"I'm not sure of this, are you certain they'll even listen to you?"
"No. If they knew who I was, they'd certainly kill me."
"I assume you have a backup plan in that case?"
"No. I don't." He looked down to the mask in his hands. "I just pray they will hear me out."
Riju sighed heavily and looked at the so-called King of Evil, a frown etched on her features.
"I hope so as well."
The sun peaking on the horizon, bathing the Castle and the Divine Beasts around it in an orange glow. The light peaked through the window, waking up the Royal Knight and protector of the Princess.
Link yawned aloud, sitting up as a familiar soreness settled in his ribs. Shuffling in discomfort, he stood up and walked to his dresser, pulling on his green tunic. He retrieved the Master Sword and Hylian Shield and strapped them to his back, letting the green cap rest on top of them. He looked at himself in the mirror, noting that his once pale skin had began to regain it's color.
He had dreamt again last night, he was in the Divine Beasts again, and once more had he found the room in Vah Ruta.
After the Festival, he was determined to find out what was going on in his mind.
He attached the Wolf Mask to his belt and exited his room, crossing the hall to Zelda's door.
Knocking twice, he called out. "Princess! May I come in?"
"Yes!" She called back.
Opening the door and shutting it behind him, he noticed Zelda sitting at her mirror, attempting to braid her hair on her own.
"Morning, Zelda." He smiled. "Ready for the Festival?"
She rolled her eyes. "Not really, but we must suffer through it."
"Aw, come on. It'll be fun." He walked towards her. "Okay, stop. This is torture to watch."
He moved her hands away and began to properly braid it, she had asked him to do this before, a century ago. He hadn't minded then, nor did he now.
"So, what's the schedule going to look like?" He asked.
"Well, the Festival proper does not start until Noon, so we have all morning to do as we please. When it does start, I am going to announce the Ball at Five, then three hours later, we'll open the Castle for the Ball, which will start properly at Nine."
"A full schedule then." Link mused, finishing the last braid. "I need to speak to Twilight anyway before the Festival begins."
"I think he said he'd be tending his Tavern for most of today, and that he will show up for the Ball before it starts." Zelda noted.
"Alright, I'll have to go catch him before things get busy." He patted her shoulders, observing his work. "But for now, we must eat."
"Are you cooking today?" She inquired. "The men sure seem to enjoy your Breakfast Apple Pie."
"Who doesn't like my Apple Pie?" Link boasted, smirking. "Unfortunately, I am not cooking today, so we'll suffer through that too."
"Ugh, I can't wait." She sat up, brushing her white dress off.
With her long hair braided into a ponytail, she looked much like a proper Princess. Not that Link minded the way she looked.
Her mask seemed to go well with his now that he thought of it, was it intentional?
He the ferocious wolf. She the sly cat.
He thought little of it, even as she clipped the mask onto her belt. They stepped into the hall and, arm in arm, continued onward to the Dining Hall.
Zelda had made it a special note that those under her would not be segregated when it came time to eat, given that she'd seen the conditions a Knight had to endure firsthand.
All of them ate at the same large table, workers, soldiers, servants, and even royalty like herself. There was no etiquete that separated them, they all sat and ate, talking like dear friends. Which they truly were.
It was amazing, especially today, that when they entered the Dining Hall, ranks of soldiers, workers, and servants stood up and clapped uproariously to their appearance.
Tennessee, now donning soldier armor with a red cape over his shoulder signafying his rank, sat on the right end of the table, raising his wine glass in their direction.
"Try not to get too drunk before morning drills, sir!" Private Reddit snickered, instilling some giggles from the entire table as they sat back down.
"This is Tea, Private." Tennessee swirled his glass. "But I'll keep that in mind."
Zelda was led by her Knight to the end of the table, with comfy padded chair awaiting her just like the ones lining the table. Link sat on the side, just next to her.
The clear table with a white cloth over it was soon covered in food as the cooks brought out the morning meals. Just like Zelda had mentioned, as good as normal food was, Link had a special touch with food that made it taste so much better.
They were served seared ham, bread, and a thin vegetable soup, with tea, coffee, and milk as beverages.
Most ate without question, even Zelda and Link. Most would argue that someone of the Princess' stature shouldn't eat something like that, but she didn't complain at all.
