Chapter Twelve
As soon as the twins landed in the Chamber of Sages, they both felt it. Felt a twinge in the Triforce. Neither knew what it meant, so they pushed it out of mind. Their feet landed with a soft tep, and the princesses were greeted by a stranger. He was an older, bigger Hylian with a white mustache that crept around the sides of his face to his pointed ears and stopped just above them. He was garbed in an orange robe that trailed to the glowing blue ground of the chamber. Orange-red vestments wrapped loosely around his torso and went down his middle, a Triforce embroidered on the piece holding the vestments together. His sleeves covered his hands, closing together just over them.
Aleera glanced away to look at the chamber: It was huge, vast, as far as she could tell. Darkness swelled beneath the blue platform they floated on. A golden Triforce was in the middle with six medallions surround the outside of the platform. Each were a different color and had different symbols on it.
"Rauru?" Neyleen asked, breaking the silence.
The old Hylian smiled with a rather sad air. He bowed his head and sighed.
"I wish I wasn't the one telling you this," The Sage of Light started sadly, his voice low and husky. "I'm afraid to inform you that I am no longer the only sage inhabiting this chamber."
The twins exchanged a glance, a worried glance. The sage only moved aside as a pink shimmer of light started to appear next to him. The shimmer formed into an outline of a woman in a dress. Neyleen was already gaping, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. The outline flashed, and the shimmer was revealed as-
"NO!" Aleera screamed, falling to her knees.
"Mother?" Neyleen whispered, hoping to the goddesses that they were seeing things.
Queen Zelda of Hyrule, Leader of the Sages, cried out. She looked away, ashamed and broken. Neyleen rushed forward, still in disbelief. Aleera stood up and made a failed attempt to restrain her sister, but she wasn't quick enough. Neyleen reached out and slowly poked her mother's arm. It was firm, but felt hollow on the inside. Neyleen gasped and backed away. Zelda shivered, sobs catching in her throat. Aleera dashed up to next to her sister.
"Yes." Zelda said simply.
It was all she could say. The queen's face fell into her hands as she started to weep. Her daughters stood there in shock and disbelief. Neither could believe that their mother, their mother, was dead. A few silent moments passed when Rauru pulled Zelda gently up. She was wearing what she wore last in the Mortal World: Blood from the general was smeared on the ends on her skirts, and tears were running up and down her grey dress. Her lavender bodice that cut and flared out from under her breasts was faded and discolored. The white gloves were ripping at the fingers and the shoulder plates were rusting a tad. The queen's light brown hair was a tangled mess with the braids twisted and undone in some places. Rauru gave another sad smile before he ran a hand over her. There was another flash, and Zelda stood with all the beauty she had. The dress was repaired and glowing, and her hair was healthy and long once more. Forever. Lastly, her bejeweled tiara appeared on her brow.
Zelda half-smiled at her fellow sage, a sign of thank you. She turned back to her daughters now, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. Neyleen hiccupped back a cry, her hand covering her mouth.
"How…?" Aleera finally murmured.
"I…it was-" Zelda stopped, not sure how to explain. "Dezaia."
Anger flared within both the girls. The Triforce blazed on their hands, their blood boiling with a newfound rage. Aleera suddenly. gasped at the thought of-
"Father! What of him? Is he alright?" cried the girl.
"Yes, he's still…" Zelda stopped, sobs overtaking her for a moment. "He's fine."
"How did this happen?" Neyleen asked. "And what of the other people? Are our people okay?"
"She came-came to the castle…" the queen paused again, her shoulders' shuddering. "I don't know. Our royal army, as far as I-I could tell was slaughtered by that demon. O-orvan, died in my-"
The queen couldn't speak another word. She was overwhelmed and nearly fell to the ground again. Rauru put his arm securely through hers, holding Zelda up. Aleera scowled, her hand glowing brighter and brighter by the second.
"Please, d-don't think of revenge." Zelda quickly begged at the sight.
"She died a martyr." Rauru added. "She died to save you. Do no more for her. There's no point."
Aleera looked ready to argue, but she closed her eyes. The glow on both of their hands died down slowly. Neyleen shook her head, but knew that they had to focus. The shards, she thought over and over.
"You're right." Neyleen said softly, looking at her sister. "There's nothing more we can do." Aleera nodded reluctantly. "There isn't. We came for the shards, and now we get two pairs."
"It wasn't supposed to be this way." Aleera muttered.
"It doesn't matter-"
"Doesn't matter?" Aleera snapped. "Our mother was killed by Dezaia! And you're just gonna let that, that bitch get away with it?"
"What do you think I'm doing? By getting the shards, we are saving Mother!" Neyleen shot back. "There are others to save, too, sister! I want to stop Dezaia, and this is how we are doing it!"
The two sages looked at each other: Rauru with a kind of disapproval at Aleera's language, and Zelda's shrug of helplessness. Neyleen narrowed her eyes at her sister before looking back at the sages.
