Legends 13

Mio hadn't been to many graveyards. It's not that she particularly avoided them, but she knew no on close who was dead, no one to visit. Besides, graves were sort of pointless. A waste of good ground in her opinion. Ground where people came to weep and wallow in useless sorrow. It never got anyone anywhere, and dwelling in the past will never solve the problems of the future. She would have to opt out of the funeral whenever they decided to organize it.

But she could still feel it. That dreadful pull of sadness that was always associated with the dead. She had never lost anyone but she could feel that perpetual sadness of loss. It was hard to explain it, but yet it was there; in the pit of her stomach, weighing on her chest and ghosting over the back of her mind. Is this how they always felt? Those who lost someone, did they always feel this empty and sad? She had never bothered to ask anyone. Was this how Link felt? She hoped not, because that would really compromise her mission if he became uncooperative.

All that dread and sadness and loss, that's how the castle felt. Like a blanket as black as night had been thrown over the happy lives of those in Hyrule, blocking out the sun and it's promise of hope. Even the weather had taken a turn for the worse. The rain outside poured down on the roof, each hard droplet audible.

Link had been the first to hear the news, the one who had to tell Zelda that her sister was dead. He looked horrible, worse than the newly crowned queen. The way he slumped around with dark circles under his eyes. She figured him a zombie half the time. Link had refused to believe she was dead at first, had gone straight into denial. Right up until they showed him to the throne room he had been going on about how she could defend herself.

But there it had been, the head of the dead queen, placed precariously on the throne itself, a letter stuck between her dead teeth. She had been beautiful once, Mio was sure. Much more mature looking than her sister, but the resemblance was uncanny. Link had promptly broken down, the stress of everything must have hit him like a train.

Now the two sat alone in a drawing room, Zelda had been swept away to prepare for an emergency coronation. Link was curled into his chair, the note that had been found with the queen's head clutched in his hand. Mio remained cross-legged on the floor, silent. She was unsure of what to say.

It had to have been Shade, there was no doubt in Link's mind about it. The note in his hand had remained unopened, he simply couldn't bring himself to read it. Victoria was gone, and Link still couldn't bring himself to fully believe it. Somehow he knew reading the note would make all this that much more real. The true Zelda, queen of Hyrule had been slaughtered, along with it's new king. He would never get to see her again, not as she had been. She had meant so much and the constant pulling at his chest refused to stop.

"At least she didn't suffer much." Mio's soft words came as a surprise, but despite their gentle nature they encourage anger in him. What right did she have on the matter of her pain? Mio didn't know her, she couldn't possibly understand. Victoria didn't deserve what she got. His head snapped up and he glared at Mio.

"What the hell do you know!? Nothing! I was supposed to protect her, both of them! Who are you to say she didn't suffer beforehand?" Her blank stare did nothing to calm him.

"How long ago did she leave? Years ago. She's no longer the Victoria you knew. She abandoned Hyrule, left it in the hands of her moronic sister no less. Why should you care so much about someone who left you here?" Something in his eyes changed and she knew she had crossed and invisible line. In an instant his hands gripped the collar of her leather jacket, hoisted her up off the ground. His voice was dangerously low as he spoke, but she could not bring herself to feel threatened.

"Do not talk about her as if you know her. You can't even begin to understand." No, she knew she couldn't. That was the issue. "She's dead, and it's my fault. I never should have went to Japan, never should have let Melody convince me to go. I could have saved her. This didn't have to happen, and now I'll never get to see her again. You can't even begin to comprehend what she meant to me. You're too cold hearted to ever care about anyone to know how I feel."

Her expression never changed. Mio remained stoic, uncaring, even inches from his face. "You loved her, didn't you?" He bulked, dropping her in the process. She landed soundly, but did not break eye contact.

"Used to." He was tense, his lips a thin line. "I knew she'd never return it, it was only a foolish crush. It's despite the fact." The anger that had brought him to this point was receding, only to be replaced by desolation. An awkward silence ensured. Desperate to hear something, anything, Link spoke, the tension and anger having evaporated. "You shouldn't be so heartless. It hurts."

"There's nothing much you could have done. We were meant to go to Japan, to be sent to find the Ocarina. Destiny's a bitch and once someone's fulfilled their role they are thrown aside, forgotten." That probably wasn't helping, and she knew it. Mio was never in a position where she had to comfort someone before, and it was clearly showing.

There was a moment of calmness that was nearly serene. Link had settled down. Somehow that didn't seem right.

