#i was just hoping the reason ganon as a demon has become so powerful | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

deiliamedlini · 3 years

Text

WIP Wednesday

I have been mentally down and writing poorly for a few weeks now, and even my friend was like “oof, yeah don’t post this yet. It needs work” and thankfully has been stopping me from making rash decisions like randomly posting fics to AO3 on a whim.

The WIP below (even though it needs more editing) is the beginning of the new fic I’m going to post next. I’m finally back to the pirates too, which is making progress, but is just slow going because I’m making sure I’m not forgetting plots (which I already have so I am not rushing the chapter but it is in progress finally!).

It’s a Pre-Calamity AU with heavy emphasis on the AU. It’s basically Zelda being forced to train with Link for her safety. Antagonistic-but-not-enemies, to friends, to lovers trope. I want to call it Dance With Me because it’s not really about dancing (I like the other meanings of the phrase), but my friend says it sucks as a title and now I’m rethinking 😂 I’m doing so well!

When Princess Zelda was seventeen years old, she’d been fully prepared to die.

Ancient prophecies had foretold a Great Calamity that would sweep the land of Hyrule into a great blight and destroy it all unless those chosen by destiny could stop it.

Zelda had been one of those who’d been blessed by the Goddess’s alleged favor: Hylia’s spirit and magic coursed within her.

But the wielder of the Master Sword hadn’t been found in time.

Four champions stayed by the Divine Beasts: Urbosa, Revali, Daruk, and Mipha. And for a year, the five of them waited while King Rhoam of Hyrule went on a mad search for the Chosen Hero and for the location of the Master Sword itself.

Zelda had spent that time relentlessly pursuing the Goddess’ power; she passed out in the holy springs, prostrated herself before Goddess statues for hours at a time, devoted every waking second she had to prayer. But despite her greatest efforts, her attempts were fruitless.

But perhaps the Goddess were showing their favor after all, because despite every prophecy, despite every prediction, wall carving, and palm reading, the Calamity never came, and Zelda was spared a horrific death at the hands of darkness incarnate.

One year after the predicted date, the Champions felt like they could finally move away from the Beasts, ever watchful, but able to maintain some of their daily lives. Zelda stopped spending day and night in freezing water and instead moved to the Temple of Time where the weather was bearable, and the distance was well within reach of the Castle while still spending most of her time in holy grounds.

Two years after the predicted date, the Champions began to lead normal lives again, freely leaving their domains, though they were still ready to return at a moment’s notice. Zelda began to spend more time in the library, sifting through ancient tombs and personal diaries of past monarchs, hoping her answer lied in pages rather than prayer.

Three years after the predicted date, the Champions were harder to find on a day-to-day basis. But Zelda remained steadfast and relentless with her nose in books and her knees in the spring’s water. The Sheikah had to pull her out several times. They had to force her into recovery.

But by the fourth year, the Beasts had gathered dust, and Zelda had utterly given up, instead helping Purah and Robbie with their ancient tech and Guardian research, which—despite the lack of the Calamity—still had other practical applications.

It seemed that everything had been built up for no reason, that there was no Calamity after all.

So, it was only when they’d all gotten comfortable that the Yiga Clan, a cult devoted to the demon lord Ganon, began their relentless assault on Princess Zelda, heir to the Goddess’ devastating sealing powers.

The entirety of that year had been spent with Zelda running from attack after attack, losing her guards, losing Sheikah. She was sent back to the castle where Purah set up protective wards around her room that ran off ancient tech, and she continued working on them so they might be able to encompass the entire castle.

King Rhoam’s royal command had been that Zelda could not touch any Sheikah tech. She couldn’t look at Guardians, or ask about runes and wards. So, Zelda returned to her studies once more until her eyes burned from sitting over tombs in the candlelight.

She had to admit, she’d become proficient in her royal duties, following her father to almost everything she was permitted in. What she wasn’t, he’d fill her in on after.

At this point, a vast majority of Hyrule believed the peace was a sign that the Calamity was never going to arrive. The other school of thought, which Zelda subscribed to, was that the Calamity should be feared far more than ever, its unpredictability keeping the other half of the kingdom in a deeply rooted state of caution and suspense ever since.

Though Zelda had asked her father to let her leave the protection of the Castle more often for experiences outside of prayer, his answer was always the same: “I lost your mother to those cultists; I will not lose you as well.”

“I just want to swim in Lake Hylia,” she’d tried once. “The days have gotten unbearable. Please, father? I’ll take an entire company of guards with me.”

“I’m sorry, Zelda. No. You may go to a spring of your choice. The waters there will likely be a cool temperature. Perhaps try the Spring of Wisdom.”

Zelda was 21, though she felt as though one hundred years had passed. She was tired, bone weary with an exhaustion that had set in so deep, she spent a decent amount of her days simply sleeping. When she was awake, she stared at her hand, waiting for magic to miraculously hit her in the face. Perhaps if she stared long enough, the Goddess would take pity on her patheticness.

The days when she’d been sent out to pray were now her favorites. She’d found ways to coerce her guards into taking longer routes, stopping for longer breaks.

That’s what happened on the day her father had reached his breaking point regarding the attacks on her life.

She returned to the castle shaken and sore, but his tight arms held her as his body shook with relief. He sank to his knees and held her in his arms the way he’d done the day her mother died, and he realized he needed nothing more than to hold his child in his arms to remember that the world was still spinning as long as she was alive.

He’d told her that when he’d said goodnight to her, standing in the doorway of her room with poorly concealed heartache written all over his sagging body.

“I’m really fine,” Zelda said for the fourth time that hour. She sat on top of her long, blue satin sheets, sliding a bit as she tried to adjust her leg. Something about being curled into herself in some way helped make her feel comfortable as she smiled to ease her father’s mind.

“Okay. Well, I’m going to stop by in the morning, if that’s alright.”

“Sure,” she said, shrugging as if she were entirely unaffected by everything she’d been through. She was good at that façade after five years of stares and whispers.

“Okay. Goodnight. May the Goddess watch over you.”

That was how Zelda found herself in the library before the crack of dawn, perched on a ladder in the top shelves of the restricted section. She had access, of course, but she was reading an untranslated a Sheikah tomb from a former handmaiden of the Princess of Hyrule before her ascent to the throne. That Princess had practically bled power, and Zelda hoped her handmaid noted something of interest.

She tucked the book under her arm and climbed down, crossing the library that was filled with several lifetimes worth of books, and stopped in the government documents. Her eyes trailed the spines for a familiar one with territories clearly outlined. She went to the language section to grab a reference book for Ancient Sheikah. Though she was mostly fluent in that, among several other languages, the ancient variations on words occasionally tripped her up. So she set back up to her room with her pile of books, ready to be confined by her father for her safety once again.

Zelda nodded to several of the guards she passed as they stood at their post. Despite the castle being one of the safest places in Hyrule thanks to all the tech, guards were still positioned in the most well-traveled places on their patrols, while two guards stood at her door and her father’s.

Biting her lip, Zelda craned her neck around her pile to try to find the doorknob, fumbling her hand around blindly, just barely able to turn the handle. And because the Goddess never wanted to cooperate with her, she dropped two of the books, though she managed to cling to the relic with tight fingers. The other two fell right onto her guard’s foot.

“I’m so sorry!” Zelda muttered, bending to pick them up.

The guard was beside her, nearly banging heads with her as he grabbed the heavy translation tomb. Thankfully for her, he flinched away in time; he was wearing a helmet that covered most of his head, and she didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that metal. “Don’t apologize,” the guard said softly, picking up the other book for her. “Would you like me to…” He gestured vaguely to her room.

“Oh, no thank you. Just stack them on top of this one.” He did, and she took a step inside before backing up. “Actually, would you mind getting the antechamber door for me, please?”

He stepped inside and pushed the second door open before backing up respectfully.

“Thank you so much,” she said, about to use her foot to close the door when she looked back. “And again, I am sorry I dropped a heavy book on your foot.”

He bowed his head and stepped back out, so she closed the door and set her books down.

Her father came into her room early, as promised.

“Zelda,” he said with a strained greeting. The corner of his lip twitched, like his muscles had become tired under the strain of holding it up for so long, and his eyes held no joy, no spark. It was forced chipperness, and Zelda picked up on it immediately. “May I sit?”

“Of course.”

She sat on a chest at the foot of her bed, and he pulled the chair away from the desk to face her. “Well, let’s not beat around the bush. There have been many attempts on your life, but I have felt none so potently as yesterday’s. When they told me you’d been attacked, all I could remember was the news of your mother. And then when you were brought in…” he ran a hand along a bruise on her cheek that she didn’t realize she had until she felt a flare of pain cause her to flinch. “You are my precious daughter, and I love you. I never want to see you harmed. That said, others do. It’s becoming impossible for you to safely leave the castle.”

Zelda braced herself. This was where he confined her to her room or to the palace grounds for the foreseeable future. She folded her hands over her lap so he couldn’t see the shaking grow more visible.

“You’ve been unable to protect yourself with your powers, so we must resort to other means. You’re to learn to defend yourself, starting immediately. We still need you at the springs, so I cannot command you to stay here. You still are a priestess of Hylia. So, given your setbacks, you’ll need to learn.”

Zelda’s mouth dropped open as she let the words process through her mind. “I’m sorry, what?”

“We’ll hopefully have a sword in your hand soon enough, but you’ll be able to defend yourself from these cultists.”

“A sword?”

“It’s too dangerous. We’ve lost too many guards. And you can’t fight as it is. This is the best option.”

“No!” she said, much louder than intended. “Fight the Yiga?” She shuddered just at the word.

“Zelda, we need you to live. Hyrule needs you to succeed, and to succeed, you must survive.”

Standing up didn’t make it any easier to breathe, as Zelda had hoped. “You think I haven’t tried?” Tears threatened her eyes as her voice cracked on her last word. As if years of her life sacrificed to unreturned devotion wasn’t enough for her. For him. For all of Hyrule. She’d tried, she’d bargained, she’d offered up her comfort, her breath, her mind, her years, her time. She was one person. What was left for her to do?

“Do you think I just stand there and watch my knights get murdered? Do I just drop to my knees and pray? Is that what you think I do?”

“Zelda…”

“No! You’re right, father. I’ll lead the Yiga right to the Goddess Spring that you need me to go to again just so I can brandish a sword and strike one down with my prowess! Because, Goddess knows that my Knights have an easy enough time with the Yiga, so it should be a cinch for me!” The sarcasm oozed from her in an unintentional venom drip.

“You’re telling me that I’ve failed! You’re telling me to give up and grab a stupid sword! Give me some armor next time I go to the Temple of Time! I don’t need my priestess garb. I have my sword! Because it will absolutely save me!”

“Zelda, please.”

“Please,” she scoffed, finally feeling a hot tear on her cheek. “You’re telling me I’m going to die! Five years ago, I was ready. I knew I’d failed, but I stood vigil waiting for the Calamity to give my life in the final hope that it might stop Ganon! But now, I was blessed with time, and still I can’t do it! I can’t access her powers. So you want me to fail one more time by using a sword to defend myself? This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, and I was there when Lady Styla proposed that sham of a fashion show to lift spirits.”

“That’s irrelevant, Zelda.”

From the look on his face, she could tell he was not budging. She tried another tactic. “I-I shouldn’t be near a sword anyway! What if I stabbed myself by accident? Then there’s no way I’ll ever unlock mother’s power. I’ll be dead with or without the Yiga! I already dropped a book on my guard today! That could have been my foot with a knife! And before you tell me that there have been warrior queens and princesses throughout the history of Hyrule, that’s because they never met me. I’m not a fighter! I read books all day! I take notes. I can bore the Calamity to death with a detailed review of the territory lines in Northern Akkala! That might be more effective than a sword, at least.”

“Zelda, you’re not thinking of the big picture…”

“But if I don’t unlock the power because of some silly distraction like learning how to fight, then the world will fall to the Calamity. My time will now need to be spent in that wretched training area with all kinds of sweaty men. Do you want your precious daughter exposed to such a sight? Worse yet, what if I like it and decide to spend all my days there with… shirtless men!” She grimaced and blushed all at once.

“This is the most absurd argument I’ve ever heard. You leave me no choice but to make that a command from your king rather than a request from your father. Because as much as I love you, I also am obligated to keep you safe.”

“Obligated?” her voice cracked again, losing some of her rambling thunder. “I’m an obligation? Is that how you see your daughter?”

She gasped when he let the silence answer for him.

“You start your training now. Your instructor has already been informed and will be ready for you.”

“Who?” she asked, glancing at the four guards at her door. Two hers, two her father’s. They were all hearing her shame. How long until everyone knew?

“He’s the most renowned swordsman in all of Hyrule, one of our best fighters, and he’s about your age, so he should be someone you can get along with.”

“The best fighter in all of Hyrule is only 22? No wonder the Yiga are everywhere, if those are our standards.”

“Be kind, Zelda.”

“Is that another order, My King?”

He sighed and crossed the room, stopping at her door. “One more thing. While you’re there, I’ve given him permission to overrule you if you command him not to train you. You will learn to stay safe, whether you want to or not. Now change and go. He’s expecting you now.” He turned his head to her guards. “Make sure she goes to the training yard, and if she refuses, come fetch me.”

As soon as he was gone, she slammed her door and sagged into the wood.

She did consider hiding out, but she knew her father would simply bring the soldier into her room to train if he had to. At this point, with the number of times the Yiga had come after her, she wouldn’t have really blamed her father if he’d locked her in a door-less room and dropped this instructor in through a hole in the ceiling until she learned to protect herself. Truthfully, the idea itself—in theory—wasn’t the worst. Except for the fact that the Yiga were deadly warriors who trained to kill for most of their lives and slaughtered companies of trained Hylian knights.

Grabbing her most comfortable pants to train in, Zelda slowed as she remembered the event that had started this all.

The Great Tabanthan Bridge crossed the long expanse of the Tanagar Canyon, and she was always careful of the crossing. The fall alone would not only kill someone, but it’d likely flatten them clean out from a drop of that height. So, crossing it was not something that was taken lightly on a good day.

Being that far out there was entirely her fault to begin with.

She’d desired to visit the Temple to Hylia that was at the edge of the gorge, but she’d opted to lead everyone along the scenic route to enjoy some of her free time outside of the castle. The guards had protested briefly, but Zelda was adamant about a scenic detour.

What she hadn’t been able to predict or expect, no matter how much research she did, was that the Yiga were there, lying in wait for her and her guards.

She’d been bucked clean off her stubborn horse, and she’d been left on the great bridge as three Yiga ran for her. Though she’d gone to run, she was caught by one who appeared in front of her in a puff of smoke.

Trying to fight them off of her had been like the great struggle of praying for the Goddess’ powers: utterly futile, and a waste of time.

Half of her attempts to shake them had been by holding the rope handle of the bridge and throwing herself precariously close so they’d have to follow.

The soldiers eventually reached her and fended the Yiga off, but they’d also recounted the entire incident to her father in horrific detail: how she was winded by the time she’d run halfway across the bridge, how she nearly fell off the great, how she couldn’t fight any of them off and had been overwhelmed, and how her weak strength had caused two large wounds in her palms from where she’d tried to push a blade away from her at one point.

Glancing down at her now-healed hands—thanks to the castle medics—Zelda pulled on her boots and tugged up the laces tight. She wasn’t weak. She just wasn’t… physically domineering. But put any puzzle, any riddle, any impossibility in front of her and she’d find the solution. That’s not weakness. That’s strength. She is strong… just not traditionally.

Her shirt was loose, and she tied up her hair before looking at herself in the mirror for a long time, finally noticing the bruise she’d sustained. She was going to hate this almost as much, if not more, than she hated horseback riding.

Resigned to her fate, Zelda trudged slowly toward the training yard, hoping to be late enough to at least remind everyone that she didn’t want to be there.

Glancing at the sun, she’d determined that she managed to be at least fifteen minutes late. Not bad. She could do worse next time.

The yard was empty of the usual hustle and bustle that went on, and she imagined that her father must have ordered it be kept clear for her private sessions. But it was also clear of an instructor.

