It ended up being about 3:30 when we finally reached the inner part of Hyrule City. I had only been in the thick of the city once when I was much younger, so the lofty skyscrapers, hordes of pedestrians, and hundreds of stores and advertisements had me craning my neck in every direction. Fortunately, the Master Cycle had some form of autopilot that kept us from running anyone over or crashing. Still, there were a few times Zelda had to remind me to watch the road and not the soaring buildings.
At Zelda's insistence, we stopped at a store she pointed out to me and went inside. It was some sort of fashionable store for women, into which Zelda promptly disappeared, gobbled up by a saleswoman. I waited near the door with some other men who were likely in a similar position to me. I saw them sneaking odd looks my way and remembered I was still wearing my full Hero clothes, minus any sword or shield. "Costume party," I said, to which the other men nodded understandingly. One even complimented me on the workmanship on it, saying it looked extremely authentic. If only he knew.
Luckily, Zelda didn't take long with her shopping. She came out with a rather large bag, but it looked pretty light. She paid quickly, and we were on our way. As we walked out the doors, I caught the appreciative glance of one of the waiting me. He smiled at me and winked. I knew exactly what he meant without a single word. 'Nice catch.' I gave him a small nod and smile in return. I knew.
Zelda and I hopped back on the Master Cycle and made our way towards the castle. It wasn't the tallest structure in Hyrule City, but by a combination of being massive and built on a natural hill, it certainly was the most imposing. The moat that had supposedly once surrounded it had long been dried up and diverted, but the large walls, gate, and bridge had remained.
We dismounted the Master Cycle at the end of the bridge, since only official government vehicles were permitted to be on the bridge, and walked up to the guard booth. With the Master Sword and Hylian Shield strapped to my back, I cut quite the image. Probably. The guard didn't seem all that impressed.
"And who are you two?" he asked, obviously bored and probably tired of people trying to get into the castle all the time.
"Link and Zelda, we have a meeting with the princess," I said shortly, putting as much authority in my voice as possible. The guard rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, good try. Now scoot, you're ruining my view," he said dismissively, clearly expecting us to run away. We didn't move. The guard straightened, getting more annoyed. "Didn't you hear me? I said get." I maintained my cool.
"I think you're the one who didn't hear me. I'm Link, she's Zelda, and we have a meeting with the princess. Do whatever you need to confirm it, but we're not leaving until we see her."
"Is that a threat?" the guard practically shouted, reaching for his taser. Apparently he got riled up easily. I shook my head.
"It's a promise. Now call someone so we can get on with it. We're busy people." The guard kept looking at us for a moment, anger written on his face, before he turned around and picked up the phone in the booth.
"Here, hand me that bag," Zelda said while we were waiting. I gave her the bag of whatever she had picked up from the store, trying to peek inside. Zelda flicked me on the forehead and snatched the bag away. "No peeking. Now let me get changed," she said, waving her hand and summoning a wall of light around herself, effectively hiding from view. So there I was, standing in front of the castle with an annoyed guard trying to understand why he should let two teenagers into the castle and a gently shimmering and humming circle of light. After a few minutes, Zelda dropped the wall again, revealing exactly what she had gotten at the store. "What do you think?"
"You look incredible." It was all I could say and damn if it wasn't true. She was wearing a long white dress that just barely revealed her figure, with light embroidery around the slightly scooped neckline, showing just a hint of her chest. The sleeves were loose, flowing, and reached down to her wrists. The cloth had a small gap in it at the shoulders, showing just a hint of the skin there. The body of the dress swept down, hugging her waist slightly, but was otherwise uniform. The fabric ended just below her ankles, making it look like she was barely touching the ground. I saw a hint of white flats as she stepped towards me. She wore a few pieces of jewelry, specifically a thin necklace with a Triforce resting on her skin and a delicate circlet nestled into her platinum tresses.
Zelda blushed adorably, and I couldn't help but step towards her and fit my lips to hers. She made a small noise of surprise but didn't pull away. On the contrary, she pressed her lips more firmly to mine. Reaching around her, I found the dress was quite low in the back, exposing the skin more than half way down her spine. And I got to kiss her. This ridiculously beautiful girl.
I forced myself to pull away, putting an appropriate amount of space between us. Just in time too, as the still peeved guard chose that moment to turn around. He did a double take at Zelda's wardrobe change before waving us into the castle, saying that everything was as I had said. An escort was waiting on the inside of the colossal gate and he led us up and up through the castle until we reached a small parlor. He said we should wait here and make ourselves comfortable.
Which was exactly what we did, looking around every part of the room and generally admired the wealth. Well, Zelda admired the wealth. I mostly admired her. Sue me.
