She turned towards the cell, which flew open at her command and walked inside. As she approached, Rin started to his feet, possibly out of respect. Zelda didn't care. She lifted him off of his feet with her Wisdom and slammed him hard into a nearby wall.
"P…Princess…" he groaned.
"You're going to tell me…everything about you… and then you're going to be executed. Did you know that?"
Rin nodded. "Princess…nobody else cares about what I have to say."
Zelda shook her head slowly. "I do. I have to know why he had to die…because…because there has to be a reason for all of this." Again, she glanced towards the Triforce on her hand. "There has to be a reason," she whispered.
"Princess…" Rin bobbed his head. "Okay then. I'll tell you everything."
************
The Legend of Zelda: Her Story
Chapter 11: Rin's Story // Zelda's Action
By: The Kirby Kid
Disclaimer:
The Legend of Zelda™ is property and copyright of Nintendo. What were you expecting, maybe the Adams Family (Ninja Turtle joke)
Authors Notes:
First of all, thanks for everyone who reviewed. Snowsilver your comments were hugely appreciated :). Dark Dragon, I'll try to answer your questions the best way I can…through story! :). Idiotbx3, thanks for your review. Will Link Harkain come back? Hmm….
Okay…and one more note. I've made a crappy little website where I'll upload some pictures from my stories. Hopefully I'll finish some scenes from my stories I've been working on. It's at . For some reason, Fanfiction.Net won't let me post links in my story. So the best way to find it is by checking out my authors profile if it doesn't show up here.
Well thanks for your support. Oh, and this is yet another lengthy chapter. :p
Enjoy the story, and please review!
************
My mother's name is Jezarin. She lived in a small woodland community in the Kingdom of Calatia. She believed she was a wandering prophet. She always had these dreams and premonitions, and it bid her to become a nomad. She couldn't really stay in one place for a long time.
Prophets weren't treated either seriously or very well in Calatia…they don't really have a feel for magic like Hyrule does. So, for a while Jezarin got through life by…well…basically whoring herself off for money and favours I don't know what to say about that.
I guess if you're young and you've got no home or no drive to settle down…that'll happen.
Anyway…this little bit happened to be one of her favourite stories. One day she found herself pregnant, which for her was something she was accustomed to. The problem was, this pregnancy came to term. You see, everything Jezarin tried to abort me, failed. She used every herb combination in the Guidebook, and she even went to surgeons …but nothing work. I was born, and she named me Fala. It means…"The will of the Gods."
Anyway, Jezarin obviously saw my birth as a sign, so she kept me around. I guess as far as mother's go…she wasn't too bad. She kept me fed and clothed. That's about all she did, really. She was getting really heavy into her visions now. She started getting premonitions about the 'Day of Evil'. All I knew about it at the time was it had something to do with Ganon. Whenever she got a crowd going with her stories, she was constantly in danger of getting lynched. Even Calatia knew enough not to joke where Ganon was involved.
So we'd leave and travel from village to village…and that's how it went until I was five. It seems like a very long time, but it went rather quickly. I was really just living in a haze…from moment to moment. Then when around the time I turned five, Jezarin found an audience that didn't condemn her. They called themselves Ghanims.
She used her charisma and visions to gain new members, and together they travelled throughout Calatia. Some of the men tried to teach me a bit about fighting, to get me into the whole Ghanim Philosophy. They told me I was a natural, but I was to young to understand…or to care.
Jezarin then had another vision. It was of 'the great Ghanim' Knata's near total destruction of Hyrule and its hero: Link. She knew it was doomed to failure, but still they decided to travel across the sea to Hyrule. There they tried to gain new members…
…And they assassinated your Prince.
***
Zelda blinked absently, and then felt another wave of fury ripple through her waiflike body. "Your mother's group killed…killed my father?"
After taking another sip from a bowl of tomato soup, he nodded gravely. "I was…around twelve at the time. I didn't really care about what was going on, so I didn't know what as going down. Maybe I should have paid more attention…"
"But…but he was from Calatia. Why would they want to…I mean…didn't they hate Hyrule?"