She stood in the middle of the training yard and fisted her hands tightly as she looked around. No one. Her eyes narrowed at the empty space, searching for some sign of trickery. But the only others there were the two guards she had brought with her.

“Is this some sort of a joke?” Zelda asked, placing her hands on her hips. “Hello?”

There was no answer.

Shrugging happily to herself, she was ready to leave, but one look at her guards standing near the entrance reminded her of her father’s orders to fetch him if she didn’t go; either she stayed here long enough to prove that she made the attempt, or she’d be embarrassingly dragged back down by her father’s guards, humiliated as they would keep hold of her arms to ensure she followed them right back here. Her father would make sure she was here, no matter what.

Crossing her arms, Zelda walked around. She rarely went to the training yards unless she was up in the parapets, so being down in the dirt and grass felt like she was in an entirely new world. One she didn’t belong in.

There were training dummies lined up against a wall and a worn dirt track in a wide circle around the outskirts of the otherwise square area. There was a bench. There were weapons on a rack.

And that was it.

She looked at the footprints etched in the dirt, kneeling down to read the story told by the shoe treads. There was a large step forward, and then several overlapping smaller ones as the wearer clearly stumbled back. Then a single skid mark as they were forced back. And then the imprint of a body where they’d fallen.

If Zelda were here under any other circumstances, she’d have smiled and tried to find all the stories in the dirt, but instead, she stood back up and sighed, craning her neck towards the barracks just past the archway. No one was outside, and no one was coming.

“Okay,” she muttered to herself, prepared to leave. But her eye caught on a weapon rack, and she glanced one more time at the barracks before heading to the largest spear. She held it, pretending she was one of her knights. Goddess, if a Yiga came at her, she’d die. Fear first, and then clumsiness, because who could control this glorified stick well enough to kill a Yiga?

She shuddered and put it back.

“You can get there eventually,” someone said.

She spun around to see one of her two guards walking towards her. He removed his helmet, shaking out his blonde hair. Zelda watched in confusion as he set the helmet down on a post and pulled a blue band off his wrist to tie his long hair back.

“But only if you’re not fifteen minutes late on purpose,” he said, not looking up at her. “Princess,” he added with a bow of his head.

Her mouth dropped slightly and her cheeks warmed at the light scolding. “I beg your pardon?” she asked, almost doubting if she’d heard him correctly.

She scoffed at his audacity, recognizing the bright blue eyes of the guard she’d dropped her book on. Did he think that a conversation with her this morning gave a guard the right to chastise her?

He held out his hand, and she instinctively handed the spear back, though in hindsight she wished that she’d hit him with it instead. She’d been too stunned. He returned it to it’s place, and walked across the entirety of the training yard without so much as looking at her.

Her feet tumbled after him as she mentally and physically struggled to keep up. What was happening? Why wasn’t he answering her? Why was he even talking to her? Who was this man?

“Hey!” she finally called. He stopped and turned.

That’s when he looked up for the first time, his downcast blue eyes lifting off the dirt and settling on her green ones.

Pride swelled in her when she saw them waver, because clearly her voice had rattled him in some way. He clearly didn’t like looking her in the eye either. His eyes kept darting off of hers, and he had to keep forcing them back. Her own eyes narrowed, trying to understand this guard. “Who are you?”

“Your instructor.”

#wip wednesday #legend of zelda #botw au #pre-calamity au #link #zelda #zelink #writing #still needs another round of editing to not make it boring #You don't know how bad I wanted Link to say Your dancing master like syrio forel or something hahaha!!#and now you know half the reason why I want this title

31 notes · View notes

kintatsujo · 3 years

Text

LoZ AU- The Courage of Running Away Part FIFTEEN

Okay so first of all if you haven’t seen part fourteen with Astramorus’s friend Serenumbra showing up you’re going to want to because there’s a bit at the end of this one that will be providing context for.

#AU August

#LoZ AU: The Courage of Running Away

So it’s high time we got into Whatever The Fuck Ghirahim is Doing and we’re not gonna get ALL the answers but we ARE gonna get a whole fuck ton of flirting!

Let’s start with what I think will be Ghirahim and Dinravi’s first revealing scene together once we’re out of the 0.5 Draft, which takes place right after Ghirahim shooshes at Astramorus and scares the marbles out of him:

[Image descriptions: Ghirahim is throwing off his fortune teller’s cloak while striding toward Dinravi, who is putting his necklace onto a dresser with a large mirror. “What an INVIGORATING outing that was!” Ghirahim declares. Dinravi says, “YOU’RE in a good mood-” he starts to remove his outer duster- “You didn’t KILL SOMEONE while I wasn’t LOOKING somehow, did you?” Despite his words he’s smiling, perhaps in amusement at Ghirahim’s good spirits. Ghirahim puts a hand to his face, brushing his hair out of his eye slightly while pursing his lips flirtatiously. “Oh, Sweet Prince, how UNCOUTH,” he says, then comes forward and puts a hand on Dinravi’s chest, smiling up into his face. “I do HAVE other INTERESTS,” he says, a heart accompanying his words. Dinravi seems mostly unmoved, if amused. “There’s hope for you yet, thank Din.” he says. End ID.]

(In case it wasn’t clear Ghirahim is intimating that his other interests include scaring the wits out of old men.)

Basically Ghirahim showed up under the fortune teller guise fairly recently, revealed himself to Dinravi and has been trying to seduce him into becoming the demon lord Ghirahim knows he can be ever since.

But it’s actually not working very well because Dinravi is basically chill as fuck:

[Image description: Ghirahim has his arms around Dinravi from behind and is leaning up to murmur into his ear. “You and I, wielder of Power,” he says, “We could BATHE THE SANDS RED and drink the BLOOD OF YOUR ENEMIES, crush their bones in my TEETH.” Dinravi, amused, answers him “I don’t WANT to drink blood Ghirahim, I want poultry pilaf and some fried bananas- please don’t cling to me while I’m COOKING.” End ID.]

(Dinravi cooks for himself as a hobby.) Also for the record I’m letting Ghirahim have randomly sharp teeth as he pleases because I think it’s hot. XD

On Eltani’s side of the situation, well:

[Image Description: Eltani is talking to Dinravi, and says, “There’s something OFF about that fortune teller, Belovéd, you WATCH YOURSELF with him.” Dinravi answers, “Of course Mama.” He then thinks, pursing his lips, “Do I TELL HER that he’s an ancient demon trying to SEDUCE ME for some reason?” He then blushes. “ABSOLUTELY NOT,” he thinks, and a label pops up reading “Reminder this kid is only 20.” End ID.]

And no, Dinravi’s not really fully aware he’s technically Ganondorf and whether Ganon and Demise are fully connected is something I’m gonna choose to be vague about; all he knows is this sexy demon man showed up one day claiming as the holder of the Triforce of Power that makes him a worthy master.

And Dinravi’s response to that? By sheer force of will, he’s determined to influence Ghirahim for the better instead of being influenced for the worse.

Because Dinravi’s a particular sort of badass and also an optimistic 20 year old kid gunning to be a good leader and possibly save the world, from Ghirahim specifically if it comes to that. Preferably by pointing out to Ghirahim that he doesn’t have to railroad himself into his own fate.

[Image Description: Ghirahim is showing Dinravi his hands transformed to claws, tapping the heavy necklace Dinravi usually wears. He says, “I’m a SWORD, Dinravi, what do you THINK makes me feel ALIVE?” Dinravi answers solemnly, “Even a SWORD can become something ELSE, Ghirahim.” Ghirahim’s demeanor suddenly shifts as he pushes his hair out of his face with what is now a normal human hand, and, remarkably, blushes. “WELLL,” he begins, then shifts to flirtations, leaning his back against Dinravi’s chest. “Maybe with some BEATING, HEAT... And no small amount of SKILL.” Dinravi scrunches his face, trying not to laugh. “Pff do you EVER turn it OFF?” he asks. Ghirahim’s face lights up as he goes in for the figurative kill: “My RAPIER WIT?” he asks. “NO!!” Dinravi bursts out laughing. End ID.]

So who do you think is more doomed, the person laughing at bad puns or the person aiming to get a laugh with the bad puns? This version of Ghirahim’s had a little more time to settle into himself, and in some ways that makes him more dangerous, but in others it might make him a little more... human. Dinravi is young and inexperienced, but he’s had a lot of good examples to look towards.

The real question is how Ghirahim got here, and he’s not answering that one as of right now.

And in the meantime, Astramorus is trying to sort out his atonement:

[Image Description: Astramorus enters a room with Serenumbra. The centerpiece of the room is a glowing bow on a pedestal, set at the feet of a statue of Hylia. Serenumbra asks: “Is that-” “Yes,” Astramorus answers. “Manifested by the previous Hyrulean princess to have fought Ganon. A BOW OF LIGHT.” The Bow of Light glows. Astramorus takes it in hand. Serenumbra says, a hand to his mouth, “Ah, surely that will help, I hope the boy will ACCEPT it from you.” Astramorus looks slightly surprised at the statement, then slightly exasperated. “Sure, sure, yes, I’ll figure something out.” Serenumbra smiles cheerfully. The scene switches to show Astramorus outside the Sky Temple in the middle of the night. He is releasing fairies. End ID.]

Astramorus what are you doing???? Didn’t one of those fairies literally save you just a few scenes ago???

#my art #au august #loz #loz au #Loz au: the courage of running away #sorry this is in the literal middle of the night

18 notes · View notes

sage-nebula · 3 years

Text

I was thinking about how Zelda absolutely has PTSD from trapping Ganon in Hyrule Castle for 100 years, and that made me want to write about it. I ended up writing 2,483 words, and while this is in no way up to my standards and is also not polished at all (or even a full fic; it’s like little pieces strewn together until my brain ran out of steam), I’m still happy I actually managed to write given how hard that has been for me over the past year and a half due to my critical exhaustion. So I’m going to post this rough draft here, for any who want to read it.

- - -

Every morning, Zelda woke with fire and malice in her throat.

It was something strange to cough, to gasp, to choke on something that existed only within her mind. It was odd, a curiosity—but one she couldn’t care to study as she hunched over the crevice between the bed and the wall for the second week in a row, trying desperately to stifle her coughing and hide her sweaty face with her hair so that Link wouldn’t see. She coughed, and scraped her tongue with her teeth, fighting to rid her mouth of a phantom substance she tasted with every breath she took, and every morsel of food she chewed.

She couldn’t, of course. It was impossible to rinse out something that didn’t exist. Even as she took the proffered cup of water Link had fetched the moment he noticed her stirring (knowing, she knew with shame, what was going to come next) and gulped it down her burning throat, she knew it was no use. One hundred years of saturating her lungs in Ganon’s essence with every breath she took meant she’d never really be rid of the taste.

But even so, she drank the water, and smiled in thanks at Link as she handed the cup back to him. He smiled, too, but it didn’t mitigate the concern in his eyes any more than the water had mitigated the flavor behind her teeth.

———

For one hundred years, Zelda did not eat.

She did not sleep.

She did not dream.

At least, not in any real sense. There were moments, especially as the decades ticked past, that she let her consciousness wander. She thought back to days—to years long past, to faces she could scarcely remember and voices that were now nothing more than bad echoes of her own. She checked in on Link, as much as one could check in on someone in a coma, and tried not to let herself feel disappointed each time she received nothing but silence in return. She wondered how Hyrule was faring, in the wake of the calamity; wondered how they managed to rebuild, to survive, and—in moments when she allowed herself hope—thrive despite the devastation that had ravaged them. Had they left the ruins of their former lives scattered along the landscape? Were there any still alive who remembered what happened the day the kingdom was torn asunder, and so many lives along with it?

Her consciousness always returned to her when her captive growled, guttural and menacing, and she could not say what emotion she felt when her awareness was yanked back into the castle in those moments, whether it was fury, determination, or something else altogether. But as she stared at the beast she held bound in her golden chains, and tightened her grip on them enough so that she could feel her own power burning through her palms, all she knew was that the rush of emotion she felt in those moments meant that she would never, ever let go.

———

Zelda didn’t remember very much of the journey to Hateno Village, and she certainly didn’t remember the seven days she spent asleep in what had formerly been Link’s bed. (“Ninety-nine years and . . . a lot of days to go before you beat my record,” Link had said.)

But it didn’t take her too long to become aware, and when she did, she wished she hadn’t.

Every morning, she woke with smoke and malice in her throat. Every night, she was back in the castle. Her fists were taut around golden chains wrapped around her forearms again and again to give her better bracing. Those same chains wrapped endlessly around a monster, a demon of unimaginable horror who had murdered her people, her friends, her family. A demon who stared down a putrid swine snout at her, snorting and snarling in her face, thrashing and roaring like a beast aside from the moments it tried to catch her off-guard like a man.

For one hundred years, Zelda didn’t sleep. She couldn’t. Any time she let her grip slacken, the chains loosened, and the beast took advantage of the moment to raise a bloody moon so his monsters could savage the people of Hyrule. Princesses slept; wardens of demonic beasts did not.

The beast was gone now, and Zelda knew that. She had used her power to banish it herself the moment Link landed the ending blow. The beast was gone, and for the first time in one hundred years, Zelda was allowed to sleep.

She wished she wasn’t.

———

She didn’t know what day it was, but in a way, she supposed it didn’t matter. One hundred years after the calamity and Hyrule had moved on in such a way that each day was now very much like the last. Each night, she was back in the castle. Each morning, she had fire and malice in her throat. Each day, she did her best to get herself in order so that she could stop the cycle from repeating. So far, she had yet to succeed.

But if there was one thing her life, both pre- and during-calamity, had given her, it was determination. She would not quit. She could not quit. Link was helping her; he had brought her to his home, had given her his bed (despite her insistence that he should keep it, or that at least they should share, at which point he pretended to hear his horse neighing for him outside and had taken the stairs three at a time to escape), was cooking meals for her to help her recuperate. One hundred years was a long time to go without food, he’d said, as he’d handed her a hearty meat stew (and had corrected her that it was indeed hearty, not hardy, because of the hearty truffles he’d put in, see?). She needed to regain her strength, albeit with foods that were easy on the stomach at first, so that she could get used to eating again.

Not eating for one hundred years wasn’t why she kept rubbing at her wrists, or felt wobbly on her feet. It wasn’t why she woke every morning gasping for clean air, or why her hands shook around the cup of water Link always had ready for her. But he was trying, and she wasn’t about to tell him otherwise, not when she had been enough of a burden on him already.

So that morning, after she gulped down the cup of cool water that Link had left on the bedside table for her, Zelda brushed her sweaty hair from her face and took a deep breath. Today, she would have Link show her how to cook some recipes, so that she could take some of that burden from him. She would feed their horses, and actually start to get to know the one Link had saved for her—the one that was descended from her own horse, one hundred years ago. She would suggest an activity for them, perhaps fishing, and then see it through without there being an incident. Today she would get herself together far more than she had any of the days previous, and put the past one hundred years behind her where it belonged.

As he always was on the mornings he wasn’t at her bedside, Link was outside cooking breakfast. He looked up as Zelda stepped through the doorway, and smiled—but Zelda saw his smile for only a fraction of a second before the smell of the food hit her, and her stomach curled.

Smoke malice fire Ganon—

One second, she was standing in the doorway of Link’s home. The next she was behind the horse stable, one hand braced against the house, the other arm wrapped around her stomach as she heaved all the water she had just drank, plus a few remnants of last night’s dinner, onto the grass. She retched, skin clammy and body shaking, and might have fallen to her knees in her own vomit if it weren’t for Link gripping her shoulder with one hand, his other hand holding her hair back from her face. Zelda coughed, and swiped the back of her hand across her mouth as her heaving subsided.

“I—” she began, and swallowed hard as her throat closed tight again. “Apologies, I’m not sure what came over me.”

“Sickness, I think,” Link said, and if she didn’t know him as well as she did, she might have thought he was being sarcastic. He waited until she was standing firm (or at least as firm as she could) before he let her go. “And you don’t have to apologize for being sick, Princess.”

