This chapter was uploaded just before my 21st birthday, consider it my birthday present to all of my faithful readers.
Chapter 50: Zelda's Victory
As the night set on Hyrule Castle Town, the city began to burst with people celebrating the victory in the war against Vaati the Wind Mage. The soldiers from the battle in front of the palace had all joined in the festivities, and people from all over came to the city to join them as well.
In the busy town centre, the partying was at its hardest, and it was here Zelda was sitting at a table with Ilia, Groose, Aveil, Ashei, Shad and Darunia.
Zelda was sitting next to Ilia while stealthily holding her hand under the table, Aveil was sitting across from them while casually leaning back with her boots on the table, Darunia was having some small issues with sitting comfortably on the human-sized chair he was given, Groose was having a small conversation with Groosari (who was sitting on the table in front of him) about something and Shad was fidgeting slightly as he was trying to come up with something to impress Ashei, who was sitting on his right.
Telma was acting as their waitress for this evening, and this evening only according to her insistence. And when she approached the group, she asked "So, you guys want anything? It's on the house, just this once."
Shad answered "I believe I could use something not too strong this time."
Ashei nudged him and declared "Scratch that! We'll both take some of that wine you promised for our victory, yeah."
"But I'm still trying to recover from that last hangover!" Shad quickly protested.
"You promised me a proper drink, remember? And I don't like to drink alone."
Shad readjusted his glasses before he relented "Fine, but you owe me a simple, non-alcoholic, cup of tea tomorrow morning."
Ashei took on a suggestive tone when she asked "Are you assuming we're going to wake up in the same place, yeah?"
The scholar's face turned brightly red at that remark and he began to stutter "What? Um…that's not what I…uhm…"
Ashei gave him a hearty pat on the back and assured "I'm just teasing, yeah. Now let's have some goddessdamned drinks!"
Telma rolled her eyes at their behaviour, but wrote down their orders nonetheless. She then looked at the others and asked "And the rest of you?"
Aveil was the first to ask "Can I have one of those as well?"
Zelda however quickly answered "No you can't!"
The Gerudo looked at Zelda with a raised eyebrow while questioning "And why not?"
"Have you forgotten, you know…about your…uhm…condition?"
"What does that have to do with me wanting a glass of wine?"
Zelda slapped her palm in her forehead and sighed before explaining "I may not be an expert, but I'm pretty sure it's a very bad idea to drink anything with alcohol in it in your situation. Trust me on this."
Aveil rolled her eyes but agreed with Zelda's logic. She then turned back to Telma and requested "Can I…get a glass of…something without gratuitous poisons in it?"
Telma suggested "Would you like a…glass of light apple cider then?"
"Sure, I can roll with that." Disappointment was very evident in her voice when she said that.
The bartender looked at Zelda next and asked "You want another cup of tea?"
The princess nodded while answering "Yes please."
"I can take one of those too." Ilia added soon after.
Groose then ordered "I'll have another beer!"
Telma sighed while she wrote down his order, remembering what happened last time he drank too much. He still had to reimburse her for those chairs and that candleholder he broke.
Darunia surprised the others when he suddenly requested "You know what? I'll take one of those as well."
All of the nearby humans just stared at the Goron as if he had suddenly grown an extra head, and he just looked back at them with a confused look while asking "What? Is it so wrong for a Goron to drink to his heart's content?"
Telma hesitantly explained "It's just…I'm not sure if your people are exactly compatible with our drinks. Mostly you guys just like to drink hot springwater."
"So what? I got the strongest stomach in my tribe!"
The bartender raised an eyebrow while asking "Are you absolutely sure?"
"Of course I am! Stop making a fuss about it!"
Telma shrugged and mumbled "Your funeral…" while writing down his order.
And with all of their orders written down, Telma said "Alright then, I'll be right back with your drinks in a sec." before she headed off to her bar to gather the drinks.
When she was gone, Aveil looked at Darunia and asked "So how did you get so interested in human beverages?"
The Goron Patriarch caressed his stony beard while answering "Hmm…let's just say I'm a bit curious. I hear it makes you more relaxed and honest, and I want to see if that's true."
Ilia countered "I'd say all it makes is turning you from a sensible person into a stupid jackass who is going to be feeling pretty miserable the next morning."
Aveil scoffed "Then you're not doing it right. So what exactly happened when you tried it?"
Ilia's cheeks got a certain tint of red when she stuttered "I…uh…I never said I tried it!"
"You don't have to." The Gerudo answered with a smug grin that hinted at the pirate's mischievous nature.
"Alright! But it was just that one time!"
"Hey, it's nothing to be too shameful over. I have gotten drunk far more times than that, and done…some things…that I have regretted to have done. But it's all in good fun once you learn not to overdo it."
Shad then questioned "Then why aren't you drinking anything?"
"Because of…reasons."
"Such as…?"
"Reasons that are none of your business. Let's leave it at that."
"Ooooookay…" Shad answered before dropping the subject.
Ashei chose this time to speak up and asked "So…what do you guys feel about this victory of ours, yeah?"
Groose was quick to answer "I'd say we earned it. It definitively wasn't easy, but we managed to pull through alright."
"I'm sorry I missed most of the action…" Shad began before he quickly corrected "…on second thought, I'm not sorry. I was quite comfortable giving the rest of you important knowledge for this little adventure of yours. And by the time the next one begins, I will have all my books ready for you."
