"Cause my Shackles
You won't be
And my rapture
You won't believe
And deep inside you will bleed for me."
The sages lifted them into the clouds of the Temple. It was a feeling of contentment that reached their hearts. The war was finished and their lives could find a smoother course at last. Hyrule would exist again in harmony. Zelda's eyes were closed as she soaked in the cool air of the sky. Sakina clutched her sword loosely in her hand as she breathed slowly. Link's wounds were healing in the tranquil sky.
"You know what it is time for," Zelda spoke slowly, "we must mend the lands."
"Yes," Sakina agreed. "It's going to take a lot of time."
Zelda looked downwards. "Only we will remember."
"How will anyone forget this?" Sakina asked calmly.
"We must go back." Zelda held her hand out for the ocarina. Link returned it reluctantly to her. It glowed blue in the palm of her hand, singing slightly. Zelda began to raise it to her lips.
"Wait," Sakina put her hand out in protest. "We can't do this. To rob ourselves of seven years is ludicrous."
"But we must return seven years back to the people." Zelda argued.
Sakina pondered these words. "A past makes us all who we are."
Zelda and Link watched Sakina as she stroked her sword, fingering its many scratches and dents, the worn spots and the dirty grip.
"Look at this sword," she spoke casually, "it was once pure, unscathed, unused. It's rather tainted now, wouldn't you say? It's seen its fair-share of blood." She remembered her disappointment at scratching it for the first time, an irreversible move. "It's rather like a lifetime, isn't it? You get older and your innocence fades away, replaced by knowledge and experience. This sword wouldn't be my sword if it were still in perfect condition. I wouldn't be me if my life was erased. Would any of us be this strong if we had to start over? Our mistakes make us. There are a lot of things that I wish never had happened," Sakina touched her brand, smiling mistily, "but had they not happened, what would I gain? I would lose experience, however foul it was. And I have done some things," she looked to Link, "that I would never want to take back. Link may have lost seven years of his life, but wouldn't it be wrong to rob everyone else of their struggles and lessons?"
Zelda looked down at the ocarina, pensive.
"I don't want to start over," Link agreed. "I've fought too long to lose it all."
"You're right," Zelda agreed. "We must rebuild Hyrule properly." She pocketed the ocarina. Tendrils of hair fell into her face. "It will be difficult, but we can do it."
Sakina closed her eyes and felt a tear slide down her face.
The three of them arrived outside of the Temple of Time. Zelda excused herself and walked back in, explaining that she needed to inform the sages of this decision. The minute the doors closed behind her, Link and Sakina embraced tightly. Already the sky overhead was clearing to reveal the setting sun. Sakina pulled Link's face down to her own. Neither of them stopped until they heard approaching footsteps. Link took Sakina's hand in his own and brought it to his lips just before the person came to their spot.
It was an old man with a vastly wrinkled brow. His kind brown eyes seemed full of joy.
"You can see me? Aha! I can't believe it!" To their surprise, the old man flung himself on them. "Oh my," he stood up again, breathing more heavily. "Ganondorf… I see… must be gone then? My castle…." No longer visible from the Temple of Time, the castle ruins were only noticeable by the dust floating above it.
"Sorry, he destroyed it." Sakina smiled sadly. "You must be the king?" Her voice shook slightly.
"Yes," he sighed. His tattered robes hung loosely on a girth that must have lost weight more quickly than was healthy. "And you two must be the heroes."
"Oh, Link is," Sakina nodded, "I'm just the friend." She didn't say that she was the king's daughter. She couldn't bring herself to do it. This man gave her away long ago. Yet, she didn't despise him; she was merely saddened by him. The doors opened and out came Zelda, composed and elegant. And then her eyes lit up and a broad grin illuminated her face.
"DADDY!" She squealed. She practically leapt upon the old man.
"Zelda!" He cried ecstatically. Sakina watched this and felt glad for Zelda. She looked at Link, who looked tired yet pleased.
"Daddy," Zelda finally withdrew herself from the old man and stood up straight, looking dignified once again. "This is the Hero of Time, Link. He defeated Ganondorf and saved the temples from the curses Ganondorf laid upon them."
The king bowed to Link. "We are in debt to your brave services, lad."
Link looked down modestly.
"And who is this lovely Gerudo lass?" The king asked.
"She is…."
"I am not Gerudo," Sakina spoke with a kind smile. She didn't want Zelda to tell the old man of her relationship to the crown. "I am a Hylian raised by the Kokiri and the Gerudos. My name is Sakina." She bowed to the king.
