Chapter 7: Reflections
AN: Hey everybody! Here's another chapter for you. Thanks for reading and enjoy!
***I don't own anything in this story, so please don't sue me.***
Morning arrived and Samantha's head was in severe pain; like someone hit her in the face with a shovel or someone dumped a ton of bricks on her head.
"Ugh…" Samantha groaned while her hands held the sides of her head.
"You're up." Nami said as she set a tray of oatmeal next to her bed. "How're you feeling?"
"I want to die." Samantha groaned. "Why do I hurt…everywhere?"
"It's called a hangover. It's what happens when you drink too much."
"I'm never drinking again." Samantha rolled towards the edge of the bed and sat down with her eyes closed.
"Take it easy, you don't need to worry about anything. Genny is-"
"Genny!" Samantha called out, but groaned as she finished calling out her name. "Where…ngh…where are you?" She whispered.
"Genny's in town with Celia. She went ahead with Jack to sell the shipment. I've been left in charge with the farm and I've gotten most stuff done today and came by to check in on you. Now get in the shower. I'm not dragging your ass all around town today." Nami laughed.
"Just…can I spend the whole day in bed?" She asked.
"Nope." Nami shook her head. Samantha sighed and stood up, but she almost lost her balance. Fortunately, Nami caught her and helped her walk to the bathroom. She turned the water on and Samantha starting washing her body.
"What happened…last night?" She asked while quietly wincing in pain from her hangover.
"Well…let's see…what do you remember?" Nami asked.
"I remember kissing…Muffy. And then…" Samantha groaned. "I don't know."
"We kept playing. You insisted on pushing the limit and…well…you and Celia…"
"No." Samantha froze in fear. "I didn't!" Nami laughed.
"No. I'm just fucking with you." Nami smirked.
"You're…ngh…not funny." Samantha breathed a sigh of relief after realizing that nothing crazy happened.
"You did however; inform Celia that you'd like her to plan our wedding."
"Our wedding?"
"You went on about how we're getting married and it'll be such an exciting…"
"You're lying." Samantha said as she began to scrub her hair.
"Yeah." Nami laughed. "Alright, complete serious this time. We played a few rounds, nothing too special. You decided to take a shot during every turn you had regardless if you won or lost. You got drunk pretty quickly."
"That…ok." Samantha started rinsing her hair. "How long does…the hangover last?"
"About a day. We'll distract Genny today, just take it easy." Nami said. Samantha finished showering and made her way back to the bed. She quietly ate the oatmeal.
"And there was some obsession with the purple people? I have no idea."
"Another joke?" Samantha asked.
"No, I'm serious. Ask Celia when she gets back. You were serious going off about how they are going to kill us all and you want to murder them…like everyone thought you were nuts." Nami explained. "Look, hurry up and finish up. I need to take you to Griffin."
"No…p-please no more." Samantha begged.
"He said he'll make you something to help you today. Griffin's not one to lie to people so, just trust him." Nami said as Samantha finished her oatmeal. Nami helped her dress and the two went outside and walked towards the Blue Bar. Nami opened the door and grabbed a chair for the princess.
"She's up." Griffin said while mopping the floor. He set the mop aside and walked behind the bar. "Give me a minute." He quickly made a little something in a fancy looking white teacup.
"Here." He set the cup in front of her. "It's ginger tea. It's still hot, so be careful." He instructed her. Instead of grabbing the cup, the light was really bothering her.
"Here." Nami handed a set of sunglasses. "This'll help you with the sun."
"Thank you." Samantha said as she slipped them on and took a sip before clearing her throat. While Samantha sat at the table sipping her ginger tea, two individuals walked into the bar.
"We shouldn't be here. We should be waiting just like-"
"It's one drink. We'll have a drink and head back. It'll be fine." The man said as he knocked on the counter. "Barkeep! Two beers." He dropped coins on the counter as Griffin walked behind the bar. He reached under the counter and pulled out two beers. He set them on the counter and the man grabbed both of them.
"If we get in trouble, I will kill you." The woman warned.
"I know, Peri…" The man handed the beer to her and clinked his against her bottle. "I know." He started drinking the beer before he stopped and was staring at the table where Nami and Samantha were sitting.
"Why is he staring at us?" Nami asked without taking her eyes off the man. Samantha lifted her head and could barely make out a white haired fellow standing next to someone else with what looked like cotton candy hair.
"Excuse me." The man said calmly as he pulled a chair to the table. "You wouldn't happen to be Lady Samantha, would you?" He asked.
"Who's asking?" Nami asked sternly.
"I'm asking her." He said.
"Your name first." She said and the man sighed.
"Time and place, young lady." The man said. "My business is with a man named Jack." He said in an attempt to change the topic.
"Are you the buyer?" Nami asked.
"Yes. But we were under strict order to purchase only from Jack." He said as he took another drink from his beer.
"If you're buying from Jack, you're buying from me. Name's Nami." Nami said calmly. "I've got the shipment ready. Let's head back and I'll get it ready for you." Nami informed the guests. "Sam, I'll be right back. Finish that drink and…fuck, I don't know. Do something quiet." Nami said as she got up. "I'll come find you when I'm done." Nami left the bar with the mystery man. The other person quickly chugged the beer and set the bottle down before following the two out. Samantha took another sip and quietly groaned before Muffy left the back room and happily skipped towards Samantha.
"Hey you!" She loudly cheered in a sing-song voice. Samantha covered her ears and clenched her teeth.
"Please…stop." Samantha whispered.
"Oh. Do you have a hangover?" Muffy asked loudly.
"Muffy." Griffin said calmly. "Leave her alone."
"Sorry." Muffy said a bit softer. "What're you doing today?"
