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lovelybrooke · 1 year

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Yandere BOTW concept.

This is going to be kind of different from my other recent writings, because I'm trying to write more romantic yanderes. There are some characters like Zelda who I'm not actually sure will be romantic or platonic, so it'll be pretty vague. Also, please no spoilers for Tears of the Kingdom. If you are going to comment or send requests, please have it only pertain to Breath of the Wild, thank you.

You were a hylian scientist and researcher, obsessed with the technology of old. When you were younger, you would explore ruins, read books, build Knick knacks. Your dreams were filled with becoming a researcher and going on epic adventures. As you got older, you realized being a scientist was less of going on adventures and more of reading and writing long papers. It didn't deter you from your dream but motivated you to work harder.

Your research later in life focused on Sheikah technology, primarily the shrines and their functionality. While you weren't a Sheikah, your research and knowledge were able to gain the trust of Purah and Robbie, quickly becoming a trio and joining them on their research on the ancient technology.

Purah and Robbie were very upbeat, so your calm and collected personality was able to mellow them out a bit. Purah is your self-proclaimed "best friend". She heard about you thought some of the other researchers working with the excavation team. They were shocked to see a hylian wanting to research the ancient technology, showing a major interest in the Divine Beasts in particular. This peaked Purah's interest, which caused her to tell Robbie about you, who was equally as interested, which led to where you are today.

Robbie, similar to Purah, was outgoing and focused. Robbie was able to connect with you with your shared love for ancient machinery. Both of you would often spend your time gushing about robots and guardians, which would cause some jealousy in Purah but overall, they were both eager to talk to Zelda about you exploring the Divine Beast for your studies. They both knew about your potential and knew you could go far places if given the chance.

Zelda was very interested in you. She was shocked to hear about you wanting to study the Divine Beasts from Purah and Robbie, but thought that if they trusted and respected you, you must've been capable. At first, she was worried you were going to be just as reckless as the other too but was pleasantly surprised to find you were more on the mellow side. You too quickly hit it off, sharing all of your research to each other. The princess was filled with childlike wonder at all you knew and was very willing to have you explore the Beasts if it would further your research. She fully believed you would be able to make some discoveries that could prove useful. The only constraint was she wished for you to take her knight with you, for your own safety. In honesty, it was more for her own peace of mind since she didn't want you to get hurt.

This is when your relationship with Link started. Link, like with everyone else, was quiet and stilted, even with you, regardless of any conversations you tried to have with him, he remained wordless throughout your whole time together. However, he wasn't all that bad. Link was able to sense danger even before you were and was always quick to protect you. You could constantly feel his gaze on you, even when you thought he wasn't around, which never failed to send a chill up your spine.

Either way, you were excited to travel all over Hyrule. Your first destination was Zora's domain to discover Divine Beast Vah Ruta. You were excited to meet the newly appointed Champions, and you've heard wonderful things about Lady Mipha, so you were buzzing with joy on your way to the domain. During the journey, you were surprised to find out that this isn't his first time at the domain and that he would spend his time there as a child. You asked him why he hasn't visited, him explaining remorsefully that he hasn't had the since becoming the princesses' sworn protector. You apologized to him and encouraged him to relax during his time at the domain, and that you would be fine on your own. He looked surprised, but denied, claiming it was his duty to protect you.

Mipha was very sweet, if not somewhat shy at times, and was very open to letting you explore Ruta. She was patient with letting you explore and take notes, spending most of her time watching you with Link, attempting to make conversation with her old friend. She was easily able to see Link's gaze fixated on you, even as she was talking to him. His gaze never left you, but she chocked it up to making sure the princesses friend remained safe. She only got time with Link alone when you were meeting her younger brother. Sidon was enamored with you, instantly developing a puppy crush on you. He just thought you were so cool and smart, he never got to leave Zoras domain, so seeing someone so knowledgeable made him fill with wonder. He was very sad when Link dragged you away from him, claiming you had to leave soon so you wouldn't waste time.

It took a few days to make it too Rito village, you couldn't go to visit Vah Rudania due to the heat of the volcano. It was awkward sharing a horse with Link as he was so stoic. Even though, he encouraged you to hold on tight to him as the terrain around Rito village could be rough. Your face warmed as you held onto his waist, especially when he didn't seem fazed as you held him.

Visiting Rito village was very fun, but extremely cold. You shivered the entire time you were there, which got you some funny looks from the Rito. Actually getting on to the Divine Beast was a challenge though because of Revali. You wondered how he was able to become a champion. He was so self-centered, gloating about his wonderful ability to cause updrafts, even going as far as to poke fun of Link. Either way, you remained patient, eventually getting onto Vah Medoh with the help of the egotistical Rito. It was hard to get him to stay quiet as you took notes. He constantly wanted to know what you were writing and would give you unsolicited feedback to write down, almost like he was trying to impress you.

Eventually, you did have to leave, as the cold became unbearable. Reluctantly, Revali help you down and encouraged you to come visit again, next time without your 'Hylien friend' as he called Link. He didn't seem happy about that.

On your way to Gerudo Village, your relationship with Link grew on your study mission. He became more open, telling you about how he feels as though the world is on his shoulders, how he's thankful he could get away from everything with you, even if its still work. He taught you how to cook, and promised to take you back to his home in Hateno village so he can make you even better meals.

Arriving at Gerudo village, you immediately were missing the cold of Rito village. Link was very reluctant to leave you as you went into the village. You were kind of put off by his behavior, but you assumed it was due to his promise to the Princess. Urbosa was very polite, offering you a small tour around the village and was very good at keeping you safe. Urbosa couldn't help but giggle at Links clear discomfort at you not staying close to him.

Once you journey came to an end, you arrived back to Castle Town to a very worried Zelda. The entire time you two were gone, she was racked with worry, the monster attacks becoming more frequent. She pulled you away from Link, him following quick behind, to go over your notes, very proud of all the research you found. Zelda was very relieved to see you come how unharmed. She knew Link could protect you, but she didn't want her dear friend to get hurt.

Zelda could instantly pick up on the change in Link's behavior. He stood very close to you, constantly watched you, and was holding back anger whenever you got to close to anyone. Zelda was partly jealous. She knew there was a chance Link would get close to you, but she didn't expect this. She didn't want one of her few friends to be taken from her, she couldn't let it happen, especially now that you've piqued the interest of Champions.

A/n: Sorry if this is heavily Linked focused. I would love to write more for this, and try to write more Romantic yanderes, but this could be vague so I apologize. Please reblog, like, and comment if you enjoyed.

#yandere x reader #soft yandere #platonic yandere #yandere breath of the wild #breath of the wild x reader #breath of the wild #yandere legend of zelda #legend of zelda x reader

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aikoiya · 7 months

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LoZ - Yiga!Link is a Riot

I gotta say that the concept of Yiga!Link is effing hilarious. Especially if it's Zelink.

Because, think about it.

In this situation, Ganon has literally everything lined up perfectly. Link, his eons-long, multi-life arch-nemesis is essentially his minion & he likely doesn't even know it.

Kid's probably deep into the sauce too, man.

Then, either along comes this pretty little princess & he's like, "yeah, sorry bro, but I'm gettin' me some of that." Maybe he was kidnapped as a baby & Link & Zelda met previously as kids? Maybe she did something for him that he'd never forgotten, then when they remeet, she does something for him that seals a huge crush on her, & thus can't bring himself to kill her? I dunno, there's a lot of ways this could go. OR, he learns personally that he's the Chosen Hero, the very person he's supposed to despise & kill. Meaning that if the other members learn about it, they'll likely kill him. His whole life comes crashing down around him. The first blow to the cult's programming.

Like, it'd just be such a power move on destiny's part.

Like, as dangerous as Ganon obviously is, he simply does not win for very long. He always looses eventually.

And this would just cement that fact. Like, he had his effing arch-nemesis in the palm of his fucking hand & didn't even know it & he'll still fucking lose.

I dunno about you, but I'd be pretty damn demoralized after that.

I might just need the next 10,000 years dead before my next reincarnation to mentally recover.

---

At the same time, it does make me wonder. Why do non-Sheikah Yiga stick with them? Like, we know the reason why the Yiga was originally formed. A Hylian King from 10,000 years ago forced the Sheikah to decommission their technology, fearing it'd bring about Hyrule's demise. (Which, despite how unfair it was, he was... actually right. Makes me wonder if he actually learned that the Sheikah Tech could be taken over. Maybe he'd been an accomplished mage & had managed to use his magic to take control of the machines, then realizing that he likely wouldn't be around for the next Calamity, he ordered the Sheikah to find a way to prevent the machines from being possessed by magic. But no matter what they did, they couldn't manage to figure it out, or maybe they did for a while, but the king kept testing them to make sure it was fixed. However, much like hacking in real life, there will always be new ways to exploit the system, thus the king was left with no choice but to decommission them.)

But, anyway, what exactly do they tell their members to get them to want to stay? Hell, why were they even still a thing in BotW? Why hadn't they made their move? There were no more guards, or soldiers, only a few trained Sheikah, all of which were either too old to keep fighting or were swiftly getting there, & there'd been no royal family besides Zelda, who was keeping Calamity Ganon sealed away.

Why didn't they take over the rest of Hyrule, asserting their dominance & killing all the loyalists so that when the Hero returned, he'd be an outlaw, thus making his journey harder? (It certainly wouldn't have been the first time something like that would've happened in the series.) In fact, why reveal themselves to him when they meet? Just wait till his back is turned, then Eightfold Blade him in the back! Or have a Yiga replace the Sheikah & Hylian innkeepers/Stable Managers, then when Link rents a bed for the night, give him a poisoned complementary meal! Then, when he collapses, just execute him!

It's that easy! Or it should be, because they're effing ninja!

I mean, they were perfectly fine with killing Dorian's wife, who Dorian had been a member of the Yiga before, thus they've no issue with the act of killing.

Which, btw, why didn't they instead kidnap her, maybe even his daughters too, & use them as blackmail to keep him under their thumb?

LoZ Wild Masterlist

LoZ My Fanfic Masterlist

#loz #legend of zelda #botw #totk #breath of the wild #tears of the kingdom #zelink #yiga link #hilarious

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bahbahhh · 6 months

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fic masterlist

currents the true story of mipha's grace. NPC POV (Mipha) | BotW | multichapter | rated T | incomplete - on hiatus

A thematic successor to "desire path" and "thank you for listening" in which we are getting zelink from a NPC POV as well as a metaphor through nature. I wanted to give Mipha some love because I often seen (and have done this myself) her placed in a negative or shallow light with respect to Link and Zelda's relationship in botw. I also believe deeply you can love someone completely and not be meant for each other and that is okay. Follows Mipha's diary entries/Champions' Ballad.

begin again - also posted on tumblr A story for @zelinkcommunity zelink week 2023 set between BotW and Totk. A stab at explaining lots of the changes seen in TotK, specifically what happens to the Sheikah Technology. Zelda POV | pre -TotK | multichapter | rated T | complete!

The Calamity is gone. The remaining leaders of Hyrule gather for a Summit to determine the future of the kingdom, starting with how to repurpose all the Sheikah Technology. Zelda is among them, and while everyone still calls her Princess, she’s not sure she wants to lay claim to an old throne. What she really wants is to move on. She wants to continue her research, to prove her worth beyond her bloodline, and to spend as much time with Link as she can…which sounds an awful lot like what she wanted a hundred years ago…

desire path for @zelinktines24 2023 for the prompt “Oh no” NPC POV (Impa) | pre-BotW | rated G | oneshot - complete!

Impa is given a secret assignment from the King just before she is to escort Zelda and Link back to Kakariko Village for the festival of Sahasra’s Pass: make sure their arrangement is not creating “unnecessary distractions.” It seems silly for the King to be so concerned about such an implausible matter. Anyone with two eyes can see they clearly despise each other. Impa forgets she has three.

✨ amazing fanart from @marimbles

✨amazing fanart from @pitchblackespresso like someone would for @zelinkcommunity Zelink week 2022 for the prompt "statue" A love letter to side quests. Link POV | BotW | rated M | multichapter | complete!

Her voice is the string of reassurances and warnings whispered in his ear from the moment he opened his eyes. She calls out for your help. So he goes, underprepared and overconfident, in the opposite direction of Kakariko Village because a hundred years is long enough and a princess needs his help and he was someone once. (Or, Link realizes destiny is awfully hard thing to shake.)

thank you for listening NPC POV (Kass) | post BotW |rated G | short and sweet | complete!

The ancient songs collected, his teacher’s last ballad complete, and still Kass can’t help but miss the thrill of the strange Hylian’s company. With his ever patient ear, often turned deliberately toward the accordion with his eyes closed, it was like the melody was more than just a pleasant tune. Like Kass was offering a prayer and Link was waiting for an answer.

windows for @zelinkcommunity opposites attract community event. In collaboration with @aheavenscorner who made this AMAZING artwork. ✨ Link and Zelda POV | post BotW | rated T | oneshot- complete!

Twelve years after the events of Tears of the Kingdom, the Master Sword tells Link it is finally time to put it back.

The Killing Moon BotW 1.5 before we got TotK so it's one giant guessing game leading up to what we see in the trailers. Also features my guess at the title, which I'll pat myself on the back, was pretty damn close. Heavy angst, deep dive into PTSD/trauma* Link POV | BotW 1.5 | rated E | multichapter | complete!

She asks if he remembers her. He doesn’t answer. There is quiet longing between them in moments when they are alone that Link still cannot place. He thinks he needs time but Hyrule won’t grant them peace. Especially not when there is a kingdom to rebuild and the Blood Moon still rises. But Link doesn’t want to rebuild, he just wants-

✨author's notes

all I can think about is The best comment I’ve got of this fic remains “Sexy yet depressing?” Zelda POV| pre-totk | rated E NSFW* | must have ao3 to read | oneshot- complete!

drabbles and other smaller one shots

[last updated 11/1/2023]

#fic masterlist #bahbahhhwrites

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waywardsalt · 11 months

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im actually going to tear into totk’s dragon’s tears/ memories rn bc i remember feeling distinctly unsatisfied with them when i got all of them so im just going to write some general bullet points about them, about what i dislike or maybe what i do actually like about them, leaving out both master sword scenes and the mummydorf one because i’m here to talk about the stuff in the past not that

- off the bat (i play this game in english btw so all of this is based on the english text and translation i am aware some stuff is slightly different in other languages) im not really a fan of how the descriptions of all of the tears is just a literal description of what happens?? i think my issue with it is that some of the text is a little bit too in depth, as in it just tells you literally everything about the scene. this might be nitpick-y but i personally dont like it

- what’s up with zelda saying ‘but that must mean...!’ at the end of the scene. is it suggesting that she’s made the realization that rauru and sonia are the first king and queen of hyrule? because they literally tell her that like ten seconds before. i guess it’s suggesting she’s realizing she’s in the past but... idk the texts says ‘she’s left startled by a suspicion that she’s heard those names before’ yeah theyre the first king and queen of hyrule?? they tell her that. they tell her their names and that they are the first leaders of hyrule is she just now connecting the dots that she’s in the past? that’s what the next cutscene implies. but all of the surrounding dialogue and the description don’t suggest that that’s what she’s realizing i feel like this was kind of muddled in the translation

- why did sonia elbow rauru he was just standing weird he didnt say anything this isnt a nitpick im just confused. is it because he’s not being very empathetic towards what zelda’s going through? she elbows him and then she goes and talks to zelda why even elbow rauru. ordinarily you elbow someone like that if you mean for them to go do something why elbow someone if you’re going to do the thing you want anyways

- why doesnt zelda offer to help with the purah pad or anything like that. what happened to her sheikah tech fascination from botw. not even as someone actually familiar with the technology who could give mineru some points as to how it works