Rin took another sip, and sighed heavily. "But they did hurt Hyrule…didn't the?"
Realizing this was true, Zelda bit her lip and fell silent.
"Hyrule's response should have been proof enough. Your Knights nearly obliterated us."
The princess leaned forward on the small cell's cot, and she eyed Rin keenly. "Continue…"
***
Like I said, you're Knights nearly obliterated us. They didn't get all of us though. I escaped, as did Jezarin and a few others. We made our way back to Calatia, and they began to rebuild their numbers. You couldn't imagine the amount of people who were unhappy with their life…with the Kingdom of Hyrule…with the goddesses. You couldn't fathom the number of idiots who believe that Ganon had it right the entire time. It didn't take long for our group to regain our presence…even after the massacre in Hyrule.
During that time something happened…and it completely changed my life. Jezarin got pregnant again. This time she didn't try to abort it. She thought it'd be some kind of 'special' child…that was what her premonitions were telling her. My sister, Nubarin was born…and I found a purpose in my life.
My sister and I…despite being surrounded by all these people…we were alone. We only had each other. I…um….
I really cared about something…it was the first time in my life I felt that way. Heh…her first word was 'Fala'. She heard Jezarin screaming it several times whenever I did something stupid.
With Nubarin around…the haze of life…it really began to lift, you know?
Anyway…I…let me say this. There was this time when Nubarin was about to be attacked. You see there were a lot of people where we lived, and some of them were sick…sick people. This one person…this big…old man…he wanted Nubarin. He was going to hurt her, so I stepped in. I didn't have a sword on me…and he was much bigger than I was. He swatted me away like I was a fly.
Then…my hand got really hot, and this flame started to shoot out. It was really hot but it didn't burn, and it shaped itself like a long Gerudo blade. When it happened, this name popped into my head. I knew it was called 'Halef'. I didn't know what it meant…and I still don't know…but with Halef I was able to save my sister.
***
"Halef…" Zelda thought uneasily. "Is it…the same as Gram? It's just too similar." She stared hard into Rin's face as he continued to gulp down his soup, and her feelings became conflicted. Rin had told her that he only wanted her to listen…that he didn't want her pity or sympathy…and Zelda didn't want to give either to him.
But looking at this person.... this seemingly gentle person, she couldn't see the man who had killed her father before her eyes. It seemed surreal, to even be in the same room. She wanted to leave Rin to his thoughts and to his fate, a fate he probably deserved…alone.
"I just want to know why," she told herself forcefully, and she continued to listen to his story.
***
Well…when Halef appeared Jezarin took it as a sign. She started having more visions about the future…and she had me especially trained in sword arts and in magic too. I could never see the threads of magic…not like Jezarin or even my sister could…but I could sense it a little bit.
Anyway, I soon realized why I was being trained so hard. She wanted me to go to Hyrule by myself and kill the Invincible Sir Link.
I…I didn't even know who he was. So far I had done nothing for the Ghanim cause…the only thing I did was wear their clothes and eat their food. To be asked to do such a huge thing. I was scared, and I was angry. I didn't want to do it.
That's when Jezarin…she…. she started to hurt my sister. She knew it was the only thing I really cared about…that if she tortured me she wouldn't get what she wanted. But if she did it to Nubarin…
I couldn't believe it. She was her own daughter…she was just a child. She had no idea why her mother ignored her like she did…and why she was hurting her now. Her screams…they …something inside of me snapped. I agreed to do what they asked.
Jezarin was able to keep tabs of my movements through her water-style magic. She communicated with me wherever there was a pool of water. When I finally reached Hyrule…I stayed in Castle Town during the day and I floated around the Castle during the night. I had to keep tabs on the movements of the Knights. Heh…you couldn't imagine how surprised I was each night I wasn't caught.
