Summary: What if instead of being born in Hyrule, he was born inside the Deku tree, and after getting the master sword as a young four year old child, he was taken in by the Zora? This is a fanfiction of Link's adventures as a child with the other champions and Zelda.
Rin: Please don't give me any flames, my heart is as weak as it is.
Disclaimer: I don't own Botw or any other LoZ character.
When Link pulled out the master sword as a child, he was shell shocked, so was Saria, and Mido, everyone was, however the koroks looked very excited, something that unnerved him just a little bit. The great Deku tree thought it best if he traveled, after all, it was his destiny to meet others.
That didn't mean that it was accepted, even Mido attended the meeting, or rather large argument about where he would go. Saria had yelled at the great deku tree, they were at it for two hours!. "But Deku tree, when he leaves, he can never truly return as a kokiri child like one of us, the spell on his body will be broken and he will start aging! Not to mention, this place is safest during the war, it's sealed off so not even ganon could get through without being sent back by the ancient magic!"
However here he was, walking through the lost woods, but he didn't really get lost, he had been born inside the deku tree after all, wandering out here was one's only entertainment, and Link was certainly good at messing with pesky travelers who don't know how to read the stay out sign.
The entrance to the lost woods was just inches away from Links nose, as a kokiri child he could see the barrier that the ancient magic reached. Once he stepped out, he would undoubtedly start aging past four years old. He should know, he's been four years old for a century now. He counted to three before stepping out of the barrier, it was like all the happiness and life left him. His hair, which had been a brilliant green hue like Saria's turned to gold, and his deathly pale complection started to turn porcelain and gained just a bit more color, not to mention he was taller, and his eyes, which had been a chocolate brown were now crystal blue.
He nervously adjusted his loose colorless clothing and walked on.
For nights on end he visited several housings, but no one would take him in. All he got was a slam of a door in his face. And every time he reached a stable house, they would shoo him off, writing him off as a begging orphan. His bottom lip quivered, humans were so cruel, especially the ones with golden hair like his, which he now could identify as hylians. Apparently they were the dominant race.
He was on a large cliff, overlooking a blue city, that had the insignia of the zora on it. A glimmer of hope shown, maybe if he showed them the green stone that the deku tree gave him, they would listen. He heard a roar behind him and turned around frightfully. A large horse man creature slashed his chest, making him fall off the cliff. It was a long fall, he remembered. But the scream he gave out was near inhuman. He could hear it reverberate throughout the cliff walls. He then blacked out when an yellow arrow stuck him in the leg and shocked him.
Mipha was now two years old, getting praised by her father when she heard it. A horrible scream that hurt her ears. Everyone in the courtroom covered their ears in pain. Mipha ran outside and looked around, then she saw him. A young boy was free falling towards the water below, and he looked human, he would surely die once the force of the water hit him.
"Father!" she screamed, but King Dorephan was already behind her, he too saw the young boy and dived right off. (Unlike the King Dorephan whose forehead would probably hit the ceiling, this one would be just a little bit taller that Sidon and much more well formed than him.) swimming faster than the fastest tiger shark, he aligned himself with the boy and and dived, a second later he probeled himself out of the water and was up in the air.
He grabbed the boy and twisted in mid air before going back in head first, quickly coming back up so the boy could breathe. He hurriedly swam to the ground below the city, and Mipha and the rest of the court jumped off as well and swam towards Dorephan. Mipha was first by her father's side, who had the boy laying down on his side.
Mipha looked horrified at the blood and arrow. She then realized there wasn't a rise and fall of his chest. "He isn't breathing." She said. Dorphan took notice as well and started to do CPR. But Mipha could feel that is was hopeless. One minute passed, two, when Dorephan immediately swam back to the courtroom. It was silent before he came back with a fairy in a bottle.
He opened it and the fairy twirled around the boy's body and he started taking shaky breaths. The fairy lingered however, circling the little green jem around the boys neck. "Kokiri Kokiri." It said in a tiny voice before disappearing. Mipha was first to react afterwards, her hands glowed blue as she hovered them over the giant slash wound.
Dorephan was second, grabbing the shock arrow and pulling despite the sizzles of pain it brought him as it connected with his skin. He yanked hard and it came out, but the boy jolted, awake again due to the pain and let out another inhuman screech.
Mipha hurriedly healed the rest of his wounds, and just in time before he shot up and punched her father in the nose. Mipha tried to calm him down while Dorphan took a couple scooches back and cradled his now red nose. "That actually hurt, this kid is definitely strong." Mipha gave her father an annoyed look before giving her attention back to the kid. He had finally calmed down and was now realising that he was no longer hurt. "Be careful, I'm not a very strong healer yet so the skin I mended is still very fragile, so please don't move around too much." He nodded, "Who are you?" She smiled, "My name is Mipha, and that man over there is King Dorephan, my father." Once the Zora had deemed him not a threat, most except a few guards cleared the area.