She was simply used to Link's, and her own, cooking and she had decided that she oughta appreciate the Castle Cook's work every now and again.
Unfortunately, she couldn't help but agree when the soldiers made their complaints.
"This soup is getting thinner by the day!" Tolrin spat.
"This bread is harder than rock!" Zevro groaned.
"Ack! This tea is so bitter!" Thomas choked.
"What do you think, Lieutenant?" Captain McReed asked.
Tennessee, ever laid back it seemed, took a bite out of the ham. He scowled and spit it out in digust, nodding in agreement.
"Hey Link, can you make us food again?" Ro asked, the young Zora all the way at the end of the table beside the new Lieutenant.
"Yeah! C'mon Link, you're the best cook in hyrule!" The knights agreed.
Link couldn't help but grin. "Really?"
"Yeah! C'mon, Link! Link! Link!" They chanted. "Link! Link! Link!"
"Alright!" Link pushed his plate away and jumped out of his chair, the soldiers' and servants' chanting quickened as he sprinted across the room and into the kitchen.
Soon, delicious scents flowed into the dining hall and everyone started banging their silverware on the table in anticipation, still chanting.
Zelda honestly couldn't help but join them, a huge grin on her face.
Soon, Cooks with noticeably bigger smiles began carrying out larger plates.
Perfectly cooked Honeyed Ham and Bacon. Buttered bread and Honeyed apples were dispensed and spread around, as well as sweet tea. But the biggest deal, was the massive plates of apple pie that had to be carried out by two cooks at a time.
Soon, Link joined them once more, to the thunderous applause of the army and staff.
They ate like kings, quite literally. A good day often started with a good meal, that was one principal Link and Twilight had taught them.
Soon, they turned to small talk and discussions. The main topic around the Castle being the confrontation between the Princess and the Duke of Marsh.
Judging from the comments, Link saw that many in the army held a disdain for the man as well. Of course, most of them knew of Link's relationship with Zelda, so they simply wanted to prevent their friend's woman from being stolen from him.
Soon, Gossip turned to Conference. Since meetings to receive reports from Captains and Scouts hadn't been scheduled yet, Zelda simply had them report over breakfast or any other eating time.
First were the reports from the Night Guards, who had returned from their shift for food before heading off to bed. Aside from a few brawls outside Twilight's Tavern, nothing to worry about in the Town proper.
Monster attacks outside of town had fluctuated and seemed to have actually gone down in recent time, which seemed odd without Link or Twilight out there to push them back. Monster Camps were often found abandoned and those that weren't never even harmed travelers or patrols.
And finally, this morning the gate guards saw many carriages and escorts of Nobles and otherwise far-landers entering the town for the Festival. Many of them had invitations to the ball as well.
Moving onto the bigger topics...
"Anything on the Yiga?" Zelda asked Captain Toddon, just a few seats down the table.
"No, Princess." The bearded Rito shook his head. "Our scouts have worked with the Gerudo to survey their hideout, it seems well fortified, like they're trying to keep something inside."
"Perhaps a secret weapon?" Private Dabro, a Goron, suggested.
"The Fall Festival is such a big target, they couldn't possibly ignore it." Elga, a Gerudo Spear-master, warned.
"Hmm...What are your thoughts on this, Lieutenant?" Zelda asked Tennessee, who had been listening intently. "You seem rather quiet."
Tennessee leaned forward in his chair, folding his arms on the table and tapping his fingers on the wood.
"Caution, is what I would advise. We don't know what the Yiga are up to and Spearmaster Elga is absolutely correct. The Festival is an opportune target, and if I was them, I would attack at the peak of it."
"What do you suggest?"
He stabbed his finger onto the table. "We need to activate the Guardians, along with the Turrets and Drones, and keep them active all day to make sure that if an attack happens, it'll be short lived."
"The Guardian tech was powered over the last century by Calamity Ganon. After his defeat, they were all in desperate need of a recharge." Githa, a Hylian Tactician, reminded them. "It is possible, with the Her Majesty's permission, that can be brought out for a single day or two before needing to be sealed away again."
Tennessee turned to Zelda. "Princess?"
