Alrighty! Here we go! Chapter 2


Gorons are one race that does not seem to have a female in sight. No, that's not true, there are female gorons but they're actually much more solitary in comparison to their male counterparts. So much so that they don't really come up in daily topics unless one comes out to mate. And like the Gerudo, the male to female ratio in this race is significantly different but, unlike the Gerudo, the lesser gender of their kind is a little more common. It's not like one is born every couple of centuries. It's just that it is a one in twenty chance for a female to be born. As they are also treated as a precious resource, the Gorons never talk about them to outsiders. Females are rare and while by no means oppressed, they are a well guarded secret in a way that, although other races assume they have females, the average person who meets the Goron tribe sometimes wonders if they have any. If anyone asks, the gorons just laugh and say 'we don't just spring up outta nowhere you know' and leave it at that.

Any male goron child is left with the tribe. Female goron children are kept until they can fend for themselves, usually in their early adulthood. There are typically no hard feelings if a male goron never mates in their life because of the rare females. It's a shame to not have children but not too big of a deal either. The chance to mate is never to be taken lightly, even considered a privilege for the goron men. Females have to approach their ideal partners themselves. Even just seeing one is rare to outsiders. Most females only breed once every ten years. It's rare for them to stay with a goron man but it's not unheard of.

Female gorons do not look like their male counterparts too much. Their hair is a little more wild but still remains fairly short, their bodies are not as fat and round but still have more bulk than any hylian woman would have. Their legs are also longer and their thighs are thicker. Unlike the males, the don't roll around like boulders. When they curl, they have more of a wheel shape, making it a little harder for them to roll but much faster. They still have rocks along their backs but not as much nor are they as jagged as a normal male goron's back. They're not as physically tough but they are more agile and fast. They can hide and run away a lot better than their male counterparts, too.

Much of these reclusive females are artisans that specialize in things made of stone from sculpture to pottery to glass. They are masters of taking earth and shaping it with fire. Only a few merchants are trusted to sell these priceless pieces of stoneware. The females carve out their own well hidden homes in the sides of mountains. Related females will live in relatively close proximity, sisters will even live together. It was to one of the females of this tribe that a new life from another world started to develop inside of her after recently mated. As to whether or not they lay eggs or give live birth remains to be a secret. But, she was faced with a difficult life and so to give her child a better chance, she had to leave her behind.

So, when a traveling merchant found a baby goron nearby Death Mountain, he assumed it was male... until he looked more closely He was shocked to see that she was female. He would have gone to the goron village if he could but he was not equipped to make the trek and so, he decided to keep the infant with him. He found that giving her certain stones that gorons have been known to eat were sufficient enough nutrients for her, provided they were small enough to swallow.

Not really knowledgeable with goron names, he named her Betty. It just seemed to fit. So he took little Betty back to his home in Kakariko village to live with him and his family. His wife was shocked when she saw her husband come in the house with a bundle.

"Honey, what is that?" She asked, walking up to him.

"Don't be mad, dear, but I found her alone on the trail near Death Mountain." He said, letting her look.

"What the?! Are you insane?! How do you expect to feed it?" She asked.

"She actually will eat certain rocks." He said.

"Do we even know if they're healthy for her?! You do know that these things can eat lava, right?" She asked.

"Hey, I don't think it's a necessary part of her diet." He said.

The woman was clearly frantic. She had no hard feelings towards the goron, it's just that no average Hylian truly knows how to care for them. She could die in their care for all they know.

"Listen, go find another goron to take her. We don't know what we're even doing with her and we have our own kids to worry about." She said.

The young merchant frowned at his wife but, she was right. They had two other kids that are just a handful to deal with. He wordlessly left out the door. He asked around town but no one knew where a Goron would be. So he went to go ask the village elder, Impa. If anyone knew where to find a Goron willing to take a child goron, she would be the one to come to.

"Ah, Johnro. What brings you here?" Impa asked.

"I found a baby goron abandoned by a trail. My wife and I don't know how to care for one so we were wondering if you would know where I could find a goron willing to take her?" He asked.

"Her? It is a female?" Impa asked.

"Yes, she is." He said.

Hearing this, Impa grew troubled and thought for a moment.

"Hmm... this is going to be difficult. Not many Goron men are willing to take on such a rare child. Goron women live secluded from the men and typically live on their own but may live with their sister or mother or child. All sons are given back to the tribe but daughters are kept to be taught skills such as pottery or mining for precious gemstones." She said.

"Is there anything you can do?" He asked.

Impa thought for a moment and then nodded.

