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quillandink333 · 3 years

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Scarlet Carnations ~ Part IV

BotW Link X Zelda ~ Detective AU

Rating: T

Word Count: 5.1k

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

It was nine o’clock in the morning, two days after I’d made my arrest, and Paya’s trial was in its opening stages. I was watching from the gallery. Normally, as the one running the investigations, I would be the first witness to take the stand, but today, for whatever reason, the lead prosecutor, Urbosa Sigatur, planned to summon me second after Auntie Purah. Urbosa was far from a stranger to me, however. She and I had collaborated on several cases in the past, and she shared with me many of my own ideals. She’d once even known my mother before her untimely demise. And so I decided not to question her judgment, however unconventional it may have seemed.

The prosecution’s opening statement had been based on the fact that the stolen Sheikah Slate, along with a bloodstained bullet, had been found in the defendant’s room, which, until recently, hadn’t been searched as it had been deemed irrelevant to the case. With these conclusive pieces of evidence, she’d stated, the defendant had been charged with both the theft of the Slate and the murder of its owner, Impa Sheikah.

The stolen object was the most central piece of evidence in the prosecution’s case. It had once been a target of my own immense interest, even before its theft. But that had all changed following its recovery. The riddle, though having been solved by means of professional reprogramming, still made little sense to me if any. “Carnation” was its answer, according to Auntie Purah herself. Much to my dismay, the secrets that the riddle had supposedly kept hidden had turned out to be nothing but my own fantasy. Every last piece of data that had once been stored in the Slate had been deleted, meaning the possibility of proving a motive for its theft was next to nonexistent. The only thing left in its memory was a diary entry, written by Auntie Impa the day before her murder. This in itself, however, held the potential to serve as a lead to her killer’s identity, at the very least.

The diary entry, as projected onto the courtroom wall by the Slate, went,

“Today was the first day of Zelda’s holiday visit. It is hard to believe that the last long term visit she paid us was already over a year ago. We have all missed her dearly. She seems as interested in my sister’s work as ever. It brought me joy to see the two of them bonding over their shared passion once again.

“However I must admit, I would still love for her to also spend some quality time with Paya some day soon. I sensed some resentment coming from her directed at my dear granddaughter. Perhaps it is something to do with that boy. Either way, it seems their relationship has hardly changed since she left the nest.

“I cannot say for certain whether anyone will ever be able to read this, but I have faith that Purah will figure it out. I am no good with machines like these, but I believe in her. At any rate, I hope she is the one who gets to read this message, but in the event that it happens to fall into the wrong hands, I will sign off here.”

With this, the prosecution’s argument, though a bit scattered across several different points, seemed sturdy enough so far. That Auntie Impa had seemingly known that her life would be taken the following night after writing her final message, combined with the fact that she’d received no threats from the outside world up until then, was one of the strongest pieces of evidence in our arsenal.

Paya’s defence lawyer, one Revali Twii, had made several attempts to dismantle her argument by claiming she had no possible way of knowing whether or not the victim had received a threat from outside the estate by phone. These attacks were easily deflected. As a foreigner to this city, Mr. Twii had been unaware that, thanks to the Sheikahs’ company, household phones here were all equipped with recording devices. Naturally, Ms. Sigatur had already listened to each recorded call since a month before the murder and had detected no discernible threat in any of them.

And yet in spite of all that, the argument shifted heavily in favour of the defence when it then carried out his cross examination. With how confidently Urbosa had stated her case, I never could’ve imagined how easy it would be for the opposing side to shatter it into countless, tiny pieces.

Mr. Twii’s primary line of questioning was a solid one, to say the least. He concurred with my deduction as presented by Ms. Sigatur that the parlour indeed was not the true scene of the crime. However, he claimed that the real crime scene could not possibly have been the defendant’s bedroom either. His basis for this was the gunshot. Paya’s room was in the same hallway that the sleeping quarters of the current witness, Auntie Purah, as well as myself, were in. Mr. Twii had her testify about the sound of the gunshot that she’d heard. In addition to the fact that it hadn’t seemed loud enough to have come from the very next room over, she’d only heard it once: from the parlour.

No doubt he intended to question me about the same thing when the time came for me to take the stand. I’d been itching to speak my mind and set things straight so badly that I’d had to cross my legs just to keep myself from getting up too soon by the time court was finally adjourned for a half-hour recess.

Now the prosecutor and I were together in a private room reserved for witness prepping. Normally I did just fine testifying on my own, but in this trial, everything was at stake, and I couldn’t seem to stop my heart from racing no matter what I tried. Thankfully I had Urbosa here, and simply talking with her had done much to calm my nerves already.

“You’re originally from out of town too, aren’t you?” I noted, thinking back on her performance.

“That I may be, but unlike that lawyer, I’ve spent enough time here to know of the perils this city is facing, and who’s been holding it together in spite of all that.”

“Right.” My lips rested against the curve of my index as my leg bounced restlessly underneath the table. “That schmuck really doesn’t have a clue, does he?”

“No, not likely. Though he’s quite the formidable opponent, I must say.” She leaned back in her chair, looking pensive, but not the least bit agitated. “My case took quite the beating out there.”

My heart rate was starting to pick up again. “You don’t think you’ll...lose...do you?”

“Who, me? Lose?” She let out a hearty bout of chuckles. “Young lady, are you quite sure you know who you’re speaking to?” I returned her laughter halfheartedly, unable to shake the foreboding feeling lying at the pit of my stomach. Urbosa cleared her throat, preserving her calm smile. “All jokes aside, I wouldn’t worry even if we do end up losing this one. The true criminal is still out there somewhere, and there is no such thing as a perfect crime.”

“I suppose...” Perfect crimes may not have existed, but neither did perfect investigations. If they ruled Paya out as a suspect, then only one other, “safe” option would remain.

“Alright, out with it. What’s on your mind?” Her hand had landed on my shoulder as she’d reached across the desk, over my half empty glass of water. “And why are you so set on getting Paya convicted, if I might ask? Sibling rivalry is one thing, but this is...”

I avoided her perceptive gaze, staring intently at the latch on my bag. What could I possibly tell her? “It’s just,” I stalled, eventually settling for a vague, “I’m running out of time.”

After a long pause, she leaned back, letting go of my arm. “I see. Well, whatever it is, know that I’ll be on your side no matter what, little bird.”

Oh, if only she’d known.

“So to sum up, you were outstandingly negligent in your investigation of the defendant’s bedroom.”

My jaw unhinged at what I’d just heard come out of the attorney’s mouth. I’d just finished giving him an explanation of my findings in as much detail as I could, during which time he’d been surprisingly polite, until now.

“You likely saw the Slate along with the bullet and made your arrest right then and there. You didn’t even stop to consider the possibility that you hadn’t found all there’d been to find in that room, did you?” I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off again. “In fact, I’m willing to bet you didn’t even attempt to look for the murder weapon.”

“Excuse me, Sir,” I retaliated with chest puffed up, “but my team and I searched the property from top to bottom, repeatedly, for two whole weeks, and—”

“Yes, I am well aware. However, you failed to complete a thorough search of this so-called ‘true crime scene’ before you arrested Ms. Sheikah. Do you deny it?”

I was floundering for words. Why bother questioning me if he merely intended to cut me off and answer his own questions? “I-I...”

“Objection.”

All eyes fell upon the prosecution. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

“The defence is harassing the witness, Your Honour.”

The judge gave a slow, considerate nod of his head. “Objection sustained.”

Twii gave Urbosa a subtle but unmistakable side-eye. I thanked her silently. “Speaking of the murder weapon,” he continued in his signature, holier-than-thou tone, “I have here Exhibit F: a list of traits possessed by the elusive firearm responsible for the victim’s life.”

This wasn’t good. The list in question had been compiled by the prosecution based on traits of the fatal wound revealed by the autopsy, as well as other traits shared by the two bullets that were found at the estate. It contained information like its .38 caliber and that it had likely been fired twice at point blank, to name a few examples.

“My question for you, witness, is the following. What did you find during your ‘investigation’ regarding the weapon?”

This was fine, I kept telling myself. He still had yet to present the most fatal piece of evidence in the record. “As I’ve said before, none of our searches turned up any sign of it, other than what’s listed on that piece of paper you’re holding.”

“Is that so?” The sarcasm rooted in his voice had me sweating bullets. “In that case, Ms. Hyrule, I’d like to turn your attention to this passage here at the bottom.”

That was “Inspector Hyrule” to him, but of course, he couldn’t care less for such trifling things as common decency.

But when I read over the passage at which he was pointing, my throat closed up.

“Allow me to read it aloud for the court.” He snobbishly cleared his throat. “And I quote, ‘The murder weapon and the circumstances surrounding it strongly suggest an Octoric M&P revolver,’ end quote. I’d also like to add that this particular model is favoured by the district bureau of police, who issue them out to many of their detectives for self-defence.”

I gritted my teeth, annunciating each word as I spat, “Get to the point.”

The smarmy bastard was hardly even phased by my unmasked hostility. “Now, now, Ms. Hyrule, you’ve no reason to worry,” he waved off. “After all, I have no intention of accusing you.”

When he spoke that last word, my heart stopped, and deep down, I knew it was over.

“Firstly I wish for you to clarify a few things for me, as you were one of the first to discover the scene of the murder when it happened.”

I gave a slow, strenuous nod, losing strength in my knees by the second, but standing my ground all the same. “Go on.”

“The defendant showed no sign of having a gun on or anywhere near her person when you arrived, correct?”

“Correct,” I lied.

“Good. Now that we’ve established that the defendant was unarmed, I’d like to present another piece of evidence.” He laid out flat a second sheet of paper on the stand in front of me. “Exhibit H. This is part of a record kept by the precinct where the witness is currently employed, alongside the rest of her team. It details a list of the firearms given out to detectives each day, as well as the time when each one was issued and when it was returned to custody at the end of its designated officer’s shift.”

And there it was. I’d known all along that it had only been a matter of time until he’d bring out this piece of evidence, but, evidently, I’d failed to prepare myself mentally for this. Perhaps a part of me had hoped not to be on the stand when it happened. All I could do now was hold my peace and pray that it wouldn’t get worse from here.

“This page corresponds with the day before the murder. Now, Ms. Hyrule,” he addressed, summoning a swarm of butterflies in my stomach, “I’m sure you’ll recognize this badge number here. Would you please read it aloud for me?”

I swallowed my nerves and did as he’d requested. “FB7732Z438LL.”

