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"Look out there, Jora," said Ohram.
From atop the tall peak they both stood on, Jora did as she was told. She was amazed by the view before her, her eyes wide. She'd never seen anything so majestic, vast, and diverse. A volcano in one corner, a forest in another, then a desert, and more! She immediately wanted to go, to see it all and discover what every crevice had to offer.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ohram asked. He crouched down to stand on eye level with the nine-year-old girl. "It's the kingdom of Hyrule. But it's not just the landscapes that are to marvel at. There are whole civilizations out there, people free to roam and explore it to their hearts' desires."
"Really?!" Jora gasped enthusiastically. She lifted up her small Yiga mask, revealing the wide, excited eyes of an adventurous child wanting to see the world. "Can we go there? Can we?! Please?!!" she begged, bouncing on her toes.
Ohram let out a sad sigh at the child's joy, knowing what he had to tell her. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her enthusiasm.
"That's what I wanted to tell you. No, my child, unfortunately, we cannot. You see, they don't want us there. No one of our kind is allowed. Once, many years ago, we were free to live among them, accepted and loved. But now, we are forced to make our own lives, removed from the luxuries such a home would provide."
Jora's eyes suddenly took on a more confused look, mixed with sadness and a hint of budding resentment at being denied. "Why don't they want us? Did we do something bad?"
A bitter chuckle escaped Ohram, as he briefly grimaced. "No, not at all. On the contrary. Once we were among the most respected beings of those lands. We provided great technological advances, and saved the kingdom several times with our resources and knowledge. The innovations that we enjoy, those were ours, my girl, take pride in that."
Jora nodded as he continued.
"… But little did we know the true, crooked nature of Hylian civilization. Rather than revere and thank us for all we did for them, they instead feared us. In their stubborn resistance to change and the unknown, they worried that we would seize their precious control away from them. They feared us, despite us having no desire but to serve them. And so, little Jora, we were exiled. Cast out, away from those we cared about, the homes we'd created, and forced to start life anew … including your parents."
Jora was indignant as she took in her father's story. "What?! That's not fair!" Her fists were clenched and shook downwards. Indeed, the young one felt it a great injustice that anyone would be banished after doing good.
"No, it isn't," Ohram replied. "But you see, Hyrule is not a fair place, nor does it house fair people. They care only for what they know, and do away with anything that poses a threat to their traditions, their rules. They act as though they are the superior beings even now. But they are truly savages, taking away from those who deserve it. That, Jora, is what you must learn to accept. They are the cause of what befell your family. They are the enemy."
A pause lingered between surrogate father and daughter, allowing for Ohram's words to sink into the young girl's impressionable mind. Her eyes seemed ready to well up with tears, the sudden revelation of her family's cruel history weighing down on her.
But then Ohram reassured her. "Oh, don't weep," he said, gently stroking her little face and giving a small smile. "One day, we shall take it back from them, and have it as ours. For there is a force that will one day rise to challenge these scum, seeking to cleanse their corrupt filth from these lands. And unlike Hylians, those who serve him will be rewarded. As Yiga, we must swear to serve only this entity, do his bidding always and only. And we must show no mercy to those who would oppose him. Enemies of his are enemies of ours."
He then removed his own mask, and looked his daughter in the eye. "Do you understand, Jora? Understand what we must do, and why?"
A surge of fatherly pride surged through Ohram when he saw the storm of fire brooding behind the little girl's eyes. He knew from the moment he took her in that Jora would grow into a woman of great resolve, and never was that more evident than right now. Yes, she would carry on the Yiga's mission, would do whatever it took. Even at the age of nine years, his powerful words had gotten through to her.
With a determination far beyond her years, Jora simply replied, "Yes. We'll help him. And we'll make them pay."
That determination only grew as Jora did, all the way to right now.
After hours of traveling, she and her small army had finally arrived at where they called home. By traversing through the scorching hot Gerudo desert, aided by Heat Resistance potions, they made their way to a winding canyon. The air close to the sandy ground steadily became foggy, but the Yiga masks protected from it getting blown in their faces. As they got closer to their entrance, flags were hanged off of clotheslines, up above, and large sacks were spread out in an orderly fashion as they passed by. The wheels of the carriages were digging into the sand, making it much harder to move them through, resulting in them moving in a much jerkier manner that was none to kind for the two stashed inside them. The soldiers were weary after such a journey, and this wasn't helping them in the slightest, but being in their familiar environment again was the push they needed to finish the trip.