Zelda put a hand to her chin in thought, then shrugged. "I don't see why not. You have my permission, and insistence, to set them up."
The "meeting" was adjourned, with the Army standing and heading towards the barracks, and the Castle Staff helping clean the table off or heading to their rooms.
Morning Drills often followed, with those soldiers heading into town to replace the ones on Night Patrol.
Link and Zelda decided to observe the training for a while, with Link giving some pointers on Archery and Swordplay. The new Lieutenant seems great with his new title, instructing the soldiers in proper fashion, his blue hair and demenor reminding Zelda and Link of Vvillequin so much.
After about 2 hours, at the peak of 8 o' clock, he dismissed the soldiers and spoke with the Princess and Knight.
"If I may, where are the Guardians located? They seemed to just vanish one day." He asked, face calm and collected.
"When we found that they were running out of energy, we sought a means to recharge them." Zelda explained. "It turns out, the large room underneath the Castle where Link fought Ganon was actually a large area for recharging the Guardian tech."
"You'll need to speak to Toner in the Sanctum, he and the Sheikah are the ones tending to them." Link pointed. "I recommend not making them angry, they're rather proud."
"Noted." Tennessee nodded. "Anyway, what are your plans for today?"
"I'm planning on heading to Twilight's Tavern." Link shrugged. "I need to ask him some questions, not sure if Zelda is coming along."
He turned to the Princess, who shrugged. "I don't have anything planned until Noon."
"There you go."
"Alright." His brow furrowed. "One more thing, what does that tablet mean?"
He pointed to the center of the training yard, where a stone tablet etched with ancient hylian words stood, surrounded by silent princess flowers.
"Oh, that was put there very recently when Twilight trained the army." Link said. "It's in ancient hylian, it says 'A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage'. He held that phrase to heart and taught me it as well."
"A noble saying, I'll have to use it in my teachings." He bowed. "Good day."
He marched off, leaving them with mixed feelings.
"He's doing pretty good for a newcomer." Link remarked. "I know he had combat training already, but he really takes a shine to command."
"Just like his ancestor, and you." Zelda smiled.
"Hehe, yeah." Link scratched the back of his head, smirking.
Technically, Link held the rank of General. But since the Army was still being built up and increasing in number, he saw no reason to command them in peacetime. He'd wait for a conflict or war to start before he got involved.
Besides, he was a rather busy person.
They strolled down the path and through the Castle Gates, entering into the town square.
Children were playing in the fountain with worried parents trying to stop them from catching colds, friends and co-workers were sitting outside their businesses chatting and laughing. A platoon of soldiers marched from the West road, across the square, and down the East Road.
Carts bearing flags from Ordon, Hytopia, and other kingdoms, far and close, were being unloaded in the Square with crates of food, sweets, and milk being carted to stands yet to be set up for later.
"Say, Zelda." Link said as they walked across the Square. "Whatever happened with the Picori? I don't think we've visited them since last week."
"They're just fine." She replied, waving to the townspeople. "I did visit them very recently, they too are celebrating the Fall Festival and requested that I join them for celebration. I had to decline, but I did have Reida leave them some food."
"Please tell she didn't shove a turkey inside the wall." Link chuckled.
"No, she didn't." Zelda laughed. "She just left enough some to contribute to the feast. They are very grateful for your help and wish to have a toast to your honor."
"I'd drink to that." He chuckled, looking to the crates. "Speaking of which, what kind of drinks are those? Chateau Ordona and Chateau Romani?"
"They're special kinds of milk." She said, scratching her cheek. "I myself have never tried them, but they're supposedly vintage and made from specially-bred cows. I assume Chateau Ordona comes from Ordon, but I'm not sure of Chateau Romani."
"Well, looks like they're shipping some of it to the Twilight's place." Link noted as someone carrying a crate passed them.
They followed him and, sure enough, he walked down the stairs and into the alley where the Tavern was. The sign outside, once blank, now read "Era of Twilight Tavern."
"Zelda, put your mask on." Link murmured. "A Princess in a bar is gonna cause unwanted attention."
She nodded in agreement, pulling the band of the mask around her head and slipping it on, covering all but her mouth.
Link did the same, the Wolf mask an oddly good fit around his face.