“Thank you.” He flashed me that shit-eating grin of his. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the number belonging to one Constable Link Fyori, the witness’ very own investigative partner.” A few whispers drifted through the gallery following that announcement. “One who reads this will also notice that, after his revolver was issued out to him the morning before the murder, it was never returned to the precinct’s custody thereafter. In fact, it is still missing to this day.”

With this, the whispers grew in number, creating a din of distrust that had the attorney smirking from ear to ear.

“Objection.”

The whispering dissipated. Twii’s shoulders sagged as he hypocritically shot Urbosa a look that said, “What now?”

“Mr. Twii, how is this relevant? Unless you have definitive proof linking Constable Fyori to the crime, I see no point in bringing it up.”

The judge gave a pound of his gavel with a bone-chilling shake of his head. “Overruled. The court will allow the defence to continue, provided that it has good reason.”

My mouth fell open, and so had Urbosa’s.

“Thank you, Your Honour. I was just getting to that, my good prosecutor.” Now even she seemed on edge. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut through with a knife. “I may not have proof as things stand currently. However, that is about to change. You see, I have reason to believe that our witness here is covering for someone.”

The courtroom broke out into an even louder din of murmurs, as if I couldn’t clearly hear each backhanded remark the members of the gallery were making at my expense.

The pounding of the judge’s gavel echoed throughout the room, and the whispering ceased once again.

“You must be mistaken.” I stood as tall as I could with how close my legs were to giving up on me. “I happen to be one of the most trusted detectives in the force. Why do you think I was put in charge of this case despite being one of the first on the scene?”

“Ah, but that, dear witness, was your superiors’ fatal mistake.”

Damn that solicitor. “What do you mean?”

“Although my client has elected not to testify to the court, she has let me in on a certain piece of information—one that I believe will make the jaws of everyone here drop to the floor.”

Surely not. Surely even she wouldn’t dare stoop so low.

“Inspector...” The attorney looked me dead in the eyes. The air was suffocating. “What do you have in your briefcase?”

Everyone was staring at me and murmuring amongst themselves, more raucously than ever before, like I was the one on trial.

“N-No, it’s—it’s not what it seems,” I wavered. Then mustering my shattered courage, “You!” I pointed my finger at Twii. “Prove to me that the defendant wasn’t lying. I demand to see proof!”

But my demands were met with silence. Even Urbosa was looking at me with cold contempt and disappointment.

“Bailiff.”

An officer appeared from the sidelines. He seized my bag.

“Wait, stop!”

I tried to wrest it from his grasp, but he was too strong. I watched helplessly as he opened it up, reaching in and revealing the murder weapon for all to see.

“No...!”

“Bailiff, what is the number engraved on that weapon?”

He seemed to recite the number in slow motion, twisting the knife with every digit. “FB7732Z438LL.”

“No, please!” I screamed. “It wasn’t him, he’s been framed! Please, Your Honour, you have to believe me!”

Amidst the roar of the crowd, I saw the conclusive shake of the judge’s head. With a pound of his gavel, he said, “I hereby order the immediate detainment of Link Fyori under the charge of first degree murder.”

I met eyes with my partner but half a second before I saw him be dragged out of his seat with brute force.

“No!”

“As for this witness, she shall receive her sentence after being questioned by the police for the concealing of evidence, contempt of court, and perjury.”

I cried out when an overwhelming pain shot through my arm. My family watched from the gallery in either horror or disgust, or a mixture of both perhaps. I tried with all my might just to get the bailiff to stop hurting me, but it was futile.

“Your Honour, just a moment please.”

With the judge’s approval, the man’s grip on my arm lightened up. The one who’d spoken had been none other than that wretched defence attorney.

“Inspector, if you don’t mind, I have one more question to ask you.”

I held my breath, bracing myself. Though there wasn’t much he could say at this point that could possibly make the situation worse.

“Why?” he finally asked. “Why did you feel the need to conceal such a critical piece of evidence?”

My entire face boiled over with heat. I looked around, taking in the courtroom’s atmosphere, and my whole being was filled to the brim with indescribable anger and shame. Barely able to swallow the charged whimper lodged at the cusp of my throat, I choked out the words, “No comment.”

The trial had ended while I’d still been in the middle of interrogation by my own peers. I was lucky enough to get off with a fine, but it was because of that hour-and-a-half-long lecture that I only found out about Paya’s “not guilty” verdict after the entire courtroom had been cleared out. This was no surprise to me, of course, but still a disappointment, to put it lightly. What was a surprise was that no one, not Paya, nor Auntie Purah, nor even Urbosa, had bothered to wait for me.

That was fine. They could think whatever they wanted of me. I’d simply have to redeem myself by proving Link’s innocence in his trial.

It was to this end that I made my way to the district’s Centre of Detention.

When Link appeared behind the iron bars of the visitors’ room, he was already sporting a worn and faded prisoner’s uniform, surely having just undergone an interrogation of his own. Though, from the looks of him, his had been considerably more thorough than mine.

I cleared my throat. “Hello, Link.”

“Hello,” he replied.

Deathly silence filled the air. The harsh ticking of the clock on the wall behind me was slowly starting to crawl under my skin.

“They, uhm...didn’t go easy on you, eh?”

He shook his head, eyes wandering without aim.

Why did it have to be so hard to talk to him sometimes? He’d never been so unapproachable back in our days as teenagers. Though now, I supposed, recent events were only making things even more difficult for me than usual.

“Look...” I took a deep breath, shifting in my seat. “I’m sorry. Alright? I couldn’t cover for you forever. They were bound to find out eventually. Please, don’t be upset.”

“What? Zelda...” His demeanour morphed from listless to urgent, almost apologetic, as he struggled to find his voice. “Why would I be upset with you? I never asked you to cover for me in the first place.”

“I know.” Now it was I who couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eyes. “I just knew that you couldn’t have possibly... I mean, you would never—”

“I didn’t.”

He’d caught me with my mouth hanging open, when he’d cut me off.

“I didn’t kill her. I promise you.”

Of course he hadn’t. It was obvious, even though the revolver had borne no fingerprints and, with the gloves that he always wore, he wouldn’t have left any. What motive could he have had? He was an amnesiac, and even if he hadn’t been, he still wouldn’t have had a reason to kill my godmother.

I took out my pen and notebook, the only things left in my case that hadn’t been confiscated. “Tell me what you know, Link. Everything.”

A beat. Then he straightened his posture and began to explain his side of the story. As it turned out, my intuition had been spot on. This whole mess was the design of the Yiga organization. Link told me about his encounter with them before the murder. They had blackmailed him into surrendering his revolver to them, after which he would never see it again.

Though, even without a hint of deceit in his tone or manner, I had questions about the means by which the Yiga had blackmailed him. He had virtually nothing to lose. Didn’t he?

In any case, I honestly had considered showing him the gun that I’d found on the scene that night, but somehow I’d had the distinct impression that he’d known nothing about it, despite the very object in question belonging to him. I’d thought perhaps someone from the organization had switched out his weapon for another without his noticing. It was no secret that even the police bureau was infested with their ilk. In the end, I hadn’t been far off the mark.

The whole time he spoke, he had his head lowered, hair falling in front of his eyes, as if something were holding them back from meeting mine. Then he muttered, “When I had my encounter with the organization, I...remembered.”

His limited annunciation meant I had to take a moment to decipher the syllables of the last word he’d uttered. Then they sank in. “Wait. What? You mean you...” It felt beyond strange to even speak the words after so long. “You got your memory back?”

He lowered his head further. Was that a nod?

My mind went back to what he’d said to me on that one occasion in the office, not long after this whole mess had first begun. “Link, you...” My hands curled into themselves around the strap of my satchel. “All this time...why didn’t you tell me?”

“I couldn’t,” he pleaded. “It would’ve been a hindrance to the investigation.” I hated to admit it, but he was right. Dropping that bomb on me would only have thrown my conscience deeper into its already tangled web of turmoil.

Amidst all the questions swirling in my mind, one suddenly appeared, eclipsing all the rest. “Why did you disappear back then?”

At this, he finally looked up and met my gaze. But when he did, his eyes were wide, almost trembling. His look seemed to cast the whole room into a great, looming darkness.

“Oh, it’s...it’s okay if you’d prefer not to talk about—”

“No,” he exclaimed. “I must.” But the way his shoulders came up to meet his ears and how rapidly his chest rose and fell told me it wasn’t going to be an easy story to tell. “It was the Yi—” He choked on his words. “The...organization.”

There it was again. The name of the group I’d been chasing without rest ever since their appearance eighteen years prior. “I knew it...” I mumbled without thinking.

He steeled himself, then continued. “That day, my father was picking me and my sister up after school. Normally we would’ve ridden home with him in his automobile, but that morning, he and I had planned to surprise Aryll by getting...I think it was ice cream, on our way back. Anyway, we decided to walk home that day. But...” His face darkened yet again. “But then...”

Pressing him for more details would have been beyond cruel. I could only imagine the horrors that those blackguards had put him and his family through. “How many of them were there?”

“I’m not sure. All I know is that they had us outnumbered.” I nodded along, without thinking, as he continued his tale. “They were all armed with what looked like military grade shotguns, and they wore those masks with the inverted Sheikah family crest... I’ve always known that I’d seen that image somewhere before.”

No one knew why the organization had chosen this symbol for themselves, though I personally suspected it to be a show of opposition.

“Anyway, after they sh...shot father,” he struggled, a hand coming up to his now quavering lips, “they must’ve felt threatened by Aryll and me, because the next thing they did was...shoot her, too.” The way his tone had started to oscillate and how his face had drained itself of colour made my stomach churn. His anguish was so clear, it was devastating. “One of them had said something to the ends of, ‘We can’t have you scamps telling on us.’ But before they could...’shut me up’ as well, I fled.” Another pause. He kept on breathing. “I was too terrified to notice which way I was going. The whole time I ran, they kept firing at me. They were too reckless to aim properly, though, mind.”

“Well...that’s lucky, at least,” I tried. This was met with a sigh of reluctant agreement. “Still, how did you make it out of that with your life?”

“They stopped chasing me when I made it out of the back alleys and into the open,” he explained. “I suppose they couldn’t risk revealing themselves.”

Now it all made sense. Seven years ago, when he’d vanished without a trace, it was as though he’d never even existed in the first place. No one could get in contact with him or his family, and yet, no one batted an eye about it. It had seemed I’d been the only one who’d thought of it as anything less than perfectly normal. Just like when my mother had lost her life.