King Dorephan stood up and smiled, a sparkle in his teeth, "My Name is Dorephan, what's yours my boy?" Link smiled nervously, "Link of the Kokiri, it's very nice to meet you, and thank you all for saving me." King Dorephan laughed, "No sweat Link, however I must ask, where are your parents?"
Link shrugged, "My mother died during childbirth, and I'm assuming that my father is Hylian judging by my human form." Dorephan raised an eyebrow, "Wait, human form? Where were you born?" Link smiled, "In the Great Hyrule forest of course! I was born inside the deku tree." Dorephan observed him closely, "But you don't look like a Kokiri child. Usually they have green features somewhere! Or at least brown eyes."
Link giggled at Dorphan's confusion, "Once I left the forest, the ancient magic there could no longer protect me, so I will die like any other human, I age now. I should know, I've been four years old for a century now." Mipha giggled, "Than that would make you older than me." Dorephan bellowed out a laugh, "So would you technically be one hundred and something years old?"
Link nodded, "I guess if you want to look at it that way, but the real reason I'm here is actually for sanctuary until I become a grown up, not to talk about my exact age." Dorphan gave him a slap on the back, "Well your always welcome here, I like you, not to mention that Kokiri emerald makes you an alli."
Link smiled, "Thank you for your hospitality."
*Time skip*
Link is eight now, adorned in the Zora armor, he had become more serious around other people. It hadn't taken long for the Zora to consider him a prince. The eldest of the three children of King Dorephan now. Mipha had turned four not long ago, and was just a couple inches shorter than Link's waist now. While Sidon was still working to get out of his egg.
Link always was either studying or meditating or training, using a Zora sword and silver shield over the master sword, which was hidden in his room. Today they were hosting Hylian guests. The princess and her mother and father, along with a few advisors for a treaty. Link had begged his new father, King Dorephan not to accept, knowing full well of the arrogant Hylians history, but King Dorephan just waved him off, "Don't worry Link, nothing will happen, when you become King you will make your decisions, just as I will make mine right now, and I think it best to show them we are no threat...yet."
Link sought relief in the fact that his father wasn't completely foolish, and didn't worry too much about it, but Link's caretaker and top adviser, Muzu, thought the same. And Link was just a bit worried about how far Muzu would actually go, since he knew had Muzu thought. He hated humans, except for Link surprisingly, and no visitors were allowed near the royal family if Muzu could help it.
If the Hylian royal family did come, Link was pretty sure that Muzu would have a conniption fit. Or a heart attack, whichever came first. Mipha was surprisingly calm about the whole thing, "I don't really have any business in politics, but would it really be bad if we didn't have the Hylians to worry about?"
Link sighed, "Mipha, a long, long time ago, when the Gerudo still had an abundance of men in their race, the Hylians had attacked them, killing off the men, when they came back for the women, who at that time were weak, they fought back, they had many casualties, but they did gain the desert as their territory.
Do you know what the royal family had promised before they attacked?" Mipha looked at her hands sullenly, "But people change with time Link, they might not do it this time." Link narrowed his eyes as he sat back on his throne on the right side of Dorephan, Mipha on Link's right. "If they do decide to attack, they're going to be in for a big surprise regarding our military might."
Dorephan smiled and nodded at Link, "Mipha, please don't talk during the exchange, they still think that I only have one child, if they believe you are recent they won't say anything." Mipha was confused, "But why not father?" Link sighed, "Because a while ago they asked for a healer, but since you were still so little, King Dorephan said that he only had a son, and since only royal family female Zora have ability to heal, if they really found out, it would be an offense on the kingdom."
Mipha looked down, "So if I did talk, and say anything wrong, I could cause a war?" Link shrugged, "Yes, but it isn't your fault, it was around the time you healed me, so you were still recovering, not to mention young, and what they were asking would have surely killed you, so no, it's not your fault at all."
Mipha nodded, "But you want to be cautious just in case?" Link nodded, Mipha was about to ask another question, but Link shushed her, she listened as well, the horns of arrival were sounding in the distance. Link frowned, they were here.
The first time that Link saw the Hylian King's daughter, he instantly decided that she was a threat, along with her father. Her mother however, looked very sick, and she was on a horse, at least halfway on it. For some reason, she had both of her legs to one side. Link furrowed his brows, the horse would easily be able to buck her off if she kept that up.