I faked that attack on you to confuse your Knights and to get caught. By that time Jezarin had cast a Confidence Spell on me…it made everyone trust my words and actions implicitly. Then I lured you with fake reports on Ghanim activities, while Jezarin fooled your eyes with shadow clones. They attacked but would usually disappear after taking a hit. It was all to draw Invincible into the trap at No Man's Land.
Jezarin had the shadow clones ready there…and she also created an anti-Wisdom rain to fall. It would only last five-ten minutes…and that's all the time I had. I had to act, or Nubarin would die…and I'm sorry. That's all I cared about.
When I faced off against Invincible…I was never so scared in my life.
***
"That's it," Rin whispered. "After that I wasn't contacted by Jezarin anymore. I suppose as far as she's concerned…my role in life is done. The reason I was born despite all attempts to the contrary…the reason Halef came to me…the reason my sister was born…it was all so that I'd kill Invincible. At least, that's what I believe…"
He glanced up to the princess, who quickly turned away. The look on her face was indiscernible. "Do you…know… when I'll be executed, Princess?"
Rising up from the cot, she shook her head and turned towards the cell door. "I'll make sure you're made a little more comfortable until then," she whispered. "I didn't know they weren't feeding you. I…I don't agree with what they're going to do to you, Rin…but I can't do anything about it. I can tell you it'll be quick and painless."
Rin shrugged his shoulders as the princess left the cell. She locked the door behind her with her Wisdom, and before she completely left the dungeons, she turned to the young man one more time. "Rin…"
His head rose and his eyes met hers.
"You may believe…that you've sacrificed your own life for the life of your sister's…. that you're some kind of conflicted hero who just made a choice. But you know what you are? You're selfish."
Rin took in a sharp breath at the comment and leaned forward. "Princess…"
"You're a selfish man, who took the life of another to save a life you knew…you cared about!" Zelda brushed tears from her eyes angrily and quickly continued. "Did you care about the people Link cared about? Did you think about Malon or Talon or Romani? Did you even think about my mother, or me? No! You only cared about your sister…and that was just so selfish…"
"If it were your brother, against someone who was basically a stranger, what would you have done?"
Zelda didn't answer that. She turned and headed up the stairs; sorry she had come down into this dungeon in the first place.
************
The word came down into the dungeon the next day. Rin would be executed at noon tomorrow.
Rin didn't care. He was completely at peace with his fate. Sure, he'd be gone…and Nubarin would be alone with those awful people, but at least she would be alive. She'd grow, as he did, and she'd survive. She'd get away from those people and make a life for herself.
Rin closed his eyes and slumped in head against the wall. Yes…two lives were worth hers. Zelda was right…it was selfish…but it was what people were, and he was at peace with it.
That all changed in the afternoon.
The guard opened the cell to bring Rin his lunch, some soup, a bowl of water and some bread and cheese. Rin accepted the food graciously while the guard offered it grudgingly. He took the tray and sat in a corner of the cell.
When he went to take a sip of water from the bowl, her image appeared in its stirring waters.
"Jezarin," he hissed.
The face smiled. "You've done well boy. It took me a while to confirm your success…but I finally got word. Well done."
Rin stared back and said nothing.
"Hmm," the face hummed. "I've also heard that they're going to kill you tomorrow. That's unfortunate."
"Don't pretend to care," Rin sighed. "In any case…I don't. As long as you keep your end of the bargain. Take Nubarin away from there…drop her off at a convent or a hospital. I'll die happy with that."
The face smiled. "I don't think she'd be happy with that," she sniggered.
"I don't care. She'll live…that's all that matters."
"Hmm…."
Rin suddenly froze, and his eyes grew wide. Clutching the trembling bowl in his shaking hands, he leaned into its waters and whispered, "What is it?"
"I'm sorry, boy. I can't let her live."
The air stopped cold in Rin's lungs.
"I've had another vision, you see. I see the girl becoming too strong for me to handle. I see her usurping me, taking my Ghanims from me. I can't let that happen. So I'm going to stop her before that can happen."
"No…" Rin held softly.