And finally, the group arrived at a rectangular opening carved into the rock walls. Through this opening was the dreaded entrance to the structure that the Yiga called home. A circular chamber was the first sight, a series of torches on a raised platform at the center. Multiple door-like curtains were strewn across the walls of the chamber, and banners sporting the iconic Yiga symbol proudly decorated the ominous area.
This was as far as the troops could go with their loads. The horses, both with and without carriages, came to a stop at their riders' commands. Jora watched as her fellow Yiga got off their steeds, and a few of them went to the back of the two carriages, ready to unload their captives. She turned to a middle-aged footsoldier named Mason and spoke to him.
"Go and alert Master Ohram that we've returned with our prisoner … and an extra prisoner as well," she said, grinning under her mask at the end of her request.
"Aye, ma'am," Mason responded. "Should we check that they're still secure?"
"No need," another member, Ghira, shouted back. "They're just as we want them."
As she said this, she walked towards them with a bound and gagged Zora princess's shoulder held painfully in her grasp. She dragged a whining, struggling Mipha out to the front of her carriage, where she was indeed just as effectively restrained as when she first woke up. But she was far more physically shaken. When they had entered the desert, the rising heat soon started to overwhelm the poor Zora, who was even more unaccustomed to such conditions than most species. She had been panting through her gag, trying to get air as the thick fabrics in and over her mouth suddenly felt even more stifling and hot. She barely had anything left in her, her squirming very weak and her mind feeling a bit hazy.
Ghira tossed Mipha onto the ground, her gagged face roughly planting into the sand. With a muffled "Mmnhh nnrrrmmh!" she shook her head to try and get the coarse substance out of her face, ending with a sneeze. She kept flopping in her bonds, knowing that it was pointless but still driven by discomfort and panic. The only knowledge she ever had of the Yiga's primary home was through rumor and speculation. But it seemed she was about to find out the truth, and needless to say, it was a truth she would have rather had be left a mystery.
Meanwhile, as a Yiga soldier opened the door to Link's carriage, he was met with a powerful kick to the face by a pair of bound boots. Being caged up and in emotional distress had brought out a more restless side to the fuming hero, and he'd been prepared to let out some form of release on the unfortunate Yiga.
However, this only caused the Yiga to be twice as rough on him, grabbing him by both shoulders bulging out above the ropes, eliciting a "Mmmmph!" from the Hylian boy. He was dragged along the side of his carriage, obstructed from Mipha's view. Link put up as much of a fight as he could in his state, trying to thrash out of the Yiga's grip, but it only delayed the inevitable. He was brought up to the front, and thrown onto the sandy ground as well.
Mipha turned her head at the commotion to her left.
And in that moment, a wave of a new fear and panic, one beyond anything she'd felt up until now, crashed down upon her like the grand waterfalls of her home.
Link turned his head as well.
And his heart nearly stopped; he felt as if his whole world was just ripped apart right then and there.
Both of their eyes widened in pure shock and horror. For each captive saw none other than the person that they were in love with, bound and gagged just as they were.
"RNNG!!!"
"MMMRM!!!"
No. No, no, no. This couldn't be real. This horrid mess couldn't possibly be this much of a nightmare. This was what both captives told themselves as they proceeded to fight, struggle, and scream like neither ever had before. Sand was kicked up everywhere, the two oblivious to it getting into their faces, as they tried with all their might to break free of their bonds in the face of this terrifying revelation.
"HMMNNNNMM HRRMMNN?! HMMMNN GNNNNRMM?!! MMMRM!!" Link screamed at the top of his lungs. Despite being thoroughly gagged, it was quite possibly the loudest and most vocal he had been in a very long time. Seeing that the mysterious captive girl was none other than the princess he loved so dearly was like a wrecking ball barreling through the walls he'd built up, his inhibitions all but abandoned.
"NN, RNNG, PRRMMNNRMM!! MRRMM, MRRM, NNRGHNNMMN GRRNNNYNNNNMM!!" Mipha was in similar hysterics. The physical toll she'd taken from the heat was suddenly forgotten, all her distress now centered around seeing her best friend trapped in this hellish situation with her. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse!
Link and Mipha began worming violently towards each other, eyes seeming to have widened to half the size of their heads. But they were both stopped as a Yiga grabbed each of them by the rope-welded arms and kept them in place.
"NRM!! GHMMMRRN NNGRMMNN HNNNPHMPHHRR!!!" Link snarled, thrashing like mad. He shuffled his tightly bound legs about, trying desperately to trip up the Yiga holding him.
"LRRNNHMMGNN!!! RRRNNHMMGNN!!!" Mipha wrenched her body around, her head fins flailing wildly. She tried to headbutt her captor, flip him over her shoulders, anything! She had to do something!