Ashei deadpanned "Of course you will. Come to think of it, have you ever solved a problem yourself rather than just helping others solve theirs?"
"Of course I have. I just prefer to keep my hands clean, that's all."
"So it has nothing to do with you being a lousy fighter, yeah?"
Shad did not answer that.
Zelda had a more sombre tone as she revealed "To be honest, it doesn't feel that much of a victory, and it's not because of Dethl. It's just…"
When she trailed off like that, Ilia prompted "What is it?"
Zelda's grip on Ilia's hand tightened when she answered "My old life is gone now, and now I have to live the life of a queen in a land I do not know. There are so many others who would do anything for that opportunity, but all I want is to return home to Ordon. This whole royal business is not me at all. Someone else deserves this, not me."
Darunia scoffed "Someone else? Don't be ridiculous! I have never seen a better leader than you. You may not like it, but don't ever think you're not worthy of it. There are only a handful of people I would gladly lay down my life for, and you have proven yourself to be one of those people."
Ashei added "Yeah, I may not have thought much about you at first, but you're in a league of your own. I have faced a whole army with you at my side, and we have repelled waves of monsters back to back without any fear in our eyes. I will gladly follow you any day."
While Zelda began to think about what they were saying, Telma returned to their table and began to give them all the drinks they ordered. And when the soon-to-be queen got her cup of tea, she took a small sip of it to calm her mind.
Eventually, she said "I know I could certainly make good decisions, but I just have a hard time celebrating the coming of a life I don't want. However…that is my own issue, and I will not burden the rest of you with it. For now, I want to thank you all for staying by my side, not as allies, but as friends."
Aveil joked "Please, you're gonna make me cry."
"I didn't know you had tear ducts." Zelda joked back.
"Nah, I just don't like to cry too often, it ruins my cool girl image."
Groose confessed "I for one am happy to call you my friend, Zelda. You're a cool gal, you know. I guess I was just too stupid to realise that sooner. Sorry for that."
Zelda gave him a warm smile and assured "Apology accepted, I never would have made it without you."
"Sure you would…not as awesomely, of course."
Groosari jumped up on his shoulder and gave a proud "Hmmp-hmp!" after randomly putting on a pair of sunglasses. (Don't question it)
Zelda and the others all shared a small laugh at their antics. And with the mood somewhat lifted, Aveil picked up her glass of apple cider (that she secretly wished was something else) and proposed "How about a toast?!"
Shad held up his glass and offered "To Zelda, perhaps? The best leader we have ever seen?"
Zelda herself instead proposed "Why not…to all of us? Not just we at this table, but everyone that has ever helped us. To Ilia and Groose who both stuck by my side and went out of their way to make things right, to Aveil for giving me a valuable partner when I most needed one, to every single member of the resistance for their strength to stand up for what they believe, like Ashei, the fearless knight who didn't hesitate to charge headfirst into an entire army, or Shad, who's knowledge of history helped us know what to do in the first place, and Darunia for leading his people into danger because he knows its right. And it doesn't stop there, we must also give a cheer to Impa, for going so far as to willingly laying down her own life so that I would have a chance to live, to Auru for forming this resistance in the first place, and to Bo for not only being a good father, but also someone we could depend on. There are so many more to thank as well: Keapora Geabora and Ezlo deserves a thank you as well, even though they're not here at the moment. Heck, even that guy I used to get a ride to the Isle of Secrets: Linebeck, deserves something. So let's give a massive cheer to all of them!"
With that said, they all shouted the word "CHEERS!" while clashing their glasses and cups to each other and taking a large gulp of their respective drinks.
Darunia however, after drinking up his glass of beer, said "Wow, this is the stuff…"
Groose began to agree "Sure, it-" but quickly silenced himself when Darunia shouted "ANOTHER!" and slammed his glass into the ground so hard that it shattered into pieces.
That left every person in the vicinity staring at the Goron awkwardly until they eventually recovered and returned to their own drinks.
At another place nearby, Ghira was sitting at a table away from the crowds while staring into a glass of water as if it was alien to him. He was no longer wearing the tight white spandex that Ghirahim used to wear, and had instead changed to a simple shirt, jacket and breeches while also making no efforts to fix his hair the way it was, so now it had become a bit messy.
Fi was physically sitting down on a chair just next him to keep him company. Even though she had mostly suppressed her own emotions, she still felt some sort of connection to him. So now that he had been freed, she found herself interested in him somehow.
After observing the former Sword Spirit doing nothing but stare at the glass for more than half-an-hour, Fi asked "Are you having trouble with the concept of consuming sustenance?"
Ghira didn't remove his eyes from the water when he answered "No, it has nothing to do with that. Though I admit that it feels strange needing to drink anything after living the life of an immortal for so long, this is more…personal."
"Are you willing to share this reason?"
"I am not looking at the water, I'm looking at my reflection in it. I can almost imagine that grey skin, the diamond marking on my cheek and even that hideous eel I called a tongue. It's…hard to tell the difference between me and Ghirahim. And it is only now that I realise…we're not that different from each other."
"While the physical aspects of the change were the most noticeable, I can definitively feel a great change in your mental state as well. Your mind was twisted into a weapon for Dethl, and I calculate an 80% chance that it was that fact that turned you into a murderer."
"You're wrong…I was a murderer long before I became a Sword Spirit. The only difference was whether I enjoyed it or not. And for accepting her offer in the first place, I was responsible for Ghirahim's creation. Trust me, I am no more virtuous then he was!"
