Doctor Who/ Legend of Zelda: BOTW Crossover fic – (Just One)

AN: This is just a lil flavour of this… er… weird crossover I've started. Unsure what rating it should be… I'd like to go dark with this, but I'll keep it at T for now. This is obviously more emotional than what happened in the final memory in BOTW (was originally going to write up that) since I thought why not do this part my own way? This is a crossover fic after all 😊 Not only this, but I want darker scenes as that's really my vibe. Sorry LoZ and DW D:

Also can't promise my characterisation will be perfection… and I know Link talks in this part but it's something I'd expect if you think you might die… and he may feel he can no longer carry the burden of defeating Ganon if he has 'failed'. This prologue is also short, didn't want too much detail as trying to keep the lore and etc under wraps at the moment for the sake of mystery XD. This is merely part of setting the relationship and darkness of this world.

I have been away for a long time… I cannot catch a break writing or with how busy my life gets with other things. I can also only write whilst I am passionate/obsessed with something. Been watching Doctor Who properly lately and my love for Breath of the Wild is strong. Really hope I can get through this and you'll enjoy it in some way.

DESPITE my attempt to go off on one with this… I want you to know that I don't own Doctor Who or Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. These characters ain't my sub-par creations but characters I adore and want to explore in writing. Also, I did attempt to look around the fandom to check this idea isn't similar to an existing story but to my knowledge what I wish to tell is my creation.

-EccentricBrit

Prologue:

He had one chance. To stop Calamity Ganon was his duty. Link felt numb, both physically and emotionally. Enemy fire had scorched his skin and wounded his pride. Warm blood poured from the side of his head, a weak groan escaping his lips. Fingertips grazed over his fabled blade's hilt, the hand not being quite strong enough to grasp it. Regardless of his determination to keep going. Suddenly, delicate arms wrapped around him like a tight bandage, willing him to get better. He could feel her yearning for his strength, sorrowful wails making themselves known over the sound of roaring fire and mechanical rattles. Eyes followed the flames decimating the grassland and blotting out the night sky, his focus returning inward to what needed to be done.

"…. Run…" he wheezed. No acknowledgement followed. Link did not speak often but now he was left with no choice. He craned his neck as much as his tight skin and muscles would allow, trying to meet the eyes of his monarch. Light from the fire caught in the streams of tears making themselves down her face, navigating the pained contortions. Link wished he could burn her into his mind, but he wanted nothing more than to see her survive. His arm felt heavy as it reached to hold the right side of her face, salty tears mixing with the ash upon his palm.

Her voice trembled as she spoke, "My… knight… This is all my fault."

He willed his eyes to meet hers with a steely resolve, he would not accept her thinking anything of this sort. A pained gasp followed as his leg shifted to press his back against her, Zelda jolted to support him. Link let out an uneasy breath from the intimate position, too forlorn to laugh. He re-established eye contact and shook his head. Failure was unimaginable, some part of them all held the idealistic belief they would prevail over evil. How foolish. He could still carry out his duty. "Z-Zelda… leave… while you can. I have failed you."

Zelda pressed her nose into his hair, harsh breathing making its way into a heartless laugh. He thought it was initially meant to be mirthful in that heart-breaking kind of way. It felt empty. "Look at us… where did all our confidence go?". A left hand slid down to hold his, her other stroking the locks out of his eyes. "It has been built up for so long, this destiny we were meant to chase. It sounds silly but… I'd actually began to believe the stories the women of my line and that I really had been gifted with their wisdom." She smiled wistfully at his annoyed grunt, letting her thumb rub circles into his palm. "I know that if you had the strength, you'd push me away. It is… rather… ironic, my k-knight."

He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes to hold in the pain. Zelda listened to the sounds of metal, distant enough for respite but she knew he could not run. She wondered what would happen if one were to find them now… whether he would find some hidden strength or buckle under his own weight. "Were you always this resilient? No… perhaps not. Mipha… oh Mipha told me of a little boy who would play in the water... adorned with cherry blossoms and cry at cutting the soles of his feet."

Link clasped her hand with his, the grip tense and contrasting from Zelda's own trembling frame. He was willing her to leave, to stop stalling and escape while the piercing gaze of a Guardian was absent. Her voice seemed to shake as emotion bubbled over. "I miss them… I-I hope they are…- "

He squeezed harder, biting his lip to hold back a sob. His breath kept catching in his throat, he was scared, and this further terrified her. "Link… I c-cannot… please don't… don't make me. Let us just… sit." Link's eyes welled with tears hearing her speak his name. She had spoken it with such anguish as opposed to referring to him as 'champion' in the usual frustrated or playful tone. He shook his head again, grunting and attempting to pry her away with his better hand. Zelda met his eyes and her face was filled with pain, like she'd been bitten. "I will not leave you!"

Link persisted, growing more desperate as he was aware of the encroaching danger. He coughed, finding a familiar metallic taste clung to his tongue with blood trailing down his chin. Picking up his sword, he knelt and took ragged breaths. The reassuring hand on his shoulder did nothing but fill his chest with fear and shame. Then he heard it. The dry earth nearby trembled and lost integrity as fire and ancient machinery callously made its way across. With a pained gasp, the master sword was used to shakily bring Link on his two feet, the Guardian trampling ever closer.

Zelda let go of his frame as he stumbled, hands clinging to the dirty material of her dress. Such finery worn to respect the goddess had not aided in her plight, it only served as a disgraceful reminder of her failure. Besides mud, her noticeable lack of injury riddled her with guilt. Her champion stood before her, currently clutching his head in such a way he could not adopt a fighting stance. Zelda held in a choked breath as her eyes came to see the luminous and now malignant contraption. Its powerful metal arms clung to the remains of its fallen brethren. Her instinct kicked in as the Guardian's glowing blue eye focused and turned red. Zelda placed herself between them, a red laser pinpointing on her rather than Link's frail body. "NO!" A bright light began to emanate from her outstretched hand and made her body a radiant white within seconds. The power made her feel different than she expected it would.

Link felt his legs move back a few steps without warning, he dug his sword into the ground to support his weight. He wiped the blood off his chin as he stared in awe at the angelic light and the calm demeanour of the wielder. Light worked its way outwards and consumed the surrounding machines, each one losing the vigour to fight as their glowing red light fizzled out. Link did not think much more about it as exhaustion overcame his body and he felt his body fall.