Chapter 14

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this update has taken a little longer. Work, travel, etc. All the same old excuses :p Thanks so much for all of the reviews and follows and favorites. I really appreciate it. Please let me know in reviews what you think of the story so far, and let me know if you have any suggestions for improvements/what would make the ending satisfying to you. Thanks!

RenegadeReviewer: Thanks for the review! I enjoy when stories are not predictable, but your point about not being "fully sold" is well-taken. The plot of the story has changed quite a bit since I first started writing it, and I think that shows sometimes. To be honest, I am more experienced with shorter stories where I can keep the structure and main ideas very focused and make the story more cohesive. I'm trying to bring that same sense of cohesion to my longer stories, but it will take practice J I'm glad you liked Reticence so much. I think it is probably the best story I have on fanfic so far (except maybe a Rurouni Kenshin one that people in this fandom might not be interested in haha), so I'm really glad people have found it! I think oneshots can sometimes get buried on fanfiction.

Undertario: Thanks! I'll try and make it a climax you enjoy more than dread

Ai Star: I think I have made the king a little one-dimensional so far. You might feel a little more sympathy for him after reading this chapter

Axcel: Wow, so many comments! Thanks! As for your comment about Hyrule being small… I think that Hyrule is small, but in my mind the game has scaled down the size/number of inhabitants from the "real" Hyrule in order for it to fit in a game. My point is that the Hyrule in my story has significantly more inhabitants/is larger than you would see in the game. I do agree, though, that the "Link and Zelda can't be together because she's a princess" thing is cliché at this point, but it seemed the most logical thing to do. Whathca gonna do?

just some guy: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I hope you like this next chapter!

"Absolutely not!" said Ruto, folding her arms beneath her ample chest.

"But, please understand Ruto!"

"Whatever emergency you have, it can't possibly be important enough to take my engagement stone from me."

Hands clasped in front of her, Zelda stood in the Zora's Domain in front of her friend, begging the Zora princess to lend her the Zora Sapphire for a few hours. It was all to no avail. Ruto had been excited to see Zelda, and had invited Zelda back to her private quarters to chat, but the conversation had soured at the mention of the spiritual stone.

Zelda was hesitant to explain to Ruto why she needed the stone, considering that her own father hadn't believed her story. Instead, she had told Ruto that she needed the stone, just for a day, to complete important research she was doing on the history of the Zora. To most people that would seem a poor deception. Who would show up in the middle of the night asking for materials for "urgent research"? But Zelda knew what Ruto's opinion of her was. Zelda knew based off of years of merciless teasing that Ruto believed Zelda to be just bookish enough to do something like this. Still, she wished she could have come up with a more pressing excuse. Unfortunately, this was all she could manage under pressure, and Ruto had not been impressed.

Noticing Zelda's distressed features, Ruto's anger seemed to subside.

"Look, Zelda, you could do your research here. I just don't feel comfortable with the sapphire leaving the Domain. Why don't you stay the night, and you can work on your research here tomorrow? It's already quite late."

Zelda considered her options. A part of her, the desperate part, wanted to just steal the stone right then and there and disappear in a puff of Sheikah smoke, prepared to take first and ask forgiveness later. She would bring the stone back once, Nayru willing, Ganondorf was defeated.

However, it was already well into the evening and if she waited until Ruto was asleep she might be able to take the stone undetected and reduce the risk of diplomatic disaster.

"Thank you, Princess Ruto. That is very generous of you."

Ruto led her to a guest room not far from her own, made specifically for Hylian guests. Zelda lay down on the thankfully-solid bed, still clothed in her white and pink formal dress, matching gloves and all. It felt very strange to be lying down to sleep when every part of her brain was screaming at her to act.

She didn't sleep. She simply lay there, trying to plan for every possible confrontation with Ganondorf, until she thought Ruto would probably be asleep. While she tried to remain focused on defeating Ganondorf, memories of her father and their confrontation earlier that day kept invading her thoughts.

Zelda and her father had gone back to his study after dinner, and her father had taken a gentler, but in some ways more painful, tone with her. She went over their conversation in her mind, trying to decide what the implications meant to her.

"Zelda, I know you didn't simply 'get lost' when you went missing several weeks ago. What exactly has been going on? You used to tell me everything, but now I feel completely in the dark."

Zelda, who had been looking down, bracing herself for more fierce words from her father, looked up in surprise. Despite having rarely experienced such emotions from her father before, Zelda immediately recognized the emotion in his voice to be hurt. He sat, leaned back in his chair, his large eyes sad and full. He looked at her as one might look at a friend who has just cut off a long relationship. Zelda had already felt guilty for hiding things, but she had yet to consider how her deception might damage her relationships with the people she cared for the most.

