Top 25 Short Zelda Fanfics
Ranked by AO3 kudos. Mid-length Zelda fics — 10,000–50,000 words.
A Demon King’s Guide to Romance
by kaworun
The Demon King is back, and Rauru's champion is a damned disappointment. But... That doesn't mean he's not going to have fun before he takes over the whole world. Or, Ganondorf embarks on an adventure with the Hero of Hyrule in his excellent completely infallible disguise as a young Gerudo male, jus
Sundelion
by Skyward_Arpeggio
There are two new dragons when Link wakes up after the Upheaval. There’s the Light Dragon, strange and beautiful, but also its baby, clumsy and pretty and barely bigger than Link, and the mystery of the two of them seems to give him more questions than answers. Where did they come from? Have they be
Exodus of Twilight
by JexenLune
Link left the Twilight realm with his daughter in his arms and a hole in his heart. When eight strangers cross his path, he has no choice but to fight alongside them—if he wants to protect his daughter, and what remains of his home. Healing, however, is another matter entirely.
Of All That Is
by SmileLikeTheCheshireCat
It's been seven years since Link and Zelda finally took out the Calamity. Seven years since Link was given an ominous note from her future self. Seven years since she'd learned that she would need to train and prepare for whatever may be looming ahead.And it just took less than seven minutes for a w
As long as we’re together, we’ll be fine
by J1N
Im bad at summary’s but here we go.Ganon gets a strange request to meet with the hylian princess about some trading routes and some things she would offer ganon as an exchange, ganon, who was not really fond of the hylian kingdom surprisingly accepts, while on the trip he meets a strange looking bar
hero of time
by Nonymos
RAURU: Link... Can you hear me? Right, it looks like you are confused... Don't be alarmed... Look at yourself...! The time has come for you to awaken as the Hero of Time! Do you understand your destiny? - Ocarina of Time, 1998
Midnight Bonds
by MimicMirror
How can one expect to dream when nightmares lurk in the shadows?
soldier, servant, sword, sheath
by Anonymous
Link had already managed to escape them once. If they were like every other monster around here, they’d probably just want to eat him. That wasn’t what happened now though. Later, he wouldn’t be able to tell if what happened instead was worse. Six encounters Link has with Gloom Spawn.
Falling Into Blue
by thesadpuffin (polarbeararts)
At last her kidnapper struggled into a sitting position. Zelda looked up to see he'd thrown off his hood before jumping in the water, and a boyishly handsome face stared down at her with piercing blue eyes, shoulder length hair plastered over his forehead and neck while water ran in rivulets down hi
Rise of the Blood Moon
by Squishney
Zelda is an eighteen-year-old girl who’s never been taken seriously by anyone. In all fairness, seeing visions or hearing the voices of spirits are pretty unbelievable claims to be made, but they’re abilities she’s always had. Her own father thinks she’s a liar. Being ignored and picked on all your
The Boy Who Writes Himself
by Melusia
When Link was thrown into the distant past, he found a kingdom at the verge of war, rulers who took him in, and a Gerudo king who watched him far too closely.After a hundred years in a coma, Link's memories had returned in fragments at first, but never fully. Worse still, new ones did not settle th
The Return of Twilight
by King_of_WOW
It's been a few years since Midna had shattered the Twilight Mirror after the defeat of Ganondorf, and life had continued to normal for everyone involved. Link, back at Ordon ranch had returned to his farmboy life...the only problem being his hyper-sized nuts churning up gallons of hero batter every
Long Lost
by gerudo__desert
The Hero of Time steps through a mysterious gate, finding himself in a world devastated by war and rife with reminders of what he left behind.
Navigator (Act One)
by SaltySaph
Link's found out how dangerous it is to go alone. He was TOLD to go through the temples, then face Ganondorf. Link has never been good at following directions, and he has questions. --- Chapters with sexytime will be marked [S], from lonely handjobs to laying down the pipe. Chapters with [W] are War
Warriors' Time with a Young Hero
by PR0F_GMK54
The Hero of Time finds himself among a group of warriors. Some are familiar faces, others less so, regardless, he'll find himself forging bonds with quite a few of them.
Starfallen
by TheFatiguedWriter
Link hadn’t expected this cycle to be different—but it is.The Demon King he knows is gone. In his place stands a younger king—curious, compassionate, and utterly untouched by malice. Worse still, the immortal demon Link was created to destroy is nowhere to be found.With no enemy to hunt and only whi
Touched by Twilight
by TheLoneStar
As Twilight encroaches through the bright kingdom of Hyrule, a young rancher is chosen by fate to stand against it, an unexpected companion by his side.
For a Hundred Years, I've Thought of You
by sei_tnn
After a long and sublime courtship, stealing kisses in the most secluded corners of the Domain, Sidon finally decides to ask Link to marry him and become his queen, his omega.The knight, of course, admits that he loves him too... but, to both their misfortune, he cannot accept the proposal.He is bon
Calamitous and Glorious
by FifthDancer
Zelda grows up under the weight of a prophecy. The coming Calamity.Her mother can't help her. Her father either won't or misunderstood what she needs. Love is supposedly the key. But how can she find that when the whole country seems like it's starting to conspire against her?
The Maiden of Tears
by Lilliterra
(Working Title)The Kingdom of Hyrule is perfectly civilized, thank you very much. Unlike their barbaric neighbors, they only sacrifice one person each year, and that person is a willing victim.Zelda has always known that on her twenty-first birthday she would become a human sacrifice to renew the ba
Formidable
by HasBeenHellWolf (FelliSkelli)
No summary provided.
He Who Induces Eagerness (subject to change)
by ibquill12
Link and Zelda triforce swap hehe, I wanted to send Link to the past so here's my take on it. (Trans Link tag isn't necessarily relevant, but it's very important to me)
in the shadow of your heart
by simpslayer_ren
It was over. Everything he'd worked for, worked towards, was finished in an instant. Instead of the pride and relief he'd expected to feel at the end of the war, Link felt nothing but bitter regret and longing. He'd lost the one person who'd seen him for who he truly was.Bestowed with a new life of
til two lines formed a circle
by x_spiritedaway_x
With Ganondorf finally defeated, Link, Midna and Zelda are all looking forward to a brighter future, in which the Hyruleans and the Twili live in peace. Unfortunately, Midna changes her mind and shatters the Mirror of Twilight, leaving her friends devastated and confused. In Hyrule, Link and Zelda t
Scars and Stars
by Venom_456
For seven long years after the events of Twilight Princess, Link has been wondering the world in a pursuit to find a way back to Midna. Simultaneously after Metroid Dread, Samus traveled across the stars in hopes to settle down and find love. Link saves Samus who crash-landed on his planet from an u
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About This List
This list of 25short Zelda fanfics spans 599,930 total words. Kudos range from 7 on the newest entries to 460 on the most established. Most entries are ongoing works, so subscribe on AO3 for update notifications. The most common rating is Teen And Up Audiences (8 of 25 fics).
Recurring tags across this list: Angst · Slow Burn · Talking Link (Legend of Zelda) · Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence · Blood and Injury.
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