For My Devoted Readers
June 6, 2016
It comes as no surprise to anyone, I'm sure, that TFoC has been discontinued. It's been discontinued for some time, but in keeping with my characteristic lateness, has taken years to officially announce. So here it is, the official announcement:
The Fires of Compromise is no more.
For the record, it was always my intention to finish the fic. Updates were sparse (no arguments there), but the story was, in my head, totally finished. I knew the beginning (obvious, as that's what's posted to FFNet), the middle, and the end. I knew the outcome, the "true" villain behind Hyrule's attacks, and the roles each character was to play in the resolution of the fic. It was simply a matter of finding time and motivation to actually write it down. It was never for lack of ideas or plot direction or characterization. The story, in my head, was complete. The story, in my head, was quite good. It still is, for whatever my worthless opinion is worth, yet nonetheless, I feel it necessary to quit while I'm ahead.
If my reader's (what's left of them) had to guess, they'd say laziness and/or lack of ambition is why I've abandoned TFoC. Judging by my track record, those are pretty valid guesses. But in truth, I cancelled The Fires of Compromise because, well...it no longer fits.
I first began TFoC back in 2005. At the time, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures was the most recent Zelda title to be released. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess did not exist, the "official timeline" did not exist, the Hyrule Historia did not exist. At that time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was considered the earliest entry in the series (as the game creators themselves had said), but how the other installments fit into the overall Zelda universe was still of hot debate among timeline theorists. Which gave authors a lot of leeway in interpreting series canon.
I'm a canonical author. Anyone who's read my author profile, my stories, or interacted with me for five seconds knows this. I like sticking to what's what, according to the original series source material (and NOT through ignorant fan wank). Admittedly, that's not always easy with a game like OoT (and Zelda in general), because very little is ever truly explained, either on purpose or by nature of the game. Case in point, OoT never really explains what becomes of the Sages in the "Child Timeline." We know the Sages of the "Adult Timeline" carry on their roles as servants and protectors of the Temples, but they seem to all but disappear (at least, in the game) when Link is returned to the timeline of his youth. My fic, in an attempt to bridge that gap/fill the hole, shows Saria and the other Sages existing simultaneously in both timelines, with theirs and Princess Zelda's memories of the future intact (this clearly isn't the case, according to Hyrule Historia). It was creative license entirely, but I had nothing else to go on.
Had I been more diligent in updating TFoC, I might have finished the fic before all the TP and post-TP material was released. But I was not, and very soon, with the release of TP, Hyrule Historia, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, a lot of the logic I used as the basis for the world of my fic got shot down. In fact, I probably would have cancelled TFoC sooner than I did, had I not waited until a few months prior to SS's release to play TP. TP takes place about 100 years after the events of OoT, and while I won't spoil any of the details of the game, I do question whether the Link of OoT actually "ends up with" the Princess Zelda of OoT. (I like to think that they do, because LinkxZelda is my OTP and I will defend that coupling till Rapture and beyond, but still.)
And since the fic is discontinued, I don't mind telling you that the "big bad" of my story was indeed Ganon. Except, following the (canonical) events of OoT, Ganon is taken prisoner and eventually sentenced to execution at the Arbiter's Grounds (which you can read about in Hyrule Historia and/or view a more condensed version during cutscenes in TP). Which makes what I had planned for my story (kinda) null and void (which I'll explain in greater detail further below.)
The final nail in the coffin was the release of Hyrule Warriors. (Now, I realize HW isn't canon technically, but let's be real. HW could easily fit into the overarching timeline of Zelda, and with very little effort.) Again, I won't spoil any game-related details (none that would require you actually playing the game to know), but the plot of HW is almost identical to what I'd planned for The Fires of Compromise. See, in HW, Cia (a woman charged with overseeing the safety of the Triforce throughout the ages) develops a romantic infatuation with Link (from each of the timeline periods), and seeking to possess his body/soul, wages war on both Princess Zelda (for whom she harbors an insane/intense jealousy) and Hyrule. Although a benevolent creature, Ganon takes advantage of Cia's affections for Link and warps them into something dark and foul for his own means.