There was a squabble starting at the gates about bringing the horse in. He sighed and got up, Mipha protested, but he smiled at her before resuming his cold composure and left the throne room. Muzu, who saw Link coming dragged his hand down his face. "What the hell are you doing?!" Link shrugged, "The queen looks sickly so I'm carrying her." Muzu looked him up and down and sighed, "I suppose you could, your taller than me now despite your age, and you have more than enough strength for it."
Muzu finally let him go and he walked down the steps slowly, the rest of the guards taking notice and bowing immediately. "Your Highness! We did not see you! Please forgive our rudeness." The guard arguing with the advisers of the Hylian royal family also took notice of him, or his glare more like. The guard practically face planted into the floor.
"A thousand apologies for disrupting the peace your highness, but we simply cannot allow the horse in for both it's safety and everyone around it! It's too slippery for the horse to be able to even take a step!" Link fully understood, having studied the structure of the domain a long time ago. "It's quite alright, I simply came to carry her, as she is too sickly to walk.
One of the guards protested, "HOW DARE YOU!" But Link had already picked up the queen and was walking back inside. He motioned his head to Muzu, who got the idea and ordered for a chair to be placed in the throne room. Link set her down a couple steps later in the chair that faced the royal family, and sat back down in between Mipha and Dorephan.
Dorephan laughed as the others slowly trickled in, "I do hope you can push aside my son's boldness, he isn't very well the type to speak out his intentions or how he feels, but rest assured he always has the best of all of us in mind. Some of the guards were grumbling while King Rhoam looked at Link interestingly.
Zelda's pov.
When she had heard that they were traveling to Zora's domain for a peace treaty, she was elated to go somewhere else besides the castle gardens. However she was worried about her mother, who was getting sicker by the day.
The journey had been long and hard, but as they walked the path, they had noticed murals of a King named Dorephan, and the crowned Prince Link. The stories she was read to by her mother, who had them stop so she could hear them, absolutely amazed her.
They then came across a Zora who had led them the rest of the way. She had gotten to speak with him one night as they rested. "Excuse me, but can you tell me more about your crowned prince?" The Zora had smiled at her enthusiasm and curiosity of Link.
"He's amazing, and much more than the stories on the walls tell you. He greatly cares for our people, but is extremely disciplined. He trains, studies, and meditates practically all day, but now he's got a little sister constantly following him around and nagging at him to play with her, so maybe we'll be seeing much more of him from now on."
Zelda's eyes sparkled as the kind Zora told her all about the prince, he was very dedicated and sounded wonderful. But when she had heard that he also had the master sword in his possession, she decided, she would use this power of he's to protect him, as was her duty to protect the hero of Hyrule.
As amazing as he sounded, she had no doubt in her mind that he would be able to defeat Ganon.
.
.
.
When she saw him for the first time however, that was so much more than she was ever told. They had been stopped at the beginning of the bridge to the domain, but denied entryway. She was fiddling with her cold gear as they were repeatedly told that they could not go inside the domain with her mother's horse.
"It's fine Rhoam, just go on without me, I'll be waiting here with the guards." As her mother and father argued quietly beside her, she was too busy looking at a teen looking boy that was coming towards them. He had on the Zora set, but was undoubtedly not Zora. He looked at her fiercely before looking at her mother.
The guard arguing with one of her father's advisers abruptly face planted into the ground in the direction of the boy. "A thousand apologies for disrupting the peace your highness, but we simply cannot allow the horse in for both it's safety and everyone around it! It's too slippery for the horse to be able to even take a step!"
So this was the prince? Zelda blushed, yes, he was definitely more than she had imagined. "It's quite alright, I simply came to carry her, as she is too sickly to walk." Her eyes widened as her mother was picked up off her horse and carried bridal style inside. Zelda got off her horse and followed after him, her father and the rest not too far behind, she briefly heard a how dare you behind her, but it wasn't her concern anymore, too focused on the sophisticated boy infront of her.
She saw a manta ray looking Zora barking orders for a chair, and Link set her mother down before returning to his seat in between a handsome looking Zora adorned in luminous stone, and a small, cute little Zora who was whispering words into Links ear, which he smiled at. Zelda felt a flare of jealousy replace the fluttering inside her chest when she looked at the little girl, that must be Prince Link's little sister, so why should she feel jealousy?
Link pov
Link looked at the royal family while the others were preoccupied with his father who was now talking with the others. King Rhoam was very serious by nature undoubtably. He didn't even react when he took his wife! Link spotted the princess observing both him and his sister with interest, he supposed she would, as this is her first meeting with other royals besides her father and mother.