"Aaugh! Guys, can we put these two in their cages, they're really putting up- AH! Putting up a fight- HEY!!" the Yiga holding Link shouted in between his efforts to not be jostled around by the tied up Hylian. Both Yigas dug their feet in the dirt, doing their best to prevent the relentless, soul-shattered love interests from making their way towards each other.
Link did manage to use his legs to sweep his captor off his feet, releasing his hold. The boy then squirmed over to Mipha as quickly as he could, grunting loudly into his gag for these beasts to let her go.
But just as he got a mere foot away from the Zora, he was pulled by his bound ankles by Jora. His face banged against the set of stairs he was being dragged up, but he could only focus on his beloved as she too was pulled along.
"NNNN!!" Link roared.
They both fought it as best they could as one of the curtains in the wall was raised, revealing a staircase built into the mountain. Two footsodliers stayed behind to stand guard at the bottom of the staircase, while the rest joined in leading their prisoners.
Once they reached the top of the staircase, directly across from them was a gate that served as an entrance to a cell. Beyond that was a ladder leading down to a corridor, the contents of which were mostly hidden from the current vantage point by a wall. It was no secret who was going in the foreboding cage, the dread building more and more as the group approached it.
Just when he was a few feet away from the cell, Link's ceaseless efforts and struggling miraculously managed to dislodge his gag off his mouth, with it now hanging loosely around his neck. He swiftly spat out the other fabric stuffed inside, and began shouting with a vigor that would shock those who knew him.
"MIPHA!! Let her go! Do whatever you want with me, but don't ever drag her into this! DON'T YOU DARE LAY ANOTHER HAND ON-HRRMM!!"
Link's rare bout of rage was cruelly cut off when Jora shoved the filthy rag back into his mouth, holding it there with her hand. Ghira brought the thicker, symbol-clad cloth back up to his face, but due to Link's thrashing head and continued garbled shouting, she ended up tying it between his lips. She pulled it into the corners of his mouth and tied it off behind his head through his hair, being sure to tug the knot as tightly as possible.
"GRRMMMRR!! RRRRRGRMM!!" Link continued shouting, but it only caused the fabric to dig further into his lips.
Mipha's eyes blazed in a fury like she never felt before as she observed Link's foul mistreatment. "NHHRNMM GRMMNNPH, LMHPHMHNM HLNNM!! LMHVM MM HLHNM!! … N-NH!! MHNTPHM MMHTHMRM!!" she yelled, the thick material in and over her mouth holding her ire at bay.
But as hard as she fought, she couldn't do anything as she felt herself being dragged into the cell. It turned out that there were two other gates inside that cell, spaced a few inches apart and serving to split the cell into two separate cells. Mipha was tossed into the deeper one haphazardly, before she heard the two adjacent gates be closed and locked. She then heard Link grunt out in pain, followed by the final gate being locked shut.
As Link wiggled onto his knees and inched his way to the gate leading out, Jora walked up and put her hand on that gate, looking down on the poor tied up Hylian.
"Well this is certainly different from when we first took you," she bemused. "The silent, stoic chosen one suddenly has a pair of lungs on him. Figures that the only way to get it out of the selfless hero is to have someone else in peril … Well, now it seems that gag is well-warranted."
Link responded with a low growl through said gag, his blue eyes searing as he looked up at her. Meanwhile, Mipha resorted to plowing her bound body into her own gate with a muffled snarl, rattling it but not making Jora flinch in the slightest. The Yiga did, however, turn her attention to the Zora princess.
"I must say, the last thing we expected was to come home with two of you. But while we don't have any plans for you specifically, having you in our possession opens up many new possibilities for us."
"Rrrrhrrrnnmnn!" Link growled at that.
Jora glanced back at the boy. She took a few moments to think about the behaviors of these two, and how their mannerisms and expressions, while limited by their restraints, seemed to indicate that there was more going on between them than just concern for the safety of another individual. She kept the thought in the back of her mind.
Then, a strange calm came across her posture, one that showed less hostility and more curiosity. She squatted down to face Link, which prompted him to try and ram the gate himself. It didn't matter that he'd still be tied up if he bust it open; his impulses were taking over, for the first time in years.
But Jora remained calm as she spoke. "I understand that this is not a … desirable situation for you," she said, her tone firm but also with an unexpected hint of softness to it. "But hard to believe as it may be, we are not the monsters here. Everything that we do is in service of the great Calamity Ganon. The one who will bring about the cleansing that your rotting kingdom so desperately needs.