"I will have some men in the village ask around. If it's any consolation, at least she will be fairly easy to care for until I find a potential guardian for her. Goron girls are not as picky when it comes to eating. While Goron men will eat only the finest rock roast, Goron women are willing to eat limestone, rocksalt, sandstone, any kind of igneous rock, and even certain clays. For them, rock roast is a rare treat. Gorons can also drink milk and their children can have it, too. Rarely do the women even eat lava. " She said.

Johnro felt relieved. Betty will at least be easy to care for.

"Okay. So what will I do in the mean time?" Johnro asked.

"I have some books around here that you can use. They have some information on Gorons. Go ahead and barrow them. Just remember to bring them back." Impa said.

"Thank you." He said.

"Here! I got them for you." Paya said, handing him a stack of books.

Johnro walked back to the house. He was kind of relieved that he wouldn't have to say goodbye to Betty just yet. He already bonded with her. Impa already had a feeling that even if they did find a guardian for the baby, Johnro and his family will probably already be attached. Impa also doubted they'll find anyone to take her. The goron men would be concerned but it is absolutely forbidden for any of them to go near a goron infant without the mother's consent. There's a superstition that if they do, they may never be approached by a lady goron ever. That won't stop her from trying to find someone, of course.


A lonely fisherman casts his lines out into Lake Hylia, hoping to restock his fishing pond soon. He was a quiet man in his early forties, living on his own contently at the cabin by his fishing pond that he had just opened. It wasn't very popular yet but he hoped it would be after catching enough fish. But, as he fished with big dreams in mind, a small light blue object hit his foot. He picked it up to see something moving inside. What was it? Some kind of creature? He was surprised when the object split open and a weird white tadpole-like fish with sharp teeth came out. It was an egg.

The little fish didn't hurt him like he initially thought with how big its teeth were. Instead, it looked at him with curious eyes. It looked almost... human. He put the strange fish in his bucket, wondering if maybe it'll make a nice game fish for his pond even though he hadn't seen a fish like that in his life. But, when he put another fish, a salmon, in with the strange fish, the strange fish quickly ate it. The fisherman was shocked to see how quickly she ate the fish. He was tempted to toss the fish back into the water, fearing that having something like that would mean losing all the fish in his pond. However, after looking at the new hatchling, something about it told him that throwing it back could mean certain death for the fish. For some odd reason, he had a feeling that it was female.

So he resolved to keeping the rest of his catch in another bucket and throwing the dying or smaller catch in with the strange fish. And the strange fish ate every single one until she fell asleep, curled up in the bottom of the bucket with a fat belly. The fisherman couldn't help but see something oddly human about this strange fish. So when he got home, he released the rest of his catch and fenced off a more secluded area of the fishing pond. He'd later build a bridge in that area to fence it off more. He released the strange fish into the small pool he had just fenced off. The strange fish swam around, surveying her new living area before finding a comfortable area in the weeds and going back to sleep in the comfort of the plants.

"What are you?" The fisherman muttered before heading back to his cabin to also turn in for the night.

The next day, he looks to find the strange fish swimming in circles and playing with some of the weeds. Upon seeing him, her tail fin waggled wildly in excitement. He threw a salmon into the water with her. She ate it within minutes. He hesitantly put his hand in the water and the strange fish smiled and rubbed up against his hand. So he ended up petting the odd fish. He sat next to the waters edge and put his feet into the water. The fish surprised him by climbing up his legs and onto his lap like a little puppy. She loved his attention. Despite everything he knew about fish, this one went against a lot of things. He bonded with her as she snuggled against him. But then she started to gasp, her gills still not yet able to breathe air properly. He pushed her to go back into the water but she was reluctant.

So he sat in the shallows with her. Only then did she relax and cuddle with him happily. He stroked her smooth skin, it reminded him of the same texture as a hard boiled egg. He was surprised to see that she was already bigger than she was yesterday. But, eventually, he had work to do if he wanted to stock his pond some more. He got up to leave and she tried following him. He signaled at her to stay in the water. Hurt, she laid in the weeds, acting like he may as well as stabbed her. He sighed and went to his cabin to find something for her to play with. He found one of his old lures, a sinking lure. He cut off the hooks and then put it in the water with her. She rose from her plant bed and eyed it curiously, chewed on it but then spat it out. She then started knocking it around and then smiled as she would watch it float to the bottom. The lure kept her occupied all day as the fisherman went out to got fish some more.

He came back to find her asleep next to her new toy. The old fisherman was relieved that his idea had worked. She awoke and happily swam up to him. He dumped his smaller catch into the pond and she happily hunted and ate them. She ate the big ones, opting to let the smaller ones live for now. They will make a great snack for her later. So this was their routine: cuddles in the mornings, playtime before fishing, and then dinner time with the day's catch. It wasn't until she grew a set of arms two months later that the fisherman finally realized what she was: a baby zora.

