Chapter 25 – Birth of Champions

POV: Talim

Hyrule Castle

"It's so good to see you up and moving again, Danika!" I said as I met the newly-engaged shinobi in the middle of the hall, some two days after Ganondorf fell. "And that ring…Sephiroth really knew how to pick one!"

"Well…you know that a man who's just attained that kind of power isn't going to skimp on the finer details. He's going to have to go through the courts, as I'm still only thirteen…but in light of the recent emergency and the fact he's now Hyrule's Commander-in-Chief, second in political might now only to the king, it's most likely going to be little more than a rubber stamp."

I nodded. "So…what do you think he'll do?"

"As commander…I don't know, but I can make some guesses," Danika said. "Most likely, the Gerudo aren't going to take this embarrassing of a defeat lying down…and the King is most likely going to see this as a series of acts of war…we're nowhere close to-"

"Danika, Talim, throne room, now!" Zelda said, popping up at the end of the hall.

"Yes, Your Highness!" we said, following after her as quickly as we could. We entered a black-creped throne room, dozens of soldiers standing at attention. As we passed, some of the soldiers smiled at us, determined not to break rank. Soren, Kirby, and Sephiroth were already kneeling at the feet of the King…Kirby, for some reason…sucking on an odd candy on a stick.

"Lollipop." Danika said. The candy disappeared, and Kirby leapt into the King's lap for a few pets before resuming his place at the foot of the throne, giving rise to a few laughs. Then, the King rose, signaling for a hush as he addressed us privately.

"My guards, my soldiers, heroes of the realm…I seek to address you first in private, before I go before my people at the strike of noonday," he said. "In light of recent events…it is incredibly clear to me that I was foolish in trusting the fallen King of the Gerudo, extremely foolish. I was also foolish in trusting several of my officials…some of them being paid and owned by none other than Ganondorf himself," the king replied. "These individuals have already been caught…including the former Commander-in-Chief of my forces. They shall be tried in accordance with Hylian laws concerning treachery, cowardice, and corruption…and the appropriate punishment shall be meted out."

I was saddened, but Danika gave me a look that seemed to say, "They earned it, the greedy bastards."

"In light of the fact the Commander-in-Chief and his chief advisor have been ousted…that means two new appointees must rise to take their places," the King stated. "The choice for the first position is obvious…a monster of a man who slaughtered some 1,500 Gerudo under his own magical prowess…and forced the rest to taste his blade, the vicious Masamune. I introduce to you a man as infamous for his hair as he is for his blade work: Sephiroth, The Great Demon-Wielder of Gaia and Hyrule!"

Sephiroth flashed an obligatory smile at the King as the King tapped his shoulders with his own blade, then rose as the King beckoned him to his feet for applause. The soldiers roared as their new commander smiled at them…although it was clear to both Danika and I that he wasn't exactly looking forward to being so high-profile yet again, even in this emergency.

"The second position…I believe I am going to leave that to Sephiroth," the king said, turning the floor over to Hyrule's new second-in-command.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Sephiroth replied. "In the beginning…I questioned the King's decision to appoint my advisor. I felt that it should fall to me personally…not a split-second decision made on the whims of a leader who made some questionable choices in the past. However…in light of some recent choices of my own…I believe the King has shown his wisdom in selecting this man to be my advisor. He is a man of few words…but a man of intellect…great courage…and unquestionable loyalty, even if he is thrust into a situation he knows not. With this…I present to Hyrule…Soren, Master of Tellian Winds."

Soren got his round of applause and a similar tap on the shoulders by the king, but the rest of the room looked startled as Soren turned to stand by Sephiroth. "Commander…this seems a bit odd of you. Why would you not choose Danika, the brave heroine who faced down Ganondorf and concocted the plan to destroy him?"

"Because…just two hours ago…Danika accepted my marriage proposal…which I shall be sending for approval to the courts by day's end. It…would be unwise of me…to saddle my future wife with both the duties of commanding an army and my future household…when she will no doubt be better suited fighting on the ground, where she will do the most good."

Loud cheers erupted at the news of the marriage proposal, and Danika smiled. "Commander…I thank you for the honor of being permitted to continue fighting…and the honor of your proposal." she said.

…

"So…you're planning to return the Master Sword…even when we just declared war on the Gerudo?" I asked Danika and Sephiroth as we walked to the church that hid the Sacred Realm.

"Ganondorf – and by extension, Demise - is the reason I begged for the Master Sword," Sephiroth explained. "I didn't want to – I knew it would be out of place to ask for it…and would leave the Sacred Realm wide open – but there was no way any of our weapons would have been able to put a dent in the combined might of Ganondorf and Demise."

"Sephiroth…you did what you believed needed to be done under the circumstances," Soren said. "If I was in your place…the only thing I would have probably changed was going for the Master Sword at an earlier time. However…that could have been playing right into Ganondorf's hand the entire time."