“We never had the chance to get ice cream that day.” He looked all but ready to burst into tears with that sentence. That was the moment I realized, no matter how drastically the last seven years of hell had changed him, there was still a fragment of that playful, hollow-legged sixteen-year-old left deep in his dark, forgotten core. If there was a way to bring that bright-eyed child back out into the light, I would find it, even if it spelled my demise.

Even so, there was one thing left that had yet to be explained. “What about your amnesia?”

“Ah...” His brow furrowed in thought. “I don’t know what caused that, to be honest with you.” He seemed to be racking his mind, but to no avail. “By the time those thugs finally gave up, I didn’t recognize my surroundings. I remember trying to find my way home, but I suppose I just ended up getting myself even more lost from there.” It was no wonder. The street names in this town were of little help in navigation, and it wasn’t hard to understand why he might have been apprehensive to ask for directions in such a bustling and hostile environment, especially after what he’d just been subjected to. “So I fell asleep in the streets that night,” he concluded with a shivering exhale. “The next morning, I woke up without the slightest notion of who I was.”

My heart took a plunge at the thought of his young self curled up in some alleyway, like a baby bird who’d fallen from the nest. “It must have been some sort of mental defence mechanism,” I conjectured. “That’s the only explanation I can come up with.” He slowly nodded his agreement. “After that, then, I suppose the rest is history.”

“Indeed...”

The visitors’ room fell into a deep, reflective silence, one nothing like that which had had me gasping for air moments ago. I watched the weary feelings of dread swim in his once bright blue eyes, tearing him apart.

He’d spent five whole years in that cold, cramped ward without even a name by which to call himself. And now we were back where we’d started. He may have regained his memories in the end, but at what cost?

I no longer felt the need to hunt down those who had wronged me. Now, my only desire was to slip between the bars that stood between the two of us and whisk him away to a far off land, where no one would ever hurt us again. But I pushed the impossible daydream aside. Even if escape were an option, we’d only be running straight out into range of Yiga fire.

“After your trial tomorrow...well, at the very least, I’ll lose my badge,” I smiled waywardly. Then, letting it fade and rolling my shoulders back, “Until then, I swear, I’ll do everything within my power to prove your innocence. Then we can go out for ice cream together.”

His eyes shimmered with unshed tears when he looked up at me then. Now that I thought about it, this seemed like the first time I’d ever seen him come close to crying, even in the time before the incident. Of course, he’d seen me in tears countless times back then. I wondered if he remembered them.

“Zelda...?” My name had started to leave his lips with conviction, but weakened on its way out. “There’s...something else I should tell you.”

“Anything.”

Just then, I caught him straightening out the cuff of his black-barred sleeve, concealing the fair skin of his wrist, out of the corner of my eye. “Never mind.” He again cast his gaze downwards, muttering an inaudible, “It’s nothing,” under his breath.

#is it obvious yet how much I love Ace Attorney?#my writing #fanfic #botw #zelink #botw zelink #zelink botw #link x zelda #zelda x link #botw link x zelda #botw zelda x link #zelink fanfic #zelink fic #zelink ff #zelda pov #detective au

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skiewrites · 3 years

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Thoughts of HW:AOC, Plot

Okay, so I’ve had a quick look through the tags to see what people’s opinions were on the games plot, because even though the game doesn’t come up until Friday, people with hacked switches were able to get a hold of the game early and leak it. Whatever your view on copyrights from a large company like Nintendo is, it got leaked, I watched it, lets move on.

A couple of things to be aware of before we move onto the whole post is that no, I do not have a hacked switch. I have preordered the game, but I will not be playing it until it is released. However, I was able to watch all the cutscenes before Nintendo came and took them down for copyright issues. Please keep in mind that what I say is my own opinion on the story after one watch through, so I might come by and edit it after I’ve played the game, to include my views on the actual gameplay.

And of course, this post will contain major spoilers for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, so tread lightly.

This will be part one of a small series, otherwise this post would be incredibly long, so this is part one of ???

So, of course, like everyone expected, the games plot follows the event that lead up to the Great Calamity. At first, I found the order of events to be slightly strange; the idea that Link is Zelda’s knight before its revealed that he is the hero weirded me out somewhat and it was truly the first sign that they were going to deviate from what they had said in botw, where Link had had the Master Sword since he was 12, and he should have had it when they fight the lynal in Zora’s Domain. These inconsistencies are littered throughout, of course. In botw, Revali mentions having wished to have had at least one fight with him before he had died, and in the cutscenes shown they nearly killed each other during their first meeting (something that I am actually pretty excited to play). Then there’s the whole thing with the yiga in the desert (completely disrupting what happened in the memories)

Time travel.

So. The elephant in the room. I thought that I would get this bit over and done with as it’s the bit that everyone seems the most hung up about. Of course, that does make sense, for never has anyone done time travel well in media. There’s always too many ‘what if’s involved with this trope, and it is a trope that has been done to death, especially in the Legend of Zelda series. I now yearn for a game that doesn’t involve time travel in any way, for not only is it repetitive from a gameplay standpoint and a storytelling standpoint, but Nintendo is always going on about the timeline of the Zelda Universe, only to screw it into a ball and throw it away.

As much as I love theory videos and fanfics explaining away why the timeline is the way it, is it too much to ask for at least a couple games that go in a linear fashion so that I don’t have to think of the timeline when coming up with a new fic idea?

There are really two parts of timetravel. The first part, where Terrako (eggy boi) comes back from the ‘bad’ future that leads on to botw. He comes baring information on how the Calamity comes about, the date, the location, the destruction that comes with it. The other characters already know that this was going to happen because of Astor (I’m pretty sure he’s the fortune teller right?), but they then use this knowledge to further prepare themselves. This is the time travel that people kind of expected, especially since the demo, and we were prepared for that.

The timetravel we did not expect however, was when Sidon, Riju, Yunobo and Teba come from the future/alternative timeline and help with the final battle. Don’t get me wrong, I was very confused to see them turn up as much as everyone else was, but does it give some of the best character moments in the game? Absolutely. All of them had bonding moments between each other, but my favourite had to be Sidon and Mipha. Not only did it help that Sidon was the most developed character in botw out of all of them, but adding on with the character interaction at the beginning with the lynal, you can tell that Sidon was finally able to come to terms with his sister’s death in his reality, and Mipha was able to see a glimpse of the zora that Sidon would come to be. I loved every moment that these characters were on the screen, and I cannot wait to play them.

At the end of the day, the time travel does become a closed loop situation (and if you want me to go into detail about that then lmk), and thus, this game, considered canon or not, will not affect botw, nor botw2. Will it create another timeline? I hope not, but that’s up to Nintendo to figure out.

Regardless of the timetravel, I do have to say that the story itself is brilliant. There isn’t a loose thread or a self-contained. Purah talks about teleportation and showing that multiple people teleportation is possible, which then comes to help them in the final act. The scene with Zelda and Rhomn where he lectures her about artefacts comes to save his life later down the line as it turns out to be a shield. Any scene with the Yiga in made me laugh, and the scene at the end, where Calamity Ganon is formed? That is the beast that I wish I fought in botw.

The pacing could be better but these cutscenes aren't really supposed to be viewed back to back like that so they can have that one off. The small background interactions? those scenes will keep me fed for days. The small gags that reference the game, like link being able to eat rocks and using a cucco to jump from the tower? I couldn't stop fucking laughing. I’m not a big fan of zelda/link but those scenes weren't too in my face, which hits the perfect balance for shippers and nonshippers, but I’ll talk more about the characters in the next post.

At the end of the day, if this story had been a fanfiction, people would have lost their minds over it. But if you still don’t like the story, I ask you this. Don’t view it as Link’s story. View it as Zelda’s. even though the name of the game is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, it is more of a ‘Legend of Zelda’ than the other games. We follow her right until the very end where she unlocks her power and is able to save Hyrule. This is a story exploring the idea that, if the circumstances had been different, if she had just a little more information to give her the final push, she would have been able to unlock her sealing powers and save everyone like she wanted.

That’s it for now, lmk what you guys think of the plot.

#age of calamity #age of calamity spoilers #hyrule warriors age of calamity #hyrule warriors #spoilers #there is more coming #i promise #skie rambles #not writing

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totk-headcanons · 6 years

Note

Whats your headcanon of a Witcher version of link and the Champions reactions to the paces that Witchers are put through

Considering the fact that Witchers are a bit more hardcore than the standard Hylian knight, I think it would be safe to say that they’d all be more or less dismayed. Some champions are a little more tough-skinned than the others, though, so their reactions are going to vary.

For example:

Mipha is appalled. To either witness, learn of, or hear about the Trial of the Grasses will immediately throw her into a state of pure anxiety. She’s frantically trying to convince Link not to undertake the trial, or she’s begging everyone to stop talking about it if he already has undergone the trial. She would, however, attempt to take Link’s place if it means he wouldn’t have to, but we all know Link is a ‘it’s what I gotta do’ kinda guy. Especially if it’s for the better of his country and his loved ones. Her herself, though, just like Link, would courageously face the trial head-on if it were her duty as well. In terms of skill, Mipha ranks 2nd best as a Witcher, right behind Link.

