#parella

Mask Transformation (instrument, weapon/item/ability)

Rito Mask (panpipes, feathered spear)

Gerudo Mask (various ideas but didn't choose, scimitars)

Twili Mask (kargorok trumpet, magic & mirror of twilight shield)

Notes - golden feathers are used in rito design (hat, shoulders, items)

Sheikah Mask (shakuhachi, eightfold blade)

Korok Mask (pangi/seed shaker, thyme wind rod)

River Zora (turtle/snapper drum, fireball)

Notes - the sheikah text on the instrument says "Kakariko"; borage and thyme in korok design represent courage

Parella Mask (shell horn, squishing/blowing bubbles)

Maiamai Mask (squeak, climbing/sticking)

Keaton Mask (various ideas but didn't choose, sneaking)

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There were other transformation mask doodles that I was thinking about, but I never got to it.

My notes:

Link with different masks-rito, Twili, zora, goron, deku scrub, bokoblin, sheikah, korok, lizalfos, kokiri, Minish, Kikwi, Cucco, dragon, fairy, maiamai, skullkid, stalfos, rabbit, loftwing, remlit, wolf link (wolfos or twilit wolf), ancient robot, Rito BotW, parella, river zora, miniblin, Poe, Kargarok, seagull, Regular Masks → Transformation Masks (bunny, Bremen, keaton, gerudo), etc.

Remember that these are not just Link as a ↑, though some may look like that more than others; they are masks that turn him into a different character with certain Link characteristics

Name: instrument/weapon...age

Rito: panpipes/feathered spear (golden feather in design?)...slightly older than YL

Twili: kargarok trumpet/magic and mirror of twilight shield...adult

Bokoblin: Horn trumpet thing calls other bokoblins?/

Sheikah: Shakuhachi/eightfold blade...slightly older than YL

Gerudo: castanet or guitar or oud or mizmar or setar or tanbur or zills or rebab or dayereh or riq/Scimitars (YL)

Korok: Pangi Shaker/thyme wind rod (thyme and borage=courage)

Fairy: bell/

Keaton: Koto or biwa or shakuhachi or kagurabue or ryuteki or nohkan or sho or hichiri/sneak

Parella: shell horn/squish

River Zora: turtle drum/fireball...shorter than YL

Loftwing: voice/spiral charge

Cucco: voice/peck, hoard

Lizalfos: /defense

Maiamai: squeak/climb or stick

Remlit: meow/two forms claws fly

Kokiri: Acorn Whistle

Dragon:

Ancient Robot:

Skull Kid:

When Link and Zelda left the sky to form an establishment on the Surface, Link knew it wouldn't be easy. Being on the Surface was hard enough for him just throughout his travels-- nothing but solid rock beneath his feet, the sky an unreachable distance above except by Bird Statue, it was claustrophobic at best and his body didn't handle the vast changes in altitude very well. It was adrenaline only that kept him going, and once it was gone, he spent weeks in recovery.

The same could not be said for Zelda, who, after bathing in the purifying springs and obtaining some of her holy powers from when she was Hylia, took the changes much better. He was more than happy to have her back, but in those first few weeks after she announced that the gods wanted Hylia's people to return to the Surface, a tiny spark of resentment buried itself deep in his heart-- not for her, never for her, but for the gods who had placed them in this situation.

That was ten years ago.

Of course, many of the citizens of Skyloft couldn't believe Zelda until she displayed her power in small increments, as the power itself was dwindling now that the need for it was gone. Some followed them to the Surface, some stayed.

Now, their small town had flourished and grown a bit. This newer generation on the Surface knew nothing of the Sky, and no Loftwings could bond with them down here. A few parents took their children to the Sky to see if they could bond with some, but the children couldn't handle the journey very well and no Loftwings appeared anyway. It was clear now that Loftwings were going extinct-- he hadn't seen a wild one since he was little. It was a monumental discovery, and a bit chaotic. People realized that their decision was permanent, and that one day the Sky and Surface would no longer have any connection.