After about twenty minutes, a different man came to get us and walked us to what I imagined was the throne room. The large hall was decorated more lavishly than anything I had imagined possible. Gold and jewels were everywhere, covering almost every surface. Anything not covered with finery was made of intricately made metal or dark, beautifully carved wood.
At the end if the hall sat three thrones on a raised dais, two larger ones and a third smaller one slightly to the left. This was the only occupied throne, a girl likely our age sitting upon it. She had a thin figure, thick, long brown hair, and was dressed in an elaborate purple gown, covered in frills and other stuff, overall looking very fancy. A stern looking Sheikah woman in what looked like a combat suit stood behind and slightly to the side of the chair, who I figured was Impa.
We steadily approached the dais, stopping at the bottom of it and looking up at the princess, who met our gazes. I thought to bow, but Zelda didn't make any move to, so I remained standing. As far as I figured, we were all reasonably close to equals, our little group being made up of the current monarch of the kingdom, a reincarnated hero who saved the world who knows how many times, and a literal deity. I just hoped I was right and wasn't going to find my head on an executioner's block.
"Link and Zelda, was it?" Princess Felia asked. We both nodded, and the princess continued. "My guardian, Impa, tells me that you are on a quest to defeat some growing threat. She insisted that I meet with you and that you may be able to help with the disappearance of Ganondorf Dragmire, ambassador of the Gerudo." She paused a moment, looking us over again. "She said you were the reincarnations of the Hero of legends and a goddess." At this, she snorted slightly, as if unable to contain her mirth, and relaxed slightly in her throne. "I don't believe you."
Impa, Zelda, and I were all stunned. In the space of a second, Princess Felia had gone from respectful to condescending. She looked down at us with barely veiled contempt. "I have seen no evidence of this evil you say is coming. I see no reason to believe your claims as the Hero. Furthermore, it is known that the Blood of the Goddess only flows in the veins of the women of the Royal Family. That is to say, in my veins. If anyone were to be revealed as the reincarnated Goddess, it would be me." A few motes of golden light floated around her fingers, much like Zelda's magic, but considerably less impressive. "I possess the power of the Goddess. No one else could." She looked down at us still with distain. "That you would lie in such a serious manner is a grevious offense not only to me, but to our country, culture, and history." Impa stepped forward to interrupt but was stopped by Felia's raised hand. "Still, my guardian insisted that I meet with you, something she would not have done without good reason. That is why I will give you the chance to convince me that you are who you claim. However, if you do not convince me, I will have you imprisoned. Of course, you could always leave, and I would think nothing of your offense, provided you apologized." She again sneered at us. "So, which shall it be?"
To say I was livid was an understatement, but I withheld my anger, eager to show this bitchy girl how wrong she was. I stepped up the stairs, pulling the Master Sword free of its sheath as I did. Zelda made a move to stop me, but I ignored her. This stuck up princess was going to get what was coming to her.
"You've probably heard of the Master Sword, right Princess?" I asked, doing my best to keep my own distain from seeping into my voice. I was partially successful. "Legendary Blade of Evil's Bane, forged a long ass time ago by the Goddesses, only able to be wielded by one who is worthy. Ring any bells?" Felia nodded.
"Of course. I've studied all the records we have on past incarnations of the Hero. It is said that only he could wield the Master Sword. However, it has since been lost to the ages, its location unknown."
"Oh, we know its location. It's right in front of you." At this, I embedded the Sword in the flagstones in front of the Princess, just enough to let it stand on its own. "What do you make of this?" The princess stood and walked around the sword, examining its every detail.
"It is a fine piece of workmanship. The hilt and crossguard are consistent with every account of the Master Sword I have read. The blade itself is impressive as well. What kind of steel is this, that it shines so brightly?"
"I have no idea."
"Ah, so the smith you contracted to make this didn't tell you. A wise craftsman." Felia straightened, looking me in the eye again. I noticed that she was rather short, probably a hint shorter than Zelda, and had to crane her neck slightly to look at me. "I see no reason to believe that you have managed to find the true Master Sword though." I sighed impatiently.
"Then lift it. Wield it. If this is nothing more than a normal sword, you should have no problem with that." Felia's eyes narrowed at me, but she did as I said and gripped the sword, pulling lightly at first, but soon put all her strength into pulling my sword from the floor. Eventually, she gave up, slightly flushed from her exertion. "Satisfied?" I asked as politely as I could.
"You just got it stuck in the floor. This proves nothing," she snapped. I shrugged and pulled the blade from the ground with ease. I held it out to her with one hand, inviting her to take the handle.
"Then here. Try to hold it." Her hands slowly reached out, wrapping around the purple grip. As soon as she was holding it firmly, I let go. Immediately, the princess' arms buckled, and she fell to her knees as the blade crashed to the ground. She struggled to lift it again but was no more successful than the first time.