The flashes of rage in Link's eyes made it clear he was having none of this, and he shook his head in defiance. The Yiga were villains; there was no way around that.
"What? You think your Hyrule is so much kinder to you? Have we really taken you from a life of such luxury and happiness?" Jora clicked her tongue. "Still so naïve. But with those in power, how could you not be?"
The Yiga reached out through the gate to stroke Link's chin with her fingers, causing the hero to grunt and turn himself around in a huff.
This allowed him to make eye contact with Mipha, and an overwhelming sadness overcame both of them. They didn't attempt to speak, didn't move; it was as if their captors no longer registered to them. They just looked into each other's eyes, bright blue meeting shimmering brown. Mipha felt her heart break in that moment. Seeing her brave hero so vulnerable and defenseless, and yet still so clearly concerned for her over himself, was enough to send a few tears down her cheek, catching on her cloth gag. Link didn't know how to react to that; the beautiful, wonderful Zora who always was there for him, now in tears, was the most distressing thing he could remember ever seeing. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to look at risk of his own emotions overpowering him, his parted lips slightly trembling over the cleaving cloth.
Jora sighed bitterly, seeing that she'd lost the prisoners' attention. She got back upright and said, "I can see you two have some catching up to do. Enjoy your time together while you still can."
The Yiga turned and made for the ladder beside the cells. Before she descended, however, said one last thing over her shoulder. "Hylia is dead, hero. We are the holy servants, fighting the true evil. And if we can make you understand and accept this, what we want out of you will be far less excruciating."
And with that, she was gone.
But Link and Mipha could have very well not known whether or not she'd even left. All they could focus on was each other. And the overwhelming horror, misery, and sense of unmitigated defeat that seeing the other like this brought them.
The Legend of Zelda franchise, the image used, and all characters and settings portrayed (except named Yiga members), all belong to Nintendo.
Originally uploaded on November 17, 2019.
Yup, Link and Mipha are FINALLY together and aware that the other is a captive alongside them! This was both a little easier and a little harder than I thought it would be. Their reactions and how they behaved was easy enough, but pacing it out properly, giving it the right energy and detail without slowing it down, was harder to do in the revision. Though Link's reaction was also a bit of a risk, seeing as it dismantles his calm, stoic demeanor. That's the idea here, but still may put a few readers off. Regardless, I really hope that everyone is happy with it, as it was quite a bit of buildup to get here! While this part mostly portrayed the shock that they're going through, the next part focuses on their emotions as the situation settles in, and you bet there’s a ton of good ol' angst mined from that!
As for the beginning section, it’s obviously setup for Jora being a more fleshed-out villain (something I had always considered a weakness in my stories). But it also continues the themes I've been playing with regarding how I feel Hyrule and its government were portrayed in BOTW. Ohram's description of their exile is actually going off the game's backstory for the Yiga, and I think is a great example of what I'm referring to. As the story continues, more of that is looked at.
Thank you to everyone who read this far, and a special thank you to all those who leave continuous feedback that both motivates me and helps my storytelling evolve!
Link's gag speech translated:
"MMMRM!!!" - "MIPHA!!!"
"HMMNNNNMM HRRMMNN?! HMMMNN GNNNNRMM?!! MMMRM!!" - "HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! HOW DID THEY GET YOU?!! MIPHA!!"
"NRM!! GHMMMRRN NNGRMMNN HNNNPHMPHHRR!!!" - "NO!! KEEP HER DISGUSTING HANDS OFF OF HER!!!"
"NNNN!!" - "NO!!"
"GRRMMMRR!! RRRRRGRMM!!" - "GET OFF ME!! LET US GO!!"
"Rrrrhrrrnnmnn!" - "Leave her alone!"
Mipha's gag speech translated:
"RNNG!!!" - "LINK!!!"
"NN, RNNG, PRRMMNNRMM!! MRRMM, MRRM, NNRGHNNMMN GRRNNNYNNNNMM!!" - "NO, LINK, PLEASE NOT YOU!! PLEASE, PLEASE, THEY COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN YOU TOO!!"
"LRRNNHMMGNN!!! RRRNNHMMGNN!!!" - "LET HIM GO!!! LET HIM GO!!!"
"NHHRNMM GRMMNNPH, LMHPHMHNM HLNNM!! LMHVM MM HLHNM!! … N-NH!! MHNTPHM MMHTHMRM!!" - "YOU VILE CRETINS, LEAVE HIM ALONE!! LEAVE US ALONE!! … N-NO!! DON'T PUT ME IN THERE!!"
