentence, when to your downright disbelief the panda was let loose into the hole, only to somehow bounce out of it right back into the pile of other plushies, leaving you at the fourth failed attempt of winning. “You sick piece of-” You said through your clenched teeth, clutching your wallet in your hand and trying to stay calm.

You threw a murderous look at the automat, then glanced back at the wallet held in your hand before opening it again and taking out the fifth coin, throwing it into the automat without thinking twice.

You quickly guided the claws to grab the purple panda, but then again, as if to totally make fun of you, it was let dropped back into the pile. “Son of a SCONE.” You said, very lightly hitting your small fist on the glass.

You were brought back to reality by the same velvet voice which was distracting you just moments ago. “Y/N.”

“What.”

“You haven’t given me an answer yet.” Baekhyun said softly. “Will you go on a date with me?”

“No.” You replied.

“You are being so mean today.”

“I’m mean everyday.” You added, standing up from the position you were in this whole time. “You have a really unusual way of approaching, you know?”

“Well, everyone has their own ways. And everyone has their own idea of perfection.” Baekhyun said, looking right into your eyes. “Mine just happens to be you.”

You shot him a tired look. “What the freak.” You said. “Listen, um-”

“Do you know what bees make?” He suddenly interrupted you with this random question.

Without even thinking too much, you simply replied. “Honey?”

You watched as his eyes lit up again. “Yes, dear?”

You were left there completely done with the world as it was and speechless, just standing before him and looking at his smiling, glowing face, visibly happy with his own lines.

Why wouldn’t he just give up?

You didn’t even know anymore what to say to him, seeing that apparently he had a comeback line ready for each and every of your attempts to shove him away.

“You are impossible.” You said.

You observed as Baekhyun’s eyes quickly wandered to the plushie automat and as he bit his lip, another idea visibly coming to his mind. “Will you please say yes if I win that purple panda for you?” He asked, his brown eyes full of glinting hope.

“I would like to see you try. If I couldn’t win this, you won’t be able to either.” You replied.

“If you’re so sure about it, then just agree?” He said, a little smile still visible on his lips.

You crossed your arms on your chest, him instantly mirroring your gesture. “Fine. And if you fail, you will stop asking me out.” You said. “Three attempts.” You held up three fingers.

“Fine.” He said, holding up a shining one hundred yen coin before putting it into the automat.

He ducked down in the spot in which you were previously, laying his left arm on the free surface and lazily resting his chin on it, his right hand managing the little controller on the automat, effortlessly.

In complete and utter terror, you watched as the purple panda bear successfully fell into the hole right away, soon swiftly falling out of the automat straight into Baekhyun’s hands.

You couldn’t help it but let out a gasp of shock.

“No.” You whispered shaking your head, not believing that he just got it at the first try, because how probable could it even be?

“Yes.” Baekhyun held up the purple panda, flashing you the brightest, happiest smile you have seen on him that day. “I told you, sometimes it does work at the first try.”

You just stood there, not able to say a word, still looking at him in a complete disbelief.

Again, how probable could it be?

“I, um-” You really tried to say a full normal sentence, but it seemed like even the language decided to sabotage you today.

Before Baekhyun said anything else, he gently placed the panda in your hands, in the result his fingers softly brushing yours, may it be on purpose or just accidentally. “Please just say yes?”

As much as you despised this whole thing, you were a girl of your word, and you made a deal.

Which you obviously lost, now that you were holding the purple panda bear in your hands.

Even so, looking at Baekhyun’s dazzling brown eyes, you still wanted to give him the benefit of doubt, even though you were perfectly aware that it was pointless at this stage.

You opened your mouth to say something, but he quickly interrupted you before you could say even one word. “You won’t regret it.” He added, a little faint plea visible in his eyes as they looked at you.

You felt one corner of your mouth slightly lifting in a half smile. “What if I will?” You asked, meeting his chocolate gaze.

“You won’t.” He quickly said. “Just give me a chance to win you over.”

He asked you for a chance, but deep down you started to feel that he already was winning you over with his impossible sweetness and persistence.

But that was something which he didn’t need to know right now, was it?

You held the panda plushie closer to yourself, burying your face in it for a brief moment to hide the bubblegum blush which was shamelessly spreading on your dewy cheeks totally against your own will.

“I like onigiri with umeboshi filling.” You said. “And dark mocha.”

A honey-dripping smile fell on Baekhyun’s lips as his chocolate eyes traveled across every feature on your face. “What an unusual pair.” He said, the smile never leaving his lips and eyes.

“If you want to date me, you need to be prepared for weird combos like that.” You said, facing away as you felt the blush becoming stronger, your entire cold barrier finally giving in into the charm of his smile.

“I’m thrilled to know more.” He grinned winsomely.

And who would think that when you left the game arcade, you would have gotten your plushie and a cute boy together with it?

Undisputedly not you.

But sometimes, sometimes the universe put things on your way, things which you would least expect to cherish the most.

Author’s End Note: Thank you for reading! Remember to REBLOG if you liked it! Also, I tried to build in some classic ‘90s phrases into dialogues, so let me know if I did well or not!! 💖 Maybe it won’t be the end of the ‘90s AU. 💜

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vyndreyl · 2 years

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Blessed Light

⭐

SPOILER ALERT: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

TW: Hopelessness, Fear, Amnesia, Terror, Depression, Eating, Food, Darkness, Fire, Gore, Silence, Mushrooms

Author Note: The Thyplo Ruins in Breath of the Wild kind of freaked me out a little, so I transfered that feeling to Link and then wrote a little fic about it. 💀 Enjoy!

⭐

Slowly, slowly Link wiped the Hinox guts off of himself. The goo was always awful and always stunk. He would have to take a dip in the lake once he got out of here. Now that he knew that he /could/ get out of here. He was endlessly thankful that Hinox eyes glowed in the dark, because...if not for that...

...

It was so quiet. Only the sound of his haggard breathing broke through in the oppressive darkness of this place. An entire forest cast into obscurity for this trial...

He lifted up his torch and put it to one of the already lit braziers, watching it shake in his hand almost imperceptibly as it lit, causing a small cone of light to envelope him in the darkness. His heart was hammering in ears, but the sight of the torch began to calm him.

Did they know when they made this trial how truly horrible he found the darkness? Did they know and just not care, or was it another test of his "strength of resolve" or many of the other things that he thought he might have possessed before he was put to sleep?

He began to breathe slower as he calmed, looking at the shrine that had just erupted from the ground after he had placed the orb in its correct spot. How many of these things had he entered by now? 50? 60? It was hard to remember as they were all beginning to seem like a blur. He took out his Sheika Slate and stared a bit, his eyes adjusting to the blue light. The slate seemed to record everything.

Ah. There it was... 63 shrines. He put it back on his hip.

He walked carefully up to the glowing building, his torch held high, no longer trembling. This place...was worse than being in the Lost Woods. At least there there was life and light. And some kind of forgotten comforting feeling from long ago just at the edge of his consciousness. Here? Just an inky blackness so deep that even the deepest night couldn't compete with it.

There was also a lot of statues of some kind of bird. Creepy.

He climbed up to the shrine and placed the Sheika Slate on the pedestal, watching it open and change color. How many more times would he have to do this?

He placed his hand on the outside of the shrine, it feeling cool to the touch and a little damp from the dew. It...must be morning now. He let out a breath. Why were there so many shrines? Did they really need to test him over and over again to make sure that he was the right person? When he had awoken, he didn't know anything...he only knew his name after the princess had whispered it to him. And then, after a few half remembered things...it was...his duty and destiny to face that darkness at the castle and save what was left of a kingdom he no longer felt connected to.

He supposed he had just wanted to be a knight in his life before. At least, that's what he remembered. A sense of duty and purpose tied to the royal family. To Zelda...to Hyrule.

He sat down on the outside of the shrine with his torch and sighed, placing the fire a little ways from him as he buried his head in his hands, the weight of his destiny weighing on him. The darkness threatening to slink it's way inside again.

...

He stayed there for a moment, listening to his own breathing. He was here. He was alive.

He pulled his backpack around and opened it, going through his food. He pulled out a mushroom skewer and began eating it. It was so good, grilled to perfection and in a light sauce. He ate with gusto, as it felt life-affirming to shred into the fungus with his teeth. Delicious.

After he had eaten, he felt better. The darkness seemed not so close, thankfully. He stretched and picked the torch back up, waving it down quickly to extinguish it before putting it on his back.

"Here we go again." He thought as he stepped onto the platform, it lowering him down into the shrine and into the blessed light below.

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themanicnami · 4 years

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Willow’s Pop Culture Spell Masterlist

A long organized list of all of my pop culture spells organized.

Updated as of: 4/9/2020

Digimon:

🌟 “88 Call” Friendship Spell (Funbeemon Inspired) to strengthen the connection between your friends

🌟 Lilithmon’s Wicked Beauty Glamour Spell (Digimon Inspired) to appear dark, captivating and mysterious

🌟 Kudamon’s “Cool Under Fire” Spell (Digimon Inspired) to remain calm during trying and stressful times

🌟 Kyukimon’s Winds of Offense Protection Spell (Digimon Inspired) air spell that is both defensive and offensive to keep supernatural forces at bay

🌟 “Ocean Love” Binding Spell (Marin Angemon Inspired) to remove hostility from another individual or group

🌟 “Sunshine Beam” Enchantment Spell (Sunflowmon Inspired) to enchant an object with the energy of the sun

🌟 “Swipe Steal” Hex (Fangmon Inspired) to cause a target to misplace and lose things

Disney:

🌟 “Almost There” Career Success Spell (Disney Inspired) A spell to bring success and advancement in your job

🌟 Aurora’s Love Dream Divination Spell (Disney Inspired) A spell to help one dream of future romantic partners

🌟 “Honor to Us All” Honor Spell (Disney Inspired) a spell to have your peers show you respect

🌟 “Kiss the Girl” Glamour Spell (Disney Inspired) to encourage a consenting person to kiss you

🌟 Voice Theft Curse (Disney Inspired) a spell to stop hateful words and send the negativity back to the person

Legend of Zelda:

🌟 “Din’s Fire” Toxic Person Banishing Spell (Legend of Zelda Inspired) a spell to cut ties from toxic and draining people

🌟 “Nayru’s Love” Parasite Warding Spell (Legend of Zelda Inspired) a spell to deter and ward against emotional leeches and leeching spirits

Neopets:

🌟 Grey Paint Brush Hex (Neopets Inspired) a small hex to give someone a bad day

🌟 Psellia’s Winds of Protection Warding Spell (Neopets Inspired) air spell to create a safe and protected space for magic and rituals

🌟 Sasha’s Emotional Strength Spell (Neopets Inspired) to help one endure brutal emotional trials and times

🌟Shadow Usul’s Night Invisibility Glamour Sachet (Neopet’s Inspired) glamour to help one go unseen and unnoticed at night time

🌟 Taelia’s Winter Cleansing Spell (Neopets Inspired) a spell to cleanse oneself during winter time

🌟 Vira’s Toxic Kiss Curse (Neopet’s Inspired) a curse to cast onto cheaters and adulterers

Ni No Kuni:

🌟 Give Heart (Ni No Kuni Inspired) to bring a friend joy and uplift them

Pathfinder:

🌟 Blood Money (Pathfinder Inspired) spell to bring financial gain

🌟 Blur (Pathfinder Inspired) to go unnoticed by others

🌟 Enshroud Thoughts (Pathfinder Inspired) protects oneself from divination and scrying eavesdropping of others

🌟 Invisibility (Pathfinder Inspired) spell to go unnoticed and travel unseen

🌟 Itching Curse (Pathfinder Inspired) cause a person to feel the discomfort they have caused you

🌟 Nightmare Curse (Pathfinder Inspired) cause a person to suffer nightmares

🌟 Shield of Wings (Pathfinder Inspired) to guard against negative words and comments

🌟 Tears to Wine (Pathfinder Inspired) turn one’s sadness into happiness

Pokemon:

🌟 Aroma Veil (Pokemon Inspired) A spell to protect user from negative people and attract the attention of positive people

🌟 Aromatic Mist (Pokemon Inspired) to bring protection to a loved one

🌟 Aqua Ring (Pokemon Inspired) A bath spell to bring emotional healing and emotional serenity

🌟 Bubble (Pokemon Inspired) A spell to send your wishes out into the universe to seek for them to be answered and granted

