[Image Description: A lineart 7 panel comic of Ocarina of Time Young Link (Forest) and Zelda. Panel 1: Forest sits with Zelda in the garden. "We have to warn my father. But how? He doesn't believe me, I doubt he'll believe you." Zelda says, looking to the side skeptically. Forest frowns slightly, holding his arm. Panel 2: Forest looks up, thinking. Panel 3: Forest holds out the Kokiri emerald on a necklace. Zelda exclaims "Oh! That should prove you're from the Forest!" Panel 4: Impa stands beside Zelda, Forest hiding behind her slightly, holding her hand. Impa says "Sire, I have an emissary of the Great Deku Tree, who wishes to speak to you." Panel 5: Forest looks up, brows furrowed worriedly. "Come closer" says the king. Panel 6: The King kneels in front of Forest, looking intently at him. "You say your name is Link?" Panel 7: "You..." The king says. Forest's eyes are colored blue, looking forward intently, holding the Kokiri emerald. "You look so much like your mother." End ID]
Ya know those moments when a character kinda just runs away with you and you can't stop them from jumping into a headcanon? Yea this is one. Forest is, apparently, the lost prince of Hyrule, and knows it. And yet he's still wandering around instead of like, living in the castle so there's that.
Summary: Forest/Bean's backstory, pondering on his sibling-hood with Sheik and Zelda (ao3)
(connected loosely with this art)
Warnings: pain/implied injury, fear
-
Link stared up at the ceiling of his tree house. His legs were longer than the frame itself, hanging over the side by the knee.
“We could return the sword for a while.” Navi reminded him, settling to sit on the headboard, “...It'll be more comfortable.”
He shrugged. He didn't mind. He just didn't want to return to being tiny after fighting Ganondorf's Phantom. The idea of even possibly seeing Ganondorf while he was small enough to be so easily smacked aside again was terrifying. Being tall was the only way he could match Ganondorf.
So here he was. Unable to sleep, too tall for his own home, with only the comforting blue light of Navi to settle his thoughts.
She watched him in silence. Likely waiting for him to realize he wasn't fitting in the old house and get up to follow her directions. (He never fit in here. Not really.) Eventually, she sighed, giving up on this particular hint of hers.
“How old do you think Sheik is?” He eventually asked into the soft blue glow. Sheik was cool. He seemed interesting. He sounded like he knew a lot. Link liked that.
“About your age, maybe a year or two older.” Navi offered. Link wasn't sure what exactly that age would be. 9? 10? 8? …add 7. Link had been trying to figure it out. Age seemed a lot more important than it used to be. Maybe he could ask Sheik and call himself the same age as him.
Navi waited for a moment in Link's thoughtful silence before asking “Why?”
“Mm. Just wondering if I'll meet his younger self. Like I know Malon.” He lifted his head to look up at Navi. “Do you think I'll be able to find him when I go back?”
“Maybe,” Navi chimed, “We can't spend too much time looking for him though.”
“I'll be quick.” Link nodded, “I'm faster than the bunny guy! I think I could find little Sheik super fast.”
Navi giggled and flew over to pat Link's head lightly. “Try and sleep for now.”
He shuffled to get more comfortable. Pinpricks rushed through his legs, “My legs fell asleep before the rest of me,” he whined. He curled up to keep his legs from dangling with a pout.
She sighed, “I told you.”
He made another whine in protest.
-
Smoke and rain was an overwhelming combination of smells. Fire raged over the buildings. A dark silhouette lingered at the well. Sheik. Link rushed toward him. He would know what to do about the burning homes. Link didn’t want Kakariko to turn into another version of Castle Town. Ashes and dust. He wanted to call out, but his voice didn’t seem to work, blocked.
Sheik seemed tense. He stared down the well, almost unmoving. Link slowed as he approached, concern bubbled in his throat.
“Get back, Link!” Sheik demanded, not even turning to glance at him.
The wood frame of the well exploded up into the air, and Link spun to watch it fall. Sheik’s presence at his back made no move. Link stepped to look at it, brows furrowed. What could do that? It had no fiery explosion. Wind? Magic?
