What if OOT Link stayed in the AT.

I want to have input on this fanfic idea that I might attempt to write as my first Zelda fanfic. Anyway...WHAT IF Zelda somehow allowed Link to stay in the Adult Timeline to live out the rest of his life??

IMO, since he would still have Navi, he more likely would have ended up living back in the Kokiri forest for the rest of his life with always perpetually having 7 years lost life experience.

But what do you guys/girls think? Would Link remaining as a little boy trapped in a young man's body want to spend more time at the castle or lon lon ranch?? Would he have wanted to live in Kakariko village instead?? Or would Adult Timeline Link end up wanting to live with the Gorons, Zoras, or Gerudos??

He would probably want to live with the Kokiri, but they probably would not let him becuase he is an adult hylian. He then would probably end up living in caslte town or Kakiriko village for while, being that at the mental age of 7 he wouldnt be looking for a wife yet.

For certain....marriage and children are not happening for this theoretical Link thats for sure. But I doubt the kokiri could force Link out if he wanted to live there. I'm sure Link could beat up everyone of them into submission if he had to. Personally I think his fairy alone would allow the kokiri to accept Link as one of their own.

But I agree with you that Link could probably fit in Castle Town or Kakariko village.

Pffft.... I say that Link should move into the castle as an apology from Zelda for ruining his life.

LOL!! I see what you mean. Seriously though it would be hard for me to imagine OOT Link with the heart and mind of a child being able to handle a job as a royal official of all things. IMO, OOT Link being mentally child like with a fairy randomly whirling about him most of the time would be more like a novelty freak on display within the royal Hyrule court.

So I'm sure Link realistically living at the royal castle of all places is out of the question, unless Zelda intends to be like a surrogate mother to him and have Link formally adopted.

I can only say that I think he would travel off to foreign lands in search of meaning
(kinda like he does in MM).

Link doesn't really have any ties that bind him to Hyrule anymore... He's knows he's
not a Kokiri, his father figure, the Deku Tree is gone, his best friend, Saria, is a Sage
in the Sacred Realm, that pretty much rules out Kokiri Forest, besides, how could
Link mature as a person surrounded by the Kokiri children in their playground?

He is a Hylian, but he's never really experienced their culture, so he's not tied to them
more than anything else... Gorons live in a cave and eat rocks... not too comforting to
a human diet or lifestyle... Zora's live in and around the water like fish... not much
human development there...

No wonder Link is so damn depressed in Majora's Mask. He never had a family, and
the elements he grew up with are gone.

His ties to Zelda might make him stay behind and held rebuild Hyrule, like
AoL Link does... but his restless soul wouldn't fit well in such a peaceful community,
unless he had ties to the people or the culture...

I think he would go to other lands, have adventures and battles, mature and develop
into an adult mentality... then he might return to Hyrule and settle down...

Originally Posted by Cukeman

Link doesn't really have any ties that bind him to Hyrule anymore... He's knows he's
not a Kokiri, his father figure, the Deku Tree is gone, his best friend, Saria, is a Sage
in the Sacred Realm, that pretty much rules out Kokiri Forest, besides, how could
Link mature as a person surrounded by the Kokiri children in their playground?

Thats just it. I can definitely see OOT Link (if he had stayed in the Adult Timeline) returning to the Kokiri forest because he might genuinely want to live out his lost childhood anyway. Plus he would still have Navi with him of course.

But him being a restless wanderer like in MM, only with Navi now tagging along, and trying to fit in wherever he goes is a good theory. I will consider it for sure if I decide to write my fanfic on this certain WHAT IF scenario.

And, of course, after some years wandering around with noone but Navi as a companion, he would go crazy, kill the fairy, and then go on a psycotic murderous rage whenever someone said the words "hey" or "listen"....

LOL!! Yeah, I can definitely see that happening. At least if Link were me or you for sure. OK, after overlooking the input and thinking about it, my fanfic WHAT IF Link stayed in the AT scenarios would be.

1. Link returns to the Kokiri forest to live out his lost childhood as an adult, and still be an accepted member of the Kokiri since he would still have Navi with him anyway. I'm sure he would be socially accepted and feel safe & secure there, especially if Saria is supposed to be the guardian sage of the forest.