The queen looked gentle and kind, the kind of feeling that he retained when he thought of his own mother, even if he never met her. He saw one of the guards eye balling him. He was an exact replica of Link, and that unnerved Link, he felt as if his heart would stop.
The guard had nudged another adviser beside him and motioned to Link, they both started writing notes to each other, confirming Link's suspicions. Mipha whispered in his ear, "How old is the princess?" Link smiled, "She's four like you." Mipha smiled widely and started looked at the princess with adoration in her eyes. Oh no, Link's pretty sure that Mipha just imprinted on Zelda.
They started discussing staying the night and leaving in the morning, Link's eye twitched, this was going to end up bad, especially all the problems he's facing already.
King Rhoam is starting to look between him and his daughter with interest, not good.
Mipha might just put Zelda in a deadly hug when this is over.
He's pretty sure his scumbag dad is in the royal guard.
He's practically being forced to sign a damn treaty that he didn't even want to agree to in the first place.
His father gave him a pen and smiled brightly, but Link knew that look, it was the one that Father would make when he got Link to do something he didn't want to.
"I'm going to kill you for this." He whispered under his breath, but he knew that his father would hear it. King Dorephan stuck out his tongue while the Hylians weren't looking. He signed his name and sighed as it was passed back to the king. Rhoam nodded and dismissed himself, while the soldiers helped carry the queen, Princess Zelda glancing back one last time before being escorted to her resting quarters.
Link stood up and took Mipha's hand, dismissing both himself and her. Mipha gave her father a kiss quickly and grabbed Link's hand again as he led her out. Mipha smiled up at Link, "That was amazing, and princess Zelda was so pretty! I want to be as pretty as her one day." Link looked down at Mipha, "But you are already pretty, if you become even more so, you would be considered the goddess Hylia herself." Mipha had stars in her eyes as she looked at Link's serious expression. "Do you really think so?" Link nodded, he let go of her hand. "Now go play with the rest of the children, I have business to do near the mountains, a Lizalfos stole one of our spears, and in the wrong hands, that would not be good."
Mipha nodded seriously, "Good luck big brother, come home safe." Link ran off, he secured his zora sword on the way and calmly walked over the bridge, his senses already on high alert. He was waved off by the guard and got to work. Climbing stealthily over the various hills, he stayed as quiet as possible as he waited, and waited, and waited.
It was soon night when he finally spotted it waving around the spear. He narrowed his eyes as it soon curled up and fell asleep a little ways away from two lizalfos who were apparently on watch but decided to chat instead. He crouched and walked down the hill, grabbing the spear quickly and secured it to his back, now to get out.
He walked as quickly as he could before running, with only his sword, and as much enemies as there were, he really didn't want to engage in combat. Link suddenly stopped as he remembered something.
Earlier
Dorephan called after Link before before he left, "Don't forget, we're having a feast tonight in our guests honor, every Zora across the kingdom are coming, so it is very important that you are on time as the crowned prince."
Link slapped his forehead. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! This was just like the time at Saria's - no never mind, he'd rather not remember. He ran as fast as he could now. He's so late.
He ran past the guards and all the way up the steps, he panicked when he found the throne room empty, they all must have entered the underground palace. He went down the hidden staircase that led to a lobby, and three halls made their appearance up ahead, he took the middle one that led to his wing and burst into his room, where his servants were waiting anxiously.
"My Prince!" the lead exclaimed, "You're just in time, they will announce your presence in the banquet hall in ten minutes!" All five undressed him hurriedly, pushing him into the bathing pool in front of his king sized bed. He was bathed in lavender and cinnamon oils and soaps, and his long golden hair that went just below his waist was brush thoroughly.
He was then dried and dressed in dark blue robes. His hair braided and decorated in luminous stone, and his silver circlet with diamonds dangling was put on his head. Black lip paint was put on his lips, and tribal tattoos were painted on his arms. Decorative silver open toed shoes that wrapped around his legs were also put on.
A large black wolf pelt was draped over his shoulders as well, and they put long silver chain earrings as a final touch with luminous stone at the end. They all squealed, "Perfect!" He was escorted out, and was right outside the dining hall when he heard his name, it was then that he spotted much more than Zora and Hylians.
He only had a moment to scowl before he was called up. "ANNOUNCING CROWNED PRINCE LINKS ARRIVAL, PLEASE RISE UP FOR HIS HIGHNESS." He heard a loud motion of rising before he walked slowly to his place at the head table on the right side of his father. There were five tables in all in front of the head table.