Sheik shifted behind him. Link glanced back just in time to see him get lifted into the air, as if by some invisible giant hand. Sheik yelled in alarm, thrashing against the force. He was tossed over Link's head. Link gasped, wide-eyed. Panic boiled over. Link didn’t think about the monster. He rushed to Sheik, prone face first in the mud and grass.
Sheik heaved a breath, but did not get up. Link hovered over him, pulling out his shield and sword, eyes flickering around the burning village. No. No more people would get hurt. Especially not Sheik.
It was the rain that gave the invisible mass away. Thin moonlight hitting water droplets in such a way that the monster's path was visible. It headed straight toward them. Link stood strong, brows furrowed with determination. He would protect his brother friend.
The monster was not physical enough to cut. He had tried. Link gasped as it effectively passed through him, a sensation like something grabbing his very soul. His vision blacked out as a pain beyond pain rushed into him. Fire. The stomp of hooves. A clatter of blades. Blood. An echo of war. He wailed a cry. His body being thrown was a distant sensation. He tried to get back up. Push through the fuzzy vision and pain like he did with most monsters these days. But he felt. So. Small. He wasn’t supposed to be small right now… Mom. He wanted his mom. He didn’t even remember her, but he wanted her to hold him as his body collapsed under the weight of darkness.
She hummed a song. His mother. She sounded suspiciously like Sheik’s singing voice. Soft, intertwined with poetic rhythm. It sounded like a song Sheik might’ve taught him, too. He couldn’t quite remember it. He wished he could remember it.
Beyond the cold rain, a spot of warmth. Fabric-wrapped fingers gently touched his temple, shifting some of his bangs away from his face. A shadow hovering over his head, preventing rain from falling on his cheeks. He groaned, and the figure retreated from his space, soft and quiet.
Sheik breathed in relief as Link opened his eyes. Oh, Sheik! Sheik was okay! Link smiled a little dizzily. He wanted to hug him, but his throbbing headache forced him to sit up far slower than that impulse.
Sheik leaned back, “Looks like you’re coming around…”
Navi hovered over Sheik’s shoulder, a nervous flutter to her wingbeats. Link groaned lightly and leaned his arms against his knees.
Sheik looked at him for a moment, and offered him a leafy plant. Link took it without much thought and shoved it in his mouth to chew. He knew the plant. Saria gave it to him sometimes. It tasted bitter and medicinal. He spit it out with a grimace.
“Yucky,” he whispered under his breath.
He chuckled. Barely there but still the first giggle Link had heard from him. “It'll help with pain,” Sheik said. He sighed, standing up. He offered a hand, which Link took, standing himself.
Sheik let a quiet moment settle in the rain before he launched into explaining the situation. The fires had already started to get drowned out by the rain by the time Sheik had explained it all. Impa had gone down the well… That was likely why Sheik had seemed so distracted and stiff. They were from the same tribe, Link assumed Sheik was connected to her somehow.
The Ocarina was wet and slippery as he practiced the Nocturne of Shadow. His fingers trembled, clumsy with cold and a nervous buzz in his ears. He figured the sound out eventually, however. Sheik nodded in approval when he'd copied it enough times.
“Let me take care of the village,” Sheik said, stepping back, “I'm counting on you.”
Link nodded, automatically closing his eyes while Sheik vanished from sight. Link could do this. Sheik believed in him. He was counting on him. Sheik would take care of the village. Link let out a soft breath and walked toward the well.
-
Link sat on the bed fit for an adult. It felt weird, being too small for something like this. He glanced over stone walls and ornate tapestry. The weirdest part of time travel was sitting in the castle that had crumbled under the weight of corrupted Power. He didn't like it. The castle felt more like a dungeon than half the actual dungeons he'd been in.
The King had insisted Link stay with them while he investigated Link's claims surrounding Ganondorf. Zelda had been right. He believed him far more readily than he had Zelda. Especially after he explained he was from the forest and that he had proof Ganondorf had killed the Deku Tree.