"I don't know…" Samantha said as she took another sip of her drink. "I might go see this Vesta everyone keeps talking about."
"Ooh! You'll love it! Vesta's super nice and Marlin is…" Muffy paused and sighed. "…well…Marlin is just…Marlin." Muffy shook her head. "I've got to get going. Just take it easy and don't do anything crazy." Muffy said with cheer.
"Thank you." Samantha said and downed the rest of her drink. "Ugh." Samantha added showing her disapproval of the taste. Muffy waved goodbye and walked out the door. Samantha handed the teacup to Griffin.
"Be safe." Griffin nodded his head before Samantha walked out the door. Samantha winced at the sunlight, but the sunglasses that were gifted to her by Nami helped her significantly. She decided to head the opposite way of the inn. She walked past the well and up towards a giant building. She continued walking and eventually ended up at the front door. She knocked on the door, but no one answered. She carefully turned the handle and it turns out, it was open. She poked her head inside and looked around. It was incredibly beautiful and everything looked so fancy. Samantha noticed the piano sitting off to the side.
"Hello?" Samantha called out, but there was no response. Samantha carefully walked into the house and looked around. She admired everything and three kittens walking down the stairs.
"Oh, hello." Samantha said cheerfully before looking back at the piano.
'It's been such a long time. I wonder if I can still play.' Samantha sat in front of the piano, but instead of playing anything, she sat in silence in front of the piano and remembered the lessons her mother gave her when she was young. She started tearing up and bit her bottom lip as those tears ran down her face.
"You're more than welcome to play something." A voice said behind her. Samantha turned around and rubbed her eyes. She saw an older woman with an umbrella for a cane.
"I…" Samantha sniffled. "I'm…not actually feeling it right now. My head hurts and…" She cleared her throat and tried to shake off the past memories. "I'd rather not."
"You need not worry about me judging. I've been teaching my granddaughter, Lucina to play. She's quite good if you haven't heard her play." The older woman explained. "But the way you're sitting at the piano…you've lost someone important to you recently, haven't you?" She asked.
"How…How can you tell?" Samantha asked.
"The way you were looking at the piano…it appears like you have lost the will to play." Samantha sat in silence for a few moments.
"My mother…my mentor and my best friend." Samantha said with a somber tone.
"My most sincere apologies." The woman said. "If you wish to return later and play, the piano will always be here for you."
"You are too kind, miss…um…" Samantha cleared her throat again. "I never learned your name."
"Romana." She said. "My name is Romana. I live here with my granddaughter, Lucina, and my butler, Sebastian."
"Thank you…Romana." Samantha got up and her face turned light pink. "I…suppose I should get out of your hair." She stood up and lowered her head.
"I look forward to hearing you play." Romana said cheerfully as Lucina came racing down the stairs. "Lucina, how many times have I told you to walk when you're inside?" Romana said with a hint of anger.
"Sorry, grandma." Lucina said as she turned back and saw Samantha standing by the piano. "Oh. Were…Were you going to play?" Lucina asked. Samantha shook her head.
"I'm just not feeling it right now." Samantha said as she stepped aside. Lucina smiled and sat down to try and play. She started with scales ascending and descending. Each note made Samantha cringe, but it was only because she was still suffering from her hangover. She waved farewell to Romana and left as Lucina's scales continued filling the house.
'You know, maybe if I go to the forest, I might be able to relax a little bit.' Samantha thought as she quickly decided to walk towards the forest to be alone for a little while. When she made it to the forest, she sat next to the pond and watched the fish for a little while. She gave a little yawn before lying down and closing her eyes to get some sleep. While Samantha was asleep, Samantha's friend, Sheik appeared from behind a large tree nearby.
"Sam?" Sheik asked but the princess remained asleep. She gently rocked Samantha's shoulder, but Samantha remained fast asleep. Sheik looked around to ensure nobody was nearby. 'I can't perform magic like this.' She though as she took a step back and threw her hands in the air which created a bright white light to surround her body. In a few seconds, Sheik had transformed into her real self; Zelda. She knelt down next to Samantha and placed a hand on her daughter's forehead.
"Samantha, what's wrong?" She asked, but received no answer.
"Hm…" Zelda said as she decided to head into town and try to find someone who knew what was wrong with her daughter. Before she left, she hesitated. She didn't want to leave her daughter alone, but this was for her own good.
'I'll be right back, my dear, sweet, daughter.' Zelda thought as she quietly left her daughter to rest. She walked into town and she had no idea where to begin. She then noticed a familiar red haired woman leaving the farm and heading for the inn.
"Excuse me." Zelda quickly caught up with her.
"Uh…" Nami looked the brunette woman up and down; it was clear she had never seen anyone like this before.
"I apologize for approaching you like this, but my dau-" Zelda paused. If her daughter realized her mother was here, Zelda was afraid it would cause panic and instill worry in her. "I mean, the young girl who calls herself Samantha. I am worried about her condition."
"You mean her hangover?" Nami smirked. "Yeah she's still feeling it. We had a whole lot of fun last night. I think she'll be fine in a few hours. Look, I hate to be rude, but I have guests I must attend to." Nami hustled inside the inn and left Zelda there alone.
"A hangover…" Zelda murmured. "I understand now." Zelda looked around before heading back to the forest. Samantha was still fast asleep. Zelda formed a diamond shape with her pointing fingers and her thumbs. Zelda managed to create a small, white sphere. Zelda continued shaping the ball while Samantha continued to rest as her chest rose and fell.
'Almost done, darling.' Zelda thought as she continued molding until finally, the sphere turned into a bright gold light. 'Done.' Zelda smiled as she placed her hand on Samantha's forehead. The sphere was absorbed back into Samantha as she barely opened her eyes.
