A Kingdom of Burning Sand

- Chapter 16: The Tide of Battle

the battle is on hyrule’s doorstep. link is at the end of his rope. ganondorf is holding the other end.

[15.6k chapter, ganlink post-botw au]

A Kingdom of Burning Sand

-Chapter 15: Forgiveness and Honesty

preparations need to be made for the battle ahead, but link finds himself thinking of things softer than the brutality of war.

[20k chapter, ganlink post-botw au]

A KINGDOM OF BURNING SAND

Twenty years have passed since the Calamity was felled, and Hyrule has entered a time of peace and prosperity. All seems well, though one evening, a Gerudo woman finds herself attacked by a member of the believed-defeated Yiga Clan. Chief Riju asks Link to investigate, and who he finds living beneath the sands is more than he could have ever believed possible.

slowburn ganlink / post-botw au /200k longfic /rated e

[UPDATES WEEKLY]

st-hedge:

Ghost type ganlink

East Wind wips

Because we’re in a nostalgic GanLink feels mood tonight that’s why (story is ongoing on Ao3 and v much for grownups. I got a scene written for the boys for the first time in months so we are excited in the house of Rat tonight)

onwardnary:

I’ve been seeing this asked for a lot, and since I am a really prolific reader of this ship, I thought I would present to you:

THE CONSENSUALGANLINK REC LIST

These are all fics I have personally read and enjoyed. Most of them are “Explicit” rate. So please heed all tags and all archive content related banners.

All of them are EXPLICITLY CONSENSUAL relationships.No non-con. No rape. Not abusive. No Stockholm Syndrome. Several have a delightful amount of kink. All tend to highlight my favorite relationship trope: Idiots in Love (Seriously, They Are Idiots, Your Honor). Sometimes enemies-to-lovers, sometimes not. Mostly plot driven LongFic with robust worldbuilding, as well as a couple charming shorter adventures/one shots.

NOTE: This list is in no way intended to negatively reflect or comment on fics that do have non-con elements. There are very well written ones out there. This is simply in response to seeing a lot of asks for specifically consensual ganlink flavored fics.

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100% Ganlink Romantic Glory (AKA the stuff we shippers live for):

EAST WINDby@studiorat(E)

The flagship of the NOTHING EMBOLDENS SIN SO MUCH AS MERCYseries,where sideways-of-Majora’s-Mask Link travels downriver of time in a neverending groundhog day in an effort to save Ganondorf, after realizing the story he thought he knew might not be as black and white as he was led to believe. For what good is a Hero if he doesn’t save everyone? StudioRat creates a profoundly cohesive world that retroactively draws in the lore from other games and and fleshes it out with their own world building. The narrative challenges the understanding of game play we saw it through the POV of two children and slams it full of nuance, bring the subtext of OoT into the spotlight. Is Ganondorf evil? Its a matter of prospective and bias isn’t it? A young king, trying to protect his people, and playing a delicate game of war and political intrigue as he tries to escape the destiny thrust upon him by the Gods, his mothers, and demons that aspire to see The Great Destroyer return. The problem is, the one Power he believes strong enough to do so is a mythical weapon held by Hyrule royalty. And then there is the matter of the tiny Hylian madman that strolled right into the middle of his plans, who seems to know impossible things about Ganondorf himself, the true reasons of his campaign into Hyrule, and That Which He Desires Most. This is a delightful slow burn is riddled with realistic human emotions and miscommunication to where you become direly invested in Link and Ganondorf achieving a Happily Ever After. SWORDS OUR LAW, the prequel, offers backstory on the First (failed) Attempt of many by Link in this life to prevent Demise from claiming his destined vessel, and explains a lot of his actions in EAST WIND that is not apparent from Gan’s POV (including a massive spoiler at the end you wont want to miss). MOONRISE, of this series, is an equal delight, and is the work that originally inspired EAST WIND. I won’t give away spoilers, but it has a very satisfying ending.

NAVIGATORby@saltysaph(E)

In Defiance of Fate and All Interested Parties, the fabled Hero of Legend shows up at the Great King Ganondorf’s front door, Sword that Seals the Darkness strapped on his back - and instead of fighting him, salutes him as a friend and offers him a drink. Together, the King and Knight decide they don’t want to be pawns on someone else’s chessboard anymore and embark on their own journey. Updating Mondays and almost halfway through the first of three acts, Act One is charmingly written with snappy one-liners and thoughtful narrative. Not set in any particular game, this one uses Legend of Zelda world-building at large to bring us a new adventure, as new reincarnations of familiar characters, and promises to send Ganondorf and Link on a delightful slow burn journey of temple crawls, shenanigans, and whump. The original temple designs are a treat in-and-of-themselves, I’ve fallen in love with too many background characters thus far, and am here to curl up in a blanket on my couch and read as these two idiots learning how to Navigate (-bad pun drum roll-) each other. SaltySaph has given me a reason to look forward to Mondays.