They followed the man in and found that the bar was quite busy, with many of the tables full of soldiers, builders, and workers on break. There were a few shady characters sitting in the back tables, but that was the cost of owning a tavern.
Val was working the bar, with Twilight nowhere to be seen. The man from before set the crate on the counter and was paid and sent off by the blonde hylian.
Recognition flashed in his eyes when he saw the two.
"Good Morning Princess." Val said quietly, bowing his head. "You too, Link."
"Morning, is business good already?" Link inquired, looking across the room.
"Yeah, I think a bar was a Godsend for every worker in town." He cleaned a mug. "Building a town and then maintaining it is hard work, don't blame 'em at all."
"Say, we're looking for Twilight. Do you know where he's at?"
"Out back." Val pointed behind him, to a door beside the counter. "It's a small alley that we use for storage, he goes there for peace and quiet sometimes."
"Thanks." Link rapped his knuckles on the counter and headed to the door. He and Zelda slipping into the alley and shutting it behind them.
Twilight sat atop a crate in the shadows, staring at his own Wolf mask in his palm, sapphire eyes glowing in the darkness. He was in his Ordon clothing and seemed rather disheveled, with his knees curled up to his chest.
"What do you guys want?" He muttered, setting the mask down.
"The truth." Link crossed his arms. "I'm sick of your secrecy and lies. You've never told me a straight truth, have you?"
Twilight stared for a moment, blinking. He sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes, looking to Zelda.
"Princess, tell me something." He began. "Was there a Prince in my time?"
"A Prince?" She repeated. "I don't...No, I don't believe so. Records only told of a Princess."
"And that's the truth of it." He mumbled. "After that damn war, I poured my hear and soul into rebuilding that country. I loved Zelda, and she loved me. We thought of marriage but it was almost outright forbidden." He looked down. "But We did have a son together."
Both Link and Zelda flinched in surprise.
"What?"
"Yeah. For three years, I raised him the best I could. A prince, son of a Princess and a Goatherd. Zelda was there occasionally, but not often. I named him Wild, after the trees that surrounded my youth. He was spirited and free."
"Wild..." Link felt empty now, but still confused. "Then...why am I just a Knight, and not royalty?"
"Because he wasn't the same Wild I named you after...Or maybe he was, I don't even remember anymore." Running a hand down his face, he sighed. "He inherited my mark, the Triforce on the back of his right hand. I didn't care, I was proud that my son could be a courageous hero...Then those damn fools came along."
"Who?"
"Nobles. Two dimwit Dukes from Lands I don't care for anymore. They knew nothing of the legends, of the sacred gift bestowed by Hylia. Yet, they sought it's power."
"D-Did they?" Zelda tensed.
"Yes." Twilight nodded, looking to the side. "Prince Wild. My son, dead at the tender age of three. A toddler murdered-"
"Twilight, stop." Link said lowly. "We've heard enough."
"No! I'm done with the lying and secrecy, either I get this off my chest now or I die drowning in regrets. Just like..." He trailed off, looking down. Tears dripped down from his eyes onto the crate. "Wild...Link, please. I need to say this, for the sake of my sanity."
Link frowned, blowing out a breath in defeat. He sat on a Crate just across him, motioning for him to continue. Zelda sat next to him as Twilight wiped his eyes.
"After he died, the Triforce fragment returned to me...The Resistance of my time helped me track them down, and I killed them with my bare fucking hands."
He let the words hang, sad eyes thinned into slits in rage, fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. He let out an harsh breath, trying to calm himself down.
"I do regret it, sure, as much as a grieving father can. Zelda was horrified that 'civilized' people could stoop so low. She held a royal funeral for him, but we couldn't tell who the mother was. As far as anyone knew, the son of the Hero had died. Not the prince of Hyrule."
"What'd you do after that?" Link inquired.
"I left." He flexed his hands. "I went back to Ordon and tried to live a peaceful life. I reconciled with Ilia and mended our fractured relationship, we got married and even had Twins. Only Zelda and the Resistance knew what had happened, but one day the guilt got to me and I ended telling Ilia as well. I thought that was it for us...but she didn't care, she still loved me."
He smiled for a good minute, reminiscing. Link and Zelda just let him have his moment, waiting patiently for him to continue.