"What have you done?" she asked breathlessly, tugging on the hilt again. "What magic is this? Impa, come and lift this stupid sword," the girl shouted, her emotions clearly getting the better of her. Impa came over and, after looking to me for permission, which I gave, bent over to lift the sword. She pulled harder and harder at Felia's insistence, impressive muscles in her arms straining, but was unable to so much as budge the sword. Eventually, she gave up. I shrugged and scooped up the Master Sword again, easily holding it with one hand, even going so far as to hold it limply with just a few fingers.
"How's that then? Can we end this charade now and get on with saving Hyrule before there's not a Hyrule to save?" I asked impatiently, twirling the sword in my hand. I shoved it back into its sheath and pulled off my left glove and showing the princess the back of my hand. The imprint of the Triforce glimmered golden there, daring her to refute its authenticity. Felia took a startled step backwards, eyes wide, before she regained her composure and her haughty mask slid back into place.
"Very well," she said, a bit more quietly than before. And was that a slight tremble in her voice? "I will accept that you are the Hero. However, I refuse to consider that this…girl could possibly bear the power of the Goddess." Again, she conjured her small light orbs. "I have my proof. Let us see yours."
I stepped to the side as Zelda walked up the stairs, bowing slightly for added effect. Zelda stood about four feet away from the Princess and examined her still present magic. Felia smirked and twisted the light balls slightly, making them dance around each other. She seemed very confident until Zelda smiled at her. From where I was standing, it almost looked like a smile of pity.
"If you think that is the extent of Hylia's power, I can't help but pity you. It was the power of Hylia that birthed this kingdom, that held evil back countless times. It was her guidance that led the Hero, giving counsel and comfort. I shudder to think of the fate that might have befallen Hyrule had that been the limit of her magic." Zelda's voice had slowly taken on an otherworldly tone, making it sound as if she was speaking in an echo. She slowly reached out her hand and summoned the same small balls of light as Felia. The princess looked shocked, but she hadn't seen anything yet. "The power of the Goddess Hylia is so much greater than you could comprehend."
At this, Zelda spread her arms, glittering, shining light pouring from them and her hands. The golden light twisted through the air, spiraling around the hall before twisting back towards Zelda. The light congregated behind her, swooping out into two large shapes that slowly wove themselves into twin golden wings made of brilliant light. Golden light overtook the usual blue of Zelda's eyes and gold embellishments appeared on her white dress. I could feel the Master Sword resonating at my back, drawn just as I was to the vision in front of us. Felia, likely from total and utter shock, stumbled back in fear, falling to the ground. Impa likewise took a step backwards in surprise but remained standing.
"That," Zelda said as her power faded, returning her likeness to her normal one, "is the power of Hylia. That is my power. Now, are you finished acting like a child and ready to help us?" Felia stared at her, slack jawed, unable to form words or even stand up. Her stunned eyes swiveled to me, probably looking for a way out, but I just stepped to Zelda's side and crossed my arms expectantly.
The princess was about as close to cowering as I'd ever seen someone. I could tell from her eyes and the small tears streaming down her cheeks that she was petrified and utterly terrified. To be fair, she had good reason. We had just shown ourselves to be the most important people in the history of Hyrule, and she had insulted us. After a minute of waiting, Zelda took a step forward, startling Felia and sending her to her knees, kneeling in front of us.
"I'm sorry, my Lady Hylia! I didn't know. I should have known! You told me, I didn't believe you." She babbled incoherently for a moment before managing words again. "Please forgive me, I'm sorry. I'll devote myself to you, I'll make sure no one ever doubts you again. Please forgive me. Please! Please, I beg you." The girl quivered on the floor in front of us, face in the rich red carpet. Zelda took another step, kneeling next to the trembling princess.
"Get up, I'm not going to smite you," she said with a light-hearted tone. Felia cautiously looked up into Zelda's once again clear blue eyes. Zelda smiled at her, all trace of the terrifying goddess gone, leaving only a teenager. "You were right to not believe us right away. Hell, I didn't believe it myself when I found out. A goddess turns herself into an eighteen-year-old girl? Doesn't make much sense." Felia laughed aloud before clamping her mouth shut like she was afraid she had done something wrong. Zelda just smiled wider and stood up, pulling the princess up with her.
"I won't hold your actions against you. I get it. But you have to do something for me." Felia's eyes went wide with fear again, but Zelda quickly put her at ease. "Start over with us. I'm Zelda and this is Link. We're on a quest to stop the reborn Demon King Demise. We'd really appreciate it if you would help us." Felia took a shaky breath or two before taking a step or two away, nodding slightly.