LET ME LIVE THAT FANTASY by seamonster (E)

Modern Day AU at the intersection of Mafia and Fake Dating. “Link thinks his job is pretty easy. All he has to do is cook dinner and pretend to be someone’s husband only one night a week. The pay is incredible and the perks are appealing. So he doesn’t question who Mr. G really is, never asks why he looks so lonely when they part ways at the end of the night, never wonders why making the man smile and laugh has Link seeing his job in hues of pink. It doesn’t matter to Link if Mr. G is dangerous, he’s just playing house. Right?” This one shot is a treat. The author wraps the familiar setting of LoZ into a large modern day city and quickly makes us fall in love with just-wants-to-live-his-life Link and his three cats and Definitely-a-Mob-Boss fake husband. Compelling, well-written, and, as a real boon, on-page clear and consensual negotiation and contracts related to Ganondorf and Link’s arrangement. Theres some other twists, but I don’t want to ruin them. This one is just the right length for a one shot that it feels satisfying, but the world and characters are so compelling, it leaves you also hoping for more.

THE DECOY AUby@st-hedge(E)

Currently in two parts: LET ME HOLD YOU, LIKE A HOSTAGE and its sequel CLOSE YOUR EYES, YOU’LL SEE THE DEVIL’S GRIN. Set in the game-universe of Breath of the Wild pre-calamity when Link was still Zelda’s knight, except Ganondorf is King of the Gerudo with Urbosa as his second-in-command. With the Hyrule King not willing to strike or talk alliances, the Gerudo decide to try to capture themselves a far more reasonably minded Princess instead. Except, what they get, is a sassy little knight that was playing as her body double. Shenanigans ensue, with part 1 building and establishing the relationship between Ganondorf and Link and part 2 doing a deeper dive into a more established relationship and the trials and tribulations that come with it. Hedge also has several other smaller stories and snippets based on their “botw ancient era AU” that are also worth checking out!

KILL THEE AND LOVE THEE AFTERby@studiorat(M)

A What-If fix-it to their own story SORROWS COME NOT AS SINGLE SPIES. SORROWS is apart of StudioRat’s series BRANCHES AND FATE which features time-traveling sideways of Majora’s Mask Link’s trial-and-error run of scenarioes to save Ganondorf from the destiny thrust upon him a more platonic setting (theres some serious great Dad!Link vibes in this series if you are also into that). SORROWS could be read as tragic pre-Ganlink almost-Pirate AU, and KILL THREE AND LOVE THEE AFTER confirms this in a wonderful “What If” of a pivotal moment in SORROWS that leads us to both romantic Ganlink and a happily ever after. You could probably read this independently, but I do recommend at least reading SORROWS, if not BRANCHES AND FATE as a whole to really get a robust understanding of the plot.

SANDS OF TIMEby@tirsynni(T)

Another glorious Time!Link-travels-back-in-time-to-save-Ganondorf, except in this one, Link’s adventure (seemingly) does not begin by choice. One moment he is in a cave, nestled in for the night with his trusty mare Epona, and the next, he’s on his knees at the bridge to Gerudo Valley, a much younger (and decidedly less evil) Ganondorf holding a weapon to his throat and declaring him a Hylian spy. It starts a journey for Link of unraveling questions about the past, discovering for What Purpose he was sent to this time, and maybe, just maybe, having a shot of forging a happier future for everyone. The original characters in this story are a delight, both among Hylian nights and the gerudo, with Kali being a favorite of mine. Twinrova also gets a larger and welcomed role. And the way the author works in The Hero’s Shade is fantastic.

SUMMER AND GOLD by @seventhstrife (M)

This one is hot off the presses, and this particular writer’s first foray into Zelda Fic and ganlink. So, please go leave them comments and encourage them. Only a couple chapters in and I’m smitten, hopefully you will be too. Added bonus: Zelda/Nabooru is also in the tags. “A last-minute change means Link has to step in and be Zelda’s escort to this year’s peace summit. He’s not looking forward to stiff, boring meetings and tea with all of the assembled royalty across the nations, but there isn’t much he wouldn’t do for Zelda. He’s more than happy to fade into the background, but the Gerudo King is making that difficult…” Per the author, this is another one that is not set in any specific game-verse, but does seem to be drawing on BotW and OoT so far. Their Link is very endearing, that perfect balance of blushing idiot and complete badass. Spoiler alert: the sparing scene in chapter 2 is FANTASTIC.