🌟 Chandelure’s Hypnotic Flame Curse (Pokemon Inspired) to make another’s life go dull and for them to lose enjoyment in things

🌟 Charm (Pokemon Inspired) A spell to improve your charms and flirting

🌟 Cosmic Power (Pokemon Inspired) Cosmic spell to prepare you for divination and/or astral projection

🌟 Dazzling (Pokemon Inspired) to dazzle and stun someone trying to bring negativity to you and redirect it back

🌟 Endure (Pokemon Inspired) to give you emotional strength

🌟 Fairy Aura (Pokemon Inspired) to bring your inner beauty out to the surface

🌟 Flower Shield (Pokemon Inspired) to bring a space protection from malice and negative forces

🌟 Future Sight (Pokemon Inspired) improve psychic clarity while doing divination work

🌟 Gravity (Pokemon Inspired) a curse to weigh someone down emotionally

🌟 Heart Stamp (Pokemon Inspired) a spell to strengthen passion between you and a consenting lover

🌟 Heatproof (Pokemon Inspired) to help you remain strong under pressure and stress

🌟 Honey Gatherer (Pokemon Inspired) to encourage others to compliment you

🌟 Leer (Pokemon Inspired) to bind a person who is trying to intimidate you

🌟 Lock-On (Pokemon Inspired) to make another more vulnerable to your curse

🌟 Lunar Dance (Pokemon Inspired) banish negativity from yourself after a bad day

🌟 Metal Claws (Pokemon Inspired) to protect against baneful magic

🌟 Milk Drink (Pokemon Inspired) promote beauty

🌟 Moonblast (Pokemon Inspired) to make your target more vulnerable emotionally to the mundane and curses

🌟 Morning Sun (Pokemon Inspired) a spell to lift your spirits

🌟 Moxie (Pokemon Inspired) to bring the caster self-confidence

🌟 Musharna’s Vivid Dreams Spell Sachet (Pokemon Inspired) to bring vivid dreams to one’s sleep

🌟 Phantom Force (Pokemon Inspired) a curse to return all of the negative things someone has caused you back at them

🌟 “Powder Snow” Spell Jar (Pokemon Inspired) to remove one’s own romantic feelings for an ex or a toxic lover

🌟 Purugly’s Spell for Intimidation and Protection (Pokemon Inspired) to protect oneself from threats and danger by making oneself appear intimidating and not worth it to approach

🌟 Quilava’s Flames of Intimidation Spell (Pokemon Inspired) to make the user appear more intimidating and ferocious

🌟 Rest (Pokemon Inspired) bring deep, restful sleep

🌟 Saladit’s Ward Breaking Spell (Pokemon Inspired) to weaken and break wards of others

🌟 Serene Grace (Pokemon Inspired) to boost the effects of a positive spell such as a healing or calming spell

🌟 Shell Armor Warding Spell (Pokemon Inspired) to ward yourself from curses and baneful magick

🌟 Soundproof (Pokemon Inspired) to keep harmful words and rumors from affecting you

🌟 Sunny Day (Pokemon Inspired) a spell to bring a sunny day

🌟 Sweet Scent (Pokemon Inspired) To attract a new friend

🌟 Zapdos’s Thunderstorm Power Storage Spell (Pokemon Inspired) to cast during a thunderstorm to gain power from it and store it into a rock to use for later

Sailor Moon:

🌟 Deep Submerge (Sailor Neptune Inspired) to submerge another in their own negativity

🌟 Passion of the Rose Spell (Tuxedo Mask Inspired) a spell to increase passion between consenting lovers

🌟 Pink Sugar Heart Spell (Mini Moon Inspired) a spell to promote cuteness and radiance

🌟 Sailor Uranus and Neptune Soulmate Attraction Spell (Sailor Moon Inspired) to help attract one of your soulmates into your life

🌟 World Shaking Curse (Sailor Uranus Inspired) cosmic curse to emotionally shake and shatter someone

Shadowhunters:

🌟 Parabatai Spell (Shadowhunters Inspired) a spell to forge a bond with another consenting person to always be connected

Star Wars:

🌟 “The Force” Energy Work Preparation Spell (Star Wars Inspired) a spell to help prepare for intense energy work

Steven Universe:

🌟 Like a Comet (Steven Universe) to motivate self in achieving and reaching for goals

🌟 Open Your Mind Peridot Spell (Steven Universe Inspired) a spell to open your mind and relieve stubbornness

🌟 “Strong in the Real Way” (Steven Universe Inspired) spell to bring you emotional strength and courage

Totally Spies:

🌟 Anti-Gravity Propulsion Ring (Totally Spies Inspired) enchant a ring to aid you overcome obstacles and challenges

🌟 Butterfly Barrette Bomb Enchantment (Totally Spies Inspired) a portable, wearable protection ward

🌟 Chameleon Eye Shadow (Totally Spies Inspired) a spell to evade unwanted attention from others

🌟 Cherry Lip Bomb (Totally Spies Inspired) to bring confidence in your voice and to overcome vocal obstacles

🌟 Ice Queen Breath Spray (Totally Spies Inspired) a spell to halt someone’s romantic feelings for you

🌟 Lip Stick Glamour Spell (Totally Spies Inspired) to help make your words ‘stick’ with people

🌟 Red Hot Lozenge (Totally Spies Inspired) makes your words more fiery and intimidating

🌟 Retractable Razor Nail Spell (Totally Spies Inspired) a spell to unbind yourself

🌟 Spiderclaw (Totally Spies Inspired) grab the desire and attention of others

Winx:

🌟 Breath of Spring Offensive Spell (Winx Inspired) to stop and deter a specific target from harming or manipulating another

🌟 Dazzling Spiral Defensive Spell (Winx Inspired) to deflect negative entities who are trying to invade your home or personal dwelling

🌟 Golden Pollen (Winx Inspired) binding to prevent another from doing things to emotionally harm you

🌟 Illuminate (Winx Inspired) A spell to bring light to a situation (done before divination)

🌟 Shield (Winx Inspired) a spell to guard against offensive magic

🌟 Sound Cage Binding Spell (Winx Inspired) A spell to keep someone from being heard

🌟 Web of Confusion (Winx Inspired) cause confusion to anyone trying to pry into your life after you asked them to stop

W.I.T.C.H.:

🌟 Hay Lin’s Carefree Flyer Dream Spell (W.I.T.C.H. Inspired) a spell to bring on dreams of flying and weightlessness

🌟 Irma’s Fog Calling Spell (W.I.T.C.H. Inspired) a spell to conjure up some fog

🌟 Power of the Heart Self Love Spell (W.I.T.C.H Inspired) a spell to open your heart up for self love

🌟 Taranee’s Fire Divination Spell (W.I.T.C.H. Inspired) A spell to improve and empower fire divination/pyromancy

Yugi-Oh:

🌟 Graceful Charity Spell (Yugi-Oh) to bring good fortune in desperate/hard times

*All are from my digital and physical grimoires, all spells written by me

**Like what I post? Want to support me or buy me a delicious coffee? Feel free to check out my Ko-Fi Page!

#witchcraft #links #masterlist #masterpost #pop culture magic #pop culture spells #pop culture witchcraft #spells #curses #hexes #Willow's Grimoire

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theletterunread · 3 years

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May Day, May Day, May Day

Last May, the world continued to fall apart, as it's been doing for many years – though at a noticeably accelerated pace. The coronavirus dictated everyone's life and kept me mostly in my apartment in Franklin Village, living a life that was just like my normal life, only moreso. I played video games (but for more hours at a time), watched movies (but more than usual), and read books (but longer books, like Ulysses and the last Karl Ove Knausgaard novel, that were too heavy to have carried around and read while commuting). I did a lot of new writing and got a few rejections for some old writing. Just as I had seven years earlier, I began to wish I had a piano – as my apartment’s previous tenant, singer-songwriter Rebecca Black, did – so I could pass my downtime creating something nice.

The May before that, my writing partner and I submitted writing samples through the WGA Staffing System in the hopes of being hired to write for a sitcom. This job board had been set up by the Writer’s Guild to help writers find work without the assistance of their agents, whom the WGA had instructed its members to fire following a dispute with the Association of Talent Agents. My writing partner and I were skeptical that anybody (least of all us) would be hired through this system – we figured staffing decisions would still be determined by Hollywood’s impenetrable cliquishness – but we knew there was nothing to be lost by giving it a try.

On a Thursday, we submitted applications to three shows. Two of them were cancelled by Saturday – almost as if our applications reminded the producers that they still had dead shows to clear out – and we never heard back from the third.

The May before that, a paralegal left the law firm I work at in Downtown LA because he’d found a job closer to his home in Long Beach. My boss took him out to lunch, after which he returned to the office to say his goodbyes. He thanked me for teaching him some filing skills, but I had trouble accepting the gratitude. Even after six years, I still felt like a pretender in the legal world, skeptical that I knew anything teachable.

Later that afternoon, my boss informed the rest of us that, at lunch, the paralegal had asked him, “Do you wanna smoke some weed?” My boss had declined, noting that it was noon on a Wednesday. Our receptionist said that he had recently made the same offer to her. But an associate attorney and I had never been offered the same opportunity even once in the six months we worked with him.

The May before that, my pianist friend passed through LA and we met for lunch in Westwood. He was the first peer whose hair I noticed was going grey. Mine had been turning for a few years already. Good for both of us.

When I returned home, I played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, an acclaimed game which shares a lot of its DNA with one predecessor in particular: The Wind Waker. I was happy to see that game’s achievements respected by this new installment in the series because I still felt the exact same protectiveness of and identification with The Wind Waker that I had 14 years earlier, no matter that I was getting old and grey.

The May before that, I received a rejection letter from a literary magazine for a short story that I had submitted for publication 14 months earlier. I also received a rejection from a literary agent for a novel I’d written. Neither one upset me too much: the short story because I’d completely forgotten it was out in the world; the novel because the agent sent me back thoughtful notes, and I was touched that anyone would even take the time to read 75,000 words I’d written. Plus, it was easy to brush off literary set-backs. I had just had made my first business trip to Hollywood, and I was confident I’d soon be working as a sitcom writer.

The May before that, I got a sharp pain in my back anytime I breathed in deeply. The internet said it was probably a strain in one of my intercostal muscles, but couldn’t rule out pneumonia or something scarier. Not wanting a repeat of seven years earlier, when I’d ignored ankle pain and wound up in surgery, I visited a doctor. She diagnosed it as a strained intercostal muscle and wrote me a prescription for anti-inflammatories, which I never picked up.

Three days later, my friends and I were sharing interesting quotations over email (Tuesdays we shared poetry, Wednesdays paintings, and Thursdays quotations). The last contribution was from H.P. Lovecraft: “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”

The May before that, my roommates and I threw a party in our apartment. We invited 47 people and just about 47 people showed up. We had a great time until my landlord called me downstairs to show me that our front gate had been broken by one of our guests while departing. I esteemed my landlord so highly that there was little in life I hated more than disappointing him.

By the next morning, my roommates and I had determined who the culprit was, but we weren’t sure whether to ask him to pay up. While we weighed our options, I went to McCarren Park to attend a picnic hosted by a friend of mine from high school. I didn’t know any of the other guests, but I asked them whether, in my situation, they would reach out to the vandal and ask him to pay. They all said it was a tough call.

Ultimately, my roommates and I paid for the gate ourselves, swallowing the repair charge as the cost of hosting guests. As one of my roommates used to say when shrugging off his post-party hangovers, “You gotta pay the piper.”

The May before that, I wanted to resume playing the piano, so I made arrangements to buy an electric keyboard from a man who lived on the Upper East Side. I reached out to my only friend with a car – the same woman to whom I’d lost my virginity four years before – and asked if she would help me haul the equipment back to Bed-Stuy. She agreed on the condition that I would go with her to Rockaway Beach afterwards. Though the beach is my least favorite of all leisure destinations, I said sure and told her where to meet me.

She showed up to the Upper East Side without a car and without any understanding that I had expected her to bring a car. I had forgotten to ask for that, but it wouldn’t have made a difference: she hadn’t been vehicled for two years. I asked why she thought I would request her help with this chore, if not for her ability to bring a car. She asked why I hadn’t mentioned the car in my request, why I assumed she had one even though I had only seen her drive once, two years earlier, and where my gratitude was for her being willing to come out in 90-degree weather to help with such a tedious chore. Her rhetorical questions were better. We lugged the keyboard, its stand, its pedal, and a bunch of cords back to Brooklyn over two subway transfers and then went to the beach, where the temperature was about 40 degrees lower.