"Okay, okay, I can…just have to…" Felia muttered, turning to face Zelda again, looking extremely determined. "Hello, I'm Pri…Felia. I'm Felia. Pleased to meet you." After a moment of hesitation, she haltingly put her hand out to shake. Zelda took it, smiling the whole time.
"Glad to meet you, Felia. I think we can be great friends. After all, we're technically cousins. I've never had a cousin before, much less one that's a princess."
"Somehow, I think being a goddess takes some of the air out of being a princess," Felia laughed, and I could practically see the stress and tension flow out of her. She promptly turned and smiled at me, extending her hand again for me to shake, much more confident this time. I took it and shook, smiling. The happy atmosphere was contagious.
Zelda walked past Felia towards Impa, but she whispered something in the princess' ear on the way. I didn't catch much of it, but from what I did hear, which consisted of 'mine,' 'else,' and 'will smite', and the hint of pinkness that appeared on Felia's cheeks, I got the idea.
Apparently, Zelda got a little possessive. I made a note to tease her about that later..
Did I say it might be a bit before the last chapter? I think what I meant to say was 'a few days' and also 'how the fuck am I writing these chapters so damn fast?' Just wanted to throw that little disclaimer out there.
So anyways, hi again e'rebody! What's shaking? Hope you had a good 4 DAYS WHAT AM I DOING DO I HAVE NO LIFE?!
The answer is no. In case there was any doubt.
Time to calm down then. What shall we talk about? Anyone find the turnaround from Zelda being an avenging goddess to a normal teen jarring? I did my best to avoid that, but I still worry. Also, it is now canon that every girl in existence wants Link. Because Breath of the Wild. I think the count at this point is Ruto, Cremia, Zelda, Theresa, Felia, and probably a few others that I forgot about even though I wrote literally every word of this story. Oops. Bonus trivia, last chapter Zelda's eyes randomly changed color because I can't keep track of what color I made them. Apparently I thought they were green. They're not. Not at all. They're very not green. But I thought they were. Because Breath of the Wild. Just ignore that.
Anyhoo, how about some review responses? Twilit Lord, I could have, but I haven't played Link Between Worlds and therefore can't fairly draw too much inspiration from it. That's also the easy, boring route, which I decided was too easy and boring for my tastes. That also goes for the shirtless comment. I could have, but that's no fun. Got to put those images in people's heads. I'm sure Foopuff and Sand Seal appreciate it (proabaly?). Also, that's not nice, give those back. For all you know, they're powering her oxygen cart and now she can't breathe. You bad person. Sand Seal, glad to see your triumphant(?) return. Please have a specific threat in mind next time, empty threats just don't do it for me. You've got to tease me. I figured you were doing some form of boycott to protest my vicious removal of your heart, and look at that, I was right. I'm oddly pleased that I managed to make you so pissed that you had a bit of a fit. That's probably a sign of psychopathy, but oh well, can't make a human sacrifice without a few people? No idea where I was going with that. Glad you approve of the romance. I just hope I can do a good job of it. Foopuff, I know, I too am saddened. But she's here now, being her normal spastic self, so at least we have that. I've actually found fluffy things are the best for drying tears. Fluffy fluff is the best. Use that, not other people's sleeves. That's just gross. And yes, he had to STAB her. Because drama! And to show he'd do anything for her. I think I got the point across. Jealous Zelda all the time, for previously mentioned reasons. Jealous Link, interesting idea. We shall see. Crescent, thanks so much! I will do just that and look forward to hearing from you again. Sand Seal again, you only get one response. Boycott revenge. Ai Star, I sure hope so. Good characters should make you laugh, it means you feel for and with them. Which is good, because it means I don't suck at this whole writing thing. Positivity!
As usual (even though I rarely say this), thank you all so much for the reviews you leave me. My favorite part about writing is hearing back from you about how much you love the chapters. It truly makes my day. And if you're new to the story, don't feel like you can't weigh in too. If you're reading through and hit a point you love, tell me what it is! No matter what it is! I don't care, please validate me! So thanks and keep reading.
Small rant this time, Fallout 76. Playing a bit of it, enjoying it so far, but we'll see how that goes. I've heard differing opinions, but I'm having a decent time. Just Cause 4 though. Oh. Baby. I cannot wait. For that game. Because who doesn't like senseless chaos and anarchy in an enormous playground with the power of a god of physics at your disposal? I don't. I LOVE it. Gonna be a good time.
Chapter 25, look at that. A number. Yay. Best part, we're not remotely close to done. Plenty more where that came from.
Anyways, that's all I've got. Leave a review and hold tight until next time. I think its about time for a little more plot. Enjoy!
~Aro