"Father, I didn't mean to lie to you… It was wrong of me to conceal my memories, and Link, from you. But I swear to you my motivations were not based on a lack of trust or respect for you. I simply… What I said earlier—about the Triforce and Ganondorf and Link—it was all true, but I knew it was incredible, almost preposterous. I myself had difficulty believing Link at first, and so I knew that other, reasonable people who cared for me would likely also disbelieve. I wanted to wait to say anything until I had further proof. I did not wish to worry you."

Zelda hoped sincerely that her words rang true to her father. She truly did respect him. He was a wise and fair ruler, and while he had perhaps been overprotective of her, he had always treated her well and recognized her skills and talents. This whole experience had been particularly jarring to her precisely because her father had always trusted her in the pasts. King Daphnes only shook his head sadly.

"So you still hold to your words earlier? You did not feel pressure to say things you didn't believe because of that man's presence?"

"No father. I stand by what I said. I spoke the truth. I only regret how I have acted in response to it."

King Daphnes, dissatisfied with her response, shook his head again.

"I trust you, my daughter. Really, I do. But what you are asking me to believe… Maybe I can believe it eventually. But it will take time. If you tell me more, share with me how you came to these conclusions, maybe I can be convinced. But you must understand, it is no small thing to accuse a foreign dignitary of conspiring to overthrow the crown based off of some bizarre memories and the word of a stranger."

Zelda nodded in agreement. "I know. I understand completely, which is why I hope you know that I would never make such assertions lightly. And I can tell you more… I can tell you all about how I met Link, what the Great Fairies said to me—"

Daphnes raised his hand to stop her.

"There will be time for that later. You can tell me tomorrow. I have had enough of this tale for one night."

Zelda, recognizing her father's signal for dismissal, hung her head low.

"Thank you, father."

She turned, and left the study.

Lying in her bed in the Zora's Domain, Zelda wondered if she could have said anything else to convince her father that night. She had wanted so much to protest, but she knew it would likely only hurt her cause. Even getting her father to agree to hear her out had been a minor victory, and it was a victory she needed to hang on to. And who knew, maybe she and Link could retrieve the Master Sword tonight, then they would be prepared in case Ganondorf struck. And in the meantime, she could continue to work on her father until he believed her.

Zelda wondered, almost bitterly, if it would even be possible to both save Hyrule and remain on good terms with her friends and family as well. Impa, her father, and now Ruto—she would have betrayed all of them one way or another by the end of the night. She could only hope that they would understand why she had done what she had. She could only hope that things could still turn out well.

She sighed and rolled over, judging that she had waited long enough to safely assume Ruto to be asleep. Zelda got up and changed into her Sheikah clothing, then stealthed over to the Zora Princess' chambers, praying to Nayru that she was asleep. Zelda listened carefully at the door before soundlessly sneaking through. Ruto was floating in the large pool of water that served as her bed, wrapped thickly with luxurious seaweed, and Zelda let out a sigh of relief.

She looked around the room for the stone, quietly going through drawers, vases, vanities, and closets, but found nothing. She silently fumed in frustration, taking another worried look at the still-sleeping Zora princess. Then she caught a glimpse of glimmering blue.

The stone was right there, hanging on Ruto's neck as she floated in her watery bed. Zelda's relief at locating the stone soon turned to distress at the thought of somehow taking the stone from Ruto as he slept without her noticing.

Zelda approached the pool and knelt at its edge, considering her options. She couldn't reach Ruto from the edge without falling in. She could try slipping in the water to get closer, but Ruto would have to be practically comatose if that was going to work.

There was a third option, but it made Zelda nervous. She knew that the other Zelda, Link's Zelda, could do it, but could she? She took a deep breath. She had no choice but to try.

She concentrated, then put up an angular, amber shield around the stone. The shield would normally be used to protect someone from harm, but if she created the shield, then lifted it up, the sapphire should move with it.

Zelda focused, trying to make the movements of the diamond-shaped shield slow and precise. The sapphire gradually moved upwards off of Ruto's neck, and Zelda felt relief flood through her. It was working.

Ruto rolled over in her sleep, pulling the long strands of seaweed with her, and moaned. Zelda froze, waiting to move the Zora Sapphire again until the sleeping princess had settled down. Thankfully, the chain on which the sapphire was hung was still loose, otherwise Ruto most certainly would have felt the taught chain cutting into her neck.

"L… Spuhhh…" Ruto mumbled in her sleep. She let out a heavy sigh, then said, "Link, where are you?"

Zelda blinked twice. She knew Link had reconnected with the people he'd met in the other time stream, but she had no idea he'd left such a strong impression on Ruto. Well. That was… interesting.

Zelda forced herself to refocus. Ruto seemed to have stopped tossing and turning, so she continued her careful extraction. Getting the chain of the necklace around Ruto's rather large head was difficult, but it was a thankfully generous chain, and Zelda managed it. After several tense minutes, she finally held the sapphire in her hands.