Ganondorf was currently being watched carefully by guards. But he was still free. He could still destroy the castle. The future could still happen. Worse. Link wasn't just some random kid from the woods anymore. Ganondorf might not let him just lay there like he did the first time. He needed to make sure Ganondorf couldn't win this time. He had told Impa what to look for. But he needed more. He needed to keep the sacred stones far away from Ganondorf, and being at the Castle wasn't the way to do it.
It wasn't Ganondorf that the King was really thinking about when he asked Link to stay. He knew that. “You have your mother's eyes.” The King had said. Like Link had suddenly become the most precious, rare creature in Hyrule.
He had his mother's hair too, it seemed. He shared his father's nose. His father's brow. His father the King.
A lost prince.
It made sense. He felt lost. Like he did running in circles through the woods.
He leaned out the window, looking at the grass toward the garden…. Zelda. He should take her with him. For the moment. Prevent Ganondorf from surprising them with a new plan. He couldn't hurt her if she wasn't in Castle Town.
He turned around, rushing toward the door. The princess hovered by the doorway, startled by the door opening.
“Link! I was- I wanted to make sure you had settled into your room.”
Link stared. Zelda looked so different with youth in her face. Her eyes matched his. He hadn't noticed that before.
“Father’s already discussing getting you a bed more fit for your size- this is usually reserved for guests from other kingdoms.”
He glanced back into the room. He frowned lightly. He shook his head.
“No? ….You like that bed?”
“I grow,” Link whispered.
She giggled, shrugging lightly. “Okay. I'll tell him.”
He looked down, pensive. “...Come with me?”
Zelda tilted her head, “Where?”
Link shrugged, giving her a pleading glance. Beyond these walls. Away from Ganondorf and any memory of his plot. He didn’t know how to say that, though. He hoped she caught his intention in his gaze.
She smiled lightly, an adventurous glint in her eye, not unlike how Sheik glanced at him on rare occasions. “Okay.”
Link grabbed her hand and they raced through the halls together. Zelda giggled infectiously. She stopped in her room to grab something and she emerged in a tunic fit more for what Link had once imagined a young Sheik would wear. She grinned.
Link nodded and they ducked into the gardens. They sneaked past guards into Castle Town proper. The pair of children were relatively unnoticed by the people busying through their day. Link and a dog chased each other in circles through the street, while Zelda laughed and leaned against a flower bed.
A flash of red hair and cape in the crowded street. Tall and Imposing. People parted for the Gerudo man in waves, Hylian guards flanking him on both sides. They looked more like security for the man than for the people of Hyrule.
Link froze. Zelda slid just behind him, hiding her face against his shoulder while her eyes focused intently on the man. Ganondorf glanced at them as he walked toward the castle. His expression soured as soon as he caught Link's gaze. They stared at each other as Ganondorf passed.
Link let out a slow breath. His heart pounded. With fear. With rage. Zelda tugged the back of Link's shirt. He snapped back into reality, glancing back at her.
“Show me the forest?” Zelda asked, “I've never been.”
Link nodded. He led the way through the town and into the grassy fields. They walked side by side, quiet. Zelda looked around, fascinated by it all. She pointed out butterflies and birds. She picked clovers and flowers.
Link sighed. Ganondorf wouldn't destroy the castle looking for Zelda now. He knew it. The man's original plan wouldn't work anymore. Link was with Zelda and everyone would be fine.
So he let himself relax as they walked to the edge of the final grassy hill toward the forest. Zelda showed him a bundle of flowers, grinning, “Try one!” She announced cheerily, "I hear it's delicious."
Link squinted in suspicion. She shoved the flowers closer into his face. Link raised his nose with a laugh. Impish impulse led to him pushing her down the hill in retaliation. She grabbed his tunic skirt in a giggly panic. Link tumbled down the hill after her with a shriek of laughter. They collapsed in a pile, laughing, clothes and knees stained with grass.
“Mean!” Zelda accused with a giggle.
“You are!” Link called back, grinning as he threw her into a headlock.
Zelda cackled, prying his arms open, and slipping away from his grasp. She raced ahead into the wood with a peal of laughter. Link gasped and raced after her.