In a fit of anger, Ghira slapped the glass away and let it crack on the floor while letting water and shards of glass spill on the ground at his side. With the object out of the way, Ghira slammed his head pretty hard into the table and closed his eyes tight while letting tears fall from them.
Fi, seemingly taking pity on him, draped one of her wings over his shoulder but remained silent, knowing that there were no words that could possibly help the situation at this moment.
When he felt her comforting wing, Ghira confessed "I…I didn't want to kill her…I really didn't. I had no choice, no choice at all. I remember her taking that knife and tried to…to…to kill me after discovering my secret…and I reacted. I took a hold on her knife and…and…there was so much blood. When the others saw what I did…they banished me from my home. My father…he said I had disgraced my family and my village and…that I wasn't welcome there anymore. I went everywhere, but found no place in the whole land that would care to harbour a hated murderer like myself. And that…was when I met…her."
Fi explained "Dethl is known for recruiting her followers from those who have no other choice, it is how she managed to acquire allies for such heinous acts as those Ghirahim did. As for the murder…it was in self-defence, am I correct?"
"Yes…it was."
"Then you truly did not have a choice. While your family's reaction was understandable given your lack of evidence, their treatment of you was unfair. Had the truth come out properly, I would suspect that you would have lived a better life. Even still, none of the people that died by your hands had been your intent. Therefore, you were never truly the one responsible for their deaths. You yourself are just as much a victim as they were. The only one that is to blame is…the person who tried to kill you and also Dethl for transforming you into Ghirahim. By any definition, everyone else were by all justification: victims, including you."
Ghira finally raised his head, opened his eyes and faced her. For a moment, he just looked her in the eyes, but eventually, he quietly said "Thank you. I needed that."
Fi broke out of almost every expectation one would have of her and let a small smile show itself on her face when she answered "You're welcome."
While Ghira would never forgive himself for the things he did, the wisdom of Fi's words made it easier. Only time could tell whether that feeling would last.
Meanwhile, Zelda and Aveil were talking at the edge of the party while walking further away from it.
"…and do try to get in touch with a properly trained and experienced doctor when you're getting into labour, it will probably save your life." Zelda advised.
Aveil answered "Find a good doctor, got it."
"And that's about all I can tell you about the subject, hope you take my knowledge to heart."
"Yeah…it's just…why does it have to be so bloody complicated? I can't drink alcohol for at least eight months, when I start showing I won't be able to do much except sit down and wait, and during that time I'll get food cravings and morning sickness. Somehow, I feel like the goddesses want to punish us women by making pregnancy so annoying."
"Well, you are creating a whole new person. I guess nature can't be too kind on us."
"Easy for you to say considering you're not the one who is suddenly pregnant."
"Hey, I'm just trying to help."
"I know. And I appreciate it by the way."
Feeling in the mood to change the subject, Zelda asked "So…what will you do now, Aveil?"
The Gerudo leaned into a nearby wall and let out a deep sigh before she answered "I'm going back to the sea. The Twinrova sisters have ruled my people long enough, and I'm going to make sure they sure as heck don't create another Ganondorf to mess everything up again."
"Are you sure? I mean…with your condition…"
"That is why I'm not going to let this wait. My daughter won't have a place to grow up in if I let those hags bring my people to ruin. And if I succeed in time, this…condition of mine won't be an issue until I'm already finished."
"Just…be careful, okay?"
Aveil put a hand on Zelda's shoulder and assured "I may not seem like it, but I'm always careful. If I wasn't, I'd already be dead."
"I believe you, but remember that I promised to help you with this. So if you ever need my help, don't hesitate to ask."
"Sure thing. Except…how am I supposed to reach you?"
"I got that covered." Zelda answered while a familiar talking owl flew towards them and landed on a nearby sign.
Soon after Geapora had landed, he turned to Aveil and explained "I will be traversing into the Lanayru Sea myself under Zelda's orders to keep an eye on things there. If and when you and I cross paths, I can easily carry a message to her."
Aveil noted "Good, so all I need to do is talk to the owl and everything will be in order?"
Zelda answered "Pretty much."
Aveil then began to walk away while saying "Then…I guess I'm off. Off to gather myself a ship and crew somewhere and kill some witches. Should be fun."
Zelda stopped her by saying "Aveil…"
The Gerudo stopped and looked at Zelda who was now holding her arms out in a hugging gesture. The sight made her shake her head and chuckle a little before giving Zelda a friendly hug, something Aveil actually used to do all the time with her former crew.
And when she separated, Aveil said "See you later, girl." before she turned around and headed off to her own adventure.
Aveil had another destiny to pursue, one that she would have to fulfil herself. But that story will have to be told another time.
As the Gerudo pirate was leaving, Geapora kept his eyes on her and warned "You should be careful with that one."
Zelda was confused by this sudden comment and questioned "What are you talking about?"
"Gerudos amplify their own strength and endurance with the use of spirit magic, and I can sense such magic. The thing is every Gerudo have a different spirit, and different marks."
"Where are you going with this?"
"Aveil's spirit reminds me of someone I met a long time ago, someone with just as much hatred buried inside that she had. That same Gerudo that had a spirit so similar to Aveil was the most dangerous person I've ever met, and being close to her does remind me of him."
Zelda noticed something off in what the owl just said and pointed out "Wait, you said the person was Gerudo…how can it be a 'him'?"