"I might as well tell you what I plan to do, seeing as to how you'll be dead and all that," she said with a derisive laugh. "I'm building a device…a special room…and I'll use it to extract all of her magical energy. It'll take a while to finish…weeks…maybe even a month. Who knows? What I do know is that once she's been drained…I wont have any more need for her."
"YOU WITCH!" Rin blasted as he rose to his feet furiously. The guard glanced at him curiously and he frantically turned and whispered, "You…You can't do this. Please…I'm begging you…"
"Goodbye, Fala. Thank you for accomplishing my will…" With those last words, the face vanished from the bowl of water.
Rin stood there for a moment, clutching the bowl with ever-bloodless fingers, before he wailed and slammed it into the floor. It shattered and sprayed water throughout the room.
"Settle down in there!" the guard fumed. Rin jetted over to the bars and gripped them violently.
"Let me talk to the Princess!" he screamed. The guard rapped his knuckles with the hilt of his weapon, but Rin simply moved over to another set of bars and screamed again. "I have to talk to her! Send her down here please!"
"I said settle down!" the guard hollered, and he jabbed Rin through the bars with the end of his weapon.
Rin hit the ground clutching his side, but he wouldn't let up. He rammed the bars again and continued to scream and yell. His voice carried throughout the dungeons. He wouldn't stop until he was finally heard.
***
When Zelda reached the dungeons, she saw a dishevelled and disturbed looking Rin hanging on to the bars of his cell. The guard greeted her warily, still recalling how she had manhandled him the day before.
"Please leave us," Zelda politely asked. The guard nodded stiffly and made his way out of the dungeons. Zelda walked towards the bars and looked down at Rin with a look that bordered on contempt.
"You wanted to talk to me?"
Gripping the bars with desperation, Rin rose and faced the princess with his head down. "You're not going to like what I have to say," he said softly…unevenly. He gulped and rose to meet her eyes. "They…they're going to kill her."
Zelda knew exactly what he was talking about. There was a moment of silence, and then her eyes narrowed angrily. "What did you think was going to happen?"
Rin was taken aback. "W…what?"
"Did you think that you could just kill Link and everything would be fine for her? Do you think a person capable of torturing her own daughter would keep any sort of promise?" She turned away from him in disdain. "You're an idiot. You killed him for nothing."
"I couldn't let them…!"
Zelda shrugged. "Why did you call me here? You want me to let you go, is that it?"
Rin shook his head adamantly and gripped the bars even harder. "I just want to ask…no…beg of you to help her. Please, even if you can go, maybe with some Knights…"
"You really think they'd bother with something like-"
"SHE'S INNOCENT!" Rin blasted. Zelda took a step back, and Rin gulped and lowered his head against the bars. "I can't help her anymore…" he cried.
Zelda stared at him for a moment longer, before she closed her eyes and turned away. Rin repeatedly called after her, but Zelda didn't hear him any more. Without another word, she exited the dungeons.
************
That night, Zelda lay silently on her bed and watched the moon drape a shallow light across the room. Moto lay next to her head, also wide awake, and sniffing into the princess's pillow.
Zelda couldn't sleep because she was busy thinking about the total unfairness of everything that was happening. She'd lost her father…her real father, as did her best friend and her family. Hyrule had lost their hero, and even the Triforce had lost a champion.
And for what?
The 'Confidence Spell' had dissipated, and she could sense Rin completely now. She saw the true Rin…a person living with much guilt and anguish. He was a person who seemed very unhappy…yet at the same time completely willing to die. But now…what he just told her…Zelda knew it was true.
It just wasn't fair.
She'd gone down there to hear Rin's story, to find a reason why all of this had happened. For a moment, she thought she had it. Now everything has changed.
What should she do?
What would Link do? Either of them…
Zelda raised her right hand, and Gram coalesced in a shard of blue crystalline light. She held the blade and stared into it, losing herself in it's perfect form… in it's brightness and colour, and she sighed.