There was one for The Rito, the Gerudo, one for the Goron, one for the Hylian, and one for the Zora. While Mipha and Link were on the right side of their father, Muzu and the other advisors were on his left. It was then that Link noticed a high chair on Mipha's right, which could only lead to one conclusion as to why every damn race in the kingdom was gathered here without his knowledge.
His suspicions were confirmed when he spotted a small baby zora being placed in the high chair, Sidon must've hatched a few days ago if father was suddenly worried about peace. No one seemed to notice him though, and his father was too busy joking with Muzu to make the announcement.
Link sighed and stood up, and instant attention was on him. He cleared his throat and spoke, "May I announce my new baby brother, prince Sidon, please take care of him in my stead when I go to my trials as the acting prince. Everyone clapped, even Dorphan surprisingly. He did however spot his real father sitting with the other guards at the Hylian table glaring at him.
He was just about to sit back down when the foolish Hylian stood up and yelled. "HEY BASTARD!" Everyone was shell shocked at the royal guard's display. Link replied calmly, "Yes Eric Oradon?" People gasped all around that Link even knew his name. His father laughed and took another swig of his lotus seed ale.
So the man's fake courage came from drinking? Link raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow in Eric's direction. Eric laughed, "You know my name! That just confirms my suspicions, Link of the Zora, you are undoubtedly my son!"
Link scoffed, "You're point? Just because you were involved in my creation, does not make you my father. Eric laughed, "You are my property because you are apart of me, or am I wrong?" Dorphan was about to stand up but Link glared at him, before switching his eyes back to Eric, "No, you're completely wrong, I do not abide by Hylian law, because I was born in Kokori territory, and was adopted and raised by the Zora! You left my mother to die all alone and pregnant with me during an expedition to Gerudo desert during the wars, I don't how the hell you managed to stay alive all these years, but you are.
Eric looked nervous now, "What are you talking about? It's only been eight years since your mother's death!" Link's eyes narrowed, "No, when I was born inside the deku tree, the ancient magic of forest protected me from age, time stopped for me when my body reached the age of four, and from there I lived for one hundred and two years, then I ventured off after pulling out the master sword, and my body aged once more."
He looked at his father with hatred, "You did something to make you live out all these years, and I want to know what. You look to be twenty-four, but I know better than that. After all, you are the one who killed my little sister after she left the forest, weren't you?" King Rhoam raised up, "What is the meaning of this?!"
Link frowned, "What I'm saying is, my sister never left the forest, she was stolen. But the only way to gain immortality, or at least a long life span, is to drink the blood of a divine being. And since the kokori children have been touched by the divine beings, that would make them so. Link pulled out out some papers from inside his robes and threw them in the air. "A traveling Korok found these in the Hyrule castle records, I read them right before I left on my journey, and that's when I knew how she died.
The Gerudo chief picked up the papers and read them, before scowling at Eric, "Figures only a voe would do such a horrible thing." "What does it say?" The Rito chief, Misorito, and father to Revali, said calmly. Urobosa, the youngest chief in history, cleared her throat and read out loud, "And unnamed child with golden hair and blue eyes was hung from a tree inside the lost woods close to the entrance.
There was severe blood loss, but no blood was shown anywhere. Link smirked, "And the only way to gain immortality is to devour the soul of a blessed being, however, gaining a longer lifespan only requires the bathing in said being's blood, and a lifespan that exceeds past 100 years requires you to drink their blood. So tell me father, what really happened to my sister?"
Eric looked fearfully at the people that surrounded him, glaring at him. "Arrest him!" Someone shouted from the Gerudo table. Link cleared his throat, and Muzu took the signal, handing him a scroll and a pen. It was an arresting announcement made especially for him. "Eric Oradon, on behalf of the murder of a kokiri being and the abandonment of your wife and unborn children, twins Link and Aryll, you are under arrest for life on Zora law. Go rot in hell scumbag."
Both a Hylian and a Zora guard escorted Eric to the dungeons. Link nodded in satisfaction and sat back down, and it wasn't long before everyone went back to the feast. Mipha tugged on Link's sleeve. She pointed shyly to Revali, Daruk, and Urbosa. "How old are they?" She whispered. Link hummed, "Urbosa is twenty, Daruk is maybe six to sevenish, Revali is four like you, about to turn five. Mipha pouted, "So turn out to be the youngest?!" Link hummed, "No, Sidon is the youngest.
Chapter 1 end
An: As you read this, I'm already working on the second chapter, so hooray for that, if some of you read my other works, thank you and I will update when I can, I'm actually considering deleting some of them, if you guys want to adopt them you can, I list them in my bio. Thanks again and tune in next week! Also, I'm sorry if the characters are ooc.
-Rin