Even though the keyboard’s quality was affirmed by my (imminently greying) pianist friend when he came over for one of our parties, it didn’t scratch my itch the way a real piano would have. I kept it for three years until the speakers stopped working.

The May before that, I began working at a law firm in Midtown. I didn’t know how I landed the position, a phenomenon that’s repeated in every job I’ve got – or not got. Despite my supposed knowledge of film and TV, I’ve been turned down for writing jobs and even to work for Blockbuster. But I was hired to work at a venerable firm while knowing absolutely nothing about the law.

Between that respectable job and the largesse of my landlord, letting me live in Shangri-La for $600 per month, I spent my early-to-mid-twenties building unusual financial stability. I didn’t recognize it, though, and those were the years I was most worried about money. In the years before and since, financial anxiety was nothing; my worries were (are) about writing. And tidily, in that middle period, the creative side of life caused no concern.

The May before that, I graduated from NYU. More than any catastrophe I’ve lived through, that event created an atmosphere of the End of Days. Feelings of wistfulness and anxiety about casting off into the unknown were underscored by Collapse Into Now, the new R.E.M. album I was listening to repeatedly. It is a poignant record (though it wouldn’t be identified as such for another four months, it was secretly R.E.M.’s farewell album) but I was in an emotional state to be moved by any music. I couldn’t even join in the culture-wide mocking of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” that was going on; I found her earnestness unbearably touching.

At the end of the month, I moved into my new place in Bed-Stuy. My roommates and I had flipped for the apartment as soon as we saw it, not just because its competition wasn’t fierce – other prospective apartments had rat poison on the floor or 18-inch-high ceilings – but because it was spacious and cheap and distinctive, and because we liked the landlord. (And it went both ways: he told us that he had declined other possible tenants while waiting for our decision because, “I took a shine to you guys.”) And even though it was still a little strange to be sleeping and eating and showering in a new place, and even though a couple of teenagers had shouted at me while I was moving in – using what federal judges now call “racially charged language” – and even though I still had no idea how to shape a life outside of school, I felt better, because I was in My Home.

The May before that, I was finishing up a semester abroad in Ireland. At times during that spring, I compared myself to the freshman I’d been two and a half years earlier. I had been so naïve, so unworldly when I came to New York in 2007. Now, it was 2010 – a modern year, the dawn of a new decade – and I was 20 years old, living across the Atlantic. I had lived long enough to have a past, to have life behind me. I was a real person.

But if I ever had any specific examples of what made “Junior Year Me” more sophisticated than (or even different from) “Freshman Year Me,” I have completely forgotten them now. The two iterations are collapsed into one character in my mind. And when I see the numbers now, 20 as an age is much closer to the two decades before it than to the years that have come since, and 2010 looks like an absurdly miniscule year.

The May before that, I lost my virginity in a college dorm on 14th Street in Manhattan. It happened in the afternoon, after two failed attempts in prior evenings. The school year was winding down – when my girlfriend called to invite me over, I was packing up my dorm room, and when I arrived, her suitemate was in their common room, packing up her things – so there was no more room for error.

I recall looking at a digital clock, but I don’t recall what time it showed. Nor do I remember the weather, though I remember either being pleased that it was raining, or wishing that it were raining. For a redefining moment, it’s awfully hazy. The fog of war. I had to be reminded many, many years later that, after we finished, I offered a dirty joke that was extremely in and out of character: “I was packing boxes in my dorm, and then I came over here to pack boxes.”

Afterwards, I walked back to my dorm in the West Village. My friends and I had plans to watch a marathon of all of the videos we had filmed that year, and we did. It was several years before I told them where I had been earlier that day.

The May before that, I had an MRI on my ankle, which had been hurting for a year. After I left the hospital, I went to Blockbuster to interview for a summer job and absolutely bombed. I may have admitted that I only planned to keep the job until college resumed in September; I certainly volunteered that I knew nothing about high-traffic film genres like action or horror. When asked what movies I might recommend to customers, I offered artsy snoozers like Ed Wood.

Just as well that I was never offered a job, as the MRI showed that I had, “the ankle of a 70-year-old,” and arthroscopic surgery was scheduled. I spent the next two months first in a cast, then in a boot. I passed the summer making videos and uploading them to YouTube, thinking maybe I’d go viral, as I’d been hoping for two years. The most attention I got was from foot fetishists who liked when I showed my casted leg.

The May before that, my high school was shut down on what was supposed to have been my last real day of senior year. An AP Spanish Literature test and a band concert were scheduled for the day, after which I had no more obligations. But cafeteria workers coming in early in the morning spotted two masked men creeping through a hallway. The workers called the cops, the masked men fled, and the bomb squad was called in. School was closed for the day.

Had there been a bomb, this might be a disaster story known to lots of people of my generation. But there was no bomb, and it’s a story that even I forget most of the time. The general consensus was that the masked men were just students coming in early to set up some departing-senior stunt. They were never identified, though I was confident I knew who they were.

My test and my concert were rescheduled, so I had to keep going to school. The morning of the makeup AP exam, I told one of my classmates that I couldn’t help but wish we had been able to wrap up high school the week before, as anticipated. She cut me off and said, “You can’t even think about that.”

The May before that, YouTube penetrated mass consciousness. The notion of “going viral” was not known to us then, but it was still obvious how well the site could facilitate the spread of good work. I was certain that the videos my friends and I were making could be successful on there. We had so many funny ideas, it was inconceivable that not a single one of them would catch fire. Maybe not immediately, but it couldn’t take forever.

The May before that, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith premiered. I disliked the previous movie, had forgotten the one before that, and was totally agnostic about the original trilogy, yet I convinced myself to be excited for this one: This is how a person interested in film should feel. My mom and I made plans to go as a treat after an afternoon laboring in the garden, and I invited a friend to come along.

My friend called back later in the day to ask if he could bring another kid from school to the movie. This other kid and I wound up growing closer in the last years of high school, but at the time, I still found him mean and unpredictable. I worried that he might laugh at me for still going to the movies with my mom, or worse, that he would act up in some distasteful way in front of her. My parents weren’t overly sensitive, but I was still haunted by a memory from a birthday party three years before: this kid seriously tasking my dad by telling an awful dirty joke. ("How do you circumcise a redneck?")

I lied to my friend and told him that the trip to the movies had been cancelled. Then I lied to my mom and told her that my friend had decided not to come. At the movie theater, I kept looking over my shoulder, worried that my friend might decide to come anyway (maybe even with the other kid), and I’d be caught. He didn’t, and the next day he asked if I still wanted to see the movie with him, so I watched Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith twice in two days.

The May before that, in Downtown LA (only a mile from the law firm where I’d be working 13 years later), Nintendo had a very successful presentation at the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo. At a time when its public reputation was shaky, Nintendo blew the roof off the Los Angeles Convention Center with a showcase of a new handheld, a new spokesman, and a new Legend of Zelda game. The previous entry, The Wind Waker, had drawn a lot of attention (mostly condemnation gradually giving way to praise) for its colorful, cel-shaded art style. This new game looked more subdued, realistic, and – in the parlance of the times – mature.

While I was excited by the new entry, I felt sad that it appeared to be such a blatant rejection of The Wind Waker, a game I had been defending against adolescent smears since before its release, a game I thought had proven itself to be a masterpiece. Yet here was Nintendo itself surrendering to the backlash and giving the haters exactly what they demanded. That wasn’t how the world was supposed to work, and I felt that I had been hung out to dry. These feelings were still with me more than a decade later when Breath of the Wild came along to close the circle.

The May before that, a blizzard hit Colorado. It was a spring snow, very wet and heavy, and it destroyed the plants that my mom had been adding to the yard since we moved in. She was in the house with my newborn brother, so my dad and I shoveled the walk. It was hard, slushy work, but I greatly preferred it to the lawn jobs and gardening I’d been doing over the preceding year. A private yard was supposedly one of the pleasures of living in a house rather than the apartments and condos we’d previously had, but it wasn’t worth the work that went into it. Visiting a public park or walking around the neighborhood was much more fun than sitting on your own boring lawn.

It wasn’t anything that would be relevant for eight years, and it wasn’t anything I was conscious of for longer than that, but I was developing a sense of what I dreamed would be My Home.

The May before that, my family was newly installed in our first house. Our old condo had been bought by a guy who ran an outdoor cinema over the summers, and he had given us three free passes. I went with two friends to see the second screening of the season, Airplane!

Before the show, one of my friends mentioned that he was going to be working that summer at his dad’s restaurant, and the other said he had been given a spot at his uncle’s factory (it made insulated water bottles). I felt left out, and wished that I could get work too. I wondered if there was a way I could leverage my knowing the man who ran the outdoor cinema into a job.

I remember that longing, yet I don’t remember how, two years later, I came to be working at the outdoor cinema. I have no record of who talked to whom and said what to get me that gig, the first of many positions I would get without knowing how. The job stayed on my resume until I went to work for the law firm in Midtown, but I’m not sure how useful it was. It wasn’t enough to get me in the fucking door at Blockbuster.

The May before that, R.E.M. released its 12th studio album, Reveal. I heard its lead single, “Imitation of Life,” while leaving the Albuquerque airport in a rented car, and was entranced. When we got back to Boulder, I asked my parents to buy a copy of the CD, beginning a fandom that hadn’t abated ten years later when I was listening to Collapse Into Now.

Four months after Reveal was released, the U.S was hit by the September 11th attacks, the first calamity of my life. I’ve never since looked at a copy of Reveal without thinking, “That was from the world before 9/11.” Directionless. And my ability to draw meaning from the eternal return has advanced no further.

#memoir #R.E.M.#zelda #coronavirus #tv writing #law firm #brooklyn #party #loss of virginity #piano #bomb threat #graduation #star wars #injuries #rebecca black

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swisssadge · 4 years

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Windfish’s waking

A Legend of Zelda fanfiction.

The sun shone brightly down on Coholint and dosed the island in warm light. The sky it was hanging on was a magnificent blue, with only a couple of stray clouds here and there.

Marin stood at her usual spot, next to the Flying Cucoos memorial on the large plaza of Mabe village and did what she did often and liked doing: Sing. Some children were playing and enjoying her songs a few meters away. Some other people had come to listen to her too. The small village was as peaceful as ever.

Today, she sang the Ballad of the Windfish more often than usual. The song that had been her favourite since she had learned it from her mother as a small child. But that was not the only reason she sang it so often today. It was also a prayer of sorts.

A prayer for Link.

In her thoughts, she wasn't on the plaza, but with the blonde stranger. In order to free the island from the monsters which had appeared to do their misdeeds with the inhabitants, he had braved eight monster-infested dungeons to retrieve the instruments able to wake the Windfish.

Just a few hours ago, in the morning, they had bid each other farewell. Perhaps for the final time. Link had gone on his way to the egg atop Mt. Tamaranch. The time had finally come to wake up the Wind Fish. That mysterious guardian of Coholint island. Nobody knew if he actually was inside that titanic egg. Nor did anyone know what might happen if he woke up from the slumber he was supposed to be in. But apparently, it was the only way for Link to leave the island.

Marin didn't want him to leave. She had grown very fond of him in the time they had known each other. But she had realized that he had to. There was a home waiting for him. People who wished for him to come back. And a duty he had to fulfill. Still… the thought of him gone hurt. More than she wanted to admit to anyone.

And not only that…

When the monsters had started appearing, Marin had ventured to the egg and sung the ballad. She wanted for the Wind Fish to wake and drive them away. She had failed, and the Wind Fish had remained asleep. Also, it had been before she had accidentally stumbled upon an ancient ruin in the east of the island. The coast had been clear, so she had ventured inside.

And wished she never had.

The relief she had found inside had toppled everything she had believed. The island – a mere dream of the Wind Fish? How could that be? For the three days afterwards, she had been unable to get out of bed, so distraught had she been. It didn't really matter if she knew whether the words were true or not. Nor did it matter that she had been apparently right all along in that there had to be more than just Coholint. When Link had come back from one of his expeditions, judging by his reactions and his mood, he too must have found the mural. Yet, he had told nobody in the village about it. Perhaps, with his good heart, he had not wanted to cause anyone suffering by questioning their entire existence.

For her, of course, it had been too late.

Now she was here. Singing with all her heart and all her soul. Singing like she had never sung before. Prayed for the Wind Fish to finally wake. Prayed for Link to overcome whatever final challenge awaited him. Prayed for a gentle fate for the island and its inhabitants, whatever may happen once the Wind Fish woke.