- what are sonia and zelda doing behind rauru when he shoots that insane fucking beam at the mulduga swarm they’re clearly doing something with their stones but like... are they amplifying rauru’s power somehow?? what do time powers have to do with the beam of light i dont- what were they doing please the text description only mentions him using his powers so are sonia and zelda just... supporting his powers? idk man

- dragon tear #5 is a whole can of worms with its worse-than-oot reenactment of that one scene from oot. why the focus on sonia and her tear btw. i mean yeah she dies to motivate rauru and zelda but like. why not aim for the new girl who probably doesn’t know how to use it as much and is probably more likely to be separate from the king who can shot insane lasers. im really not a fan of this scene for how strongly the game sides with rauru and zelda being passive and judgemental but ganondorf is literally the best part of it there’s a lot of character in just how he picks up his sword and stands up to leave

- putting memories 6 and 7 together just because of how there was just. no fucking care put into the idea of zelda learning to use her time powers. memory 6 zelda talks about wanting to use her time powers and sonia gives her tips on how she could use it and visualize the use of it and then in memory 7 she can just use it perfectly with great control and timing. why even bother talking about her nothing yet understanding how to use it when the very next scene she just uses it like it’s nothing. how much time has passed we get nothing to show us zelda trying to practice this power just. nope. she’s good she can use it perfectly. also more awkward dialogue sonia saying ‘what a picture zelda paints of him’ as she is. looking directly at zelda. change the line to like, ‘what a picture you paint of him’ she is literally looking right at zelda so why would she say it like that

- generally i feel like memory six should have been before 4 and 5 (4 being where she uses some power to... support??? rauru and it being before memory 5 so that there isnt this weird break in between the memories concerning ganondorf.) memory 6 does not have anything to do with memory 4 or 5 so just put it earlier so there isnt a weird shift in focus between the two big ganondorf scenes

- good god they introduce the idea of sonia and zelda being aware of ganondorf using a fake zelda but theres literally nothing about it having been a problem or them having experience or like. anything. they just TELL you that they know and suggest that it’s been like. a thing for a bit??? also obligatory ganondorf’s face model rigging is fucked comment he’s still the best part

- the pacing of these memories is just weird in general, memories 7 and 8 being separate but the same scene is strange when other memories are long as fuck but cover one event each, plus theres clearly barely any passage of time between memories 7 and 8 it almost feels like they were split up to fill space or just because otherwise it’d be... too long? man idk

- ‘queen sonia needs you!’ girl she is DEAD good fucking luck doing anything to help her

- ganondorf’s horse and its armor both look sick as fuck i really wish you got to see more of it outside the memory it appears in

- everything about the original sages honestly sucks. they aren’t characters they’re just walking macguffins. they have no names and are not relevant or mentioned or make any appearance until they are needed by the story. why does the zora sage talk about getting word about the attacked gerudo village in this scene when like. they’ve all met up and have clearly. been together for a bit. when she gives them the news it’s clearly the first they’ve heard of it... but... why would she wait until this moments to give this info unless for the benefit of the player watching the scene. why does the ZORA sage have this news and not... the gerudo sage?? what’s with the masks. they’re all made of zonaite or whatever sure theyre gifts from rauru but like. i hate that it kind of denotes them being subservient and lower than him and the zonai. honestly i really hate this scene in general mostly because of the uncomfortable showing of how rauru absolutely holds power over them and despite them being leaders as well they are expected to be wholly blindly loyal to him. rauru only gives them these stones when he needs their aid and they swear loyalty too him soon after but you also see that sonia and mineru have stones, too, so they’re clearly withholding these things despite it being kind of reasonable for him to give each race their own secret stone as further proof of their pact? there is so much shit to be said about the imperialistic themes or whatever in this fucking story and i really hate it

- i do kinda like how the next scene shows you that the one rock in the corner of that first hidden room in the forgotten temple is sonia’s grave

- zelda’s phrasing and description of how she and link found ganondorf is weird to me ‘he’s still alive’ ‘he lives on’ girl that was a mummy. he was not moving until you got there. he’s undead at best as far as you know. this is def a nitpick but eh. also the reliance on link is a... bit odd when zelda does not actually know that link is safe until she gets the master sword. its fine but still. also her shell-shocked expression after rauru talks about her being in the past for a reason is a bit... it doesn’t fit her emotion it’s kind of similar to the expression she had when sonia was killed

- the memory about the imprisoning war starts with practically the whole story up until now being repeated back to you by mineru with a decent amount of bias on mineru’s part and while it’s fine because of some of the extra stuff you learn but it does a lot more telling rather than showing when it comes to the actual imprisoning war and... idk the whole thing about their ‘fight’ kind of falls flat when you don’t actually see any fighting you just see that the sages have gotten their asses beat. i think it would have been a little interesting if in the god-awful repetitive sage-awakening scenes they had actually showed you the og sages fighting ganondorf instead of just. slow-mo freeze-frames for whatever. once again ganondorf if the best part of the scene

- the rest of the memories are fine idc

i get the feeling that the japanese-to-english translation was either all-around rough or somehow rushed, because some of the phrases in the game as well as some of the dialogue is really awkward and... could have been better. i don’t know how it works but it feels like a lot of it was very literal, direct translation and no one at noa thought that it ought to be tweaked just a little bit

these memories also do a fuck-ton of telling rather than showing and it really is like they don’t really trust you to connect the dots, and some of it does come off like they either didn’t want to make more memories or ran out of time or something. i felt like the memory of ganondorf just summoning his monsters and riding on his cool horse could have been a bit longer to actually show us the forces of hyrule fighting him and having a hard time with it

a lot of the character animations doesn’t have a whole lot of personality to them, ganondorf is the character who had the most distinct and interesting movements. rauru and sonia had their... singular movement (rauru putting a hand to his chin and sonia taking zelda’s hands) and zelda was kind of just... standing around and reacting to stuff, and neither mineru nor any of the other sages had any really interesting animations asides from mineru’s coughing fit in memory 16 (plus her reclining chair that was a nice touch). very few of their movements really express anything about the characters besides some really baseline values or traits.

the ordering of some memories is kind of odd, the excessive flashbacks in memory 17 are a bit much, the telling rather than showing, the sometimes awkward dialogue, a lot of the scenes are characters just... talking at each other, you don’t actually see very much of hyrule in the past or any characters beyond the main four, and it really did nothing to actually get me to care about these characters at all.

tldr i dont like totk’s dragon tears

#i didnt want to revisit this game but the memories in totk bother me. once im done with this tho i can go read my new volumes of berserk #salty talks #loz #legend of zelda #totk #literally the narrative of this game dragged the rest of the game through mud for me so im going to complain abt it more #any time i wanted to rewatch a part of a scene i have to sit through a few minutes of bullshit just to get to the point.#these things are so long and barely anything happens in them #half of these cutscenes are just characters standing around and talking theres so little actual character to most of the character movements #ganondorf has the most emotive and distinct movements in all of these scenes #they have the most personality and you get the most variety. with rauru and sonia its just. shes gentle n motherly hes uhhhh arrogant king #honest to god. i miss linebeck. i miss the way he was animated and the sheer amount of personality they gave him in every cutscene #fuck man i miss botw's memories. despite them being shorter (i'm pretty sure) i feel like there was more essence to them. more character #listen. i understand that gamedev is hard and so is writing and animating but like. this game is seventy fucking dollars.#despite him being so disappointingly one-note. ganondorf was the most interesting fucking character in these memories #finding the dragon's tears was fun but actually watching them was lame af #hey remember those posts i made about ph's cutscenes? maybe its the autism but i feel like i couldnt write those paragraphs abt totk #ig just. ph is my special interest and i have a negative bias against totk. if you think im dead wrong about this stuff go ahead.#i dont blame anyone for taking my words with a grain of salt. come to your own conclusions. if oyu like totk's memories cool!#anyways im done bye im gonna read berserk. which actually has a nuanced story and world and characters and a multi-faceted villain #totk spoilers #bitching abt totk

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hyde-nseek · 8 months

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Breath of the Wild Thoughts

A completely pointless essay.

I was first introduced to the Zelda series with Breath of the Wild, and that comes with some good and bad things. The biggest downside I've seen from this is that I didn't understand what the characters of Zelda and Link used to be.

Since playing BotW, I have played parts of the other games, including all of Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. They've become some of my favorite games to play.

But now that I've had the experience of older games, I realized something about Breath of the Wild, specifically the memories.

Link and Zelda are different before the Calamity. They don't match up with past incarnations.

For a while, I couldn't point out why exactly they were different, but now I have the answer. Link and Zelda didn't know who they were supposed to be in the prophecy. It was only after the Calamity that they understood what their roles were.

Pre-Calamity, Link is a royal knight, something that he never was before. To add to that, he was Zelda's bodyguard.

Canonically, that was a lot of stress for him. That's why he was silent and expressionless: he was too worried that he'd say something wrong or act contrary to his position.

To be fair, the only difference between this Link and the Hero of Hyrule we all know and love is how many people are looking at him. The responsibilities and goals stay the same: protect Zelda and save Hyrule.

The problem is that Link didn't have any freedom in doing that. He was given a specific task but told that he had to do it in a specific way by everyone he met, and it wasn't in the way he was comfortable with.

Essentially, he was doomed to fail.

Now let's talk about Zelda, the princess who didn't know what she wanted to be when she grew up.

I like how they portray Zelda in the memories. She is caught up in three different ideas of who she is. On one hand, she has a passion for research in Sheikah technology, and takes any opportunity to look into it, even if it gets her in trouble. On the other hand, she is trying to be the servant of the Goddess that Hyrule needs.

What I find interesting is that she fails to do the one thing that she knows she needs to do. She spends days worth of time trying to unlock powers everyone says is inside of her.

But they only come out when there is no pressure left.

Similar to Link, she can only function to her whole capacity when she's free to do it in her own way.

The Calamity, in a weird and backwards way, opened Zelda and Link to be who they were always supposed to be. Link was more heroic when there wasn't a plan or an expectation. Zelda was more powerful when she already failed and the expectations were gone.

In a sense they were free to do what they wanted. They were in the wild for the first time when the Calamity hit.

That first breath of the wild was what awakened Zelda's powers. She finally could be who she needed to be, and feel good about herself.

As for Link, he always had a little bit of wild in him, but it was suppressed when he was appointed a knight. When he wakes up 100 years later, he doesn't have those same expectations. He's as wild as ever burning the countryside and making seal puns. And that's what saves Hyrule.

I would also like to point out that Link is the most rigid when he is talking with Impa, the only person who has expectations of him.

And it is at this point into my essay when I realized that I was only stating the obvious. And it could have been summed up into one sentence.

Like the silent princess, Link and Zelda were only able to thrive in the wild.

So.... Yeah.

#i just needed to get this out #breath of the wild #botw link #botw zelda

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shipwreck-letters · 4 months

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Reaping Hook, Chapter Twelve: Out of the Rain

“What have you been up to, Sooga?”

“...It’s a long story. One that we don’t have time for.”

“So give me the short story.”

A Sheikah teenager with uncontrolled powers, eerily resembling Sooga’s, poisoned by a mysterious illness. The “illness” in question are hands, by the way. And the teen is no ordinary Sheikah, but the chosen one of the village to protect the king and princess. Only the Yiga’s most hated enemy. No biggie, Elyse.

Summary: Sooga comes clean about all that he’s been up to lately. Plans are made, everyone is on board more or less. All seems a little too good, but Sooga’s worries finally break the light.

Word Count: ~2.8k

Read the Full Story

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Esteemed Provost Fallow,

His Majesty, I heard, will be the first one to breach the Sheikah protocols, since the age of King Drake, some 10 thousand years prior. I cannot tell His Majesty what's best, (perhaps you may be better in his court) but I believe that some things are best left forgotten. What kind of horrors lie beneath that caked earth, awaiting to be breached like a dead whale on shore.

And when that near day arrives, I fear we will see another resurgence of that shadow of Hyrule. The Yiga Clan. Be prepared, and watch your back, as well as the backs of your kin. When one falls, we all do.

Sooga peeled the letter away, gritting his teeth at the sound of crinkling, dried paper sticking to another. His mind filled in the blanks with the context he had to mull on;

Everyone in the Clan was there when King Rhoam was crowned. They were there when Queen Zelda Persephe died. Mysterious circumstances, they said, and left it at that. Contrary to belief, the Yiga Clan had nothing to do with Persephe's death. Not that time, at least.

Back to Rhoam...He had made a name for himself like many of the royals before; The prohibition of Sheikah technology remained divine law. But his daughter, Zelda Ivy, was more inclined to that ancient history. Sooga had even heard they were instating a new research facility for Sheikah technology.

"Hmph," Sooga clicked his tongue at his own thoughts--He wondered who the credit for unearthing the buried tech truly went towards; Was the cranky old man having second thoughts, or was his daughter too stubborn to let sleeping dogs lie?

Sooga uncovered another letter, and carefully unfolded it, kicking himself for his messiness in retrieving the letters. He should have killed Rowley a little more to the left.

Lord Rowley,

I share many of your fears and worries about His Majesty’s decision. Though it’s said that the Sheikah are supposed to protect the kingdom---divine duty, as ours is the upkeep of our divided sanctions. Yet I cannot keep my eyes away--our past king to keep us safe from Calamity. That foul clan is-----if something is to fall, they are surely the reason. I don’t trust the Sheikah….

The letters were faded and ink smeared too much to read.

Sooga poured through the pages again before reluctantly gathering them up into a pile of crinkly paper. As much as he hated the idea of bothering Master Kohga, someone had to make sense of it all. The date of the letters indicated they were received by the late nobleman Rowley two weeks ago. The night that Sooga completed his mission.

The Yiga would be safe for the next week, it seemed. But time was flimsy and fickle, Sooga knew. What they think is comfort in the night could be the shadow of a trap.

Rubbing a hand over his face, Sooga pushed back from his desk and reached for his swords to tie back to his waist.

He'd have to fill the rest of the mentors in on his findings. Again. But this time, he realized with a quiet groan, he’d have to talk to Tulsi, the footsoldier mentor. Tulsi always creeped him out.

“Sooga? Sooga!”

Elyse stepped into their shared room, and with a sudden fury, she threw back the curtain-door and marched in. “Where have you been?!”

It had only been a few hours, right? A day or two, yeah? Sooga’s silence as he tried to think back to the last time he had left the Hideout only made Elyse shake her head in disbelief.

“Are you shitting me? No one has seen you for…For at least three days! You got your new sword and dipped, you dipshit! You have forgotten all of your responsibilities, and you are about to answer to Master Kohga if you do not show up for at least one of them today.”

Sooga blinked. “Apologies, Elyse. I have been…It is a long story. And I…” He trailed off. He had no idea what he was supposed to be doing, and Elyse took in an explosive breath.

“You’re supposed to be teaching a class, idiot! Myself, Lareina, Adriel, Tulsi…” She counted everyone on her fingers. “And Adriel’s been covering your spot for every day you’ve been absent. Three. Days. How much longer do you think we can explain this?”

“Apologies, Elyse.” Sooga said again, wearily. “However, I did not forget that I started something within Hyrule Castle, and I intend to finish it. It involves the entire Clan. That’s where I have been this week.”

Elyse, hands on her hips, her shoulders slowly lowered. She tilted her head, her annoyance and irritation burning out. “At least you weren’t slacking.” She sighed. “I’m…sorry for yelling. Have you made any progress on it?”

Sooga gestured to the letters, his mind running to other thoughts. “In an unorthodox way, yes. One that will make sense in the future.” He began. “The five of us. After training.” He decided, and Elyse stared at him.

“What have you been up to, Sooga?”

“...It’s a long story. One that we don’t have time for.”

“So give me the short story.”

Elyse blocked Sooga’s way out, her shoulders tensed again. The two of them stared at each other through their masks. Elyse waited for an explanation, fingers drumming on her waist expectantly, and Sooga was debating on whether or not he should. How could he sum up the past few days without sounding completely ridiculous? Fabricated?