He pounced toward her, and she ducked, spinning to grab him and lift him. He squealed a laugh, kicking. She giggled. She looked into the woods now winding pathways and set him back down. “Oh. Where to now?”
Link looked over his options. He quietly took her hand as they walked deeper into the woods. Sheik had been good at vanishing, but he was also 7 years older and more confident in a fight. Link didn't know if Zelda knew how to fight like Sheik. He didn't want to lose her. Zelda hummed cheerily while they walked. She swung their hands together, like they had always done this.
Slowly, the woods darkened, giggles of skull kids and Kokiri filled the air alongside the sway of leaves and birdsong. Zelda stepped closer to him. Link followed a familiar pattern and pulled Zelda gently toward the log that led them into the Kokiri forest.
She gasped softly as she looked around the fairy filled forest. Frozen at the entryway. Link paused to look back at her. A little smile settled on his face.
“Woah, Link's back!” Fado shouted, “And he brought somebody!”
Zelda startled, looking up at the Kokiri sitting on a roof.
“Link's back!” came more cheers, Kokiri coming out of their homes to rush and greet him, “Who is that?!” Said someone else, “Is that a Hylian?! I thought they were taller.” “Where's his fairy?” Mido’s distinctive voice grumbled, shoving into the front. “He lost her already?” someone gasped in response. “Oh no, did she die leaving the woods?!” “Link’s alive though!!” “Of course he's alive, it's Link.”
Link swallowed, glancing over his old friends. He took a step back and grabbed Zelda's hand again.
Zelda stepped forward graciously, and smiled, “I am Princess Zelda! Link offered to show me your forests.”
“The Princess?” Saria's voice echoed out of the crowd of fae softly. She stepped forward, smiling. “It's a pleasure to meet you! I knew Link would find you.”
He gave a bashful smile to her in return.
Zelda nodded, “He has been a great help to Hyrule. Thank you for sending him.”
“The Great Deku Tree sent him,” Saria clarified. She offered her hand, “I'm Saria!”
“Pleased to meet you!” Zelda cheered, taking her hand and shaking it firmly.
“Though… Where is Navi, Link?” Saria asked, tilting her head.
“I thought… She came back here?” Link whispered.
“She left you?” Another Kokiri asked.
“I- I'm not Kokiri.” Link said quietly. It felt shameful to admit. As if he’d been lying to them all the whole time. But that was why Navi left, wasn’t it? Saria seemed unsurprised, while others whispered. Link focused on her as he continued, “She helped me, but she came back here. Right?”
Saria shook her head softly, sympathetically, “I haven’t seen her.”
Link glanced at Zelda, nerves fraying. Why else would Navi leave except to return to the Kokiri where she belonged? Where else would she go? ....Could a fairy get lost?
She squeezed Link's hand. “Ah, she should be fine, right?…How about you all explain more about the fairies of your woods to me? I'd love to learn some more about who Link grew up with too.”
The Kokiri began chattering all at once, excited to share. Link slipped behind Zelda as they all talked, glancing around for hints of blue light.
Night had approached far faster than Zelda anticipated. Link had counted on distracting her the entire day. They just needed to survive this day and then Ganondorf would be found guilty and Link could feel like Zelda was safe in the Castle again.
Zelda paced Link's tree house nervously. “My father will be so worried, Impa will certainly be looking for me. Surely we should just go home?”
“Stals.” Link said simply, propping his head up in his hands while he sat on his bed.
“Right. It's safer here. We must leave first thing in the morning, though!”
Link nodded and yawned. Zelda properly looked around his house. “This is where you lived?” He couldn't tell if she approved. He nodded again.
“It smells nice and woodsy?” she offered. Yep. She didn't like it. He didn't really mind her judgement. He knew it wouldn't fit him in a few years. He would miss it, he thinks. He shrugged.
“...Bed?” Link asked.
“Oh, please.”
Link stood. With speed honed from his adventure, he picked her up and tossed her into the bed. She squealed a giggle as she landed. “Oh. What is this made of?” She laughed, patting the mattress.
“Straw?” Link gestured at the pile in his room with a confused frown. “What’s yours made from?”
“Down and wool?” Zelda shook her head as she tried laying on her back, “How do you sleep on this?”