An individual like Urbosa could be speculated to have been born to be a Witcher. She’s light on her feet, determined, highly skilled in close and mid-ranged combat, could go on for days without food, water, or rest, and all-around an excellent warrior. She undertakes the Trial of the Grasses with grace and comes out an even more formidable foe. Her downfall? Urbosa is too emotionally-connected to her town, her people, and her loved ones. It is known that one loses all, if not most, of their emotions post-trial, but mentally, Urbosa still knows and understands her duty as Gerudo chief. She would be an easy target if one actually dared to hunt her. Sending her out to the field is difficult (that is, convincing her to leave her town), but she is easily the best tracker. 7/10

Revali is a self-proclaimed top Witcher. Yes, he may have successfully undergone the trial with so called ease, but before he laid into the “filthy rust-covered coffin of death,” as he called it, his knees quite visibly shook in terror. The only reason Revali actually went through with the trial was because Link did it. In the field, Revali is a spectacular marksman, of course, and he is often only sent on chases, rather than tracks or other missions of higher importance, because his speed is unparalleled. His stamina can only last him so long, so he’s usually just a trump card that’s sent in after Link has successfully trailed the target for months, and finally engaged in combat. (And let’s be real, Revali belongs to the School of the Cat.) Taking him on long journeys is awful. Complains non stop about being hungry, thirsty, or just itching to fight someone. (And when someone makes racist comments about Witchers, he’s very quick to relieve his desire for a fight.) 5/10

Daruk surprisingly went through the first trial unfazed. They, reluctantly, made him undergo another because he had no visible changes afterwards (no cat eyes, heightened senses, etc.). To no fault of his own, Daruk just isn’t cut out to be a Witcher. His steps are too heavy and his presence is too large. Like Revali, he’s often only sent in on eradication duty. He causes too much collateral damage, though, so if the job can be fulfilled by Revali alone, then they won’t send Daruk. He spends most of his time as a Witcher doing guard duty for his school or acting as a sparring dummy for the young students. 2/10

Our hero Link takes the cake for being the best Witcher, though, as he’s a true jack of all trades. He’s lithe, he’s fast, he’s silent, he’s tough, he’s got endurance, patience, and perseverance. But of course we all have faults, and his fault is he’s often too narrowly focused and can miss things around the corner. Great at close-ranged combat, but often brings Mipha along to watch his peripherals and take care of large-scaled and ambush attacks. Could easily say Link lost his voice during the trial, but none can really say (he for sure won’t). Link also has the BEST night vision of the champions. Often confuses night with day, he sees so well. 10/10

[mod makar]

#mod makar #headcanons #link #revali #mipha #urbosa #daruk #Anonymous

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obviouslyelementary · 6 years

Text

If memories could speak

If memories could speak...

Mine would be saying...

I loved you.

“Good luck sealing the darkness!”

Revali flapped his wings once more, using the whirlwind to his advantage to go all the way up Vah Medoh. Upon looking back one more time, he saw the Hero calmly staring back, and then slowly retrieving from his spot towards the village.

Revali let out a loud, deep sigh upon reaching the divine beast, landing on its left wing and watching from above everything surrounding the region, or more specifically, the village itself, with little to no detail on its habitants.

Why couldn’t he ever come to terms with himself?

“Bird boy?!”

Revali groaned and sighed again as he heard Daruk’s loud voice coming from the main pillar of Medoh. He flew over, touching the pedestal and closing his eyes.

“Do not call me bird boy” he growled to the goron. He was still very uncertain of how the divine beasts could communicate, even if they were several kilometers apart. “What do you want?”

“Apologizes, Revali” Daruk responded. “I was just wondering, since you were the first champion to connect with your divine beast, if you could give me some advice on my own! Rudania is very… unpredictable”

“Luckily for you and your own species that you are all made of rock” he said and chuckled at Daruk’s confused hum. “What did it break this time?”

“It broke part of the volcano, and it went flying all the way down to the northern mine” Daruk grumbled, and Revali hummed. “Anyway, can you help? If you are busy, because I have heard that the princess is around Rito village, I can just call Mipha or Urbosa”

“There is no need. I am not accompanying the princess or her… knight” he said, face showing a displeased frown. Not only his face seemed to be showing his unhappiness, since Daruk hummed on the other side.

“Hey Revali, I know you are the champion and all, such as I am, and it is pretty obvious that you do not like Link, but you need to give him a break” he said, firmly, and Revali furrowed his eyebrows.

“Why? Isn’t he the hero almighty? He should be able to deal with a few of my teasing if he wants to defeat the Calamity. At least that” he huffed. “Besides, he should really be battling all of us, so we could see his… true potential. If he cannot defeat the champions, he is not fit to seal the darkness”

“You Ritos may say our heads are as empty as our stomachs, but your hearts are as harsh and pointy as your beaks” Daruk said, clearly angry and disappointed. Revali’s eyes opened in surprise, before his hand curled up over the pedestal in anger.

“If you think that, go to those softies you call friends for help” he answered, his eyes still opened and connected to Medoh. Upon retrieving his hand from the pedestal, his accumulated anger made the beast rise in the sky, fast and far, and Revali’s own body fell to the ground at the strength of gravity as it moved up. With his hand still curled into a fist and his brain burning with anger, he didn’t let the situation with Medoh worry him.

He just stood once it stopped and walked towards the edge of the beast, now seeing nothing but clouds and the peak of Hebra’s mountain.

As he looked down, he knew under him and Medoh was Rito village, far under the clouds. He growled as he sat down, legs dangling outside as he crossed his wings over his chest, still thinking about the goron’s words. He did not mean to dwell on them, what good would it do? But they seemed… so familiar. So alike words he had heard before… words that… had surely being spoken to hurt.

He knew Daruk had a heart as warm as the Death Mountain itself. It wasn’t possible for him to… be so mean deliberately. He meant something beyond what he had said, but as usual to gorons, he wasn’t able to fully put his message across.

However in the back of Revali’s mind, those words kept repeating themselves with another voice, another tone, and not about the ritos as a species, but about himself… as an individual.

At the time he heard them for the first time, he was but a child. He had cried, alone, on the top of Rito village.

Now, however, he was older. Wiser. Stronger. And those words couldn’t defeat him so easily.

Just like his feelings couldn’t control him.

Even if they really wanted to.

Upon seeing you in my memories…

Through my eyes…

You will know

They were united once again, now because Daruk had had the wonderful idea of a gathering between champions.

Revali did not want to go. He didn’t wish to be there. He was tired from his constant training and usage of Medoh, and he didn’t even like the rest of the champions. However, there he was, sitting between Urbosa and Mipha, staring at the fire in front of them.

Had the gerudo chief not threatened to burn all his scarves, he wouldn’t have come. What choice did we have?

“How… long are you planning for this trip to be, Daruk?” The princess asked, her voice always soft and sweet. At least when she talked to the goron, that was. Daruk smiled, wide, and Revali held back the need to cringe.

“At least a week, little princess! Urbosa and I think it is important for all six of us to try and connect with each other before anything happens!” he said, always optimistic. Urbosa nodded.

“Indeed. We must know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and be at least a little in tune with each other’s ways of living, acting and culture. That is how I see it at least” she said, smiling at the princess. She smiled back, and nodded.

“Yes! And while together, we can also discuss about how the beasts are going, if there is anything wrong with them or any requests from your towns, as well as how this slate actually works” she said, happily, pulling out the Sheika Slate from her pocket. Revali huffed quietly and rolled his eyes, looking away onto the hills ahead, watching as the moon and the stars seemed to slowly move in relation to it.

“Well… then I suppose, we should tell each other a little about ourselves!” Mipha said, smiling, and all the rest agreed. Revali tried not to show his lack of interest, really not in the mood for unnecessary fights or disagreements that night, and as he moved his head to pretend to pay attention, his eyes drifted to Link.

Link, the hero, Hyrule’s mightiest knight. Who, unlike the rest, seemed just as interested in that gathering as Revali himself, staring down at the ground under his feet, scratching the surface as he leaned on one leg, the other lazily laid on the ground on a triangular formation.

If not bored, he seemed contemplative.

“Why doesn’t our favorite bird boy start?” Daruk offered, smile still big, and Revali felt his wings puffing up as he looked up at the goron.

“Don’t call me bird boy!” he said, loudly, slamming his wings on the ground. It made a slight wind effect, that made Mipha gasp and Zelda laugh.

Link, for the first time that night, looked up.

“Calm down there, hurricane” Urbosa teased. “Tell us a bit about yourself”

“I do not have anything to tell that you all don’t already know” he said, wiping his wings and relaxing before placing his right hand over his chest and lifting his face. “I am Revali, the champion of Rito village, the Rito’s mightiest warrior, master in the arch and bow and the first and only to be able to propel myself upwards with my own special technique! I am the most intelligent, strong and fierce r-”

“Okay okay” Zelda interrupted, and all the eyes went to her, even his own. She was smirking. “Whatever, mister all mighty. Now tell us what we want to hear. The juicy details”

Revali’s wing slowly came to rest on his crossed legs. Juicy… details?

“Yes! A champion such as yourself must have a lot of fun and interesting stories to tell!” Mipha agreed, smile always sweet. Too sweet. “Maybe about… about romances!”

“Or about failures” Zelda added, chuckling, and Revali could feel his cheek feathers puffing up.

“Maybe some stories your parents told you as a child? That inspired you to become what you are” Urbosa complimented, her smile serene as her figure.

“Or friends you may have made! People who were important for your growth!” Daruk continued along. The three champions and the princess were staring at him with quite some… anticipation in their eyes.

He turned to Link, waiting for some commentary by the Hero’s part.

Link just tilted his head.

It seemed like he was asking all those questions at once.

“Fine” he sighed and crossed his wings once again, face turning away from them all, eyes closing and then opening again to stare down at them. “Which one of those you… wish to know first?”

“Anything you are willing to tell” Urbosa said, nodding towards him. All their eyes were fixed on him as they waited. Even Link’s.

“Well… as most of you can probably expect, I did not have that many friends” he said, and Zelda chuckled.

“I wonder why” she said and he glared at her.

“Do you wish to tell my story for me, princess?” he asked, rudely, and she waved her hand.

“No no, of course not. Keep going” she encouraged and he sighed before returning his eyes to the skies and his attention to the stories.

“As I was saying… I did not have many friends” he said, again, and this time no one interrupted. “And unlike what you may think, it was because I was… extremely shy”

“Shy?” Urbosa asked, and Mipha’s eyes widened a bit.

“I cannot imagine how a shy Revali would be like” she giggled and he looked over at her.

“Perhaps more or less like you” he smirked and she blushed ever so lightly. “Anyway. Yes. I was shy. Shy and quiet, specially for a rito. I know it is more common for us ritos to be loud and obnoxious, as we are told by basically every single other species, but… in my case, I was collected, shy, did not sing as much as the other children in the village, or adults. I found more pleasure in staying inside my shack and reading old text books about the olden days. From the evolution from zoras to ritos and how our communities grew apart and came to be as a whole”

“So you know at least a bit of zoras culture” Mipha said, smiling, and he nodded.

“Yes, of course. Our cultures don’t diverge that much, no matter how many thousands of years have set us apart” he said, smiling a bit at the zora. Then, he returned his attention to the rest of the group. “I grew, because of my ways, a bit far away from the others. I did not mind it one bit, but my parents were sociable and they complained quite often about my lack of interest for the present and fascination for the past. We grew apart as a family, and the entire village knew about it. Those weren’t very fun times for me, I must say, but I overcame them easily. For the rest, I had a normal youth. I started to train to become a warrior very early in age, after my father suffered many injuries after a battle with the Yiga clan. I became an expert with the bow and sooner than later, I was the best warrior the village had ever had. I mastered the wind and the sky and by my own training, I was able to create what I now call Revali’s Gale, the whirlwind. Now I can fly up as much as I want, without any help” he smiled, proudly, and Zelda hummed.