“Well?”

Sooga pressed his hands together-

“Sooga!”

-And he teleported away.

"That is all for class today." Sooga lowered the practice sword, and returned a bow that the few students had given him. "Continue practicing your positions; Partner and make use of the sparring room."

A few chuckles and murmurs went around between the six or seven students. Sooga blinked, and pursed his lips, but let it slide.

As the classroom filed out, familiar faces filed in one by one. Adriel swiped a wooden stick left behind, brandishing it at Sooga with a playful jab. "En guard, Sooga! Eh, eh?" He posed like a Hylian knight, snickering at the exaggerated movements. Elyse walked in behind, scoffing.

"Are you going to teleport away again?"

"Ah, he's gotten the hang of it, finally?" Adriel replied. Elyse crossed her arms.

“Sooga’s only been avoiding my questions, like he’s been avoiding training.” Elyse’s disdain could be heard loud and clear. Adriel looked over at Sooga with a grin in his voice.

“Now, that’s no fun, Sooga. Is that what this meeting is for? To tell us all the gossip~”

“I will, but-”

“Did anyone invite Tulsi?” Lareina asked.

“I did, she scuttled away, said she had to feed Stella.” Adriel responded quickly, before turning his head back to Sooga. “Soooo…We can get started early and fill Tulsi in later. What have you been doing that’s so much more important, Sooga?”

Sooga crossed his arms with a grunt. “You must all swear secrecy. Right now. Hands in front of you.”

The three of them glanced at each other, and Sooga knew this was not how they envisioned it would begin. But Sooga closed two eyes and opened three; He needed to know they weren’t lying as they promised.

Sooga took a deep breath, took a seat down on the mats, and began.

“There is talk that the king will begin excavations around Hyrule. For buried Sheikah technology. Knowing the history of the last Calamity, there is buried technology here in the desert.”

The room was quiet between them. Even Adriel had nothing to say, chin in his hand, attention on Sooga.

“We need guards in and around the village and the hideout.” Sooga explained, and Elyse held up a hand to stop him from going any further.

“Does Master Kohga know about this?” She asked, and seemingly read his mind. “We can’t keep this from him.”

“There’s not enough information.” Sooga replied. “Rumors and gossip is all that’s in those letters, but there is some truth in the talk. Infiltrating the castle again is my only hope to gain more insight. To know exactly when, how, and where it’s going to happen.”

“We can’t have another situation like Faron.” Elyse announced all of their fears, confirmed by head nods. “I didn’t want to pursue it, but…I see now that I need to put my fears aside.”

Silent footsteps came up behind Sooga, and he closed his eyes to hold back a sigh. “Welcome, Tulsi. Did you finish feeding the spider?”

“Her name is Stella. And…Yes. Sorry for my absence.” She said, and Sooga braced himself for another jab. But Tulsi moved around him, and folded her long legs down to sit on the empty mat between Sooga and Lareina. “I have already heard, no need to fill me in. I will train the footsoldiers.”

Lareina lifted her head, quiet the whole time. “I can handle the investigation.” She looked at Sooga. He almost did a double-take. He had no doubt in Lareina’s abilities, but…

“I thought you said you were not a good liar.” Sooga said. Lareina turned her gaze down.

“That’s true, but…I want to help. I can learn.”

“Elyse and I can take up guard duty.” Adriel shrugged. “But that means you’ll have to take up training, Sooga.”

“Very well.” Sooga nodded. But something lingered on his mind. “There is one more thing that I have discovered. It seems the royals do not trust the Sheikah. And I….I have met one that was exiled from the castle, it seems. The way the old Sheikah was exiled long ago.”

The others all stared at Sooga, Elyse being the first one to whisper, “What?!”

“A young kid. I found him far away from the castle, farther than any castle Sheikah has ever gone. They are usually bound to the king or princess, but this one was injured outside of the Highlands.”

“A spy, then.” Elyse snapped. “Did you ever think of that?”

“Of course I did.” Sooga responded. “But I know how to detect intentions. He shares the same curse as I do. He’s had multiple chances to betray me, and I have had ample times to betray him.”

“Aaaand you’re friends now?” Adriel guessed, deadpan.

Tulsi tilted her head, listening intently to Sooga.

“You know as well as I do that the Sheikah and Yiga are closely related. I am not heartless, Adriel. He was attacked by a monster we’ve never seen before in the Tabantha fields. It has left him with a poison that only grows worse every night. If he were a spy, he’d have returned by now, or been retrieved. No one has come.”

“I want to see them.” Tulsi spoke up, every word clicking in sound. “If they are Blademaster size, then you two can work it out amongst yourselves. But if they are Footsoldier size, I will be the judge.”

Oh, no…Sooga held back a long and weary sigh. “Fair enough.” Sooga braced a hand on his knee. “Are we all at an understanding?”

“Adriel and I will take a few students to begin guard duty. You and Lareina will work on infiltration. Tulsi will continue training, and apparently have one more student.” Elyse rolled her eyes at the last part.

With that, Lareina, Adriel and Elyse all filed out one by one, to work on their next tasks for the night. Tulsi did not leave, instead unfolding herself as Sooga stood. When she stood, she towered over him with her height alone. The decor of her mask never helped, and neither did the fuzzy tarantula walking across her shoulders.

“Your son?” Tulsi asked, and Sooga did a double-take on that.

“Wha- No!”

“Only a question.” Tulsi giggled- A chalky, gritty laugh, and her spider--Stella--Crawled up the sides of her mask to rest on her head. “I want to meet them.”

“Why?”

Tulsi stared at Sooga. Better not to ask again. Sooga sighed, and nodded begrudgingly. “Fine. Fine…”

He just hoped Kiso was where Sooga had left that morning. But something wavered inside of him that hinted otherwise. Call it a hunch, or…

“Do you hear that?” Tulsi froze.

Sooga stopped, and Tulsi cocked her head to the side, farther back as she turned her head side to side. The commotion grew louder; Young voices arguing, shrieking, yelling.

That bad feeling grew. Sooga and Tulsi glanced at each other, and walked at a brisk pace through the halls. They followed the noise until Sooga rounded the corner, hand on his sword.

“What is going on here?!”

Kurre stomped her way past two nervous footsoldiers trailing along, her hand wrapped tightly around Kiso’s wrist with an iron grip that he couldn’t let go of. It didn’t stop him from trying, though, and the sight gave Sooga an immediate headache. Kiso’s feet dug back, but Kurre’s grasp was stronger; She was literally dragging him behind her like a ragdoll, and Kiso growled at the two footsoldiers that unfortunately wandered too close. His face was shielded by a Yiga mask, he was dressed in traditional clothes of the culture.

He could have fit in seamlessly, if not for the ghastly, glowing miasma on his skin, now coiled around his fingers.

The footsoldiers immediately stopped and bowed to Tulsi and Sooga, nervously announcing their names in respect.

“Let me through.” Kurre demanded. “I’m going to see Master Kohga.”

“Can you please explain to me the meaning of this?” Sooga gestured to Kiso, and he tried yanking his arm away again.

“I’m fine!”

“He’s NOT fine. He collapsed in the street. His blood is infected-”

“I’m FINE.”

“-And the corrosion has grown worse since last night. I have no references to treat this, and the other doctors in town are a waste of time. I am taking him to Master Kohga.”

Tulsi leaned down, watching Kiso’s hand flailing. “How terrifying it must be.”

She raised her head as Kiso moved again, quickly joining his hands to teleport with Sheikah magic. A blue flame erupted from his palms, and combusted with a loud pang, and Kurre flinched- Enough for her grasp to loosen, and Kiso tore away, stumbling back into the footsoldiers.

Everything happened within a matter of seconds.

“Woah!” They shouted, and caught him easily, and Kiso’s mask flipped up for a brief second. Sooga’s mouth fell open as he saw the corrosion had taken over half of Kiso’s face, turning his left red eye into something monstrous; He saw yellow, red, a sharp pupil and the swirling poison before the mask fell again, and Kiso grabbed at his chest.

He saw Kiso’s third eye alight.

Kiso’s gaze whipped upwards to the walls in panic, and Sooga followed; There was nothing there, but Kiso tore himself from the footsoldiers grip and scrambled farther into the dim hall.

“Sooga, it’s-!” Kiso shouted, before his words were cut off with a choking gasp. His back flew to the adjacent wall and was pinned. His head lifted as if something were strangling him. Tulsi snapped at the footsoldiers and they nodded and took off.

“What is going on, Sooga?!” Kurre shouted, and Sooga quickly removed his own mask as he sprinted forward.

Sooga closed his eyes, reaching out to Kiso, and finally saw what the Sheikah did.

All the warm lights in the room bursted with a wailing scream; A bloody creature had its long hand wrapped around Kiso’s neck, and the color of the poison matched the creature near perfectly.

Something like blood poured down from the walls too quickly, taking shape as another hand-like creature, one with a single eye darting around before landing on its fresh target.

“Help….Me…” Kiso wheezed.

Sooga tore his gaze away and moved to press his palm against Kiso’s forehead; To make it all stop like the last time. But something unleashed and a flash of red across his vision made Sooga shout, and he felt his body crash into a stack of boxes nearby.

Someone shouted; He couldn’t tell who.

Long fingers grabbed underneath his arms and lifted, and Sooga fought against the urge to elbow a monster in the face, but Tulsi’s scarf stopped him from starting a fight.

He saw Kurre kneel down beside Kiso, hands reaching for his neck.

“WHAT is GOING on here?!!”

Kiso let out a gasp, and then a rough cough as he crumpled to the floor in Kurre’s arms. Sooga tried to stand before his legs and brain connected, and Tulsi held him afloat by his arms.

“Ah,” She said with a tense voice. “Good evening, Master Kohga.”

Oh, fuck.

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#yiga clan #breath of the wild #hyrule warriors age of calamity #sooga #master kohga #kiso ashikana #abzu's writing #fanfiction #writing #the legend of zelda #botw #aoc sooga #reaping hook

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lunaviathan · 2 years

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Okay i said i was gonna continue talking about the Sheikah Automaton au in this post so here goes-

Real quick thing for reference tho; ten thousand years is a Long Time, it’s around how far back our own records of human civilization as a whole goes, and 10k years in the past being when the botw era was at it’s technological peak means loz is Super Fucking Old But Lunav! You’re saying, we already know the loz universe is ancient! Why are you reminding us? Well because this whole paragraph is just me outlining my excuse for doing whatever i want with the aesthetics and details of the 10k setting.

So with that preamble out of the way, here’s my actual thoughts on this au:

First thing’s first, to play into the ancient civilization look i’m gonna include ancient greek aesthetics, clothing, architecture, words when i trust i have the right definition and so on (which will make for some interesting looks when combining ancient greek stuff with stereotypical medieval things)

And because i’m very proud of these, here’s the names for the 10k royal family: Queen Zelda Hythena* Hyrule, King/Prince-consort* Bosphemus Hyrule and Princess Zelda Agape* Hyrule *Hythena to sound like Athena, greek goddess of wisdom. *I can’t decide between king or prince-consort so i put both. *Agape is the greek word for love of everyone, the exact virtue you’d want your future queen daughter to have.

And now onto the actual subject of this au: Link is a guard for thirteen year old Zelda commissioned by the royal family, originally they were just going to give her a normal hylian guard but Zelda insisted.

-and the king and queen also saw an opportunity to test the limits of the Sheikah’s skill, but not in a ‘see if they’re worthy’ way, more like a ‘keep an eye on this concerningly powerful group’ way.

Side note; Link is purposely designed to be very short as to not intimidate thirteen year old four foot something Zelda, but this ends up just being comical cus she inherits Hythena’s Tall GenesTM when she hits her growth spurt

When Zelda first ‘got’ Link she was so consistently unnerved by his blank mannequin look that she started dressing him up in her most over-sized clothes, eventually the servants took pity and just started putting him in clothes that actually fit, Zelda was ecstatic and even managed to weasel her way into getting him a wig and hat to complete the look

Before this Link didn’t really have a name, sometimes people called him ‘the little guard’ or ‘the little one’s guard’ or something like that, but the name Link caught on and stuck once he had the getup

I just realized i haven’t mentioned how Link works mentally At All so i’ll fix that

At first he is just a machine, about on par with the Guardians but with more personalized functions (Ex. Follow Zelda’s commands unless they include X, follow the king and queen’s commands no matter what, bow to these people, and so on) but his programming also included problem solving and self teaching functions so they wouldn’t have to send him back every time he bumped into a a situation he didn’t have a protocol for.

-And so this mixed with Zelda’s habit of thinking aloud to make for Link developing increasingly complex conversational skills as to follow what she was saying and make sure she wasn’t planning anything dangerous and if so how to redirect her without upsetting her too much

(Small side note: Ancient Sheikah tech pretty much had it’s own version of binary like from star wars, Link can only speak in this but understands hylian fluently)

And of course more conversation skills = understanding the concepts being talked about, which dominoed directly into sentience after awhile

okay it feels abrupt to end here and i do have more things to talk about, but they’d be spoilers and i want to see if this goes anywhere before i show my hand

#loz au #botw #botw2 #botw au #Zelda #Link #sheikah tech #botw 10k hero #botw ancient hero #botw 10k princess #Lunav rambles #sheikah automaton au #that's all i can think to tag #i feel like there should be more #tapestry hero #botw tapestry hero #i knew i was forgetting something

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dizzy-miss-lizzieeeeee · 3 years

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A father's duty

I can't believe my first work about my favorite videogame Breath of the Wild is about shitty dad but it is what it is.

Please enjoy.

You can read on AO3 here.

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King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule didn’t die the day Calamity Ganon came to the kingdom.

He wasn’t even in the castle that day that, from the foundations of his home, the power of Ganon was unleashed that swept through his kingdom, killing everyone who was there almost instantly.

No, after having written a few pages in his journal, Rhoam is in the Temple of Time, praying for his daughter while she is doing the same on Mount Lanayru, trying to awaken the powers of the goddess that belong to her by blood right. Some people say that kings do not kneel before anyone, but that day Rhoam is on his knees in front of the giant statue of goddess Hylia, asking for the safe return of Zelda with results on her participation in stopping the Great Calamity.

Rhoam is in the middle of his prayers when the ground rumbles and the sky turns crimson. The screams of his subjects are only drowned out by the sounds of the laser beams and the mechanical legs of the guardians that Zelda had promised were to defend Hyrule. His worst nightmare has come true, the technology his daughter loves so much has turned against her.

The king doesn’t remember much of the next two days. The journey to Kakariko Village is more complicated than it usually is on ordinary days. Many royal guards and Sheikah warriors perish trying to defend him from monsters and guardians, and their twenty-man escort dwindles until only three arrive at the entrance of the village safeguarding the last king of Hyrule.

The next thing Rhoam does is wait.

Impa insists that he must sleep, he must eat, he must maintain his sanity in these difficult times for the kingdom, but Rhoam doesn’t have time to be king of a land that is doomed to an end. His daughter is missing, no one seems to have heard anything about the princess and the hero with the sword that seals the darkness. All that is heard are the rumors of the advance of the guardians towards Fort Hateno, the fall of Akkala Citadel and the defeat of the four Champions within their Divine Beasts.

The king feels that he’ill go insane at any moment, wandering the village from dawn to dusk, ordering the Sheikah warriors to leave Kakariko and search for his daughter and waiting for some news about her, but three days after the fall of Hyrule’s Castle Town, a new rumor reaches Kakariko Village. A brave swordsman has managed to contain the guardians at Fort Hateno on his own. Thanks to his efforts, the entire region is safe. Rhoam feels that a weight is released from his shoulders, if a young man managed to contain a horde of guardians, it means that his daughter and her appointed knight are safe and on their way.

Rhoam's heart nearly leapt out of his chest when he sees Zelda walk into Kakariko alone, shrouded in a faint golden light and with the Master Sword hanging from her back.