"Rauru," She paused before adding, "Mother, we need your shards."
"Of course." They responded at the same time.
The sages closed their eyes. Zelda withdrew her arm from Rauru's and backed away two steps. She raised her head and opened her hands, palms skyward. A shaft of light from up above appeared on her, sending sparkles glittering throughout the chamber. Then, a small, white bag floated down from the unseen source of light. It drifted down slowly till it landed softly in Zelda's awaiting hands. She opened her eyes, and the light faded away.
Her daughters stood in awe, trying to find where the light was coming from. Zelda giggled to herself as she walked back to them. The queen held out the bag, which was still shining a bit. Neyleen gradually stepped forward to take the bag. Her hands lingered on her mother's touch, but jerked away. Neyleen's eyes stung as she held back the tears. I'm never going to see her again. She thought sadly.
"Yes you will," answered Zelda aloud, surprising both her daughters. "You can come here to see me whenever you are in need. I'm here for you still, Neyleen and Aleera."
Neyleen broke down in tears. Her twin came forward and wrapped her arms around her torso. Neyleen placed her head on Aleera's, both now crying. Zelda frowned and bowed her head. It wasn't a good idea for her to be squeezed with a hug. She was immortal now, but as fragile as glass. Even the slightest pressure could render her as flat as a rug. And, somehow, her daughters knew that.
Rauru placed his bag of shards on the ground near the twins' feet. He bowed slightly at the waist.
"You must go. Time is running out." The Sage of Light said.
The twins pulled away from each other and only nodded. They gazed longingly at their mother, who gave a small wave of her hand. Neyleen bent down to pick up the bag. Once she was standing straight once more, she saw that they were no longer in the Chamber of Sages. The two were on the outskirts of Kokiri Forest. Nearby, their horses were grazing. Oni's head perked up at the noise and trotted over. Deku followed from behind.
"We have to get to the castle." Aleera ordered suddenly, already mounting Deku.
"We still have shards to get-"
"What about Father? What if Dezaia is still there?" Aleera interrupted.
Neyleen sighed as she put the two new bags with the others in her sister's saddlebag. She gave her sister a look before mounting her own horse. Without a word, the two galloped to Castle Town.
It was a silent and eerie welcome. No townspeople came out of their ransacked homes; maybe they weren't even there anymore. The wind whooshed through, causing the torn flags to billow. The cobblestone roads were painted with fruit, blood, and fluids of some sort. Neyleen looked up to the castle. It seemed dark, dead, like no one lived there for years. She slapped Oni's rump to go faster, and her sister did the same. They pulled the horses to a stop in the courtyard.
"Oh my goddesses…" Aleera breathed.
Bodies were everywhere; in the trees, in the bushes, impaled on the spires overlooking the main entrance, stacked on top of one another, and everywhere else. Most were of the Hylian Guard, but there were a few undead, skeletal warriors. Neyleen's face turned white as she passed two dead guards, who were open-eyed in death. Meanwhile, Aleera was searching for a familiar face, praying that he wasn't there…
"Come on, now." Neyleen whispered.
The girls abandoned their horses at the end of the stars leading into the castle. They sprinted up and burst through the door. It was even worse. Blood was spilled everywhere, soaking in the carpets and tapestries. Bodies were more abundant, most humans. Neyleen felt weak at the knees, the violence overwhelming her. Aleera took her arm and lead her across the room toward-
"You're alive?" A weak dying voice coughed.
Neyleen screamed, flying a few steps back. Aleera knelt down next to the dying soldier. His torso was cut open, his hands resting on it to try to stop the flow. It was pointless. He had mostly bled out by now. Aleera gently, carefully, removed the soldier's helmet. His face was pale, his eyes blank.
"Yes, soldier." Aleera answered.
She gestured for the frightened Neyleen to come next to her. Neyleen slowly did so, kneeling on one knee. Heal him. Aleera thought, but Neyleen sadly shook her head. It's too late. There's nothing more I can do for him. She thought back. Aleera sighed, looking back at the soldier.
"You will not have died in vain, soldier." She said. "Tell me, is our father alive?"
The soldier coughed, spitting blood in all directions.
"In his quarters, it's where he went last."
"Thank you." The twins said.
The soldier coughed once more, and then closed his eyes, embracing death. Neyleen pulled her sister up and they ran to the royal couple's chamber. Aleera pushed through the door and nearly got her head cut off. The king had swung at the twins with a roar, thinking them to be intruders.
"Dear Nayru! My daughters!" Link cried.
"Father!" They cried back.
The king still held the queen in his lap, a sword in his left, trembling hand. They paused, staring at Zelda's dead body and then looking down at the sword. Link glanced down, and he reluctantly put Zelda on the bed. He dropped the sword and it clattered to the floor. He pulled the sheets over her, covering her head. Aleera then ran to him, falling into his arms. Neyleen followed suit.
"You're alive." Aleera whispered.