"The Twins, Amity and Dawn. Neither of them had the Triforce fragment, I guess I was happy about that." He shrugged. "But I guess History repeats itself. Not long after I turned Twenty Four, Ilia and I had another child. A Son. On the back of his hand was the Triforce of courage."
"...You named him Wild, didn't you?" Link asked softly.
The older man nodded, smiling slightly. "Fate works in mysterious ways. Fortunately, there were no Nobles attempting to murder my child. I was protective, but I raised him with good morals...and a decent sword arm."
"What happened after that?"
Twilight swung his legs over the side of the crate, sitting up with his palms. "I lived quietly for a few more years, when I turned Twenty Nine I was summoned by the Princess once more, something about trying to find the mysterious Gerudo race that had disappeared."
He scratched his cheek. "After that, I was offered a position in the Royal Army. Seeing an opportunity for a better job, I did so and only later moved my family into the Castle when I was certain no one would attack them."
"...What happened to your Zelda?" The Princess asked after a moment of thought.
"During my 10 year absence, she married a Prince from a neighboring, smaller kingdom. He was good man, I often talked with him as a Royal Knight. Modest and Humble, he didn't seek to become King, instead becoming Consort to Zelda, who became Queen." He ran a hand through his hair, blowing air out of his lips. "They had a daughter, who they also named Zelda, as was tradition. I saw her occasionally, my own daughters were her friends and I think Wild had a crush on her."
He laughed, looking up at the two. "It's funny, you two remind me of them so much..." His gaze cast downward. "As much as I miss them, I don't think I could leave you two behind, I feel like I owe it to you to stick around, until I'm sure you'll be fine on your own."
"We will be." Link said intently.
"No, you won't." Twilight rebuked him. "You got demolished by a Lynel the other day, I don't trust either of you to not get yourselves killed."
"The feeling is quite mutual to be honest." Zelda smiled.
"Ha ha." Twilight stood up, brushing himself off. "Anymore questions?"
"Mask." Link pointed to his face. "Why are the markings different then your's?"
"I owned that mask since I was just a boy. I wore it all the time to hide my face, I had enemies at an early age." Twilight cocked his head, studying the mask. "It originally had marking similar to my Wolf Form, which I wasn't aware of at the time. Later, after my adventure, I found and repainted it in memory of my mentor."
"Since when did the Hero of Time have facial markings?" Zelda frowned. "He never mentioned it in his Biography."
"He has a biography?" Twilight said, interested. "I'll need to read it. Anyway, not necessarily his human self. But in a certain form of him."
"That's not ominous." She sighed, standing up. "If you don't mind, I'd prefer not sitting in a shady alley. I'm going to check on preparations."
"Alright, I'll catch up to you in a minute." Link waved a hand.
Once she left, Twilight stared down at him. "You wanna spar, don't you?"
"C'mon, I know you've still got some more skills to teach me."
Slowly, Twilight's mouth curled into a smile. "As a matter of fact, I do have one more. You sure your wounded body can handle it?"
Link immediately gripped the Master Sword's Handle, a matching grin on his face, eyes wild with excitement.
"Yes."
"Then come at me, Wild."
To Link's surprise, a few hours had passed and Noon was long past. People wearing masks and party-wear began to fill the streets, the square especially.
They laughed and danced to the tunes of a band consisting of a Man playing a lute with a young boy playing a flute. More musicians joined them, forming an entire orchestra to play folk songs.
With a few buffs and scratches on his Tunic and a delightful soreness in his body and ribs especially, he shuffled through crowds in an attempt to reach the Castle, or at least find Zelda.
He caught a glimpse of her talking to the makeshift band, but just as he was about to call out to her, he was pat roughly on the back. He whipped around in surprise, only to see Sidon there.
"Hello, my Friend! This festival is already quite lively, it's barely even started!" He smirked. "Are you going to join the dancers? Haha!"
Link blushed. "No, I'm not that good a dancer. Not in the slightest."
"Oh, that's a shame. Well, you can always join us." He motioned behind him, to a large Cafe in the square. Yunobo and Teba sat there at one of the tables, watching the festivities.
"Where's Riju?" Link asked.