His instincts tell him to run to his daughter, wrap her in his strong arms, and thank the goddesses for protecting her. However, when he notices the solemn, ethereal look in her eyes, and the golden halo that surrounds her body, he realizes that whoever is in front of him seems to have lived more than ten thousand years and have seen the most horrible things. He reacts just in time to hold Zelda before she falls to the ground after passing out.

The princess sleeps three days in a row. During those three days, Rhoam is kneeling by her bed, holding her cold hand, praying to the goddesses for Zelda to wake up. He is not a person who shows his feelings or regrets his actions, but now all he wants is to see his daughter's bright warm green eyes and apologize for not being the father she needed, for not protecting her while she was helpless, and facing the wrath of Calamity Ganon. He promises himself that when she wakes up, he will make up for lost time, be a better father, and listen to his daughter, instead of imposing his will. That is if they manage to survive the end of the world.

It is Zelda's crying that wakes him up on the third night.

Rhoam is sitting on the floor of the room, his head on the bed where the princess rests, when the sound of her sobs startle him almost immediately. Zelda is sitting on the bed and her face is covered with her hands, but he can see the tears rolling down her cheeks and wrists.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Zelda says with a choked and raspy voice from lack of use. "I'm sorry I disappointed you."

Rhoam feels a lump form in his throat as he realizes the damage he has done to his daughter with his demands and negligence. He tries to get closer to hug her and she ends up flinching away, as if afraid that he is going to punish her for having failed to stop that cursed beast. He doesn’t remember the last time he held her in his arms and now he fears that it is too late to mend the damage between them.

"You haven't disappointed me, Zelda." Rhoam tells her calmly while holding her chin with two fingers, and makes her look him in the eye. "You are my pride. Forgive me, please."

When she throws herself into his arms, he realizes that it may not be too late to make amends for the damage.

Zelda and Rhoam stay up all night, talking about what happened the day Calamity Ganon came to Hyrule. She tells him about how Link defended her so bravely as they tried to escape the guardians and monsters, how they were cornered in Fort Hateno and Link fought until his last breath, how a guardian tried to annihilate her knight and she had to intervene, thus awakening the powers of the goddess within her. She also tells him about how the Master Sword helped her solve the next step to seal Ganon again.

"I have to return the Master Sword to the Great Deku Tree, and then return to the castle to hold back Ganon as Link recovers from his injuries in the Shrine of Resurrection." She explains to her father who, for the first time in seventeen years, is attentive to the words that come out of her mouth. "He will wake up confused, someone will have to explain what to do."

Rhoam knows what this means for their relationship as father and daughter. He is not sure how long Zelda will be alone, locked in that cursed castle, waiting for the Hero chosen by the goddess to awaken from his slumber. The king wants to protect his daughter, but he knows exactly what to do now. Once again, duty is more important than heart.

The next morning, after Zelda agreed with the Sheikah on actions to take once Link wakes up, father and daughter walk out of Kakariko Village with nothing but an ax as a weapon, despite Impa's insistence to leave with an escort to protect them. But Zelda and Rhoam don't need or want an escort for a one-way trip.

Along the way they face bokoblins and moblins who succumb to Rhoam's strong arm with the ax, and imposing guardians who fall undone as Zelda uses the power of the goddess that comes out of her hand. And although the journey is long and full of dangers due to the beast that lurks in the castle, Rhoam enjoys the company of his daughter.

During the trip he learns that his beloved princess has more than a hundred fun facts up her sleeve, all about plants and insects, and the healing properties of each of them; she tells him about her discoveries with Sheikah technology and how it could help Link as soon as he wakes up; she tells stories about her pilgrimage throughout the kingdom in her tireless search to awaken her power and the occasional funny story in which she subjected her appointed knight to be the guinea pig of her experiments. Every time Rhoam hears her voice, he realizes everything that he has lost from his daughter's life and won’t be able to come back to that time.

The weight of Zelda's decision is felt like a bucket of cold water on his back as they both arrive at the Shrine of Resurrection on the Great Plateau, where the hero recovers from his injuries. For Rhoam, Zelda's plan to face Ganon on her own begins to be real, during Hylia knows how long until Link is strong enough to fulfill his part of the prophecy. Zelda is sure of her role and Rhoam wonders if that determination was inherited from him or is it a characteristic of Hylia's descendants.

"Promise me you'll be there to help Link when he wakes up." Zelda asks with a broken voice and her eyes full of tears, but without allowing a single one of them to roll down her cheeks.

Rhoam, in an act of humility and devotion, drops to one knee before Zelda, bringing his right hand to his heart. "I swear by the goddesses who are above in the sky and by the land that I ruled that is at my feet, that I will keep my promise."

Zelda throws herself into her father's arms one last time and gives him one last kiss on the cheek before walking in the direction of the Lost Woods with the Master Sword on her back.

Rhoam watches her walk away and for a moment realizes his own hypocrisy. For years he has forced Zelda to fulfill her duty as the princess of Hyrule to end the Calamity, but now that she is going to face her fate, all he wants is to hold her in his arms and take her away, to a place where she can be happy, where she can research insects, plants and Sheikah technology, and not have to worry about a destiny that she didn’t choose. But he also knows that if he stops her, that if he gives in to his emotions, it is likely that it will spoil his daughter's progress. He cannot allow that.

The old man stays at the entrance of the Shrine of Resurrection for two days and nights, defending himself against monsters attracted by the power of malice that emanates from Hyrule Castle and that is permeating every corner of the kingdom. Rhoam doesn't let exhaustion get the better of him, a couple of days of fighting don't compare to the arduous task that Zelda will face, and that thought is what keeps him strong.

It is not until dawn on the third day that a blinding golden light covers the previously crimson sky and the monsters begin to retreat, frightened by the new atmosphere that engulfs the much-wounded kingdom of Hyrule. That morning, Rhoam falls to his knees once more and cries bitterly, cursing the goddesses for putting such a heavy burden on his little princess's shoulders. And he curses himself for having been part of that burden and not a support to her. Then he goes down the hill and in a gap that seems safe he finally rests.

Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and Rhoam re-learns the trades he learned as a young man, before becoming a knight of the kingdom and later the husband of the then-Princess of Hyrule. With his strong ax he cuts some trees behind the Temple of Time and builds a small cabin to shelter during the nights when the stalfos wander in search of new victims, with the bows and arrows recovered from the fallen knights he learns to hunt for food, and with the hides of the animals he hunts, he learns to make some clothes to be prepared against sudden changes in the weather and even builds a paraglider to easily explore the inhospitable land that surrounds him. However, he never strays beyond the Great Plateau, not because he is scared to see what his kingdom has become, but because he must be near the Shrine of Resurrection in case Link comes out of there at any time.

The months turn into years and nothing is left of that tough and moody king who spent his days sitting on his golden throne. Perhaps it is the contact with nature that little by little begins to mix with the ruins of his kingdom, but his character has softened. The old man lives his days always the same: guarding the Shrine of Resurrection, baking apples over the campfire, inventing new recipes and writing in his new journal about his new life as an old wanderer.

It is when twilight arrives that melancholy invades him. During the nights he is dedicated to praying for Zelda, for Link, for the souls of the subjects he couldn't protect and for the lives of those who managed to escape Ganon's wrath. He thinks of the times he let his pride and stubbornness win the battle against his love for his family. He thinks of the years he lived with his wife and daughter, and the times he will never be able to live. He thinks that he will never be able to take Zelda to the altar on her wedding day, nor will he ever see her become a mother for the first time. He won’t see the first steps of his grandchildren, nor will he advise his daughter to guide the kingdom as her mother would have wanted. But most of all, he is terrified to think that even if Zelda succeeds in her mission, she will find herself alone in a world that no longer remembers her.

Those worries haunt him until the day he dies.

Rhoam is hunting a wild boar to make dinner that night when a white bokoblin appears from behind the bushes and attacks him. He no longer has the same agility as before and although he manages to finish off the monster, it also manages to injure his left leg. The old man wraps his injured leg in an improvised bandage and continues with his day, but at night the fever caused by the infection in his leg makes him see visions about his wife wrapped in a halo of golden light, calling him to fly by her side.

The last king of Hyrule dies three days later, alone in his small cabin behind the Temple of Time, from infection in his wound, twenty years after the fall of the kingdom.

Any Hylian would think that Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule has earned his well-deserved rest, that after having a life full of worries and anxieties due to the imminent arrival of Calamity Ganon to the kingdom, he deserves to spend eternity resting in peace, free from the torment he left behind in his mortal life. But Rhoam is a stubborn and pig-headed man. He made a promise to his daughter and plans to keep it.

Despite being a devout and religious man, Rhoam had never stopped to think about what exists beyond death, so it is a surprise for him to realize that his determination has allowed him to break through the barriers of mortality and become an entity wandering the wild plains of Hyrule.

With death came some benefits for him. His new status allows him to stop worrying about the weather or hunger, yet he continues to bake apples, in case Link ever wakes up. He can move freely through the Great Plateau without getting tired thanks to his spirit form and now the monsters don’t represent any type of adversity since they can’t hurt him anymore.

But most of all, now Rhoam can talk to Zelda.

They are almost always one-sided conversations, but Rhoam tells her about his day, describes the feeling of the seasons over the kingdom so that she won't forget them while she is locked in the castle, and gives her words of encouragement to keep her going with her arduous task of containing the power of Ganon. And sometimes, he can hear Zelda's voice.

They are simple phrases that help him to continue anchored to the mortal world and not succumb to the desire to pass to the other side where his wife awaits him. They are almost always the same phrases:

Thank you for keeping going...

I could not do it without you...

I love you...

Hearing those tender words with his daughter's sweet voice is enough motivation to keep him going.

Summer turns to fall, fall to winter, and before Rhoam knows it, a hundred years have passed when spring again reaches the Great Plateau. He is no longer aware of how many apples he has baked and wasted awaiting the hero's awakening, or how many blood moons have passed over his head, resurrecting the monsters he had taken it upon himself to annihilate while he lived, but that morning seems to be different.

The Shrine of Resurrection has been opened.

A young man has run off and is observing the vast kingdom of Hyrule from a hill.

Rhoam knows what to do. It is time to fulfill his duty as a father.

#i'm sorry if my english isn't good enough #i promise i'll get better at it #but i do hope you enjoyed this #my first fic in english wow #king rhoam #rhoam bosphoramus hyrule #princess zelda #zelda #zelda breath of the wild #zelda botw #legend of zelda #breath of the wild #botw #rhoam was a shitty dad but he's sorry about it #english version #my writing #dizzymisslizzieeeeee #lizzie writes here

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aurathian · 3 years

Text

Did you hear the Goddess?

Probably my best submission for @zelinkweek2021 . The prompt is Trust: Broken & Forged.

Read it here on AO3!

When Princess Zelda was little, her mother took her to visit one of the three springs scattered throughout Hyrule. With some guards at their sides, they ventured into the autumnal region of Akkala and into its quarries etched into the valley where the Spring of Power laid. Clinging to her mother’s arm, the pair waded into the pool before the statue of the Goddess Hylia, and together they prayed. The young princess didn’t understand what was going on, so she prayed how she usually did every night, asking for world peace and to end hunger. It felt no different than kneeling at her bedside with the moon shining on her face, except the freezing waters that stung her knees.

After what seemed like an eternity to Zelda, her mother tapped her shoulder and asked, “Did you hear the Goddess?”

She shook her head.

A frown colored her mother’s lips. The princess had never seen her look so disappointed before.

After some months, during which her mother and father set her about praying anytime she could, she made the journey to the Temple of Time to pray at the statue there. The queen accompanied her again and prayed at her side as usual. Like last time, the little princess clasped her hands together as tight as she could, screwed her eyes shut, and prayed for world peace and to end hunger.

Her mother asked the same question as last time. “Did you hear the Goddess?”

And Zelda shook her head, watched her mother’s mouth curl into a frown and shake her head.

“Are you mad?” Zelda asked. At only four years old, she couldn’t tell if her mother was angry or sad. Maybe both, she thought.

The queen inhaled and exhaled slowly before opening her eyes, bearing a much more gentle gaze. “No. I’m not.”

The third time they prayed together was right before her mother died, and they did it at the small statue in an empty alley in Gerudo Town. Princess Zelda was six now, and had spent the past two years training hard and praying during the day, and sometimes she had dreams where she prayed, too. They knelt before the statue and prayed, and she wished once again for world peace and to end hunger, but this time she asked for a little more.

“If it’s not too selfish of me, Miss Goddess Hylia,” Zelda thought, “please make my mother happy.”

Her mother asked her the same question again after some hours of praying in the heat. “Did you hear the Goddess?”

Sadly, Zelda shook her head. She couldn’t bear to look at her mother’s face, but she assumed it was wrought with sadness and disappointment.

Despite the faith drilled into Zelda since birth, she wondered if Hylia was even real.

Zelda’s mother died two months later.

Some days after the funeral and period of mourning in which Zelda shut herself in her room and hardly ate, her father told her the real reason for all the praying, the real reason why her mother never seemed satisfied after they knelt and prayed together.

“Hyrule is facing impending doom,” he told her, “and only you can stop it. You must pray to the Goddess Hylia and awaken your sacred powers.”

The training became worse. Every second she wasn’t eating or sleeping, she was praying—in her room, in the gardens, in the chapel, everywhere. Every time she failed to hear the Goddess, her father would scold her.

“Did you hear the Goddess?” he’d ask.

“No,” she’d reply.

“You must train harder.”

Hyrule Castle became cold.

When Zelda turned twelve, she developed an obsession with Sheikah technology, and thanks to her connections through her close friend and advisor Impa, she got her hands on too many trinkets to count. In the time she wasn’t praying, she was researching, reading any text she could get her small hands on and visiting whatever ancient sites she could.

Around that same time, she heard rumors of a boy who pulled the legendary Master Sword, a blade said to seal darkness. Apparently, he could best even adults in combat.

Hyrule was proud of him.

Yet, when Princess Zelda worked just as hard, she was called useless. Incapable. Unreliable. All because the Goddess above refused to speak to her.

Then, at the age of sixteen, the legendary Master Sword wielder was appointed her bodyguard, and he was perfect. Silent, stoic, he was better than her in the way he carried himself and fulfilled his duties expertly.

“Stop following me!” she’d yelled at him once after sneaking away from the castle to investigate a dormant shrine. It refused to open to her, even with the Sheikah Slate in her hands, a powerful yet small piece of ancient technology. He did not stop following her. He completed his duty, as always.

Princess Zelda hated him. Link was too good for her, and it showed in the way he never spoke and the way his eyes always looked dead when he would glance at her. He was everything she wasn’t, and she despised him for it.

Until he saved her life.

The blades of the Yiga had almost claimed her on a hot evening in the desert as the sun was setting. They chased her over the dunes until she fell over and they positioned themselves to kill, but almost as if ordained by the Goddesses, he appeared and drove them off.

Once again, he fulfilled his duty, but it felt like something more.

The next day, she apologized to him for how she’d treated him.

He did so much for her, she realized; he ate a frog, he accompanied her on unapproved expeditions, he’d indulged her feelings.

It was raining on the day they took shelter on the Hills of Baumer along Hylia River. He, the ever dedicated knight, practiced his swordsmanship while she watched wistfully, and she asked him:

“What if, one day, you realized that you just weren’t meant to be a fighter? Yet the only thing people ever said was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight.” His stony gaze was trained on her now. “If that was the only thing that you were ever told, I wonder, then, would you have chosen a different path?”

His lips moved in the rain.

“Yes,” he said. It was the first time he spoke to her.

“Really?” she sighed. “Me, too.”

More time passed. She came to learn that Link was a glutton and that he lost all sense of manners when food was placed before him. She discovered he was not perfect. He was not the flawless hero Hyrule made him about to be.