As he stared out of the window on their little village, the thought of the future people of Hyrule never knowing about Skyloft made his stomach churn. Their village was nothing fancy-- stone and clay mostly made up their buildings, and it was built in a small ravine near the Temple of Time. The moon shone brightly through the trees, and the sounds of the forest animals made it almost impossible for him to sleep some nights. He missed the Sky, even years after moving to the Surface. If it weren't for Zelda, he wouldn't have stayed here.

He glanced back at his wife, peacefully asleep and unaware he had left their bed. Her golden hair was a mess and she had fallen asleep in her working clothes after helping with the crops all day, keeping herself busy to try and root herself in reality, even still. The memories of her life as Hylia had mostly vanished, but occasionally she would speak in a cryptic, ancient tongue or she would reference something that hadn't happened in this lifetime. She hadn't had an episode in a long time, and he hoped it would stay like that.

Heaving a deep breath, he grabbed his satchel and quietly left the room. He probably wouldn't be back by breakfast, but she was used to him making these excursions by now. The town was quiet as he exited their house, ensuring the door was closed behind him. It had taken him years to be able to leave Zelda alone, but he knew she was safe for the rest of this lifetime-- Demise had promised he would reappear, but not for a very long time.

As he passed Pipit on night patrol, the two shared a brief nod of recognition. He knew he probably didn't watch the house all night, but his own house was right next door and Link was certain that Pipit guarded his wife and children more closely than any other. Granted, no one had seen a monster since Demise's defeat, but there was no such thing as being too careful.

Groose-- also a sleepless man-- was sitting on his front porch when Link passed by. It was very late, but it wasn't unusual. While his childish jealousy and feelings for Zelda had both changed, their friendship hadn't. Part bullying, part joking, their shared experiences during the battles they were through had made them lifelong friends.

Groose often made similar trips that Link did, sneaking off to go to the Sky for a day or two; sometimes he joined him. Tonight, though, Groose was back from one of many journeys into the Lanayru Desert. The Hylians had an outpost out there where they collected sand for glass and found precious gems to trade with Gorons, Mogma, Parella, and Kikwis-- although relations with the Mogma were unsteady at best. They'd been stealing from the Hylian outpost in Eldin, where they were trying to help the Gorons establish a peaceful settlement. Both races only wanted to fight, however, and he worried there was war in their future, war that he would not allow the Hylians to interfere with.

Groose had volunteered to oversee the Lanayru outpost shortly after it was established. He would often be gone for weeks at a time, deeply tanning his skin. The pompadour he'd sported in his teenage years was long gone. He often talked about a permanent settlement in the desert, but Link wasn't too sure about it.

He caught Link's attention on his way out of the village. "Nightmares?" It was an unfortunate reality. The three of them even still had nightmares of that time-- he couldn't imagine Zelda's. From her descriptions of the Imprisoning War, she had twice the trauma they did. When they had nightmares, they'd escape to the sky, often returning to their old homes in Skyloft and spending time with the few who had decided to stay.

Link only shook his head. He didn't speak much anymore. Groose nodded, returning to leaning back in his chair and watching the moon. "Careful. I'm not going to bed anytime soon, so I'll watch your house."

Link nodded his thanks and left the village boundaries. Something that even still astounded him was how dark the Surface could get, and he rushed down the paths to get to the Bird Statue. The darkness reminded him of things that he didn't like to remember: visions of the Imprisoned, Ghirahim... He blinked them furiously away and bade the statue take him up.

Link's heart was heavy as he sat on a stone looking out over the endless sky. It was quiet, and peaceful. He sat on the uninhabited side of the lake, facing away from the abandoned structures and few lights. Overgrown, fading away, Link hated the thought of his home becoming unimportant. More so, he hated the thought of losing his bird.

She sat beside him in all of her crimson glory, preening her feathers. He stroked her neck lovingly, knowing that one day, she would be gone, and his final connection to the Sky will be lost. Red was his only means of getting here, and she was blissfully unaware of this fact. "Promise me something," He whispered, "When someone with the Spirit of the Hero is reborn again, stay with him. In whatever form you can take."

Red paused, almost as though she could understand him. Inwardly, Link briefly wondered if he was crazy for talking to his Loftwing so much. Their eyes locked, and Red leaned her head into Link's chest with a soft call. Link wrapped his arms around her head and started to cry, unable to control himself. He longed for the old times, for what could have been. The peaceful life he had imagined for himself when he was young was a cold, painful dream now, and even though he knew he should be grateful for what he had, he couldn't shake the unhappiness in his chest that lingered day in and day out.