Geapora looked Zelda in the eyes and said the name "Ganondorf. Her spirit is remarkably similar to his; the same blood runs through her veins. Which begs the question, could her pregnancy mean something else?"
"Are you saying…?"
"I'm not sure, it could just be my paranoia. It wouldn't be the first time. I'll keep an eye on her for the time being, you can…well…enjoy the celebration for now."
"And you aren't? You played a big part too."
"Unlike…some of us, I don't have the luxury of celebrating victories. As soon as one mess is over, another begins. Thousands of years…and nothing has changed. It is not always a gift to live as long as I have. That is if you consider what I'm doing 'living'. So long, Zelda, until next time."
And with that said, Geapora spread his wings and took off into the sky. Where he was headed, nobody knows. But, the age-old owl spirit didn't do anything without a reason. Now that this mission was complete, it was over to the next one.
Zelda pondered what all that could mean. The part to consider wasn't just about Aveil's possible but vague connection to Ganondorf, it was also about Geapora. There were times when he seemed like a genuine friend, but sometimes…there was something off about him. It was clear from the moment she met him that he was not just an owl. In fact, the owl appeared to be nothing more than a vessel for him to speak through. That one time Zelda entered the Sacred Realm, she met the man who supposedly spoke through the feathered guide, but that only brought another question to mind.
'Who was that man? And why did he decide to help me? Too many questions, not enough answers. Let's just put all of this in my pile of concerns and return to the task at hand.'
Putting her concerns at rest for now, Zelda returned to the party in the centre of town.
When she walked through it, she took note of the various festivities around her. While this party wasn't modest in the least, it wasn't as grand as it could be. That was understandable though, as this celebration was set up in just a day, not several months in advance like the last great festival that graced this city. While she wasn't there herself, Rusl (who was there) said that they had an impressive firework display and even a visit by the famous Indigo-go's band. This time, there were just…cheers, drinks and some music. But ultimately, that was all you needed.
Eventually, Zelda heard Ilia shout "Hey, Zelda! Over here!"
She turned her gaze to the direction of the voice and saw Ilia and Groose talk with two girls she hadn't seen in a while. It was Romani and Cremia, the two sisters who owned the ranch that she took shelter in after the whole Palace of Winds situation.
Surprised by their presence, Zelda approached the group and said "Hi you two, it's been a while."
Romani was just full of energy when she greeted "Hi, Zelda! How did your journey go? Did you find Linebeck? Did you get to the Isle of Secrets? Did Majora come back?! If so, did you stop it?! Have you defeated that man who was after you!? Is it true you can fly and glow?!" by the time the young girl was finished, she was hyperventilating.
Zelda took a small moment to think before she answered "Hi yourself, the journey went fine for the most part, yes I found Linebeck, I went to the Isle of Secrets, Majora did come back but we stopped it, I just defeated Vaati and I can only fly and glow when I reach my awakened state…which is difficult."
"Cool! So did my bow come in handy?"
"Oh yes, very much so. I don't know what I would do without it."
"Good, because you're keeping it. I don't want it back at all, I have plenty at home."
Zelda then looked at Cremia and asked "Is this true?"
The older sister answered "Pretty much, she makes them all the time."
"Why's that?"
"She says it is to protect the barn, and after all the things that happened during your last visit, I can see why. Still, who could have predicted an elephant-sized cucco monster would appear out of nowhere anyway?"
"Weird things tend to happen all around me lately, trust me on that."
"Oh, that I do."
"So what brings you here?"
"We were here to join in the celebrations of course! I probably should have told you this before, but…I have been a member in the resistance for a few years now."
"Really?"
Groose confirmed "Yeah, that was one of the reasons I was sent to the ranch. Cremia lets the resistance have their meetings there in secret."
Cremia added "Sure, and I heard a bit about you before you visited me. It's just…I wasn't sure if I could just trust you on nothing but your say so, but I still helped you out however I could. Given the fact that you seemed to have an evil clone, my suspicions were not that far off, right?"
Zelda smiled a little and said "Well, I'll doubt we'll see Shadow Zelda again, and for the better. Gosh, that being gave a headache."
Ilia realised something and asked "Wait, Shadow Zelda? I remember meeting someone like that when I followed Majora into that moon to save you. But…to be honest, that whole experience was just…strange."
"I still don't remember much of what actually happened, but I can agree on that."
"Wait, that reminds me…Dethl! Majora's last words were that it would somehow make you immune to Dethl's control, whatever that means."
Zelda shrugged and mused "That's good to know at least."
Groose nonchalantly intervened and said "Well, I have no idea what you're talking about right now, so…uhm…do you guys want any more drinks? Yes? No?"
Cremia answered "Well…didn't I promise you a bottle of Chateau Romani milk for helping us fix the barn? I believe the Milk Bar I deliver it to is just around the corner, and they'll never charge me a rupee for it considering I'm the one who brings them the stuff in the first place."
"Sweet! I think I'll take you up on that offer."
Romani was however quick to enthusiastically ask "Can I finally try some too?!"
But Cremia simply sighed and answered "No, Chateau Romani is not for kids, remember…?"
"But it got my name in it!"
"You know it's named after the ranch, the same as you. So stop whining, you're going to taste it eventually."
Romani pouted and crossed her arms while angrily asking "When?"
"When you're an adult, you know, like I am."
"You're mean."