Princess Zelda was sent to the Spring of Power to pray again, after over ten years of avoiding that spring. She waded into its waters, higher now, and instead of stinging her knees it stung her waist. She clasped her hands again and looked up to the statue illuminated by the moonlight. The Goddess Hylia never changed. She wore the same small, deceitful smile and her hands lay rested over her chest. Link stayed behind at the entrance to stand guard.

This time, when Zelda prayed, she asked for the power inside her to be awoken.

“Mother said her own powers would develop in me,” Zelda said. She could hear the voice of the deceased queen in her head, asking if she heard the goddess, and it repeated over and over like a mantra. “But I don’t hear… or feel anything!” She slammed her fists in the water. No longer was it praying; it was begging. “Curse you. I’ve spent every day of my life dedicated to praying! I’ve pleaded to the spirits tied to the ancient gods, and still the holy powers have proven deaf to my devotion.”

She clutched herself, freezing from the holy waters. “Please just tell me… what is it? What’s wrong with me?”

She fainted, and still, no Goddess spoke to her.

When she came to, she was cradled in something warm and inviting, muscular and strong. Her vision cleared, and she saw the face of her personal knight staring down at her as he pulled a blanket over her freezing body.

He asked her, “Did you hear the Goddess?”

“No,” she whispered, and stared at his lips, waiting for them to turn downward.

“It’s okay,” he told her, pulling her closer to his warm chest.

And, for the first time in her sixteen years of life, she knew it would be okay. Everything would be okay, because she trusted him. In a world where she couldn’t trust the deities she’d been told to revere all her life, she found someone else to pray to.

Link, wielder of the sword that seals the darkness.

#zelink week 2021 #zelink #zelda #link #breath of the wild #loz #botw

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sage-nebula · 2 years

Note

Fandom - Breath of the Wild!

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most)

It's a tossup between Link and Zelda! I love them both equally, but especially together. That said though, Zelda is obviously the more defined of the two given that she was actually allowed to have dialogue and that, when you get right down to it, Breath of the Wild's story really is about her (it is, for once, truly Zelda's legend). So she's my favorite fully realized character, whereas Link is a little less realized but I still love him.

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped)

THE DRAGONS — DINRAAL, FAROSH, AND NAYDRA. I know they're not exactly characters in that you can't talk to them or anything, but I don't care. They are So Shaped. I love them So Much. But if I do need to pick an actual character, then Riju. She's my bby girl and I love her so much (especially her original personality in the actual game, not that Age of Calamity nonsense).

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

TEBA. Teba might have more fans since Age of Calamity where he got to be more of a character, I don't know, but I do know that he's a relatively obscure one in the main game because he's the only one of the new Champions that has no relation to the Champions of old, and also the Rito section is (imo) pretty short, but I love him. He's a gruff bird dad who cares about his kid and his people and gets straight to the point on things. He's also got a pretty cool design. I like him a lot and wish we got to spend more time with him in the game.

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week)

Jini!! He's so underrated that I'm sure no one even knows who he is, but he's the archery master at the archery camp that runs the challenge for you. I don't know why, but for some reason while I was playing I just got this sense that he and Link could develop a sort of mentor-mentee relationship, like Jini really cared and Link had someone who would look after and teach him despite the circumstances. Jini might not realize that Link is the Hero from 100 years ago, but also he doesn't care because Link was in stasis and is still mentally 17. He's a teenage boy and needs an adult to be willing to give him a warm meal and some horseback archery lessons. I don't know, I just grew really fond of him.

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave)

Probably the Yiga Clan as a whole, haha. I mean, yeah, they do a lot of shitty things in both the past and the present such as murdering a guy's wife because he defected from them and then threatening to murder his two small children if he doesn't continue to spy for them . . . buuuut at the SAME time their grievances with the Hyrulean Royal Family honestly are justified even if they go about it in the wrong way (no, helping Calamity Ganon destroy the world is not an effective way to get the Royal Family to pay you the reparations you are due) and honestly, even though Zelda herself is not directly at fault since the decision to banish the Sheikah and destroy their culture etc was made 10,000 years before she was born, neither she nor her father have done anything to pay reparations to what was done to the Sheikah by their ancestors either. So like, the Yiga Clan do things that aren't justified, but at the same time their feelings of rage toward the Hyrulean Royal Family (and the goddesses tbqh) are justified. I feel for them.

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason)

I purposefully tormented Magda until she murdered me for stepping on the flowers multiple times and I do not regret it for a minute.

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell)

Honestly that's where I hope the Hyrulean King from 10,000 years ago is, because he absolutely deserves it for what he did to the Sheikah. Literally, the Sheikah created the technology to stop Calamity Ganon and save all of Hyrule, and the King from 10,000 years ago "repaid" them by banishing them from Hyrule (Kakariko was a hidden village for a very long time), destroying all of their technology, making it illegal for them to pursue science under threat of imprisonment or worse, and so on and so forth. As I said above, the Yiga have absolutely every right to be furious with the Royal Family, and you also can't blame them for wanting to turn against the goddesses when the goddesses had told them "you are our people meant to protect Hylia's descendants" and then those same descendants treated them like this. The fact that there still are Sheikah who are loyal to their goddess-given quest and the Royal Family is like . . . astounding. But anyway, the King from 10,000 years ago definitely deserves to burn in superhell, hope it's super hot there for him.

Other than him though, Yunobo. Yunobo is super annoying and made me go on a goddamn escort mission. Hate that dude.

#blorbo ask meme #ryttu3k #loz: breath of the wild

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deiliamedlini · 3 years

Text

WIP Wednesday

I’ve mostly been just writing the newest pirate chapter that I posted yesterday (subtle plug hahaha), but this was what I was working on just before. This is from the same fic as this WIP Wednesday. I don’t want to post this one yet because it still kind of sucks (like this, which is not edited at all), so I’m still fixing everything I have so far before actually posting. But today isn’t called Post a Fic Wednesday, it’s called WIP Wednesday, and this is a WIP!