“Interesting story. What about girlfriends? Boyfriends?” she asked, bluntly, and he felt his cheek wings puffing again.

“What?”

“Relationships. Romances. Courtships. Those things. Don’t you ritos have rituals or something?” she asked, and Mipha beamed.

“Yes! In zora culture, we ladies make an armor to our possible husband, to ask them to marry us!” she said, happily, and Revali raised his eyebrow slowly.

“We have rituals but I have never participated in one. I used all my time to practice to be a warrior and never had time to court anyone. And in rito culture, if you are older than 12, you certainly do not have any chances for courtship. So I never truly even tried. Despite of not having anyone I wanted to try it with” he shrugged, and Urbosa chuckled.

“I see your struggle. When I told the rest of my clan I did not wish to marry any hylian or anyone by that sort, they did not comprehend. Now they have accepted it, but they still think it is absurd that I don’t have at least an heir to the throne, despite the fact that I have already chosen my successor.” She chuckled and Daruk laughed.

“You would find yourself quite comfortable in Goron city then, Urbosa! We do not marry nor have any mating rituals! Any new integrant of our species is born from a rock of our own choice! Any and all gorons have the ability to give life to rocks, and from there, our species continues!” he said, happily, and Zelda hummed in interest.

“Have you ever been with anyone, princess?” Mipha asked, shyly, fiddling with her tail, and Zelda blushed ever so slightly before shrugging.

“Oh no. Give us the details now” Urbosa said, poking her, and Daruk nodded.

“You made Revali speak, now let it out, little princess!”

“Ugh fine!” she said and scratched the back of her head. “I may have had a few… datemates here and there… but not many! And most innocent!” she said, and regretted it immediately.

“Most?” Revali asked, smirking, and she blushed even more, making all the rest laugh. All the rest but Link. He caught Mipha’s quick glance to the hero and hummed. “What about you, Mipha?”

“M-me?” she squeaked out, and he nodded. “O-oh well I…”

“Come on, Mipha!” Zelda said, quickly, wanting to stay out of the conversation again. Mipha blushed more and looked down at her hand nervously.

“I…”

She gasped when Link placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded. She smiled and took a deep breath, and for some reason, the simple gesture made Revali’s blood boil.

Not until that moment he had felt anger towards Link. Now he was, and for unknown reasons.

“I have… I have courted some… someone before, but I don’t think he… he ever noticed” Mipha said, shyly, and Revali rolled his eyes.

“Well then you should tell him!” Daruk said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Revali looked at the sky again, annoyed. They were all so… innocent and stupid.

It was so obvious. Didn’t they know?

“Will you make him an armor?” Urbosa asked, curiously, and Mipha nodded quickly.

“It is… already being made” she smiled and Zelda clapped her hands.

“Very good! Someone with courage around here!” she said, and Mipha giggled in a thankful manner.

“What about you, Link?”

Revali slowly turned his gaze to the hero at Urbosa’s question. All eyes were focused on Link as he stared at the gerudo chief.

He shook his head, and she chuckled.

“A man of few words” she said, and Link shrugged.

“Come on little guy, open up a bit more” Daruk pushed, smiling, and Link looked at him before lifting his hands.

‘Had no time. Lessons and sword training together with knight practice and endurance tests didn’t let me think about those things’ he signed.

Somehow… Revali’s chest squeezed with a sad familiarity.

“You weren’t like that as a child though” Mipha said, and Link looked at her. His eyes seemed to smile, but his mouth did not move.

‘Yes. I was a happy, excited child. Sometimes, I miss those days, but not usually. I like my job’.

Revali’s side glance caught the princess holding her hand over her heart, and her eyes avert to the ground, in a gesture that he was unsure if it was guilt or rage.

In each case, it didn’t matter. The feeling was mutual all around the fire.

My feelings fled with the winds…

And yet do you even remember…

What we went through?

“You again?”

Revali raised his eyebrow as he saw Link once more in the platform, staring at nothing as he probably waited. He sighed when the hero turned to face him, raising an eyebrow of his own.

‘The princess is looking for you’.

“And?”

‘If you want me away from the village, you should go talk to her’.

“As much as I want you as far away from me as possible, I would rather have you for an entire week than talking to her” Revali said, crossing his arms and staring to the mountains beyond their view. Link moved away from the edge, closer to Revali himself.

‘She told me you are having problems with Medoh. That is why she came’

“I am having no problems with the beast, thank her very much. Now if you would just find her and leave, that would be a pleasure on my part” he said, looking at Link, or rather down at him, his beak high. Link just stared back for a few seconds.

‘You know it is not the end of the world if Medoh isn’t working right, right? You know it isn’t necessarily your fault’ he signed, and Revali felt his blood boiling again.

“I know that very well!” he said, loudly, wings puffing up slightly. Link tilted his head. “And I also know that Medoh and I are doing just fine!”

“I am glad to hear it, but that is a lie” he heard Zelda saying, and Revali took a deep breath before slowly turning around to face her, a smirk appearing on his beak. “I have been talking to the elder, and he agrees that something is wrong. Could you stop being so full of yourself and just show us what is wrong so perhaps we can fix it?”

Revali held back a sigh of frustration and bowed, oh so sarcastically.

“It will be my pleasure” he said and looked up at her before spreading his wings and making a whirlwind upwards. He flew off and she gasped as he went right to Medoh.

“Revali! Wait!” she screamed out before she growled. “Oh my Hylia! He is so petulant and so annoying!”

Revali smirked from up there, laughing to himself as he landed on Vah Medoh and stared down to them. There was no one any one of them could get to Medoh now. They would have to wait for his own good will to stop it at the top of the village, and then they would have to climb, because he wouldn’t bring anyone aboard.

After laughing for a while longer, he left to the Flight Range, leaving Medoh in the air. There, he trained for long hours, only stopping sometimes to eat and rest. One of those times, he sat down, gathering his ingredients to make a delicious berry pie, and it wasn’t until he was halfway done when he started to hear the sound of wood breaking.

Curious and suspicious, he stood and moved to the edge of the shack, letting out a revolted and angry gasp as he saw no one other than the knight himself using his stupid paraglider to fly around the range, shooting the targets with a lesser bow.

“What are you doing?!” he asked, angrily, barely screaming. Link shoot the last target before using his glider to glide all the way towards the shack. “Who told you you could come here?! Why haven’t you left already?!”

Link dropped from the paraglider and out it next to himself, taking the snow off his clothes and then looking at Revali with his same old neutral expression.

‘The princess hasn’t left. She is asleep by now, or writing her journal. She is waiting for you to show her Medoh. As to me, I was not tired enough to sleep, and the elder recommended this place’

Sometimes… no, he wanted to kill that old owl all the time.

“Well, you can’t. Now go back to the village, I am training here” he said, coldly, and Link stared at him, before raising his eyebrow.

‘I thought here would be a great place to settle our rivalry’ he signed, and a hit of a smile curled up on his mouth. Revali was… astonished by it, but made no comments.

“W-what? Why?” he asked, confused and suspicious, eyes narrowing, but Link simply shrugged.

‘Didn’t you say you wanted to settle this? One on one? See who is the best warrior? Why not today? This way, we can finally be done with it’

“Aren’t you afraid of losing?” he asked, and Link actually smiled.

His smile provoked the most weird sensations inside Revali’s chest.

‘Why would I? If I lose this battle, I could finally win a friend’ he signed, the smile never leaving his face.

It was so sweet… it fit his face so much…

“A… friend...?”

‘You’

“There you are!” Zelda’s voice came as an avalanche to Revali’s years, making him turn around quickly and frown as she climbed upstairs. Link was quick to rush towards her, but she just pointed her finger at him. “You shouldn’t be here! You should be in bed!”

“Calm down, princess. I called him here” Revali caught himself lying, and Link looked ta him surprised as she turned to face him, eyes narrowed, angry.

“Oh. I see. So you ignore me and my pleas to go see Medoh but you call Link at the darkness of night to have a little brawl?” she asked, and then chuckled. “I should have expected as such. Fine. But if tomorrow you don’t show me Medoh, I will talk to my father about your behavior!”

“Fine. It is not like I own your father any answers to my actions” Revali said, easily, and she frowned.

“He is your king!”

“He is your king. He is my nothing” he said and grabbed his bow. “Now if you two excuse me, I need to practice”

Without any more words, Revali flew off, grabbing the bow with his claws and flying away towards the night sky. He flew as high as he could, stopping at the top of the mountain close to the flight range, watching the beacon of light that Zelda’s torch emitted in the darkness.

He curled up on the peak, wrapping his wings around his legs and staring as they walked all the way back to the village.

For some reason, the thought of the two alone together made him extremely angry.

In the next day, he would show Zelda the problems Medoh was having.

That way, they could leave all the sooner.

There were others like me…

Who saw you smile…

But do you remember?

“Where is Link?” Mipha asked as, once again, the champions and the princess were united around a fire to have their bonding moments.

“My father said he is grieving” the princess said, poking the fire with a stick. All guardians frowned, Revali included.

“What for?” Daruk asked, and Zelda sighed.

“His father… is diseased” she mumbled, seeming way too upset. That was not very usual of her. Urbosa slowly caressed her hair, and Mipha gasped.

“Oh no… should we go comfort him?” she asked, worriedly, and Zelda shook her head.

“I don’t think we could, even if we should. He left this morning after the nurses were certain. We haven’t seen him since” she mumbled, and Revali frowned deeply.

“What do you mean? The hero hasn’t been seen for an entire day and no one is after him?” he asked, with a bit more concern than he had anticipated. Zelda lifted her head and furrowed her eyebrows.

“Do you think we haven’t looked?” she asked, almost angry, and Revali stared right at her. “You think we would just let him go and not do anything about it? There were several guards sent to look, but no one was able to find him. He is an expert in stealth and Hyrule is enormous. But if you think we are making such a poor job, you might as well go and look for him yourself!” she said, loud now, and crossed her arms, looking away from him. Revali frowned and stood up.

“Fine. I will” he said, and before anyone could tell him no, he was already flying away.

Worry was settling on his stomach, and he did not feel good. At all.