"Ngh…muh…mom…?" Samantha barely uttered.
"Sh…" Zelda shushed her daughter before Samantha closed her eyes again. When Zelda was finished, she kissed her daughter's forehead.
"You're growing up so fast…I'm so proud of you, my child." Zelda said quietly while admiring her sleeping daughter. "I'm sorry…Samantha…I'm sorry." Zelda gave her daughter and extra tight hug before a few tears fell down her cheek. She gently set her daughter down and changed back to Sheik. She waited for Samantha to wake up and while she did, the two guests who Samantha met earlier walked through the forest.
"We're ready to head back…what're we doing out here?" The woman asked.
""I want to check something where is-ah!" The white haired man smiled as he saw the sleeping woman. "There she is."
"What are you doing?" Sheik asked while taking a fighting stance in front of Samantha.
"I have a question for her."
"I will not let you disturb Lady Samantha while she rests." Sheik informed the strangers.
"So that was Samantha. I knew it." The man said. "I'll need her to come with me."
"Your name is Niles. Retainer to Lord Leo of Nohr. And she is Peri. Retainer to King Xander." Sheik said calmly.
"How do you know all this?" The man asked.
"How I know is not your concern. Why do you need Lady Samantha?" Sheik asked.
"We have reports that indicate she has witnessed the deaths of Lady Zelda, Marcus McCloud, and Lady Lucina from Ylisstol. King Xander and King Ryoma are having discussions on what to do should those purple…things invade one of our two homes."
"I'm afraid you cannot take her." Sheik informed the two Nohrians.
"Why not?" Niles asked.
"Samantha is asleep. I will not wake her and I will not allow you to wake her either."
"How long will she be asleep? We really need to get going." Niles asked.
"As long as she chooses to-" Samantha began to yawn and stretch. "…I…suppose she's up."
"Mmm…wha…what's going on?" Samantha sleepily asked as she rubbed her eyes and looked around. "How'd I get here?" She turned and quickly made note of everyone around her. "Sheik? What's happening?"
"You were asleep. I let you rest."
"And…" She looked at the two standing across from her. "I…I remember you from the bar."
"My name is Niles. This is Peri. And we-"
"Retainers to Lord Leo and Lord Xander. I know both of you." Samantha said with a groggy tone. She cleared her throat and stretched one more time before Sheik extended a hand to help her up.
"What happened to your hangover?" Peri asked.
"I…I don't know. Do hangovers usually go by this quickly?" Samantha asked.
"I made something for you." Sheik said. "You should be fine now."
"Thank you, Sheik!" Samantha said with a great big smile on her face. "I…look can I ask you something?" Samantha said as she looked down and kicked the ground. "I…well…my mother used to tell me that everyone in the Hyrule family always have one retainer. I…was wondering…maybe…could you-"
"No." Sheik said calmly.
"What?!" Samantha asked with a hint of sadness. "Why not?" Samantha asked now angry with the ninja.
"…I can't explain." Sheik said.
"It sounds like you just don't want to." Samantha huffed. "If you don't want to-"
"Samantha, I would love to be your retainer but…" Sheik sighed. "..I just…I can't. It's kind of complicated." Sheik refused to look at the princess in the eyes. "Niles…" Sheik said to change the subject. "Does Lord Leo know that Samantha is here?"
"No, not yet." He informed the ninja.
"I suggest you return home and inform him. I trust he will have you return and request her to come visit. In the meantime, Samantha, why don't you get ready to leave tomorrow?"
"But she could leave with us today. It would save us time and energy if she were to agree and come with us tonight." Niles tried to reason.
"Are you going through town?" Samantha asked.
"No. Mineral Town is a few miles west of where we're headed."
"I cannot leave without Genny." Samantha told the pair.
"Who's Genny?" Peri asked.
"A little girl I'm watching over." Samantha told them. Niles sighed as he realized there was no convincing her to leave with them today. "Alright, how about this? We'll leave today. But I'm sure Lord Leo is going to scold us for not bringing you with us and we'll return tomorrow, ok?"
"I'll have all my assets in order to leave at first light." Samantha told them.
"Make it like noon-ish. It takes half a day to get here and vise-versa." Niles nodded and the two bid farewell and headed off. Samantha then turned her attention back to Sheik.
"You know, I've been wondering. You don't want to protect me, yet you won't stop showing up around. Why is that? Grandpa needs protection too. Why not stick around Hyrule? Or better yet, if you don't want to protect me, you could just leave me the fuck alone." She said with growing anger.
"Samantha…" Sheik began. "I understand that you may be a little upset. I can't go into why I can't but know that I will always protect you. You are the firstborn to Hyrule, but more importantly, you are my-" Sheik stopped herself once again.
"Your what?" Samantha asked.
"My…" Sheik was quickly trying to come up with something to cover herself. "…my…top priority. Your safety is my biggest concern." Samantha looked like she was considering Sheik's words.
"But…" Samantha sighed with frustration. "I'm sorry." Samantha apologized. "Last time we talked, I told you that I was a goddamn coward. Then, I saw my mom."
"Did you?" Sheik asked while trying to act cool in front of the princess.
"In Ylisstol. She…" Samantha gulped hard. "She almost killed me."
"What happened?" Sheik asked.
"I…I don't know." She sniffled. "I tried reasoning with her and she started crying, so I thought I did it. But it turned out that mom's some kind of crazy monster thing that wants me to die."
"You're mother doesn't want you to die. Why would you say that?"
"She tried to kill me!" Samantha yelled. "She hit me with something and I was blinded. I saw another red door and I ended up here. But mom was there and so was Peach. Lucina gave her life to save me and, once again, I ran away like a coward."
"Sometimes, running away is the best option."