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Central Focused Platonic Gan & Link (no other romantic pairings, you can put on your shipper goggles easy peasy):

THIRD EYEby@studiorat(G)

The Hero of Time has awakened the Sages, cleansed all the temples, and solved all of the Demon King Ganondorf’s puzzles and trials. And now, he climbs the tower towards his final boss battle and to free Princess Zelda. Except, he’s had a lot of time to think about things in his weary heroics across Hyrule, questions about the actions of his supposed enemy that seem too philosophical for the fae mind of his fairy companions - like, why would his fated enemy lock himself up in a tower with the lock on the outside of the door? So, when Navi doesn’t seem to have the answer, he elects to ask the source directly. And more importantly, how can he convince Zelda and Ganondorf to get along? This is an incredibly canon compliant One Shot that has fantastic BiForce Triforce interaction, and though it is romance free, has a lot of subtext for shippers to cling to as they see fit or don’t see fit.

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And, if you don’t mind a little Zelda flavor to your Ganlink (Ganzelink):

INTERIM by Starkraving (E)

This one likely needs no introduction, but still belongs on any GanLink rec list. Post-Breath of the Wild Link and Zelda are traveling through Hyrule, trying to figure out not only what their roles will be in this New Hyrule, but what they are in regards to each other as well. “She has no throne. Girls without thrones should not have knights, but hers won’t go. Princess Zelda – the girl who killed Calamity – would love to fade into legend, but Link’s bought a house, he’s fighting off monsters, and he’s selling giant horses to strangely familiar Gerudo men. She’ll never have any peace now.”

PEACE AND LOVEby@saltysaph(E)

Pure comfort food, this fic is. Another writer that is able to hyper focus into the human condition and really wrap the reader’s emotions into what is unfolding for the characters. When Ganondorf and Zelda form a political marriage, it leaves Link scrambling to figure out where that leaves him in the aftermath. When he tries to be the honorable Knight and do the “right thing”, the monarchs protest quite thoroughly. The title really says it all. This is truly a story about finding peace and love (and happiness).

I CAN BE YOUR HYRULEby@gingerlotus(E)

Honestly, the description speaks well for this one for itself: The strongest leaders in Hyrule struggle for power and alliances. Ganondorf is brought back from the dead and enters Hyrule to lay claim to it, but he has some interesting plans on how to get what he wants, and Zelda isn’t exactly opposed. But things never really work out the way you envision, do they? What starts out as the seduction of a queen quickly puts Gan in over his head. Who is this Hero and what kind of obstacle does he pose to Ganondorf’s plans to rule Hyrule?

THE WORD AND LEGEND GO BEFORE YOU by jonphaedrus (T)

Time!Link, now living in Termina, is alarmed when he crosses paths with Ganondorf. Or rather, his “what might have been” Termina double. The two grow closer until one day, Link is approached by a Sheik double - or are they? This is a really cool fic that really plays homage to the dark and a bit psychedelic feel of Majora’s Mask. Together the trio attempt to defy destiny, again, and find that some of their worst enemies they need to overcome are internal.

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Aaa! Thank you for honoring me with inclusion on this fantastic list. It’s a really nice collection if you guys like my stuff and haven’t read the rest of the list already, definitely add them to your tbr!

RE: GANLINK OR ZELINK W REHYDRATED GANON

I only like Ganon when hes righteously angry at the world and Hyrule and works to destroy it. What the hell do you people think “the curse of Demise” even IS, thematically? Just him being evil for no reason? There is no reason for him to hate a kingdom of colonisers and victimisers? I love this fandom, they will say “down with monarchies” but also Hyrule is ruled by poor little meow meows who did nothing wrong to warrant such aggression, got it.

You guys think he’ll need to right his wrongs to get together with Link and/or Zelda but you know what? Nope. Link and/or Zelda need to right their wrongs and apologize to him. They’ll have to stop being massive assholes or this pairing is toxic and I’m out. And Ganon’s apology isn’t needed btw he did what he had to

By the way if you’re gonna be “ackshully i only like ganlink or zelink as PLAWTONIC and if they have same age and work at a coffee shop im such a good person and only consoom good pure fiction” at this post im gonna kick sand in your face