Taking a small chisel out of his satchel, he let go of Red and moved off the rock, turning to hammer into it. It was a project that he'd been working on for days now, and he was almost finished.

Dawn had arrived when he blew the dust off of the stone. He ran his fingers over the letters, proud of his work. Exhausted and unable to get rid of the hurt in his heart, he leaned his head against the rock and closed his eyes, taking a moment to try and gather the willpower to fly back to the Surface.

"What are you doing now, sleepyhead?" Although Zelda's voice was gentle, it startled him anyway. He whipped around, shocked to see both her and her purple Loftwing standing behind him. She hadn't even changed, and warmth slowly crept back into his limbs. Slowly, the awful, worsening emotions of the night were chased away by her presence, her beautiful smile and the thought that she'd left the house so quickly to come to him.

It was always worse when he was alone.

When he was away from her.

Link let out a tense breath as his body relaxed, rushing to her and enveloping her in a tight hug. "I'm sorry--"

"Shut up," She cut him off quickly, and he couldn't help but laugh. Just having her close made everything okay. "I know. You don't need to apologize." She gave his torso a tight squeeze, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Want to show me what you're working on?"

Link stepped back, turning toward the rock and gesturing toward the inscription on its surface. "I'm not done yet. At this rate I'm only getting one word done every couple days."

Zelda leaned down to read it, crossing her arms against the morning chill. "Please don't forget..." With a sigh, she stood up, facing the rising sun. The thought of Skyloft being forgotten hurt her too, but she was much better at accepting things than he was. "They really are going to forget one day." In silence, they watched the sun rise; Link put his cloak over her shoulders and pulled her close to his side.

"One day," She suddenly specified, and Link briefly struggled to make the connection. She looked at him, smiling. "One day they will forget. But we won't be here. It won't be us. Do me a favor: try to live here, and now. Forget about the rest. It either hasn't happened yet, or is over and done. All that matters is right now." She took his hand in hers and held it tightly.

Link planted a lingering kiss on top of her head, closing his eyes and realizing that she always smells of Skyloft's meadows in spring rain. At least, she does to him. "...I'm trying."

"I know. Sometimes that's all you can do."

They sat and watched the sun rise until it was well above the Cloud Barrier, but they didn't return to the Surface. They didn't return that day, or the next, and when they did eventually return, they made weekly trips to the Sky from then on, forcing time into their busy schedules to enjoy flights around the floating islands. Link soon forgot all about the stone he was carving, and he never did finish it.

~Millenia Later~

Link sighed as he forced down the final bite of a half-hearted stew of mushrooms and venison. It was tasteless. The fire crackled softly, but it did not relax him. He barely felt the warmth of it at all. He was numb, numb and tired. So very tired. His whole body hurt and his heart ached. The Master Sword on his back was heavy, and his tunic and leathers felt restrictive. He was overwhelmed and exhausted.

He'd tried. He'd solved all of the regions' problems in Hyrule and obtained their avatars. He'd explored the depths and found Mineru's robot. The most tasking of all was finding the Dragon's Tears, the memories of his beloved Zelda who had been thrown back in time 10,000 years and now had permanently lost herself to her dragon form. She was gone. If Mineru could think of no way to save her even with her vast and ancient knowledge, then how could he? He'd lost his first love to Calamity Ganon, and now his second was forever lost because of him too. And when he'd tried to end him, he wasn't strong enough.

Link barely escaped that chasm beneath Hyrule alive-- he visited a fairy fountain and started on a journey to find all of the shrines he could, getting as strong as he could possibly be.

And he still couldn't do it.

In frustration, Link hurled the bowl across the campsite with a yell. Who was going to hear him? He was all alone, save for his horse. Epona snorted in alarm at his outburst, raising her head and huffing in his direction. "What?" He snapped, though he knew full well the horse couldn't understand him. Across Sky, Depths, and Hyrule, he kept getting stuck in shrines that should be easy.