"But a princess-"
"Sam." Sheik cut her off. "May I offer you some advice?"
"S-Sure." Samantha said.
"You're not princess material." Sheik said bluntly. Sheik's words cut deep within Samantha as she looked down and her eyes watered.
"Y-You didn't have to be so truthful…j-jerk." She sniffled and rubbed her eyes.
"I wasn't finished." Sheik said. "You're not princess material…but neither was Samus. She has become one of the greatest queens in Hyrule's history. Someday you're going to need to decide who you really are. A princess does as she is told…you will need to choose a path…to be like Zelda or Samus. No matter the choice, your parents will love and support you."
"But…But…" Samantha couldn't think of a good enough argument to come back with. "Hey Sheik?"
"Yeah?" She responded while Samantha knelt down by the pond.
"Who do you think I should model myself after?" Samantha asked. Sheik was in a tough spot to make a call. Deep down, she hoped that Samantha would be like herself, but she was seeing signs that Samantha would eventually become like Samus.
"I cannot answer that." Sheik decided.
"Oh come on. I won't tell my parents." Samantha wanted an answer from the ninja.
"I'm not going to answer. I feel that my answer would be biased due to my dedication to Lady Zelda."
"Speaking of…I had the weirdest dream." Samantha said while admiring the blue sky in the pond.
"What was that?"
"I saw mom…she was right here." Samantha's smile grew a bit larger. "Like always…she was absolutely gorgeous and perfect." Sheik felt her cheeks turn light pink from Samantha's flattery. "I wish I could've told her I loved her again. Goddamn it…I miss her so much." Samantha started quietly crying again.
"Samantha…" Sheik began but she remained quiet as she knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder. After a few minutes, Samantha stopped crying and rubbed her eyes once again. "Goddamn it, I'm just a crying little bitch."
"Would it help to know your mother cried a lot too?" Sheik asked.
"Did…Did she?" Samantha took a few deep breaths and exhaled before Sheik nodded.
"When Lady Grace passed away, your mother cried almost every day for an entire year." Sheik explained. "Crying does not mean you are weak."
"I don't know…I just…I feel so lost." Samantha sighed as she got up. "What should I do? Where should I go?" She asked, but when she turned to face Sheik, she was gone.
"Fuck…" Samantha said as she began tearing up again, but instead, she slapped herself in the face.
"No. No! Pull yourself together, Sam." She told herself as she took another deep breath and looked up to the sky as she reflected on the advice she received from Sheik.
"…you will need to choose a path…to be like Zelda or Samus."
"Choose a path…" Samantha said with more determination as her fists clenched and she silently decided to follow her own path. "I'll try my best, mom…wherever you are." Samantha walked back towards town and turned left as she approached the bridge. She walked towards the other farm. She walked up to the fresh growing vegetables and knelt down to admire how large they were.
"Hey!" A man called out to her. "You think you can just take what doesn't belong to you?" He asked with anger.
"No I wasn't-"
"Don't pretend like you weren't going to take it. I know what you are, thief." He scowled at the princess. Samantha remained quiet as the man grabbed her arm.
"Ah! Stop! You're hurting me." Samantha said quietly, but the man didn't care.
"Shut up." The man brushed off her complaint. Samantha then decided that being nice wasn't going to cut it here. She pulled him close and broke his hold on her.
"What the hell?" He asked while still hot.
"Don't touch me." Samantha warned. "This is your only warning."
"Or what?" The man asked as he folded his arms. Suddenly, a large woman exited one of the houses and glared at the two of them.
"What's going on here?" She asked with a booming voice.
"She was gonna steal our food." The man pointed at Samantha like a child who doesn't want to get in trouble. The woman turned to the princess with a scowl of her own.
"Is that true?" She asked.
"No! I was merely admiring the size of it when he started yelling at me. He grabbed my wrist and…well…I retaliated." Samantha explained. The woman looked back at the man and walked up to both of them.
"Damn it, Marlin. You can't assume everyone's a thief." The woman scolded him.
"You're taking her side?! Vesta, I'm your goddamn brother." He pleaded.
"My idiot brother." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Don't mind Marlin. He's just over protective with what we have. You must be that new girl, Sam. Celia's already told me about you…although, she said you'd be under the weather with a hangover…" She placed a hand on her chin.
"I..um…" Samantha laughed nervously. "…I got better."
"Bullshit." Marlin scoffed.
"Marlin…" Vesta warned and he quietly walked back inside. "Don't worry about him. Marlin's a bit tough to love, but he means well." Vesta smiled. "I'm Vesta and this is my small farm."
"It's wonderful." Samantha showed her positivity. "So, is Jack-"
"Our competition? We're. Between you and me, we're secretly trying to run him out of business." Samantha's expression dropped.
"T-Trying to run…" Her voice faded as Vesta began laughing.
"I'm just pulling your chain." Vesta said. "We work with Jack's farm to establish long term collections. In fact, we actually just helped ship a bunch of fruits and vegetables to some fancy nobles."
"Niles and Peri?" Samantha asked.
"Nah. I think Xander is one of 'em." Vesta said. "In any case, you want to try something?" Vesta carefully picked off a watermelon. "This looks good." She took it inside and Samantha followed her. Vesta set the watermelon on the counter and cut it open and set a slice on a plate.
"Do you have a fork?" Samantha asked.
"What are you? Some kind of fancy prancy princess or something?" Vesta joked.
"Actually, yeah." Samantha smiled as Vesta's joking expression dropped.
"Oh shit. Are you serious?" Vesta asked.
"Yeah. I'm a princess of Hyrule."
"That's…Zelda, right?" Vesta asked.
