The marink/alttp zelink dynamic vs malink/oot zelink dynamic parallels is kinda insane ngl.
Marink cannot be as Marin is a person who isn’t real. Her ultimate wish to become real and free to explore is granted, but in a way that still keeps her and Link apart. She’s also established as a parallel to Zelda - someone Link is fundamentally tied to and has formed a unique bond with, but his duties to Hyrule and its own trauma after Ganon pull the two of them away from each other. They’ll end up together eventually, but the destiny that connects them also pulls them apart at the start of LA. If ALttP zelink is forever but not now, marink is now but not forever.
OoT zelink and malink are the opposite of this. The Zelda and Link that form a bond are separated from each other, not by destiny but by well-meaning but misguided choices. The Zelda Link knows in MM is fundamentally different from the Zelda he knows in OoT, who he’s forever separated with. And it can’t be reestablished in a similar manner as the events that brought them together cannot be recreated. While Malon is partially inspired by Marin, her connection to Link is fundamentally different; she was in the future and he does meet her parallels in Terminal, but it's not to same levels as Zelda. Rather, adult timeline Zelda is more similar to Marin thematically, due to their eventual permanent separation.