Sidon shrugged. "She said she had something to do first on Vah Nabooris, but I wouldn't worry about that."
Deciding to give the Princess some space, he obliged and joined them. Sitting with his mask under his arms, observing all the masks and costumes people wore.
Unfortunately for him, Zelda walked over and stood infront of them. Her mouth, the only thing her mask didn't cover, was split into a smile.
She was looking right at him.
"Oh no." He caught on. "No no no. I can't dance, Princess-"
"Surely, you don't expect me to dance alone?" She put her hands on her hips. "That seems quite improper of a gentleman."
"I...Fine." He conceded, putting on his mask. "Perhaps this mask will save my reputation."
"Put on your cap as well, it'll flow with the dance." She remarked.
He did so, already regretting his decision. She took his hand and led him into the crowd, stopping and taking his other hand while facing him.
The music played softly, with an upbeat tune. A soft violin and guitar duet created the perfect atmosphere.
Yet, Zelda couldn't help but pity her Knight's nervousness. Sweat collected under his collar and a light blush tinted his cheeks.
"Tell you what, how about you do whatever you're comfortable with." She said. "To make this easier."
"Oh?" His eyes narrowed in interest. "Okay then."
The tune rose, and the dance began. To her surprise, he began to lead her, in the correct way no less.
And to her even greater surprise, he began to sing...
"Lost, but...
Marching on...
Like we've always known the trail...
Searching, for our...
Ending to the fairy-tale...
Sometimes even shooting stars, find wishes that miss their marks...
But when the night gets too dark...
And the road home seems too far...
We'll see the sun come up again
We will climb higher than we've been
We got a fire that burns within
We are the dragon-hearted
We are the dragon-hearted
Courage to stop a cannonball
Together we stand 30 feet tall
We got a fire that burns within
We are the dragon-hearted
We are the dragon-hearted
We are the dragon-hearted!"
He spun her around as their feet danced across the stone, moving in sync with the various other couples. Some even graced them with looks of awe as the Wolf and Cat danced with one another, with the former singing along.
"Fearless, we soar, speeding arrows ricochet
Break free, our hearts burn brighter than yesterday
And through the battles we wage
When our shields fall away
The armor cracks and breaks
If ever our torches fade
We'll see the sun come up again
We will climb higher than we've been
We got a fire that burns within
We are the dragon-hearted
We are the dragon-hearted
Courage to stop a cannonball
Together we stand 30 feet tall
We got a fire that burns within
We are the dragon-hearted
We are the dragon-hearted!"
His eyes remained fixed to hers as they continued along, the tune began to decrease and became softer. His piercing sapphires gazing at her through his mask like lights in the darkness.
"Standing tall, forever united
We are the dragon-hearted..."
She hadn't realized the song had ended until his hands released her's. It felt like they had been dancing for hours, which could've been true with the sun starting to dip into the horizon.
He was staring at her. She stared back.
He sounded so...confident. It amazed her that he still had secrets to hide from her, especially after all they'd been through together.
Link's eyes flashed with surprise as he looked around, the crowds and couples around them staring in surprise. Zelda noticed him flex his hands nervously. She quickly took his hand and guided him away from the scene.
Nobody noticed it was the Princess or her Royal Knight who had danced among them.
"Link! That was amazing!" Zelda squeaked once they were out of earshot. "I knew you could sing, but that was amazing!"
"Y-you knew?" He seemed flustered.
"Twilight told me, but honestly, that was beautiful! I never knew you had such a lovely singing voice."
"Heh...You flatter me, Princess." He scratched at his hand. "But...you'd probably be better than me."
"Oh please, Link. I've never sang in my life."
He smiled. "You should start."
The rest of the Festival turned out grand. At Five o' clock, Zelda announced the Ball that would commence in three hours. It would be public, with a mix of nobles and townspeople.
Those three hours passed easily, with fireworks and sweets letting both Princess and Hero unwind after their dance. The Champions joined them, with no less praise for Link's skills.
The Hero seemed to lighten up in the following hours, genuinely enjoying himself as day turned to night.
"Come on, Link. We must return to the Castle." Zelda said, exasperated.
"Alright...Fine." Link yawned, sitting up from his chair. "You guys coming along with us?"