He was initially shocked an also troubled. She was not just a pet anymore but a child. But, he had an old friend that would sometimes visit him while he would go fishing: a Zora named Fen. He knew Fen ever since they were young men. Fen, however, looked like he hadn't aged a day in his life. Of course, zoras could live for hundreds of years before becoming elderly. So the old fisherman was glad to see Fen sitting at his regular fishing spot, obviously waiting for him. He would do this whenever he wanted to talk and hang out with the old fisherman. He smiled at the man with a friendly smile.

"Hey, Hector!" He said.

"Fen, we need to talk. That strange fish I found grew arms today." He said.

Fen was shocked.

"Are you saying you found an infant?!" He asked.

"Well I'm not sure. Maybe you should come and see." Hector said.

So they rushed back to the fishing pond. Fen was shocked when he saw the infant Zora.

"It is an infant." He said, getting into the water with her.

She hid in the weeds, afraid of the new stranger. Fen submerged himself.

"It's alright, young one. I'm not going to hurt you." He said, gently smoothing back the weeds to see her.

The zora infant cowered in the weeds. So Hector got into the water with Fen.

"It's alright, Illuka. Come here." He said.

She darted into his arms, her small, developing arms holding his arm tightly as she stared at Fen in terror.

"Illuka?" he asked.

"I just sort of started calling her that." He said.

"I'm actually surprised you got her gender correct. Let me see her. She's an unusual color for a young Zora." He said.

So Hector gently held out Illuka to him. She was scared but she trusted that her caretaker knew what he was doing. Fen examined her thoroughly, opening her mouth to check her teeth, scanning her belly to see if she was at a decent weight, and checking her reflexes. Fen then relaxed and seemed relieved. Illuka soon got used to him and when he let her go, she swam around him and scanned him curiously.

"She's developing surprisingly well. You've been taking good care of her. But, within the next year, she will have a fully developed body. Don't let her out of the water until she can walk. It's so that we know for sure her gills are developed enough for land. Her color just seems to be her natural color. I will go ask around the domain to see if anyone had lost an egg. But I'm sure everyone would have heard something." He said.

"Will I have to give her up?" Hector asked.

"Not unless I find her mother. I couldn't bare to take her away from you. Not when she loves you like her own father. I'll let you know my findings in a week." He said before leaving.


Angel landed in a huge lake as he fell from the sky. Unlike the others, he didn't turn into a baby or was reborn. He was instead about the age of a toddler. Unlike the others, he retained some of his memories from his old life. But they were more like he was waking up from a nightmare. However, before he could think about his previous life, he was currently in water and having to swim in a strange body that he had never even glimpsed at. He cried out as he panicked in the lake. He struggled to keep himself afloat in the water and for a moment, it looked like he was about to drown. But, a set of talons quickly swooped him up by the shoulders. Angel squirmed in panic.

"Hey, calm down, you're okay. It's okay, I got you." A voice said.

Angel looked up to see what looked like a giant white bird. They landed on one of the wooden bridges of the Rito village. Angel was obviously shaken. He huddled into a ball and cried. The bird put a hand on his back. The bird who had rescued him was just in his teens. He had no idea how to handle children. It was one of the Rito tribesman.

"Hey, it's alright. You're going to be fine." He soothed.

"Teba, what did you find?" A voice asked.

"Someone's fledgling fell into the lake. He's too young to be flying. He's also naked." He said.

Another bird with cream colored feathers appeared. She knelt down next to the child and pulled him into her arms to try and soothe him.

"What do we do, mother?" Teba asked.

Angel looked at himself, his own feathers were mostly crimson red, the front of his body, underside of his wings and arms were white. He had some golden markings accenting his wings and head feathers. His eyes were ice blue. He found this new form weird. He could have sworn he had a different body. He grew calmer as the older rito woman held him. She then stood him in front of her and swept his tears off of his beak.

"What is your name, child?" She asked.

"Angel... I think." He said.

"If you're not sure, what did your mother call you? Where is she?" She asked.

He looked down at his talons sadly.

"Dead." He said.

Teba and his mother looked at each other in alarm.

"Oh you poor thing! What about your father?" She asked.

"He's gone." He said.

"Dead or just gone?" She asked.

"Gone." Angel said.

The old bird was troubled by this and dreaded his answer when she asked the next question.

"How did you get into the lake? Did someone push you?" She asked.

"I don't know." He said, starting to cry again.

"Teba, go let the elder know that we have found an orphan. I'll take him home and get him washed and dried. He'll also need some clothes." She said, lifting up the crying fledgling.

"Are we going to keep him?" Teba asked.