The winds guided him around the plains they were camping. He flew up in the sky and looked around, as far as he could see, before heading towards Hyrule castle.

His intentions were good, but he had no idea how to find the hero of Hyrule. Where he could be. He knew nothing of the boy.

He flew around the regions surrounding Castle Town for the entire night. He did not return to the camp, and didn’t make any attempts of contacting the others.

It was already hard enough to find Link on his own, imagine with the other’s help.

At some point, he found himself heading to Zora’s domain, and stopped once he arrived, looking around at the empty bridges. He frowned, but kept walking, slowly, towards the king’s room.

The king, as usual, was there, despite of apparently all his guards were missing.

“Revali, the Rito Champion” he said, and Revali bowed slowly.

“Sir. I am looking for Link, the hero. Have you seen him anywhere? Has he been through the surroundings of your domain?” he asked, politely, and the king shook his head.

“Unfortunately, no. All my guards are after him as well, by my daughter’s demand. However, since I have known that boy, he has always been fond of forest areas. If I were you, I would look around them”

Revali hummed and nodded, bowing and saying goodbye. As he walked away, however, he saw by the corner of his eyes an open room. Upon coming closer and checking inside, he found an almost perfect zora armor.

Mipha had been wanting to ask someone to marry her… she had been waiting to ask Link to marry her…

Revali had never though she was actually serious about it. However, there he was, seeing the concrete proof.

And there it was, the burning in his veins, again.

The reason becoming clearer and clearer in his mind.

People did not stay between us, however…

I stayed between us…

Forgive me

The threat was closer and closer from erupting. Chaos ruled the land of Hyrule, together with fear and hope.

The princess still had one fountain to visit. She was about to, in a few weeks, on the day of her birth. Before that, however, she was spending some time with the divine beasts and their champions, just to make sure everything was in order.

“You do not need to worry, little princess” Daruk informed as she ran around Rudania, checking every single plug or screw. “This beast will be ready to destroy Ganon, at your command!”

“I-I know” she said, sighing, and all the champions watched her as she sat down by a door, holding her own hands. “I know… But… this makes me more comfortable.”

“You shouldn’t be overthinking it. Your father is making you mad” Urbosa said, clearly angry, but Zelda shook her head. She seemed terrified.

“He is right. I need… I must be able to awaken my powers before… before…”

Link walked forward through them and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked up with a soft gasp, and then looked at him, tears in her bright green eyes. He smiled at her, and gently wiped her tears away with his thumb.

He did not need to speak, or sign, to make himself be understood.

“He is right. You shouldn’t worry” Urbosa said, and Link nodded as Zelda sniffled and a small smile curled up on her face.

“Why are you so good to me, when all I did was be rude to you?” she asked, softly, and looked at his face again. Link simply smiled. He seemed so… calm. They were all terrified. But Link… Link seemed to know what would happen. Only someone with a clear vision of the future could be so calm at times like those.

That night, they all slept by the stable close to the mountain. They did not sleep at the stable, but outside, around some type of forest in the area. Zelda was the first to fall asleep, followed by Daruk and then Urbosa. Revali pretended to sleep, but was unable to. Mipha and Link stayed awake for quite a while.

“Are you sure you are okay?” he heard Mipha ask at some point. Upon her sigh, he figured he had nodded. “You… you know you can count on me to help you with anything you need, right?”

More silence. This time, she didn’t answer either. Both of them stayed silent.

Then, he heard steps moving away from the camp. He opened his eyes and saw Link walking away. Away from the stable, and away from the group.

Revali checked to see if Mipha was still awake, and waited. Once she had fallen silent, he stood, and made his way towards where Link had left to.

Not many minutes later, he found the hero by one of the goron’s warm lakes. He was staring at the warm water, only his feet inside of it, sword placed comfortably next to him.

“Mind some company?” he asked, and Link looked at him, before he smiled and shook his head. Slowly, he headed towards him, sitting down with his legs crossed, away from the water. “What are you doing out here, so late?”

Revali did not expect an answer.

“Thinking. How about you?”

He took a moment to answer. His ears collected the sound of Link’s voice as it entered them, making almost all the feathers in his body move. He had never heard something so sweet… calm… kind… He could describe the voice for ages, if allowed.

“Couldn’t sleep” he said, and Link hummed, nodding. “What are you thinking about? Ganon?”

“No” he answered, his voice a bit raspy for not using it for a while. “I am thinking about all the foods I did not get to eat”

Revali chuckled quietly as he stared at the water in front of them. Typical.

“You still have time. And it is not like these are the last weeks of our lives” he said. He was trying to stay positive. That was not his forte, he realized. Link just chuckled.

“If I go to your village in one of these last weeks, will you make me some food?” he asked, turning his gaze, and Revali met it.

“Sure. Anything you desire”

“Revali… are we friends?”

He stopped, and looked at Link, a sad sile growing on his face.

“We don’t have time for that”

Link looked at him and then hummed, nodding and looking away again.

He did not speak again.

She knew, she knew, they all knew…

They all, but not you…

Forgive me

“Tell him”

Revali looked at the princess as she grabbed him by his scarf. He stared down at her, offended.

“Excuse me?”

“Tell him, Revali” she repeated. “Tell Link how you feel”

He stared at her and then chuckled loudly.

“Really? I don’t know what all the pressure is doing to you, but you are crazy, your h-”

“Don’t do this right now” she said firmly, and pulled him closer until they were nose to beak. “Tell him. Before it’s too late” she said and then pushed him away, making him almost fall.

Then, she walked away, and left Revali all alone.

Perhaps… perhaps she was right.

I’m sorry…

Forgive me…

“I should have told him”

“I should have…”

Another hurricane passed by his hiding spot, making him gasp and recoil some more.

He could see those little machines surrounding the area, trying to locate him.

Revali closed his eyes and took at deep breath. The world was doomed. He couldn’t even defeat part of Ganon. How had he dared say he could be the hero?

It didn’t matter. Not now.

As he closed his eyes, all he could do was wish Link good luck.

And then, it was all gone.

I’m sorry…

Forgive me…

Remember me…

“The princess has been waiting an awfully long time…” he said, to the sky, as Link became a spot of light and left Vah Medoh forever.

Revali watched as the light went down to the peak of the Rito village, and kept looking as Link made use of his gift for the first time and flew off with no second glance, no hesitation, ready for a new adventure after one hundred years of deep, deep slumber.

He turned towards the castle and pet Medoh gently.

“You were right, princess… I should have told him. But now, it is too late. Hang on tight. He is coming to save you…”

“I... I am sorry, Mipha”

The princess of the zora stared at Link as she held out to him the armor of courtship. Her eyes filled up with tears, and she pulled it away.

“You… you love someone else, don’t you?” she whispered, looking down, and he sighed.

“Yes… forgive me…”

“It is… it is okay… I knew as much” she whispered and looked up, smiling weakly. “I hope Revali loves you all the same”

Link smiled weakly.

“He doesn’t know just yet”

#my fanfic #revalink #revali #link #botw #loz

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c-airen · 6 years

Text

List all the things you’re currently working on in as much or little detail as you’d like, then tag some friends to see what they’re working on. This can be writing, art, vids, gifsets - anything at all!

oh jesus i’ve been tagged

simple choices – my poor poor boy glebka. this one is fanfiction on ao3, and it’s in the anastasia broadway show’s fandom. it’s an au (but canon compliant if you squint) where gleb, played by the immaculate ramin karimloo (i love him so much and it’s his fault i’m writing this) is a guard patrolling the ipatiev house during the romanov family’s imprisonment and eventual execution. it’s 4 chapters and i just have to finish one more and then it’s done!!!! it was originally tagged as gleb/anastasia, but i burn too slow and they defs are not gonna be romantic by the time this fic ends lmao. it’s mostly just a character study of gleb, and him trying to come to the terms with the reality of the revolution that he devotes his life to.

trash pigeon (working title) – another character study, this time for revali from breath of the wild. also au. link died in the initial battle against calamity ganon, rather than the champions. they were victorious, link being the only casualty. so it’s a oneshot of revali trying to come to terms with his own feelings about link and his death. i’ve started it, but committed to finishing glebka first. this is next on the list tho!

in all but name – surprise, it’s another botw fic! this one has been in the brainstorming phase so goddamn long. alternatively titled “get fucked, geraldo geraldo.”

beth – something that’s already actually written! this one’s a short script i wrote for a class, and i’m working on getting it filmed in april. it’s a really simple story about a highschool girl, and her trying to juggle romance, financial responsibilities, and school. i have to storyboard this still but i’m actively avoiding it lmao.

four dumb kids investigate nonsense (working title) – another script, this one about four dumb kids investigating nonsense. i’ve only got like a page and a half of this written lol

i think that’s… all? OH, I ALSO HAVE MY POOR CABANELA FIC THAT I SHOULD PROBS CONTINUE EVENTUALLY

i got tagged by @hylian-reptile. i’m tagging @la-belle-et-la-bete and @thescyfychannel

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liv-andletdie · 7 years

Note

botw zelink request! :) link attempts to draw zelda

I have not finished BOTW nor have I freed all the Divine beasts. This is also the first BOTW fanfic I’ve ever written!

It was all Revali’s fault.

If you asked the Rito he would have denied everything, the smug bird. But Link was certain the cause of his incredible embarrassment was all thanks to Revali.

He’d been boasting again; claiming himself to, not only be the best archer among the Rito, but also the best artist among them too. He’d bragged about his talent with a brush and ink, the ability he had to produce a perfect likeness of his model on his canvas. Link had just shrugged it off. Water off a duck’s back was the term they used.

And then he’d seen the artwork.

And he’d been loath to admit… it was very good.

Shit.

Link had been ready to drop it, to sit in scornful silence while Revali droned on and on at him, spewing words like “tone” and “shape” and “form”. He’d been ready to accept that the Rito was a talented artist, ready to move on, to check on the other champions. Apparently Vah Naboris was creating quite the sandstorm in the Gerudo desert, and Zelda wanted to check it out.

But then, Revali opened his beak to talk and shattered any chance Link had of “Dropping it”

“This must be quite tedious for you” Revali had crooned “being that you know so little about art, conversing with a true master, such as myself, must surely be quite taxing”

Link had stayed quiet, preferring to let his silence speak for him, his face expressionless as he kept his eyes locked on the horizon. Hopefully the Rito would take it as a sign that Link was not interested in his boasting.