Essentially, Link is tasked with training Zelda to defend herself after a series of Yiga attacks on her life. After some time, they’ve become good friends. She has him come to her room for lessons she doesn’t want ‘on the record’ basically, which is why Link is chilling in her room in this section. Totally not to make things unnecessarily dramatic.

~~~

When Link arrived that night, Zelda wasn’t in her room. He poked around for a moment just to make sure, and then relented to sit on her bed to wait for her, setting down his belt on the chest at the foot of her bed as he always did.

It was unusual that she wasn’t there. However, for the past several days, he’d been finding her waiting for him at the window, usually watching him scale the building with a look that betrayed her awe and her horror.

By her bedside were notebooks and tombs, all with marked pages. They ranged from geography, to biology. His hand reached out to take a book about plants, but he heard footsteps in the hall, followed by the booming voice of King Rhoam.

“Shit,” he muttered, looking around quickly before he slid into the closet just as Zelda’s door opened.

“—with the new treaty. I think that would be useful.”

“Yes,” Zelda agreed, softer than her father. “I think that would work, but we’d have to find a way to incorporate the Gerudo as well. Urbosa is instrumental, and I don’t believe we should keep her out.”

“That’s favoritism.”

“That’s being practical,” she challenged.

Rhoam chuckled. “You are learning well, Zelda. We will contact Urbosa immediately to inform her and see her position.”

“Thank you.”

“Well,” Rhoam said, “I’m going to head to bed now. Is there anything you need, or are you all set?”

“I’m fine; thank you.”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” he said wistfully.

“Since the Yiga attack? Yes, quite a while.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t been as attentive.”

“No, but it’s really okay. I know the thought is there.”

There was the sound of rustling fabric that Link assumed was Rhoam hugging Zelda.

Then, “What’s that?”

Link peeked his head out to see what the king meant, and when he saw his belt still on Zelda’s trunk, he groaned as quietly as possible.

Zelda was fast, though. Her eyes darted around, looking for him, but she simply tsked, a lie springing to her lips far too easily. “It’s Link’s. He left it after we trained, and I didn’t feel like searching for him afterwards, so I just brought it back with me. I’m going to return it in the morning.”

“Ah,” Rhoam said, picking it up. “You should have gotten it back to him immediately. Looks like there’s some stuff he needs on here. I’m surprised he didn’t seek you out.”

Zelda swallowed and shrugged. “He’s diligent. Maybe he didn’t want to leave his post. Or he has spares. Or, most likely, he knew I’d just return it in the morning.”

“Hrmm, true.” Rhoam examined one of the daggers. “You should keep it in your wardrobe rather than laying around. What if someone did manage to get in here? A Yiga, or some other threat? Then you’ve just left a whole arsenal at the foot of your bed.”

“Then I’d just have weapons at my disposal to defend myself.” Zelda took it and made her way to her closet. “But I understand your point, father. You’re paranoid but—” Zelda yelped in surprise at the sight of Link innocently standing hidden in the closet, his head between two of her dresses.

“Zelda?” her father asked, hurriedly turning to her. “What is it?”

With a quick motion, Zelda pulled the dagger out just a bit and slid her thumb along it.

She turned to Rhoam with a light stream of blood moving down her wrist. “I cut myself. Don’t worry.” Handing Link his belt, as if she were hanging it up, she closed the door, giving him an exasperated look as she did.

Rhoam bit his lip nervously and handed her a nearby cloth. “Good thing you two haven’t covered blades yet. Make sure Link gives you all the safety protocols first. We don’t want that to happen on a larger scale.”

“Yes, father. I know.”

“Need any help with that, or are you all set?”

“I’m just going to wash it out. It’s fine, but thank you.”

“Okay then. Goodnight, Zelda. May the Goddess watch over your sleep.”

“Goodnight, father.”

Rhoam looked her over one more time before closing the door behind him with a tell-tale thud.

Zelda breathed out a sigh of relief. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

Stepping out of the closet, Link grinned at her and tossed his belt right back onto the chest at the foot of her bed. “You were late.”

“I’m the Princess of Hyrule. I’m not late.”

“Terrible logic,” he said, snorting. But he grabbed a wash basin and brought it to her.

“Thanks.”

He watched her dip her hand into the water and flinch as it lapped over her wound. Resisting the urge to help her, he grabbed the top book from her pile instead.

“No, wait!” Zelda said, crossing the room quickly to try to snatch the book from him, hand dripping still.

“Plants and Horticulture of Hyrule Field.” He raised his eyebrow and flipped to her bookmark. “Are you planning to start a gard—oh!” A grin spread over his face as he read the words on the page. “Guardian technology? Hoarding your blasphemous texts, are we? Are you going to start tinkering with them again?”

“You know I’m not allowed to, so give it back!” Zelda burned red and grabbed his arm to try to pull at him, but with one hand, it was a losing fight. Still, she tried feebly, knowing he’d already seen it, so there wasn’t much reason to really fight anyway. It wasn’t as if he was going to rat her out either. She was simply at the mercy of his teasing for a few moments.

“How did you even get ahold of this?” he chuckled, turning the page at random as his eyes scanned over the words. “Isn’t half of this stuff forbidden to be this close to the castle?”

But they both answered at once, the obvious answer hitting him immediately as Zelda was ready to confess: “Purah.”

This time, Zelda just crossed her arms. “I wanted to… experiment. So, I have a fake cover on it in case someone nosey decides to grab the book! You know my father is paranoid.”

“I do know that.”

“It’s just harmless fun!” she said, still feeling the need to defend herself and her thick tomb. “I’m never allowed to have fun, especially with the books they make me read. I want to read about the blast radius the Guardians have while powered by a massive ancient core! And I want to know the components of a Sheikah slate, so, so badly. My father won’t let me do any of it. I just want to read something that isn’t so political!”

Link hummed and nodded. “That’s true. Those books are the worst. My favorite was, gods, what was it called? An Economic History of the Merchant’s Guild of Hyrule. That’s the one that only spit out rupee facts that you kept telling me, right?”

She blushed a bit more fiercely this time at the level of attention Link had paid her without her realizing, and she pushed him by the arm. “Okay, get out.”

He watched her turn redder by the minute and turned back to her to tap his fingers against the hardcover book tucked in her arms. “You know I’m not making fun of you, right? I think it’s admirable how much you prepare.”

Letting out a breath, she threw herself back onto the bed and slammed her book into her forehead with a groan.

Link chuckled and pried the book from her hands. “I’m serious. You’ll make a good queen.”

Her eyes suddenly darted up to his. She wasn’t sure she’d ever heard anyone tell her that, except maybe her father during her moments of absolute despair when he knew she needed to be cheered up.

Flipping the pages of the Guardian text, Link narrowed his eyes, flipped another page, glanced at her, and then flipped the page again. He waved the book in front of her face. “You wonder why the Goddess doesn’t like you; it’s because you write in your books. Ink is permanent you know.”

She ripped the book from his hand and hit him in the arm with it, doing her best not to let her laugh at his jab break through her angry façade. “I’m aware.”

Watching a drop of blood trail down her finger, Link reached out and cupped her hand in his just before the long trail dropped onto the page. “That’ll stain almost as much as ink. You should wrap that up.”

Zelda let him lead her back to the water, keeping the blood in his hand until they were safe. He dipped his hands in first and shook them out, noticing that there was only one rag.

“Thank you.”

“You really shouldn’t have done that, you know,” Link said, watching the water turn redder.

“I had to think fast, okay? Try ‘thank you for not letting me get caught in your closet, Zelda.’ If I can do it, so can you.”

“Fine. Thank you. I appreciate you covering for me, but you didn’t have to injure yourself to cause an appropriate distraction.”

“You’re so annoying,” she breathed. “End it at ‘thank you.’”

“Why do you put up with me?” Link laughed, handing her the rag.

She wrapped it around her finger, letting the wound clot. “Because.”

“Because--?”

“Because. Because I just do.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Fine. Because I think you’re amusing. Whether that’s a good thing or not is dependent on the situation.”

Link grinned softly, barely noticeable in anything but his eyes.

Zelda watched him, content in their mutual silence.

But even that had to end.

After her cut had stopped bleeding, Zelda pointed to the empty space in the room. “Okay. Get on the ground.”

“Demands, demands, Princess.”

#wip wednesday #legend of zelda #botw au #pre-calamity au #link #zelda #zelink #writing #I have an innuendo issue in this fic which includes the title. Oops

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faean · 3 years

Text

Prince Sidon x Male Reader (Part 1/2)

Rating: T; Mentions of Blood/Death

Word Length: 1,960 words

Title: The Prince’s Folly

-----

“What’s a Hylian doing in Zora’s Domain?”

“Isn’t he the one who used to live in Hyrule Castle teaching magic?”

“Didn’t he travel the world? Why’d he choose to stay here after the Calamity?”

“Did you hear? King Dorephan tasked him with slaying the Lynel since it’s been resurrected. I hope he survives...”

“The council is hoping he doesn’t make it. They’re still so angry at the Hylians and their Champion, even after Mipha’s spirit told us not to be remorseful.”

“I can’t believe it! He actually slew the beast! The Prince even saw him deliver the finishing blow. He’s been telling everyone about it.”

“For a Hylian, he sure ages like a Zora. It’s been over 50 years and he doesn’t look a day older. He’s even taller than the average Hylian. I wonder if it’s because of his magic.”

“Do you think the rumors are true? They say he isn’t interested in women. There have been a few female Hylians, Gerudo, even female Zora and Gorons approach him and he’s politely declined them all.”

“I think the rumors might be true. He acts differently when around the Prince, and the Prince has been spending more time with him, too.”

It’s been almost 75 years, and every day still brings something new. Sometimes it’s the council coming up with some asinine task for you to complete to get you to leave the domain, even if you always complete them with little difficulty. Sometimes it’s patrolling the borders and the dam. Sometimes it’s going out for more supplies. And, after every blood moon, you leave to confront the Lynel that terrorizes the Zora atop Ploymus Mountain. After so many decades, the fights end swiftly and without incident.

Until recently.

The Zora Prince, Sidon, has been spending every bit of free time with you. He joins you on patrols, short trading journeys, and the tasks the council sends you on, much to their dismay. Unfortunately, their hatred against Hylians seems to overrule their worry about the sole heir of the Zora. Either they are resentful he holds no grudges against Hylians like they do, or they actually recognize your skill and don’t fear for his safety. Hopefully, it was the latter.

You didn’t mind his company, of course. For a while, most of the Zora were wary of you, though the younger generations, including Sidon’s, were much less discriminatory and more friendly, even going so far as to argue against some of the council’s decisions. There was one thing about Sidon’s presence that bothered you, though.

You were hopelessly in love with him, and you had the sensation that he knew, considering the rumors surrounding your interactions with female suitors. It wasn’t until your most recent excursion to slay the revived Lynel once more that everything was brought to light…

Many decades ago, back when I first moved to the Zora’s Domain after the Calamity, King Dorephan asked me to fight a Lynel atop a nearby mountain that had been terrorizing the Zora after the power of Calamity Ganon brought it back on a Blood Moon.

As a Hylian, the shock arrows it fired would not be immediately fatal to me, and my prowess with magic was renowned, having granted me longevity and the opportunity to teach Princess Zelda (though, her obsession with ancient Sheikah technology limited my involvement). For me, (Y/N) (L/N), the Master of Magic, it would have been easy.

Would have been.

During the battle, I managed to avoid every one of the beast’s attacks, and had dealt several serious blows; however, the Lynel’s natural resistance to all the elements drained me of my energy as I used stronger and more costly spells to counter it. I had received some training with spears, bows, and blades, but not enough to rival that of a savage and cunning Lynel. Near the end of the battle, a certain young Prince had become entranced and stepped out further from his hiding place where he was watching.

The Lynel did not hesitate to take aim, and the young Prince was frozen in fear. He didn’t see what happened next, too afraid to open his eyes until he heard my voice softly comforting him.

There was no sign of the Lynel, just a jagged pillar of earth and the spoils of the slain beast. The Prince completely forgot his fear and was gushing over me and the battle, unaware of the cost of my victory. I escorted him back, presenting the spoils to the King as proof before leaving to my own home. Once alone, I uttered a few cryptic words and my clothing turned a deep crimson red.

Now, he joined you again, but with your knowledge and the intent to fight. You instructed him on the beast’s tactics and abilities, as well as your usual strategy. You would wait until it put away its sword and shield to charge at you, and you would proceed to meet it head on by sliding underneath it to slay it in a single blow. Expending most of your magical energy, you focused it in between your hands before expending it all in a single devastating strike, piercing through its underside and disintegrating most of its body.

With the Prince at your side, and with his skill with a bow, he’d get the beast’s attention before you struck it from behind. A simple diversion, yet wholly effective in theory. Even if the Lynel charged him, the Prince was more than capable with a spear.

At least, that was the idea.

The Lynel, in its cruel intelligence, was aligned perfectly with the Prince, preventing you from delivering the final blow. It cocked its shock arrows, ignoring the Prince’s own shots. Without hesitation and further thought, you dashed in front of the of the Prince and took the hit, just like you did all those years ago.

Sidon’s eyes went wide with fear and realization as he saw the electricity course through your body, three arrows embedded across your chest. He watched as you shakily stood and proceeded to take a deep breath, blood pouring from your wounds as you raised your hands. He shielded his eyes from the bright light that followed, and when he could finally see again, all that was left were the creature’s weapons, parts, and a sizable crater in the ground from your attack. He meant to congratulate you, but you staggered and fell before he could, staining the grass blood red.

-----

“You have scars on your thighs… This isn’t the first time you took a Lynel’s arrows for me, is it?”

The Prince was sitting at the foot of the large bed you were in, having brought you back to receive medical attention. He wouldn’t meet your gaze as you sat up, wincing at the pain and holding back a string of swears. You looked over at the Prince, saddened by how hurt he looked. He always wore a smile on his face, bringing cheer to the Zora people and working to keep the peace. He was treasured among his people, and even Lurelin Village and beyond, having saved them from a massive Octorok.

But now? He had no smile; his eyes were dull, and his shoulders slumped.

“My Prince … do not blame yourself. I made my choice that day, just as I made my choice today. It’ll take a lot more than a few arrows to take me down, and I would gladly take another if it meant keeping you safe.”

Sidon was silent for a few moments before he wiped the tears from his face, turning to you with a bright smile and saying, “Have I told you just how much I appreciate everything you do? Because I really do appreciate all you do!”

Admittedly, it was a little forced, but you still thought it admirable.

“All right, now that that’s out of the way, I need a nap. I’m exhausted, and this isn’t my bed.” You breathed out as you rolled your shoulders.

There was a brief pause before Sidon sheepishly told you that it was actually his bed you’ve been resting in for the past few days, since the healers thought it wasn’t a good idea to carry you all the way to your house while injured.

“Wait, if I’ve been out for several days, then where have you been sleeping?” You asked, more worried about the Prince’s sleep than your own self.

“… I’ve been here. I couldn’t bring myself to leave your side. The healers said you might not pull through, and I prayed to Mipha’s spirit to watch over you… The King … My father says it was survivor’s guilt, but I… (Y/N) … It was much more than that…” Sidon made his way around the bed to sit beside you.

A massive blush spread across your face with how close he was, fortunately, he was looking down at the bed and not at you, though you would rather he met your gaze.

“(Y/N), for an awfully long time now, I have been wishing to spend every day by your side. It’s why I join you on your assignments and invite you to every event I must attend. It’s why I convinced you and my father to let me fight beside you, but…” Sidon, without realizing it, took your hand in his, holding on to it as he spoke.

“When you protected me, I remembered … I remembered when I was young and watched your fight with the Lynel for the first time, much like my sister had with the Hylian Champion. You had protected me back then, and you hid your injuries from me and even walked me all the way back home…” You felt him squeeze your hand as he continued, and you instinctively moved closer to him, coming to lean against him.

“In that moment of realization, I knew exactly why I wished to be with you.”

He turned to face you, taking your other hand is his own and leaning down, his eyes closed by the time his lips connected with yours. You melted into him, happily kissing back.

-----

Several (more) years went by, and you could not be happier. You and Sidon were officially a couple, and although the King was hesitant about your relationship at first, he saw how much joy you brought to Sidon, and that showed in everything he did. He accepted it, much to the further dismay of the council. Also a few of the female Zora who were huge fans of the Prince, but most were simply happy that he was happy. Sort of…

-----

“(Y/N), my beloved! You’ve returned! How was your trip?” The Prince asked when he reunited with you, sweeping you off your feet as he enveloped you in a hug.

“Hot. Cold. I always forget the extremes of the Gerudo Desert until I inevitably return for some supplies. I’m just glad my contact is still willing to trade on my behalf. Anyway, let me drop off some things and I’ll meet you back in your room.” You punctuated this with a quick kiss to Sidon’s hand as he let you go.

He was more than excited that you were back, not because you’ve been gone for a couple of weeks, but because he had been planning something special to mark your next anniversary, which takes place just a few days from today. The two of you have been through a lot since you got together, you more than him with how the council acts, but it bothered him more than you, funnily enough. Especially when they tried to convince him that conceiving a future heir was more important than love and happiness.

Which got him thinking…

-----

Part 2: TBD

#The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild #LoZ #BotW #Prince Sidon #BotW Prince Sidon #Male Reader #Prince Sidon x Male Reader #Angst #Fluff #Original Works #enjoy you heathens

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fatefulfaerie · 3 years

Note

If you’re still doing requests, I’d love some fluffy post Calamity ZeLink.

When Link rode into Hateno with someone other than himself on the back of his horse, the town’s residents didn’t know the meaning of the word hesitation as rumors began to spill from their whispering lips and into the ready ears of listeners. Rumors carried on the soft breeze that the young girl dressed in white was Link’s new bride, and the evidence to support their claim was, at least to them, what proved it.

Link was more gentlemanly than they had ever seen him toward this young woman in particular. He helped her off the horse with a gentle hand when they first arrived at dusk. He made her dinner in the cooking pot outside his house before leaning against the tree in each other’s arms. Citizens observed from afar the young woman not leaving but joining Link as he entered their house and, based on their suppositions of them being recently wed, the citizens insisted they must be doing wonderfully scandalous things to each other.

By the dawn of the next day, the rumors of a young warrior and his new bride reached the laboratory at the very top of the hill. Purah’s casual conversation with a citizen interested in studying Sheikah technology alongside such a legend quickly changed when the citizen mentioned the rumor offhand.

Purah saw right past how the rumor misinterpreted the truth, knowing that the young warrior who lived in the house at the bottom of the hill was Link, and that the girl in the white dress could have been none other than Princess Zelda, rescued from her hundred-year battle against Calamity Ganon.

Purah immediately directed the citizen to converse with Symin about their interests until she returned, Purah running down the hill with the energy of a five-year-old. In fact, this was the first time she felt her accident truly came in handy. Once she reached Link’s house, she was barely out of breath, knocking on the door thrice.

The princess herself opened the door, dressed in baggy clothes that likely belonged to Link. Her messy blonde hair looked as if she had woken up within the hour and yet, Purah gaped upon her silhouette with parted lips. Although Purah was seeing the princess from a much lower angle, Her Highness had not aged a day, and neither had her smile.

“Hello, young one,” Zelda said as she knelt down, in that voice Purah never thought she would hear again. “Do you know where your parents are?”