"Yeah." Samantha said in disbelief. "How do you-"
"I've shipped products out there. It's quite a ways from here." Vesta said. "I can probably take you home, if you want. I have a friend who lives nearby. Maybe you've heard of Ingo."
"The Lon Lon Ranch. I know that place." Samantha said as she held the watermelon with her hands and took a bite. It was incredibly sweet." "Oh my God…" Samantha said with a mouthful of watermelon. "So good…" She added as she swallowed what she had bitten off.
"You know…" Vesta began as there was a knock on the door. Vesta got up and opened the door. "Hey there!" She said cheerfully. "I've been waiting for you."
"Sorry I'm late." A woman with a southern drawl. "It was rough ridin' in and-" The woman stepped inside and paused when she saw Samantha. "…Sam?" She asked.
"A-Aunt Malon…" She said quietly. "…h-hi…" She added with a barely audible sound.
"You two know each other?" Vesta asked, but neither Malon, nor Samantha seemed to hear her.
"Sam, what're ya doing here? Ya got the king all worried. He ain't heard from ya and…well…he's worried." Malon said.
"I'm sorry. I'm doing something important and I can't return home."
"Call him." Malon said as she put her hands on her waist. "Tell him yer doin' ok. If ya don't…I'm gonna be mad." Hearing Malon's threat was more frightening than almost anything else.
"Please…Aunt Malon. Don't be mad. I promise. Tomorrow…I'll call him tomorrow."
"You better." Malon said with a smile as she hugged the girl. "Ya know I worry because I care."
"I know…Aunt Malon, there's…there's so much I want to say."
"Let me ask ya somethin'…" Malon took a seat next to Samantha. "I heard that Queen…" Malon cleared her throat. "People have been sayin' stuff. You ain't hurt yer ma, have ya?"
"No!" Samantha blurted. "I would never-"
"Yeah I know that ain't ya." Malon said. "But…hoo boy, people back home like to run their mouth…It ain't safe to go home…" Malon informed the princess.
"Are…do they…hate me?" Samantha quietly said while feeling a slight bit of shame.
"Nah. I think people are just talkin'. They're mad as hell and they want someone to blame. Goes with the title, am I right?" Malon smiled, but her words didn't seem to help Samantha's mood.
"What…what are you doing here?" Samantha asked.
"I was just passin' through Mineral Town. Whenever I come by, I always swing by the valley. Vesta an' Marlin are real nice." Malon smiled as Marlin came back in.
"Vesta, I need help counting the-oh hey Malon." He told her and a smile appeared on his face. "A-Are you-"
"Marlin…" Malon began. "You keep askin' an I keep tellin' ya the same thing. I'm still married an I got me a nice family. Yer awfully kind, but my heart'll always be with Link." Hearing her words seemed to disappoint Marlin.
"…yeah…ok…" He said quietly and left without another word.
"He'll be fine, Malon. You don't have anything to worry about." Vesta patted her friend on the back. The three sat in silence for
"I…should be headin' back. Uncle Ingo might be gettin' worried." Malon stood up and smiled. "Sam…" She began. "Call yer grandpa. You promised."
"I know. Can…Can you tell him I'm ok? I don't want my family scared."
"I'll let him know yer fine. I'll tell him to expect a call from ya tomorrow." Malon hugged the young girl and kissed her cheek. "Be safe. Linkle wants to see ya again."
"I want to see her again too." Samantha smiled and her cheeks turned rosy pink. "She's such a sweetheart." The two said goodbye and Malon left Vesta's home. Samantha got up and sighed.
"I…thank you." Samantha bowed to the woman. "I'm sorry…about Marlin…"
"He'll be fine. He's always had a soft spot for Malon and between you and me, he's incredibly jealous of Link."
"Link…He's a great uncle. I'm blessed to have him in my life." Samantha placed a hand over her heart and closed her eyes. "I should really get going. I'm sorry for wasting your time."
"You didn't waste my time. It was a nice little break. Feel free to come by anytime." Vesta waved goodbye and Samantha left. She began walking back towards the inn, but before she crossed the bridge she felt something hit her from behind.
"Wha?" She asked before hearing a familiar giggle from behind her. "I wonder who could that be?" She asked with a great deal of sarcasm. She quickly turned around and wrapped her arms around the young girl for a hug before letting her go and letting the child fly alone.
"Sam!" Genny squealed with joy. "Look what I got!" Genny pointed to a black ribbon with yellow trim tied in her hair.
"Hey you! Wow, it's so pretty!" Samantha said while nuzzling her cheek against the child's.
"I hope you don't mind. It looked really cute and I figured I spoil her…just a little bit." Celia said as she walked up to Samantha with Jack.
"Hi. Thank you for the ribbon. How much was it? I can compensate you." Jack simply waved his hand towards her.
"Don't worry about it. Genny was a big help today." Jack told the princess while the child cheered and soared into the air. She circled a few times and returned back to Samantha.
"When I told her you were sick, she was crying her little eyes out." Celia said with a giggle.
"Nuh uh!" Genny shook her head and protested.
"Oh…right. She wasn't crying because she's such a big, strong girl." Celia winked at Genny. Genny smiled and hugged Samantha who held the child once again.
"I need to get back. I'm sure Nami's getting tired of taking care of the farm."
"Go get Nathan and Thomas first. I'll check on Nami." Celia said. "Sam, I really need to go. If you're still looking for stuff to do, I think Gustafa is celebrating the Summer festival today. You and Genny should go."
"He was telling me about that yesterday. I was planning on taking Genny when she got back." She turned to face the little girl. "Hey Genny, want to go to a festival?"
"Uh huh." Genny nodded her head. Samantha started walking with Genny flapping her wings behind her. They waved goodbye to their friends and Samantha started walking towards the hut behind the inn. Gustafa was tuning his guitar while Griffin was tuning his guitar.
