Yeah. I'm done. There's so many things I scrapped like the Yuga clan typo or having Sparrot use bread divination. Maybe sometime I will go back and run this monster through Hemingway app in the interest of not hurting people's eyes. Maybe I'll reformat and add those short chapter summaries like the archiveofourown version and also make sure both versions are completely up to date. Another thing that got thrown out was a Dark Link subplot. Trying to turn a guy into a dark creature to murder his friends doesn't always work so well when the guy's darkest desires are to run away and hide somewhere.

Special thanks to all the reviewers! I may have swiped a few ideas from them. (Like the including the Hila Rao Shrine where those flowers are. I remember getting really annoyed and just utterly abandoning getting into that shrine.)

Who knows what else I'll write? Maybe more about the Blight on the Master Cycle Zero set in the time of Breath of the Wild? Calamity corrupting random bits of tech people adopt like plumbing systems or tractors? Strengthen that weak justification for not having everything ancient tech? Fill in those plot holes or add in proper character appearances? Ask what happened pre-calamity when Koroks realized Link can see them? There's been some other really good writers and artists doing their own stories of a Malice corrupted Link so I don't want to compete with them. (I'd plain old rip off the Shadow of the Colossus and compare Link to a pickle. The premise deserves more seriousness than I would treat it with. This is why we should leave things to S. A. Morely and embyr-75 and other people like that) Maybe that Rhythm Thief + Layton Brothers murder mystery? Persona 2, 4, and 5 crossover? Write the Mariachi version of Breath of the Wild like that one person's drawing?

Thank you readers. Especially the reviewers and followers. My ego hath been stoked.

The alternate ending for the much shorter original is below. It didn't really have details filled in much since I decided not to use it.


Ravio happily strolled back around the front of the Deku Tree with his bucket of water. Hazelda followed him to ask questions about what sort of magical support Ravio would be able to provide. He waved to the Koroks and a blonde guy who was walking by with a sword strapped to his back. Ravio went inside and started to clean off his hands while wondering how to ask people to help him find the little sister the fortune teller mentioned.

Ravio stopped.

He looked outside to the vacant pedestal.

He ran around the back of the tree again to get everybody. Somehow Groose got elected as the person to go tell Linkle what occurred by virtue of him being the leader before Hazelda arrived. The rest of them came around to look for the guy who drew the sword. Ravio questioned a couple Koroks while everyone else looked for Link that wasn't already looking for Linkle.

"Hey, Makar? Where's the Hero? The one who drew the sword?"

"Oh, Mr. Important Hero just left."

"So is he doing the trial or...?"

"No, he just left. Hestu expanded his inventory and showed him the Ogre tree. He said his name's Link!" Ravio didn't like the sound of that.

"Ummmm what? He didn't come to speak to the princess and get his slate or anything! Does he have supplies? A Shield?" Makar shrugged as Ravio yelled to the persons above three feet tall that they had a situation.

After the situation was explained, Hazel voted to try and catch up with the guy and no one else's votes really counted.

Time skip to the castle.

Everybody was traveling as quickly to the castle as they could after the questioning at the guard station. At first themom had wanted to kill Ravio and drag Linkle home but relented after much begging and a demonstration of Urbosa's Fury. Medilia was along for the ride and clearly did not trust Ravio with the way she kept looming like a territorial helmaroc. This made for a really jumpy Ravio on the road to Castletown. Nightfall was approaching and the Gossip Stone network news being read out loud by Ana as Hazel steered the horse didn't make things any less tense.

"So we've got wood weapons to take down this Kishgal fellow?"

"Yep. Link's got a massive head start on us and I hope he doesn't take on the entire Yiga raiding party by himself. If there's still fighting by the time we get there, we'll be able to help him out. I don't think the Koroks warned him about the Magnesis bracers." Groose said to Medilia. "Goddesses forbid that Link has to take on the Calamity himself..." The fact that nightfall was coming didn't help. If they got a blood moon tonight, the situation was much more complicated.

The first person to sense the Malice coming from the direction of the Castle was Hazelda. Ravio with his magical ability was the second.

(Brief interlude from the hero Linkson's point of view wondering how he ended up going to fight Ganon instead of finishing that bathroom tile with the Bolson Construction Co. Allison and Jason dared him to go in the forest or something?)

(Insert justification for running into Veran on the road when she's leaving Castletown.)

"RAVIO!?" Veran was suitably shocked. He'd survived the overchanneling and furthermore, was rather a good distance from the last known location. She wasn't the only one startled by the sight of a family member in an unexpected state of existence. Ravio also did a double take at the sight of Veran.

"THATBETTERNOTBEHEREDITARY." The least terrifying change was that Veran's white sheikahn hair was now red. Her skin was mostly Malice now and the glowing orange eyes were rather striking. Her robes fluttered among the flowing darkness which was the same now as a blight. It was hard to really see in the light of the Blood Moon and the darkness everywhere but her arms seemed clawed now. Ravio was shaking like a small cornered creature. "You guys run! You need to help Link!"

"Princess Zeldana! Hilda! Go on! We'll handle this!" Linkle said as she snapped. Veran did a teleport and followed up with a set of magenta fireballs. Hazelda wanted to help but acknowledged that she needed to get the Slate to the Hero of Legend. While everybody else fired wherever Veran appeared Medilia yelled orders.