Teba nodded. "We'll meet you there."
They nodded too, turning and walking through the crowds and festivities to the Castle. With an itch on the back of their hands.
The Turrets and Skydrones cast a smooth blue light over the areas they patrolled, giving the tall structure a emboding feel to the guests.
"About time!" Twilight exclaimed, already fully armored. "I don't think we could've held them off any longer."
Zelda pulled off her mask, hanging it on her belt. "Well, it's time to let them in."
Twilight nodded, signalling the guards to open the Foyer doors into the Ballroom. Soon, a steady stream of people flooded in. Taking seats at fancy tables or joining one another on the dance floor as the hired orchestra played a classical, if deep theme.
The Ball had begun.
Zelda sighed happily, nothing seemed to have gone wrong so far.
"Link, would you mind accompanying me?" She asked the idle Knight. "I'd like to meet with the foreign Dignitaries and Diplomats."
"It'd be my pleasure." He smiled, looping his arm through her's.
"Try not to freak out though, most are probably hazy from that vintage milk." She warned as they descended to the ground floor.
"No problem." He rolled his shoulders. "I just don't like crowds, makes me feel exposed."
"You and me both." Zelda said, waving to the dancers.
Overall, the Nobles that had attended were quite impressed with the Kingdom built. Even the infamous, snobby Dukes greeted the couple with mirth and hoped they'd take to the dance floor.
Link assured them that wasn't going to happen again.
"Such a lovely tune." An old countess mused, waving her hand along. "Who is that pianist?"
"The best one in Hyrule, we were assured of it." Zelda smiled.
"Give him a bonus, I say!" She hooted.
Link broke off for a moment to speak with a Military Governor from a nearby border kingdom. He was interested in foreign sword techniques and asked him for tips on the topic. They got along well.
And all this time, both Zelda and Link scratched the back of their hand, an itch increasing in intensity as the Ball progressed.
As they went back up the stairs, they found the Champions waiting for them. Riju included, with a mysterious stranger standing next to her. His features concealed by a tan hylian hood and a mask resembling a pig. He was slightly taller than her and wore a type of light black steel armor.
Twilight also seemed uneasy around him...
"Quite the event." Riju remarked. "Gerudo Balls are nowhere near this fancy."
"Both would pale in comparison to a Zora Ball."
"Gorons/Rito have better music." Yunobo and Teba said simultaneously.
Zelda shrugged slightly. "We just wanted to celebrate a long overdue holiday, not one-up anyone."
"I can respect that, Princess." Sidon said with a bow.
Zelda and Link turned to the stranger, heads cocked to the side at his strange apparel.
"Is that a Pig mask?" Zelda inquired. "Forgive me for being rude, but it seems like an odd choice...Um, forgive me, but what is your name?"
"...Agahnim." His voice was lighter than expected, a slightly higher octave than Twilight's. "And it's a boar, not a pig."
Twilight twitched, glaring at Agahnim with hard gaze.
"So, are you...Riju's companion?" Zelda smirked slightly.
"I'm afraid not." He shook his head furiously. "I only met her recently, and that was because I wanted to meet with you, Princess."
"Really? I'm afraid I'm spoken for." She replied.
"No, not like that." He pressed. "I needed to inform you of something, but I never thought I'd be able to get into the Castle."
"Why? Surely, I would've heard you out." Zelda frowned.
"It...I..." His voice fell quiet, his hands frozen in midair as a sting of a piano coursed through the room.
Him, Twilight, and Link froze solid and broke into a cold sweat as more notes joined in. Everyone else looked at the pianist with curiosity, confused as to why the band wasn't playing anymore.
He was shrouded in a black hooded cloak and he played a menacing theme that increased in notes and intensity to which only Twilight and Agahnim had heard before.
The Pianist stood up, but the instrument kept playing the theme, even as he turned around and pulled off his cloak.
Revealing the face of the King of Evil, Ganondorf Dragmire. His right eye glowing a deep amber, with the other seemed blotted out...covered in Malice.
Even those in the crowd, who had never heard of his name, backed up in fear as he stepped forward. A dark red energy crackling with every footstep, cracking the marble floor, two items jangling on his belt that Twilight recognized as two fused shadows.