"Griffin? Gustafa?" Samantha asked.
"Ah! You've made it!" Gustafa said with a smile. "I'm glad you could make it."
"Who is…this specimen?" A weird older man asked while trying to examine Genny. She hid behind Samantha and moved every time the man tried to get a glimpse of her.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop." Samantha said tensely but the man seemed to ignore her request. "I said stop!" Samantha said a bit louder and with more anger.
"Daryl, leave the kid alone." A buff looking man said as he sat on the grass and smiled.
"She does not understand-"
"Leave the kid alone." The man said again with more anger than Samantha had. Genny flew into Samantha's arms and buried her face in her shoulder.
"I don't wanna stay." Genny pleaded.
"Genny…" Samantha said. "How about we stay for the music…just for a little while, ok?" Genny lifted her head as Samantha wiped away her tears. The young girl nodded her head in agreement.
"Now, now. Let's all calm down. We're all here to enjoy the festival." Gustafa said to defuse the tension. "Daryl, Cody…let's just take a deep breath." Everyone around was quiet for a moment. "Now Daryl, she's a living child…not an experiment." Gustafa told the older man. Daryl just scoffed and walked away giving distance between him and the young girl.
"And Cody…you must remember that even though the children here love you…Genny is not from here. She doesn't know you like the rest of us do."
"I'm sorry." He apologized with sincerity. "My intention is not to frighten you or that young girl." Samantha nodded to show she understood his good intentions. "Now then, are you ready?"
"Sure am." Griffin said as he strummed his guitar and the two of them began filling the air with wonderful music. People from all around the valley came to enjoy the music and even Genny started smiling. She squirmed out of Samantha's arm and began flying around; landing of the tips of the trees and flying around everyone listening. Gustafa smiled while Genny flew around and sat in front of Gustafa and happily listened to the two men finishing up their song. The area was filled with applause from the few people who attended.
"Did you like that, Genny?" Samantha asked as the young girl landed next to her.
"Yeah!" She replied. "Can we stay here?"
"Actually…I wanted to talk to you about moving."
"Moving?" Genny asked.
"I saw some friends of mine from Nohr. They want me to go to a big, fancy castle."
"…more?" Genny asked with her head cocked to the side.
"No, silly." Samantha tickled the little girl who responded with giggles and laughter.
"Can we go?" Genny asked.
"Do you really want to go?" Samantha asked.
"I wanna go with you." Genny said before hugging Samantha. She felt her heart warm and she felt pride in her chest.
'I won't let you down, Genny.' She thought to herself and she gave a gentle squeeze before releasing her. She looked in the direction of the sun and saw it was setting. "It's getting late. We should head back."
"Yeah! To the big castle!" Genny declared.
"We'll leave tomorrow." Samantha said as she stood up. Genny waved goodbye to all the people as the two of them headed back to the inn. When they entered, Ruby was filling out some paperwork at the front desk.
"Sam! Hello!" She said cheerfully. "Are we ready for dinner? I can make something quick for the two of you."
"That would be nice, but if you're too busy-"
"Nonsense!" Ruby said as she walked into the kitchen. After she walked away, a young man walked down the steps.
"Hey, Sam! How're you feeling?" The man asked.
"Hi!" Genny waved with excitement to the stranger.
"Hey there, little one." The man gently rubbed her head. "I don't think we've properly met. My name's Rock. Tim and Ruby are my parents and I live here in the inn. My room's the one across from yours."
"It's nice to meet you." Samantha said with cheer.
"Hey, if you're free tonight, you should swing by the bar."
"Yeah, I think I'll pass. I've done the drinking games and…I'm good." Samantha shook her head.
"It's karaoke night. You should come by and sing. Gustafa told me how beautiful your voice is." Hearing Rock compliment her voice made Samantha blush.
"I mean…it's not that great." Her cheeks turned rosy red.
"Well if you change your mind, we'll be at the bar. You're not required to drink if you don't want to." Rock informed. "I'm in charge of playing the songs. It's not the most important job, but we're just having fun." Rock laughed.
"I might come watch. But only for a little while. Genny and I are leaving tomorrow."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Rock said as his mother came out with two bowls of tomato soup.
"Ta-da! All ready." She smiled and presented the tray for Samantha. "Rock! Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah. I've got everything I need." He smiled and kissed his mother's cheek. "I'll be back later tonight. Love you, mom."
"I love you too, son." Ruby smiled as she began carrying the tray upstairs for Samantha. Samantha followed her up and unlocked the door she was staying at. She opened the door and Genny crashed against the bed again. Ruby set the tray down on the open desk and Samantha noticed their clothes neatly folded on the edge of her bed.
"I hope you don't mind, but Tim brought in your clothes earlier today." Ruby informed the princess.
"Ruby…" Samantha began. "I feel like I owe you a tremendous debt in which I could never repay you. I am sorry I cannot give more."
"Samantha, your words are kind enough. Here in Forget-Me-Not Valley, we care for each other. We're all like family and we don't hesitate for extend that kindness to strangers and guests." Ruby bowed her head and smiled. "I overheard that you are leaving tomorrow. Feel free to sleep in. There's no early check-out time, so please do not feel rushed to wake up."
"Thank you. From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the Hylian royal family, I offer my most sincerest gratitude for your kindness and I give you my word that I will return one day."
"We look forward to your return." Ruby replied as she left her room. Samantha carefully blew on the soup and fed a spoonful to Genny.
"Mmmmm." Genny smiled and clapped her hands. Samantha took a spoonful of her own tomato soup and, once again, it was incredible. The two finished their soup and Samantha decided it was time to clean up. She undressed the child and gave her a bath before drying her off and getting her in pajamas and tucking her in.
