Modern-day ZeLink

Here's another off the wall topic: one covered in fan fiction a fair amount.

If Zelda and Link and their adventures were set in a modern era, what do you see for them? Obviously love is the same in whatever era, but how to keep the dynamic the same?

In our world ( at least the Western culture ) today, royalty doesn't play much of an active role. More symbolic, like Queen Elizabeth. At most, a small role in politics. If Zelda was actually royalty, she'd likely be cutting alot of ribbons and attending many parades rather than debating taxes for her land. This smaller responsibility and role would likely make her relationship with Link somewhat easier, if you want proof, Prince William is dating a commoner in real life. ( A nouveau riche one albeit )
He'd probably at most get a Prince Consort title if he married her though.

Another idea for her is be a politician, and rather be governing by choice rather than blood. In general I like this less though as most are older, and it tends to be messier than Zelda's clean reputation could handle.

As for Link, there's so many things he could be doing..so many common roles. I personally like the idea of him being in the military before his adventure...he'd still be a warrior, albeit a modern one. For a farmer to pick up a gun and suddenly be the land's hero seems to me not as workable as a lone swordsman in the medieval world. ( For one, weapons are generally frowned upon nowadays. Back then, everyone had a sword. ) Anyways, thoughts?

Interesting...This is how I see it in modern terms. Zelda as President, and Link as Vice-President. It be like Mcain and Palin except reversed in roles.

I think it's funny how whenever a modern day twist is applied in fandom it's almost always in a high school setting. Granted this makes a lot of sense in some ways (teenagers, drama, etc etc) but yeesh...I'd love to see some more creativity!

I once read a great modern day fic with Link as a reporter, Zelda as some politician/upper crust of society rich chick and Malon working a ranch with a big ass red pick up truck. It was never finished, but alas...

If its in a high school setting, I imagine Zelda as the promqueen/head cheerleader, Malon as the regular neighborhood girl next door type, and Link as the awkward social misfit. Kind of like a nerd but not. Sort of like a Peter Parker type only its in high school and not college.

I can't really see Zelda as a cheerleader. I'm pretty sure in a high school setting, she'd be the super smart overachiever who's president of all the clubs and gets straight A's, but would never be a bitch about it and rub her smarts in other people's faces. She's just doing all this stuff because she honestly wants to help people. Link, while he would be markedly laid back, compared to Zelda, would still get good grades and probably be involved in one or more sports. He'd probably be the one to get Zelda to take breaks from all of her things so she won't burn herself out.


Outside of a school setting though, I could see Link coming from a military family. You know, his dad was in the army, and his dad before him, and so on and so on. Sort of ties in with the idea of Link coming from a long line of knights in the games. Spent his youth in military schools, because his parents wanted him to follow the military tradition. Only Link would be more of a pacifist who wouldn't want to use violence as a first resort, but would still give as good as he gets in a fight.

Zelda, while perhaps not royalty, would be the daughter of some kind of government mucky muck or company CEO. She'd be in a position to see both the good and bad of what wealth and power could do in a person. Maybe she'd be a politician herself, or a lawyer maybe, trying to singlehandedly stop corruption and bring justice to those most needing it, because one of Zelda's most consistent traits is her dedication to her people.

Same here. You've pretty much exactly described how I'd imagine Zelda in a modern day high-school setting. ( And if we were sticking with traditional teenage Link and Zelda, they would be in high school at their age. No running around as a full-time farmer or ruling a country in today's world. ) Zelda would be the type of girl to become class valedictorian: top of the class in marks, decently well liked as well as a natural leader. I can definately see her getting a bit over-worked though ( she's that type )

If we are talking cheerleader/prom queen, I'd imagine Malon more in that role. When I think of that type of girl, I usually think, "social butterfly" and "Miss Popular". Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but I think it involves more an instinctive ability at social networking that I just don't see Zelda having, or really caring about. Judging off her popularity with the fanbase, Malon would be a natural fit for that role.

Link on the other hand...I see him as more an outsider, but one with his head on straight. I know the nerd-in-love with the cheerleader is a classic story, but a good many of the stories end with the nerd living happily ever after instead with his best friend, having seen the light. I think that would be the case here with Zelda.
I see Link as a bit socially inept and a bit of a nerd, but not excessively so. He'd be the type to be Zelda's best friend as well as her lover, the quiet strength behind her.

I can see this: the only downside was if Link came from this backstory it can end up making him less the "everyman" and more the son with a pretentious background. I can see him as the poor kid who joined the military to make a life for himself though. Maybe his role could bring him into direct contact with Zelda who's working with the military in a ceremonial role ( as modern royalty often do ) leading into their romance/adventure. He'd be more likely to have contact probably as an officer though, and that could have meant he went through one of their colleges. ( USAFA, US Naval Academy, etc for Americans as an example. )

The British royal family has a long tradition of its members serving in the military in some way (be it in the Army, Navy, or Air Force), and if Hyrule had a similar practise, Link and Zelda could have met that way.