The king inspected her face. "You look very similar to my late wife. She died in child labor. Delivering twins, you know."
Sakina smiled the same sad smile. "So they say."
The four of them left through Hyrule Market. The ReDead had miraculously disappeared and it seemed as though the rain had cleaned the buildings of their soot and neglect. Outside of the gates a massive crowd of people had gathered. Word had spread to the mountains and the waters and the desert and villages that Ganondorf had been conquered. There was raucous cheering. The king lifted up Link and his daughter's hands.
"I give to you, our heroes!" The king boomed.
The cheers continued louder than ever. There was ululating from a crowd of Gerudos in the middle of the crowd.
"That's our Kina!" Sakina made out Zahmora's strident voice. Sakina couldn't repress a smile of gratitude towards the people of Hyrule. Tears spilled down the faces of Sakina and Zelda. Link looked too awestruck to cry. The Gorons moaned loudly in joy. The Kokiri had left the forest for this occasion and even Mido was clapping loudly. Navi poked out of Link's pack and fluttered around.
"You both did well," the fairy said softly. "I am glad to have been here for you."
The masses moved onto the hills where music was played and people danced and laughed. Everyone wanted to touch these apparent "gods." Malon and Micol stood together, Malon breaking away from him to embrace Sakina tightly. Tears were flowing freely down her face. They couldn't talk over the loud noises. Sakina wasn't sure she could speak if she wanted to. Sakina was then taken off to be hugged by her Gerudo mothers. There were many tears of joy spilled at this reunion. Zahmora and Nokomis positively attempted to suffocate her. Naoll picked her up and spun her around. The others hugged her for a bit but kept looking back to her face in joy. She thought she would never want to leave them again.
"This is Link," Sakina spoke to her mothers.
"Can't hear you!" Nokomis pointed to her ear.
"She said this is LINK!" Kynthia shouted at her.
"Link? The Link?!" Zahmora laughed. "Yes, we met him!"
"What?" Nokomis shouted.
"WE MET HIM!"
"Oh yeah!" Nokomis nodded, grinning. She clapped Link on the shoulder. "Thanks for helpin' us out, kid!"
Link smiled.
"You shoulda said who you were before we locked you up, eh?" Sabu joked.
"He did!" Zahmora shouted. "Heltzaku just didn't care!"
"What?!" Nokomis the deaf cried again.
"We woulda helped, right?" Zahmora winked. Then she whispered in Sakina's ear. "Nice choice, kid."
Sakina beamed, laughing through her tears.
The king and Zelda eventually made their way over to Sakina and Link and asked them to break away for a bit for a word. They left the bonfires and music into the chirping cricket night. The starry sky above had never looked so beautiful before.
"There is no possible reward worthy of what you have done." The king spoke to Link, the firelight casting shadows over his face. "I offer to you the hand of my daughter and my crown."
Zelda blushed and touched her arm circlet.
"I already have the hand of your daughter," Link grinned sheepishly, holding Sakina's hand. The king frowned and looked at Sakina. "And I don't need your crown. That is for wiser men or women to bear."
"Hello, Father," Sakina said quietly.
His face transformed into amazement.
"You… you're the green-eyed twin!" He gasped. "No wonder you so resemble Clarice."
"It is no wonder indeed," Sakina smiled.
There was silence.
"Though I have no right to grant you her hand, I suppose you have my best wishes." The king finally spoke, he bowed his head. "And I suppose you shall have a portion of the kingdom…?"
"Oh no," Sakina and Link chimed.
"It's all right, really," Sakina continued. "We're happy as we are. Zelda will make a magnificent queen someday."
Zelda began to cry all over again and hugged Sakina tightly. "There will always be a place for you at the castle, if you so desire."
"The castle," the king sighed. "That may take years to rebuild."
Zelda shook her head. "The Sages have agreed to reconstruct it. It shouldn't be too long."
"Shall we return to the merry-making?" The king asked, shooting an uncomfortable glance at Sakina. He felt awkward in his outcast daughter's presence.
"Yes, I'll be right there, Daddy," Zelda said. The king wandered off, soon to be embraced by a few elated citizens. "Sakina," Zelda looked down. "I fear you know the kingdom better than I and I don't believe that I have the right-."
"No," Sakina stopped Zelda. "I am in no place to be ruling a kingdom. You are much wiser than I. Stop trying to make up for what Ganondorf did to me." Sakina joked. "You're going to be a brilliant queen." She kissed Zelda's cheek.