"Sam…" Genny yawned.
"Yes Genny?" She asked, but the young girl fell asleep before she could continue talking. Samantha finished tucking her in and finished with a kiss on her forehead. She quietly turned off the lights and left Genny in her room and went downstairs and saw Tim cleaning the lobby.
"I'm…I'm going to that karaoke night thing." Samantha said nervously and looked down like she was embarrassed.
"You'll have a lot of fun." Tim said. "It's a blast and, truth be told, I wish I could sing a song or two."
"Why don't you?" Samantha asked.
"Hah…don't laugh, but I can't sing." Tim said as he finished cleaning the front desk. "Go. Have a good time." He started cleaning the window. Samantha left and headed back to the bar.
'No drinking.' Samantha thought to herself as she entered the bar. Everyone was watching as an overweight man was belting out the words to Queen's 'We are the Champions.'
"Hey!" Muffy called out and waved to her friend. "How are you feeling? You're looking much better." Muffy cheerfully said.
"I'm great, thank you." Samantha said. "I thought I'd try and watch a few people sing."
"You'll love it. It's super fun!" Muffy said with a big smile on her face. As the man finished, the patrons in the bar clapped for the man and he walked towards the bar for a glass of water.
"Van, you're doing great." Muffy complimented the man.
"Thanks, Muffy." He said as he downed the glass of water. "I think I'm on fire!" He turned and smiled. "Who's this?"
"This is Sam. She's my new best friend and she's going to perform too."
"What? No." Samantha said. "Muffy-"
"She's nervous, but I think she'll do great." Muffy said as she turned to her friend.
"What are you doing?" Samantha said through her teeth.
"Can't wait to hear her." Van nodded at the princess and then walked away.
"Muffy-"
"Oh come on. I heard from Gustafa that you have a beautiful voice. Everyone should hear it."
"But Muffy…I…I can't."
"Why not?" She asked.
"I…I'm scared." Samantha admitted. "I've never performed for a group of people. I…" She nervously laughed. "I've only sung when I'm alone."
"You can do it. Just pretend you're performing for someone you care about or dedicate the song to someone special."
"The next performer finished and Muffy started guiding Samantha to the stage. Once the two arrived, Muffy quickly left and Samantha was standing alone.
"Hey Sam." Rock called out. "You want to perform? I had no idea."
"Uh…" She looked back at Muffy; who gave her two thumbs up and a smile. She looked out at the crowd and gulped hard.
"Sam…" Rock said as he walked on the stage. "Don't over think it. Just try your best." He said with a smile. Samantha was still nervous, but she still didn't like singing for crowds.
"Do you...have something like a bandana or something?"
"A bandana? Sure, hold on." Rock went back to his stuff and pulled out a small black bandana. "Will this work?" He asked.
"Perfect." Samantha said as she took the bandana from him. She tied it around her eyes so she couldn't see anyone. "Ok. Ready."She said.
"Sam? You never gave me a song." Rock said quieter. "And you're facing the wrong way." Samantha turned around, but she accidently bumped into something. "Oops." She quickly tried to recover, but she bumped into something else. "Ah!"
"I got you." Rock said as he helped her find her center. "Sam, are you sure that you want to be blindfolded during this?"
"Yes…I…I can't perform in front of crowds." She admitted.
"I…alright." Rock said calmly. "What about the song?"
"Oh. Right." Samantha said and quickly thought of a song with good memories. "Um…" She said before a past memory came to her. "My song…will be 'The Last Unicorn.'"
"By America? Sure. One second." Rock returned to the computer and pulled up a file. "Here we go." The music started playing and Samantha's mind played her memory: Zelda tucking in her daughter and quietly singing her favorite song.
"When the last eagle flies…over the last crumbling mountain…" She began singing quietly. "And the last lion roars…at the last dusty fountain." She could see her mother's smile and deep down, she felt happy to be recollecting her memory. It showed in the volume of her voice as it grew louder and her pitch was pure.
"In the shadow of the forest…though she may be old and worn…they will stare unbelieving…at the last unicorn…" Another old memory played while Samantha's eyes remained closed. Samantha saw herself as a young girl; no older than Genny was now, she was playing outside while her mother hung clothes on the line. When she finished she scooped her up and gave her a flurry of kisses. Samantha gently bit her bottom lip and did her best to continue singing and not cry.
"When the first breath of winter…through the flowers is icing. And you look to the north…where the pale moon is rising. And it seems like all is dying…and would leave the world to mourn. In the distance hear the laughter…of the last unicorn…I'm alive…I'm alive…" A third memory appeared in front of the princess. Samantha was a bit older now and she had scraped her knee. Tears fell down the young girl's face as the scab looked pretty nasty. Zelda knelt down and cleaned the area around the scab. Though she winced at the pain, Zelda held her daughter's hand and though Samantha squeezed her mother's hand as tight as she could, Zelda never showed discomfort or let go of Samantha's hand. Tears were actually running down Samantha's cheeks as she took another deep breath and exhaled before finishing up her song.
"When the last moon is cast…over the last star of mourning. And the future has passed…without even a last desperate warning. Then look into the sky where through the clouds a path is torn…look and see her how she sparkles…it's the last unicorn…I'm alive…I'm alive…" The last few words cracked as Samantha undid the bandana and quickly exited the bar. She made it outside and quickly looked around for a place she could go to be alone. She saw the beach and made her way there. She looked around to ensure she was alone she sat down and quietly cried by herself.
'Mom…I miss you so much…' Samantha thought as she tried her best to hold back, but failed miserably and quietly cried alone.
"You performed beautifully." Someone said behind her. She turned around and saw an older man standing on the grass. Samantha turned around and faced the ocean.