Cremia was about to give a smart-ass remark to that, but didn't get a chance to do so before a wooden puppet as big as a person with long arms, a creepy smile and crossed eyes suddenly dropped down from above and got right in Cremia's face, nearly scaring her, Groose and Ilia out of their skin. Zelda drew her blade and pointed it at the puppet while Romani wasn't scared at all and instead began to giggle at the others' reactions to it.
Soon enough, another torrent of laughter came from above, and the group below looked up to see the Skull Kid holding a set of marionette handles with puppet strings connected to it while standing on a roof and laughing hysterically.
As soon as the people involved realised there was no danger, Zelda put her sword back and the others tried to breathe properly and recover from the sudden jump-scare. Romani on the other hand thought that the joke was genuinely funny and praised "That was awesome! Where did you find that thing?"
Skull Kid clapped his hands together, and by doing so, making the puppet magically vanish into thin air. Then he jumped down the long distance from the roof to the ground and landed perfectly on his feet without any sign of pain or injury and just behind Romani.
The cursed child then answered "I made it. It's that simple."
"Can you show me?!" Romani excitingly asked.
"That'll be fun, I like new friends."
"So do you want to prank someone else?"
"Yes, that'll be fun, come with me!"
The Skull Kid then began to run to another part of the town and motioned for Romani to follow. Being the exited young girl that she was, she ran after him. Before the night was through, many pranks would be set out by those two kids, all in good fun though.
After seeing them scamper off, Groose turned to Cremia and asked "So…how about that visit to the Milk Bar?"
Cremia smiled a little and replied "I'll show you the way."
Away from most of the partying people, the petrified statue of Vaati the Wind Mage was still standing in the exact pose and position as he was when he accidentally cursed himself to be that way. Unlike the rest of the town at the moment, the area where he was standing was mostly devoid of people, with 'mostly' being the key word.
Away from the eyes of the partygoers around, Sarva the Frost Mage descended from above and gently landed on the ground in front of the statue while keeping a thoughtful expression on her face. Ever since she escaped Vaati's trail, the cryomancer had kept her distance from anything related to him. But she had decided to come out of hiding when she got word that Vaati had been defeated.
Curiously, Sarva approached the petrified form of her estranged father, but showed a hint of hesitation when she did so, as if she expected him to come back to life at any moment.
But when she stood before him, she reached a hand out to caress his stony cheek while musing "I knew this would happen to you, daddy. Well, maybe not this, but something at least sort of similar to this."
As she removed her hand from him, her magic left a small spot of frost remain on his cheek. It was not something she purposely did, but her magic wasn't always 100% controllable.
She then closed her eyes and used her heightened magic senses to feel his life force like he did to find her before. And as she did so, she mumbled "You're still alive in there…aren't you? To be fully dreaming and conscious, yet unable to move a bloody muscle. It's not that nice, innit?"
"So he's your father, eh?" a voice said from somewhere nearby, a voice Sarva had heard before, but had a hard time placing.
She then felt a magical presence coming from a relatively small object and looked down to see Ezlo stand just underneath her. When she noticed him, she suddenly flew up a few metres off the ground and gasped "Ahhh! Tiny guy!"
Ezlo raised an eyebrow and pointed out "You've met me before."
"Maybe I did, but that doesn't excuse you scaring me like that!"
The old Minish picked up the spoon he had been using as a walking stick and took a few steps to the side while saying "I have long known that Vaati was a bit of a womaniser, but I never expected him to actually go so far as to father a child, albeit a…(cough, cough)…accidental one. When I sensed your presence in Kakariko I really should have figured it out, but I guess I was too focused on other matters."
Sarva put her feet back on the ground while keeping her eyes on the Minish and asking "How do you know him anyway?"
"I was the one who taught him magic in the first place, and also his mentor. He may not admit it, but I was the closest thing he ever had to a father."
"Phht, ha-ha he-he! You?! Are you saying high and mighty Vaati was mentored by a little mouse-man? Seriously?!"
"I prefer the term 'Minish' over 'little mouse-man' myself, but that's beside the point. What you may not know is that Vaati was once one of my kind."
Sarva's grin suddenly faded while she gasped out the word "What?"
"He used the power of a magical hat called the Wishing Cap to transform himself into a sorcerous being resembling that of a human. But that is the thing with magic, the more you have, the less your physical form…(cough)…matters. I'm sure you saw what he became during his confrontation with Zelda."
"I wasn't really around, but I heard people say he became a giant eye-ball thingy the size of a building."
"Yes, that is the form he took when he unleashed all of his power. But I take it you were conceived when he was in his more human-like form, and your mother was a human."
"I dunno about the first part, though I sincerely hope you're right about it. But…I know for a fact that my mom was very human."
"Then that must mean that you're only half-human, my dear. You have Minish blood running through your veins. And not only that, but also the Light Force itself."
"I already know about that stinking Light Force!" She demonstrated by allowing sparks of magical light emanate from her hands while continuing "It is what has given me all these unnatural powers I never asked for. The same powers that made everyone see me as some kind of horrid freak! Those bloody wankers decided to ostracise me just because my father is a…well…whatever in Din's name he is!"
After finishing her little rant, Sarva sat down on the ground while giving out an angry huff. Her eyes lingered on Vaati when she suddenly confessed "I don't even know why I'm telling you these things, but I don't have anyone else to tell it to. The only bluming bastard in this land who gave a damn about me was mom, and she's dead now. Everyone else just called me a freak or a troublemaker, and when people hear that I'm the daughter of Vaati, they will just think I'm just as evil as him. Zelda may have let me help her, but she doesn't trust me. Aveil is fine, I guess. But I know of none other who would ever accept someone like me."