Gram…Halef…
The blade flashed with an angry light and short shorted itself out of existence. Zelda drew her hand away and shot up into a sitting position, rubbing her hand gingerly. When she did, she glanced at the Triforce of Wisdom on the back of her hand. She eyed the thin crack that ran along all three of the symbols.
As she gazed into the symbol, the sound of running water rushed between her ears. It was there for a second, and then it was gone.
Zelda sighed loudly and fell on her back. She den lay on her side, facing Moto, who licked her nose playfully. Zelda smiled.
The princess wished she had never gone down to hear Rin's story.
************
Finally, the day came. Rin sat quietly in his cell as guards and clerics shifted in and out of the dungeons. He was desperately thinking of a way to escape…a way to get to his sister. The Hylians offered him a Last Meal; a great breakfast that was fit even for a king…but Rin didn't eat anything. He simply couldn't stomach any food. As the minutes passed, the scones and pancakes, sausages and bacon grew cold and stale.
He flexed his right hand and cursed his fate. If he had only known Jezarin would go back on her oath. He wouldn't have allowed the Queen and her matron to cast the Binding spell in him. It took a long time to cast and a lot of concentration, but it was able to seal away his ability to call Halef. Now he couldn't use it to escape.
"She's right," he lamented. "I am an idiot." He squeezed his eyes shut and clasped his hands together. "Damn it…"
It would only be a few minutes to noon. There wasn't much time left.
"Hey, who are you?"
Rin raised his head and looked outside the bars. There he saw his guard arguing with another guard that had just entered the dungeon.
"Who do hell do you think I am?" the guard shouted back as he brandished his name-crest at the other soldier. "Don't you know what time it is?"
Rin's guard shifted uncomfortably. "I thought I was going to bring him up?"
"This guys extremely dangerous…and word is he might think of escaping. Come on, open it up."
The guard grunted and opened the cell, and the new one entered and roughly pulled Rin to his feet by his arm. Rin felt a slight tinge of pain run up and down his arm, but it faded quickly.
Tossed to the other guard like a sack of wheat, Rin was led up the stairs and out of the dungeons. Several Knights and some clerics eventually flanked him, and he was led outside the Castle and into the Courtyard. Rin saw that in the Courtyard they had the device for his death assembled and ready.
It was a simple gurney surrounded by shadowy clerics and other Knights. Rin could see many of what the Hylians called First Rank watching him intently as he was led to the gurney. As he was strapped down, he looked to the outer walls of the Courtyard, and he saw several bystanders on the ramparts, along with archers and the like. Further down the courtyard he saw what seemed to be all of Castle Town standing and watching, separated from the scene by several yards and a line of guards.
"Public execution eh?" Rin thought to himself sardonically. "I suppose they really really hate me." Then he noticed one person in particular amongst the townspeople. Princess Zelda stood at the front of the crowd, her arms crossed and her gaze disapproving.
"Well…she did say that she didn't agree with this," Rin surmised. "She must be the only one." Rin turned his head and saw the Queen, the prince, her matron and Link's family sitting up on a balcony overlooking the Courtyard.
Rin tested his binds gingerly. He was clasped down to the gurney with iron shackles on his wrists and across his chest and legs. He wasn't going anywhere.
A cleric of the Temple of Time stepped forward and started to speak. "Your highness, beloved family of the Hero, people of Hyrule…" he began with a booming voice. "Today we are here in witness to the death of this man, as it is still mandated by the Law of the Land. We do not take joy in taking the life of another, nor shall we rejoice or celebrate. However, we must understand and respect our Laws, and we must understand…"
Rin drowned the voice out of his head and stared up into the skies. It was actually a good day today. He had expected executions and deaths to be dark and gloomy. In fact, now that he thought about it…if it wasn't for Jezarin's rain, Invincible's death would have happened on a nice day too.
In any case, he didn't want that vile woman to be the last thing in his mind. He couldn't think about his sister either…about how he had disappointed her so gravely. Instead he turned his head and looked into the crowd again. Zelda was looking right back at him.