There was too much she could say to that, and yet not a single thing felt right. “What—what were you making?”

“Eggs and bacon, with a side of saus . . . oh.” Link’s eyes widened at something he saw on her face. “Oh no. I’m sorry. I’ll throw it out.”

Zelda shook her head. “There’s no reason for you to waste perfectly good food. I’ll just . . . eat around the pork.”

“No, I’ll get rid of it. I can cook any number of things for breakfast,” Link said firmly. “Tell you what, we’ll have wildberry crepes instead. How’s that sound?”

She smiled weakly. “That sounds lovely.”

Link smiled back in the same way he always did, with concern still alight in his eyes even as his lips soundlessly told her he’d do his best to make everything all right. He offered her his hand—and it was silly, and embarrassing, and a bit patronizing, because she could walk well enough on her own and she had to fight the urge to smack his hand away—and she took it. He led her back around the house and quickly indoors, away from the smell of the now burned pork on the cooking pan, and told her that he’d have breakfast done in a flash. And he would—she knew he would, he always did. But as she sank into a chair at the table, her hair sticking to her flushed cheeks, she also knew that wasn’t the problem.

———

It was two months, by Link’s calendar, before she felt up to a trip to Kakariko Village—a trip to see Impa.

She had seen Purah, of course. Purah hadn’t waited for Zelda to make the trip to Hateno Tech Lab, and instead had made her own way to Link’s house, though how she’d managed to get there on her own given her stubby six-year-old legs, Zelda didn’t know. Meeting with Purah again was . . . an experience, to say the least. She had the same spirit Zelda remembered, a bouncy countenance both familiar and overwhelming, and Link thankfully managed to distract Purah with something outside before Zelda was overcome with sobs. The strange thing was, in the moment, Zelda couldn’t have told anyone why she was crying. Even now, weeks after the fact, she still wasn’t sure. Mentally, she hadn’t felt like crying. She hadn’t felt it emotionally, either. But somehow, seeing and hearing Purah one hundred years later, it had all been a little too much. She’d cried before she could help herself.

It was that, at least in part, that made her stave off the trip to Kakariko, before the guilt gnawing at her gut told her she could stave it off no more. Rather than warp with the Sheikah Slate, Link suggested they ride. It would be good for her to spend time with her horse, he’d reasoned, and it would also give her a chance to see a little of Hyrule. The Dueling Peaks stable was at the midway point between the two villages if it got too late, but even that was unlikely given that Kakariko was only a half-day’s ride from Hateno.

Link hadn’t needed all the justifications, and Zelda thought that perhaps Link knew he didn’t. But he gave them, and she took them, and in the end she still felt that even the extra half-day wasn’t quite enough.

It was one thing for an old friend to have the body of a child due to a science experiment gone awry. It was another to see one hundred years of lost time reflected in every canyon etched into another friend’s face. Impa’s hair had always been white, but her hairline had receded to reveal age spots and crows feet around sunken eyes. Her lips were thin now, her shoulders hunched with arthritis, her joints cracking with every movement.

But when Zelda stepped through the doorway of her home, and their eyes met, Impa smiled as if not a day had passed.

“Princess,” Impa said, her voice a warm wheeze around her words. “It is so good to see you safe and whole once again.”

Zelda nodded and smiled. Tried to smile. “Thank you, Impa. It is . . .” She was safe, she was . . . “It is also good to . . . to see you.”

This time, she wasn’t aware of her tears until she saw them fall upon the kerchief Link offered her, splashing as she blinked in surprise at the cloth suddenly put in front of her face. Impa’s smile was gone, replaced by a look of sadness—of pity?—as her granddaughter, who looked so much like Impa used to, squeaked something about calming tea and dashed from the room. Zelda sniffed, gasped, choked hear tears back as she dabbed them away with the kerchief, and tensed every muscle in her body to keep from throwing Link’s hand off her elbow as she said, “I’m—I’m fine.”

For she was fine. She was there, standing there, in Impa’s home in Kakariko Village, with two friends and an oddly familiar stranger. She was safe, and she was as whole as she could be, as she ever would be. She was fine, even as she sobbed into the kerchief Link had given her, hands trembling too badly to take the tea that Paya brought out a few minutes later.

———

“Y-You know . . .” Paya said, stretching her tunic over her legs as she sat beside Zelda on the grass outside, while Link and Impa spoke within the house. “I think it’s—it’s okay if you need to cry. You’ve been through so much. You were trapped in the castle with Ganon for one hund—”

“No,” Zelda interrupted, before she could stop herself. Paya startled, and looked her way. Zelda could feel Paya’s wide eyes on her, but she did not remove her own from her wrists—wrists that could still feel the weight of heavy golden chains made of her own power. “I . . . was not locked in the castle with him. He was locked in the castle with me.”

#loz: breath of the wild #breath of the wild #princess zelda #link #hero of the wild #impa #paya #fic fix #vomit//cw #not written: Zelda cuts her hair as a way to separate herself from the 100 year confinement w/ Ganon #it's a healing thing you know #Link helps her clean up the uneven parts #& that's why her hair is short in the sequel #also nothing I write for BotW is compliant in any way with AoC #Terrako DNI

70 notes · View notes

ashleyswrittenwords · 4 years

Text

Trials and Tribulations (I)

A ZeLink Fanfiction that was meant to be a oneshot.

Premise: The hero has successfully saved Hyrule from Calamity Ganon, but there’s a lingering problem that he desperately wants to abandon - the princess.

Small Note: Only two chapters! Thanks for the support! :)

Chapter Two

Word Count: 2853

-------

Trials and Tribulations: Chapter One

“Do you really remember me?”

He didn’t say anything.

The girl in front of him shimmered from the aftereffects of the goddess’s power and it slowly dimmed. With it, the weight of mortality drifted onto her consciousness. For the first time in a century, Zelda stumbled. Her knight attendant watched as she did, only moving when it was assured she was falling to the ground. Link’s hands wrapped around her forearm and shoulder. She expected an embrace, or even comforting words, but when she looked up at him there was a gaze devoid of affection. It was then all her fears were realized. Zelda swallowed the crushing wail that threatened to escape.

Zelda scorned herself for the remote hope she harbored. He had slept for a century, there was no hope to be had. A push to mourn filled her breast but pushed it down at the remembrance was what he still gained from this long year. Friends, happiness… independence from her. The times she was able to watch him smile once more was enough, wasn’t it? She had worried ongoingly about the effects of the shrine and what it would mean for him.

“You don’t,” Zelda stated, not entirely level-headed.

Link stared for a long moment at the girl in his grasp. The glow that shined from her skin had subsided to her pale, mortal complexion. Then, with indifference he said, “I remember enough.”

---

The weeks went by painstakingly. Between recovering from the Calamity’s downfall and trying to figure out what their next steps were, the hero and the princess were more than spent. However, as exhausted as they were, neither voiced it. Even more noteworthy was what remained unsaid other than what was strictly necessarily.

In the beginning, Zelda tried start small talk that wasn’t much different from when they had first met. As she was finally able to feel the sun’s rays and the cool soil, she would impulsively elaborate on the useless biology facts that surfaced in her memory. But unlike the Link who would once listen with silent interest to humor her, it seemed to only drive him away. Link wouldn’t say anything to stop her, but his eyes watched her with an icy stare so chilling that each time she would stop and struggle with what to say until her words failed them into quiet dissolution once more.

Even then, Zelda hadn’t been completely defeated in rekindling a connection. Anything to get more than one-word responses from him. It wasn’t until a night of rabbit stew and her incessant droning about mushrooms did in his resolve.

“I don’t care,” Link grumbled.

The princess paused her motions in stirring her bowl of soup, “I beg your pardon?”

He looked at her and through her all at once. Each word was spoken with emphasis, “I do not care, Princess.”

The watery look in her eyes boiled over the anger in his chest. Without another word he flung his bowl of soup to the side and stormed off into the brush. It wasn’t the first time he had left her alone, but it was the first time he had done it while she was awake. Link knew he would be fine if he dropped everything and started over; he had been forced to do it before and he could do it again. Would, Link always thought to himself every night the urge struck him. And he did, he left with nothing but the clothes on his back - sometimes even leaving the Master Sword in its sheath on the ground. And every time he would walk away, there would be a growing pain in him that stopped him in his tracks. In some instances, it would be a mere five minutes into his abandonment. In others, he would be miles away.

It never mattered. Each attempt would be thwarted by his heels digging in the dirt and pivoting for the direction he came from. His departure always ended with his return and Zelda’s weak performance of pretending to be asleep.

---

The day they arrived in Kakariko Village was the day the princess realized Link’s silence wasn’t a product of the Calamity. Almost immediately, he was tackled by a group of Sheikah children and joined them in their games. While Zelda spoke with Impa, he chatted extensively with the two guards at the bottom of the stairs. It wasn’t until she was in his presence did he revert back to the stoic man Zelda had grown accustomed to.

After supper, Impa had pulled Zelda aside.

“Is it correct to assume the obvious?” The elderly woman somberly said.

Zelda bit her lip. The rest of the attendants had already left, and it was safe to say that Link had already retired to one of the guest rooms. “Most likely,” was all she could say as Impa’s face fell.

They were seated on the cushioned floor and shared a pot of steaming tea between them. Impa pulled Zelda into a tight hug, “Oh, dear.” She sat back and smoothed out her robes and Zelda glared down at her hands, scrutinizing.

“When he first arrived, I knew his memory was fragmented. Not only from the research we did in the shrine, but also in his mannerisms. It seemed like he was agitated to finish something and didn’t know quite what it was.”

She didn’t need to be told. A century in isolation aside from the presence of an ancient demon left the Golden Princess lonely. Whether it was by her own discovery or a product of Hylia’s pity, it wasn’t but two decades in that she found the ability to watch the land grow from decay as an astral being during Calamity Ganon’s lapses.

Then, Link woke up and everything changed.

Impa breathed in her tea, “I prayed to Hylia every day afterward that he would remember you in the light you deserved.”

“He owes… he owes me nothing,” Zelda hesitantly put her cup down, not trusting her shaking hands. The Sheikah looked at her sharply, “You have been defending this land for lifetimes, Zelda. Surely-”

“He owes me nothing, Impa,” she said, this time more assuredly. It quelled the elder’s insisting. “We took Link’s memory. It’s the last thing I should expect of him.”

Silence washed over them. The only noises were the creaking of floorboards from the rooms above. Zelda stifled a sigh and quickly glanced about the room to realize that nothing much has changed over her absence. At least the Sheikah were a people that remained constant. It reminded the princess of another task altogether, “The castle.”

Impa hummed, closing her eyes to feel the warmth of her tea. “Yes, that,” she said, “Are you so itching to return?”

“A better question is, am I needed?” Zelda thanked Paya for the small blanket that was offered and wrapped it around her shoulders to stave away the Spring chill. “Hyrule has become an entirely new kingdom since Father passed. Perhaps another form of government is more appropriate.”

“Perhaps,” Impa resonated, “However you’re overlooking how fragmented we’ve become. Since the Calamity, trade has drastically decreased due to how dangerous the roads have become and Castle Town had always been the heart of commerce. They need a leader.”

“A matriarch, though?”

“I cannot think of a better candidate than a queen with the blood of a goddess,” she watched Zelda pull her knees to her chest and study the stairs that led up to the upper floor. “Are you unsure, Princess?”

The blonde could only wince at the title. The echo of Link’s patronizing tone reverberated in the back of her mind, making her bite the inside of her cheek. She had to be stronger. “No, but I need time.”

“We are in agreement, then. Be young, Zelda. Do what your heart has always yearned for and when you’re ready… Hyrule will be patiently waiting.”

Her old friend’s words made her smile genuinely.

The princess and her hero had been trekking across Hyrule Field for a day and a half. The grass seemed as wild as it has ever been. Free from snow and cold, it grew almost entirely to Link’s waist. Every now and again he attempted to cut it down with a swing with the Master Sword, but at the pace they were at it was a futile effort. Zelda slunk several feet behind him either looking at the back of his head or down at the Sheikah Slate’s screen. They were quiet without a true reason. Lately, Link’s fuse was cut short and he shot an annoyed glare her way for the smallest of mistakes.

Her biggest mistake as of late was her decision to stable the horses.

“We should have taken them,” he mumbled once more.

Zelda gripped the slate tight, but could no longer disagree with him with the growing soreness in her feet. “I’m sorry, I thought we would be fine.”

They were coming up on a lone tree. Its branches spread across the sky like a welcome haven and Link was apparently seeking just that. Just barely, he turned and glared.

“All I wanted was to see how different the terrain was on foot,” she swallowed her nerves and dared to say something she hadn’t in weeks. “Do you remember when you would take me out here? I would sketch for hours.” As she spoke, Link was setting down his sword and then… tensed. His rigidity paused Zelda’s movement towards him.

After a moment, he brought his hand to his hair and pulled. His voice was faint, “N-no… maybe? I don’t know, Zel.”

Zel.

It rung in her head like the first time he said it after a particularly nasty fight with a group of Bokoblins. Another time when he tenderly said the nickname as she tended to his wounds. The soft murmurings of the simple syllable as his warmth invaded her senses.

Then Link spun around fully, anger and uncertainty in his face. His piercing eyes met were wide green ones. “Have you found anything different, Princess?”

His words spat venom and hurt and an absence of explanation. Embarrassed, Zelda frowned.

“No.”

“Ah!” He flung his arms up at the exasperated outburst, “Then the issue with the horses was all for naught.”

“Link,” her brows furrowed together as frustration took hold. “You didn’t say a word of disapproval at the stable. I even asked you and you ignored me.”

The statement deepened the crease at his forehead, “You should have known since you know me so well. Come on, tell me how wrong I am about everything.”

“I do not do that. Why are you acting like this?” Zelda strapped the slate to her belt at the ferocity of Link’s attitude, her intentions with it were long forgotten.

He groaned, “There you go again. The way you act so innocent disgusts me.”

“I… I don’t understand, Link.” Her heart seized at the look of fire in his eyes. It was an expression he had been hiding after their reunion.

“Convenient as ever, Princess,” his voice dipped into the rage that burned in her direction. Then, it grew. “You took me from my family. You berated me for years! Hated me!”

Link took a step towards where she stood frozen and Zelda flushed. Her voice shook and for the first time she felt he would harm her. As he drew closer, she blinked at how much she had to crane her neck upwards to look at him. “I,” Zelda shook her head, “I could never hate you. Not even then.”

A hysterical laugh came from him as he raked a hand through his hair. She flinched as his volume reached new heights, “But you did! I followed you around like a dog, stupidly. I-I died because of it! Don’t you understand that I don’t remember who I was? I don’t know what my own father looked like. I’m a broken man because of you!”

Angry tears blurred his vision.

Zelda heaved a breath, “What don’t you remember? I can help you.” Her voice cracked at his mocking reaction. “I can! Please, I know it wasn’t fair to put you in the shrine. I know that. I was so afraid to lose you I-”

It was inevitable that anguish interrupted her pleas. She tried hiding her face from the man she thought she’d always run to.

“Don’t say that,” Link’s eyes bore through her in disgust. “Don’t lie so blatantly.”

“You are wrong.” A million thoughts ran through her head, but none made sense. Slowly, she folded her arms over herself and wanted nothing but to leave. For a split second, the princess who fought the Calamity for a century began to think she hadn’t won after all. Zelda’s voice ran cold under hot tears, “Is this why you’ve been so cruel to me? Because of delusions?”

Link’s brow twitched, “My distaste towards you pales in comparison to the consequences of your failures.”

“I saved you!” Her intonation sloped high, but his shout drowned all. The speed at which he gripped her forearms left her in shock.

“You should have let me die!”

The strong breeze of Hyrule field whipped by them as wild as the sorrow in her soul. Almost as fast as he took hold of her, Link let go and stared at his hands. Silence dominated other than the slight rustling of breeze running in tall grass. Zelda felt like caving in and sinking straight into the soil. The place he grabbed and shook pulsed vaguely and if she closed her eyes, she would be convinced he had never let go. So, she didn’t and gaped at him.