"Of course we are. I can't just let him go with anyone. His father could have done this for all we know. Go now." She said as she walked back towards the village.

"Yes, mother." Teba said, taking flight.


A cry rang throughout a house at the edge of the Gerudo desert. Soon, the whole house was alive, three of its residents running around like ants, carrying objects into a room to the owner of the cry. The man of the house, a simple hylian with black hair and steel grey eyes and a rather burly body, carried in the heaviest objects. His two daughters, both gerudo children with fiery red hair and green eyes. Neither of them shared characteristics with their father which, was common among the gerudo women: their genes often beat out whatever genes their fathers have. Marrying a gerudo woman almost always guarantees you will never have a son. If a son is born, it's usually the occasional hylian child that is born and not the rare and ever legendary gerudo boy. But, that night, everything was different about this birth. If the size of her belly didn't give it away already, it was apparent that she will also have a gerudo child this time. If it was going to be a hylian, gerudo women almost never show when they're pregnant with a hylian child. The daughters soon finished gathering everything to aid in the birth, their father sitting next to his wife as she started pushing.

"We got this, Araina." Her husband said, dabbing her forehead with a rag.

She smiled despite the pain. She adored her husband.

"I know we do, Darius." She said before pushing.

Her eldest daughter waited to catch the baby. She was fifteen years old while her younger sister was ten. Their new sibling wasn't entirely planned since their parents didn't think they could conceive again. But, to everyone's surprise, she was with child again. Despite the surprise, everyone was looking forward to meeting their new family member. Soon, the eldest, Balra, saw the head. Her sister, Toora, was shocked at this sight but the family figured she was old enough to handle watching.

"I see the top of its head." Balra said with a smile.

"Gross!" Loora said, disgusted, covering her eyes.

"Loora, stop it. This is the most natural part of life. Don't shield your eyes. Watch closely." Her mother said before pushing harder.

So Loora did but not without making a face and having opinions. Soon, the head was fully out and Balra grabbed it and helped her mother by pulling gently. Soon, the shoulders came out but it was when Balra had her new sibling in her lap did she get the shock of her life. Her shock caused her parents alarm. Her sister was also surprised. In Balra's arms was the most rare occurrence in gerudo history.

"It... He's..." She stuttered.

"What's wrong?" Their father asked.

"Is the baby alright?" The mother asked.

She nodded but held the baby up so they could see. There was no mistaken: this child, a child that is very much Gerudo, was a boy. The first to be born in over a hundred years, even with calamity Ganon, the last son of the Gerudo tribe born, still causing havoc. Balra handed him to their mother before working to clean up the afterbirth. The proud parents marveled at their son but Loora grew sad.

"Doesn't this mean we have to give him up?" She asked.

Both the parents also grew troubled.

"As per tradition, any Gerudo son that is born is raised into the royal family to one day become king, often arranged to marry into the family. Isn't the queen a little too old though?" Balra asked.

"We won't let them know." Arina said.

"But mother, withholding him could mean death for us. If anyone finds out about his existence, you and dad could be sentenced to death and Toora and I could be exiled." Balra said.

"We will move away. Far away. We're not giving up our own son." Her father said.

"Leave the tribe just like that?!" Balra asked in shock.

"Balra, if you insist, you may stay here with the tribe. Both of you may. We won't force you to come with. But I am not going to permit my own son to have his own destiny decided for him. Please understand." Araina said.

Balra was shocked while Loora grew troubled. Balra was training to become a soldier. She couldn't give that up and she was going to. She then let out a reserved sigh.

"Very well but I will stay here and become a soldier like I planned. I will help you pack. I won't tell anyone of his existence." Balra said.

"Are you sure?" Her father asked.

"Don't worry, dear, she'll be fine. You've always been my brave girl, Balra." Araina said.

"I want to stay with mom." Toora said.

Balra looked sad but it was decided: she would stay while the rest of her family will likely move across Hylia as far away from the Gerudo desert as possible. Nothing could change that.

"What will you be naming him?" She asked.

Araina looked at him in thought.

"For some reason, the Name Maximilian comes to mind... but I think I will call him Maximus. That sounds more like a name worthy of a king. But we'll call him Max for short." She said.

"I thought you said he wouldn't become king." Balra asked.

"I want him to make the choice when the time comes." Araina said.

Balra nodded in agreement. And so it was decided: should Max decide if he wants to ever become the king of the Gerudo tribe, only then would he be known. Balra had a feeling that she would see her little brother again one day. She somehow knew he would be a handsome and fierce king when the time would come. Especially with calamity Ganon and Vah Naboris being a threat still. Could Max be their next hero?


And that does it for chapter 2. The next one is coming right up.