"I said, 'do you have any last words?'"
Rin snapped back into focus and glanced over at the cleric standing to his left. He shook his head in answer to the question, and waited for his fate. The cleric looked up into the balcony, and the Queen gave him just the slightest of nods.
"Quick and painless eh?"
A dark robed cleric with a shawl covering her entire face walked up to Rin with medical tube with a pointed delivery tip. It was filled with a strange glowing liquid.
Rin's heart began to rattle between his ribcage.
*THUMP THUMP* *THUMP THUMP*
The executioner jabbed the tip into Rin's neck, and the liquid was flushed into his body.
*THUMP THUMP* *THUMP THUMP*
Rin's hands clenched into fists, and they tightened until they shook.
*THUMP THUMP* *THUMP*
His breath quickened, and his eyes darted all over. He felt strangely numb…
*THUMP…THUMP…*
"I…was an idiot…"
*THUMP…. *
"Yes…you were…"
*THUMP…*
*…*
*…*
Rin exhaled, and he lay perfectly still. The executioner checked his pulse, and then nodded to the priest.
The cleric turned to the royalty and into the crowd and started with a Hylian prayer for the souls of Rin and his victims. The others closed their eyes, bowed their heads and followed in the prayer solemnly. The Princess stood at the front of the crowd and stared into Rin's thin form, before she too bowed her head.
When they finished, the cleric raised his hands to speak to the people again. "What we have just been witness to is a testament to our Kingdom…of our humaneness and of our strength. We must look back at this day and take heart in the knowledge that no enemy of our Kingdom will strike at us and not be brought to justice…"
*THUMP*
"However, we cannot forget that this man was a Elvin-being, like the rest of us, and we must not take any joy or pleasure in what has happened…"
*THUMP THUMP*
"So then, let us pray one more time that the blessed Goddesses bless him, bless his victims, and bless our Kingdom…"
*THUMP THUMP* *THUMP THUMP*
The First Rank of Knights knew what was happening even as the loudmouthed cleric continued to blather on, even before Rin's eyes flew open.
The irons that were holding him down suddenly broke open, and Rin didn't ask any questions, nor did he hesitate. He sprung up from the gurney and took the attack from the first guard to reach him head on. He sidestepped a vertical swing of the sword, grabbed the guard's hand and wrenched his arm behind his back. The guard dropped the sword in pain. Rin finished by kicking the guard in the back and picking up his sword as the guard stumbled to the ground.
The First Rank were racing towards him, but for some reason they kept stumbling as well. They seemed to be tripping over their own feet. Rin looked up to the balcony as the Queen and her matron rose to her feet, but from the shocked look in their faces, he knew they couldn't use their magics on him.
Rin didn't think about it. He rushed towards the crowd at full speed, even as arrows from the archers zinged by his ears and sliced at his hair. He only had one target.
The crowd backed off instinctively as Rin ploughed through the thin line of guards, and towards the shocked Princess, who stood as still as a statue. With one swift movement, he took the princess's arm, swung behind her and placed the sword at her neck.
"HOLD KNIGHTS!!!" The Queen screeched at the top of her lungs. The First Rank stopped and stood completely still, as did the guards and the archers throughout the Courtyard.
Rin pulled the sword closer towards Zelda's neck. "Don't come any closer…not anyone of you…." He glanced at the princess. "No tricks. Remember I can sense magic. I swear…"
"You're not going to hurt me, Rin," Zelda said softly.
The boy grimaced and gripped the sword tighter. "Take us out of here. Use your magic and take us as far away as possible."
"Rin!" The Queen screamed. "Don't do this! I'll commute your sentence, if that's what you want! I'll help you, but don't make anything worse!"
"Take us out of here," Rin hissed. "Now!"
The Queen was bearing down on him with her violently angry blue eyes, and she gripped the balcony railing with white knuckles. "You will not get away…" she grated between her teeth.