“Why, I do believe that you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who was a greater artist than myself. Even you could not hope to best me, Hero”

Link had clenched his fists at his sides, keeping his irritation with his fellow champion carefully hidden. He knew Revali was just trying to get to him, to goad him into another competition, to embarrass him in front of, not only the Princess, but the rest of the Rito as well. He was trying to make a mockery of the young Hylian.

Link could hear his father’s voice in his head, chiding him “Pick your battles my son. Not every war is worth waging” The words calmed his racing heart, the possible consequences of his actions leaping to the forefront of his mind. As much as he wanted to talk back, to show the Rito up, and tell him just where he could shove his precious artwork, the idea of damaging the Hylian/Rito alliance was too great.

Surely the alliance wouldn’t be broken, especially not with the rise of Calamity Ganon so near. But the two races would be on rocky terms. Link knew Zelda would be able to bring Revali around before anything serious could happen, for Revali respected her. But Link didn’t want to put that kind of pressure on her already heavy shoulders.

Taking measured breaths he’d calmed himself. Finally looking at the Rito’s smug expression. How can a bird look so smug? Link wondered

“No Revali, I suppose you’re right”

The Hylian Champion took great pleasure in the shocked expression that passed across the Rito’s face.

—

The journey to the Gerudo Desert was as quick as it was uneventful, the Princess and her Knight passing the distance in relative silence.

Boarding their horses at the Gerudo Canyon stable, the couple began the trek through the hot desert to the Kara Kara Bazaar. They would stay there for the night before making their way to Gerudo Town in the morning before the sun got too hot.

Once at the Bazaar, Zelda seemed to come alive. The prospect of being so close to one of the Divine Beasts and the Champion who piloted them, appeared to wipe the stress away. Her eyes lit up as she began explaining to Link what they might find on board Naboris.

He’d sat and listened as she’d began explaining, in depth, about how the electricity was used in the inner mechanisms, and how they may be able to utilise electricity for other things such as lamps and torches. He’d watched as her hands began moving in a blur, as if trying to shape the air in front of her to her whim. The smile upon her face was almost as dazzling as the midday sun, and Link found himself lost in her gaze.

Shit.

Almost too quickly the sun began to set and a chill seeped across the sands. Link led Zelda to the inn to get a good night’s rest, while he checked the perimeter of the Bazaar.

Since their last visit, Link had been a little apprehensive about going into the desert. Reports of Yiga activity were growing more and more common everyday, from travellers being stopped on the roads, to acts of great theft. Luckily they’d only ran into the Yiga clan once, and he’d been fast enough to stop them.

Still the image of Zelda, collapsed on the floor, eyes shut in preparation for her death haunted him.

He’d been so close to losing her.

Since then he’d taken every precaution while out on the road. Zelda had been uncomfortable with it at first, insisting that he slept and ate regularly for his health if nothing else. She’d pretended to be annoyed with the near constant supervision, claiming that everything was perfectly safe. Yet he noticed how she’d begun to sleep a little closer to him at night. The revelation brought both joy and trepidation to the young hero’s heart.

He wasn’t sure why, but the idea of the Princess getting close to him caused a strange feeling to settle in the pit of his stomach. He was her appointed Knight, he needed to remain impartial and vigilant against danger, if Zelda got too close he worried that he would get distracted. It was almost impossible not to get drawn in when she began talking about her research, to not admire the way the light shone against her golden hair, to stop his gaze from dropping to her lips while she spoke.

Shit SHIT

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he gave one last cursory glance around the Bazaar before turning in to sleep as well.

The next morning Link woke up early, the morning still carrying the chill from the night before. He let Zelda rest for a little longer, knowing how she detested waking up in the freezing air, and set about cooking breakfast for the two of them.

Once he was done he asked one of the women who worked at the Inn if they would wake Zelda up. It would be improper to see her in her nightgown he rationalized dishing out fried eggs onto a plate. It wasn’t long before Zelda exited the inn, sleep still heavy in her eyes. Link tried his best to ignore the tightening feeling in his chest as she sat down next to him, stifling a yawn as she thanked him for breakfast.

He waited until she was done to begin packing up, rinsing off their plates and filling their canteens with the water from the oasis. Link wondered if Zelda had gotten enough sleep that night as he watched her struggle to stay awake. Hopefully the prospect of boarding the Divine Beast will wake her up he thought as they began to journey to Gerudo town.

Urbosa met them at the gates. The early morning sun glinting off her golden armour. Zelda snapped out of her exhaustion at the sight of her friend, running the last few yards to meet her. Link held back as Urbosa wrapped the young princess in her arms, obviously overjoyed that she had made it to Gerudo Town safely.

Time seemed to move quite quickly from then. Within no time the three had rented sand seals and were surfing over the dunes on their way to Naboris. The desert air becoming hot and dry around them. Link tried to still his racing heart as the sound of Zelda’s joyful and carefree laugh cut through the stifling air. Remember who you are he reprimanded himself remember who she is!

—

Once on Naboris the air shifted from dry to static. Link could feel the hair on his arms stand to attention, flyaway strands floating off in all directions, and the faint metal taste of the atmosphere settled on his tongue.

Urbosa led the two young Hylians on a tour of the beast. She directed them to the main terminal where Zelda began to run a diagnostic test,

“Just to be safe” she explained pressing buttons and staring at charts. The whole thing was Goron to Link so he stood back and Let Zelda explain to Urbosa what the different charts and symbols and runes meant.

The Beast was a curious thing, completely different to Vah Ruta. Whilst the Elephant was filled with water and moving cogs and wheels, Naboris was empty and dry, the static in the air fizzing in his ears. If Ruta was peaceful then Naboris was frantic and alive. No wonder Zelda enjoys visiting the desert so much Link thought everything here is so exciting.

Eventually Zelda finished with the diagnostics, letting Urbosa regain control. It had begun to grow warm in the beast; the heat mixing with the suffocating static caused Link to get irritated. He could tell Zelda was getting affected too, she was pulling at the collar of her starched white travel blouse, the blue jacket and the gold embellishments seemed to weigh her down further.

He’d be lying if he said the heat wasn’t affecting him too; The Master sword was heavy against his back, the ornate scabbard hitting the backs of his legs. Sweat pooled on his brow and he resisted the desire to appear fatigued in the Princess's’ presence. Only Urbosa seemed unaffected by the heat of the desert.

After what seemed like an eternity Urbosa brought Naboris to a stop in the shade of the Gerudo Highlands. Turning to the young couple with a smile brighter than the sun, she folded her arms across her chest, her hip popped in a confident manner.

“I think that’s enough work for today, time for a break”

There was no arguing with the Gerudo and soon Link was piling pillows and cushions on one of the outside platforms. The sun beating down against his back made the simple task exhausting but soon he was done. Admiring his handy work he stepped further into the shade in order to let the Princess and the champion relax. He relished the cool gust of wind that brushed past, chilling his damp skin.

Zelda had shed her blue jacket in the heat. Her golden hair piled atop her head in order to keep it from brushing the back of her neck. Link swallowed at the sight of her bare neck and the unbuttoned collar, her skin flushed with the heat.

SHIT!

He tried to look away as Zelda made herself comfortable, stretching out on the blankets in a way that made him feel downright sinful. He forced his eyes to scan the nearby cliffs, trying to spot anything on the horizon that could be a danger to them. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, he spotted nothing.

“Oh Urbosa it’s wonderful” Zelda cried, drawing Link’s attention back to her. She was sitting up now, not that that helped his predicament. “The Divine beast is working perfectly!” Link knelt in the shade, transfixed by the way the light bounced off of her flushed skin. The static still in the air caused her hair to float around her head, creating a golden halo in the desert sun. She looked like a goddess. Link found his gaze brought back to her lips and wondered for a brief second what it would be like to kiss her, to feel her pressed against him. He quickly turned away.

You’re her appointed knight! You’re meant to protect her, not drool over her!

The heat must be messing with him he concluded. Breathing deeply he schooled his thoughts to resemble something respectable. Once he felt sufficiently calm he ventured another glance in her direction.

She was kneeling amongst the pillows, arms gesturing wildly as she enthused and rambled about the practical application of electricity.She looked so happy, so carefree! Urbosa watched her with a glint her eye that looked almost maternal.

Link was struck with a sudden need to preserve the image in front of him. Terrified that something could happen and he could forget this moment forever.

But how best to save it?

There was always the Sheikah Slate, it’s runes were able to capture and preserve and image in perfect clarity. The only issue was that the slate in question was attached to Zelda’s hip. Also it would be quite improper to take a picture of the Princess on her own Sheikah Slate!

Revali’s smug voice filtered into his head.

He couldn’t… no… he wouldn’t.

With shaking hands Link reached for his pack where he carried his journal. Zelda and Urbosa seemed oblivious to his actions as he dug out a pencil and began to sketch. It was difficult, Link found, as Zelda would not sit still, she was a constant flurry of joyful activity. His pencil marks became flurried in a rush to preserve what he saw.

“What’s this?” Urbosa’s strong voice called out, breaking him from his concentration, “Is our young Hero trying his hand at art?”

Ssssshhhhit

He’d been caught red handed. Link wasn’t sure whether it was the heat or his own embarrassment that turned his ears and cheeks red. Looking at the curious expression on the Princess’s face, he deduced it was embarrassment that coloured his skin.

“Is that true Link?” Zelda’s eyes sparkled, she shuffled towards him climbing over the pillows in an attempt to see what he’d drawn.

Fear gripped at his heart, oh no this is bad he thought. He pressed the journal against his chest in a desperate attempt to preserve his dignity. But Zelda was getting closer. Her emerald eyes searching his, pleading silently to let her see his work.

He could never say no to her.

Distantly he heard Urbosa laugh as he lowered the journal from his chest, Zelda’s eyes still locked on his. He didn’t see her hands reach forward to take the journal from him, her soft fingers brushing across the backs of his hands. He successfully managed to avoid the hitch in his breathing as she edged closer to him.

Slipping the book out of his grasp she looked down at the pages. He glanced down at his own work, his critical eye picking out all the flaws he could find.

It was nowhere near the level of Revali’s masterpieces.

Zelda turned red, sitting back on her heels she brought the book closer to her. Link watched as her hand hovered over the rushed pencil marks, tracing the shapes with the tips of her fingers.

“It’s beautiful”

Link felt his heart stop. What had she said? She thought it was beautiful?! What?! It took a moment for him to realize that Zelda was staring at him. Expecting a response.

