HYRULE — A soldier previously employed by the Royal Family of Hyrule has submitted an open letter to the ‘Hero of Time’ apologizing for his behavior during the 1990s. 

“I’m sorry, Link. When I called you a fairy all those years ago, I was speaking out of ignorance, not hate. All I saw was a boy in a green dress trying to sneak into the castle. It was a different time; back then we had a lot of terms for that kind of… lifestyle… which were toxic and diminutive. And I’m sure in your eyes I was just another stupid, nameless, straight grunt standing in the way of your quest to save our kingdom. I didn’t understand the dynamic between forest children and their companion fairies, and while it seems really gay to me still, I now recognize that’s not a bad thing and even Kokiri twinks can accomplish amazing things.” 

The apology has been met with mixed reactions from the Kokiri community. 

“Link is a wimp, if some soldier called me ‘fairy boy’ I would have danced a jig on his face,” boasted Mido while stamping his feet in a flurry. “Link isn’t even a real Kokiri, we used to call him Mr. No Fairy. It’s bad enough he killed the Deku Tree and appropriated our culture, but to not even fight back to defend our honor? Link, you better hope the Great Mido never recognizes you again. Stay gone, coward.” 

A more measured response was offered by Saria, Sage of the Forest Temple, while speaking at a Pride parade through Hyrule Marketplace.

“‘Fairy’ is our word—it’s a term of endearment and symbol of our attunement to nature. Hearing that it’s been used by Hylians as an insult was deeply hurtful, but this is a time for healing. Some protagonists may wish to turn back the clock to prevent this sort of attack from ever being done, but it’s better to acknowledge the harm and embrace those willing to be better in the future. Look around: we’ve got a crossdressing princess, stone butch Impa, the nudist guys from Goron city, all the Gerudo lesbians, and Tingle floated in from Clock Town. There’s no room for hate with this much love.”

At press time, Link remained silent.