Zelda raised her hand slightly and gave her mother a little wave and smiled. Then, with a rush of winds and leaves, she and her captor were gone.
************
They reappeared in a large green field. There was a small port town in the horizon, and the sea was plainly visible in the distance. Seagulls flew around lazily near the town and over the field.
Rin recognize this place. It was near the port town of Termia. It was the first town he'd encountered when he set foot on Hyrule. Across that sea was the Kingdom of Calatia.
Taken in by the memories of his travel, it took a second for Rin to realize that he couldn't move a muscle.
The princess stepped out of his frozen grasp and faced him evenly. Rin looked at her and strained against his invisible restraints.
"So much for being able to sense magic, huh Rin?"
Rin gulped. "What's…. going on…."
Zelda stepped away from him and looked to the east…in the direction of Hyrule. "I…did this."
"What!?"
"I freed you, Rin." Zelda turned to him with a lonely expression. "The guard that visited you before you were led out…"
The guard grunted and opened the cell, and the new one entered and roughly pulled Rin to his feet by his arm. Rin felt a slight tinge of pain run up and down his arm, but it faded quickly
"…That was me," she finished.
Rin blinked and strained against his restraints again, to no avail. "You…did something to me?"
Zelda nodded. "I researched the poison they were going to use the night before, and I looked up a spell to counter it. It's a forbidden spell…understand? It had the ability to save you from death just once. Apparently I can only use it once every year. It took me all night to get it ready."
Rin suddenly understood. "You…broke my restraints. You held up the Knights…you stopped the Queen and Impa from casting magic?"
Zelda nodded sadly, and Rin was aghast. This girl…she was incredibly powerful. Did she even realize how much skill she must have had to do all of that?
"Why?"
The princess turned towards Hyrule again and then up into the clear sky. "When you told me your story…about why you did what you did…I had a reason at last. At least…that's what I thought." She turned to him and faced him evenly. "Then you told me that they were going to kill your sister."
Rin gulped again, and he glanced away from her.
"Whether you'd like to admit it or not, you've put a price on Link's life. His life was worth Nubarin's. It's the reason he died. If…if she's killed…then I would have lost him for nothing." Tears began to well up in her eyes, and she shut them angrily. "He was my father, my real father…"
"P-princess…"
"I want you to realize what I've done, Rin. I've abandoned my friends and family…I've betrayed them, but I did it because I had to find a reason for all of this."
She flashed her right hand, and the curved dagger Gram sprung from her palm. "I was thinking last night…and I remembered something he told me one day, soon after I returned from the Dark World. He said that he didn't believe in coincidences." She looked hard into Rin's eyes and brought Gram up in front of her face. "I don't either. There is a reason for all of this…a big reason…and if I have to rescue your sister to find it, I will."
Gram dissipated into blue mist and she held her hand gingerly. "This…is Destiny…"
"Princess."
Zelda jumped back from her thoughts and looked at Rin. For a moment it seemed like she was talking to herself, and she regarded the half-Gerudo seriously again.
"I promise you, after we've rescued Nubarin…I'll submit myself to your Kingdom's punishment."
Zelda blinked curiously. "What?"
Rin smiled and let out a small chuckle. "I'm sure Nubarin will be sad…but she's strong, she'll get past it. As long as she's with people like you, I'm sure she'll survive. That's all I ask. I swear to you, once we're done in Calatia, your Kingdom will have their justice for my crime."
Zelda stared for a moment, and then waved her hand briefly. Rin fell to the ground, released from his magical bind. As he rose back to his feet, he watched as the gown she was wearing dissipated into the air. It revealed that she was wearing a thin dark short-sleeved shirt that fit close to her form, and a simple red vest on top of that. Buckled at her waist was a pair of baggy hiking/riding pants, and brown boots covered her feet.
Looking up at the girl now, with these simple clothes, her short hair, her freckled face and her blue green eyes, Rin understood. This was the real princess Zelda.
The princess walked up to him and pointed to his chest. "You're promise is all well and good…but you should know that it means nothing to me. That's why I created my own insurance."