From atop the tall peak they both stood on, Jora did as she was told. She was amazed by the view before her, her eyes wide. She'd never seen anything so majestic, vast, and diverse. A volcano in one corner, a forest in another, then a desert, and more! She immediately wanted to go, to see it all and discover what every crevice had to offer.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ohram asked. He crouched down to stand on eye level with the nine-year-old girl. "It's the kingdom of Hyrule. But it's not just the landscapes that are to marvel at. There are whole civilizations out there, people free to roam and explore it to their hearts' desires."
"Really?!" Jora gasped enthusiastically. She lifted up her small Yiga mask, revealing the wide, excited eyes of an adventurous child wanting to see the world. "Can we go there? Can we?! Please?!!" she begged, bouncing on her toes.
Ohram let out a sad sigh at the child's joy, knowing what he had to tell her. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her enthusiasm.
"That's what I wanted to tell you. No, my child, unfortunately, we cannot. You see, they don't want us there. No one of our kind is allowed. Once, many years ago, we were free to live among them, accepted and loved. But now, we are forced to make our own lives, removed from the luxuries such a home would provide."
Jora's eyes suddenly took on a more confused look, mixed with sadness and a hint of budding resentment at being denied. "Why don't they want us? Did we do something bad?"
A bitter chuckle escaped Ohram, as he briefly grimaced. "No, not at all. On the contrary. Once we were among the most respected beings of those lands. We provided great technological advances, and saved the kingdom several times with our resources and knowledge. The innovations that we enjoy, those were ours, my girl, take pride in that."
Jora nodded as he continued.
"… But little did we know the true, crooked nature of Hylian civilization. Rather than revere and thank us for all we did for them, they instead feared us. In their stubborn resistance to change and the unknown, they worried that we would seize their precious control away from them. They feared us, despite us having no desire but to serve them. And so, little Jora, we were exiled. Cast out, away from those we cared about, the homes we'd created, and forced to start life anew … including your parents."
Jora was indignant as she took in her father's story. "What?! That's not fair!" Her fists were clenched and shook downwards. Indeed, the young one felt it a great injustice that anyone would be banished after doing good.
"No, it isn't," Ohram replied. "But you see, Hyrule is not a fair place, nor does it house fair people. They care only for what they know, and do away with anything that poses a threat to their traditions, their rules. They act as though they are the superior beings even now. But they are truly savages, taking away from those who deserve it. That, Jora, is what you must learn to accept. They are the cause of what befell your family. They are the enemy."
A pause lingered between surrogate father and daughter, allowing for Ohram's words to sink into the young girl's impressionable mind. Her eyes seemed ready to well up with tears, the sudden revelation of her family's cruel history weighing down on her.
But then Ohram reassured her. "Oh, don't weep," he said, gently stroking her little face and giving a small smile. "One day, we shall take it back from them, and have it as ours. For there is a force that will one day rise to challenge these scum, seeking to cleanse their corrupt filth from these lands. And unlike Hylians, those who serve him will be rewarded. As Yiga, we must swear to serve only this entity, do his bidding always and only. And we must show no mercy to those who would oppose him. Enemies of his are enemies of ours."
He then removed his own mask, and looked his daughter in the eye. "Do you understand, Jora? Understand what we must do, and why?"
A surge of fatherly pride surged through Ohram when he saw the storm of fire brooding behind the little girl's eyes. He knew from the moment he took her in that Jora would grow into a woman of great resolve, and never was that more evident than right now. Yes, she would carry on the Yiga's mission, would do whatever it took. Even at the age of nine years, his powerful words had gotten through to her.
With a determination far beyond her years, Jora simply replied, "Yes. We'll help him. And we'll make them pay."
That determination only grew as Jora did, all the way to right now.
After hours of traveling, she and her small army had finally arrived at where they called home. By traversing through the scorching hot Gerudo desert, aided by Heat Resistance potions, they made their way to a winding canyon. The air close to the sandy ground steadily became foggy, but the Yiga masks protected from it getting blown in their faces. As they got closer to their entrance, flags were hanged off of clotheslines, up above, and large sacks were spread out in an orderly fashion as they passed by. The wheels of the carriages were digging into the sand, making it much harder to move them through, resulting in them moving in a much jerkier manner that was none to kind for the two stashed inside them. The soldiers were weary after such a journey, and this wasn't helping them in the slightest, but being in their familiar environment again was the push they needed to finish the trip.