"Sorry, friend. I promise I'll bring it right back," she whispered. She backed slowly out of the room, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Link found himself waiting for Zelda at the Temple of Time for the second time that night. By the time he'd reached Goron City, choosing to warp to the Forest Temple and then take the shortcut from the Lost Woods to the city, all of the Gorons were already asleep, including the one Goron assigned to guard the Goron Ruby. Link, not wanting to wake Darunia and preferring as little fuss as possible anyway, simply took the stone from its resting place and immediately warped back to the Temple of Time.

He'd been waiting there for hours now, every nerve on edge. Would this night ever end? Strangely, though, he almost felt comfortable in this tense, foreboding atmosphere. Before, he hadn't had much direction. His only real long-term goal had been to be with Zelda, and it was not clear how or even if he should go about achieving it. Now, his path was straightforward and clear. Defeat Ganondorf, save the kingdom. Link had always liked things to be simple.

Link was surprised to realize that a part of him was glad that Ganondorf had returned. In all honesty, this disaster could end up solving a lot of his problems. If he defeated the evil king, no one could claim that he was unworthy of Zelda's hand. He also couldn't deny that it would feel good to finally receive recognition as the Hero of Time. Link looked within himself and discovered feelings he hardly even recognized: bitterness towards his fate, a yearning for praise and recognition, a selfish desire to be with Zelda regardless of the consequences. Even more shocking, he found he didn't feel guilty for having those feelings. He felt entirely justified.

As he was wondering at this new side to himself he had just unearthed, Link almost jumped as the faint echo of shouts and screams, perhaps carried inside on the wind, became audible inside of the Temple. He sat completely still for a long moment, trying to tell if he had imagined the sound or not, but the Temple of Time carried with it it's own silence, and he didn't hear anything else. He almost ran out of the Temple to check on the city, but he needed to be here when Zelda arrived. And try as he might, he couldn't hear the sound any more. The frightened noises had probably just been conjured up by his tired, anxiety-ridden mind.

Regardless, the phantom voices reminded him of that night, long ago, when Ganondorf first attacked. He recalled in vivid detail how Castle Town had burned, and the similar shouts and screams that had provided a mournful backdrop for Zelda's escape from the castle. He remembered too, seeing the empty shell of the town Ganondorf left behind, and the shadows that always seemed present in the expressions of the refugees in Kakariko Village.

No, he thought to himself soberly, I am not glad Ganondorf is back. I would not wish that on anyone.

It suddenly occurred to Link that in order for others to fully understand what he had saved them from, they'd have to truly know the pain of those terrible seven years of oppression and horror, and he had no desire for the Hylian populace to be subjected to that. He located the part of himself that craved that recognition, and shut it away someplace deep and dark. He never intended to let it see the light of day again.

The sharp crack of a deku nut echoed throughout the temple, and Link let out a huff of relief at the sight of Zelda at the entrance, bright blue sapphire hung around her neck.

"Zelda…" he breathed out.

"Link. Do you have the other two stones?" she asked, as she hurried towards the altar in front of the Door of Time. He nodded in response, pulling the Kokiri Emerald and the Goron Ruby out of his bag as he too moved towards the Door of Time.

"I heard sounds of battle as I passed through Castle Town. I'm not sure what's going on, but I think Ganondorf may be making his move now. We need to act immediately," said Zelda.

Link took a sharp intake of breath. Castle Town was under attack? Somehow, it felt as if fate was punishing him for his selfish thoughts earlier. He could almost hear a mocking voice taunting him, "So this is what you want? Let's see how you enjoy knowing that you wanted the entire kingdom to suffer."

He couldn't let this happen again. He decided, then and there, that he didn't care if everyone, Zelda included, forgot about him again or not; he just wanted to protect them.

Zelda was pulling the Zora Sapphire off of her neck, and Link fumbled in his bag for the Kokiri Emerald and the Ruby Goron, when a voice rang out in the somber quite of the temple.

"Halt! Stop right there!"

Link and Zelda froze, only steps away from their goal, and Link heard Zelda use some colorful language he'd never expected to hear from her. He turned and saw the source of her ire: the king and roughly thirty members of the royal guard had rushed into the temple, and at least five different archers had their bows trained on them. Or rather, they had their bows trained on Link. Link felt some measure of relief that the king still recognized Zelda in her disguise. Link doubted, angry as he was, that the king would ever purposefully endanger his daughter.

"Father, you don't understand—"

"I've had my men waiting outside of the temple for your return, just in case. I thought we had discussed this. I thought you would wait until we had worked this out. I can't believe you would bring this man, a stranger, into the Temple of Time when you knew I disapproved!"