A force jerked her head harshly to the left. Her feet lost track of the ground, sending Mio gliding across the polished wooden floor. The leather of her jacket almost squeaked from the friction. She only stopped when her back knocked into the wall beside an elegant blue sofa, narrowly missing the glass table. The metallic tang of blood gushed into her mouth.

Mio slowly got to her feet, staring at Link the whole time. He hadn't moved from where he had been before, but he was furious. Fists clenched tightly at his sides, brows furrowed and breathing heavily, he glared back at her with ferocity she had yet to have seen. He had punched her. Where had the strength and speed come from? She hadn't even seen him move.

"You were holding back this entire time!" Screeching, Mio pointed an accusing finger at him. "Weren't you?"

"What does it matter to you, you insufferable bitch!?"

"Oh, so we're going to resort to name calling now?" She could feel her own anger rising, delayed by her shock of being struck. Anger would be the death of her, she knew. "You're just upset because you never had the balls to tell her you loved her and ended up being the lackey of her obsessive sister instead!"

Link lunged at her, but she was alert now. A swift step the side kept her out of harms way, but he'd have none of it. With a small twirl he swung at her, but she ducked away then leaped towards the closed door, giving herself some distance from Link.

"To hell with you!" His voice rasped harshly, like he was struggling just to form words. "To hell with your lessons! You've been nothing but a pain in my side since you arrived. I never asked for this!"

Mio watched him continue his rant. Absently she wiped the blood from her mouth. He had certainly done a number on her jaw, but she'd heal quick enough. At some point he had switched to what she assumed was Hylian. When he noticed she wasn't paying him any attention his yelling ceased, jaw clenched tight.

"You done?" No answer. "Good, because I feel that we've lost sight of where we stand, hm? I'm not here to be supportive or to be your friend. I'm not here to agree with or to tell you everything will be alright. I'm here to train you how to fight, so that maybe you won't fuck up Hyrule any more than it already is. Are we clear?"

Link muttered something in Hylian, but she was sure it translated to 'bitch'. He stalked towards her, pushing her aside so he could leave. Mio let him go without a word.

Link did not run and he did not look back. One might have cried in such a stressful situation but he could feel nothing except the tight grip of anger, and beneath that there was nothing, a hollowness. He did not speak to anyone he passed and made a bee-line through the gardens until he was well into the woods. Hyrule castle had once been the center of Castletown, but he was now grateful it had been rebuilt near the edges of a forest decades ago.

The canopy of leaves overhead blocked out most of the rain. He hadn't realized it had been pouring, meaning his mind was only now clearing. There was always something about the forest that called to him, helped him to relax and forget.

He had punched Mio. Never in his life did Link figure he'd hit a girl, it simply wasn't right. But did Mio even count? Overwhelmed he sat beneath a tree. The damp earth was cold, but he ignored it. Overhead the leaves dripped, but it was better than the full force of the rain. Closing his eyes Link inhaled slowly, breathing in the familiar scent of pine wood and grass. When his eyes opened he looked down at his hands, where the note was being firmly held.

It seemed to mock him, daring him to open it. A heaviness fell on his chest, and breathing became a hindrance, but he ignored his anxiety. Link needed to know it had been Shade who wrote this. In his mind there was no doubt. Cautiously he opened the letter and read it's contents.

Dearest Hero,

I hope you enjoyed my handiwork. I've been working on it for years now, and I'll have you know I've been praised on it on many occasions. The husband was a real treat, though I doubt all of his remains will ever be found. As for the queen, I gave her what she wanted. Such a brave woman, shame to see her go. At least, I'm sure that's how her people felt. I can't say the same for myself.

But I digress, Hero. Never had Zelda died at the hands of someone before, no that's what the purpose of the Hero is. Yet, here we are, with no Zeldas left. Oh, no worries about the princess, she'll be joining her sister soon, I can guarantee it. And what will you do, Hero? I know, nothing. Because it is all set in stone now. While you wasted away your life being nothing more than an armrest of a guard, I've been taking action. Unfortunately, I did not complete my initial mission. Shame. Neither the princess nor the queen possess the Triforce. It is a pain really, but it just means we'll be seeing each other at one point or another. Pity, they'll have died in vain.

Shade

Mind whirling Link read the letter over at least a dozen times before the meaning of the elegantly scrawled words meant anything to him. Finally it clicked: Melody was in danger. Letter forgotten Link bounded to his feet, sprinting towards the castle as fast as his legs would carry him.

The drawing room remained absolutely silent, like Death himself lingered here still. Mio watched Link from the corner of her eye. Since telling him of Melody's death (no one else had the capability to be as cruel as her) he insisted on lying upon the desk and refused to look at anyone. He had long since stopped twitching, a sign that he had ceased sobbing if her guess was correct. Then again, he could very well be dead.