"If only I had known you earlier. I feel as though I abandoned you."
"All is forgiven," Sakina felt calm still. The effects of the Temple sky had not yet worn off.
"And I am sorry about lying to you. I was Sheik, if you did not know."
"I understand you were running from Ganondorf," Sakina nodded, not at all surprised.
Zelda smiled at Sakina and turned to Link, who looked pensive and sad. "You are a brave hero. I hope you can find a place to live comfortably. If you ever need my help, Link, I am here for you. Both of you." She embraced them both and left them to rejoin the party.
Sakina looked at Link. Navi flew out of Link's bag and floated around silently.
"You have to leave, don't you?" Link asked quietly. There was a slight twang in his voice.
"Yes," Navi said. "You are not Kokiri, but there has never been a more honored fairy in all the world. I have had two incredibly brave children to help."
Sakina smiled sadly at Navi. "You can't stay?"
"No, the new Deku Tree needs my help." Navi squeaked.
"Will we ever see you again?" She asked.
"Hopefully. Good luck to you both." Navi began to fly away. "Goodbye."
Sakina and Link watched Navi fade away into the night until she looked like a faint star in the distance. Their hearts were heavy with loss.
"I don't know what we're going to do now," Link sighed. "We've fought for so long to return peace to Hyrule but where will we go? What will become of us?"
"I don't know," Sakina leaned her head into his shoulder.
"Hey you two!" A shadow elongated over them. They turned to see Malon and Micol standing behind them. "Come back to the party! You are the guests of honor."
The party ended sometime in the early hours of the morning. Sakina and Link stayed at Malon's ranch in a guest room together. They spent the night catching up on what they had missed for the two days they were apart. Occasionally they would lapse into silence and fill their eyes with one another. Sakina fell asleep with her head on Link's chest and they didn't rise until early afternoon. Malon supplied them with food and a horse for Sakina. Link still had Epona, though he offered to give her back. Malon shook her head saying that Epona should ride free with Link.
"You're sure you don't want to stay a few extra nights?" Malon offered.
"Nah, we can't just stay in one place." Link grinned. "Besides, we have to see the kingdom and set things to rights."
"After we take a break," Sakina added.
"Yes," Link laughed. "A well-earned break."
They left the ranch riding side-by-side, discussing their future.
"After it's all over, what will we do?" Link inquired.
"We'll be dead when it's all over, so I don't know." Sakina joked.
"I mean after the kingdom is back to normal, silly."
"Let's figure that out when we get there, because thinking that far in advance is giving me a headache."
"Why don't we start a family?" Link suggested.
Sakina's mouth dropped open in horror. "Where did you get that idea?"
"I don't know, just sounds nice. I saw a couple of kids and thought it would be nice to raise our own." Link shrugged.
Sakina looked at Link in disgust, but was mildly considering the idea. "We'd have to settle down, you know. There'd be no more adventuring or anything."
"It'll be a different kind of adventure. But we'll save that one for later."
"Link?"
"Hm?"
"I love you." Sakina leaned over in her saddle to kiss him. "But please don't bring up kids again for at least five years, okay?"
"Okay, Kina." Link looked at Sakina with a devilish look in his eyes. "Race you to the desert."
"You're on, fairy-boy." And they were off, cajoling their horses to ride faster and faster, disappearing from the view of the ranch and feeling as though they were innocent all over again.
"For so long my life's been sewn up tight inside your hold
And it leaves me without a place to call my own
I know now what shadows can see
There's no point in running 'less you run with me
It's half the distance through the open door
Before you cut me down
Again
Let me introduce you to the end.
And I feel the cold wind blowing underneath my wings
It always leads me back to suffering
But I will soar until the wind whips me down
Leaves me beaten on unholy ground
So tired now of paying my dues
I start out strong but then I always lose
It's half the distance before you leave me behind
It's such a waste of time
'Cause my shackles
You won't be
And my rapture
You won't believe
And deep inside you will bleed for me
So here I slave inside of a broken dream
Forever holding on to splitting seams
So take your piece and leave me alone to die
I don't need you to keep my faith alive
I know now what trouble can be
And why it follows me so easily
It's half the distance through the open door
Before you shut me down
Again
Let me introduce you to the end
And my laughter
You won't hear
The faster
I disappear
And time will burn your eyes to tears"
Vertical Horizon