"Thank you but…" Samantha sniffled. "If it's alright with you I'd-"
"You've lost someone you hold dear to your heart." Samantha turned to face the man. "A friend?" He asked, but Samantha didn't bat an eye. "Family?" She blinked once and he nodded. "Losing a member of your family is always difficult."
"How do you know this?" Samantha asked with awe.
"The way you sang. You were not singing for the crowd, but for one specific individual."
"My…My mother." Samantha quietly admitted before tightly closing her eyes and sniffling. "I-I know she's not really gone…as long a-as I keep her in m-my heart…but l-lately…I just…I can't do it anymore."
"When you speak of her, speak not with tears. For thoughts of her should not be sad. Let memories of the times you shared give you comfort, for her life was rich because of you." Hearing the man's words made Samantha cry even harder. She wiped away the tears and recollected herself.
"Wh-Who…Whose quote…Whose quote is th-that?" Samantha wiped her tears away, but they continued falling.
"The author is not known." The man said as he stepped towards her and the two stared at the ocean. "You are a princess, no?"
"I am." Samantha wiped the tears from her face once more and the stream became less.
"You are the second princess I've had the pleasure of meeting." The man informed her. "My name is Galen."
"Sam." She quietly said before sniffling and wiping her nose. "Wh-What do you mean I'm…I'm the second princess?"
"The first young woman was…many years ago. I had just moved here with my wife, Nina. I was much stronger and more youthful than I am now." He chuckled and Samantha cracked a smile. "A carriage had a wheel come off. Being the young, arrogant man I was, I insisted showing the couple my strength. I may not look like it now, but I was quite strong in my youth." He held up his arm and did his best to flex his arm. Samantha lightly chuckled without taking her eyes off the ocean.
"I managed to lift the carriage while the gentleman and his knights put the wheel back on." He finished his story. "We all had a nice lunch in Mineral Town and then they went off on their way."
"I…Thank you for the story." Samantha said. "But…my mother…"
"May I ask for your favorite memory with her?" He asked. Samantha thought for a moment.
"Baking." Samantha's face expressed pure joy. "The first time she taught me how to bake…" Samantha started quietly laughing, but her laughter grew in volume. "We were supposed to make cupcakes and she managed to not only blow up the kitchen, but she burned our hair. We had to shave our heads and…" Samantha couldn't stop laughing and smiling. "Instead of being upset, she walked around with her new hairstyle and proud that she made cupcakes that were one hundred and fifty percent burnt." Samantha sighed with content. "She wanted to make me happy. She'd do anything to make me happy. Mom was always so cool…even when things went wrong, she was exactly the kind of woman I wanted to be when I got older."
"It sounds like you already have." Galen said with Samantha looked at the man with confusion.
"How so?" She asked.
"Your mother would do anything to keep you safe. She'd do anything to keep you happy. Now if we observe that young girl…it sounds like you've become just like your mother." His words warmed her heart. "You have provided that girl with all the love and attention a mother would give to her child. I am sure your mother would be proud of you…wherever she is." He smiled and began walking away from Samantha.
"Galen…" Samantha called out before he got too far from her. "Can I ask you something?"
"You already have." He turned back and smiled. "I suppose I could let you ask another question." He joked to the princess.
"You said I was the second princess you met…all those years ago…what was her name?" Samantha asked.
"It was this beautiful woman. Grace was her name, I believe." He said as Samantha froze in shock. "Her husband was-"
"Daphnes. Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule."
"Yes. How did you know?" Galen asked.
"You're…wow…small world." She smiled and rubbed her eyes once more.
"Huh?" He asked.
"Daphnes is my grandfather." Samantha said to the older man. He looked at her in disbelief.
"Small world, indeed." He said with a chuckle. "I should really be heading to bed."
"Galen…thank you." Samantha said as she stood up and faced the man. "I'm not very confident that I'll be as good as mom…but you've made me feel like there's a chance." Samantha said with more confidence in her voice. Galen nodded and began walking back to his home. Samantha looked back and thought about what Sheik had told her earlier.
"…you will need to choose a path…to be like Zelda or Samus. No matter the choice, your parents will love and support you."
"My own path…" Samantha said quietly. "Maybe…Maybe I'll choose my own path. I don't need to be the next Queen Zelda or Queen Samus…I need to be the first Princess Samantha." Samantha quietly said to herself. "Mom…I don't know if you can hear me…but I'm going to do my best. I want to make Hyrule proud, and more importantly, I want to make you proud…wherever you are." She declared as she grabbed a small rock and skipped it against the water. It skipped six times before sinking underneath the waves.
'Six skips…damn…' Samantha thought as she smile. 'Ah well…I'll get better.' She looked down, but instead of wallowing in self-pity, she smiled and felt more proud than she had ever felt. 'I'll apologize in the morning.' Samantha thought as she walked back to the inn. She was about to enter the inn when she was spotted by Rock.
"Sam! Are you ok?" He called out and ran over to her.
"I'm fine. Listen Rock, I…I think I'm going to turn in tonight. I'm getting kind of tired."
"Oh. Ok." Rock said while nodding. "Everyone loved you by the way. Your voice is really good. Even Van was saying how he's never heard anyone sound so beautiful."
"I'm not that good." Samantha said while her face turned red. "But I wouldn't mind hearing more about what everyone thought about me." Rock began laughing.
"You're pretty funny, Sam." He said. "Look, I've got to get back. Goodnight." He waved goodbye as she headed inside. She quietly made her way to the room and stepped into the shower to clean herself up. When she finished, she put on her t-shirt and panties before carefully getting into bed. Genny gently opened her eyes and snuggled up next to her. Samantha smiled as she closed her eyes and drifted off with new hopes and dreams of what lies ahead for her.