I had thought of that - but what about it's female members? I can totally see Zelda actually serving vs just standing there in a dress visiting though. I think it was mentioned somewhere that Prince William's current military service was part of his training to be King...the same could be in play for Zelda in a theoretical tour of service.
Link could just be some random member she comes across.

Alternatively, he could be part of a rescue team if a modern kidnapping was done as part of the story. In today's world if a dignitary is kidnapped, it would be the military's special response that would likely attempt a rescue.

Queen Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service and drove ambulances in the the second World War, so I don't see why Zelda couldn't serve in some capacity. She's always struck me as the kind of person who wouldn't want to sit around doing needle point when she can do some good for her people.

I really like your idea about Link being in a rescue team! Something like a Hyrulean equivalent to the SAS, Marines or Blackwater even. Highly trained to get dangerous stuff done. Or maybe even a mercenary group, sort of like what Telma, Rusl, Auru, Ashei and Shad had going on in Twilight Princess.

Oh, I'm totally agreed. She's more hands on than that.

That was precisely what I was thinking. I just don't think the ordinary modern man would be able to do the job that ordinary Link does...now if he was modeled off these very brave real life men...it would be a perfect fit. I can see some foreign interest taking Zelda, and these folk come in to save her, and Link is part of the team. They save her, have a huge adventure where she gets to be her typical involved self ( Sheik, Tetra ) and they eventually fall in love, marry, etc. It's almost fan fic material though I'm not sure I know enough of the life of a special forces member to do it justice.

I do see him as being in uniform vs a mercenary though, as mercenaries typically are defined as being for hire, right? I would call the measure of a hero as someone who does what they do not solely for money. ( Though military members do get paid, they need to live too! ) The Group was kind of unique that way - they were doing what they did truly for Hyrule. I would bet things would be happening for them after the adventure. ( being knighted, etc )

Yeah, mercenaries are usually for hire, but I was thinking of something more along the lines of Robin Hood. Link and his band of Merry Men (and Women) opposing the forces of evil because it's the right thing to do.

But concerning the idea I mentioned earlier, about Link coming from a military family, it sort of reminded me how the King of Hyrule and Link's Grandfather were pals in the Minish Cap. The two men had been friends since their younger days, even though one was a king and the other a blacksmith, and that led to Link and Zelda practically growing up together.
In a modern setting, Link and Zelda's dads could have served together in the military, saved each other's butts and become friends along the way. And later, when they grew older and had kids, those kids could have grown up as friends.
I don't know why, but I find the idea of Link and Zelda growing up together rather appealing.

Yeah...exactly like the Group. I just have trouble seeing a bunch of people banding together to do that sort of thing nowadays...vigilante type activities are usually frowned upon. You need to get permits to have weapons..it seemed much easier in medieval times.

I like the idea of them growing up together too. For a couple of reasons:

1) Zelda IS the Princess, and Link a nobody...even in today's world they are unlikely to cross paths barring unusual circumstances. I thought TP did it totally realistically...Link and Zelda were adults that had never met and their lives had taken their realistic paths. When they finally did get left alone together..it's like..."um..now what?" They had nothing in common other than a mutual interest in Hyrule and no shared history to bring them together.
If you compare it up against, for instance OoT...despite the 7 year sleep, they still had that bond from when they were kids to tie them together. That's probably why they had such a connection. I would imagine it would only be stronger in cases where they actually lived those years together ( after MM, WW/PH, MC...etc )

2) They'd actually know each other. They've spent time together and seen each other at their worst...that solid bond of friendship would give them something to fall back on when things get tough.

Anyways, this is something that really doesn't change regardless of the era.

I know how that could work! Superheroes!

As we've seen with the development of our own society, where we once believed that magic or the gods were responsible for things we didn't understand, we now can explain those things scientifically. Whose to say that a similar shift from magic to science couldn't happen in Hyrule?

That being said, the games make it quite clear that Hylians are gifted with magic, but not everyone uses it. But what if people (and by people I mostly mean Link and Zelda) in this theoretical future discovered they could use magic? With great power comes great responsibility and all that, so what's to say they wouldn't don costumes and become masked avengers?

It could be through one of these midnight capers that Link and Zelda meet, and hyjinks could ensue with them trying to juggle their real lives and superhero lives.

And the Group could be something like the Justice League!

Well, to be honest, even in medieval times, armed farmers were highly discouraged. In the era I'm trying to find info on, it's even said that if the authorities found a peasant owning as little as a lance, they had to break it on his back.
Just imagine finding a farmer with a sword and shield. Ouch!

So I can imagine a normal citizen hadling a gun and shooting weird beasts to save others. The Master Gun: never runs out of ammo.

I'm not really imaginative in this domain. I can only imagine a modern day Zelda being:
Ganondorf wanting to get his hands on weapons of mass destruction to create his dream post-apocalyptic world. Zelda is the daughter of a high ranked officer that somehow got to know about his plans. Officer gets killed, Zelda escapes, finds Link in her way, and she somehow makes him part of a secret group that makes him some sort of spy a la James Bond. And he turns out to be the only one able to handle the new technology called the Master Gun.

Bweh, I'll stick to medieval fantasy and leave the modern fantasy to others. ^^