She didn't want to fade into nothingness. She didn't want this life of hers, still so young, already to end. But at least… at least she was going to stay alive in Link's heart. As long as he remembered her, she wouldn't truly be gone. And it would prove that she had indeed existed, dream or not.

Marin knew that Link had succeeded the moment the strange sensation overcame her. It was as if she grew ever lighter and lighter, until she weighed nothing anymore. And around her, everything began to fade, slowly turning transparent until it was gone. It didn't hurt. And that was good. She was even somehow happy that Link had succeeded where she had failed.

Still she sang on. One last ode to the Wind Fish. One last song for the home she loved. She sang until only the song remained in her mind. Until she too was gone and there was nothing.

Or… was there? Didn't she smell salt? And didn't she hear the cry of seagulls?

#the legend of zelda #link's awakening #zelda #marin #coholint #windfish

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katedoesfics · 4 years

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The Great Calamity

Chapter Four - Vah Rudania (Resolve and Grief & Daruk's Mettle)

When they were finished in Rito Village, Zelda insisted against returning to the castle, determined to make the journey around Hyrule to check on the other Divine Beasts as soon as possible, but not without stopping to speak with Purah, first. It was her duty, after all, to do everything necessary to make sure the Champions were well equipped and prepared to defend Hyrule from Calamity Ganon. Not only that, she was determined to learn everything she could about the Sheikah Slate and the Guardians. There was simply to much to do, and no way to know for sure just how much time they had left.

Zelda opted to head to Kakariko Village first to speak with Purah before heading north to Goron City. Link wasn’t necessarily against her idea, but it would be a long ride south just to go north again. He didn’t bother to argue with her, though, as he wasn’t exactly looking forward to the path up to Goron City, either. Frankly, being anywhere near Death Mountain wasn’t his idea of a good time, even if Daruk said the volcano would not erupt.

The ride to the village was uneventful. Even his clearly strained relationship with the princess didn’t quite feel as tedious. Perhaps she was growing accustomed to his presence. She didn’t exactly make conversation with him, but instead continued to muse on about, well, everything. Although this time, she was more focused on the Guardians and whether or not Robbie had managed to activate more of them. Link could only pray that he would not be required to go near those things. He’d take on Calamity Ganon a thousand times with just the sword on his back as long as he didn’t have to have any part of those machines, even if they were designed to help stop Ganon.

It was early in the afternoon when they arrived in the village. They followed the path up the hill to Purah��s lab, and to Link’s relief, there were no Guardians in sight. Inside the lab, Purah and Robbie were in the midst of a heated conversation. Impa stood off to the side, her arms crossed as she watched them discuss and debate. They hardly noticed Zelda and Link as they entered.

“We have the Shrine to our advantage,” Purah said sternly. “We must do everything in our power to get it in working order.”

“We have no way to even test it out,” Robbie said. “We can’t know for sure if the stasis function will even work, or how long it will last. And what about the side effects? There’s too many unknown factors.”

“We make them known,” Purah demanded. She turned, finally acknowledging Zelda and Link as they stood in the doorway. Her eyes immediately went to the slate on Zelda’s hip. “The slate,” she continued, turning back to Robbie. “It was unable to activate it, but it may be the key to getting it running once we restore it.”

“Get what running?” Zelda repeated, narrowing her eyes at them. “What’s going on?”

“The Shrine of Resurrection,” Robbie started, “that you and Purah found. It is, indeed, a medical facility of sorts.”

“But we don’t know how to get it working,” Purah said. “We should focus our efforts on restoring it. The future of Hyrule is bleak. We shouldn’t take anything to chance.”

“A medical facility?” Zelda repeated. “I don’t understand. I thought it was built ten thousand years ago? What could make a facility like that such a necessity?”

Purah and Robbie exchanged an uneasy glance, then turned their gazes to Impa. The brief, silent interaction made Zelda uneasy. Was the war against the Calamity really so bad ten thousand years ago? What could that possibly mean for their own pending war?

“Purah is right,” Impa said. “There was a reason that facility was built. We should do everything we can to restore its power. It could prove to be very valuable to us some day.”

Link shifted uneasily on his feet as Impa’s gaze fell on him.

“Well,” Zelda said, her voice soft for a moment. “What do we need to do to get it restored?”

Robbie shook his head. “We don’t know,” he admitted. “We’re working on it. Purah and I are heading out tonight to see what we can do.”

“What can I do?” Zelda asked.

“Focus on the Divine Beasts,” Purah said. “And continue to familiarize yourself with that slate. The more we know about it, the better. Make sure the Champions are well prepared; this war could be bigger than we could ever imagine.”

*****

Zelda did not learn anything more about the Guardians as she had hoped, but as she and Link left Kakariko Village behind, a more haunting image weighed down on them. The idea that the war against Calamity Ganon could be so dire to need a Shrine of Resurrection left them feeling ill at ease. With no idea of what they would be up against, Zelda was more determined than ever to make sure Hyrule had every advantage on their side.

Zelda walked ahead of Link - or perhaps it was Link who chose to stay a few steps behind - and examined the Sheikah Slate in her hands as her mind wandered. Regardless, Zelda preferred not to notice Link too much. He was merely there to assist her as she went about her duties, and that meant focusing her efforts on the getting to Goron City to check on the Divine Beast there. She spoke as she walked, mostly to herself as she gathered her thoughts. Link never made it a habit to respond to her musings, anyway.

“From here, we’ll make our way to Goron City,” she said. “Then, we’ll need some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible. He’s figured out how to get it to move. However, it’s apparent that we still have much more to learn.” She held the slate out in front of her. “But to think, that Divine Beast was actually built by people. That means we should be able to understand how it works and how to use it to our advantage.”

Link watched her as she spoke, but did not interject.

“These Divine Beasts,” Zelda continued. “So much we don’t know. But if we want to turn back the Calamity Ganon, they’re our best hope.” Her pace slowed and her eyes drifted down to her feet, lost in thought once more. She could feel Link’s gaze on her and it made her uneasy.

Link waited, unsure of whether to approach her. He was well aware of her disdain towards him. In fact, she didn’t particularly do a good job of hiding it. He thought it best to hang back so as not to upset her.

“Tell me the truth,” Zelda finally spoke again. She looked at him over her shoulder. “How proficient are you right now, wielding that sword on your back? Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet, hero?”

Link remained silent as Zelda continued walking. In truth, he didn’t know what to say to her. He couldn’t possibly admit to her that no, he could not hear the sword speaking to him. Not since the day he was supposedly chosen. And it only made him worry. He was assigned a task - a seemingly impossible task at that - to save Hyrule from its doomed prophecies, yet the sword that was supposed to speak to him remained silent.

He wondered if he should say something to the princess. He opened his mouth to speak, but to his relief, Zelda continued on.

“I can’t help but to wonder what happened here, ten thousand years ago,” she said softly. “Legends, prophecies, destinies; I suppose if they’re all true, then it must be in our destiny to win this war. Perhaps that Shrine of Resurrection is the key.” She didn’t really believe it, but it eased her worries to think that their destinies - Hyrule’s future - was fated to live on. If their ancestors could fight through each rise of Ganon, then surely so could they. It was a reassuring thought, at the very least.

They traveled throughout the day, stopping only to rest for the night at the base of Death Mountain. In the morning, they followed the path up towards Goron City. Despite their ascent, the air grew uncomfortably thick and warm from the volcano. To their relief, they arrived in the city by midday, though the sun seemed brighter and hotter than ever. Zelda was anxious to work on the Divine Beast quickly so they could leave as soon as possible.

Daruk eagerly took them aboard Vah Rudania. As the princess examined the beast, Daruk hung back with Link. Vah Rudania climbed it’s way across the rocky terrain of Death Mountain as they admired the views. Link looked down and across Hyrule to the distant mountains. From atop the Divine Beast, the view was spectacular, and proved just how vast the kingdom truly was. He smiled at Daruk’s excitement as he piloted the machine.

“Yeah! I think I’m finally getting the hang of controlling this Divine Beast!” Daruk said. He stretched his arms and turned to Link. “I tell you what: sure is a blast piloting a toy like this around. Let those other Champions know, they better eat their gravel if they wanna keep up with Daruk.” He turned his gaze up towards Death Mountain. “Speaking of which, can you believe this view? Just look at all those deletable rocks sprinkled on those mountains. Mighty tasty.”

Link followed his gaze and smiled. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a glutton for a good meal, but rocks certainly weren’t on his menu.

“I may not know a whole lot about this Calamity Ganon thing,” Daruk continued, “but mark my words, I’ll protect this land of ours to the death. Right, little guy?” He let his large hand come down hard against Link in an affectionate pat on the back and laughed as Link stumbled forward under the force, forgetting his own strength.

“Hey, by the way,” he said as Link regained his footing. “Congrats on becoming the princess’s appointed knight. That’s a really big deal! Protecting the king’s daughter. No pressure!” He let his hand rest on Link’s shoulder, softer this time. “Seriously, though. The princess is a strong personality - so strong she can’t quite see the range for the peaks.” He scratched at the back of his head. “Remember that, and you’ll be fine.”

The ground began to shake suddenly and Daruk turned his gaze towards Death Mountain. “What the -?”

Above them, a large chunk of rock broke away from a towering pillar, and the boulder came crashing down, threatening to topple on top of them. But at the last minute, Daruk thrust his arms out and a magical red force field shot out from around him, protecting him and Link from the impact of the boulder. The boulder bounced off of the magical shield in shattered pieces and the rumbling quieted.

“All right, so what was I saying,” Daruk said absentmindedly. He turned back towards the mountain, mumbling to himself. “That was a little strange. As far as I know, Death Mountain has been quiet for decades. But if the mountain is shivering enough to send down a bunch of boulders that size, then…” He shook his head. “Nevermind. Forget I said anything.” But his gaze returned to the mountain, his brows knit together with worry written on his face.

Link followed the Goron’s gaze. He was not oblivious to Daruk’s uneasy reaction towards the rumbling. Perhaps it was a sign of Calamity Ganon’s awakening. The idea twisted in Link’s gut like a knife. They were far from ready to be at war.

Zelda joined them atop the Divine Beast, the Sheikah Slate in her hands once more. She seemed not to have noticed the rocks falling around them, deep inside the Divine Beast.

“It looks like you’ve got a good handle on the controls,” she said to Daruk with a smile. “With these Divine Beasts at our control, we’ll have no problem taking down Ganon.” She returned the slate to her hip, eager to leave as soon as they could. “We should head back to the castle,” she said, turning to Link. The Shrine of Resurrection still haunted her and all she wanted to do was scour her notes and continue her research of the ancient technology in hopes that something would help Purah and Robbie restore the facility.

Admittedly, Link was eager to get back to the castle as well, if only for a break from traveling across Hyrule. It had been some time since he had a decent night sleep, and a comfortable bed at that.

I set out for Goron City today to make some adjustments to Divine Beast Vah Rudania. I still recall feeling his eyes on me as I walked ahead. The feeling stayed with me so long, I grew anxious and weary. It is the same feeling I’ve felt before in his company. And still, not a word passes his lips. I never know what he’s thinking! It makes my imagination run wild, guessing at what he is thinking but will not say. What does the boy chosen by the sword that seals the darkness think of me? Will I ever truly know? Then, I suppose it’s simple. A daughter of Hyrule’s royal family yet unable to use sealing magic. He must despise me.

#loz #botw #legend of zelda #breath of the wild #fic #fanfic #the great calamity #gc4 #chapter 4

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trollamulet-archived · 3 years

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“ about that mission - “ the trollhunter pauses, scratching at the base of his right horn. “ that manhandla was going to kill me - thank you for saving my ass. “ he admitted. eclipse’s blade glowed in the darkness. @volcania

#volcania #weighed down by morning [ legend of zelda ]#this is hyrule warriors but i dont have a tag for it

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your-dietician · 3 years

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Best Day 4 sales at Walmart Deals for Days event 2021

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/lifestyle/best-day-4-sales-at-walmart-deals-for-days-event-2021/

Best Day 4 sales at Walmart Deals for Days event 2021

Yahoo Life has received compensation to create this article, and receives commission from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

Prime Day might be over, but that certainly doesn’t mean the deals have run dry — in fact, they’re just as big as ever. Walmart’s Anti-Prime day sale, called Deals for Days, is chock full of discounts across the board. Here’s what’s in store for Day 4 of the sale, which btw ends…tonight!