“I didn’t,” he stopped to look between his empty palms and the pain in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to. I…”

With shaking, limb fingers Zelda pulled ruthlessly at the silver band on her left hand. Red marks traced up the digit with each tug. The princess swallowed thickly, “Do you want this back?”

Confusion crossed him, but he lingered on the jewelry. “…What is that?”

Once she retched it free, an indent in her skin was left. It was a silver, shoddily made band that lacked the luster a princess would usually be drawn to. Zelda paused her outreach and looked longingly at it. Pithily, yet in reminiscence she spoke, “I hoped you would remember more than what I left. There was so little time and I couldn’t afford to act selfishly. Perhaps you remember more than that. Your family, our friends. I know it’s not enough.”

Zelda paused to hold a hand to her mouth to collect herself while Link stood motionless and watched as she mourned. Then, she inhaled forcefully, “I didn’t want to tell you about us. Not when you were so far away and still grieving. But now, I see you’ve grown to hate me. This is yours, Link. You should have it back.”

Her words grew taunt and thin. That pounding was back in his chest again. The same harsh beating that persisted at the thought of leaving her – that kept him by her side no matter how deeply he wanted isolation.

“What are you talking about?” He asked without a single trace of his previous anger, if anything it was a gentle plea. She lifted and dropped her shoulders in an exasperated shrug, “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

When he didn’t take the ring, she briefly considered dropping it to be lost in the wild grasses of the planes. It didn’t hold the symbolism it once did and all that remained were bitter memories of a time long ago when they were two different people. An urge to feel his arms around her almost spurred her to give into the storm of tears that threatened to fall. Her lips moved to ask him if he could recall anything about their small union under the Rito willow trees, but she buried her need for him deep within. He didn’t want her.

Still, the thought losing of all physical traces of what Zelda had hurt more than any of his words. Her hand closed around the ring. It dug into her palm without abandon.

“You don’t need to come with me,” she started with a clear voice as she gathered up her bag.

They didn’t face each other now. Zelda began walking, only slowing at the sound of him. “Where will you go?”

Fingers fiddled at the band, “Impa’s. I was going to wait to start rebuilding efforts to explore Hyrule… with you, actually.” She paused for a moment and shook memories from her head, “Maybe I need to take the throne faster than we thought.”

She turned to face his back, “If you need anything… come find me. I’ll tell you everything I know about who you were, our friends, your family – just ask. I knew you better than you think, Link. I still love-”

The straps to her pack strained at her grip, “You always loved watching the valley from Mount Lanayru in the summertime. That’s a good place to start.”

Link didn’t reply and she didn’t wait.

#i love angst #delicious #ill post the next chapter in likeeee a day or 2 #i can't figure out the last sentence lmao #zelink #legend of zelda #ashleyswrittenwords #loz #zelda #link #fanfiction #zelink fanfiction #legend of zelda: breath of the wild #zelda x link #link x zelda #yah yeet

52 notes · View notes

wyvernlair · 4 years

Photo

i’m very behind on uploading refs so here’s nearly all of the ones that are still ok at once!!

gonna try to summarize them all in like 2 sentences since there’s a bunch:

IN ORDER:

Aaryn is an angel (principality) who had a large portion of his host fall due to mortals so he’s become pretty bitter towards mortals in general WHICH is super swell since he now has to help guide them in the fallen one’s place since they’re so short on help :/// he’s also babysitting both Clarissa and Leonis and he serves the goddess of muses

Connie is one of the angels from Aaryn’s host who fell and has almost completely become a demon by this point. she’s still Sweet & Composed though and is working as a blood magic healer to prove that Evil Magic is not necessarily evil ok

Soleil & Clarissa are part of a fated enemy reincarnation cycle (a la link & ganon, that type of thing) except that the hero (Soleil) got sick of it and sold her soul to a demon queen for the longevity and then murdered the villain (Clarissa) in hopes of breaking the cycle. HOWEVER, just like Soleil was getting worse every cycle, Clarissa was slowly getting better and the gods decided to give her one last chance and reincarnated her again even though Soleil hadn’t died yet. Clarissa currently has no idea about any of this and is living like a normal high schooler with all her powers sealed

Fleur is a changeling from the spring court who’s parents were killed before they could reclaim him so he’s been living like a normal mortal his whole life and has no idea about his fae heritage. he knows he’s different but can’t articulate why and also keeps glamouring people by accident

Swiftos is a dark mage with high int and a zero in wisdom. he’s slowly disintegrating because of the strain of dark magic he messed up while trying to prove himself to the elders he lived with who always looked down at him because his parents that he knows nothing about were mildly evil, oops

Rosa is part of my leo magical girl Shimmering Dawns plot and she was SUPPOSED to be the recruitable daughter of the big bad but the other three messed up their quest so bad it never actually got that far. that’s all Rosa gets because trying to explain this outside of context doesn’t really work lol

Leonis is an angel (throne) who’s goddess (the minor goddess of purity) was killed by the primordial gods for meddling too much with mortals. TECHNICALLY, he’s falling since his connection to divinity was severed but he’s decided to go to earth (Ceres) to continue spreading her will instead of swearing fealty to another god to save himself since he views that as an act of betrayal. he was (reluctantly) taken in by Aaryn since Leonis knows JACK about mortals or this world since he’s never been outside of his goddess’ domain before

Celia sold her soul to a demon because of reasons i don’t know yet for fame and fortune, which was all great & nifty until she had a near death experience and realized she was not actually up for an eternity of agony and hunted down a vampire to nom on her neck as a loophole

#my art #ref #neopets #leopets #i'm sorry i've never looked at an animal in my life #there's 3 ixi 2 draiks and then 1 lupe bori cybunny and rakune #take my word for it #aaryn #connie #soleil #clarissa #fleur #swiftos #rosa #leonis #celia #digital pets

8 notes · View notes

eggoreviews · 5 years

Text

9 Things That Need to Happen in Breath of the Wild’s Sequel

Just as I was getting over my intense love for Breath of the Wild, Nintendo go and drop that trailer on us at E3 and stop my whole ass heart. Hi, I’m two months late to the party on this one, but I’ve had a lot of time to think over what this sequel can learn from its predecessor and the rest of the series, as well as what brand new stuff can be brought to the table to make this sequel as spectacular as the first. Without further ado, here’s my list of 9 things Nintendo should do to make this amazing, as well as my own personal theories on what they could do to make it happen. Enjoy!

Spoilers for Breath of the Wild ahead!

1. Ditch the shrines

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the shrines in Breath of the Wild, I loved how difficult some of them were to find, how they brilliantly utilised each and every mechanic in the game and testing you on everything you’ve learned. These shrines were the ultimate compliment to a game that really wasn’t about holding your hand. But I think they’ve had their time, and it might be a nice idea to go back to some of the larger, more traditional dungeons of Zelda past. I’m not saying to go back to the old way of ‘you get given an item, it’s useful for one dungeon and that’s all’, I’m saying they need to definitely keep the massive variety of ways you can approach dungeons to keep that sense of freedom intact, but at the same time give us whole new types of dungeon with more visual variety. Abandoned forts, weird Lorule-esque dark versions of dungeons, towers, there’s really any kind of location they could explore when designing a new set of dungeons. Oh, and I adored the divine beasts, but I’m hoping for something completely different and surprising when it comes to main story dungeons this time around.

2. A whole new world map

If there’s one thing I think basically everyone agrees on, it’s that Breath of the Wild absolutely nailed its world. A huge, sprawling map with a variety of locales to explore and all of it packed to the brim with extra content and adventure-y fun. But we all know this world inside out, and even if they strip it bare and fill it with brand new secrets, it’ll still feel too much like something we’ve seen before. So from what we know from the trailer, it seems like Link and Zelda will be delving into the underground in this latest installment, so a fairly safe theory would be that they’ll uncover a whole new world down there, perhaps a forgotten and buried civilisation from thousands of years ago, now overgrown with Ganon’s influence and bizarre plants and animals that don’t exist on the surface. If they’re going full Majora’s Mask on this one, I think Nintendo’s best bet is to fully embrace this new darker tone they’ve shown to us and give us a world that is as twisted as that trailer.

3. Keep Zelda’s importance to the plot

I could honestly make a whole separate blog post about the evolution of Zelda as a character throughout the series, from her literally being asleep the whole time in Zelda II, to her role as more of a quest-giver in Ocarina and more recent games like Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword where she plays a much more active role in the plot. In Breath of the Wild however, they did something completely different that I adored; they made her into her own person. I mean sure, she was never completely devoid of character, but between the games where she wasn’t really there and the games where she’s outshone by every other character, Breath of the Wild really felt like her time to be properly fleshed out and have enough depth to be remembered. Sure, Zelda doesn’t turn up in the flesh until the end, but you spend the whole game with her voice guiding you, with you finding memories of your past with Zelda; how she seemed to have only contempt for you at the beginning because of Link’s fulfilled destiny compared to hers. You form your own opinion of her through her actions and how the champions perceive her (Urbosa as her sort of mother figure, Revali sees her as ever so slightly inferior for not being able to access her power and the mutual respect between Mipha and Zelda). Then you watch their relationship grow and change into something neither of them can really understand, but they become so close and so integral to each other that Zelda is the one to finally make him open up about himself. And that makes it all the more heartbreaking that Link has had all these memories snatched away from him and, of course, all the more gratifying when he finally gets them back so him and you, the player, both understand that you’re not just fighting for the safety of a realm you’ve been shoved into with no recollection of what’s happening, you’re fighting to be reunited with Link’s closest friend. Very probably more than friend, considering that final memory in Korok Forest. Nintendo did a brilliant job of laying the groundwork for Zelda not as a plot device or a damsel in distress, but a real, complex human being who enriches the story and makes the world you’re living in and what you’re fighting for feel more alive. So build on top of this! Keep developing Zelda, ask those questions of how Zelda feels now she’s free of Ganon and her constant fear of her power failing, how 100 years alone facing a demon has affected her mental health and, most of all, how everything that happened in Breath of the Wild changed their relationship. Are they together now? Do they have any idea what they are really? Do they just pick up where they left off or do they have to make an active effort to regain that close relationship they had before? I don’t know, but I’m really hoping we find out.

4. Ditch the sheikah slate

Get rid of it. Do it, cowards. Make Link drop it over a ledge in the first 10 minutes or something. Much like the shrines, the sheikah slate was such a fantastic idea and gave you 4 brand new powers to play around with in the massive sandbox world full of puzzles and it was great fun! But again, we know those powers too well now; we know how they work and how they can be exploited when you think outside of the box. What I want is for Nintendo to keep that brilliant creativity when it comes to gameplay mechanics, don’t just give us bombs and an ocarina again, give us something unique to this experience! I mean yeah, they could just give us an updated sheikah slate; a different model perhaps that dates back even further than the original one that has some weird abilities (maybe even a slate that’s somehow been infected with Ganon’s influence, that’d be funky), but my hopes are riding on Nintendo pulling something completely different out of the bag for this one. Making Link lose everything and only be able to use whatever he can salvage in this ancient, evil place is surely going to have a whole host of ideas behind it so I’m curious to see what they can come up with.

5. Embrace the darker tone

This sort of goes without seeing considering what we’ve seen so far, but I really want them to go full in with this darker atmosphere they’ve shown us. I mean, Breath of the Wild was never a ‘light’ game so to speak, but most of the games darker elements were masked by its beautiful landscapes and huge array of colourful characters that made Hyrule feel alive. There hints here and there of a much more macabre side to the realm; destroyed battlefield littered with rusty weapons, old structures covered in Ganon’s malice and the general feeling that Ganon was always watching you from the castle that you can see basically anywhere on the map. I want them to take that mild dread they instilled and turn it up to eleven. And one way that can be accentuated is through the plot. For example, we know a fair amount about the Sheikah tribe at this point, but what if there’s a side that was never explored? What if there’s a much more sinister reason why the Sheikah tribe were suddenly shunned by the royal family all those years ago? Or maybe the Sheikah found something under the castle as well as the divine beasts that they left buried down there and hoped no one would ever find it. Oh, and I’ve heard a theory that Calamity Ganon was just a puppet of the real Ganondorf, who was hiding underneath the castle all this time, which is absolutely terrifying if you consider what the puppet managed to achieve on its own. Not just plot stuff like this, but the music (keep that ambient style they went for before that knows when to amp it up and make it epic, but with a creepier vibe to match the tone of the world), the visuals, the sounds you hear while exploring. Nintendo need to make it clear that we aren’t in Kansas anymore; no more soft piano melodies while riding through beautiful valleys on my horse, make it spooky!! Unsettling, distorted notes playing through dark, twisted woods with trees gnarling into each other and shiny eyes peeking out at you from the canopy. Or something. Who knows, I just wanna be spooked.

6. A much fuller story

One of the main criticisms I always hear for this game is its lack of story content, which I suppose is true to an extent. But I don’t think this let the game down at all really. The game was far less linear than previous titles, so it makes sense that the story they were telling was much more general, but I don’t think this kind of approach would fit as well in its sequel. Nintendo told us just enough in Breath of the Wild to keep us guessing; we were introduced to this particular version of Hyrule, its inhabitants and what Ganon’s up to etc. But they’ve deliberately been extremely vague on what could possibly be explored in a sequel, as well as where/if these two games even fit into the overall Zelda timeline. They deliberately lifted focus off the narrative to make the world and how you traverse it the central point of your adventure. But now that they seem to be plunging us into a much darker world and have given us so many unanswered questions, I reckon its time to dial the narrative back up and give us a bit more of a beefy story to go with our hell exploring.

7. Change in characters

Slightly vague subtitle, but here’s what I mean. As I mentioned beforehand, Breath of the Wild is full of colourful characters that populate the towns as well as the general landscapes, from merchants to adventurers and shield-surfers to Beedle (I love Beedle). And for the most part, these characters all want to help you along on your journey by giving you helpful advice or sending you off on quests to find more shrines. And while I’m not saying this sequel should do away with all helpful NPCs, I do think there should be fewer of them. When designing new towns and settlements, they could give us the odd helpful citizen here and there, but for the most part, how would the inhabitants of this forgotten underground place treat Link? I think it would add to the atmosphere really well by having some of the characters that populate the world deliberately unnerve Link when giving him advice or telling him something helpful and then mocking him at how ineffectual he is at completing his quest. Or if they really want to go a bit overboard, they could even have occasional encounters where talking to the wrong NPCs can end in a random fight, in the same vein as the disguised Yiga in Breath of the Wild. But of course, you don’t want to only populate a world with characters that hate you (that’s what MediEvil is for), so some form of guide would maybe be a welcome addition. If not Zelda (I would definitely welcome the idea of her being along for the ride, though I fear it would take away some of the nerves if you have Zelda as an anchor of familiarity), then perhaps the ghost of a Sheikah from thousands of years past that never agreed with what his tribe were doing or was responsible for something in his life that he now deeply regrets and he can’t pass on until Link helps to finally defeat the real Ganon. Who knows what they’ll do with the characters, but as long as they leave Navi and Tatl back on the N64, pretty much anything will do me.

8. Keep the stamina wheel

As much as I’ve bleated on about everything I want them to change or add in, this is something I most definitely want them to keep. The core gameplay, while I can’t imagine them really changing it, is integral to the sandbox world they created. Having Link be able to sprint, jump, climb up literally anything is what gave players such a sense of freedom; being given this whole massive world to explore and being able to access absolutely all of it. And while I’ve talked a lot about how much I’d like this sequel’s tone and approach to narrative and a bunch of other things to change, this game absolutely needs to keep the same sense of unabashed freedom we had in the first game. And the most integral part of that freedom was the stamina wheel. Short segment I know, but that’s all I really had to say on that one. Let me climb things, Nintendo.