"Exactly…that's why Danika getting him out of Hyrule and into Devastation Zone Zero was so critical. If he were in Hyrule, and those two were fighting…there would have been nothing left but ashes, dust and death," Sephiroth said as he opened the doors to the church. "Last time I was here, it was black and pouring rain…almost got hit by lightning twice."

We entered the massive cathedral…to find the old man known as Raryu, the Sage of Light, standing before the stone mass that held the three Sacred Stones. "Sephiroth…you've returned!" the old man said as the two men embraced in a hug.

"I'm assuming your Light Barrier held?" Sephiroth wondered.

"Yes, oh yes," Raryu said. "Who are these with you?"

"This lady with ebony hair is Talim…Priestess of Winds for Earth, beloved of Soren, and Fayore's Champion," Sephiroth began. "The little pink puff is Dream Land's bottomless vacuum – and most dangerous blue mage, Kirby. The man in black is Tellius's Master of Winds, and chief tactician of the Greil Mercenaries, Soren."

"The man in black…I like it, has a nice ring to it." Soren admitted.

Raryu stared at Danika. "And this…is your beloved? The vessel of Jenova, fallen half-sister of the goddesses?"

"I doubt Mother shall be called "fallen" much longer," Sephiroth said dully, staring into the entryway. "Based on what you've said…"

"It must be between her and the goddesses….Danika must take the Master Sword into the Sacred Realm, and replace it in the stone. They are family…and this matter must be handled between them. Danika shall be given her due reward as the Hero of Hyrule-"

"Sephiroth dealt the kill blow…all I did was-"

"You made the choice that led to the end of Demise's stranglehold over the land," Raryu said. "You, Danika…you sang the Sacred Art that healed the Great Deku Tree…and you found the heroes that would lead you to where you were able to break Demise's power."

"It was you who took Ganondorf out of the equation," Soren said. "Without you…and your willingness to take the heat…we would have surely died. You taught me to wield a kunai…and taught all of us about how to wield chakra."

"Stop carrying the blame of your past, Danika," I said, stroking her soft, pale cheek…a far cry from the way it had been when we first met. She now wore a long, green, one-piece garment…a departure from the white yukata she'd been noteworthy for, highlighting her breasts, carved hips, and overall gorgeous form. Her teeth were white…pure like milk, and her eyes burned with a calm, determined purpose. In truth…she looked like a young forest nymph…not the hard-bitten looking girl with a fear of the dentist. "You burned your past in the flames of your passion…and the flames of the phoenix. All that should remain for you…is a bright, shining future…as Sephiroth's wife, and the servant of Jenova."

Kirby grabbed her hand, and Danika finally smiled. "You…you're right," she said. "I hurt a lot of people…but at least they didn't all get killed."

"You gave them a chance at lives without fear," Sephiroth said. "The snake that led you to this…he'll be forced out of his hole soon enough. And even if you don't kill him…he'll fall on the sword he tried to stab you with."

Danika laughed as she walked up to the door of the Sacred Realm. "Now…I don't necessarily recommend looking at me for the next few minutes. I suspect…Jenova will have to leave my body. Until then…see you guys later."

Then, the red-haired beauty waltzed into the Sacred Realm…and the door sealed shut. "The goddesses…they're returning to Hyrule," Raryu said. "You'll need to stay for a while."

"I hope you have a restroom." Soren said, almost tongue-in-cheek. "And…room enough for this!"

He got down on one knee in front of Sephiroth and me, causing the former to step aside. "Talim…I know this has been a very rotten two weeks…and I deserve your rejection more than anyone else, because I abandoned you for my own purposes…but from the minute I laid eyes on you some three months ago, I knew no Tellian woman could compare. Even if you say no to my ring…please, Talim…forgive me."

"Soren…I have forgiven you a thousand times already," I replied…my heart melting to putty. I was incapable of resisting. Though we hadn't had such an intimate relationship as Sephiroth and Danika's…we loved each other. We had fought alongside each other…I had shielded him from the Fire of the Pheonix…and he had seeped into my heart to fill the hole left behind my the loss of my loved ones. He was more than a mage, or the prince of a fallen bloodline of royals…he was a broken human being, torn between two races that did not want him…and given up for dead even by his closest friends.

Soren pulled the ring out of his pocket, a simple band of iron compared to Sephiroth's silver band with three diamonds. "You deserve so much more than what I've given…I don't deserve you and I know it. Talim…you deserve a king…princes with golden palaces…a thousand servants, devoted to your pleasure alone-"

"No, Soren…all I desire is to be one with the wind," I said. "The wind…it set me on this path…and it has led me to you. The wind…has called us to be together, Soren. It runs in our blood…calls through our veins. You've felt it…have you not? Every time you call on the wind…you hear me, don't you?"

"Yes…Yes, Talim, it does."

"So…you know I'll marry you, right? I'll marry you a thousand times…just to tattoo it on your heart that I belong to you?"

Tears welled up in Soren's eyes. "Thank you…Talim."