Melody's death had been so sudden. In a matter of moments she had become violently ill. Mid-sentence with a guard about enhancing security she had began vomiting blood until falling over dead. It had lasted no more than a couple of minutes. Or at least this was what Mio had been told. When Link hadn't believed her, which she figured he wouldn't, a quick look at the body was enough to send him into devastation.

He had just recently begun to mutter. Something about a mark, but she honestly couldn't make a lick of sense out of it.

"You aren't making any sense." He fell silent and still refused to lift his head from off the desk, expression hidden by his arms. "Look I don't have a clue as to what's going on. You might as well fill me in here." Link looked at her now.

His bright blue eyes were bloodshot. Red splotched his cheeks. Lips dry. Link looked like a wreck.

"They're dead. I have no one left. Don't you understand? Hyrule's left without a ruler. The time for peace is over." The words 'no one left' struck a cord and Mio settled beside him beside the desk.

"It was him wasn't it?" No further explanation was needed for Link to know who she spoke of. She was right. Mio settled for staring at her hands. It was almost painful to look at him. Almost. "You knew she was dead going into that room, why look so shocked coming out?"

"Because…" A heavy sigh shook him. "Because there was nothing I could do. Just like he said in that damned note." Link sniffled in an attempt to regain some composure. "He must… He gave her a death mark. There's nothing… He must have done it when he kidnapped her. There's no way around it." His voice broke harshly. "It's my fault. I should have tried harder." That's all he could manage before tears overcame him.

Mio sat there, useless. She made no move to comfort him. Instead she left, swiftly but quietly. As she did so she grabbed Navi out of the air in the doorway before she could enter.

"Leave him." The door clicked shut behind her, denying the fairy access. She braced herself for a barrage from the little annoying ball.

"Hey!"

"Just let him think for a bit. I'm no expert on people, but-"

"Evidently! I heard the way you talked to him about Victoria!"

"Would you shut up for a minute?" Mio strutted down the hall unsure of what to do with herself. However she was aware of the fact that Navi follow close behind. "Life is cruel. People die all the time. There's always someone mourning. He should know that, and the fact Hyrule is no exception. It's either face it or get stuck in your own wallowing."

"He was right. You are an insufferable bitch."

"Come back to me when you've read my biography." Mio was being sarcastic, but was sure the fairy wouldn't catch it. "I'll be taking a bath."

Her bath hadn't gotten her away from the sombreness of the castle. It had hardly been relaxing at all. Signs of mourning were everywhere. Mio could hear crying through the walls even. It wasn't in her nature to tolerate such things. So, instead of lingering within the castles' walls Mio decided to take a walk outside.

Hands in pocket and hood up she slowly sauntered her way around, simply enjoying the feeling of being outside. Today had to be the first overcast day she'd seen since coming to Hyrule. How strangely befitting that it had been pouring all day on such a day, and now it was attempting to rain once more. Oh well, Mio enjoyed walking in the rain. Even if the sky decided to crack open and pour it wouldn't bother her in the least. A little water never hurt anyone.

She must have seemed so insensitive to everyone else. Mio didn't so much as flinch or frown at the news of the royal family being wiped out. It's not that she particularly hated Zelda, or Melody depending on who you asked. Yes, her bubby disposition and inability to grasp concepts such as democracy or electricity annoyed her, but it's not as if she were intolerable. Mio would never go as far to say that they were friends, but Melody had been a fairly nice acquaintance. Unlike everyone else, Mio would not mourn her. Mio didn't mourn, it was as simple as that.

All that crying and lingering, it didn't make much sense to her. The moping and depression wasn't worth it, not when the person was dead and gone. People die all the time. It was a fact that would never change. Whether you are homeless or royalty, intelligent or uneducated, death will come for you. To Mio, mourning was equivalent to ignorance. Crying about it is the same as acting like you never expected it to happen. Everyone dies, why bother with mourning when you can carry on and improve the world to let others have a chance to live a little longer?

Caught up in her own thoughts, Mio threw caution to the wind and gave up on trying to keep track of where she was going. In fact, she cared so little that she didn't notice the two-foot bush right in front of her. One step too far and she went tumbling over it, cursing the whole way. The high-pitched scream that accompanied it did not belong to her, however. Slightly disoriented and flat on her stomach Mio watched with an air of curiosity as a young girl sprang from the bushes.