“Side”
She turned onto her side. “...That's worse. You've been terribly mistreated here! Goodness!”
Link laughed, shaking his head as he settled to lay on the floor.
Zelda sighed, looking at him. “...Will you stay here? …Instead of the Castle?”
Link stared at the ceiling for a long moment.
“You'll always be welcome there, I know it,” she continued, “I won't make you stay, though. I know the woods are your home.”
That was the thing. They weren't truly home anymore. The forest was the land of eternal children. He had so many friends here. But they weren't like him. He would grow up. In some ways, he already had.
“I’ll miss you, though. I- I think I would like to have a brother.” Her smile was nervous. Worried he might not want to be her brother. Yet he already was. Not by the King's word, but through a fight she didn't remember. One he aimed to prevent.
“I would like to have a sibling too.” Link whispered.
She sighed in relief and turned to look at the ceiling as well. “I'm glad.”
Link let silence fall for a long while. It was dark in his home. Too dark without a blue light. Zelda's breathing was quiet. So quiet. He sat up. “Zelda?”
“Mhm?”
“...Can I-?”
She scooted over in the bed, and Link crawled in, curling up on his side next to her, into an arm she'd left into the space. She hooked her arm around his shoulders in a soft half hug. He sighed in relief. A sister... He had a sister.
...A sister who knew so many things. He considered for a moment, before whispering, “...Do you remember my- your-...our?”
“Mom?” Zelda finished for him,“...not really. I was very young when she disappeared. Impa tells me stories, though.”
“...Can you tell me some?” Link asked, voice slipping away from him even as the words escaped his lips.
“Of course.” Zelda said, voice soft and lowered. Like Sheik. Link closed his eyes. Sheik told a simple story of a golden haired woman who smiled like Light itself. Sheik was always a good storyteller, poetic and gentle. Link drifted into hazy dreams.
-
Ganondorf was finally gone. Impa had caught some aspect of his plan in action while looking for Zelda. She had personally escorted him to a cell in a dungeon and Link was happy to close that chapter permanently. Link had stayed a little longer, for Zelda. Sneaking her out (with Impa's permission) to visit the Zora or Kakariko and once all the way to the Gorons. Zelda was safe now.
He had a new goal.
Malon didn't take much convincing to give him Epona. She was mostly excited to know he'd memorized her song. He was walking Epona out of the ranch when he saw Zelda standing in front, looking out toward the Castle gates.
Link slowly walked up to her, eyes flickering over the grass and wooden fencing. Impa stood just outside, giving them a semblance of privacy while keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.
“You're already leaving the land of Hyrule, aren't you?” Zelda said. She, like Sheik, seemed to have a 6th sense about his presence behind her.
She turned, holding the Ocarina of Time in her hands. She seemed to have planned this, a determined knit to her brows. Link barely had to nod to confirm her suspicion. Zelda looked down at the ocarina.
“Even though it was only a short time, I feel like I've known you forever. I'll never forget the days we spent together in Hyrule…” She nodded firmly to herself, “And I believe in my heart that a day will come when I shall meet you again.” Her eyes seemed shiny. She knew. She knew he didn't plan on returning to the Castle. He didn't know how she knew. Zelda took in a breath “Until that day comes, please… take this.” She offered the magical instrument, eyes pleading. “I am praying… I am praying that your journey is a safe one.”
Link stared at the blue Ocarina. Idly, Link wondered if she had another vision surrounding this. ...He didn't know if he wanted to know.
“If something happens to you, remember this song.” She played the Song of Time, and he fell into a habit made with Sheik. He picked up his own Ocarina, and played.
He took the Ocarina after they finished, holding it gently. “Zelda… Thank you.”
She rushed to hug him, bone crushing and firm. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her in return.
“You'll always be my brother, wherever you are,” she whispered.
He nodded against her shoulder. With a steadying breath, he pulled away. He secured the Ocarina of Time in his pouch, safe. He looked at her once more, and got up onto Epona.
“Goodbye!” Zelda said, “...I hope you find her.”
Link smiled, and clicked Epona into motion, into the woods.