And finally, the group arrived at a rectangular opening carved into the rock walls. Through this opening was the dreaded entrance to the structure that the Yiga called home. A circular chamber was the first sight, a series of torches on a raised platform at the center. Multiple door-like curtains were strewn across the walls of the chamber, and banners sporting the iconic Yiga symbol proudly decorated the ominous area.
This was as far as the troops could go with their loads. The horses, both with and without carriages, came to a stop at their riders' commands. Jora watched as her fellow Yiga got off their steeds, and a few of them went to the back of the two carriages, ready to unload their captives. She turned to a middle-aged footsoldier named Mason and spoke to him.
"Go and alert Master Ohram that we've returned with our prisoner … and an extra prisoner as well," she said, grinning under her mask at the end of her request.
"Aye, ma'am," Mason responded. "Should we check that they're still secure?"
"No need," another member, Ghira, shouted back. "They're just as we want them."
As she said this, she walked towards them with a bound and gagged Zora princess's shoulder held painfully in her grasp. She dragged a whining, struggling Mipha out to the front of her carriage, where she was indeed just as effectively restrained as when she first woke up. But she was far more physically shaken. When they had entered the desert, the rising heat soon started to overwhelm the poor Zora, who was even more unaccustomed to such conditions than most species. She had been panting through her gag, trying to get air as the thick fabrics in and over her mouth suddenly felt even more stifling and hot. She barely had anything left in her, her squirming very weak and her mind feeling a bit hazy.
Ghira tossed Mipha onto the ground, her gagged face roughly planting into the sand. With a muffled "Mmnhh nnrrrmmh!" she shook her head to try and get the coarse substance out of her face, ending with a sneeze. She kept flopping in her bonds, knowing that it was pointless but still driven by discomfort and panic. The only knowledge she ever had of the Yiga's primary home was through rumor and speculation. But it seemed she was about to find out the truth, and needless to say, it was a truth she would have rather had be left a mystery.
Meanwhile, as a Yiga soldier opened the door to Link's carriage, he was met with a powerful kick to the face by a pair of bound boots. Being caged up and in emotional distress had brought out a more restless side to the fuming hero, and he'd been prepared to let out some form of release on the unfortunate Yiga.
However, this only caused the Yiga to be twice as rough on him, grabbing him by both shoulders bulging out above the ropes, eliciting a "Mmmmph!" from the Hylian boy. He was dragged along the side of his carriage, obstructed from Mipha's view. Link put up as much of a fight as he could in his state, trying to thrash out of the Yiga's grip, but it only delayed the inevitable. He was brought up to the front, and thrown onto the sandy ground as well.
Mipha turned her head at the commotion to her left.
And in that moment, a wave of a new fear and panic, one beyond anything she'd felt up until now, crashed down upon her like the grand waterfalls of her home.
Link turned his head as well.
And his heart nearly stopped; he felt as if his whole world was just ripped apart right then and there.
Both of their eyes widened in pure shock and horror. For each captive saw none other than the person that they were in love with, bound and gagged just as they were.
"RNNG!!!"
"MMMRM!!!"
No. No, no, no. This couldn't be real. This horrid mess couldn't possibly be this much of a nightmare. This was what both captives told themselves as they proceeded to fight, struggle, and scream like neither ever had before. Sand was kicked up everywhere, the two oblivious to it getting into their faces, as they tried with all their might to break free of their bonds in the face of this terrifying revelation.
"HMMNNNNMM HRRMMNN?! HMMMNN GNNNNRMM?!! MMMRM!!" Link screamed at the top of his lungs. Despite being thoroughly gagged, it was quite possibly the loudest and most vocal he had been in a very long time. Seeing that the mysterious captive girl was none other than the princess he loved so dearly was like a wrecking ball barreling through the walls he'd built up, his inhibitions all but abandoned.
"NN, RNNG, PRRMMNNRMM!! MRRMM, MRRM, NNRGHNNMMN GRRNNNYNNNNMM!!" Mipha was in similar hysterics. The physical toll she'd taken from the heat was suddenly forgotten, all her distress now centered around seeing her best friend trapped in this hellish situation with her. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse!
Link and Mipha began worming violently towards each other, eyes seeming to have widened to half the size of their heads. But they were both stopped as a Yiga grabbed each of them by the rope-welded arms and kept them in place.
"NRM!! GHMMMRRN NNGRMMNN HNNNPHMPHHRR!!!" Link snarled, thrashing like mad. He shuffled his tightly bound legs about, trying desperately to trip up the Yiga holding him.
"LRRNNHMMGNN!!! RRRNNHMMGNN!!!" Mipha wrenched her body around, her head fins flailing wildly. She tried to headbutt her captor, flip him over her shoulders, anything! She had to do something!
