General The Legend Of Zelda Fanfiction Thread

Is there a fic about the backstory of Zelda 2?

Curse of the Triforce has the prince from Zelda 2 as a major character, and is a prequel to both OOT and AOL. that's as close as I could find :(

I found a good Zelda I fanfic too, where Link and Zelda are siblings, this one about Zelda awakening post-AOL, and this one post-AOL where even though Link saved Zelda Ganon's minions are still going after him and finally catch him.

Edited by lalalei2001 on Oct 7th 2020 at 11:37:41 AM

The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Revised-Complete by Dragon Rand 100 -the eagle1989

I want to recommend this one because it feels like a faithful novelization of the game, complete with its own plot twists, character development, author's personality and faithful worldbuilding. I would totally be in favor of taking charge of creating a page for this Fan Fic but I want to spread the word first to see if I can get more support. As is, it's over 300,000 words long and fully revised and completed. Not perfect by any means but certainly worth examination.

On that note it's actually got an audiobook being made for it. So yeah, it's certainly something that stands out.

Well, you could make a page for a thousand-word drabble if you felt like it and could find enough tropes. "Notability" isn't an issue. I understand it can sometimes feel weird to make a page for something that no one else cares about, but it is allowed as long as you're following all the rules.

And posting here to mention when you make the page will help. I just put this fic on my list, so I'll get to it... in a while. Maybe a long while. (72 hour work weeks)

So that's it then? I can actually create the page so long as I am following with the rules? That doesn't feel right. Then again I've never actually helped create a page for media before so I don't know how this procedure works. I thought that the forum was the first step, after that I don't really have a plan.

How to Create a Work's Page.

Short version: Make sure it has a description, at least three tropes, is on an index (as a Zelda fic, put it here to start), and is crosswicked. The only extra rule for fanfiction is don't copy/paste the description on fanfic.net as the only description.

Making a work page is one of those things that seems a lot harder than it really is.

Here's the link to get you started: The Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time Revised And Complete. Just click on it and start editing.

Edited by Discar on Oct 18th 2020 at 8:45:50 AM

Been recently getting a lot of activity, reviews and kudos on my old LOZ fanfic, Zelda's Honor. Finished it like way back in 2015 or some such, it was my very first written work.....ever. Needed to get out a lot of dark thoughts and feelings at the time and it is reflected in the mature/explicit nature of the fic. However, it seems lately, a lot of people are digging that sort of extreme, dark vibe. More power to them! :D I'm just happy people are enjoying it. I learned a lot about writing from this fanfic and from....becoming too ambitious for my own good, yet I continue to go big anyway with every story I write!

So I once put out an idea on one the game Zelda threads and now I'm running it by people here as well:

Basically, some individuals become aware of the cycle between Link and Zelda and Ganon/Demise. Like, they know about the entire curse on the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero and that an incarnation of Demise's hatred will always appear to fight them. Since these battles continuously wreck Hyrule to the point where it can't move past Medieval Stasis, they decide that the only way to end things is to destroy not just Ganon, but Link and Zelda as well. If they don't exist, they suspect he won't come back.

Now for this idea, Zelda is also fully aware of her bloodline, and (if you interpret her as reincarnating, her previous lives all the way up to Hylia herself. She naturally blames herself for all the suffering Hyrule has endured, and on some level even agree with the group and their goals. If removing her from the equation would finally let Hyrule move on, then she's ok with that...but she's against killing Link, in any incarnation because she was the one who involved him and she feels that he and those who come after him deserve their happy ending more than she does. Link, in this story hasn't even proven himself as the hero yet, and thus is blissfully unaware of his potential role in things, further complicating the matter.

As for Ganon, not sure what role he plays: it may vary from sitting back and watching shit unfold, to just being his usual self, unaware of the conflict, to even fearing this group may accomplish what Zelda and Link can't and opting to consider an Enemy Mine with them.

No solid direction yet to be honest.

~Red Turban Leader

Re: your post about wanting Zelda fanfic to read.

Depending on what you're looking for there are a few ways to go about things.

The wiki fanfics recs page is a pretty useful resource when it comes to finding non-shipping focused fanfic. Although not as bad as some fandoms, the generally higher engagement with shipping focused fics leads to them being higher in most sorting metrics. Additionally, recs pages like this can also be useful for older fics that might be less popular nowadays and harder to find. Although those pages are edited by anyone, so your tastes may or may not align.

If you want a specific ship, or don't mind a bit more searching, just try fanfiction.net or archiveofourown.org and sort by one of the metrics.

I'm so far reading two right now.

But thanks for this post.

Question: Do you have any you would personally recommend?

Top of my list is The Princess Who Carries the Blood of the Goddess, which is a Role Swap AU where Zelda was the one injured and Link had to hold back Ganon for a hundred years. Very, very well written.

Displaced (The Legend of Zelda) takes place right after the game ends as Zelda tries to adjust to the new world. Long fic with a sequel where Zelda is building a new Sheikah slate. That author also wrote some short AUs, like the one where Hyrule deals with covid, or the one where Zelda was raised as a Sheikah, or the one where she possesses a Guardian to help Link.

I can also wholeheartedly recommend Displaced and the other fics by the same author Discar suggested.

I also thought I'd hate the covid Animal Crossing one, but I ended up thinking it was fantastic.

Most of the stuff I've read is Zelda/Link focused. But skimming though my bookmarks.

I read The Weekly Hyrule News years ago, but I remember it as one of the best High School A Us I've read it's particularly good because magic starts to intrude on the modern day.

