totk roleswap thoughts.
-link is not able to imbibe the sword with divine power in the same way that Zelda is. Instead, he takes it to the heart of the great deku tree in the depths, and is able to charge it up down there...somehow. hes able to construct a shrine or something, mirroring the one on the surface, and it allows him to turn his dragon/hero energy into divine energy? I guess? Whatever.
-this means that the unnamed dragon has been guarding the sword in the depths for ten thousand years. He has never once left his post since he began.
-during the story, there is gloom completely surrounding the area he guards. If one of the gloom pools/shadow Ganon gets close enough, the dragon will kill it immediately, then coil back around the sword.
-he doesn't attack Zelda when she gets within his area, and he will go around her to attack gloom. It is not possible for him to hurt Zelda.
-im envisioning a how to train your dragon moment to claim the sword. Once you claim it, the gloom swarms you. Link occasionally gets one for you, but you have to defeat most by yourself in a mini boss fight.
-seeing a new dragon in the depths would have been cool as fuck but also terrifying before you knew who/what it was.
-i also think he's got a crystal leg that grew in place of the arm he lost at the start of the game.
-i think the final fight would have gone in much the same way though I DO believe that the link dragon would have bit the demon dragon at any given opportunity.