9. Switch up the monsters

In Breath of the Wild, there was an excellent balance of amazing new designs for old favourite monsters, as well as a whole host of new ones (the guardians and the moldugas getting a special mention here). But I reckon what this sequel needs is some brand new monsters to add to the pile; a larger variety of monsters to encounter out in the wilderness would enrich this new darker world we could be exploring to no end. Also, while I really loved all the main story bosses in BotW, I feel as if a larger design variety of story bosses would benefit this sequel. Imagine the potential for whatever ancient monsters are down under the castle to give Link a hard time and what kind of an epic fight is Ganondorf going to put up when we finally get there?? Just as a little idea to throw out there, maybe undead Sheikah will make an appearance as an enemy, woken from the dead and forced into Ganon’s service after being infected by malice. And hey, the Yiga Clan never really got full closure! Yeah Link gets rid of their leader, but the Clan is very much still alive and kicking by the time of Calamity Ganon’s death, so perhaps they’ll play a central role once again now that Ganondorf seems to have come back into the picture. What would make the Yiga even more menacing is if this were their plan all along; knowing that Link very well could defeat Calamity Ganon and then, after retaking the castle, be drawn underground to free the real culprit. Nobody knows what direction Nintendo are going to take with any of this, other than ‘it’ll probably be kinda spooky’, but I am way too excited to find out.

Got any cool ideas or theories of your own? Anything you want them to add or take away in this sequel? Drop it down below in the comments! I’d be v interested to hear if you have anything to add. Thanks for reading and let’s hope the wait isn’t too painful!

#zelda #link #the legend of zelda #loz #botw #breath of the wild #botw 2 #nintendo #botw zelda

13 notes · View notes

ganymedesclock · 5 years

Text

I’m aware that a lot of my headcanons for Ganon, Link, and Zelda is rooted in the fact that I love personality powers and there’s something interesting about what all three’s aptitudes say about them in contrast to the roles they’re given by the narrative and what we’re ostensibly told about them.

Buckle in, because this got... very long.

Zelda

In both OoT and BotW Zelda is tied closely to the Sheikah; in the former, she has been raised by one (Impa) and assimilates fully into their culture when it becomes too dangerous to exist as the princess of Hyrule. In BotW, she is fascinated by their culture and technology and wants to study it in detail. The Sheikah clan is established as the motif of a weeping eye- this connection is also implied in Twilight Princess with Impaz and the conspicuous Sheikah eye embroidered on Zelda’s cloak.

There’s a strong implication here of seeing. And Zelda’s powers tend to take two forms: one, perceiving herself or allowing others to perceive- and the other is penetrating the darkness by cutting it down.

A friend of mine aired the idea that the implication of the Sheikah weeping eye may suggest the Sheikah originated as exorcists- because any veteran Zelda player knows that the way to deal with virtually all of the game’s enemies is go for the eye. The implication of the crest would then be that the Sheikah are those who blind Demise’s eyes, preventing the original demon god from continuing to influence the world.

But an eye also sees. The gossip stones are traditionally hailed as a Sheikah invention. Sheik’s specific role in OoT is to guide Link by illuminating, revealing things to them.

Zelda as a character is correlated heavily with light; if we take BotW thematically tying Ganon to the moon as an enduring quality of his character (especially since in Wind Waker, he’s able to halt the movement of the heavens temporarily, over his home fortress and for a period of time over the entire sea, causing perpetual night) then the golden light conflated with Zelda would seem to be the rays of the sun. In Twilight Princess she is able to command the light spirits, and is the only non-twili truly unaffected by the cloud of twilight- a feat that the twili themselves weren’t capable of without seemingly turning their magic heavily unto their own bodies and losing the ability to walk in daylight as a result.

In Wind Waker, she takes possession of the Hero’s Bow and its Light Arrows, which, for anything less powerful than Ganon caught in its crosshairs, they’re pierced and immolated in a beam of light.

Light handily reflects the duality of Zelda’s powers as implied by the Sheikah: light can be blinding, destroying- and light can also be revealing, transmitting, clarifying.

However, taken together, this does not invoke a gracious and gentle maiden. If anything, it would almost suggest that the reason many Zeldas come across passively is because of active effort on her caretakers’ part to clip her wings and prevent her from actualizing. The nature of Zelda as implied by her powers is someone who pierces situations, who challenges and dismantles falsehood; an oracle and an executioner. Of the chosen three, she’s the destroyer- because while Link often wields the light arrows, they’re conflated much more with Zelda than they ever are with him.

Zelda is not presented as the gracious sun that presides over a warm field of wheat. She is not depicted as cruel, but there is an intensity, a veiled frustration, implied by her powers- it suggests that Zelda is someone who yearns to cut through obstructions in her path.

It implies Zelda, the detective, and most certainly, the exorcist. Her powers are for picking a target precisely, evaluating its nature and weaknesses, and, if need be, obliterating it with grace and precision.

Ganon

On the flipside, Ganon, who we’re continuously told is an element of wrath and destruction... has powers geared heavily towards restoration. The most powerful abilities he’s ever shown in terms of scale and effect are his darkening the skies in Wind Waker and, in Breath of the Wild, the rising of the blood moon.

Everything Ganon accomplishes in BotW is a testament not to supernatural resilience but his ability to reconstruct himself and spread that same power to his allies. No wonder in Twilight Princess Zant calls him a god; his command of flesh, blood, and bone is certainly impressive enough that he could be described as someone with power over life and death itself. He’s able to heal the mortal injuries of a huge number of people and creatures with disparate physiology, at range, while his body is overwhelmingly splattered across the countryside.

Hell, that power is so interesting and so strong that if you have Ganon as anything but final boss, you pretty much have to nerf it. It also could afford an interesting context to how in many of the earlier games and stories based on them, a point is made that Ganon can only be injured by certain weapons- holy silver, sacred light, or the Master Sword (which implicitly has a silvered blade; it’d explain that gleaming white blade it has).

It could be not that Ganon’s flesh has some power to repel harm as much as anything else turned against him merely has him regenerate, possibly, depending on how well he’s able to generate Malice in incarnations where his regeneration didn’t get disrupted repeatedly and smashed up in a blender, even colonizing the offending weapon, digesting it, and reconstituting it as part of himself.

Now, Ganon doesn’t have quite so clear and predictable a thesis to his powers; his ability to turn into various creatures and move undetected place to place tend to have different explanations but you can pretty easily rope them under the capabilities of a shapeshifting regenerative blob monster. And given the time he’s had to work with, it makes sense that he would have a much more versatile skill set than Link and Zelda, and enthusiastically dabble in any new form of power he gets his hands on.

The electricity he wields in ALttP and Thunderblight being the most formidable of the Blights would seem to suggest that’s a favorite of him- not only is electricity the element conflated with the Gerudo in BotW, but Ganon’s teachers and mother figures were Twinrova, who are fire and ice witches. Assuming Ganon’s a lightning user would neatly bracket the pupil in with his mentors and further indicate the land Ganon originally hailed from.

Where Zelda’s abilities are heavily focused in two areas and fit according to a concise thesis, Ganon’s standout power of healing and his implicit favored element of thunder don’t have so clear a notion behind them; only one conflates directly with his lunar motif. But this still suggests things about his character, and you can make a connection here:

While the sun is always the same, the moon continuously changes its face. While all of the Chosen Three are redesigned repeatedly, Ganon is overwhelmingly the same person deep down- so the transformations he goes through are just that. He changes, but a certain core of him remains the same. And as a healer- as someone who basically has an incredibly tenacious grasp to life so much so that when run to his limits in BotW, pieces of his body scatter, separate, and latch onto the landscape itself for survival- it makes sense that he would be the assimilating force of the three of them.

He’s the man with a thousand enemies and who has died something like a hundred times by now- he’s the pariah who lives at the edges of the world, refusing to stay down, refusing to stay in his grave no matter which new king of hyrule thinks they can stake him and put a rock over it. So he uses that changing face and seizes everything he can. Survival at all costs. No wonder his conflated animal motif is a creature once known in the ancient world for running the length of the weapon it was impaled with to kill the person holding it.

And, yet. The fact that Ganon is ultimately focused on his own survival isn’t the only application of his healing powers. He’s also someone who heals others. I mentioned that Zant’s reverence in TP makes a lot of sense in the face of BotW- but, we also have a pretty compelling argument why so many disparate groups, time and time again, unite under his banner. It’s not fear- it’s hope.

If Ganon just walked into people’s villages as a warlord and threatened them into fighting for him, that loyalty would wither easily. But we know that even when he’s doing absolutely miserable, Ganon tends to galvanize Hyrule’s “monsters” into a feeding frenzy of growth and development. The average moblin is a lot less likely to forget Ganon or turn their back on him if they have a scar from a mortal injury and know that it was Ganon, their savior, and his moon rising in the sky that personally saved their life and probably dozens of other people they knew.

It’d suggest exactly what Zant’s proselytizing does- that to the people who work for Ganon, he’s viewed in a messianic light, in contrast to his pariah status in the rest of Hyrule’s eyes. And that doesn’t appear to be insincere on Ganon’s part- while TP appears to end with Zant severing his connection with Ganon, it stands that Zant was in a position to do that after Midna killed him- which would tell us that Ganon resurrected Zant again, after a point when Zant was no longer useful to him.

Sure, Ganon’s not exactly an honorable person. There are plenty of accounts in various stories of him lying through his teeth or buttering someone up only to discard their corpse at a key moment. But the fact that Ganon callously throws certain people under the bus while taking pains to heal others is not necessarily contradictory- it just tells us that Ganon is a loyal compassionate person... to certain entities. To others, they can rot, and he won’t give a shit. But his healing power would logically, then, be a gateway to who he’s decided he really wants to live. And many of the entities with him, both sapient and non, would appear to be beneficiaries of his mercy, to the point that the implication of creatures like Helmaroc in Wind Waker is that Ganon could very well have hand-reared and personally trained that behemoth given its very exclusive loyalty and attentiveness to his commands. We see no one else- even in Forsaken Fortress- commanding Helmaroc.

Someone not capable of long-term kindness and patience towards what would have been an incredibly difficult baby to take care of would never have gotten access to a creature like that in the first place. I know Nintendo put Helmaroc there to be a boss monster and didn’t want us to think about it, but the watsonian implications are obvious and damning- Ganon isn’t backstabs mclovesmurder, and he is capable of spending a long time lavishly investing in an animal in a way that leaves it earnestly willing to fight, hunt, and kill on his behalf, and unafraid of him. Thus, Ganon being genuinely cruel to people is something that happens in situations he feels are personally warranted- where he feels he was wronged first. In short, he’s potentially petty, vengeful, and very good at holding grudges- but he doesn’t hate indiscriminately, and that’s a noteworthy distinction.

It’s another angle of that changing face, of that lunar motif- Ganon is not someone who’s easy to figure out, in part because he often actively does not want to be known. In Wind Waker, he appears to have a conversation with Link only to reveal Link was talking to a monstrous puppet while the real Ganon escaped. In ALttP he extinguishes all the lights and hides as a shadow. In TP he goes through multiple layers of hiding himself behind barriers and even inside Zelda’s body. A lesser theme that crops up here is evasion. While Ganon’s certainly not unequipped for a direct fight, he tends to try and avoid it as long as possible, divert attention onto proxies or shields.

In BotW, “the Calamity” is obviously clever, bringing about catastrophe by dramatically outfoxing the entire royal family and not just negating, but actively weaponizing in his favor things that were used against him in the past, guaranteeing that win or lose, it’ll be a long time before Hyrule is so friendly with the Guardians and Divine Beasts- and int hat time they’ll probably have forgotten about his intelligence again. Yes, Ganon hardly deliberately engineered being dehumanized, but, he’d be long used to it at this point- at this point, he’s probably able to set his watch to someone forgetting he was ever a mortal person, and he can play the role of a mindless beast easily enough. He can swing it in his favor.

In a way, it furthers that sense that Ganon’s not actually mutable at his core- if anything, he’s rather stubborn and brash- but he is very prone to accumulating and utilizing external ‘faces’ to try and stay protected, to stay untouched.

Which brings us to, finally:

Link

Link’s motifs are probably the most interesting because they tend aggressively mutable. Hero of Time, Hero of Winds, Hero of Wild, Hero of Twilight, Hero of the Sky. Unlike Zelda or Ganon, Link lacks an obvious conflation with either day or night. If anything, Link stands out because he tends to have balanced and contradictory associated motifs.

The fearful rabbit and the aggressive wolf, for example.

In Twilight Princess, the light spirit Faron councils Link that in order to defeat Zant, he must match Zant in power- and this starts gathering the Fused Shadows that Midna ultimately uses to destroy Ganon’s barrier around Hyrule Castle.

Zelda is mainly conflated with the harp (shown playing other instruments from time to time, but the harp is the most consistent between Sheik and Skyward Sword’s Zelda), Ganon the rare times he’s shown with an instrument the organ, and certainly Link’s most famous instrument is the ocarina, but he also takes up a huge number of different instruments throughout the games. Likewise, while the Master Sword is his signature weapon, he sometimes spends entire games without it, or using a different sword instead, and every game, without fail, sees him accumulating a large number of different tools and armaments and using all of them.

At a glance, this can seem like proof Link is an everyman hero without personality- an empty vessel for the player’s will. But unlike in, say, Undertale, there is no in-universe acknowledgement the player exists, ever. And Link does plenty of things without player input, or where the player can only choose one of a few options to respond with.

So in-universe, what does it say about someone who is incredibly versatile, but also consistently characterized as the furthest thing from weak-willed?

It suggests that while Zelda might be the sun and Ganon the moon, Link is the interceding force between them; perhaps embodied as the manifold and diverse light of the stars. It suggests a vague, yet powerful sense of self- Link doesn’t need to know who he is or where he comes from, it’s what he chooses to become that defines his fate for him. Which lends significance to how, while Ganon in ALttP was able to take possession of the full triforce, the only one who’s united the triforce inside their body was the first Link in Skyward Sword.

Many games feature Link actively taking qualities from his enemies- in ALBW, his ability to proceed at all is by stealing Yuga’s curse and using it against him. In TP, he very quickly exploits his abilities in his changed form to proceed even before he utilizes Zant’s “help”. In fact outside of ALttP, where he found a way to circumvent it entirely, I can’t think of a single time Link’s gotten cursed where he hasn’t fairly rapidly made peace with it and swung it in his favor.

Hell, it’s worth noting that in BotW Link would even seem to have an indifferent relationship with gender since he’s not particularly concerned wearing traditionally feminine clothes to enter the Gerudo city. (at least, that’s how I’m choosing to interpret that to save myself a lot of frustration,)

It ultimately comes down to a sense that while Zelda might conceal herself, while Ganon might adapt and change his outer layer, Link, out of the chosen, is the one prone to true metamorphosis.

This is the significance to Link always being conflated as an outsider- he doesn’t have a specific biased anchoring to Hyrule or it’s systems. And it’d reflect how, with the help of masks, BotW Link has absolutely no problem partying it up with a bunch of monsters- or, with masks again, Link in Majora’s Mask basically becomes a full-time medium helping the spirits of the dead find peace through his body.

Heck, Skyward Sword’s Skyward Strike, the mechanics of transformation in Twilight Princess, and Link’s unique ability to see Zelda’s ghost outside of her body in Spirit Tracks would seem to point to the idea that Link in general is ghost sensitive / kind of a medium. It’d also reflect on how, while Zelda and Ganon both tend to be established mages, Link lacks magical power until it’s bequeathed by some kind of outside source.

#Legend of Zelda #Link #Zelda #Ganon #long post #readmore

157 notes · View notes

wildlingknight · 6 years

Text

So like I wrote this stuff down around September 2017 with the intention to write a fic about it (I might still do that when I have more time) but it’s just sitting and festering in my drive so I’ll put it here for now and build on it when uni is done. It’s a super long post but I did put a cut in.

There’s a whole bunch of mind vomit stuff here:

I was talking to my discord group about things that could have been added to Botw because I’d gotten to a point in the game when I’d done mostly everything and was just putting off facing Ganon because I didn’t want it to end. So I came up with gods and spirits that you might meet in random places and sometimes they have quests for you or something. Taken directly from the server:

“This isn't really a hc more a random idea but what if there were time specific places on the map in botw? Like I just found place on the side of death mountain called shadow hamlet ruins, what if you go there and it's just some ruined houses with a meteor wizzrobe in any other time but on the night of a new moon there's like creepy shadows that kinda come out of the wood work and shadows of the ruins and they don't exactly attack you but make you super uneasy and circle you a bit and it's like the people who lived and died there as a result of the calamity, like we know it corrupts the living but what if it doesn't let the dead rest either?