"Aaugh! Guys, can we put these two in their cages, they're really putting up- AH! Putting up a fight- HEY!!" the Yiga holding Link shouted in between his efforts to not be jostled around by the tied up Hylian. Both Yigas dug their feet in the dirt, doing their best to prevent the relentless, soul-shattered love interests from making their way towards each other.
Link did manage to use his legs to sweep his captor off his feet, releasing his hold. The boy then squirmed over to Mipha as quickly as he could, grunting loudly into his gag for these beasts to let her go.
But just as he got a mere foot away from the Zora, he was pulled by his bound ankles by Jora. His face banged against the set of stairs he was being dragged up, but he could only focus on his beloved as she too was pulled along.
"NNNN!!" Link roared.
They both fought it as best they could as one of the curtains in the wall was raised, revealing a staircase built into the mountain. Two footsodliers stayed behind to stand guard at the bottom of the staircase, while the rest joined in leading their prisoners.
Once they reached the top of the staircase, directly across from them was a gate that served as an entrance to a cell. Beyond that was a ladder leading down to a corridor, the contents of which were mostly hidden from the current vantage point by a wall. It was no secret who was going in the foreboding cage, the dread building more and more as the group approached it.
Just when he was a few feet away from the cell, Link's ceaseless efforts and struggling miraculously managed to dislodge his gag off his mouth, with it now hanging loosely around his neck. He swiftly spat out the other fabric stuffed inside, and began shouting with a vigor that would shock those who knew him.
"MIPHA!! Let her go! Do whatever you want with me, but don't ever drag her into this! DON'T YOU DARE LAY ANOTHER HAND ON-HRRMM!!"
Link's rare bout of rage was cruelly cut off when Jora shoved the filthy rag back into his mouth, holding it there with her hand. Ghira brought the thicker, symbol-clad cloth back up to his face, but due to Link's thrashing head and continued garbled shouting, she ended up tying it between his lips. She pulled it into the corners of his mouth and tied it off behind his head through his hair, being sure to tug the knot as tightly as possible.
"GRRMMMRR!! RRRRRGRMM!!" Link continued shouting, but it only caused the fabric to dig further into his lips.
Mipha's eyes blazed in a fury like she never felt before as she observed Link's foul mistreatment. "NHHRNMM GRMMNNPH, LMHPHMHNM HLNNM!! LMHVM MM HLHNM!! … N-NH!! MHNTPHM MMHTHMRM!!" she yelled, the thick material in and over her mouth holding her ire at bay.
But as hard as she fought, she couldn't do anything as she felt herself being dragged into the cell. It turned out that there were two other gates inside that cell, spaced a few inches apart and serving to split the cell into two separate cells. Mipha was tossed into the deeper one haphazardly, before she heard the two adjacent gates be closed and locked. She then heard Link grunt out in pain, followed by the final gate being locked shut.
As Link wiggled onto his knees and inched his way to the gate leading out, Jora walked up and put her hand on that gate, looking down on the poor tied up Hylian.
"Well this is certainly different from when we first took you," she bemused. "The silent, stoic chosen one suddenly has a pair of lungs on him. Figures that the only way to get it out of the selfless hero is to have someone else in peril … Well, now it seems that gag is well-warranted."
Link responded with a low growl through said gag, his blue eyes searing as he looked up at her. Meanwhile, Mipha resorted to plowing her bound body into her own gate with a muffled snarl, rattling it but not making Jora flinch in the slightest. The Yiga did, however, turn her attention to the Zora princess.
"I must say, the last thing we expected was to come home with two of you. But while we don't have any plans for you specifically, having you in our possession opens up many new possibilities for us."
"Rrrrhrrrnnmnn!" Link growled at that.
Jora glanced back at the boy. She took a few moments to think about the behaviors of these two, and how their mannerisms and expressions, while limited by their restraints, seemed to indicate that there was more going on between them than just concern for the safety of another individual. She kept the thought in the back of her mind.
Then, a strange calm came across her posture, one that showed less hostility and more curiosity. She squatted down to face Link, which prompted him to try and ram the gate himself. It didn't matter that he'd still be tied up if he bust it open; his impulses were taking over, for the first time in years.
But Jora remained calm as she spoke. "I understand that this is not a … desirable situation for you," she said, her tone firm but also with an unexpected hint of softness to it. "But hard to believe as it may be, we are not the monsters here. Everything that we do is in service of the great Calamity Ganon. The one who will bring about the cleansing that your rotting kingdom so desperately needs.