The retail behemoth has slashed prices across categories. So whether you’re focused on a wardrobe refresh, a better work-from-home setup, tech to take along as you ramp up your workouts, kitchen appliances in need of replacement or more, Walmart has got you covered — with discounts as deep as 90 percent! There are still so many deals you can save big on.

Walmart will give you free shipping on orders of $35 or more. To score free shipping on all orders, plus lots more benefits including speedy delivery, sign up for Walmart+. Get a free 15-day trial here (a quick three-question survey will add on an additional two weeks for a solid 30 days of use).

Here are the best deals from Walmart’s Anti-Prime Day — Day 4 sale.

TVs

A 40-inch TV for $178? We’ll take it! (Photo: Walmart)

On sale for $178, down from $228, the Hisense 40-inch Class Full HD Roku Smart LED TV is undeniably sleek — with a near edge-to-edge 43-inch display (more picture, less frame). With an HD resolution at 1080p and DTS True Surround Sound, you’ll essentially have a movie theater-like experience at home, with colors that pop.

The built-in Roku streamer gives you instant access to thousands of video streaming channels, including Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Hulu and ESPN+. It also has a few smart home features like voice search for hands-free navigation. That’s right: You can find your favorite TV shows and movies, just by speaking them into existence.

“Great TV. Once I selected ‘theater sound’ the clouds parted and there was entertainment bliss — OK, maybe that’s a bit extra, however, the sound did vastly improved,” shared a delighted five-star reviewer. “Perfect size for me. Easy setup and operation.”

Story continues

Check out more TV deals below:

Sony 32-inch Class HD LED Smart TV, $298 (was $350), walmart.com

TCL 32-inch 3-Series Class HD LED Roku Smart TV, $145 (was $200), walmart.com

Sceptre 40-inch Class Full HD LED TV, $155 (was $200), walmart.com

Samsung 43-inch Class 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED TV, $898 (was $1,000), walmart.com

Samsung 50-inch Class 4K The Frame QLED Smart TV, $1,198 (was $1,700), walmart.com

TCL 50-inch Class 5-Series 4K Ultra HD QLED Roku Smart TV, $528 (was $600), walmart.com

LG 55-inch Class 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED C1 Series TV, $1,497 (was $2,000), walmart.com

Sony 55-inch Class XBR55X800H Bravia 4K Ultra HD LED Android Smart TV, $798 (was $1,000), walmart.com

LG 65-inch Class 4K Ultra HD NanoCell Smart TV, $997 (was $1,200), walmart.com

Samsung 65-inch TU8300 Crystal Ultra HD 4K Smart TV, $648 (was $700), walmart.com

Headphones and earbuds

These Philips wireless earbuds are half price! (Photo: Walmart)

These Philips Wireless In-Ear Headphones are a handsome, waterproof option with a price that belies their high-performance quality: They’re on sale for just $30, down from $60. Yep, half price.

Walmart shoppers love everything about these cans: the sound, the comfy fit, the sturdy charging case. “I have had challenges finding in-ear phones that fit me well for a long time,” reported one fan. “I grabbed the chance to try these Philips Wireless In-Ear Headphones and I can say these are perfect! First off, I like the charging case, so you have power on the go when you need it. The headphones are super easy to pair both with my PC and my phone, and the sound is very good: The highs are not tinny and the bass is smooth…. Another quality product from Philips!”

What he said! You’ll never be juiceless with these Philips Wireless In-Ear Headphones — they offer up to 12 hours of playback. Impressive.

Check out more headphone and earbud deals below:

Beats Solo Pro Wireless Noise Canceling On-Ear Headphones, $149 (was $300), walmart.com

Apple AirPods Pro, $197 (was $249), walmart.com

Bietrun Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds, $26 (was $130), walmart.com

Philips Bass+ BH305 Wireless Active Noise Canceling Headphones, $40 (was $120), walmart.com

Meidong Bluetooth Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones, $35 (was $70), walmart.com

Luxmo Bluetooth Headphones, $18 (was $36), walmart.com

Jelly Comb On Ear Headphones, $17 (was $50), walmart.com

Gaming

Save nearly a whopping 80 percent! (Photo: Walmart)

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing, so get all the basketball action your heart desires with NBA2K21 for PlayStation 4 — on sale for just $13, or $48 off at Walmart. That’s nearly a whopping 80 percent off! The game features all 30 NBA teams and your favorite players, including Damian Lillard, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, James Harden, Gordon Hayward and more.

NBA 2K21 has all the gameplay you want, from multi-player online to one-on-one with you versus the game itself. It features all WNBA teams and players—such as Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne, Liz Cambag, and Nneka Ogwumike — for the first time ever!

“This is one of my favorites, and I couldn’t wait,” raved a delighted gamer. “…The storyline is dope for my character, graphics are dope as always. Just an overall great game .”

Check out more gaming deals below:

Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Nintendo Switch), $40 (was $50), walmart.com

Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Nintendo Switch), $40 (was $50), walmart.com

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Nintendo Switch), $40 (was $60), walmart.com

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 (Nintendo Switch), $39 (was $60), walmart.com

Outriders: Day One Edition (PS4), $40 (was $60), walmart.com

Madden NFL 21 (Xbox One), $20 (was $60), walmart.com

The Last of Us Part II (PS4), $30 (was $60), walmart.com

Liphom Gaming Headset, $29 (was $50), walmart.com

Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Edition (PS4), $15 (was $60), walmart.com

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Xbox One), $20 (was $60), walmart.com

The Pillars of The Earth (PS4), $29 (was $45), walmart.com

Smart home

A “smart” way to wake up, in more ways than one: Save nearly 40 percent! (Photo: Walmart)

The Lenovo Smart Clock is powered with Google Assistant for seamless syncing to a smartphone. It can rouse you from your slumber with your favorite tunes, the weather, calendar reminders and events, and that podcast you love. Because, really, who couldn’t use some help getting out of bed?

“I have trouble waking up in the mornings and this alarm clock doesn’t disappoint,” raved a satisfied shopper. “I like the wake-up feature that gradually wakes you up and then gives you a morning update of the weather and all the morning news. I’m able to connect it to all my Google devices too.”

At nearly 40 percent off during Walmart’s Deals for Days shopping event — the Lenovo Smart Clock is down to $49 from $80.

Check out more smart-home deals below:

Google Nest Mini (second generation), $35 (was $49), walmart.com

Apple TV 4K (2020), $99 (was $169), walmart.com

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm), $150 (was $279), walmart.com

Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 38mm), $169 (was $199), walmart.com

Razor Power A5 Electric-Powered Scooter, $119 (was $179), walmart.com

XODO Smart Home Security Surveillance Kit, $60 (was $80), walmart.com

XODO Smart Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Wireless Security Camera, $90 (was $150), walmart.com

TSV Smart Plug (two-pack), $18 (was $26), walmart.com

Defender Ultra HD 4K Wired Outdoor Security System (1TB), $260 (was $450), walmart.com

Anself Wireless Burglar Alarm, $20 (was $28), walmart.com

Fymall Wi-Fi Smart Color LED Light Bulb, $11 (was $24), walmart.com

Home office

Take note of this Lenovo Chromebook — save $80! (Photo: Walmart)

Just need a product that will reliably, consistently do what you need it to, without all the exotic (and expensive) bells and whistles? If you’re one of those people and you’re in the market for an entry-level machine that’ll get you, or a loved one, through a day of work, look to the Lenovo Chromebook S330. On sale for $159, or $80 off, at Walmart, it boots up quick, has a quad core processor, 32 GB of storage and a glorious 14-inch HD display. It’s great for watching YouTube and Netflix, and is powerful enough for Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides and more. It’s ultra-portable too, weighing in at a svelte 3.3 lbs. and less than an inch thick.

And have we mentioned its 10-hour battery life? This guy will. “I decided to give it a try. I am not sorry I did! I’m very impressed,” raved a delighted five-star reviewer. “I still have a desktop PC for my main computer but for the things that I need a laptop for, this fits the bill perfectly! It does everything I need and doesn’t do the things that I disliked about my previous laptops. It boots quickly, runs cool (without a fan!) and gives me amazing battery life! I’m very pleased!”

Check out more home office deals below:

Gateway Ultra Slim Notebook, $399 (was $749), walmart.com

Samsung CB4 Chromebook, $159 (was $199), walmart.com

Canon Pixma G4210 Wireless MegaTank All-In-One InkJet Printer, $300 (was $400), walmart.com

Cabina HD USB Desktop Webcam, $60 (was $70), walmart.com

Ousgar 47-inch White Desk, $80 (was $300), walmart.com

Kuku Mobile Call Center Telephone USB Headset, $28 (was $40), walmart.com

Beyerdynamic MMX 300 2nd Gen Conference Call Headset, $282 (was $422), walmart.com

Gamma Ray Optics 010 Slim Vintage Computer Readers, $18 (was $25), walmart.com

Hemu Fashion Bamboo Laptop Lap Tray, $38 (was $102), walmart.com

Vacuums

Get this robovac for half price! (Photo: Walmart)

An eye-opening 50 percent off, the Anker Eufy RoboVac 35C Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum’s BoostIQ technology helps navigate your home’s surfaces, including hardwood floors to rugs and beyond, with smooth transitions. And while it never loses suction, when it senses the need for extra oomph — like when crumbs are overtaking the kitchen floor or pet hair is embedded in the rug — it’ll amp up its power to get the job done.

“Albuquerque dust is a pernicious beast. I also have two dogs and a slew of resident dust bunnies, so this is a big help,” shared a Walmart shopper. “It gets the dog hair and dust up easily — slightly appalled at how much dust came up after a regular broom sweeping. The edging function works great — clears out stuff from the bottom of the walls with ease. I have concrete floors and it scoots over it fine; has gotten itself successfully untangled from under the kitchen table…I talk to it like one of the dogs: ‘Oh, don’t forget that speck in the hall.’ ‘Good job.’ At least I haven’t named it (yet).”

The Eufy RoboVac 35C is super slim, so it’s a ninja when it comes to getting into every crevice and corner — and it has an infrared sensor for identifying things in its way, like stairs.

Check out more vacuum deals below:

BISSELL Crosswave Pet Pro Wet Dry Vacuum, $229 (was $299), walmart.com

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Slim Corded, $99 (was $199), walmart.com

Shark ION Robot Vacuum RV750, $148 (was $299), walmart.com

iHome AutoVac Eclipse G 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop, $179 (was $400), walmart.com

Eureka Groove 4-Way Control Robotic Vacuum, $129 (was $199), walmart.com

iHome AutoVac Nova Self Empty Robot Vacuum and Mop, $299 (was $599), walmart.com

ILife A4s Robot Vacuum Cleaner, $119 (was $180), walmart.com

Mighty Rock Robot Vacuum and Mop, $73 (was $130), walmart.com

ionvac SmartClean 2000 Robovac, $99 (was $180), walmart.com

ILife V5s Pro Robot Vacuum and Mop, $135 (was $180), walmart.com

EcoVacs DeeBot 711 Robot Vacuum Cleaner, $144 (was $550), walmart.com

Style

Reduced to $8 from $98. Get it in all three colors! (Photo: Walmart)

No, you’re not seeing things: This gorgeous Max Studio frock is on sale for 8 bucks! It has a billowy tiered skirt and a peasant-inspired tassel-tie neckline. It’s available in chambray and bright yellow shade, but of course, we’re partial to this fun poppy red hue. Note: Some shoppers say it’s a little short, but you can wear it with biker shorts or leggings underneath — or just as a bikini coverup.

Did we mention it’s $90 off?!

“Comfortable,” a shopper reported. “Like the bright color. I’m wearing it in Mexico in a few weeks!”

Check out more style deals below:

Scoop Women’s Espadrille Wedge Sandal, $20 (was $35), walmart.com

Zanea Womens Polka Dot Short Sleeve Long Dress, $24 (was $48), walmart.com

KOGMO Womens Premium Cotton Full Length Leggings, $12 (was $18), walmart.com

Status by Chenault Women’s Cotton Slub Jersey with Cotton Eyelet Dress, $26 (was $78), walmart.com

Cate & Chloe McKenzie 18k White Gold Dangling Earrings, $18 (was $136), walmart.com

Melrose Ave Vegan Leather Toe Loop Strappy Flat Sandal, $22 (was $29), walmart.com

Free Assembly Women’s Sleeveless Square Neck Fit & Flare Dress, $21 (was $36), walmart.com

Kitchen

Save $26 on this incredible indoor grill. (Photo: Walmart)

Summertime is the season of grilling, but if you don’t want to mess around with your charcoal and lighter fluid every time you want a juicy steak or burger, try this indoor grill for size. This Gotham Steel grill has a titanium and ceramic surface which helps distribute heat evenly, plus four temperature settings so you can easily adjust how you want your meats and veggies cooked. Plus, it’s super easy to store, too.