In particular I loved the Sheik reveal and how it plays out with Link realizing he's bi.

Dude Your Sister is Hot is a great oneshot featuring trans Linkle

Wavebreeze wrote some great modern A Us. Lot of long oneshots, I'm a big fan of The Girl at the Museum but their other stuff is also great if you're into that kind of stuff.

A Princess for Midwinter and its sequel are another Modern AU, with the authors intending to toss as many romance movie tropes into a story as possible. Which works because the author's are great writers.

Moving away from Modern A Us

One of the authors of the above fic also wrote One Last Year a BOTW story focused on filling in the gaps of the last year before the Calamity. A fair few authors have tackled this idea, but this is one of the best.

A really good post BOTW story is Like Real People Do A bit more NSFW than the others on this list if I recall correctly.

Another great fic by the socksock who did Displaced, All the Trashy Novels is the story of Link and Zelda bonding over a shared love for trashy literature. Set pre Calamity. Also a bit NSFW.

Roots is an interesting one. Pre Calamity fic that the author takes a lot of liberties with the characters so they feel very different compared to most other BOTW fics. I'd suggest reading this after already having read other big BOTW fics.

26 Minutes and 42 Seconds is a crackfic that has no right to be as sweet as it is. Link shows up at Hyrule Castle less than an hour after waking up.

Edited by 32ndfreeze on Dec 13th 2021 at 9:27:58 PM

Oh yeah, I forgot how great 26 Minutes is. It's silly and stupid and adorable.

Sounds nice! Thanks!

I just had a thought:

There are a lot of stories where different Links meet each other, but are there any stories with all the different Zeldas interacting?

I'd be fascinated to see how some of them bounce off each other.

Like Skyward Zelda is the only non Princess but not only is she the first Zelda (and thereby the beginning of the Hylian Royal Family) but also (spoilers if you didn't play Skyward Sword) the reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia, so I'd be interested to see how all the others act around her.

Tetra has little love for the Princess Zelda Identity too, so seeing how she acts around the others would be a sight.

Which version of OOT Zelda would be used: the young one, or the 7 years later one?

How would Spirit Tracks Zelda react to meeting her Grandmother (I think Tetra is her Grandmother)?

Lots of potential there, but I don't know if it's ever really been done.

I've only seen it as one Zelda interacting with many Links. "You're the one I sailed the Great Sea with. You're the one I banished the Twilight with." So on and so on. My guess would be it's because Zelda is explicitly a reincarnation, one person living many times, while Link is a bit more fluid, even if it's implied that he's reincarnating as well (I personally love the interpretation that it's a new person taking up the mantle of the hero every time, but that's just me).

So yeah, I haven't seen what you're talking about with Zelda, though as noted it's pretty common with Link, from both sides.

There's this one from a while ago for Zelda interacting with another Zelda.

I'm pretty sure I've seen at least a couple others with Hylia/Zelda interactions.

Although admittedly the whole divine/mortal framework around those might be different to what you're looking for.

I have no idea if it happens with those multi Link stories though. The ones where each Link is called after the game. Like Twilight, Wild, Time, ect.

I've never read any of those because the premise just feels offputting to me.

Edited by 32ndfreeze on Dec 16th 2021 at 9:15:23 PM

Never really liked the "Link crossover" scenario in Legend of Zelda fanfiction.

Usually, I'm fine with most fanfiction, but cross-overs, even cross-overs between different eras never quite did it for me.

Interesting idea, though I'm not sure in I'm totally into the more uptight nature of Twilight Zelda. It kinda makes sense, but still.

I feel like her being a reincarnation shouldn't be such an issue what with there being three timelines. Like you can really work with having three Zeldas from the same point in different timelines dealing with the fact that they are kinda the same person twice over (via alternate dimensions and reincarnation).

To say nothing of the fact that Adventures of Link ends with there possibly being two Zeldas. I know there are a few stories about that.

Reading three fics right now and I'm enjoying them more than I anticipated.

A thread about Zelda fics is simply incomplete without a mention of The Legend of Link: Lucky Number 13.

It's mostly based on Ocarina of Time (though the events of Majora's Mask are also involved). Its premise is that Zelda sending Link back to "live a child's life" at the end of the game resulted in a "Groundhog Day" Loop that he eventually escapes via loophole. He then finally gets to be with Zelda... until she dumps him.

A plot summary from that point onward would take far too long and be spoilerrific. Suffice to say that this is a character-driven story that gives Link a dark sense of humor and wit to spare. The first few chapters are a bit rocky, but after that it becomes a thoroughly immersive read that surprised the hell out of me many times. Perfect balance of drama, action and humor woven into a massive 550k+ word novel.

It has shades of shipping at the start, but the focus is more on family drama and the psychological consequences of Link's upbringing.

I'm working on making a trope page for it, too. It pops up in a few trope pages already (e.g. Amnesiac God, Finger Poke of Doom).

Pairings: Link/Nabooru, Link/Sepaaru (OC)

NOTE: The story is not porn, but it DOES have a few NSFW scenes (both sexual and violent) that weren't intended to be titillating or Gorn. I checked the site rules (P5, etc) and I don't believe it violates them, but if it violates this forum's rules then go ahead and delete (or tell me to). I didn't see this was a problem until I got the first time PM, so I'm adding this disclaimer here.

Edited by Arbron on Dec 18th 2021 at 11:56:25 AM

I'll be honest, I'm enjoying "romance" in fanfics more than I should.

I gotta say...

Some fanfic writers really rely too heavily on angst, sadness, and depressive shit.