He initially tried to calm himself, but decided not to. There wasn't anyone around he needed to keep his stoic act up for. He instead drew his blade and stormed into the nearby patch of woods, destroying any keese or chuchu that dropped from the trees in his path. When he'd expended his anger and all that was left was grief, he stumbled out of the other side and fell to his knees by a pile of ruins that had fallen from the Sky.

The tears came unbidden as he collapsed on a mossy stone, and he let himself sob as loud and as hard as he wanted to. He missed his friends, he missed Mipha, he missed Hyrule as it was before the Calamity. He missed his family. What had ever happened to his sister? He still had never found any descendants of hers. Most of all he missed Zelda, he missed her with all of his soul and then some and it was painful. Maybe it was she was so close, and yet so far.

Why does he keep fighting? With Zelda gone and with Ganon's incarnations always returning, what's the point anymore? He wanted to disappear. So badly, he wanted to leave and never come back, vanishing into the wilderness.

As he calmed, he tore at the moss absentmindedly, ripping away until it was gone and his fingers were stained green. Sniffling as he leaned back, he wiped his face with the back of his hand and noticed something... odd.

The rock's surface had an odd etching in its surface, but it didn't look like Zonai script. Zelda would want to see it. Curious, he used the Purah Pad as a light to better see it in the half-dark of the night. His eyes widened. It was Hylian. A very old version of it, he had seen it in Zelda's books. She'd gone on an excited tirade a year or so ago about it when she'd found an ancient tablet describing the founding of Hyrule, though she could barely read it. Shifting closer, he struggled to remember how to translate it. He'd learned it so that he could write her letters for her to practice, though it was so long ago and so much had happened that his mind was scrambled.

"Please... Don't... Forget..." The stone was so worn that he couldn't make out anything else. Link hummed thoughtfully, taking a picture of it-- he winced when he realized that he'd automatically thought of showing Zelda, who wasn't here. He stood, eyes on the inscription in the rock for a moment longer. He felt like it was important, but he couldn't place why.

Unexpectedly, his blade lit up with a soft noise, a magical sound it rarely produces. Zelda always said it was the spirit of the blade. Confused, he reached back to grab it, expecting a dangerous enemy to approach from the treeline when something caught his eye.

A Silent Princess.

Link's heart twisted at the sight of Zelda's favorite flower. Instinctively, he reached down and made to pluck it, but stopped. She would smack him so hard if she were here to do so. An endangered flower, remember? I need to leave it be.

The distant call of a dragon brought his attention upward, and his heart skipped when he saw a familiar outline on the horizon, backlit by the painfully beautiful dawn. "Zelda," He breathed; she rarely flew this low.

Please don't forget. The words on the stone, the sight of her, the flower, the sword whispering-- his heart raced. A few stray tears rolled down his cheeks. "I'll keep trying," He managed, "I made you a promise. I'll keep trying."

On the horizon, the Light Dragon shrieked low. He knew there was no way she could possibly hear him, but it felt like an answer. It's all you can do, she would say. He could almost hear her voice.

Filled with new energy, Link made his way back to his campsite. He packed up quickly, putting out the fire and making sure to retrieve his only bowl-- although he couldn't find his spoon. He would have to make a new one. As he stuffed his supplies in his saddlebag, something sharp poked his finger; he yanked the item out of the bag in a panic, expecting an insect or lizard, but was surprised at the sight of a long, red feather between his fingers. He made to throw it away, unsure of how it got in his bag, but stopped; maybe if he saw it again, it would remind him of the rock. Please don't forget.

Epona turned to look at him, nickering quietly. Link stuffed the feather in his bag and wrapped his arms around her head, hugging her tightly. "Even if all my friends are gone, at least I have you, Epona."

As though in answer, she whinnied loudly and he laughed, giving her the apple in his pocket that he knew she wanted. He clambered up into the saddle when she was done and the set off at a gallop for the distant glow of a shrine on a nearby cliff, eager to fight another day.

Maybe, when this was all over, he might find a way to save Zelda after all.

Okay guys. Look. It's been a very long time since I've written any fanfiction. And I don't think I've ever written anything for Zelda. I know this is different from my usual content, and I don't know if I'll do something like this again but I might. Let me know what you guys think!