"Knights and Princess to the Castle! Hilda, you too! Veran dies by MY hand!"

(Groose, Strich, Ana, and Hazel go through the castle but don't quite catch up with Link before running into Kishgal and having to fight him. Hazel is sent ahead to find Link.)

(Epic battle with Linkle, Medilia, and Ravio teaming up on Veran described. Veran pulls some voodoo doll stuff or dark mirror or Feirce Deity mask on Ravio. They kill her anyway.)

(Hilda and Link slay Ganon while everyone is preoccupied with the ersatz Link and Veran. Everyone lives happily/awkwardly ever after. Groose's hair survives. The end)


[Alternate scenario B that got thrown out was supposed to be foreshadowed by Linkle saying how embarrassing it would be if she were a guy and mistaken for Ganon.]

Groose hauled the unconscious Ravio out of the room and prayed they had gotten there in time. If the guy had the Triforce of Power and the Yiga succeeded in awakening him, they honestly didn't know what they would be able to do. The mark on the back of Ravio's hand glowed but judging by the lack of ominous aura coming from him, nothing had happened yet. Hazel didn't sense darkness coming from Ravio either but still kept the bow of light trained on Ravio.

"Do you know how to do exorcisms? Anyone?" Strich whispered as they dragged their burden through the cave.

"Not without killing him, no." Hazel said. Linkle prodded the feverish Ravio. She tensed when he muttered something in his sleep.

"Fîfum mâ prêowthwîl orgilde swefn Navi..."

"...What language was that? Anyone know?" Groose asked.

"Nope." Linkle said. Hazel spoke next.

"I think that was a really old dialect of ancient Hyrule? Either that or pure gibberish." She didn't know if they should wake him up now and see if he was still Ravio. It might be a good idea to get him out of the Yiga territory first. They were almost to the nearest exit when they were spotted.

"HEY! Get back here with Ganon's vessel you heathens!" Groose dropped Ravio on the stone as he parried a windcleaver. Hazel was momentarily distracted by returning fire to archers. Ravio grimaced, noticed the fighting, then indignantly cried.

"What lufian êow smêan êow ârweorðian macung hebban mîn frîend? forl¯ætan ðæge pro ôðer ielde syndrige for ðý ðe.."

Everyone stopped to stare at Ravio who seemed unable to properly stand and sank back to the floor in another faint, hand reaching for a sword that was not on his back.

"Okay, does anyone have any idea what he just said? Anyone?" Yiga and heroes alike all shook their heads and resumed the battle.

Linkle accidentally stepped on Ravio as she was fighting a footsoldier. He groaned as he tried to push himself upright.

"Midna Ah swear if ye dae 'at a body mair time... bide, fa in th' heck ur ye?!"

"Sorry, bit busy at the moment!" Linkle yelled back.

"AH NO he's awake! Hazel, sealing power him or something!" Strich said to Hazel as he shoved a Yiga footsoldier aside.

"Yfel nâ sêon êower mancynn!"

"There's nothing you can do to stop us from bringing back Lord Ganon! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Blademaster which was laughing tried to chop off Hazel's head. This proved to be a mistake as the still somewhat woozy looking Ravio snapped into focus.

"ZELDA!" He lunged almost faster than the eye could see and grabbed the box lid next to him. He performed a shield parry with it to throw the blademaster off guard.

(Insert ridiculously awesome fight with more incomprehensible old english anglo saxon gaelic whatever while they work with whatever the opposite problem of amnesia is.)

"Um, thanks Ravio! Now we just need to get out of here before Veran shows up!"

"Yonder mîn scytta?" Ravio said as he collapsed again.

(After a while they think they have Ravio back until he asks when the Yiga hideout moved to Hebra from the Canyon.)


Original idea long before Groose and the like-likes was much more serious. Here is a snippet from when Yuga was actually involved with conspiracies to move away from democracy back to monarchy etc. Abandoned very early.

(backstory about Gustaf sparing and then adopting nervous Yiga kid who didn't want to assassinate people)

(Insert political intrigue. king gets assassinated ,Ravio gets framed.)

Ravio was still crying but after shedding tears all night for the foster father he'd lost he was out of saltwater. How could anyone think he'd ever do such a thing!? He had screamed before they'd gagged him and dragged him under heavy guard to Castletown to await trial and execution. Whoever had done this was someone who knew Gustaf Ravio had realized from what little he knew of the crime. Who was going to warn Hilda and her sisters?

On the list of likely suspects in his head one in stripey trousers reigned supreme.

(Koroks that spotted Ravio arrive and unlock the cell. they hide from a patrol in the rebuilt Temple of Time)

Ravio had never been this close to the divine weapon which stood in the pedestal. Now Ravio was a sensible kid and never really had a rebellious teen phase. In an room where there was a big red button with a sign saying "Do not press" he would leave that button completely untouched for days.

Everyone had warned him that the sword would drain the life of any unworthy people who dared to try and pull it. So he didn't.

The lure of the big red button pulled at Ravio's very soul tonight. He HAD to see the Master Sword. The temptation of seeing what would happen when all logic screamed disaster was irresistible.

Ravio wasn't sure how but he now had a sword in his hand and the Koroks were yelling for him to run now before the knights came in. He ran.

(Inevitable panic next day when people realize the Master Sword is missing)