Ezlo just listened patiently for her to continue talking and chose not to interrupt her.
"It all started when I grew up in that little village at the base of the Snowpeak Mountains, where all the other kids kept freezing but I didn't. When I learned that I could control the very ice that surrounded us, I thought it was a miracle given to me by the Golden Goddesses themselves. But…when I showed my powers to all of my friends, they just ran away and screamed like the cowards they were. Only mom defended me when the insults and angry yells were directed at me for what I was. I became so angry with my neighbours for how they treated me that I sought revenge…by pranking them in humiliating ways. That only made them angrier though. But throughout it all, I could depend on my mother to keep me safe, loved, and protected. That was…until she got sick…very sick. Before she died, she told me who my father was. And when she was dead, I had no reason to stay, so I made my own home in the mountains while trying to set a goal for myself. The first thing I did was trying to find out as much as I could about my dad. But then I learned that he was after this Light Force thing I had in me, and I panicked."
Ezlo finished "So you decided to help his enemies get rid of him so you'd be safe."
"Well…basically."
"I see."
Sarva stood up and took a few steps away to look at the others celebrating in the distance, oblivious to her presence. She then closed her eyes while saying "Look at all of them, blissfully cheering for his defeat just for being the same thing I am."
Ezlo followed after her while explaining "You remind me a lot of Vaati when he was in your age, Sarva. He also kept wondering why his life never gave him anything. I guess he…(cough, cough)…taught me a thing or two. The problem with him was how he tried to resolve the situation. Angered with the world itself, Vaati lashed out at it, and nearly all of us paid the prize. That did not help his situation in the least. In fact, it just made it worse, like your pranks, for example. Zelda however, she has more magic power than possibly even I do, and she showed it off to the entire land. And now, they love her for it, you know why?"
Sarva honestly tried to find an answer to that question and went through several funny facial expressions while doing it. But eventually, she answered "No…why?"
"Because she used her powers to help others, she used them to save these people around us. Magic exists to help the world, not to lay it to waste, nor for personal gain. I bet if you…(cough)…find a way to help people with your powers, someone might like you for them."
"Can you help me then? I really don't know how I could do that."
Ezlo broke into another coughing fit before he looked at her with a sad smile and answered "That…would be nice. But…I'm an old man at the end of his life. You try staying spry after one-and-a-half thousand years of age. I'm afraid you have to ask someone else to mentor you."
Suddenly, Zelda's voice asked "It's that bad, Ezlo?"
Both Sarva and Ezlo only now noticed that Zelda had approached them and overheard a little of their conversation. She was now leaning against a nearby house while waiting for the old Minish to answer.
Ezlo sighed before he explained "I knew even before I met you that this would be my last visit to the human world. Even with the staff, my life was already failing. Vaati only sped up the process when he defeated me in that duel we had when you took the Master Sword. It's a funny thing really: magic. It can make you feel…like the laws of nature just don't apply to you anymore. But I learned that it simply doesn't work that way. I had to keep my staff with me all the time just to stay alive for so long, Vaati is only alive because the Light Force is keeping him young, Geapora had to abandon his physical form and exist as a spirit in the Sacred Realm while only being able to interact to this plain of existence by means of an avatar. Immortality isn't cheap, and I am about to feel the prize for it soon enough."
"Well, I'm glad then that you managed to help us so much before…you know."
"Yes, and I am glad that I got to help yet another great hero realise their destiny. You really do remind me of that brave young boy I met when Vaati turned me into a hat…long story."
"I will miss you, Ezlo. I mean that."
While sadness was evident in her eyes, Zelda still kept a gentle smile on her face. But she soon turned her attention to Sarva and asked "So…have you thought about what to do yet?"
The sorceress took her feet off the ground and began to float around for a bit while pondering her question. Then she teleported just behind Zelda and answered "I think I can manage something. You know, Ezlo? That was actually pretty good advice. I'll just have to train to focus this magic business a bit more and find out how to help you lot…somehow."
Then Sarva used her magic to dissolve into a cloud of snowflakes that flew away into the sky to be carried off by the wind towards parts unknown. Did she know where she was going? Was she ever going to return? These questions will be answered sooner or later, but not now.
After Zelda watched the magical snowflakes fly away, Zelda turned to Ezlo and asked "Do you know how long it will be before…?"
The elderly Minish shrugged and guessed "Possibly a few months, I don't know for sure."
"Well…it's been great having you around so far, you've really been a good friend."
"I try my best."
Before the conversation could go any longer, Zelda could hear Rusl's voice say "There you are, Zelie!"
"Dad, what is it?" Zelda asked after turning around to face the middle-aged Ordonian who had approached her.
"I was just letting you know that I'll be leaving soon."
"What? Why?"
"The thing is…the rest of our family hasn't seen me in over a month. Last I heard, Uli, Colin and the others are in Kakariko Village, so I'm going there to give them some much-needed good news."
"Then I'm coming with you."
"No." Rusl declared in a stern voice.
Zelda didn't vocally answer and instead waited for him to explain.
"Hyrule needs you here, the people need you here. Like it or not, you are a princess, soon you'll be a queen. That was decided before Impa even gave you to me and Uli. I on the other hand…hmm…I am not needed here. I belong in Ordon, and I think it is time for me to return there. I'll tell them Vaati is no longer a threat, then our people can return to our village once more. But you have to stay."