Like there are places all over hyrule that are just places until you visit them on a specific night or day or when certain parameters are met and you have a unique little event happen like a person you wouldn't meet any other time with items you can only get from them or maybe the dragons rest somewhere and you can just stumble across them, or more spirits and godlike beings who you wouldn't come across any other time apart from this one random spit of woodland halfway up the dueling peaks on a night where it's raining you come across an ethereal glowing woman or something who watches over the plants and mushrooms like glow like her, and you can't really interact with them because we are insignificant to them, they are so indifferent to us with our mortal comings and goings that the most we can hope for is a glimpse of them, just to make the world feel even more alive than it already does

I think Link is more aware of them because he is goddess chosen, goddess touched, and he's a gentle and pure soul who they in turn are drawn to, I like that he has a connection to them through having being dead but I personally like to think they're a bit afraid of him, he was brought back through science like magic without the godesses interference or hands, that shouldn't happen he died and by all means should have stayed dead but here he is, wandering hyrule saving people and dragons and riding gods across plains and placating giant mechanical creatures that will only listen to him, in their eyes he's a fucking monster or demon

And they know you don't piss off a demon who denied death so they're cautious but curious in equal measure”

And then neatened up and made less mind vomity:

Ruins

On specific nights- different for each ruin- the ghosts of the people who lived and died there during the calamity come out on the night they were wiped out. Different for each place depending on how close they were to castle and what the actual cause was, e.g. castle town would have been hit first and hardest by the Calamity itself so that would get spooky on the night of Zelda’s birthday every year. If they are fairly far away from the castle e.g. Shadow Hamlet ruins on the far side of Death Mountain, it would be a different night and they would feel different due to the nature of their deaths, such as being wiped out by monsters fuelled and powered by the Calamity. They don’t attack but most travellers accidentally come across them and fear for their lives saying ruins are haunted at night so they try to avoid them, preferring to go to living villages or taking their chances with monsters out on the roads or in the woods. When Link (and later Zelda) enter the ruins on the specific night they act up the spirits hiss and circle him and lament their passing in groans and wails but they do not come close because he is light and they cannot touch him. He died for them and Zelda cried for them, they are Goddess chosen and Goddess touched.

Lesser Gods and Spirits

Found all over Hyrule, again during different specific times when certain parameters are met.

A lesser Goddess who watches over plants and mushrooms that glow with the same ethereal light as her- can only be found where they grow in abundance, like the pillar in Kakariko on a rainy night during a new moon, and also conversing with Cotera the great fairy there.

A giant stag with two faces who watches over the life and death of animals, seen all over Hyrule as long as there’s a moon showing, so not on cloudy nights. Eyes like miniature galaxies and coat the colour of moss, fur appears to be made of grass and hooves of wood and several times the amount of antlers normal deer have that are white like bleached bone and strung with what looks to be pearls.

A woman with long black hair, horns like a Lynels and the face of a wolf who’s snout ends turned up like a Moblin’s, with three eyes that constantly glow like the reflection of a cats at night and who’s mouth doesn’t move when she speaks in a growl and smoke and sparks emits from her open mouth over her lolling black tongue- the Mother of Monsters and she hates Link.She doesn’t attack him when he meets her but she is unkind to him and she growls and snarls at him, threatening to curse him and his children’s children for as many of hers he has killed. Found in Akkala in Rok woods and Tempest Gulch most commonly but also occasionally other places, can take the form of a monstrous wolf when the need to escape arises.

A child made of water that swims with the fish, watches over everything that lives and breathes in water. The Zora refer to them as ‘The Child of Nayru’, and offer to them to keep the fish they eat good and plentiful. Seen by Link on the banks of the Rutala river when he stops for a drink after tackling the Rucco Maag shrine. Ripples like water constantly so it’s difficult to pin down specific features or gender, and voice is almost gurgling sounding

A giant scarab beetle, white and iridescent, often seen in the desert around Dragon’s exile and known to Tera, the great fairy at the Gerudo Great Skeleton, the god of all insects. (There’s a joke going round Hyrule that Beedle is the god of all insects.)

The spirits that are just going about their work are cautious but curious about Link. Usually they are indifferent to mortals, their everyday motions and wants insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The Calamity was a tragedy, but nature still goes on so they can’t afford to abandon their work.

Link and Zelda

The Gods are frightened of them. Link died and should be subject to the laws of all living things but here he stands, blemished but alive, and yet it was not the Goddesses who chose this, it was without their aid, a magic forged by man. Instead he wanders, alive and well, helping who he can, man and spirit alike, Dragons take notice of him, Gods allow his burden upon their backs, abominable machines who listen to only him, at his command. And Zelda isn’t dead either, they should be dead, they had their time, had their chance. They carry too much light within them it hurts the spirit’s and god’s eyes to look upon them.

Once while I was playing with my friend we were talking about the koroks and I came up with a hc on how they’re born I guess:

“Maybe they're branches that fall off the deku tree when they start to rot because hes old as balls so I bet he loses branches like old men lose hair and then because of like forest magical bullshit they become the new children of the forest and they grow up to be like Hestu and it takes thousands of years for them to reach like 'maturity' but when it's time for the deku tree to die one of the korok will take his place but all those who grow to maturity before he dies go out into the lost woods and set up root and become the ogre trees”

And then because I like to hurt them while they’re all sleeping:

“I'll just leave this here for when y'all wake up, what if the reason Wild likes to eat so much is because he is trying to fill the void of loneliness left behind after his friends in the army start treating him differently after he becomes the chosen one and because of Zelda's initial dislike of him then after he wakes up from the shrine of resurrection he doesn't know why he's so hungry all the time until after he starts remembering zelda and then realises he's doing the same thing, trying to fill the void left in him after losing everyone he loved and half his memories and having to wait until he's strong enough to see Zelda again”

Enjoy!

#Random stuff I write #I have so much stuff on my drive that I need to do something with #But uni is taking all of my time #Botw #Legend of Zelda #Breath of the wild #Link #Zelda

1 note · View note

telesthisia · 3 years

Note

What if your Zel time travelled to ALBW time? Do you think there'd be any differences between your Zelda and that one?

WHY DIDN’T TUMBLR TELL ME ABOUT THIS ASK?!?!

It all depends on who’s writing ALBW Zellie and how they write them! If we’re going by canon with both these girls then maybe they’d have differences because in canon, ALTTP Zel literally has zero personality. Like, none whatsoever aside from giving exposition and being a reason to save Hyrule. ALBW Zel, however, seems to have more character to her through actions and what others say of her mostly. That being said comparing my Zel with canon ALBW Zel there are some differences. At least, I’d like to think there are! It feels embarrassing to list them, honestly, ndjbfksdjfhb.

But because I based her mostly off of the 90s comic and Himekawa, her experiences in both those comics are mixed together in an unholy mess as such she’s come out with depression from the entire events of ALTTP (getting kidnapped, locked away in a dark space with no one to help her, losing her father, some maidens not making it out of the dark world, the death of the priest, some good guards dying because of the brainwash they went through and Link having no other choice to defend himself) and later trauma with OoX where she was kidnapped for essentially human sacrifice (it’s less of fear of dying and more ‘oh god they could’ve used my blood to destroy and kill so many people’ with a dash of it was too soon for her to go since there are so many things she wants to accomplish. Leading Hyrule to its golden age being one of them). I wouldn’t say she’s paranoid but she treats everything with caution and care as the result of all those circumstances. Though she’s kindly because she tries to treat others with that same polite kindness that doesn’t exactly mean she trusts others just yet, she keeps a bit of distance from others until she sees that maybe she can let her guard down just a little. If she sees someone who’s genuine enough in her eyes, that’s where the guilt of her hiding her identity kicks in. She usually doesn’t tell others unless: A) her guards find her and reveal her identity through that way which is what’s about to happen in a certain thread I’m writing out JDFKBFHJDB and 2) she finally decides to come clean with the truth once she feels close enough with that person.

She has this dreamy, serene smile in order to soothe others around her with that calm expression and somewhat herself (and also to make her face less of an open book in a way because again guard up at all times. She’s a bit on the mysterious side due to this. Not many know what she’s really thinking about beyond that placid expression or smile, even when she’s angry she seems more cold with clipped words and having to look into deeper meaning of her words but her expression doesn’t change much from the norm. She has that nasty habit of bottling things up). It’s why she tries to stay so levelheaded for the most part and reassure others but in that quiet way through actions rather than words because constantly saying “it’ll be alright” doesn’t always work with other people. And speaking of quiet, she does have that silent determination working for her too! Admittedly, her hope did start to wane away when she tried to call for help, Link’s uncle’s passing certainly didn’t help things but once Link heard her calls that’s where the determination would slowly kick in. Seeing his trials in collecting the pendants and venturing through the dark world is what formed that silent determination and as of now, she’s learned to not give up no matter how hopeless the situation may be. Because in the end she tentatively believes everything will turn out fine someway or how. SOMEWHAT.

She’s more connected with her PSI powers granted by the Triforce than the light magic given to her from her ancestor the mortal goddess. Due to power health, unless she has the help of the maidens by her side, she can’t exactly break down barriers that are strong or seal away anyone. She can’t use her magic at all despite how potent it is since she has the blood of a goddess and from the seven wise sages. Hence why many are out for her blood because imagine all of the dark magic shit they can do with it (like being able to revive ganon not too different from AOL). She’s a glass canon of sorts because of how ass her magic stamina is. She can, however, heal you! That said, telepathy and clairvoyance along with connection to the spirit realm aka talking to the dead are the powers she excels at! SO this is where that somewhat word comes in. Clairvoyant dreams would happen from time to time. It’s not as often as one would think, which is a relief to her because her dreams always comes true. No matter how much may change, the outcome will remain the same regardless. Fate is pretty hard to change and she’s become a bit like... angry at the fact that they are stuck in this cycle thanks to one goddess and her battle against a demon. The fact that Hyrule can’t ever know peace aside from brief periods of it always upsets her because dang it her people deserve to relish in that peace without any worries as do the future generation of the royal family. She’s actually angry at the gods despite acting pretty respectful but resigned to the fact that there’s no changing this.

Also... while she doesn’t mind ruling over her kingdom, she does like sneaking out of the castle whenever she can! She loves exploring her lands, whether visiting small villages or going through old ass temples/tombs with history behind it she loves it all. And also, tends to read in graveyards or takes naps in the Haunted Grove because she’s freaking fearless in the face of death like that. She’s somewhat has that same bullying factor as her ancetor does since she can be playful in that innocent way. Only when outside the castle because hey she’s got an image to maintain.

The only thing she’d share with ALBW Zel is her love for romance. Zel is in love with the idea of love. Being lonely all her life because Bad Health due to being sickly and having duties to complete as future ruler, she’d love to find someone someday to spend the rest of her life with. And dang it, she’s a pretty loving person too and will be straightforward in letting it be known that she likes someone. She likes idiots so of course she has to be DFHJKBD. But her love for the more dumbasses simple folk comes from growing up in court with stuffy nobles who judge what the perfect woman should be for marriage and to her that’s like ew. And also dumbasses can be nice as hell so that’s another reason. Something to add is that she’s a romantic in sense of the period. Finding beauty in art, nature, tales of the old and heroics, and even in the macabre due to her seeing ghosts in dreams since bby and having tea parties with them. She sees beauty in everything and everywhere. I think this should go without saying but the two do share kindness and the love for their people too and are pretty selfless! And that’s pretty much what comes to mind. I’m sure there’s more but this post has gone on long enough pls help.

That said, more than likely she’d get along with ALBW Zel because that’s her grand daughter/little sister figure.

#very good question I HOPE THIS ANSWERS THAT WELL ENOUGH #this post is a mess #i always feel embarrassed describing my characters outside their bio ahhhhhh #| answered.#ooc posts.#also she's goth FDJKHBHJFDSB #she's not edgy tho she's actually pretty freaking sweet #i'm sure a lot of people who've rped with me can say this

0 notes

kaialone · 7 years

Text

I’m gonna ramble about Ganon(dorf) for a bit

Proceed if you’re interested (I wrote a lot)

Okay so I don’t even know how to start this, I’ll just go.

(note that I’ll mention the timeline in this, please dont think that I dont know that the timeline could be changed at any moment should nintendo feel ike it, I just like semi-going by currently established canon. Also please note that I got no problem with people who dont feel like following the timeline for any reason, to each their own.)

I kinda really like the fact that Ganondorf is said to be a reincarnation of Demise, because, idk, somehow the idea of powerful demons needing to reincarnate into human form for some reason, and then once they have this form and live that life they start having human feelings and emotions and start struggling with what they want to be and maybe end up becoming good guys, is just somethign I really enjoy.

(If that sounds weirdly specific, Great Demon King Piccolo from Dragonball is one character with that kinda arc that I love.)

And then of course, one of the most interesting things about Ganondorf, imo, is how in the three different timeline branches, you got one incarnation of Ganondorf who turns out very different in each branch.

Something I always like is to just kinda, look at the different “last words” Ganondorf has in each timeline branch, and what they really mean for each of them:

"The wind... it is... blowing."

“I am the Evil King, Ganon...”

“The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!”

(though this gets a bit muddled in the Downfall Timeline, as technically Ganon died in ALttP, but was revived in OoX,´, which I see as his true death for now, but then again we dunno if any Ganons after that where him revived or reborn so *shrug*)

But first we should talk about the guy that “grows up” to be these other three.

I mean, personally I think no matter how you look at it, OoT!Ganondorf did lots of bad stuff, and wasnt a good ruler to the Gerudo (I dont mind different interpretations at all though), but I do think his initial intentions were good like we hear him talk about in WW, but lets not get ahead of ourselves here.

OoT!Ganondorf doesn’t really end up helping the Gerudo once he actually takes over Hyrule (all the Gerudo are still over in the desert, cept for maybe Iron Knuckles) and its heavily implied all the Gerudo were brainwashed to some extent (The carpenters note that the Gerudo seem nicer, post-Twinrova’s defeat), and Nabooru, who was very respected among the Gerudo, was explicitly against Ganondorf, but then brainwashed into submission.

Like even if you think Twinrova did all that without him knowing, not noticing your parents brainwashing your people doesnt exactly make you a good leader.

Adding to that, if A Link to the Past’s backstory is to be believed (and the timeline is not said to split until Link falls in the final battle) then, Ganondorf entered the hiding place of the Triforce alongside fellow thieves of his, and ended up killing them all so he could have the Triforce for himself.

Buuut before you think I’m just gonna talk about how bad OoT!Ganondorf is, like, I still think he genuinely wanted to help his people (at first) and that everything WW!Ganondorf says does represent his true feelings, and that at some point, he just really wanted to do something good.

I think its interesting to think about why that presumably changed for a while, wether you think its the usual getting mad with power, getting to close to the “dark side” or whatever with all the dark magic going on, or being groomed into this role by Twinrova, or all of that, or something else entirely.

I mean, he definitely did some bad stuff before that too, but in the context of Ganondorf being a reincarnation of Demise, I wonder if it could be possible that either seeing Link and/or Zelda or laying eyes on the Triforce ended up having some effect on him, like awakening some part of Demise within him so to speak, contributing to him losing sight of his initial goals and getting more about power in general.

Notably post timeskip Ganondorf seems to use a lot more monsters/dmemons to do his bidding than before, but this could easily just be the difficulty spike for the player.

Idk if this sounds cheap to people somehow, but I remember a popular theory being that the Triforce of Power turned him evil so, its not that different imo.

Of course, in the final battle we see OoT!Ganondorf become Ganon, presumably for the very first time, but honestly? The transformation itself isn’t that important to me, as it just feels like a visual representation of the downfall Ganondorf had undergone already anyway.