Link came to the door before Purah could argue that she wasn’t actually five years of age, Link dressed in his typical blue champion’s tunic and Hylian trousers. He laughed at Zelda’s error.

“Zelda, her parents are dead,” he stated. Zelda’s head snapped to Link immediately, covering both of Purah’s ears as if she really were five years old.

“Link!” Zelda exclaimed. “What is wrong with you?! That is nothing to laugh about!”

“I thought it was funny,” Purah said, Zelda’s eyes widening and her arms jerking away from Purah’s ears with a gasp. Zelda was absolutely confounded.

“Zelda, allow me to reintroduce you to Purah,” Link said, Zelda’s lips parting. “In an effort to keep herself young while waiting those hundred years, she accidentally turned herself into a five-year-old.”

Zelda was speechless as her breathing heaved, having trouble finding the words to say.

“You…” she said breathlessly. “You survived.”

“In a manner of—oh!”

Zelda had reached out and hugged her friend, Link smiling as Purah returned the embrace with her tiny hands.

“It’s good to see you again too, Your Highness.”

Zelda wiped her own tears away as she withdrew, but Purah placed on her hands on her hips.

“Now what’s all this about you two getting married?”

Zelda’s face went beet red. She stood up.

“What?!

“They think we’re married?” Link asked Purah in disbelief.

Zelda sighed as she closed her eyes, realizing.

“The white dress,” she said before looking to Link. “I suppose it’s best we clear this up, tell them we’re…”

Zelda’s words trailed away as she suddenly realized she didn’t know what they were. Purah looked between them and wished she brought a snack for this entertainment. The potential love story of these two was a big deal, something her and Impa especially theorized upon a hundred years ago and now it seems she was one of the few alive to see the next chapter unfold.

“F-friends,” Zelda said, her heart pinging as she did.

“Y-yeah,” Link said as he broke his stare. “Friends.”

Link and Zelda strode towards the center hub of town, readying themselves to tell the town something they both didn’t want to be true. Zelda and Link’s gazes were averted away from each other and Purah walked behind the pair trying to figure out how to drive away the uncomfortable wedge between them. And yet she didn’t have to.

“Screw it,” Link said, summoning his courage and pressing his lips into Zelda’s, hugging her close. Purah’s eyes lit up with joy at seeing them kiss for the first time, and seeing Zelda not in any way pulling away from Link’s gesture.

In fact, Zelda readily accepted it.

#zelink #zelda #link #hateno #purah #botw #breath of the wild #tloz #the legend of zelda

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quillandink333 · 3 years

Text

Scarlet Carnations ~ Part I

BotW Link X Zelda ~ Detective AU

Rating: T

Word Count: 2.9k

WARNINGS: death, murder, loss, trauma, blood and gore, terrorism, organized crime, self-harm

Summary: Inspector Zelda Hyrule, assisted by the faithful Constable Link Fyori, is infamous for cracking the most confounding of cases in a town dominated by crime. Her latest assignment is to solve the murder of her own godmother, Impa Sheikah, the late CEO of Sheikah Tech. Incorporated, while staying under the radar of the dreaded Yiga organization.

Part I • Part II • Part III • Part IV • Part V • Part VI • Part VII • Epilogue • Masterlist

A deafening blast jolted me out of my slumber. I snapped upright.

As a member of law enforcement, I was painfully familiar with the sound of a gunshot, and that was exactly what I’d just heard.

I strained my ears with bated breath, trying to hear over my own thundering heartbeat.

Loud, frantic footsteps raced down creaky, wooden stairs. Then a terrified scream filled the halls of my childhood home.

I tore away the sheets and rushed to where the scream seemed to have come from. When I reached the parlour was when I stumbled upon the scene. There, right at the foot of my mother’s memorial, was my godmother’s cold, lifeless corpse. Kneeling beside her was her granddaughter, Paya, weeping into her open palms in shock.

Only a minute or two had passed since I’d awoken at the sound of gunfire. “Wait here,” I ordered, then made a break for the front entrance, the nearest and most instinctual escape route.

But when I threw the doors open, there wasn’t a soul to be found.

I returned to the parlour with my tail between my legs. Then my toe hit something heavy and metallic that clacked underfoot. When I looked down and saw what it was, I froze. With caution, I ever so slowly stepped away from the weapon.

“Great...” I muttered, seeing as now it would have my toe prints on it. But the longer I looked at it, I realized I’d seen this revolver somewhere before.

Then it hit me. It hit me like a two-ton train car.

I quickly made sure Paya’s head was turned. Then with terribly trembling hands, I did what I had to do and carefully tucked it away in my nightgown.

I’d feared the precinct wouldn’t allow me to participate in the investigation seeing as I’d been on the scene at the time of the crime. However, it seemed they trusted me enough to even appoint me as the lead investigator. Granted, I had done a lot to earn their trust over the past three years, but this was unheard of.

Nevertheless, I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. The next morning, at seven o’clock sharp, I returned to the scene of the crime equipped with all the necessary tools of my trade.

I looked out the window of the cramped police buggy at our destination in utter astoundment. There were already droves of officers there, awaiting the arrival of me and my partner. The sight of the place I’d once called home being chained off and hidden from the public like this was jarring, to say the least. Of all the strange crime scenes I’d seen, this was the strangest. I never could’ve imagined I’d be returning here, not to eat Auntie Impa’s delicious pork buns or to hear Auntie Purah talk about her latest technological endeavours, but for work. How could I have?

“Zelda! Good—good morning!” greeted a rather skittish Paya when she opened the door for us.

“Good morning, Paya.”

She nearly lost her smile when she noticed Constable Fyori standing beside me. “Please, come in.” She stepped aside, and he and I entered into the low-ceilinged yet stately vestibule, removing our shoes and leaving them by the door. “Can I get either of you anything? Some tea, maybe?”

My assistant opened his mouth, but I raised a hand, silencing him. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. We have important business to take care of.”

“Oh, yes, of course! Silly me,” she chortled. “I’ll let you get to it, then.”

The first order of business was to examine the body. In most cases, a specialist would be needed to perform an autopsy, but unlike most inspectors, I had the forensic knowhow to take care of it myself. One might have said this was a side effect of my hobbies and my avid interest in all things related to science that I’d harboured since grade school. However, a full autopsy complete with the weighing of the body and the removal of the organs would come later. For now, it would suffice to determine two simple things: the time of death and the cause of death.

But before I could even get close to the body, I was stopped by my assistant, who grabbed me gently by the arm.

“You don’t have to do this,” he uttered in his typical, mousy tone. “I can call for someone else to come and take care of it for you.”

The look of real and profound concern seated deep in his aquamarine eyes pulled at my heartstrings. It had been a year, roughly, since he’d first begun working under me. He was always so worried for me, and I always felt terrible because of it. I unhooked his hand from my arm, putting on a warm smile. “I’ll be okay, Link.”

He looked at me as if to ask, “Are you sure?”

“Really, it’s fine. Don’t worry,” I insisted. “Thank you, though.” This finally got him to return my smile, albeit only briefly.

I already had a decent estimate of the time of death. The period we were looking at was between half ten at night, when the last person awake (which had just so happened to be me) had gone to bed, and three in the morning, when the gunshot had given me that rude awakening. Really I should have examined the body as soon as I’d discovered it. In most other cases I worked on, I even wished I’d been the first on the scene, before the stiff had yet to even go stiff. Of course, the one time I happened to be one of the first to discover a murder, it had to be like this.

And yet, until I knew who was responsible for this atrocity, grieving could wait.

Right off the bat, I could tell that this had been a homicide. This may have seemed obvious to someone like Paya, but as a detective, I’d had to forcefully train myself to assume nothing and question everything. Based on the characteristics of the hole running straight through her neck, however, I determined that the gun had been shot from too far a distance for it to have been suicidal. Auntie Impa’s arms simply weren’t long enough.

But for a death caused by hemorrhage from a severed jugular vein, there was a shockingly small amount of blood. The rush-woven mat beneath her was nearly spotless, and I knew from experience how difficult it was to get stains out of these mats. Even when I checked underneath the mat, there was still nothing. No blood, and no bullet.

With a final nod, I stood up and signalled the other officers to take the body away.

“Now, let’s see here...” I said to myself, scanning the area immediately surrounding the corpse before approaching my mother’s altar. But when I laid eyes on the damage it had sustained, I stumbled back.

Though she hadn’t been a follower of the same faith held by the Sheikahs, my mother’s memory had been enshrined here because, like myself, they’d been like a second family to her.

With all due caution, I picked up what remained of her photograph. The glass was shattered, and a bullet had completely erased her face.

If this wasn’t a sign of the Yiga organization, I didn’t have a clue what was. Who else would’ve borne such ill will toward Hilda Hyrule, the town’s beloved last mayor who’d been dead ever since the tragic “accident” at City Hall eighteen years prior? That massacre had been what had ushered in their age of power, and with no one left to stand in their way, they’d been terrorizing the city ever since.

Before I’d even had the chance to begin my analysis, I heard Paya’s timid footsteps shuffling up to me. “Zelda?” she whispered, obnoxiously tapping her finger on my shoulder. “Excuse me...”

I turned my head and forced a grin. “What is it?”

“Umh, I didn’t know he’d be accompanying you today.” I didn’t even have to follow her gaze to know who she was eyeing.

I suppressed a sigh. “Constable Fyori is my partner,” I reminded her politely. “I take him with me on all of my investigations.”

“Yes, I know, but...” Now her gaze was nervously flitting back and forth between me and Link. “I-I wasn’t prepared to see him again after so long. What if—what if he says something to me?”

“He won’t,” I huffed. “Now, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh my, I’m so sorry,” she fretted. “I’ll get out of your hair.” I gave her a nod of the head in thanks, and she kindly stepped back and out of my space. But even after that, I could still feel her intense stare from across the room. I let out the sigh I’d been holding in. Sure, Paya was irritating, and I was going on maybe four or five hours of sleep at most, but there was no excuse for me to be irrational, especially since it would get me nowhere in my line of thinking. What I wouldn’t have done for a nice, hot cup of chamomile at that moment.

Based on the extreme angle of the bullet’s trajectory, one could tell at a glance where the shooter had to have been positioned. They’d have been standing above the altar with very little space between the two—definitely not enough for an entire person. Therefore the bullet that had taken the victim’s life had to have been a different one. This was backed up by the absence of any blood around the hole or anywhere else on the shrine. So why had I only heard one gunshot that night? And where in the world was the bullet responsible for Auntie Impa’s death if not on the scene of the crime?

After photographing the hole and scribbling my thoughts and observations down in my notebook, I began the procedure of extracting the bullet from the altar. This was a delicate task, one that I admittedly had a hard time trusting anyone else in the force with. Once I’d succeeded in retrieving the bullet, I determined it was of the same calibre as the one that had passed through the victim’s throat, meaning it was likely that it had been fired from the same gun. Unfortunately, all these facts corresponded with the weapon I’d found on the scene mere hours ago, two chambers of which were empty. There may have been no prints left on the trigger, but even so, I simply didn’t have it in me to run a striation comparison.

Standing up straight and taking a quick, deep breath, I turned to my assistant, who seemed to be investigating the mantelpiece. “Right, then, Fyori.” He turned his head as I approached him. “Anything to report?”

“No, madam,” he replied solemnly, avoiding my gaze and peering straight ahead over the top of my head.

“Is that so...?” I tapped the end of my pen against my chin habitually. “We seem to have a dreadfully diligent killer on our hands.” I gave the room another once-over from where I stood beside him. “You’ve been thorough in your search as always, I presume?”

“Of course.”

“And you found nothing? Not even a fingerprint?”

“No, I’m afraid not.”

“Then let’s move on,” I sighed, turning toward the doorway leading out into one of the building’s many corridors. He followed, just a few paces behind me. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to check since we got here.”

“That’s strange...” muttered Auntie Purah as she jumped through the footage captured by the front entrance’s security camera. “Symin, did I miss something?”

The Sheikah estate’s security supervisor shook his head. “Not that I could see.”

“Let me check it again.”

But even when she rewound and skipped through it a second time, the only person to appear was still myself on my initial search for the killer. Link gave me a furtive glance. I smiled at him in reassurance.

“Perhaps the other cameras caught something,” I suggested. “It would make sense that the culprit wouldn’t want to simply waltz right in through the front door.”

Auntie Purah looked to Symin. “Well, there are three other cameras, but two of them are so far removed from the scene that I doubt they’d be of much help.”

“And the third?” I asked, reaching for my notebook and something to write with.

“That would be the courtyard camera.”

“Ah, perfect!” The courtyard was located at the very centre of the property and served as an intersection between the four main hallways. “That one’s bound to have caught something. Let’s see.”

But this, too, would turn out fruitless. Throughout the night, there wasn’t even the shadow of a clue as to the killer’s movements.

“This...” I gaped. “This is impossible.” I knew for a fact that this particular model of camera was designed for the very purpose of protecting its footage from being altered or obstructed. Could the killer have made themselves invisible somehow?

“I don’t believe it.” Auntie Purah shook her head creakily. “Our company takes great pride in the reliability of our security cameras!”

Enraged, the tiny, old lady tried to stand up from her seat. Then a loud crack resounded throughout the cramped surveillance office. She screamed.

“Miss Purah, please calm down,” urged the kindly Symin, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” she seethed, adjusting her glasses. “Thank you.” I didn’t know the man as well as I did the rest of the family as he had become a part of it a few years after I’d left the nest. However, it seemed like he would make a fine successor to Auntie Impa’s role of keeping her elder sister’s enduring impulsivity in check.

“There’s no reason to worry, Auntie. This is no fault of yours or your company’s,” I said, hoping to ease her pain a little. She’d suffered a terrible loss, and it was taking a great toll on her. It was difficult to watch such a brilliant mind come undone because of something like this. But after hearing my words, she looked up at me with a wrinkly smile. “My partner and I will just have to do an even more thorough inspection of the property tomorrow.”

The ride back to the precinct wasn’t a pleasant one. By the end of the day, my own mind had deteriorated into a swirling whirlpool of confusion, resentment, and woe. The investigation so far had borne so little results, it was hard to imagine that tomorrow’s search would be that much more successful. Of course there was still so much more that needed to be looked into, but right now, I just couldn’t see this turning out well. I still hadn’t solved the mystery behind my mother’s death in eighteen long years. Why, in this case, would I prove to be any less of a failure?

I curled my fists against my legs, trying my hardest to forget about the empty feeling in my stomach. Despite this, I knew I didn’t have the energy to do much more rational thinking today, if any at all.

Then my colleague broke the silence. “She was important to you, wasn’t she?” he asked, but such a personal question was strangely out of character for him.

“Yes.” I smiled sorrowfully into my lap. “I never really thought of her as a mother figure,” I admitted, “but she did put a lot of time and effort into raising me, in my actual mother’s stead.”

“She must’ve been a wonderful person.”

This made me laugh, to both his and my surprise. “Well, she would often scold me and Paya with the strictest attitude you can imagine, but I suppose she always had our best interests at heart.”

The longer I thought about Auntie Impa, the more I mulled over who could possibly have wanted her dead. She had already been getting on in age. Had the perpetrator’s need to kill her really been that dire? The only time people ever went that far was when their victim’s life would’ve put them in danger somehow if they’d have allowed them to go on living. But then again, there was the Yiga organization. They went around committing murders a couple times every week for seemingly no reason other than to flaunt their power. Perhaps Auntie Impa really had been just another one of their prey. Even so, I couldn’t shake the suspicion that there was more to it than that.

“Don’t you think it’s strange?”

The constable cocked his head, but kept his eyes on the road.

But then I stopped myself. There was still no proof of the Yiga’s involvement, so there was no point in bringing it up now. “Well, all of it is quite strange, frankly,” I amended. “The lack of blood, the missing bullet...”

“Could the killer have moved the body from somewhere else, perhaps?” he tentatively suggested.

“Very good, Link. That’s exactly what I’ve been theorizing.” The tips of his ears flushed, and he seemed to shrink back into his seat a little. “Oh, but then...wouldn’t that make it more likely for the cameras to have caught something?”

“That is true,” he concurred. “And there’s still been no sign of the murder weapon?”

I swallowed hard. “No...” My eyes flickered down toward my briefcase. “None.”

#my writing #fanfic #botw #zelink #botw zelink #zelink botw #botw link x zelda #botw zelda x link #link x zelda #zelda x link #zelink fanfic #zelink fic #zelink ff #zelda pov #detective au

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mars-janka · 3 years

Text

Bluebirds

Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Ship: Revalink (Revali x Link)

Word count: 4684

A/N: This piece is a work for the Revalink Valentine’s Exchange 2021 @revalinkexchange! Happy Valentine’s Day to my dear giftee @spacesephora! Thank you for providing the prompt and inspiring me; I do wish you enjoy reading my take on it!

Read on AO3

Vah Medoh was lonely.

Before the Calamity, Revali never really understood how the mechanical beast thrown under his wing worked. He was told countless times that it held a soul, but then again, he questioned himself when he was alone almost as many times as he’s heard of it, how could a stone machine be ever capable of having one? And yet despite those doubts it was one of the few things he kept to himself and never dared to speak up about it; it wasn’t like he possessed any more knowledge about ancient Sheikah technology than Purah, Robbie or even princess Zelda.

With those thoughts repressed deep inside him, Revali continued to listen to more of the scientist’s advice and theories and utilizing them later when within the divine beast. He had never once felt a presence surrounding him, making him doubt all the efforts he made to “connect” with Medoh, but nevertheless never stopped trying. It was surprising when he heard of Daruk having problems with taming Rudania. It made Revali almost paranoid, now looking over his shoulder at the slightest sound and faint feeling of something sneaking up his spine. Yet despite that, a part of him still seemed to be wary of the idea of Medoh being alive.

It changed when his own life came to a tragic end.

He no longer had any doubts. He no longer had any body, he turned into merely a presence, one that he once didn’t believe to be real. As the consciousness left his mortal, limp body, Revali felt his soul intertwine with another one, one that could only be Medoh. They became one and the same, a wicked, infested part of her threatening to infuse his mind.

He despised it; he spent his first months silent, lost in thought not bothering to speak to Medoh despite her malicious cries. Their roles switched, now he was a beast that needed taming. He isolated himself, wallowing over his lost life, cursing Hylia and pitying Hyrule’s fate all in the one of many corners of the divine beast. After a few years, his mindset changed, however. Revali realized that his soul was bound to Medoh’s forever, whether pure or cruel, and there was nothing he could do about it; he could not escape, he could not defeat her nor could he take his own life as he was already dead.

With a heavy heart he submitted to his fate and day by day, night by night the pain started to lessen.

He let himself let out everything; his fears, burdens, memories, passions. Even if Medoh was swallowed by a dark force, he still felt as if an old part of her was still there, understanding him and his emotions, something he hadn’t been graced by in a very long time. At times, he wondered if that was meant to be from the beginning; two lonely souls finding each other. Revali smiled feeling her presence, he felt content with that.

That was until Link came back from the dead.

The sheer sight of him made Revali feel a strange sensation inside of him. Watching him was strange. He had not changed, not one bit, his youthful features apparent with movements mirroring those which Revali remembered from a century ago. Despite that something felt off. He brushed it off, too interested (and too excited) in observing Link’s struggles with overcoming the difficulties he was faced with to care.