"What about Groose and Ilia?"
Rusl chuckled a little before he answered "Hehe, I think Groose has found his role in life, or something close to it. Whatever he is going to do, or wherever he is going to be, I say that's his choice for now on. As for Ilia…I guess something similar can be said for her. But I know for sure that you'll want to have this celebration with her."
Tears were beginning to build in Zelda's eyes while she said "I…understand. I understand what I have to do. I just wish I could still have my family with me, and I wish Ilia could be allowed to be part of my life."
Rusl gave his daughter a comforting hug while saying "There there, you know we'll always be there for you. You can visit Ordon whenever you want, and all you have to do is send a letter and we'll be here for you before you can say 'Hyrule'. Besides, I'm sure you and Ilia can work something out. This wouldn't be the first time something like this happened."
Zelda broke the hug and asked "Really, when else?"
"Being a member of the resistance for a long time, I heard a few interesting things about your birthmother. Turns out she was keeping a pretty big secret."
"Really?"
"While none of what I'm about to say has been officially proven to be true, it is known that the old queen wasn't really in love with her husband. She married him for public appearance and to be able to give an heir to the throne, but according to some sources…her heart belonged to another person entirely."
"And that was?"
"There were rumours that she was keeping a secret love affair with a young Sheikah, one who she grew close to when the king petitioned her to acquire a Sheikah protector like he had. But instead of just choosing one of them right off the bat, she decided to get to know them first. Eventually, she grew close to a young woman among the recruits, and according to the rumour at least, she supposedly fell in love with her. Some believe this bond she had to that Sheikah was what led her to her belief that Sheikahs should be freed of their long role of servitude. But of course, she kept this a secret to everybody."
Zelda was frankly…speechless. Out of all the things…she did not expect to hear this. If those rumours were true, her mother had an affair with a Sheikah woman and kept it a secret. But that thought prompted her to ask "Wait a minute…who was this Sheikah girl, and what happened to her?"
"I have no idea to be honest, maybe you can find out the rest of the story. For now though, I think it's time for me to go."
Zelda's face dropped at his answer, but remained silent.
"I'll be sure to tell your mom and your brother that you're alright. Good luck with everything!"
The princess barely noticed him walking away. She was way too deep in thought as to this whole secret affair her birthmother supposedly had.
'Why have I never heard anything about this before? I get that it was a secret and all, but at least Impa should have known and told me about it. Unless…the Sheikah in question was…NO WAY! Now, Zelda, don't freak out. It could be just a rumour, remember? I better investigate this. But if it's true then…I don't know what I'll think about it.'
She then looked back at Ezlo and began to ask "What do you…?" but soon noticed that he was no longer there.
'Those Minish and their disappearing acts…'
Deciding to focus on the rest of the things Rusl said to her, Zelda soon went about to try and find Ilia among the multitude of celebrating people.
It didn't take long for her to find her childhood friend sitting on a bench next to an open area that served as the dance floor of the celebration. She was watching the various dancing people as they moved their bodies in graceful and not-so-graceful ways without a care in the world.
Zelda soon sat down next to her while putting an arm around the other girl's shoulders. Then they just watched the dancers together for a while.
Eventually, Ilia said "Just look at them. They all get to enjoy this celebration as if all of their problems have been solved. You and I on the other hand…it doesn't feel that much like a victory to us, does it?"
"I know you lost more than most, and that was never meant to happen."
"I know. My father is dead and I only have one eye left, but that isn't even the worst."
"What do you mean?"
"Ever since…that day happened, I've been having nightmares…about Ozshen. I know he's dead, but it really doesn't feel like he is. It feels as though he could return at any moment and ruin everything all over again, like he could just return and kill someone I love again."
"I would never let that happen to you or anyone else. And I don't care if it is Ozshen or any other immoral monster, I won't let any of them hurt you…not ever. You got that?"
"Yeah…"
Leaving the subject of that alone, the two of them looked back at the dance floor.
Ilia then suggested "Um…you want to have a dance?"
Zelda answered "I'd love to…but I'd rather do it somewhere else, somewhere these people won't recognise me."
"Where?"
"Follow me."
About five minutes later, they were standing on the roof of a building just next to where they were just at. The music from the partying below could be heard very clearly, but now a whole new view was set before them.
Ilia's eye lit up in amazement at the view this new spot provided them. From here, she could see the entire town, and not only that, but also the various locations in the far distance. But what mesmerised her more than all was the vast expanse of stars visible on the night sky.
All she could say about this was "Wow, this place really is better than the one below."
Zelda gently took her hand in her own and explained "I found this place earlier this evening, but the view wasn't this pretty until now."
Ilia noticed that she wasn't staring at the sky when she said that, she was staring at her. It brought a small smile on her face while she asked "You really think I'm pretty…especially with…?"
Zelda took Ilia's other hand and looked her straight in the eyes (or eye more correctly) before she answered "Of course I do. No one else can make an eyepatch look quite as good as you can. Besides…I cannot bring myself to care about little details like that, you'll always be beautiful to me."
The two of them began to gently sway from side to side as they were preparing to start that dance they were going for. And as they did so, Ilia let a tear fall from her eye while saying "Thank you. I needed to hear you say that. And…I feel the same about you."
By now, they had blossomed into a full on waltz. They had both trained in dancing like this ever since they were kids, just for fun of course. But now…for something far deeper.