He didn't answer. Link only held his daughters, holding the only family he had left. The thought caused a tremor to run down his spine. He pulled them closer, sobbing uncontrollably now.
"Shh, it's alright now." Neyleen cooed, her own voice still full of fear. "We're here now. You aren't alone."
Aleera suddenly tore away from the embrace. She covered her face and shook her head.
"For now." She murmured, reminding her sister of the situation at hand. "We can't stay."
"Yes you can!" Link yelled without warning.
"No, Father!" Aleera shot back, dropping her hands from her face. "We have to go see the last sage. Lives are at stake! Time is running out! The princess-!"
A pause, a deadly silence. Aleera slowly raised her hand to mouth again, her face getting red. Neyleen set her jaw and glared at her sister. Their father looked between them, confused.
"Princess?" Link repeated.
"There's no time. Aleera's right." Neyleen blurted. "Father, where did Dezaia go? Do you know?"
"We know where she's going. There's only one sage left, Dezaia was too slow to get the others. She came…here first." Aleera answered gently, softly. "It's Nabooru."
"What are you two talking about?" Link asked, almost begging. "What-?"
"There's no time!" Neyleen cried. "We must go-!"
There was a noise, a commotion outside in the corridor. Neyleen drew her bow, her sister drawing her sword. They position themselves in front of their father, readying for whatever may come through the door-
"No! Don't shoot!" Aleera shouted, pushing her sister's bow down.
A young man came reluctantly through the door. His brown eyes widened at the sight of the twins. Alec took a step toward Aleera, but stopped. Instead, Aleera rushed to him. She threw her arms around his neck, crying into his hair. The young guard froze, unsure of how to react with the king watching. Slowly, he put his arms around her waist. The princess whispered into his ear, saying how glad she was to see him alive. He murmured the same to her.
"…Aleera, we have to go." Neyleen said lightly after awhile.
At the sound of her voice, Alec immediately released the princess and pushed her away with tenderness and longing. He didn't want to, but it had to be done. Aleera gasped back another set of tears and nodded.
"To the Spirit Temple." Aleera murmured.
"I'm coming with." Alec exclaimed quietly, reaching out to the princess, his princess. "I'm not letting you two leave my sight."
Aleera turned expectantly to her sister. Neyleen nodded, moving toward the two.
"We can use all the help we can get. Were there any other survivors?" Neyleen asked Alec.
"A few of us, yes." He answered. "And that mage disappeared before the battle, so we don't know of her whereabouts.
"Oh, I hope she's alright," Neyleen murmured. "Well, get the other guards to stay here with our father-"
"What? I'm not staying here." Link interrupted.
"Oh yes you are." Neyleen snapped, turning to face him. "I can't risk your life, Father. Stay here, please."
It was a demand, not a question. Link bowed his head in defeat, glancing back to the bed and the form under the covers. Alec stepped out to fetch the remaining guards. The twins looked back at their father, worry furrowing their brows. He has to stay, Neyleen assured herself, for his own good. Then, when Alec returned with three guards, Neyleen sighed. She pulled Aleera away from the group.
"He can't come." Neyleen whispered.
"What?" Aleera hissed. "You said-"
"I know what I said, but this is dangerous. I'm not putting his life in danger for us."
Aleera stomped her foot down, her fists shaking. Neyleen crossed her arms. Nothing would change her mind.
"I couldn't help overhearing…" Alec started, who, along with the rest of the group, were staring at the twins. "But, I am going, highnesses. I'm not risking your lives."
"Are we that loud?" Aleera asked, leaning into her sister.
"Yes." The men all answered.
"And I am going." Alec insisted. "You don't have a choice."
Neyleen bit her lip, but nodded her head with reluctance.
"But we have to go now."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Alec asked, already strolling to the door.
The twins paused, looking back at their father. He was obviously upset, but he gave them a nice grin and blew them a kiss. Aleera reached out her hand to catch it with a giggle. Neyleen blew one back, and then they left. The three of them silently jogged out of the castle. Once out back in the courtyard, Alec ran to the stables to see if there were any horses still alive. The twins stood there, their blood racing with anxiety.
Can we do this? Aleera thought.
What do you mean? Of course we can. We've gotten all the other shards, what's going to stop us now? thought back Neyleen.
I know, but what if Dezaia does beat us? What if she's there when we arrive?
"Then we'll have to be ready for her." Neyleen answered aloud as Alec came running back with a-
"Is that a donkey?" Aleera laughed.
"Hey, hey, I had no other choice!" Alec said defensively.
Neyleen snorted back a laugh as she mounted her horse. Alec's face turned red, but he started to laugh along, too. The trio galloped out of Castle Town toward the Gerudo Desert and Fortress. A silence covered them as thoughts entered their heads. Could they do this? What if Dezaia was there? Would the twins be able to hold their own after what they say Dezaia was capable of?
I guess we'll find out. Aleera thought.