“Th-thank you” he mumbled, his voice weak under her piercing gaze.

Zelda smiled. A real, happy smile, and Link felt his heart kick back into overdrive. As She turned back to stare lovingly at his artwork, Link felt the smug almost petty side of him speak up.

Take that Revali

#Zelink #BOTW Zelink #zelda #link #zelink fanfiction #fanfiction requests

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ryttu3k · 7 years

Text

Full text of Zelda’s diary and research notes, and the King’s journal.

Zelda’s Diary

Page 1: After meeting with the Champions, I left to research the ancient technology, but nothing of note came of my research. The return of Ganon looms - a dark force taunting us from afar. I must learn all I can about the relics so we can stop him. If the fortune-teller's prophecy is to be believed, there isn't much time left... Ah, but turning over these thoughts in my head puts me ill at ease. I suppose I should turn in for the night. P.S. Tomorrow my father is assigning HIM as my appointed knight...

Page 2: I set out for Goron City today to make some adjustments to Divine Beast Vah Rudania. I still recall feeling his eyes on me as I walked ahead. The feeling stayed with me so long, I grew anxious and weary. It is the same feeling I've felt before in his company... And still, not a word passes his lips. I never know what he's thinking! It makes my imagination run wild, guessing at what he is thinking but will not say. What does the boy chosen by the sword that seals the darkness think of me? Will I ever truly know? Then, I suppose it's simple. A daughter of Hyrule's royal family yet unable to use sealing magic... He must despise me.

Page 3: I said something awful to him today... My research was going nowhere. I was feeling depressed, and had told him repeatedly not to accompany me. But he did anyway, as he always does, and so I yelled at him without restraint. He seemed confused by my anger. I feel terribly guilty... and that guilt only makes me more agitated than I was before.

Page 4: I am unsure how to put today's events into words. Words so often evade me lately, and now more than ever. He saved me. Without a thought for his own life, he protected me from the ruthless blades of the Yiga Clan. Though I've been cold to him all this time... taking my selfish and childish anger out on him at every turn... Still, he was there for me. I won't ever forget that. Tomorrow, I shall apologize for all that has transpired between us. And then... I will try talking to him. To Link. It's worth a shot.

Page 5: Bit by bit, I've gotten Link to open up to me. It turns out he's quite a glutton. He can't resist a delicious meal! When I finally got around to asking why he's so quiet all the time, I could tell it was difficult for him to say. But he did. With so much at stake, and so many eyes upon him, he feels it necessary to stay strong and to silently bear any burden. A feeling I know all too well... For him, it has caused him to stop outwardly expressing his thoughts and feelings. I always believed him to be simply a gifted person who had never faced a day of hardship. How wrong I was... Everyone has struggles that go unseen by the world... I was so absorbed with my own problems, I failed to see his. I wish to talk with him more and to see what lies beneath those calm waters, to hear him speak freely and openly... And perhaps I, too, will be able to bare my soul to him and share the demons that have plagued me all these years.

Page 6: Father scolded me again today. He told me I am to have nothing more to do with researching ancient technology. He insisted that I focus instead on training that will help me awaken my sealing magic. I was so frustrated and ashamed I could not even speak. I've been training since I was a child, and yet... Mother passed the year before my training was to begin. In losing her, I lost not just a mother, but a teacher. Mother used to smile and tell me, "Zelda, my love, all will be well in the end. You can do anything." But she was wrong. No matter how I try or how much time passes... the sealing power that is my birthright evades me. Tomorrow I journey with Link to the Spring of Power to train. But this, too, will end in failure. Such is my curse.

Page 7: I had a dream last night... In a place consumed by darkness, a lone woman gazed at me, haloed by blinding light. I sensed she was... not of this world. I don't know if she was a fairy or a goddess, but she was beautiful. Her lips spoke urgently, but her voice did not reach me. Would I have heard her if my power was awoken? Or was my dream simply a manifestation of my fears? I am sure I will know the answer soon, whether I wish to or not...

Page 8: I turned 17 today. This means this is the day I will finally be allowed to train at the Spring of Wisdom. When Link arrives, we will set out for Mount Lanayru. The other Champions will accompany us there. I have not seen my father since he last scolded me. Things are too strained now... I will meet with him when I return. ... Actually... I've had a horrible feeling ever since that weird dream. No one would believe a failure of a princess, but... Right now, for no particular reason, I am filled with a strange and terrible certainty that something awful is about to happen.

Zelda’s Research Notes

Page 1: Today I met with Impa of the Sheikah tribe and began my research into the ancient technology in earnest. Impa introduced me to Purah and Robbie, other respected members of her tribe. Tomorrow I embark on an excavation with them. We hope to find ancient tech with which to operate the Guidance Stones.

Page 2: Today we uncovered some ancient technology that we believe may have the power to control the Guidance Stone. It is a rectangular object, small enough to be held in my two hands. Sheikah text is featured prominently on it. It is made of an unknown material, but we believe it is the same as the shrines scattered across each region. Impa proposed that I hold on to it for now. I hope that it leads to some new developments in our research.

Page 3: The stone relic we discovered has been named. We are calling it the Sheikah Slate. We have not found any mention of a name for this object in the records we have unearthed so far... Nevertheless, Purah insisted we call it the Sheikah Slate, as the relic is a slate made by the Sheikah tribe. Feels a bit on the nose to me, but it was not a fight I thought I could win.

Page 4: We did it. We were finally able to restore some functionality to the Sheikah Slate. We have discovered that this stone slate is capable of producing... images. Perfect liknesses of the things you point it at. Unlike normal pictures drawn by hand, this requires no artist to capture anything in perfect detail. I deeply admire the accomplishments of Sheikah technology. Still... I know there is more to learn. There must be. We believe the Sheikah Slate may have a function that will allow it to control the Guidance Stone. We must continue our research, and quickly.

Page 5: We have started training the Champions who will pilot the Divine Beasts. It may sound rude that I found this unexpected, but Mipha mastered the controls with surprising ease. Daruk struggled at first, but eventually got the hang of it. Urbosa and Revali both managed just fine as well. I can finally see the light of hope in our fight against the rising Calamity.

Page 6: Robbie has restored mobility to many of the Guardians we've excavated. ...But we have still yet to find all of the Guardians. Records mention greater numbers of them - and even other types. They are said to be stored in five giant columns that rest beneath Hyrule Castle. The thing is... no matter how I search beneath the castle, I can't seem to locate these columns. They must be buried deep. Were they perhaps designed to sense the appearance of Calamity Ganon and to only activate upon his return?

Page 7: Countless ancient structures are being discovered across Hyrule... but all attempts to enter them have failed. Records indicate that these are facilities designed to train the hero who is fated to combat the Calamity. But the crucial activation mechanism remains a mystery. Is the Sheikah Slate the key to activating them? That is Purah's theory, and I concur. And yet, my experiments so far have been fruitless. Still, we must exhaustively investigate all means to opposing the Calamity. We must not give up, no matter what!

Page 8: I spoke with Purah about the Shrine of Resurrection we discovered earlier. As we suspected, this particular shrine is, in fact, a medical facility with the power to heal. It also has a long-term stasis function that can be activated and maintained until healing is complete. In the war against the Calamity 10,000 years ago... were the injuries so great to necessitate such a facility? If so, I will remain uneasy until we have made all adjustments necessary to restore it to full working order. I can only pray that even if Calamity Ganon returns, our battle will not require the Shrine of Resurrection's power...

The King’s Journal

The Writings of Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule

Page 1: Today, as the sun rose and a new day was born, my daughter, too, joined this sweet world. In keeping with the traditions of the royal family, I have decided to name her... Zelda. I am not a man accustomed to frivolous musings, but now seems as good a time as any to begin my royal memorandum.

Page 2: Reports keep arriving regarding the excavation of relics. The fortune teller’s predictions seem to be coming true. Calamity Ganon was not a figure of fable, or even of legend. He actually existed in our great land of Hyrule. We must investigate all the relics, learn as much as we can. But understanding the Divine Beasts alone will take time... Zelda’s eyes lit up like a wildfire when I told her about the relics... I must admit, she has a knack for research.

Page 3: My queen has left this world. Her death was so sudden and unexpected. I awaken most nights unsure if she is really gone. Zelda never cried, never faltered. Not even during the royal funeral or later when she and I were alone with our grief. I must assume her strength is a result of us repeatedly informing her of her duty to be a valiant and steady princess. For a child of merely six years of age, her conduct was truly that of a born leader. Her strength gives me hope. From now on, I must raise her all alone... Now, only I remain to prepare her for her difficult future as princess of Hyrule.

Page 4: Zelda finally reported back after her visit to the fountain. It seems her sacred sealing power has still yet to awaken. It has been a year and three months since her mother passed. Perhaps she is held back by heartache too deep to heal. If the Ganon prophecy wasn’t looming over our heads, I would tell her to take her time... To wait until she is ready. But our situation is dire and leaves no room for weakness - even on behalf of my beloved daughter. My heart breaks for Zelda, but I must act as a king, not a father. I must order her to train relentlessly at the fountain.

Page 5: I was told Zelda went off to research ancient technology, so I had no choice but to confront her about it. She claims she was simply using her day off from training to indulge in a bit of research, but still I scolded her. She won’t get it through her head... Forcing me to tell her the same thing I have been repeating ad nauseam. The reason her sacred powers still won’t awaken is because she’s spending all her efforts playing at being a scholar!

Page 6: In truth, I understand Zelda’s feelings. Painfully so. She lost her mother, her teacher, before she could learn from her. Ten pointless years of self-training, without so much as a book or note to help her find her way... Those in the castle talk behind her back. And I, her only family, scold her for her shortcomings. No wonder she wishes to hide away in her beloved relic research. I’d love nothing more than to console her... But I must stay strong. She MUST fulfill her duty, just as we all must. Even if she comes to despise me.

Page 7: I have been told my Zelda went to the Spring of Wisdom... This will likely be her last chance. If she is unable to awaken her power at Lanayru, all hope is truly lost. If she comes back without success, then I shall speak kindly with her. Scolding is pointless now. I forced 10 years of training on her... and after all that, it seems her power will stubbornly awaken some other way. Perhaps I should encourage her to keep researching her beloved relics. They may just lead her to answers I can’t provide. For now, I sit anxiously, more a father than a king in this moment. I sit and await my daughter’s return.

#zelda #breath of the wild #princess zelda #zelink #reference

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