The little girl was caked in dirt. The plain white gown she wore was dirty and had small tears near her arms and legs. Her blond hair, only reaching her shoulders, was nearly white and very dishevelled. Though the young girl looked tired, her bright turquoise eyes shone with a mixture of fear and mirth as they settled on Mio. She couldn't be any older than five.

A moment of silence passed between them as they maintained eye contact. There was something… special about the girl, but Mio couldn't pin point what. All she knew was that beneath her gaze Mio felt silly lying on the ground. Slowly, Mio stood and brushed herself off.

"What were you doing in that bush?"

"Sleeping." Came the small reply. Mio felt her own jaw drop a little.

"Why would you be sleeping in a bush?"

"That's none of your business. Excuse me, I should be going." With that the little girl brushed herself off, but did not move to leave. Her head swivelled side to side as she tried to gather her bearings. "Which way is the entrance to the castle?"

Mio's eyebrows shot upward. For a child she sure had one hell of a vocabulary. Mio approached the girl but kept a bit of distance.

"I'll make a deal with you. If you tell me a few things, I'll bring you into the castle, alright?" The little blond stared at her for a moment, as if she were taking in details at some sort of business meeting.

"Fine."

"Where are your parents?" For a moment Mio almost forgot that children had parents. Almost immediately the girl's lower lip began to quiver, but she gave no other sign of crying.

"Dead." Oh boy, now she had done it. Unsure of what to do, and a little awkwardly, Mio lowered herself to the girl's level.

"Is that why you were in that bush?" The little girl nodded. "What's your name?"

"What's yours?" The retort was swift. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mio. I… I guess you could say I help around the castle. Now what's your name?"

"Enya." She replied. Mio stood at her full height and offered her hand to Enya.

"Alright then, Enya. Maybe someone inside might know your parents or recognise you." The girl took her hand hesitantly.

He felt numb, both inside and out. Totally and completely numb. He had stopped crying a while ago, then proceeded to chastise himself for crying in front of Mio like that. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he had failed. That there was something he could have done to save them, but he hadn't done it. That there was something missing entirely.

He had failed Queen Zelda, had failed Melody, failed their father, failed Hyrule. He couldn't protect their ruler. Link had disappointed so many people in the last twenty-four hours, including himself.

"Way to go Link. You've really done it now." He whispered to himself. "Where am I supposed to go from here?"

As if on queue there was a knock on the door. When he didn't answer it a man invited himself in. Link recognized him as Melody's advisor. He was unmistakable with his owl-like features and tall and lanky build.

"Link, you may want to come to the throne room." His voice was subdued, but demanding. Without consent Link's body began to stand. There was no mistaking the urgency in the man's eyes.

"What is it Kaepora?" Now that he thought about it, that name sounded oddly familiar. Why did it make him want to cringe?

"We have found an heir to the royal family."

Link couldn't make it to the throne room fast enough. It was almost like the hall was stretching out, making it seem as if an eternity would pass before he came to the throne room. His heart was pounding, loud enough that he feared his eardrums might burst from the blaring thumping. How could they have found a replacement so swiftly?

The room was lined with guards on each side, standing stiffly at attention. In the middle of the room stood a woman plain in looks, Mio and a small child. He knew who the little girl was immediately though he had never met her once in his life. The hair, the eyes… She looked near identical to Victoria. He didn't get the chance to speak before the young girl flung herself into his legs.

"It's you!" She shouted joyfully. "From the picture! You're the guardian aren't you? Mommy told me all about you!"

Stunned, and mildly confused, Link stared down at the little girl. He gently placed a hand on top of her head. He looked between the woman and Mio for help. It was the woman who answered his silent plea.

"Her name is Zelda Enya, and she has sufficient proof within a kokiri pouch to prove she is in fact the daughter of our late queen. She claims her mother ordered her to run when they were attacked and to find Melody. Mio found her sleeping outside. She is the rightful heir."

Link stared down at Enya, who stared back with a smile. "Mommy always called me her princess, even taught me to be one! I miss them, but Mommy taught me it was better to let go, but never forget. There's no time to spare." He felt shocked to hear such words from someone so young.

"Kaepora and I already plan to take her under our wings." That's right. Now it clicked. She was the head of civil complaints. He couldn't recall her name though… "We are confident that this is going to work." Numbly he nodded. Was this his second chance? A way to redeem himself? Mio's words cut into his pondering, forcing him to look at her.

"Link. Everything happens for a reason." She looked down at Enya and he followed her gaze. The little girl was still smiling up at him and for once in his life he couldn't help but think Mio was right. A small smile broke out across his face.

"Welcome home, Princess Zelda."