And then, when he is defeated, he infamously curses Link, and ZELDA, and THE SAGES, vowing to kill their descendants once he breaks free from the seal and all...

...which leads into who is everyone’s favorite Ganondorf, and rightfully so, WW!Ganondorf.

Before going into the present day of WW, there is its backstory, which is very interesting to me, cause you just gotta think, how do we go from a guy like OoT!Ganon to WW!Ganon?

At some point after OoT but before WW, Ganondorf’s threat became reality, he broke out of the seal and tried taking over Hyrule once more.

But I cant help but wonder how it mustve felt for him. I picture him for years, decades, centuries maybe, sealed away, picturing his revenge, imagining how great it’ll feel to get free and eradicate the descendants of Link and Zelda, and finally making Hyrule his.

But when he was freed, he likely found a Hyrule that was different from how he remembered it. Notably, there would be no hero, nor descendants of his for him to exact revenge upon. And while we know that a princess seems to have had existed at the time, who knows if she was “a Zelda”, if you wanna call them that.

I just imagine it wouldve felt a lot less satisfying that he imagined, heck, probably wouldve felt more like he was robbed if his chance to take revenge.

And who knows what even happened to the Gerudo by that point? I know lack of them in Wind Waker doesnt mean they are extinct, but for all we know they couldve left hyrule altogether? (Like they seem to have done between OoT and TP, and mightve done post OoT in the Downfall timeline, if you dont think they went extinct)

Overall I could see what Ganondorf mightve pictured/wanted to be his most glorious moment, his long awaited return, mightve just ended up feeling kinda empty.

Not that I think he wouldve done a complete 180 already because of that, but I could see it leaving him in a bit of a shock.

Adding to that, now just as he is about to conquer Hyrule for real, the gods decide to destroy it, essentially. Or at least, thats how Ganondorf felt about the situation, given how he speaks of it in the game. Its like the gods are playing with him, everytime Hyrule is just within his graps, they take it from him.

The flood mustve felt especially terrible for him, cause the way he saw it, it mustve been something like the goddesses saying “we’d rather just end hyrule and kill all its people than have you be its ruler”. What a slap in the face, to put it lightly.

After that, getting sealed away again, and all the stuff I mentioned above, probably gave him time and opportunity to reflect upon his life so far, and the future too.

I dont think that in WW, Ganondorf was just “going through the motions”, and just trying to finish what he started because he had no choice at this point. I do think he still genuinely wanted to try and conquer Hyrule, its just that he has had some time to think about it, a bit more about why he wanted it, and about what he did wrong before, and regretting those mistakes.

Like for example, he really doesnt seem like he wants to harm Link and Zelda anymore, if he can help it. He could be hating them, still furious for what happened during OoT, but he doesnt seem to be.

One of these days I wanna talk about all the contrasts and parallels WW seems to draw to Zelda games that came before it, especially OoT, but for this bit I just wanna mention this one thing.

How in OoT you confront Ganondorf, who smugly plays his leitmotif on the organ, the sound of which growing louder the further you approach his chamber. His back pointed at the entrance which he knows the hero will emerge from. Zelda, encase in a crytal, hangs above him like a trophy, like the hero bait she is to him at this point.

And then in WW, his leitmotif plays in his final dungeon, but actually grow more quiet the closer you get to him. That already makes you feel like, while it invokes OoTs atmoosphere, it actually turns it on its head. And then, when you do cofront him, “Zelda” is instead peacefully sleeping in a bed, (presumably Ganondorfs bed?) with him calmly sitting by her side, watching over her. He doesn’t face Link directly as he enters, but isnt completely turned away from his either.

Of course this scene still has some creepy atmosphere to it, especially when he starts reading her mind, but maaaan, the contrast to OoT (and games that came before it) just GETS ME everytime I just think about it.

Ahhh, I could go on and on like, you all know this stuff, you all thought about him in this game so much, didnt you?

I really hope nintendo will choose to give another Ganondorf this kinda depth, and maybe even just play with the idea of Ganondorf taking on a different role than “final boss” in a Zelda title. I would love that.

Now, let’s turn the clock wayyy back to when Ganon fought Link, and talk about the timeline that occurs when Link is actually killed by him.

To me, this is kinda of the “original” timeline, for various reasons, but I don’t wanna distract from our main man here too long.

In this version of the events, Ganon manages to actually aquire the full Triforce in the final battle of OoT, and causes quite a bit of misery before the Sages finally manage to seal him away in this version, too. But because he is so powerful with the Triforce and all that, it ends up costing a lot more lives to finally get to that point.

Now from that point on, this Ganon seems to just kinda rule the Dark World, a twisted “evil” version of Hyrule of his own creation. And of course most notably, either because of this worlds properties, or his general state of being, this Ganon seemingly always stays in beast form from that point on.

Sadly this one doesnt talk too much (though he is very much capable of doing so), so we dont get much of a grasp on his character.

To me, ALttP!Ganon feels like somewhere in the middle when it comes to Ganons. Despite his bestial appearance, he doesnt seem as blind with power and rage as TP!Ganondorf, maybe cause he doesnt call himself a god or something. But he of course is nowhere near WW!Ganondorf in terms of reasons and having reflecting upon his past.

Either way, it is clear that he is not happy with just ruling his very own personal Hyrule, filled with damned people that have become monsters like him, as in ALttP he does attempt to break his seal and go back to the World of Light

This might just be out of greed, but you could also imagine he might simply be unhappy in this demonic world, or even scared? Given how we see that some inhabitants of this land lose their humanity to such an extent that they’re turning into things like trees, maybe even completely losing their sense of self?

One of the more curious things about ALttP!Ganon is his relationship to Agahnim. No one is entirely sure what they are to one another.

In some of the mangas, Agahnim is portrayed as a human who gets possessed or turned by Ganon in some shape or form, and this portrayal is popular from what I’ve seen.

But in the actual game, Agahnim is described as being Ganon’s alter-ego. The term used in the japanese version is “bunshin”, which can mean a lot of things, including alter-ego or even reincarnation, but in the context of the Zelda franchise, there is another part in the series where it is used. In Phantom Hourglass, Oshus is described as being the “bunshin” of the Ocean King. So, if we assume Agahnim works the same way, his consiusness would have to be exactly Ganon’s, right? Of course that doesn’t mean other interpretations can’t exist, I myself am not even sure what to think.

The usage of the word bunshin does imply that to some extent, Agahnim literally was a part, or offshot of Ganon. So froma certain point of view, we could add his character to Ganons, if we wanted to.

Something that intrigues me though is that in the Downfall Timeline, we never see Ganon in human form again. Could this be related to Agahnim? Maybe not exactly literally but symbolIcally?

Did Ganon split the humanity he had left off of himself, because that was the only part of him that could exit the Dark World before the seal was lifted?

If so, did Agahnim dying have any effect on him? Or did whatever Agahnim was in the end just return to him?

So much to think about here, ahh.

Of cours, ALttP!Ganon then gets killed by Link in their battle. Not sealed away, just flat out killed.

Normally this would probably be the end, but of course OoX happened, in which Twinrova tried to revive him, but didnt quite succeed.

Ganon is revived as a seemingly mindless beast, only actualy talking in his final moments, which is the quote from earlier.

In the japanese version, this quote is written entirely in katakana, which can indicate that its pronounced weirdly somehow, in cases like this likely because he had a hard time forming the words at all.

He also refers to himself as a Demon King in japanese, but that term hadn’t caught on in the english versions of the games yet.

Okay so, as I kinda mentioned above, this Ganon’s story gets a bit muddled from this point on.

Sometime after ALttP, but before ALbW, ALbW’s backstory (which is not ALttP) occurs, during which a hero fights a Ganon, who is then sealed away by him, the princess and the sages, but we dont know if this Ganon is the same, just revived again, or an entirely new incarnation.

But you could argue that it hardly matters, cause he barely does anything in the game, essentially acting as a power boost for Yuga...

However, there is a theory that he might do more than that actually.

So, according to this theory, Yuga actually was completely loyal to Hilda, and its only by fusing with Ganon that he starts wanting to betray, due to Ganons influence. The theory is nice in the sense that it makes Yuga more of an opposite of Ganon than he seems if you take the game at face value, and gives Ganon more to do. Depending on your interpretation, Yuga might just be influenced by Ganon, or they literally fuse into a being that is just as much Ganon as it is Yuga.

But of course that is just a minor theory, and you dont have to like it, naturally.

After that we get HF and AoL!Ganon, who is said to be more of a mindless beast as this point, no trace left of the human he used to be.

A rather sad fate.

Again it is unclear if this is the same Ganon, revived yet again, or maybe (anotehr) reincarnation.

But if its the former, you can only assume that, even if you dont think Agahnim dying had any effect on Ganon, just forcing him to ressurect over and over instead of letting him reincarnate properly, must’ve done quite the number on Ganon.

Somehow thinking about this version of Ganon in particular makes me think about the cursed boars in Princess Mononoke, who where lost to their anger. Especially the moment when the Wolf faces the Old Boar, who we have seen slowly lose his self at this point, and she almost pitifully says “Can’t you even speak anymore?” to him.

It almost feels like Downfall Timeline!Ganon is cursed by fate, in a sense. Not really in-universe either, but out of universe too!

History is already written (the first two games are already out) and thus Ganon has to follow the path that is already set for him, become what he will be in the future (what he is in the first two games), a frightening monster that terrorizes this kingdom of Hyrule for the sake of power, with no humanity in him (him having been human wasnt part of his character at the time the first two games where released)

I wonder if the demons failing to get Links blood in 2 will mark the end of this Ganon? (I hope not)

It was kinda nice to see BotW seemingly do somewhat of a modern take on this kinda idea of Ganon, something that has become little more than destruction of Hyrule in pyhsical form. I could see people place BotW as post- AoL for that reason, even.

And well, rolling back time yet again, we go to the last way OoT!Ganondorf turned out, which is TP!Ganondorf...

....who, compared to the others, actually has a bit more of a complicated “set-up” that kickstarts his character.

When Link gets send back in time at the end of OoT, his Tiforce of Courage breaks apart into the pieces we find in WW, presumably because Link was literally removed from that reality as he possessed it?

Then upon his arrival in the new Child Timeline, Link immediately gets the Triforce of Courage of THAT timeline, presumably cause he is in a state of being where he is meant to have a Triforce Piece of Courage?

Well, regardless of what you believe to be the cause, this is what happens, and as a result, the other two Triforce pieces choose Zelda and Ganondorf to bear them and end up residing in them. Thats how the pieces ended up with the three without the Sacred Realm being entered in this version of the events.

Link ends up warning Zelda and the king of the events that will transpire in the future, and thus Ganondorf loses the trust of the king and is unable to set his plan from OoT into motion.

Its a bit vague, but sometime after that Ganondorf starts a direct attack towards Hyrule, but gets captured and put on trial.

And as you know, as he was about to be executed, the Triforce of Power activated and saved him from death.

Now I am not sure if this is true, but I think up until that point, Ganondorf didn’t even know he had it.

But wether he discovered he had it now, or the moment it fist came to him, one thing I am sure of, he mustve felt so great for it. Cause he has no idea that a time travelling Link caused this to happen, right? From his perspective, the power of the gods just came to him like that because he is that great! And then, he cant even die as a result of this? He is literally immortal? Well, he must be the dang chosen one, right?

No wonder he got all god complex in this one!

Something I´m kinda interested in is how this guy spend years, likely centuries, in the Twillight Realm, and if his form in there is any indication, not exactly in physical form either, I mean isnt it implied he HAD to mae use of Zant like that in order to be able to have a physical form like that?

Ultimately TP!Ganondorf just is a lot like OoT!Ganondorf if you think about it, just kinda taken to a more extreme. He is no longer just human, but has transcended humanity much further than OoT!Ganondorf has, and feels superior to everyone because of it.

He is absolute in his own eyes, he is a god, his eventual victory is certain, his battle with the hero just a formality at this point.

And he sticks to that mindset until the very end, even as he is stabbed and fatally wounded by Link. It only makes sense, he couldnt be stopped by this before, why would it stop him now?

Of course the events that follow are rather vague, and people argue about what it means to this day, but I think it ultimately boils down to Ganondorf biting of more than he can chew, overestimating his own power. Or rather, what he thinks is his own power, cause its not even his.

From the moment he was impaled by the sword of the sage, Ganondorf has been a dead man.

He has only been kept alive afterwards through the power of others, the gods, and Zant as well.

This power was not his, and thus it could just leave him just as quick as it came to him.

The imagine of Zant snapping his neck, to me, either just refers to the fact that with Zant dead, who acted as Ganondorf anchor of sorts, Ganondorf himself dies as well, or it refers to the fact that Ganondorf, who saw himself as a god and superior to everything, was ultimately just as much of a mortal and simple being than the very person who worshipped him as a deity the most.

Yes, you could call Zant the very person that made Ganondorf a god in the first place, in more ways than one, so without him, Ganondorf is a god no more. And he dies just like any mortal would.

Ultimately this Ganondorf story feels like a story of hubris.

Simple, but neat.

(Its interesting like, its almost like, TP!Ganondorf was a human who longed to be a god, and WW!Ganondorf was like a god who longed to be human?)

But, do not think it ends here...

We’ve looked at all the people that OoT!Ganondorf grew up to be, but that isn’t all the Ganons there is, the story of Ganon actually continues further down the Child Timeline.

Yes, this brings us to FSA!Ganon, or as I sometimes like to call him, Ganon II.

I understand that most probably never played this game, and I probably won’t blow your minds if I tell you Ganon doesn’t actually do much in this game but, I still like to think about him.

He’s actually a proper reincarnation of TP!Ganondorf, folowing the latter’s death at the end of TP.

From some dialouge in-game we know a little bit about his past. Like his past life, he was a boy born to the Gerudo people, and was named Ganondorf.

Interestingly, in this game, the Gerdudo dont actually say that every 100 years a male child is born, they that every 100 years a “special” child is born, and of course Ganondorf was that special child. They still mention the “only man” part, but it doesnt come up with the “every 100 years” line.

Notably it also doesnt seem that Ganondorf was supposed to be their king, and it doesnt seem like they ever treated him like a king, they only mention he was supposed to be the protector of the Gerudo people and the desert.

This is just speculation, but perhaps, after what happened to the first Ganondorf, the Gerudo people decided it wasnt a good idea to treat the sole male like a king just because.

The Gerudo in the game tell you that the older Ganndorf became, the more twisted and obsessed with power he became, and eventually he started breaking their laws, too.

When he entered the forbidden pyramid, the Gerudo basically considered him banished from their tribe, but also didnt think he would ever survive in there and presumed him to be dead.

The Gerudo in this game really only talk badly about Ganondorf, which probably makes sense if he really just did bad stuff to them, but its a very stark contrast to OoT where the Gerudo seemed to just let Ganondorf get away with everything, kinda.

Something I wonder about if maybe like, Ganondorf wasn’t exactly treated well by the Gerudo, out of fear of him turning out like the old Ganondorf, or if Ganondorf just turned bad all on his own. Or maybe a mixture of both?

What is sorta interesting is the story of how this one came to be Ganon, which is that within the pyramid, he found a certain Trident, which is implied to have caused him to “awake as Ganon”, so to speak, as he picked it up. This is the inscription found with the Trident:

“Seek...you...the world? Seek you...power? Does your...soul...despise peace and...thirst for... more? Does your soul...cry... for...destruction and... conquest? We...grant you...power to ...ruin...the world. The power of...darkness. Evil...spirit of magic trident. You are...the... King of Darkness.“

The trident feels like it has more out of universe meaning than in-universe (though I do headcanon it to be a reincarnated ghirahim somehow, because I can). The trident being a weapon that franchise-wise is heavily associated with Ganon, and notably Ganon only, as Ganondorf is never really seen wielding a literal trident.

This Ganondorf picks up the trident, and with it the legacy of the interpretations of Ganons that came in the games before this one, so to speak.

I´m sorry for this part being so unstructured, but interestingly, Ganondorf is this game is referred to as “ancient demon reborn”, or something like “instrument of evil reborn” in japanese, hinting that even at the time of the game’s release, this Ganon was probably intended to be the reincarnation of a previous evil, likely a previous Ganon, of course.