Rin looked down at his chest, and then back to her. "Insurance? Wait…you mean you just didn't give me a counter-death spell when you came to my cell?"
Zelda shook her head and wore a mean smile. "Nope. I also put a curse on you."
Rin blinked nervously.
"It's a very tricky spell. You see…as soon as I get the feeling…the mere instinct that you're betraying me again, your heart will explode."
Rin gulped noisily.
"I'm not going to be fooled by you again, Rin. If you or anyone, anyone I believe is in on it betrays me, I'll destroy you all." Her face softened, and she sat down on the soft grass and sighed. "Now sit down, I have to undo that bind my mother and Impa put on you. If we're going to do this, you're going to need Halef as much as I'll need Gram."
With a nod, Rin followed Zelda to the ground, and allowed her to weave her Wisdom.
************
The Queen had been sitting alone in the Castle's huge antechamber for nearly an hour when Impa walked in. She saw her sitting alone and went to her with a heavy heart. "Goddess," she prayed silently, "how much can one person take?"
"Zelda…" Impa said as she took a seat next to the Queen. "Please don't worry. I have the best Knights searching for her. It shouldn't take…"
"Don't bother," the Queen whispered.
Impa glowered furiously at the Queen's attitude and pressed on. "Zelda, I'm sure she's okay."
The Queen let out a small laugh. "Of course she is Impa." She turned and faced her evenly. "She was responsible for the whole thing."
"You're saying…Zelda ran away with him?" Impa shook her head in disbelief. "But why?"
The Queen shrugged and twirled a strand of her golden locks absently. "Whatever reason she has…I'm sure she believes it's important." She turned to face her and Impa was surprised by her expression. It was actually one of relief, and hope. "She's a strong girl, Impa. I know she'll be fine. And I know when she's ready to tell us what is happening, she will. She does bear the Triforce of Wisdom, after all."
Impa stared at the Queen, and then closed her eyes and smiled. "Indeed," she said. "I suppose she does at that."
************
It took the entire afternoon to undo the bind, and when Zelda was finished, the sun was beginning to sink back into the ocean. She sat with her back to Rin, staring off into the west, and she sighed.
"Rin, this is as far from Hyrule as I've ever been. Farore's Wind won't be able to take us any further."
Rin nodded. "Then we'll just have to take a boat to Calatia, princess."
"I forgot to bring any rupees."
Rin turned and stared at her, and she gave him a goofy smile. "I had to forget something in all of this planning, didn't I?"
As she said it, Moto peeked out from beneath her dark blouse and skittered up to rest on her head. This was one journey the little creature had no intention of missing.
Rin smiled at her and waved a hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, princess. We'll find a way."
"And I don't think it'll be appropriate for you to be calling me 'princess' for now. I'll have to disguise you somehow… at least until we get until Calatia. Oh, and 'Zelly' or 'Zelda' won't work either."
"I understand. So then, what shall I call you?"
Zelda patted Moto and looked up into the sky, staring at nothing in particular. Her mind was in another place and time, and for a while she sat there with the soft wind blowing through her hair.
Finally she turned to him with a smile and said, "When we're in public, you'll call me…'Itali'."
***
The princess of Zelda is now on the run with the very person who killed her father. What good can come of this? Is this truly Destiny? Why does she call herself 'Itali'? Does she hope to get the attention of a certain somebody…assuming he's even in Calatia?
All these questions and more will be answered…and a lot more questions will be created…
But not in the next chapter.
In the next chapter, the Gerudo take centre stage. Palta and Tella, still shaken by the recent events in Hyrule, must put aside their feelings for their friend Zelly, and try their hardest in a gruelling test to determine who will next wear the mantle of Gerudo Den Mother.
Palta and Tella, twins…identical in every way. Or are they?
Interlude 1:
The Legend of Zelda: Her Story
The Unbreakable Barrier
Enjoy the Desert Sands.
Please review if you read :). –(o'.')o