...Which is exactly what I'd planned for The Fires of Compromise.
In Chapter 6, Link visits Saria at the Forest Temple in hopes of finding out who or what is attacking Hyrule. Upon arrival, Saria informs him that the Spiritual Stone of the Forest is missing. That chapter and the chapter that follows hints at Saria's "corrupt" nature through her intense jealousy of Princess Zelda, whose ever-evolving relationship with Link has eclipsed the close friendship Saria once shared with Link. Ganon, trapped in the Sacred Realm (but always a diligent observer), sees this opening in Saria's heart and "darkens" her sight long enough to take possession of the Kokiri's Emerald through Mido. As you may recall from the fic, the Kokiri visit Saria regularly at the Temple, but "never go in." However, in Saria's "darkness" (her feelings of envy, jealousy, and bitterness), Ganon uses his power to reach beyond the borders of the Temple (you can see how this conflicts with the information presented in TP—he's not trapped inside the Sacred Realm in the "Child Timeline," though I guess technically the Sacred Realm transcends time, in which case Ganon could theoretically exist simultaneously in BOTH timelines) to Mido (an equally viable target, due to his unreciprocated feelings of affection for Saria), possessing his soul and essentially using him as a "puppet" to wage war against Hyrule from "beyond the Realm." (This information was to be revealed in or around Chapters 8, 9 and 10.) Long story short, Link is forced to combat Mido (in possession of the Kokiri's Emerald and under Ganon's influence) in order to restore peace, Mido is killed in the exchange (nothing against Mido, but had to be done), and Saria is once again given charge over protecting the Temple of Forest. The Temples are sealed permanently to the outside world (due to a unanimous agreement that the influence of others distracts from the true purpose of a Sage) and the Sages continue their duties in complete isolation, in a state of suspended prayer and meditation. The fires cease (the townspeople are told the arsonist is apprehended, which is a half-truth), Hyrule returns to a state of peace, and over time, both the bar and other casualties of the fires are rebuilt. Link returns to Zelda, is quickly recruited into the Hylian Army (thanks to some string-pulling from Zelda), Knighted, and is later crowned Prince/King Consort (acting, essentially, as a sperm donor with a fancy title) of Hyrule (though he is never again, in that timeline, renowned as a hero, only as the "kindly husband" of Queen Zelda).
Looking back, my story ends kinda...harsh (bittersweet?), but the "Child Timeline" (really, the entirety of OoT, as wonderful a game it is) pretty much bites everyone in the ass, so it was the happiest/best I could do without screwing over the official material. And I'm still floored that HW did, basically, the VERY thing I had intended to do with my fic (or should I say, I followed the concept they eventually embellished upon in a later game). And truth be told, HW does it MUCH better with a FAR happier outcome for (most) of the characters. So I say, if you were looking for a "flavor" of TFoC, just play HW. It's an AMAZING game (no, really—LinkxZelda shippers should have something soft to land on when they faint) with GORGEOUS graphics and does what TFoC was leaning towards a LOT better. (Please don't take this explanation as Nintendo copying ME. THEY DIDN'T. I'm just saying, it's amazing to me that we were riding some very similar wavelengths.)
So anyway, that's what happened. Why TFoC was discontinued, why my latest update is nearly six years old. I'm keeping what's posted uploaded to FFNet, because although it's unfinished, I'm proud of what was posted and pretty pleased with the direction I took (even if much of it got Metroid-obliterated with series canon). For those of you hoping for a story continuation, I apologize. I hope this "update chapter" suffices, or at least, helps explain the choices I've made regarding the fate of my fic. I'm also keeping the one-shot tie-in, Between Us Men, posted in my account, because it too is pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. (If you enjoyed TFoC, you should read it sometime. It's actually better, in some respects, than TFoC itself.)
Thank you to all my readers who've stuck with me throughout the years. I probably won't do another on-going Zelda title (at least, not in the near future), but I may do one-shots here and there, as I find time and inspiration. Please feel free to email/contact me with any questions or comments you may have. And thank you again.
Rest in peace, TFoC. You were fun while it lasted.