The two of them then began to close the gap between them and moved their lips closer to each other until they met in a kiss that said all there needed to be said at the moment. They closed their eyes and for a moment, all that mattered in the whole world to them…was each other.
Eventually though, they parted slightly and began to stare at each other again.
Ilia suggested "Why don't we for one night just…forget about all this war and duties and everything and instead just keep it between just the two of us."
Zelda gave Ilia another kiss and answered "I would like that. I really would…"
While the land of Hyrule celebrated their newfound freedom and the return of their lost princess, Zelda chose to have this moment with her secret lover.
What would become of them after this? So far, that is a mystery. As is the fates of all the lives that Zelda had touched during the course of her adventure.
But…while this story may have reached its end at last, that doesn't mean that new stories won't show up in the future.
After all, there are always stories to tell, and Zelda and her friends as well as enemies have far more to share with you.
For now at least, I have only one thing left to say…
The End.
Except for author notes of course.
You know, if there ever was a perfect time to be a considerate person and leave a review, now would be that time.
Now, let's talk about this story for a while.
It's been a long journey, both for me and for Zelda, and I have practically devoted my life to writing this one story during the last, what has it been? Three years?
Looking back on all the things I did, let's just say that I could have made things a bit better.
To start, I should not have started my career in fanfiction writing with a story like this. I really should have written a few one-shots or shorter stories first to test the waters and grow as an author. The problem with how I wrote this first was what led me to have to rewrite the first third of the story altogether, and that was even more tedious than writing new chapter from scratch.
Also, if I could go back in time and do this story all over again, I would have changed a few things.
Firstly, I would have introduced a lot fewer characters and convoluted subplots, and instead focused more on the specific character's personality and development, as well as made the subplots be slightly easier to follow in general.
Secondly, and more specific, I probably wouldn't have included Majora as a villain at all, mostly because it was hard as hell to write and could have fit better in another story. The same can be said of the Happy Mask Salesman as well.
Also, had Hyrule Warriors come out before I started this, I can guarantee you that Impa wouldn't have died, and had also been Zelda's love interest instead of Ilia.
That brings me to a thing I think I should clear up. The choice for a femslash pairing in the first place was made more because I wanted an extra air of conflict for Zelda's position as a monarch rather than because I have a fondness for that kind of thing. Still, I make a rule to include at least one non-straight character in everything I write, mostly to show that such people do exist and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Anyway, some other characters that I could probably have left out would have been over half of the Monster Squad, maybe keep a few of them like the Red Master Wizzrobe, Helmaroc King and King Dodongo, but otherwise skip Morpha, Tentalus, Façade and Gomess. I probably could manage without Romani and Cremia too, Sarva as well, and especially Colin.
However, I did have some sanity and decided not to include characters I would have loved to write for that reason. Examples include Midna, Bellum, the Great Deku Tree, Yuga and a number of crazy OC ideas. These characters would I love to put in, but would not fit into this particular story. That doesn't mean that they cannot appear sometime in another fanfic of mine though.
However, what is done is done. I hope you enjoyed reading this, because this is just the first of my stories to be published on this site. Now, if you're interested in what those might be about, I added a special epilogue to set the stage for what kicks those off.
For now, allow me to show you a list of all the characters that has appeared in this story and from what game they hail from. They will be sorted in how big of role they had in this fanfiction and only characters who actually appeared will be on it, so no characters who were only mentioned.
Legend of Zelda: Zelda, Impa, Gohma.
The Adventure of Link: ?
A Link to the Past: Syrup.
Link's Awakening: Dethl, Façade.
Ocarina of Time: Kaepora Gaebora, Darunia, Happy Mask Salesman, Poe Sisters (Beth, Amy, Meg and Joelle), King Dodongo, Twinrova (Kotake and Koume), Bongo Bongo, 'Poe Collector', Morpha.
Majora's Mask: Aveil, Majora, Skull Kid, Romani, Cremia.
Oracle games: ?
Four Swords: Vaati, Four Links (flashback).
Wind Waker: King of Hyrule, Red Master Wizzrobe, Helmaroc King, Jalhalla, Gillian (unnamed).
Four Swords Adventures: Iris, Ganon (that specific incarnation, in a flashback), the Shrine Maidens (flashback).
Minish Cap: Ezlo, Black Knight, Potho (as one of the Hyrulean Lords).
Twilight Princess: Ilia, Ashei, Zant, Shad, Rusl, Hero's Shade/Link, Renado, Telma, Auru, Bo, Uli, Colin, Fado, Ook, Talo.
Phantom Hourglass: Linebeck, Bellum (Sealed in stone).
Spirit Tracks: ?
Skyward Sword: Ghirahim, Groose, Fi, Hylia, Levias, Jellyf, Tentalus, Strich, Kina.
A Link Between Worlds: Ravio, Yuga (turned to stone), Bard, Flute boy.
Hyrule Warriors: Hylian Captains (Blue and Green Commanders), Turncoat Leader (Yellow Commander).
Accursed Sword: Trickster of Darkwood, Duelia, Ozshen, Historian, Sarva, Trevari/"Groosari", Flamagia, Magmagia, Shadow Zelda, Broken Horn, Blackeye, Deadbeak, Bandanna, Lord Calhoon, Lord Peadro, Atari (flashback).
Hope you found this story to be to your liking, looking forward to hear from you all again. No seriously, I really want to hear from you people.
This is Flufux, signing off for now.