“I just made hamburgers on this grill and it worked like a charm!” a shopper declared. “The burgers didn’t stick and it was truly smokeless as it cooked. Cleanup was also a breeze. Although it is dishwasher safe, it was just as easy to clean it up by hand with some soapy water. Definitely recommend!”

Check out more kitchen deals below:

Tramontina Primaware 18 Piece Non-stick Cookware Set, Steel Gray, $40 (was $50), walmart.com

Instant Pot Viva Black Multi-Use 9-in-1 6 Quart Pressure Cooker, $59 (was $99), walmart.com

The Pioneer Woman Cowboy Rustic 14-Piece Forged Cutlery Knife Block Set, $39 (was $70), walmart.com

Chefman TurboFry Air Fryer, $69 (was $99), walmart.com

The Pioneer Woman Mazie 2-Piece Ceramic Red Rectangle Baker Set, $20 (was $25), walmart.com

Farberware 3.2 Quart Oil-Less Multi-Functional Air Fryer, $60 (was $99), walmart.com

Ninja 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Brewer, $69 (was $79), walmart.com

Best Choice Products 16.9qt 1800W 10-in-1 Family Size Air Fryer, $115 (was $255), walmart.com

Hamilton Beach 12 Cup Digital Automatic LCD Programmable Coffeemaker Brewer, $73 (was $105), walmart.com

Beauty

Get over half off off this heavenly Marc Jacobs fragrance. (Photo: Walmart)

Few scents are quite as universal — or as beloved — as Marc Jacobs Daisy. It’s light, frothy and fun, with notes of grapefruit, raspberry and pear mingling with jasmine, rose, lychee and apple blossom, and base notes of musk, cedar and plum. Despite the abundance of fruity notes, it still feels fresh and playful — and whether you want to try it out for the first time or pick up an extra bottle to keep in your drawer, this price simply can’t be beat.

“One of my favorite scents and I definitely will be buying it again,” a shopper reported. “I’ve always wanted a Marc Jacobs fragrance and the price was perfect. It smells amazing and the top to the bottle is too cute.”

Check out more beauty deals below:

BylissPRO Nano Titanium Lightweight Ionic Hair Dryer, $65 (was $85), walmart.com

Burberry Classic Eau De Parfum, $33 (was $98), walmart.com

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Face Serum, $64.50 (was $100),walmart.com

Remington Anti-Static Flat Iron, $16 (was $20), walmart.com

Artnaturals Anti-Aging Retinol, $12 (was $16), walmart.com

Conair Double Ceramic Curling Iron, $12 (was $23), walmart.com

Glycolic Acid 20% Resurfacing Pads, $25 (was $50), walmart.com

IMAGE Skincare Ageless Total Eye Lift Creme, $34 (was $50), walmart.com

Mattresses and bedding

Save $300 and get the greatest sleep of your life. (Photo: Walmart)

If you’ve had your mattress for longer than you can remember, it’s high time to replace it — and, lucky you, this one is on sale! It’s made with 12 inches of plush memory foam supported by coils, and it’s just the right balance between soft and firm. The only drawback? Getting out of bed in the morning will be that much harder.

“I was surprised at how soft and comfy this mattress was,” a shopper reported. “I took it out of the box and plastic and it opened right up to the 12-inch size. It is supposed to take 24 hours to expand but it expanded a lot right away. It’s super thick and so far feels very comfortable. I am surprised at how great a mattress in a box could be!”

Check out more bedding deals below:

Noble Linens 8-Piece Bed in a Bag Bedding Set, Twin, White, $45 (was $65), walmart.com

Mattress Topper Queen, 2-Inch Cool Swirl Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper, Blue, $70 (was $105), walmart.com

Simply Soft 3 Piece Ribbon Pattern Duvet Cover Set, $23 for queen (was $28), walmart.com

Hatch Embroidered Stripe 7-Piece Comforter Set, $30 (was $70), walmart.com

Zeny Weighted Blanket, $47 (was $78), walmart.com

Simply Soft 3 Piece Vine Pattern Duvet Cover Set, $24 (was $28), walmart.com

Wenzel 70�� x 60″ Camp Quilt – Red Brick Geo Print, $21 (was $29.50), walmart.com

Better Homes & Gardens Flowing Floral Comforter Set, $45 (was $65), walmart.com

Pets

Make bathtime for your pooch a little more fun. (Photo: Walmart)

If your pooch refuses to sit still for baths, nail trims, grooms, or, well, just about anything, try this trick on for size. Fill this lick pad with peanut butter, then stick it on a wall. It’ll keep him occupied for as long as you need. It has 37 suction cups, so it stays in place, and it’s even dishwasher safe.

“I have an obsessive border collie and try to always make him work for meals with Kongs or slow feeders,” a shopper shared. “This is a GREAT little treat for him that he gets very excited about! It holds just a couple spoonfuls and keeps him focused for about 20 minutes.”

Check out more pets deals below:

Oster Super Duty Dog Clippers, $35 (was $40), walmart.com

Portable Pet Dog Cat Outdoor Travel Water Bowl Bottle, $8.50 (was $11), walmart.com

Omega Paw Large Elite Self-Cleaning Litter Box, Black, $53 (was $78), walmart.com

Amgra Laser Pointer for Cats, $14 (was $16), walmart.com

Zimtown Pets Stairs with Cover, Small, Beige, $26 (was $51), walmart.com

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pocketseizure · 6 years

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The Legend of the Princess, Chapter Seventeen

A Silence Now Broken

In which Zelda finally learns the truth about Ganondorf.

(Chapter Seventeen on AO3) (Story Tag on Tumblr) (Cover Illustration)

* * * * *

"You think I'm going to kill you?" Zelda was so surprised that she couldn't help but laugh. "That's absurd."

Ganondorf glared at her. "This is no laughing matter," he growled. He tried to move away, but she squeezed his thigh to hold him in place.

"You're at least a head and shoulders taller than I am, and you must weigh a dozen stone more than me. Even if I were well armed and you were practically naked, I still don't see how I would be a threat to you."

"It's not that simple," he grunted.

"I'm sure it's not," she agreed amiably. "Why don't you explain it to me?"

Ganondorf looked at her and then looked away, once again fixing his gaze on a cluster of the silent princess lilies, which were so brilliantly white that they seemed to emit their own luminescence into the strange twilight. He didn't say anything, but the intent expression on his face told Zelda that he wasn't going to run away from her and the conversation she was asking him to have. Hylia help her if he did flee, for she had no way of getting back to Hyrule.

"I'm not sure where to begin," he eventually muttered.

"Then let me start," she offered. "I have some questions I've been meaning to ask you."

"And just what is it you think you want to know?" Ganondorf scowled, but the stiff line of his shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Quite a few things, actually," Zelda admitted. "Let's see if I can narrow them down to three." She raised her hand and began counting on her fingers. "First, you've spent almost no time at court, so what have you been doing while you've been here in Hyrule? Second, where have you been going at night? And third, why are you dressed like that?"

"Why am I dressed like this?" Ganondorf looked down at himself and raised his eyebrows, apparently noticing the mud splattered on his boots for the first time, but then he looked back up at her and sneered. "Why are my sartorial choices of such interest to a princess? Am I not dressed well enough for you?"

Zelda had already decided to trust him when she allowed herself to fall into his arms through the library window, so she answered him as truthfully as she could.

"There have been reports of a Gerudo man sighted on Death Mountain, and the Gorons are ill at ease, saying that the dodongos are restless. Darunia is all toasts and smiles, but his good humor masks his anxiety, which I can see in the way he won't meet my father's eyes. He's as close as an uncle to me. It hurts me to see him in pain, but the way he hesitates to mention his worries to my father hurts even more."

Ganondorf started to say something, but Zelda raised her hand to cut him off. "And there have also been reports of a Gerudo man in Zora's Domain," she continued. "I've heard that he's young and handsome and shrouded in black, and that he's cursed their deity. Ruto has sent me shallow assurances and hastily written excuses, but she hasn't yet come to Hyrule for my coronation, even though I count her as one of my dearest friends. She's never once failed to confide in me or let me know when she needs my help, so the problem she's facing must be truly difficult."

Ganondorf gave her a pained look. "Zelda, I – " he began, but she took his hand and squeezed his fingers to indicate that she was not yet done.

"And meanwhile, I've heard gossip about you and Link, yet neither of you has been willing to tell me that you're acquainted with one another. Did you know, Link has never told me the truth about where he lived and what did before he came to this castle. And now that he's apparently friendly with you, he seems not to want the two of us to see each other. And what about our stable master Barghest, who has lost almost all of his Hylian staff except Link? He's been observed speaking with other Darknuts in the early morning and late evening, almost as if he didn't want to be seen. A large group of Moblins has set up camp outside the castle walls, and there's something about them that's been making people nervous. Where did they come from, and what are they trying to do here? Or rather, who has been spreading rumors about them in order to stir up trouble?"

"Zelda..." Ganondorf did not turn away, but his eyes grew softer. It seemed to her that he was regarding her with something like awe. She took advantage of this opening and finally asked what she wanted to know.

"And now I'm here with you. You were right outside the library as soon as my vision ended, and I assume you used magic to get here. But the vision we saw interrupted something, didn't it? Where were you, before you came here? Why are you covered in mud and grass stains, and why do you smell like..." She reached up and allowed herself to stroke a stray strand of his hair, which was suffused with a fragrance like moss and pine boughs. "...why do you smell like the forest?"

Ganondorf didn't respond. Zelda watched his face carefully as he appraised her in turn. She knew that she should wait for him to say something, but she was on the verge of losing her patience, dignity be damned. She had no desire to behave like a princess; she simply wanted to be Ganondorf's friend. She dropped his hand and once again slid her fingers over his knee.

"You can tell me," she said softly. "I promise that I'll listen. It's finally just the two of us."

"Finally, you say?" Ganondorf shot her an acrimonious glance. "You've asked your questions, but what do you have to say to me?"

"What do I have to say to you?" Zelda looked away as she repeated his question. What did she have to say? Did he want her to apologize for distrusting him? Yet surely he understood that his behavior was suspicious. Did he want her to apologize for having kept such a close watch on him? If she had wanted to pry information out of Ganondorf, it would not have been difficult. That's why her family had such a close relationship with the Sheikah, after all. In fact, she thought with a flare of irritation, Ganondorf should be apologizing to me. But that was not, she realized, what she wanted. Not after what she had seen in her visions, and not after she danced with him in the starless sky above this haunted castle.

"What do I have to say to you?" she repeated once more. "Only that I'm worried about you. Whatever you're doing, I want to help."

"Why would you want to help me?" Even through the disdain in Ganondorf's voice, Zelda could feel him pulling closer to her, and she wasn't surprised when he touched his fingers lightly to her cheek.

Zelda covered his hand with her own, gently pressing his palm against her face. "Why?" She smiled. "I'm surprised you need to ask. We were friends, once, when we were children. I care for you."

Ganondorf pressed the pad of his thumb against her lips. "Do you still care for me as a child?"

Zelda shook her head. She could taste the salt of Ganondorf's skin on the tip of her tongue. She guided his hand from her lips to her chin and then raised her face to look at him. He met her gaze, and the moment stretched out, filled with possibilities that were so tangible and solid that she felt she could almost reach out and touch them. Ganondorf's eyes gleamed golden, and she could not look away from him. He hesitated, but after a sweet eternity he leaned down, bowed his head forward, and kissed her.

Ganondorf had kissed her hungrily in their vision, but now that they had returned to their own time he seemed almost afraid to touch her. When the kiss broke, as softly as a sigh, he met her eyes once again, asking an unvoiced question. Zelda responded by taking his hand and guiding it to the back of her neck. His skin was rough against hers, and she could smell the bitter tang of the aged leather of his gauntlets. He twined his fingers through her unbound hair with surprising gentleness.

"You said we could use the Twilight Realm to travel," she suggested.

"Where would you like to go?" he responded, his voice as thick and dark as syrup.