[Image Description: A character lineup of the Zeldas of the Linked Spirit AU, each labeled. Lady, Hero's Zelda, she/they/he: She is tan with a blond braid and the hair in front of her ears is wrapped in a dark purple ribbon. She wears purple pants and fingerless gloves. He wears a blue corset and a pink dress with ruffled sleeves and a split skirt. He wears dark blue boots with gold diamond patterns on the side. Zelda, Skyward Sword, she/her: She's tan with blond hair with straight bangs, her side bangs tied with ribbon and a red and blue feather. She has a teal beret and vest. She wears a white shirt, and magenta skirt. On one wrist, she wears a goddess bracket. She wears a wrap under her belt that has a light purple bird symbol. Princess, The Legend of Zelda, LoZ Cartoon, she/her: Dark skinned with curly red hair in a large bun. She wears a gold tiara and pink bow in her hair. She wears a purple shirt with princess sleeves and pink pants, with a light blue vest-skirt. She wears brown boots that go above her knee. Briar, Adventure of Link, she/her: She has a warm-light skintone, with red hair and a silver tiara. She wears a red puff-sleeve bodice and a red-orange bell skirt. Twilight, Twilight Princess, she/her: She is pale, with brown hair tied in a bun and ponytail. She wears a dark purple dress with a pale purple bodice. She wears long white gloves, and golden shoulder armor. The skirt banner has the triforce, the Hylian symbol, and simplified shapes of the light spirits. She wields her sword in front of her. Bloom, Breath of the Wild, they/them: They are pale with chin-length blond hair. They wear a white shirt and blue vest, with a thin ribbon tie. They have black pants, brown boots and a wide decorated belt. Lantern, CDi: Wand of Gamelon, she/her. She is tan with light blond hair and blue eyes. She has her arms folded, wearing a purple cloak and light purple dress. She wears a blue vest over her dress. She has a magic lantern on her hip attached to her belt.
Sheik, Ocarina of Time, she/he: The adult Sheik matches Sheik from Ocarina of Time, holding a golden lyre. Next to him is Kid Zelda, who is tanner, and her dress is collared, with pink lines in the skirt, otherwise, she matches Kid Zelda from Ocarina of Time. Tetra, Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, she/her: Tetra has dark skin, and light blond hair in a bun. She has a roc and a white feather in her hair. She wears a blue vest with gold trim, a red scarf and sash, and her light purple tunic-shirt has a long end with the triforce symbol and blue wind waker spiral patterns. Her shorts are white and baggy, and she wears sandals with straps up her calf. She has a tattoo on her bicep of crossed swords. Phantom, Spirit Tracks, she/her: A dark skinned 12 year old, with long curly blond hair with a white streak of hair. She wears a crown with horn-like spikes and white feathers behind her ears. She wears a pink dress with a purple bodice with pink spiral patterns. She wears gold jewelry on her belt and neckline with dark purple shoulder pads. Her hands are covered with long white gloves. Her dress banner is dark blue with a gold wing design and triforce. Sunflower, A Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, she/they: She is tan skinned with blond hair. She wears a light purple dress with gold shoulder pads and bracers. Their apron is a deep pink with a red triforce and triangle patterns, and her belt holds two golden tassels. She wears a white cape. Art, Link Between Worlds, she/her: She is light-skinned and she has blond hair with center parted bangs. She wears a white dress with blue trim and a white cape. Her pink apron is decorated with gold patterns and triforce. She has golden shoulder pads and bracers, and gold tassels hang off her belt. Mini, Minish Cap, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, she/her: She has tan skin and red hair in a high ponytail framed with white feathers. She wears a light pink dress with a white cape clasped with gold. She wears pink gloves and tan boots. She wears a pink bodice with white trim, and a banner is attached to her belt. The banner has the trifoce symbol and a gold kin-stone like symbol surrounded with the Minish Cap Element symbols. End ID]
Zeldas!! I lowkey needed a reference for myself. SO, here's the girls! And yes I did name TP Zelda Twilight to be confusing :P (But mostly because I think the one who got called The Twilight Princess by Midna deserves to have the name Twilight)