What I wonder about is how much this Ganon is aware of that, though. When he grew up, becoming more and more twisted, did he know? Did he know he was the reincarnation of a villain that had previously plagued Hyrule? Did he feel his hatred? Did he know whose it was, or did he consider it his own? Or was it simply his own?

And when he picked up the trident, and transformed into a demon beast, did he understand what this meant? What he was? Did he ever obtain any memories of his past self, even?

Something that hints that this /might/ be the case is Shadow Link.

Now Shadow Link is not actually created by the dark mirror from the evil part of Link’s heart as the english localization suggest. Instead its created from the evil part of Ganon’s heart, using the dark mirror. It is said that through the mirror,the hatred and evil of Ganondorf, throughout time, took on the shape of Link. Likely because the hero is a major subject of Ganondorf’s hatred.

The fact that this happened when FSA!Ganon used the mirror, despite himself never having met Link up until that point, hints that he might, at least subconsiously, harbor the memories of his past incarnations?

But really, as usual there is a lot open to interpretation.

I´m just so intrigued, like in this timeline there is a “second Ganon”, a Ganon that came “after”, someone who had to take on this cruel legacy.

And, with that we have now talked about all the Ganon(dorf)s that have existed in the franchise to this day, not counting stuff like BS Zelda and the CDI-Games.

If you stuck around until this point, thank you so much, you’re too kind!

But also thanks to everyone that just skimmed this or looked it over briefly, I hope this wall of text did something for you.

(Sorry for any typos I... type too fast when I get excited about a topic.)

#legend of zelda #ganon #ganondorf

11 notes · View notes

pocketseizure · 7 years

Text

The Marriage of Lanayru, Chapter Seven

The Ghosts of the Past

Zelda reflects on what Ganondorf means to her and consults Midna about the nature of his magic.

1,800 words ☆ (Also on AO3) (Story Tag on Tumblr)

* * * *

Zelda sighed as she looked out over the lights of Hyrule Castle from the window of her tower room. The day had been a nightmare, with interminable meetings and a steady stream of documents requiring her attention. The procession of tasks necessary to rebuild her kingdom after the siege seemed endless, and now she had the situation in Kakariko to deal with as well.

After their brief visit to the old Sheikah village, Ganondorf had gone off somewhere, and she hadn't seen him since. He had not objected to the prospect of becoming the next king, but she wondered if he were really cut out for the job. No matter what he may have been in his own time, running a country was vastly different than leading an army; a monarch cannot simply disappear and tend to his own business in the middle of the day.

It was embarrassing for Zelda to admit to herself that she had expected anything of Ganondorf. She originally intended for him to act as little more than a figurehead, and it suited her purposes for him to be here in the castle. If he returned to the desert, as she strongly suspected he wished to do, she would no longer be able to keep an eye on him.

Zelda turned away from the window and glanced at the pile of books on the small table that had served as a desk during her imprisonment. She had read about the Gerudo, a tribe that once built a thriving civilization strong enough to rival Hyrule. By all accounts they had enjoyed the prosperity that accompanied their assiduous management of the trade routes passing between the kingdoms that lay beyond the border of the western mountains. These kingdoms no longer sent emissaries, and Zelda did not know whether they had fallen into decline. Had Ganondorf attacked Hyrule because the Gerudo were suffering economically due to dwindling trade? Or had the Gerudo grown so wealthy and powerful that he assumed he would be able to conquer Hyrule without resistance?

The histories she consulted had not provided her with the answers she sought. Perhaps the only person who could tell her what happened was Ganondorf. How incredible it was that she found herself in the company of a living artifact from Hyrule's past. Everything from his accent to his gestures to the manner in which he ate was foreign to her, and she could never tell whether his strangeness was the product of his Gerudo heritage or of his temporal displacement.

Regardless, Ganondorf did not seem like the sort of person who would carelessly bring about the demise of his kingdom. Zelda was not blind to the hideous and terrible anger he carried within him, but even at his most furious he had maintained an iron-fisted control over himself. She had been enthralled during his battle against Link. She knew Link would win – he was fated to win – but she'd spent years studying the art of the sword, and she watched Ganondorf with keen interest. He was clearly uncomfortable with the heft and balance of the sword he wielded, but every move he made was calculated and deliberate.

It was clear to her that Ganondorf was not a madman, and the danger he posed lay not in the strength of his body or of his magic, but rather the strength of his will. Zelda realized he could be valuable to her, and that she may be able to use him. She decided to spare his life, and her resolve endowed her with the strength to pierce the magical barrier that separated her from him. To Link's amazement, she stayed the blade of the mythical Master Sword with her own hand.

If she were being honest with herself, however, she would have to admit that her decision to save Ganondorf had already been made in the moment when he pressed his mouth to hers, sharing her breath as he passed the essence of his Triforce into her dying body. She had been filled with the exhilaration of the energy flowing into her, and she understood for the first time what power meant. It was not just the burden of responsibility, but the freedom of an infinite potential.

Zelda turned away from the window and walked to the mirror. She blew onto it and wrote a quick succession of glyphs on its clouded surface. The glass pulsed with light twice, and then Midna's face jumped into sharp focus.

Zelda laughed in surprise. "That was quick."

Midna grinned back at her as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "I've been waiting. What kept you? Were you with your loverboy?" Midna's lips curled in distaste. "Because I certainly hope not."

"It's been a long day," Zelda replied. "Listen, speaking of Ganondorf, I have a question. What is magic, exactly? Is it something you were born with, as a Twili? Or is it something you inherited as a princess?"

"Wow." Midna raised her eyebrows. "Way to get metaphysical right off the bat."

Zelda shook her head. "I don't care about the theory, just the basic practicalities."

"Of course not, no one cares about the theory. As for the practicalities, we Twili have varying levels of ability. I was lucky enough to be born with a little magic, but I wouldn't have gotten anywhere if I hadn't studied my ass off for years. Isn't that what you did?"

"I... no. I didn't study magic." Zelda was embarrassed. "What magic I have came to me with the Triforce, and I really don't understand anything about it. We don't have books about magic here in Hyrule. But, since you were able to study it, do you think it was the same with the Gerudo?"

"Hmmmm..." Midna tapped her finger against her chin as she considered the question. "I don't know much about the Gerudo. Back in the day, you Hylians had a great deal of magic yourselves, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Gerudo had their own traditions. As someone who hated studying, I can tell you that your fiancé strikes me as someone who probably loved it. He's such a damn nerd."

Zelda covered her mouth with her hand to hide her grin. She had never thought of Ganondorf like that before, but Midna's description of him was apt.

Midna rolled her eyes and continued. "You know what I'm talking about, then. That boy spent too much time reading, and then he became a loner with unrealistic ambitions and a delusional savior complex. He's such a stereotype. Honestly, I don't know how you stand him. Still... I can't deny that he's good at what he does, and there's probably a reason the Triforce chose him. There's no accounting for taste, I guess."

Zelda was amused, but she pressed on with her line of questioning. "You said that you don't know much about the Gerudo. Can you tell me anything?"

Midna shrugged. "Not really, only that they were one of the tribes of Hyrule. Like I said, I'm not a huge fan of digging through old books."

"Do you know if they were associated with boars?"

Midna scowled. "I don't know whether they were or not, but I can tell you who is – the man you stupidly decided to marry. You were really out of it when Link and I fought him in your castle, probably because he had just possessed your body, which, you know, is obviously a healthy start to a relationship. Can we talk about that, by the way?"

"Midna, please."

"Okay, whatever. Anyway, your hubby-to-be transformed himself into a giant boar, except it was more of a demon, just raw strength and pure rage. Or, it wasn't really a boar; it had thick fleshy toes instead of hooves, and I can't swear that it wasn't scaly. It creeped me out, and let me tell you, I've seen some things..."

Midna paused for a moment and massaged her temples before continuing. "In any case, that's what you can thank for the destruction of your throne room. You're not going to want to hear this, but I think he was trying to take on the form of the legendary demon king Ganon. I mean, that's how he persuaded that idiot Zant, by saying he was Ganon. It would make sense, given that he calls himself 'Ganondorf.' The thing is, though – I'm pretty sure Ganon isn't just a legend. I think it's real, and I think it has something to do with why we Twili were banished from Hyrule in the first place. I can tell you the story, but why don't you tell me why you're asking about boars in the first place?"

"I'm sorry, Midna," Zelda responded. Her suspicions had been confirmed, and her heart was racing. "I think I have to go. Can we talk about this later?"

"Oh..." Midna's face fell. "I bet you just remembered an important conversation you're supposed to be having with someone else. Fine. But be careful with him, okay? I wouldn't trust him any farther than I can throw a, you know, a..."

"A pumpkin?" Zelda suggested.

"That's right!" Midna snapped her fingers.

Zelda smiled, grateful for Midna's concern. "I don't believe Ganondorf is a threat. At least, not in the way everyone thinks he is. Still, I suspect he knows something that he's not telling me."

"Have you tried using your feminine wiles? I bet he's a real beast in bed, if you know what I'm saying."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "You're one to talk. By the way, how's Link?"

"Listen, Zelda," Midna said, suddenly serious. "We'll be here for you, me and Link. We're right on the other side of this mirror. If you need us, just reach out, okay? We'll come for you."

Midna raised her hand to the glass. "Thank you," Zelda whispered, touching her fingers to Midna's palm.

The connection flickered and died out, and Zelda allowed her shoulders to drop. She rolled her head and rubbed the back of her neck. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, and she felt her exhaustion fading. She was looking forward to talking with Ganondorf, and she knew exactly where to find him.

I bet he's a real beast in bed. Midna's words lingered in Zelda's mind, and her face grew warm as she blushed. What she didn't want to tell her friend was how incredible it felt when Ganondorf's spirit had entered her. He offered her his life, and she had taken it, knowing full well what sort of power it would give him over her. When he came to her in her tower room, he was not the prince she had always dreamed of, but he was the only person who had ever seen her in a moment of true weakness and not turned away in disappointment. However terrible he may have been, she was not afraid of him.

#Zelda fic #Zelgan #Princess Zelda #Ganondorf #The Marriage of Lanayru #my fic

6 notes · View notes

kingseyes · 7 years

Photo

Breath Of the Wild. Hypothetically Speaking Part 3.

Read the first two parts to this Theory on these two links:

Part 1: http://kingseyes.tumblr.com/post/157123039611/breath-of-the-wild-hypothetically-speaking

Part 2: http://kingseyes.tumblr.com/post/157508591836/breath-of-the-wild-hypothetically-speaking

So the hypothesis we are working with is that Link in BOTW is actually OOT and MM Link, The Hero Of Time, who has returned to Hyrule after several years “banned” to keep the Sacred realm safe until Ganondorf is dealt with.

Upon His Return, he is granted the honorary title Champion og Hyrule, he is named Zeldas personal guard, he re-equips the master sword, though he is no longer the chosen hero, the spark between Link and the princess is lit, and the two are about to become parents. to Twins in fact. (ill get back to this)

This has severed the Clan of the Sheikah, where one group says calls the children an atrocity, as Link may be a champion, but just a commoner. and the Other swearing to keep the children secret.

Meanwhile. in the west, a storm is brewing. in the Arbiters Grounds. the very place where Ganondorf was attempted executed, and the Gerudo Race supposedly met their fate. The Sages have kept quiet about the execution failing. and Ganondorf has not lost a shred of his power. the Mirror is not broken, so the portal between the two worlds is still open. there is no reason Ganondorf, the wileder of the Triforce of power, the descendant of Demise, and the King of Evil, can’t use the portal to return.

However. One point that intrigues me about the story of Twilight princess. How come we at no point see Ganondorf returning to the land, he wasnt part of the twilight invasion, he clearly was not weakened to a point where he couldnt fight after the execution. so when did he make it back?

Simple. He had already returned to Hyrule before the Twilight Invasion happened. He had equipped Zant with the powers he needed to become the Usurper king, and to potentielly spring him from the castle, should his own attack go wrong.

This is the attack which saw the Defeat of Link the Hero from Breath Of The Wild. Noone expected Ganondorf to return. and he put his mark on the land. as clearly shown by the worn down town of Kakariko Village, Snowpeak Ruins, the Hidden VIllage, or the Sacred Grove, aswell as the deep, very unnatural ravines scattered around the Hyrule field in Twilight Princess, Not to Mention, Castle Town in itself is surrounded by one massive ravine. and you depend on a bridge to make it over there from any direction. A very strange choice for where to put your nations capital huh? well it wasnt like that before Ganondorf’s first attack.

The Sheikah Defectors caught wind of Ganondorfs return, and aligned their techonology and resources with him for his attack, mainly to harm the Remaining sheikah who stuck to their guns about Zeldas pregnancy. not so much the people or the royal family.

Link was the last line of defense. His bravest effort was able to best the Ganondorf and hold him back and into Hyrule Castle, but at the cost of his life. not being the Chosen Hero per say anymore, the Master Swords’ full power was not at his disposal, and the Blade of evils bane was nothing more in battle then a broadsword when wielded in the wrong hands. Hence its deteriorating state in Breath of the wild.

The Sheikah Defectors decision to align with Ganondorf, clearly upset the King, who according to Lore found in Breath of the Wild, were banned the sheikah From Hyrule as a whole.

Ganondorf was only sealed within the castle. The Master Sword was put to rest in the Forest in front of the Deku Tree to be ressurected. And Links Body was put into the pod in the chamber of Ressurection. where he would rest for 100 years. However his spirit had a hard time coming to terms with regret. regret that he wasnt able to teach the ways he mastered while he was away from Hyrule. So his Spirit Lingered in Hyrule, hoping that one Day, one of His two descendants would find him so he could pass on his knowledge.

You mentioned twins early on in this post, SPIT IT OUT, WHO ARE THEY AND HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE?

Well obviously the Twins are Link And Zelda from Twilight Princess.

Here are my Reasons. They appear to be of the same age, they share Facial features. but most interestingly. There is no apparent emotion between the two.

With Wind Waker Link and Tetra, you had a friendship, in Skyward Sword, you had friendship to a borderline romance, and in Ocarina of time, you had the apparent romance that lead to this point. Where as in Twilight Princess, Link is clearly onto something with Ilia.

Speaking of Ordonians. at Birth. Zelda has her children separated. TP Link is sent to Ordon Village, where in Twilight Princess, its told that he has actually never been outside Faron Woods before the events of The game.

Zelda (The twin daughter) on the other hand is the natural heir to the throne of Hyrule. and is kept in the castle, where the Royal Family tends to her, and teaches her the ways of the kingdom.

Here Twilight Princess takes place.

The Mother Zelda, Takes on the Role of Goddess Hylia fulltime. Links Spirit is put to rest, and returns to the Chamber of Ressurection.

But Ganondorf Died at the end of Twilight Princess though. this doesn’t make sense.

Now you say that, and i say: Didnt he DIE in the original zelda? didn’t he DIE in A link to the Past? Didn’t he Die or get sealed in every title he has been in? Well yes, Yes he did. Even Hyrule Historia eludes to this on page 118 talking about the end of Twilight princess where it states: “The Curtain fell on the destiny of the demonic thief Ganondorf, Seeker of the Triforce... At least for a time.”

Further you can ask, What became of Ganondorfs Body? The Master Sword was obviously pulled out of his gut, and put back in its resting place. Burying him obviously wouldnt be sensible. he had to be preserved somewhere, so that Hyrule would be ensure to some extent that at least HE wasnt the incarnation of Demise next time.

Now with all of this in mind. and the Paragraph of a constantly Weaving storylines in mind. i Conclude, that Wolf Links Appearence in Breath of the Wild. means that BOTW Link, is OOT Link. It cements the game as a prequel, partially during and subsequently a direct sequel to Twilight Princess, its Father and the Spirit of his Son taking on the world together to once again save the world from Ganon. this time, hopefully the last.

Insert MatPat voice: But Hey. Thats just a theory....

youtube

#legend of zelda #zelda

0 notes