"Take me to your bedroom in the castle," she said, making it clear from her tone that it was not a request.

"As Her Highness commands," Ganondorf murmured, and then he swept her off her feet and into his arms as he stood. Holding her close to him, he stepped forward through the Twilight. The world seemed to rip and tear around him, but the way he moved forward through the jagged hole in reality seemed as effortless as passing through a gauze curtain.

On the other side of the darkness was a large and well-appointed room. Zelda recognized the layout of one of the larger guest suites, but it was nevertheless strange to her eyes. The usual sitting room furniture had been replaced with low couches, and the side tables were lower as well. Zelda had seen illustrations of the Gerudo fortress, so she understand that the arrangement of this room was meant to be an approximation of typical Gerudo accommodations. Perhaps I'll visit his home in person, one day, she thought as he carried her across the room.

Ganondorf set her on her feet beside one of the couches, so she sat down, leaning against a pile of richly embroidered pillows. She sank back farther than she had expected, but the softness of the fabric was divine, and everything was suffused with the faint and pleasant smell of fragrant oil. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, smiling as she recognized the scent of sandalwood that she had associated with Ganondorf when they were younger.

When she opened her eyes, she saw him standing over her.

"You are a marvel," he whispered as his eyes settled on hers.

"I did not ask you to bring me here to marvel," she challenged him, drawing herself into an upright position.

"Then tell me," he said as he knelt before her, "what would you have me do?"

"Explain," she said simply. "Tell me where you've been going and what you've been doing. I want to help you, but I need to understand what all of this is about."

Ganondorf grimaced before rising to his feet. "Would you like some tea?" he asked.

Zelda thought about pushing him to answer her immediately, but instead she simply nodded. If he needed a few moments to collect himself, then she would let him have them.

As he busied himself with a brass samovar in an alcove set into a far corner, Zelda took the opportunity to look around the room. There were books on every available surface. They were scattered without rhyme or reason, and some of their spines were bent open in a way that made Zelda frown in disapproval. Several musical instruments were lying about as well – a hand harp, a flute, a guitar like the one Link favored, and another string instrument whose name she didn't know. What surprised her the most, however, was the profusion of flowers displayed in vases arranged around the room. Where would Ganondorf have gotten so many flowers, and why did he have them?

"I went to the Gorons first," Ganondorf said without preamble as he returned to her.

He offered her a shallow ceramic cup veined with gold. It had no handle, but it did not burn her hand when she took it. The steam rising from the pale tea was fragrant, and it was like jasmine blooming on her tongue when she tasted it.

"The Gorons have a treasure I wished to see with my own eyes," Ganondorf continued. "It was given to them in antiquity by the royal family of Hyrule as a symbol of goodwill, and it thus stood to reason that their king would know of its whereabouts. I did not announce myself as an official emissary of the Gerudo when I arrived, but I did not make a secret of my identity. Darunia nevertheless refused to acknowledge my request for an audience. While I waited for a favorable reply, I learned that this treasure was not kept within their city, but deep within a cavern that was sacred to them. It took me days to locate the entrance. When I made my way inside I found that it housed a magnificent temple within its depths, but this temple was empty. There were no priests or worshipers or Gorons of any kind there, and there was no trace of the treasure. Unfortunately, my presence disturbed the dodongos, as well as your fabulous Goron-eating dragon, but there was nothing to be done. I wonder, why would such a sacred space have been abandoned?"

Why indeed. And what's this treasure you were seeking? Zelda wanted to ask, but instead she took another sip of tea. Ganondorf watched her lift the cup to her mouth, his gaze lingering on her fingers. He saw that she saw him watching, and he looked away before drinking deeply from his own cup. Based on the condensation on its surface, it was more than likely filled with ice water.

"Next I went to the Zora," he eventually said, setting his cup down on a pile of books. Zelda cringed at the thought of the ring it would leave but held her tongue as Ganondorf began to pace around the room.

"I was able to meet with King Ralis, but the audience was an insult, a circle of pleasantries that led nowhere. My business was with the queen, but she was nowhere to be found, and I was prevented from making further inquiries. I was also prevented from meeting with the princess. Ruto has always been diligent in our correspondence, and so I tried, night after night, to find a way to send word to her."

Zelda felt a stab of jealousy. Why had Ruto not told her of this? But no, she realized, Ruto would not have informed her about Ganondorf's visits, as she apparently hadn't been told herself. The jealousy she felt had nothing to do with a lapse in her friendship with Ruto and everything to do with Ganondorf's estimation of his relationship with the Zora princess. Even though Ganondorf's back was turned, Zelda was careful to keep her face neutral.

"It was in Hyrule that I was finally able to uncover the reason why the Zora kept me at a fin's length. One of their diplomats told me that the large fish they call Jabun lives in a glacial lake in the mountains above their domain, and they believe that this creature regulates the temperature of the water that flows downstream. It has recently become agitated, and those in the Zora royal family responsible for its care have become concerned with its health – and with the livelihood of their own people. Like the Gorons, the Zora also have a treasure from Hyrule, and this treasure seems to have doubled as a symbol of their covenant with Jabun. I assumed the Zora princess would keep this treasure on her person, but she's no longer in possession of it."

"And how do you know that?" Zelda snapped, unable to help herself from imagining a meeting between Ganondorf and Ruto that was far more friendly than their own had been when she first encountered him in the hallway outside the castle library.

He turned and looked at her sharply. She felt herself blushing, and the corner of his mouth turned up in a crooked smile. "I observed the ritual feeding of Jabun. It went... poorly," he said, shaking his head. "Afterward, I was able to track the princess's movements quite closely, and I overheard a conversation between her and a pair of older priestesses. She was distraught, and they were unkind. They believe that the Zora's Sapphire is the key to the ritual, and they blamed Ruto for its disappearance."

"Zora's Sapphire? That's the stone on Ruto's signet ring. Is that the 'treasure' you were looking for?"

Ganondorf nodded. "It is. The Gorons have a ruby, and there's an emerald hidden deep within the Lost Woods. I believe these three jewels possess extraordinary magical power, and I wanted to ascertain the nature of this power for myself."

"Why?"

"I myself didn't know why, not at first. I was researching Hylian relics that would have survived multiple instances of the calamity, and these jewels are three of the oldest existent artifacts in Hyrule."

"But..." Zelda frowned. "The Kokiri Emerald is nothing more than a myth. Generations of treasure hunters have gone into the Lost Woods seeking it, but it's never been found. So many of the people searching for it have disappeared that we no longer send our soldiers to rescue them."

When Ganondorf didn't respond, Zelda was struck with a flash of intuition. "Don't tell me... Don't tell me you've tried to go there yourself."

Ganondorf's face warmed with a slight smile. "Are you worried for my safety?"

Zelda remembered the haunted and skeletal face of a young woman who had recently been found wandering along the border of the southern forest. She could remember nothing, not even her own name, so the soldiers entrusted with her care had brought her to the castle. Zelda interviewed this woman herself, but all she could do was mutter feverishly about how the moon would fall in three days.

"Yes," Zelda answered Ganondorf's question honestly. "I am worried."

"I appreciate your concern," he said as he sat down beside her, "but you need not be. You wanted to know where I was before I met you outside the library?"

"You went to the forest," Zelda said in a flat voice, annoyed at herself for not having put the pieces together earlier.

"I did," Ganondorf replied.

"And did you speak with the Kokiri?"

"I did not."

"It's said that they use magic to make their city impossible to enter. Were you able to find it?"

Ganondorf gave her an odd look. "The Kokiri have no city."

"Excuse me?"

"Do you not know?"

"Know what?"

Ganondorf let out a slow breath and leaned back into the cushions beside her. Zelda wanted to fire a volley of questions at him, but she held herself back.

"Do you want more tea?" Ganondorf asked.

"I want to know what you're talking about," Zelda snapped. She looked down at her half-empty teacup and felt a twinge of remorse. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's just, it's difficult for me to process everything you're saying. I want to get to the bottom of this."

"It's I who should apologize to you." Ganondorf sat up and reached for her hand. She set her cup down and gave it to him, and he intertwined his fingers with hers. "I haven't talked with anyone about any of this," he admitted, "and I don't know the best way to go about it."

"I should have spoken to you before now."

"I wanted to speak with you as well, but the visions set me on edge."

Zelda didn't know how to respond, and they were both silent for a moment. The warmth of Ganondorf's palm was comforting, and she began stroking his thumb with her own.

"Why don't you tell me about the Kokiri?" she prompted. "What do you mean that they don't have a city?"

Ganondorf squeezed her hand. "Properly speaking," he began, "there is no such thing as the Kokiri tribe. Small creatures called Koroks inhabit the Kokiri Forest. They resemble leafless Deku Scrubs, but they occasionally appear as Gerudo – and, I would assume, as Hylians – when talking with people from outside the forest. They live freely wherever they wish under the protection of the Deku Tree, which speaks as the voice of the forest when necessary. These creatures are collectively referred to as a tribe for the sake of political exigency, but they have no culture or society as we would think of them as such."

"But..." Zelda's head was spinning. "They send representatives at the behest of their elder. I assume the title of 'the Great Deku Tree' is an inherited position?"

"The Deku Tree is literally a true. An ancient and enormous tree, but a tree nonetheless."

"Why did we not know?"

Ganondorf smiled and squeezed her hand again. "With all due respect, Zelda, I think many people who live outside the walls of your city do know. You need to leave the castle more often."

Zelda could feel herself flush pink with embarrassment. "So," she said, changing the subject, "did you find this tree?"

"I did."

"How did you not get lost in the woods?"

"Like the Sheikah, the Gerudo have methods of seeing through illusions. It took me several attempts, but I eventually made it deep enough into the forest to find the Deku Tree."

"And did you ask it about the Kokiri Emerald?"

"I did, but it was not a pleasant conversation. It told me, in no uncertain terms, that it had sent the jewel away from the forest in order to prevent it from falling into my hands. It said that it had foreseen my coming, and that it would do everything within its considerable ability to stop me."

"Did you explain why you're seeking these jewels?"

Ganondorf shook his head as he released her hand. "I'm afraid that I don't know myself."

Zelda smiled and took the opportunity to pluck the stray leaf that had become lodged in a tangle of his hair. "Maybe you just haven't tried to explain yourself to anyone yet," she offered. "Why don't you give it a shot?"

Ganondorf took Zelda's teacup from where she had set it down and drained it before answering her. "I don't know why or how, but those three jewels may be the keys that open the door to the Sacred Realm. I have to enter the Sacred Realm. I have to find the source of the calamity, and I have to find the power to stop it."

"Did you tell this to the Deku Tree? That you're trying to save Hyrule?"

"It told me that mortals have no business in the Sacred Realm. As if that makes a difference. The tree is ancient and wise, but it is a tree, and it knows nothing of the urgency of human lives."

"I might agree with the Deku Tree," Zelda said, trailing her fingers along Ganondorf's jaw. "Not even my family knows exactly what the Sacred Realm is, or even whether it exists at all. Explain to me why it's so urgent that you find these jewels. Why can't you wait until you have the cooperation of their keepers?"

Ganondorf raised his hand to cover hers. "I want to live, Zelda," he said. "I don't want to die, and I don't want anyone to die with me – or for me, or whatever I may become. I must have the power to end the calamity before it can happen."

His eyes were shining with a fierce determination that Zelda found both disturbing and strangely entrancing. There was something in the lines of his face that was oddly familiar to her, a shadow out of time. She blinked, and suddenly she recognized the violent intensity of the wizard whom she had seen destroy the tower.

"Are you sure you're not becoming the calamity yourself? Even now?" As the words left her mouth, Zelda was almost shocked at the low tone of her voice, which offered a clear invitation.

"And what if I were?" He raised himself so that he was leaning over her, his face inches away from hers. "What if me becoming the calamity is the only way to stop it?"

"There must be another way," Zelda murmured as she pressed the tip of her index finger onto his lower lip. "Maybe we should get to work on finding those jewels."

Ganondorf grinned, and in a split second his lips were on hers. Zelda leaned backward, and Ganondorf covered her, pressing his body against hers. She could feel the stiffness forming at his waist along the side of her leg, and she shifted herself slightly to grind into it. He gasped in pleasure, and then his tongue was in her mouth, hot and demanding. She welcomed him, and then he was above her, all hardness and muscle and desire to please.

How dare he, a voice hissed in her mind, and Zelda went cold. Suddenly it was as if she were watching herself from above, and she felt the same sense of unbalance that she had experienced at the start of her visions.