Slowly, with the tune still playing, he walked to the center of the room.
And so did a lot of people, smoke engulfing their forms to reveal themselves as Yiga assassins and blademasters. A particularly unique one standing beside the revived demon king. Strum, the new chief.
"You." Ganondorf cackled, pointing at Twilight. "You have something of mine."
Before a word could be uttered, Twilight lurched forward and against the railing, Twilight particles seeping off his body and taking the shape of a sword.
The Sage Sword that he had kept.
Try as he might, he couldn't stop the blade from crossing the room and into Ganondorf's hand. He himself was flung over the rail and crashed against the floor. Ganondorf cackled as he unsheathed the blade and swung it to the side.
"I told you once, that I'd use this blade to blot out the light." He grinned. "And I plan on keeping that promise to you."
Link, finally snapping out of his trance, drew the Master Sword, ready to battle.
Ganondorf's eyes flung up to them. "No you don't."
A blast of dark energy was shot at him, giving him little to no time to react.
But to his surprise, Zelda appeared in front of him, hand held out with her Triforce mark glowing as the blast shattered against a shield of light.
But the main difference was her attire, it was the Sheikah garb he'd worn in the past, down to face mask covering her lower face.
How she'd changed so fast was beyond him...
"Oh?" Ganondorf raised an eyebrow in interest. "It seems our Princess has her powers back."
Two Yiga appeared on both sides of them, bows nocked and ready to fire. Small needles suddenly slid out from Zelda's sleeves and into her hands, and with a fancy spin, she flung them to both sides, striking both Assassin's and taking them out.
"And some new tricks." Ganondorf rolled his eyes.
More joined the fight, and after overcoming the new shock, Link readied his shield and went back to back with the Princess, leaping into battle.
Meanwhile, Ganondorf turned his sights on the dazed Twilight, twirling his glowing sword in hand. "You humiliated me, killed me. And Now I repay that debt."
He cackled again, raising the Sword for a killing blow.
"Shade...I need help!" He yelled, surprising the Gerudo King.
"Who-" Was all he managed before a shield slammed into his face. He swung his sword haphazardly, colliding with something before being swatted across the room.
"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage." A ghostly voice echoed.
When he regained his sight, he was looking up at a Skeletal Warrior, green leaves and ivy covering his ancient armor and shield. His body transparent and rotten.
"What...are you!?" He growled, forcing himself up.
"You don't remember...Pitiful." His head creaked to the side. "Twilight, the Mask."
The downed Twilight nodded, forcing his hand out as the Wolf Mask on Link's waist reappeared in his hand. He tossed it to the Spectral Warrior, who caught it with one hand and held it away from his face. The Wolf mask slowly contorting into that of a Hylian's face, but with the same markings.
"Let's see if this jogs your memory, fool." He placed it onto his face, his body beginning to deform and be consumed by light.
Strum, the ever faithful Blademaster, attempted to attack him mid-transformation. What he didn't expect was his Sword to Shatter on contact and a gloved hand to lift him by the neck.
When the light faded, in the warrior's place stood a tall warrior with red facial markings, white hair, and gray armor and a cap. His massive Double Helix Sword held casually in one hand.
He tossed Strum away like a piece of trash, turning his sights on Ganondorf, who began to cower as he recognized his attacker.
"Fight me." The Fierce Deity boomed. "If you're ready to die."
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?
I love how it went from a normal day, to a little bit different, then from 0 to 100 real quick.
That...was so worth the hours upon hours of writing and rewriting. Imagine if I had included this in the previous chapter, it'd be so long. XD
Link singing was a nice last minute addition, since I'm horrible at dance scenes. I like "Dragonhearted", it's a great song.
I bet he's thinking "I was Wearing that mask this entire time!?"
I've been wanting Sheikah Zelda for so damn long, but I couldn't find a good moment to put it in perfectly. I did hint at it a bit. Then there's shade going fierce deity on Ganon's ass. Poetry!
Ganondorf was playing the Twilight Princess version of the Hyrule Castle theme, it's very sinister and fitting for this.
Ask me any questions while you digest all that's happened. It's a length chapter (Nearly 7,000 words)
To keep the suspense up...The next chapter will be out next Monday. Have a fun week! :D