2. As Cukeman referenced, Link would be a restless wanderer just like in MM, except he is physically an adult with Navi still with him.

3. He lives a life as a Gerudo thief since in the Adult Timeline, he would still have the Gerudo membership card that would allow him to be socially accepted there. And yes, Navi would be living there with him too.

First of all...what castle could he move into? It was completely destroyed. xD If anything I assume Link would help reshape and resolve all problems felt behind by Ganondorf's evil designs. He would eventually grow into his body and be worshipped just like how he was in TWW's prolouge.

Might've been King to. I mean, if you're being worshipped you may as well take advantage of it. And Zelda needs to do something to pay Link back...She seriously did eff him up. xD

Link's too humble though. D= I know he wouldn't go back to the Kokiris since they don't recognize him and his best friend is gone forever.

Ganondorf would take over in the CT and everyone would be screwed forever. :|

My theory is that he would settle in Kakariko and become a Knight of Hyrule, and then Ganon would escape from the Dark World, but Link would be there to save Hyrule from the calamity that led to WW, and kill the Evil King. Centuries later, FSA would happen, and FSA Link's son would star in ALttP/OoX/LA after FSA Link died. ALttP Link either died stranded in the middle of the ocean, or washed up on the shores of Hyrule. Then, even more centuries after that, LoZ/AoL would happen.

Originally Posted by Saami

Ganondorf would take over in the CT and everyone would be screwed forever. :|

There wouldn't be a CT

Originally Posted by Zeldablue777

First of all...what castle could he move into? It was completely destroyed. xD If anything I assume Link would help reshape and resolve all problems felt behind by Ganondorf's evil designs. He would eventually grow into his body and be worshipped just like how he was in TWW's prolouge.

Might've been King to. I mean, if you're being worshipped you may as well take advantage of it. And Zelda needs to do something to pay Link back...She seriously did eff him up. xD

Link's too humble though. D= I know he wouldn't go back to the Kokiris since they don't recognize him and his best friend is gone forever.

Hmm...yeah Link being worshiped as a demigod to connect with the events of the WW makes sense. Good theory, but I doubt Link would marry Zelda though. By the time he mentally grows into his own body after seven years, Zelda would probably already be married to a normally matured nobleman so Tetra would be born later in the timeline.

But even in a royal lifestyle as a holy symbolic demigod, Link would still be a novelty social misfit. A very similar parallel to a Jesus Christ/holy saint figure no doubt, except Link would still be a pure hearted child in heart and mind.

I'm not really sure Link would be socially comfortable being propped up on a pedestal by Zelda in being worshiped as a demigod/holy child/eternal virgin hero though. But if Zelda were to formally adopt him and be his legal guardian, its not like Link in his childlike mental state would say no to whatever Zelda wanted him to do right??

You have a good theory though, but I still think Link would be more comfortable living a humble life back at the Kokiri forest with Navi or maybe even living at Kakariko village as someone else already mentioned.

Nah. I don't see Link as a character who ever looks back. Honestly every Zelda game has a message that Link brings out. The steps that a boy takes to become a man. By the end of every Zelda game Link says goodbye to his past and moves right on to do some more growing up. It's a major reaccoring Zelda theme. Link's grown up...and though I usually seeLink as an eternal virgin hero(lol) I have no doubt that Link can grow up 10x faster then the average guy because of the hardships he endures to do whats right.

True..I see your point. That is why I like Cukeman's theory on Link being a restless wanderer until he mentally grows into his body. Though your theory on him immediately being a propped up demigod within the Hyrule court makes perfect sense, I imagine he would be uncomfortable in such a weird situation due to his pure hearted child like mind.

But if Zelda told him to do this, its not like Link would say no to Zelda in whatever she told him to do anyway. So in that regard, your Link as a demigod hero who is never destined to make babies with Zelda or anyone makes perfect sense.

Originally Posted by Zeldablue777

Nah. I don't see Link as a character who ever looks back.