"Stop," she said, and he did. Ganondorf went suddenly still, like the eye of a storm, and slowly separated himself from her.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm doing, I... I barely know anything about you," she muttered. She wanted to keep touching him, to draw him back to her, but she forced herself to sit up and stand.

"I should go back," she stammered. "It's late, and – "

"There's no need to apologize," Ganondorf interrupted in a strained voice. His face was turned away from her, and his eyes were closed. "But, if you want to know about me," he continued, "then you need to find the truth about my mother. And yours as well."

Zelda nodded. She realized that he wasn't watching her, but she didn't know what to say. Her thoughts raced through her head in different directions. She didn't know how she would make it back to her own quarters without being observed, but she would find a way.

The Goddess grant me wisdom, she recited in her mind before heading toward the door.

"Talk to Link," Ganondorf said from behind her, his words so quiet that she could barely hear him. "He knows more about this than he would ever admit to either of us."

( Link to Chapter Eighteen: The Boy from the Forest )

#Princess Zelda #Ganondorf #Zelgan #The Legend of the Princess #my fic

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botwriter · 7 years

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Rewritten, Chapter 1: The Appointed Knight

Read this on Fanfiction.net ➜

The knighting ceremony was held on a sunny morning. The newest graduates of the military camp were to be given their proper title, along with all the pomp and tradition that came with being called a Knight. There was more excitement in the air during this one, more stifled whispers and knowing grins as the lucky (hardworking) few made their way to the Sacred Grounds where King Rhoam and their audience was waiting. However, today was different. There was someone everyone had come to see. Or, something.

Link hadn’t always been the strong silent type. In fact, since becoming the chosen Hero of the Master Sword, his friends noticed him changing. He was more of a jokester before, outgoing, friendly and perpetually cheerful, but with the sword on his back he didn’t feel much like Link. He had a duty. And him having the sword now, after ten thousand years had past since it was last needed, was not a good omen. Knight training was no longer for grandeur or petty criminals. He would have to use this sword, and not just for himself, for everyone - if the prophecy was true. There was skepticism in the rumor mill whether the legend was real or not, but the red flags were popping up more and more.

Link hadn’t paid much attention before. Now, his attention piqued at any mention of Guardians, the excavated shrines, or Ganon. He had a bigger part to play, and the burden weighed down on his shoulders, a heavy responsibility, knowing eyes were on him today and the shiny blue sword on his back.

Thankfully, through all the words and rituals, a breeze kept the Sacred Grounds from being unbearably warm on such a clear sunny day. As Link and two of his colleagues knelt, he kept his eyes focused on the stone ahead, but listened intently to every word the King recited. He had a hunch that over time, he would have a closer relationship with the King than he probably wanted. Well… now that he was officially a Knight, and not just a trainee that happened to have the Master Sword. He had met the Champions already, mostly just a quick civility, though Mipha - the Zora champion - had become a particular fan of his. Even so, how was he supposed to live up to that title? He was just a kid still, freshly seventeen - even young man felt like a stretch. The other Champions were already so accomplished, incredibly respected by their people. He couldn’t help feeling like he had a long ways to go, and if Calamity Ganon was returning, he might not be waiting around for Link to become fully prepared.

Princess Zelda had come to this ceremony, Link noticed, which was out of the norm. Tearing his blue gaze away from the stones for just a moment, he could make out the bottom of her dress, a little ways behind King Rhoam, hands clasped politely in front of her. He had met her before, briefly, just in a professional setting, a civility she showed to the Knight trainees. But since receiving the sword, he had noticed her gaze more and more. What feeling was behind it, he was unsure, but surely it was just curiosity at his new Champion title. She was well-acquainted with the others, after all, more than he was.

When the ceremony was over, the three stood up. Link could feel Polly casting him a glance next to him, and he glanced back for a brief moment to see her wink at him. He barely managed a smile before looking forwards again, his eyes meeting King Rhoam’s at apparently the right moment.

“Furthermore,” the king continued his previous speech, before the crowd was able to disperse - “I am happy to announce that our new graduate and Champion, Link, will be my daughter, Princess Zelda’s, appointed knight.”

Only clever onlookers could have seen the identical reactions of both Link and Zelda. Completely taken aback, but only for the briefest moment, before manners kicked back in. Link lifted his chin a little, taking in a breath and hoping that this, paired with the sword, would finally appease his father’s wishes. He stole a glance towards the Princess, who was staring coolly at him, pursed her lips all the slightly, and then returned a softer gaze towards her father.

What was that? Was she embarrassed to have it announced in front of everyone? To be honest, Link wasn’t even sure what it would entail, but was sure he’d hear more about his expectations from King Rhoam. In the moment, he figured it was more for show, but it wouldn’t be long before he’d learn how wrong he was. When the crowd had finally petered out, Link waited behind. He noticed Zelda beginning to leave before the King urged her to hang back.

“Link,” Rhoam finally addressed him, and instinctively the boy knelt, elbow resting on his knee and eyes to the ground. The King laughed heartily in response.

“As you were, boy,” he assured him, and Link stood up after a moment’s hesitation.

“Thank you, sir,” he replied politely, doing everything in his power to not look over the man’s shoulders at the Princess, who he could feel staring at him. Rhoam stepped sideways, to better address both Link and Zelda at the same time.

“Now, I want to lay down some expectations, so everyone understands this arrangement. It has been ten thousand years since Calamity Ganon last arose, and attempted to destroy Hyrule - my kingdom,” he began, and both Link and Zelda were a quiet audience, listening intently to a legacy they had heard several times before. “In case the Master Sword revealing itself to you is not just chance - in case these omens are… legitimate,” Rhoam continued, looking thoughtfully towards the castle before returning his intent look at the two of them, “I demand that the Princess have protection. Zelda, it is no secret to me that you enjoy wandering outside the Castle Town, and it may be necessary for your prayer. Now, it is also necessary for you to have appropriate protection, should the worst come to fruition during our time.”

“Father-”

“Ten thousand years ago, the Princess and her appointed Knight were responsible for Calamity Ganon’s downfall,” Rhoam interrupted Zelda, and she immediately dipped her head. “The importance of this arrangement may go over your heads now. But I expect nothing less than obedience from an appointed Knight of Hyrule - and my daughter, even moreso,” the King added, finally stopping for a bigger breath, “That is all. Link, please keep an eye on Zelda while she is out of the Castle. Zelda, you are allowed your privacy within these walls, as always - so long as you are dedicated to your task.”

And that was it. As the King left, Zelda looked expectantly at Link for a moment, but he could not think of anything to say. If her eyes were kinder, if she was smiling, if she was - well, if he knew her at all or better, he would probably have some reassuring words, but at the moment he drew a blank. This didn’t seem to help, since after a moment of silence, the girl simply let out a quiet - and worse, disappointed sounding scoff, before following along behind her father.

Clouds passed between the sun and the earth. Link waited a few peaceful moments before heading back towards the Castle, a safe distance behind Zelda. Great start.

The first order of official business came only days later. The Goron Champion, Daruk, had suggested an official ceremony for Link to be named Appointed Knight. Even though Zelda had seemed less than inclined - even Link wasn’t fond of the idea, but he didn’t let this show - the Princess finally gave in to the Goron’s enthusiasm. They found themselves back at the Sacred Grounds, in the evening this time, but Link spent some time alongside Mipha beforehand.

“You will do great things,” she reassured him, as the two of them sat near a pond not far from the grounds.

“I’m - I just graduated from Knight training. This is… normally it would be an experienced Knight, not a kid.”

“You’re not a child,” Mipha protested, her bright hazel eyes wide. Link looked back at her with skepticism, and then had to struggle for a moment to not let his lingering crush get in the way. He could get lost in her eyes far too fast. She was breathtakingly pretty, and not at all subtle about how much she liked him. He felt like she was one he could really open up to. At least for now.

“That means a lot, coming from a Zora,” Link replied with a small grin, and Mipha looked at him in confusion for a moment before laughing. She trailed off after a moment, blinking softly at him and placing one webbed hand over his.

“I don’t know a soul in Hyrule who doesn’t believe in the legendary Hero,” she said thoughtfully, and as Link stared back into her eyes, for a moment he believed her. “You and Zelda - this is destiny,” she added, though there was a sadder tinge to her voice, but she quickly digressed. “Now come on, Hero. The Princess has agreed to officially appointing you as her Knight. That is a start,” the Champion added with a suspicious smile. So she knew that the two of them weren’t well acquainted yet. That was embarrassing.

Zelda was wearing the same outfit she wore the day of the Knighting Ceremony. Now, as he knelt before her alone, with the four other Champions as his audience, he felt more nervous than ever. But he kept composure, helpless under the Princess’ steeled gaze as she recited - in all her uninterest - the words that made him her official Appointed Knight. It was easy to tell that she wasn’t pleased. Link could hear vague whispers from the other Champions, but he kept his eyes shut, not wanting to display any sort of emotion; he was one of them. He had to be professional. Right?

Revali was the least interested of the few. Although Daruk had at least tried to be hushed in his concerns, Revali wasn’t, but Zelda also seemed unconcerned that Link could hear the Rito literally shit-talking him from four feet away. It wasn’t like him to start conflict, however, and he pretended not to hear. And in a way, he agreed with the bird. What good did this do, if Zelda herself didn’t want to do it? Her words, rather than inspiring hope in Link, were stewing his fear of failure. He blocked out the voices. It’s a good thing he did, as Urbosa was re-iterating a common theme - that Link himself was simply a living reminder of Zelda’s own shortcomings. That when she looked at him, she felt disappointment in herself; that his achievement with the Master Sword meant she was behind as a Champion herself, a failure to the royal family, a Princess to nothing if Hyrule could not be saved by her family’s sealing powers.

But the Knight, for all his perception, had yet to realise this. He simply felt disliked. A burden on the Princess, yet all he could do was devote his life to her, train to protect her, follow her to the ends of Hyrule in search of her power. Despite her resentment at requiring a chaperone, despite her stinging tone of voice during the ceremony, all Link could do was admire her ethic. She worked desperately hard. She cared for Hyrule so genuinely, that even with the rumors about her sleeping power and throne, no one in the land spoke poorly of her. She was a truly kind soul. Link’s duty was a privilege. His silence was respect. But he had no clue how to reassure her, or help her, in the way that he felt she really needed. Not without coming off as condescending or out of place. Better to say nothing.

Zelda, meanwhile, had finished the ceremony - and true to what Urbosa had said, found it difficult to look at the Knight with respect. She had seen him before, training as a Knight, clearly excelling in his class, laughing at the good times and serious when needed, but he had been nothing but silent after finding the Master Sword and becoming her Knight. Was it her? Was she the reason for his silence? Did he just… not want to do this? Oh, she wished she could just shut off her responsibility, just forget that she could be responsible for the well-being of the entire Kingdom, her father’s legacy, and living up to the destiny her mother and grandmother had left her. The burden she bared was nothing compared to that toy on his back, revealed to him with no trial or test. And even now, he could do nothing but stare under long eyelashes at the stone beneath his feet than meet her gaze.

Link heard the princess sigh and turn, walking towards the castle. She was done. He waited a short moment before getting slowly to his feet. The winds picked up, and a familiar gust whacked the back of his head before Revali had taken off for home. Mipha laid a hand on his shoulder, Urbosa gave him a curt nod, and Daruk scratched the back of his head nervously. Link gave him a slightly bored look.

“This was your fault.”

“I KNOW. I’m sorry, Little Guy. I thought it would be - er - an icebreaker, for you two,” the Goron explained helpfully, and Link sighed and stifled a smile.

“It’s okay. I appreciate the thought, Daruk,” Link said simply, casting a small smile at the remaining three Champions.

“We’ll see you soon, Link,” Urbosa said abruptly. “Zelda wants you to acquaint yourself with the Divine Beasts. I think she said Medoh was first,” the Gerudo mused, then shrugged. Link’s shoulders dropped. Of course Rito Village was first.

“Whatever it may be... call on us if you need.”

Link nodded simply in response, casting Urbosa a relieved smile before the Gerudo, Goron, and Zora left to their respective homes. The Knight looked towards his home - caught a glimpse of Zelda’s hair in the sunlight, still on her way back, and broke into a jog to follow her until the castle walls.

#breath of the wild #botw #breath of the wild fanfiction #botw fanfiction #loz #zelda #zelda fanfiction #loz fanfiction #zelink #zelink fanfiction

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