What he couldn’t ignore however was the feeling that loomed over him after he and Link had parted. The loneliness that Revali hid deep inside himself was threatening to tear trough again, its power strengthened. Medoh’s company wasn’t enough, he realized with pain. He became quieter than he was in the beginning, not daring to let his thoughts slip. Hiding from Medoh wasn’t as difficult as it used to be with his newly acquired body (he was still but a mere spirit, yet it was still much more than he could’ve ever imagined). What was, though, was hurting her.

It felt terrible yet he couldn’t make himself open up to her, straying away as far as he could. He remained distant and cold ignoring her cries, longing to see the world once again, if only for a second.

Revali was absorbed in his thoughts, looking out at Rito Village through the humongous round windows when it happened. Out of the blue, he felt some divine being wrap him in their hands and suddenly he found himself in a place, beside somebody that he expected the least to see.

It was raining terribly, and Link looked almost as shocked as he did, clinging tightly to his cloth paraglider as Revali’s spirit circled around him, wings spreading in a graceful manner, summoning an updraft that lifted them both up in only a matter of seconds. It was as if the same force as before was controlling all his movements. Revali was overwhelmed by what was happening around him, by what was happening to him. He could feel everything; the wind grazing his feathers, the rain coating them, the almost suffocating air that he breathed, the lingering smell of the ocean. It all seemed too good to be true. And for the first time in a hundred years, he felt alive, no matter how ironic that was, considering he was still very much everything but that.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Link’s, raw emotions shining through them (as though the knight could feel). He wasn’t sure if it was the force that made it impossible or if there really was something truly captivating, mesmerizing about them. He couldn’t give it another thought, however, as he felt that same bizarre, divine hands take him into their care. Panicking, he opened his beak to shout. Before any words had a change to form, his vision became blurry and in a blink of an eye he was once again reunited with the cold, indifferent interior of his divine beast.

“No!” he cried as the words found a way to escape, his wing instinctively reaching forward to grab what was left of this beautiful dream he had, only to be met with hard glass preventing him from falling down, in a moment where he wanted to fall the most, feel the wind graze his feathers once more. “No…” he said again with head pressing painfully against the window as he gradually slid down to his knees. His gaze locked at the very sight he was looking at before, his home, Rito Village. Revali felt a lump form in his throat, choking a sob. “Please,” he said, pleading to whoever who listened, voice shaking. “Please, let me out of here.”

His wish couldn’t be fulfilled, not if he was not called for by this divine force.

Which wasn’t something he expected to happen as weeks flew by. What did, however, happen was that he was left completely alone as Medoh wouldn’t be bothered by his behavior anymore. Revali couldn’t hear her cries and thoughts; she shut him off just like he wanted and yet he still found himself missing them. He would never admit that of course, whatever was left of his pride making him bottle it up inside, quietly hoping that one day the silence would break.

And finally, that day came. It was unexpected and sudden and… peculiar. The presence that Revali felt, and assumed to be Medoh, was very much unlike anything he remembered. Something about it was off, as if it couldn’t possibly be her but then again perhaps, she has changed and in doing so did the feeling of her presence as it had been a while since she has too isolated herself. Revali though was too distracted by the sheer joy that he felt in this very moment, calling Medoh’s name in his thoughts, hoping that she’d hear him and rushing through the insides of the divine beast searching for the place where he’d sense her the most.

“I’m sorry,” the thoughts echoed in his mind, as he couldn’t bear to speak, knowing that Medoh preferred them to hearing his voice. “I’m sorry I was so selfish, Medoh please forgive me.” They were running almost as fast as he was. “Give me a sign that you’re there!”

Revali was slowly but surely getting tired of participating in this cat and mouse styled game. Just as he was about to call out her name with his voice, he had felt her presence right next to him. Abruptly, he turned his head to face her and it wasn’t Medoh, oh no. For the third time in the past few months, he saw none other than Link.

He wasn’t sure whether to feel surprised, disappointed, annoyed or relieved even. He simply sighed and let his shoulders slouch back. “What are you doing here, knight?” he asked, voice harsh. “Don’t you have a world to save?” Revali was staring right into Link’s eyes intensely, nearly burning holes in them. For a short while, everything else disappeared, the world was shut out. It was only him and Link, looking, trying to solve the hidden meanings behind their mannerisms, expressions, eyes. Revali didn’t mind the sensation that it gave him, he longed for anything that helped him get his mind off his terrible afterlife.

Suddenly the wind howled, breaking the tense silence surrounding them. The sound reminded Revali of Medoh. He grunted and looked away a bit embarrassed. “A hundred years and you still hadn’t got back your tongue,” he said regaining his stance.

He was ready to dismiss the whole situation and go back to Medoh to try and search for comfort, but much to his surprise, he heard a voice, making his plan temporarily impossible. “I-,” It came out as a rasp. Revali’s eyes widened as he realized that this voice belongs to Link. “I thought that you could use some company.”

“You what?” he choked, not believing what he just heard. The feathers on his body ruffled uncontrollably, standing up from every side. He wasn’t sure whether it was because of the raspy, probably from unuse, serious tone, because of the message that the words passed, or perhaps the combination of both. The fact that he was trying his hardest to hide it, getting annoyed in the process wasn’t of any help. “What made you think so?”

For an unknown reason, some part of him expected Link to shrug and laugh in his face, saying that it was but a mere joke and yet none of that happened. He stood there, seemingly tall and proud of what he said. This time it was Revali that felt the gaze staring right into the inside of his soul. He on the other hand couldn’t bring himself to look at the knight’s face. “I know you’re lonely,” Link said, his voice now softer.

Revali let out a short awkward laugh. “I don’t know what-,” he tried to argue but was quickly (and efficiently) cut off.

“Don’t try to deny that,” his serious tone came back and Revali couldn’t help but to look at him. His gaze was as stern as his posture, both hands by his sides, curled up in fists. “I’ve seen it in your eyes, it’s written all over your face,” he started with passion, confident with his words spread only the truth. “The first time we met, when I… I don’t even know saw your… spirit?” he stumbled, probably too many thoughts flooding his little head yet still remained as passionate. “A-And now, too,” he added quickly. “You can’t hide it.”

Revali stood before him, stunned. His beak was opened slightly before it formed into a frown. “Unbelievable,” he scoffed, and more feathers ruffled on his back. “You,” he angrily pointed one finger at Link. “Have a lot of nerve coming here,” he was gesticulating wildly. “To my home, out of the blue, completely uninvited and tell me about my personal problems whilst not having resolved your own!” he huffed and took a deep breath. “Completely ridiculous.”

Link took every word that he spit at him with patience. He had closed his eyes and didn’t bother to respond. This angered Revali more, but he had no more energy to waste. “Oh, so now you won’t answer?” he waited a little while longer before realizing that it’s in vain. He turned on his foot, ready to hide in the shadows of Vah Medoh. “Classic.”

“I need your company!”

Revali stopped walking. This sentence alone sparked his interest enough to stay and listen to what Link had to say. The Hylian seemed to get the cue. “I-I am lonely too,” his voice was much quieter than only seconds ago; it was obvious that he hadn’t planned to bring this subject up and yet he still kept going. “You don’t owe me anything but,” Link sighed deeply, preparing for whatever he was about to say. “You’re the only one who understands what it’s like to truly be alone, what it’s like to be the one left behind.”

Revali could feel Link looking at him expectantly. “You’re wrong,” he heard Link take a breath. “Not that I expected anything else, but…” he turned to face him and yet didn’t look at his face, focusing on everything but him. “I am not lonely,” he stated, putting the most pressure on the third word. “And I do owe you something. My soul. And for that I-,” Revali’s eyes caught Link’s and only now he noticed the brilliant blush on his cheeks that he’s not seen before. It distracted him but he quickly shook out of it and he chose to ignore it, grunting and glancing away. “I suppose I can give the company that you crave so much.”

And ever since then, he had kept his word, as every time Link visited him, he’d embrace him with open arms. Revali had become reliant on his visits, firstly only craving any form on intimacy since Medoh was no longer an option. At times he’d even compare the divine beast to a desert since it was so desolate, empty and vacant only until Link showed up, momentarily replacing the feeling of being alone with joy upon meeting another person. Link was Revali’s escape, nothing more.

“I plan to battle with Ganon in a short time.”

Or so he had thought a while ago.

Somehow that sentence that was whispered to him made him fear more than ever. A cold shiver ran down Revali’s spine as his fingers curled up in Link’s hair stopped their movements. He felt the blonde shift on his lap, later a hand touching his face. “Is something wrong?” Link had asked, his voice concerned and soft.

Revali didn’t look at him. His heart screamed yes and yet he said “No, everything’s fine.” To assure Link, or himself really, he continued stroking his hair. He felt his heart leap, sink, do cartwheels and everything in between. He was far from being okay. He swallowed audibly. “Just… try your best to dodge his attacks.”

Link laughed and turned to face him as Revali with a smirk on his face playfully ruffled his hair. “All this time,” he said dramatically. “And you’re still doubting my abilities?”

“Never hurts to be simply remind.”

They parted soon after. They didn’t say goodbye, never did. It seemed all too serious, and all too sad. A simple wave would cut it as Link each time left Medoh in the beautiful colors of dawn. Watching him was serene, calming even despite his heart aching, begging him not to leave and the knowledge that he was about to fight the worst of nightmares, one that was a brink away from consuming the world. As Link disappeared completely from Revali’s line of sight, he took a deep breath and murmured, “I really hope you get back.” With that, he turned to hide in Medoh.

The next thing he remembered was that, for the first time in a hundred years, he woke up. His body was terribly aching, muscles sore as if all he had been doing those years were murderous exercises. He opened his eyes with a groan; though he quickly closed them when the light of the morning sun started to burn them. He couldn’t as much stand up, he couldn’t move his wings nor his legs; it was as if he was pinned to the ground, groaning from pain. It was Link who had found him, a couple days after. The knight panicked but immediately went back to the village to get help. The Rito were more than confused when they saw Revali, but they agreed to help, not knowing that the very man that they’re nursing back to health is their beloved Champion from a century prior.

The recovery was taking months and Revali slowly but surely was getting better. “I remember being alive differently than this,” he said later followed by a cough. Link smiled and leaned back in his chair looking out at the sunset. He was trying his best to visit Revali at all times, but it was not always the easiest now with princess Zelda needing his help with rebuilding the ruined kingdom.

“I’m pretty sure that the others feel the same way you do,” Link said lightheartedly to which Revali scoffed. He wasn’t the only one who was resurrected. Mipha, Urbosa and Daruk have been all reported to be very much alive as well. He had yet to see them though, but with his (and others) current, bleak state it was simply impossible. “When you’re all be looking…” Link trailed off into thought, trying to find the perfect word as Revali was glancing at him, awaiting. “…a bit better!” he finished enthusiastically. “I will invite you to visit my house in Hateno Village.”

“Now, that’s an idea,” Revali said, both intrigued and prejudiced. He thought out loud. “I wonder if the six of us will fit.”

“I’m sure we’ll manage.” And when the time came, though not without struggle, they really did. Beds, hammocks, sleeping bags and everything in between were now littering the entirety of the house’s first floor. There were also some baggage laying around, since when the guest where to put things, Link simply shrugged with a smile saying, “Throw it wherever.” From the décor Revali thought that it was clear that the knight never really got to spend much time just to sit and think, and if he did it certainly wasn’t the place.

“Sorry for the emptiness,” said shyly princess Zelda even though nobody seemed to mind (how could they when they spent the past century living in a mechanical beast?). “I’ve been trying to get more furniture but it’s hard these days.” She has been temporarily living with Link ever since the defeat of Ganon, so she must’ve felt at least partially responsible for the guests too, Revali figured.

Being in one room with so many people felt… to say the least strange. Everyone, though trying not to show, has changed in some way but that was certainly to be expected. What stayed the same however was their unique, unbreakable bond. It was clear that each and every one of them was grateful for the way the things turned out.

Silence lingered between the six, until Link decided to speak up, scratching the back of his head. “So…” he started, now getting everyone’s attention. “Does anyone fancy a quick spiced meat and mushroom skewer?” No one (with the exception of Daruk who was granted a prime rock roast) could turn down such an offer. The Champions and Zelda were very much aware of Link’s magnificent cooking skills that could turn a simple dish like this to a culinary masterpiece as when they were all recovering, he never failed to spoil them with their favorite foods.

“You’re too good to us, Link,” said Urbosa as she finished another one of the skewers. Everyone either laughed or nodded in approval. It was slowly getting darker and they sat peacefully, warmed by a fire right in front of Link’s house. The atmosphere got more relaxed with enthusiastic conversations and jokes replaced by a comfortable silence, sometimes interrupted by a yawn. The Champions started leaving the fire one by one, muttering a ‘goodnight’ in order to go to sleep.

Revali answered lazily every single one of the goodnight’s whilst being completely invested in watching the fire burn. He was very much sure that he was the only one left until he felt a warm body quickly sit right next to him. Not expecting that he was startled very much to which Link laughed. “You want to put a man who came back from the dead back to his place?”

“Not in a million years,” Link replied a sly smile playing on his lips. Revali sighed and moved a to the side slightly, giving him space to settle. He then fidgeted for quite a bit before finding the perfect spot. Revali couldn’t be bothered anymore however as he still stared into the calming flames. Link decided to join him. “Don’t you want to sleep?” he asked, nuzzling faintly into his feathers.

“Not really, no,” it took a second for him to respond. He wrapped his wing around the smaller frame of Link, something that made the knight very happy.

Link hummed happily, putting his head on Revali’s chest. “May I make a suggestion?” As an answer, Revali put his beak at the top of his head. Link stuttered at first, clearly nervous with what he was about to say. “I was-,” he took a deep breath and stopped for a moment as if to formulate the words. “There’s this, um, place that I-I’d like to show you.”

Revali quirked his brows. “Well, go on, I’m listening.”

“The thing is,” Link shifted away from him and started gesticulating. “It’s not that far away, really, but it’s far enough that we’d have to fly there and-,” he couldn’t go on as he got caught off.

“Wait, wait,” Revali took Link’s hands into his and the blonde looked at him curiously. “Did you say… fly?” Link, stunned, only nodded in response. Revali could see that he was trying his best to figure out what was wrong with flying, as to visit him in Hateno, the Champion flew straight from Rito Village. “You’re aware that the Rito have terribly bad eyesight in the dark, right?” Link’s eyes widened and Revali couldn’t help but smile at his cluelessness. “Oh my, who would’ve thought that the mighty knight needed some school time.”

Link blushed and turned away, but soon his laugh joined Revali’s. He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “In that case, we can just go some other-”

“No!” Revali burst out suddenly. Realizing this, he grunted and thought of a way to explain this. “I mean- um, a little bit of adrenaline is always much appreciated in life, especially after only getting it back, right?”

Link looked at him, puzzled and skeptical. “…Right,” with the newly acquired knowledge, he wasn’t quite sure that the situation he was putting himself in was exactly safe but decided not to argue against it. “It’s only fair to fulfill a dying man’s last wish,” he said playfully to which Revali smacked his head from the back.

“I wonder who the dying man could be…” Before Link could reply with a snarkier remark, Revali got up and motioned for him to get on his back. “Come on, knight, I have a million things do to.” With that Link quickly complied and in no time Revali summoned his famous gale as they set off with the hero shouting Revali the directions and being his overall guide for the next hour or so.

It must’ve been truly tiring since the first thing Link did when they landed on the soft sandy shore of Lurelin Village was lie down, burying his face in the sand. Revali, being much less unacquainted with its texture, took time to adapt and stretch his wings after the flight. One of the first things that he noticed was that “It’s hot.”

Link lifted his face up from the sand, half of it staying on his skin. “It’s great now,” he said as he tried to get rid of the sticky sand. “It’s much worse during the day, trust me on this one.”

Revali however didn’t manage to catch the last words that Link spoken, as he had noticed something much more interesting than his voice or the temperature. His breath caught in his chest as he spoke. “It’s beautiful,” he said, completely absorbed in thought. Link, not understanding what he was on about turned his head to face him. The expression on his face was unlike whatever he’s seen before, gaze stern and focused on what was before him and Link couldn’t help but follow his gaze. The calming sound of the waves crashing against each other filled his ears as he stood up and moved to stand next to Revali.

“It really is,” admitted Link, his fingers reaching to brush against Revali’s. Despite being completely mesmerized by the sheer sight of the ocean, he reciprocated the touch. “It actually reminds me of you…”

“How come?” Revali’s eyes never left the water, whilst Link’s trailed to look at his face.

He swallowed audibly. “W-Well,” he started and Revali turned his head to face him to which in response Link panicked, shying away. “It’s really n-not that far away from where I first used your gale,” he could feel his eyes watching him intently. “The color helps too,” he quickly added and Revali chuckled.

A comfortable silence fell between the two, their hands still touching as they both went back to watching the ocean unfold before their very eyes. Revali had never felt this calm before, not even Medoh could bring him such peace, though their souls were once one and the same. But Link and Medoh were not the same. What he felt for him was different, strong and… real. And he’s come to accept it. His mind was a hurricane filled with various thoughts in that moment and yet the sudden sound of Link’s voice didn’t fail to stop them. “It’s actually my favorite place to be,” he said squeezing his hand. “I stumbled here after seeing you to process it and… it has become a habit of mine.” Revali could tell he was speaking from the bottom of his heart, and suddenly his own started to ache. “It’s become a place I visit just to… think and feel less… alone.”

Revali felt as if he was frozen even though he could tell that Link was expecting some sort of response. And yet he couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. It was only when he felt his grip loosening and breathing quicken that he managed to as much hold his hand tighter. He could feel Link first tense, then relax; perhaps it was enough for him. But certainly not for Revali.

He turned to face him and cupped his face. “Link I-,” Revali started but his wide, blue eyes, looking at him as if he was the most important thing in this world, made him lower his gaze for a moment. He swallowed audibly and looked at him again, this time truly confident.

“I love you.”

The words hanged in the air and for a brink of a moment Revali’s whole life flashed before his eyes as he regretted saying those words, knowing that it would never be possible for someone like Link to love him. He panicked and wanted to run away but before he could as much as turn, Link’s voice echoed in his mind.

“I love you too,” he admitted with tears in his eyes and suddenly Revali noticed his own water. Link couldn’t take it anymore as he buried his face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Revali instinctively wrapped his wings around him, pulling him closer and letting his own tears fall.

It really was beautiful; two lonely people finding happiness in each other as the sun rose behind them.

Another A/N: Thank you so much for reading, I hope you have the best of days!

#revalink #revali #link #botw #breath of the wild #fanfiction #botw fanfiction #revalink fanfiction #writing #revalink valentine's day exchange #revalink exchange #revali x link

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