"He was chosen by the goddesses, you know that, if you would just LISTEN—"

"ENOUGH!"

Both Zelda and the king fell silent, looking at Link in surprise.

"We don't have time for this. Castle Town is under attack. Your Highness, we need to open the Door of Time, and we'll do it with or without your approval."

It was clear that attempting to bring the king to their side was not going to work, and Link had had enough. He no longer felt any hesitation about what he needed to do. He needed to protect the people of Hyrule, and no one was going to stop him.

"Someone attacking Castle Town? I know nothing of this. Young man, if you continue to disobey I will order my men to shoot you where you stand."

"Fine. Do it. If you think I'm afraid of you and your men you are sorely mistaken," Link said through gritted teeth, noticing for the anxious expressions on the soldiers' faces. His mention of Castle Town had clearly spooked them.

Link turned to Zelda, holding out a hand to her.

"Zelda, the sapphire."

At that same instant, the king's face grew red in anger.

"Fire!"

Link pulled Zelda to him in an instant, casting Nayru's Love around them both just in time as the speeding arrows bounced harmlessly off of the shield. Link kept Zelda pressed to him while the spell remained in force, shouting angrily through the barrier.

"Are you crazy? You could have harmed her!"

The king started blustering something unintelligible as the soldiers' mouths hung open with shock at Link's use of magic and open defiance of the king. Link hardly noticed them, though, as Zelda tugged on his tunic and looked at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"He's coming."

At that same moment, another soldier rushed into the temple, stumbling in his haste to reach the king.

"Your Highness! The man—the Gerudo Prince Ganondorf! He has launched an assault on Castle Town with an army of redeads and moblins."

"What?" asked King Daphnes, flabbergasted.

"A scouting expedition caught sight of him in Hyrule Field a couple of hours ago. They started evacuating Castle Town an hour ago, and we tried to inform Your Highness but could not find you in the Castle. The Gerudo Prince's forces have already made it to Castle Town, and the guard is doing what they can to stop him!"

Zelda pulled away from Link, stepping out of his protective spell as if it were as simple as breathing. She had always been more talented at magic than him.

"Father, she said, voice once more calm and steady, "We are not your enemies. Ganondorf has come to steal the Triforce that Link and I hold, but we can stop him if Link has the sword that seals the darkness. And besides, if Link is not the chosen hero of the goddesses, he won't be able to use the sword anyway."

King Daphnes' eyes wandered aimlessly around the solemn temple, looking for all the world like a rat caught in a trap. For the first time, Link felt some pity for the man. He really had no good options left. The king said nothing.

"Please, father. Trust me."

She held up her hand and the Triforce glowed brilliantly in the dim light of the temple. For solidarity's sake, Link did the same, and he could hear audible gasps from the assembled guards.

King Daphnes hung his head, looking thoroughly defeated. He had opened his mouth and was just about to speak when a loud crash shook the entire temple. Another guard ran inside the temple.

"Your Highness, he's here, right outside! It's the Gerudo Prince!"

Zelda tore the Zora Sapphire off of her neck and placed it on the altar, then dashed forward until she was standing on the hexagonal stone slab that served as the portal to the Temple of Light. She raised both of her hands and a white light seemed to emanate from her, rushing out towards her and through the temple walls.

"I've created a barrier around the temple—I should be able to hold him back until Link can get the sword. Link, go!"

Zelda hadn't asked for her father's permission, but the king spoke up anyway.

"Very well. Let us see if the boy can retrieve the Master Sword," he said, and he stayed in place while about half of his men left to defend the temple entrance.

Link nodded curtly and put his own spiritual stones on the alter, pulling out the Ocarina of Time and bringing it to his lips. He played the Song of Time with the solemnity the song demanded, despite his urgency. As the last notes of the song echoed throughout the temple, the Door of Time gave a groan before slowly rolling away and revealing the Master Sword's pedestal.

Utter silence reigned as Link strode confidently towards the pedestal, not a shred of doubt entering his mind as he pulled the ancient sword smoothly from its resting place. Farore, it felt good to be holding the Master Sword in his hand again. He shifted his grip a little, reveling in how familiar the hilt felt under his skin, regardless of how he held it.

Respectfully, he raised the sword high above his head and looked towards the heavens in a sort of salute to his patron goddess—a ritual he had adopted some time during his adventures.

As if receiving a signal from the goddesses themselves, the silence was broken as the soldiers assembled at the end of the Temple let out a small cheer. Link turned back towards the small crowd, feeling the weight of all of their hopes for deliverance on his shoulders.

He jogged back into the temple proper, shield and sword held out at the ready. He met Zelda, who was still focusing all her powers on protecting the temple, and they both faced the king.

"Your Highness," said Link, bowing low, "Princess Zelda and I will stop Ganondorf. I swear it."