The flashes of rage in Link's eyes made it clear he was having none of this, and he shook his head in defiance. The Yiga were villains; there was no way around that.
"What? You think your Hyrule is so much kinder to you? Have we really taken you from a life of such luxury and happiness?" Jora clicked her tongue. "Still so naïve. But with those in power, how could you not be?"
The Yiga reached out through the gate to stroke Link's chin with her fingers, causing the hero to grunt and turn himself around in a huff.
This allowed him to make eye contact with Mipha, and an overwhelming sadness overcame both of them. They didn't attempt to speak, didn't move; it was as if their captors no longer registered to them. They just looked into each other's eyes, bright blue meeting shimmering brown. Mipha felt her heart break in that moment. Seeing her brave hero so vulnerable and defenseless, and yet still so clearly concerned for her over himself, was enough to send a few tears down her cheek, catching on her cloth gag. Link didn't know how to react to that; the beautiful, wonderful Zora who always was there for him, now in tears, was the most distressing thing he could remember ever seeing. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to look at risk of his own emotions overpowering him, his parted lips slightly trembling over the cleaving cloth.
Jora sighed bitterly, seeing that she'd lost the prisoners' attention. She got back upright and said, "I can see you two have some catching up to do. Enjoy your time together while you still can."
The Yiga turned and made for the ladder beside the cells. Before she descended, however, said one last thing over her shoulder. "Hylia is dead, hero. We are the holy servants, fighting the true evil. And if we can make you understand and accept this, what we want out of you will be far less excruciating."
And with that, she was gone.
But Link and Mipha could have very well not known whether or not she'd even left. All they could focus on was each other. And the overwhelming horror, misery, and sense of unmitigated defeat that seeing the other like this brought them.
The Legend of Zelda franchise, the image used, and all characters and settings portrayed (except named Yiga members), all belong to Nintendo.
Originally uploaded on November 17, 2019.
Yup, Link and Mipha are FINALLY together and aware that the other is a captive alongside them! This was both a little easier and a little harder than I thought it would be. Their reactions and how they behaved was easy enough, but pacing it out properly, giving it the right energy and detail without slowing it down, was harder to do in the revision. Though Link's reaction was also a bit of a risk, seeing as it dismantles his calm, stoic demeanor. That's the idea here, but still may put a few readers off. Regardless, I really hope that everyone is happy with it, as it was quite a bit of buildup to get here! While this part mostly portrayed the shock that they're going through, the next part focuses on their emotions as the situation settles in, and you bet there’s a ton of good ol' angst mined from that!
As for the beginning section, it’s obviously setup for Jora being a more fleshed-out villain (something I had always considered a weakness in my stories). But it also continues the themes I've been playing with regarding how I feel Hyrule and its government were portrayed in BOTW. Ohram's description of their exile is actually going off the game's backstory for the Yiga, and I think is a great example of what I'm referring to. As the story continues, more of that is looked at.
Thank you to everyone who read this far, and a special thank you to all those who leave continuous feedback that both motivates me and helps my storytelling evolve!
Link's gag speech translated:
"MMMRM!!!" - "MIPHA!!!"
"HMMNNNNMM HRRMMNN?! HMMMNN GNNNNRMM?!! MMMRM!!" - "HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! HOW DID THEY GET YOU?!! MIPHA!!"
"NRM!! GHMMMRRN NNGRMMNN HNNNPHMPHHRR!!!" - "NO!! KEEP HER DISGUSTING HANDS OFF OF HER!!!"
"NNNN!!" - "NO!!"
"GRRMMMRR!! RRRRRGRMM!!" - "GET OFF ME!! LET US GO!!"
"Rrrrhrrrnnmnn!" - "Leave her alone!"
Mipha's gag speech translated:
"RNNG!!!" - "LINK!!!"
"NN, RNNG, PRRMMNNRMM!! MRRMM, MRRM, NNRGHNNMMN GRRNNNYNNNNMM!!" - "NO, LINK, PLEASE NOT YOU!! PLEASE, PLEASE, THEY COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN YOU TOO!!"
"LRRNNHMMGNN!!! RRRNNHMMGNN!!!" - "LET HIM GO!!! LET HIM GO!!!"
"NHHRNMM GRMMNNPH, LMHPHMHNM HLNNM!! LMHVM MM HLHNM!! … N-NH!! MHNTPHM MMHTHMRM!!" - "YOU VILE CRETINS, LEAVE HIM ALONE!! LEAVE US ALONE!! … N-NO!! DON'T PUT ME IN THERE!!"
Category Story / Bondage
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 1280 x 662px
File Size 108.2 kB
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