In my thoughts Link keeps moving because he is depressed an troubled
about his past, that is why he keeps adventuring, to 'get over it'

Originally Posted by Zeldablue777

Honestly every Zelda game has a message that Link brings out. The steps that a boy takes to become a man. By the end of every Zelda game Link says goodbye to his past and moves right on to do some more growing up. It's a major reaccoring Zelda theme. Link's grown up...and though I usually seeLink as an eternal virgin hero(lol) I have no doubt that Link can grow up 10x faster then the average guy because of the hardships he endures to do whats right.

I like your view that Link continues boldly & cheerfully on the path towards
the future, no matter what. I think this is one of the things Miyamoto has on
his mind where Link takes on the attributes of the player

Thanks guys/girls on the input of giving me ideas for my theoretical fanfic. As of now, I'm more leaning to Cukeman's theory of the restless wanderer. Just for the sake of debate, I will try to defend on why Link going back to the kokiri forest IF he had stayed in the AT makes sense for me.

Though I agree on the whole Link always moves forward and never backwards recurring theme, in OOT I think the reason why Link does this is because Navi left him at the end. So he had no choice but to move forward and forget about his old life. In this theoretical outcome, Link would still have Navi with him. Not to mention;

1. Hyrule is at peace now in this timeline, so there is no longer a need for Link to be hanging around Zelda and Hyrule anymore.

2. Saria is not dead. She is still the guardian sage of the forest. If Link was as emotionally attached to Saria as people routinely claim he was, then its only natural that Link would feel compelled to go back to the kokiri forest to be as close to her as he can, regardless of her current physical/spiritual form as a sage of the forest.

3. Link's home is STILL there and STILL bearing his name, so I think the kokiri were always anticipating his eventual return anyway.

4. IMO, Link genuinely wanted to have his childhood restored after his obligation in saving Zelda was complete. In this theoretical outcome, in still having his green custom fit kokiri clothes, his child like pure innocence, and Navi still with him, its only natural that he would feel compelled to go back to live in the kokiri forest where he would socially fit in better than any other place in Hyrule hands down.

Though I think ZeldaBlue 777's theory on Link allowing Zelda to prop him up on a pedestal as this holy eternal virgin/demigod hero makes sound sense in relation to how the HoT is revered in WW, I think someone like Link would be very uncomfortable being worshiped as some institutionalized divine icon of the Hyrule court.

IMO it would further alienate Link more than ever before. But if Zelda were to instruct him to do this, Link would have no choice but to obey, since even if Zelda told him to run through a brick wall, Link would probably do it anyway. I just think in this scenario Link would be more of a novelty social misfit than he ever was before.

But as of now, I think Cukeman's theory is more likely than my theory of Link returning to the kokiri forest.

Originally Posted by Ganonslayer2000

I want to have input on this fanfic idea that I might attempt to write as my first Zelda fanfic. Anyway...WHAT IF Zelda somehow allowed Link to stay in the Adult Timeline to live out the rest of his life??

IMO, since he would still have Navi, he more likely would have ended up living back in the Kokiri forest for the rest of his life with always perpetually having 7 years lost life experience.

But what do you guys/girls think? Would Link remaining as a little boy trapped in a young man's body want to spend more time at the castle or lon lon ranch?? Would he have wanted to live in Kakariko village instead?? Or would Adult Timeline Link end up wanting to live with the Gorons, Zoras, or Gerudos??

I can tell you what would not happen. The Wind Waker.

Originally Posted by Watties

I can tell you what would not happen. The Wind Waker.

This.

Anyway, I always felt that, if Link remained on the Adult Timeline, he could possibly be comforted by the thanks of the people who knew what he had gone through. On the Child Timeline, Link was an unloved orphan who had to bear the burden of knowing how time was meant to unfold, so I thought that would have probably just messed him up further.

Also, regarding the whole "child's mind in an adult's body" thing, characters in OoT (notably Kaepora Gaebora) say that Link's journey has basically matured him into a man anyway. I also got the feeling that Link's mental age was somehow accounted for by the Master Sword so that he wouldn't be completely out of touch with his new form, but a chunk of his life would still be missing.

In fact, I personally believe that Link was meant to stay on the AT, but Zelda screwed it up. She says that she's going to make Link "The way he's supposed to be," while ignoring the fact that Link was supposed to be the Hero of Time, as chosen by the Goddesses themselves. Her last act of goodwill, an attempt to atone for her poor judgment, was simply another case of her poor judgment.