Chapter 24: Visiting Home
AN: Hey everyone! Boy, I'm glad I'm finally getting this chapter up. First, a few hours after posting the last chapter, I got sick and I had
no motivation to write. I was sick for ten whole days and I worried that you all would lose interest. So I did my best to best to
begin writing...only to have my computer die. It was ten years old, so it was going to happen sooner or later, but I had no way
to get the chapter back. So I've been writing like a madman to publish this story today. Sorry it took longer than I'd like and sorry about
this explanation. Ok, here we go and I hope you enjoy!
***I don't own anything in this story, so please don't sue me.***
"G-G-Gra…grandma?" Samantha squeaked while she bit her bottom lip and began backing away. Not only did this woman claim to be her grandmother, but she was now terrified that Gannon might have caused her to hallucinate or lose her mind altogether. She frantically turned around and sprinted away as quickly as she could run. By the time Grace turned around, she was already gone.
"…where'd she go?" Grace asked the others.
"She ran up towards the peak." Tetra pointed to the peak. "Guess you're as good of a grandmother as you were an actual mother." Tetra laughed before she yelped when Grace grabbed her jacket.
"Be very careful with your next words." Grace growled at the pirate.
"Grace, let her go." Will sternly stated to the woman.
"She-"
"Went too far, I know." He cut her off. Before Tetra could protest, Will turned to her. "And Tetra, I know. You're not a fan of people making fun of your height. Grace knows that bothers you and she won't do it again." He stated with another stern tone while giving Grace a not so subtle hint.
"…fine." Grace rolled her eyes and sighed.
"What do we do about her?" One of the burly looking pirates asked the group.
"What do you think? Go get her, Gonzo!" Tetra ordered.
"No, Aryll will get her." Will said before everyone looked at him with confusion.
"What?" Everyone asked Will in unison.
"Look, obviously…Samantha, was it?" He questioned the former queen and Grace nodded. "Samantha is scared. None of us…" He gestured to everyone around. "…can convince her to return. But Aryll…" He put an arm around his younger sister. "She wouldn't harm a butterfly. She doesn't come across as…threatening."
"Hey! I can be tough. Watch!" She stated and punched her brother's arm as hard as she could. To everyone else, what she hit him with could only be described as a nudge.
"Aryll…sister…can you go find Samantha and bring her back?" She didn't like that her older brother called her weak, but reluctantly, she nodded. But before she ran after Samantha, she turned in the opposite direction and sprinted.
"Where are you going?" Will questioned her.
"I've got to get something. I'll be right back!" She called out and ran away. Meanwhile, Samantha sat on top of a rock and rested her forehead against her arms. She did not deem herself worthy to be in the presence of former queens and kings. They never abandoned their homes. They never cowered in fear. They were incredible leaders that achieved incredible things. She didn't deserve their attention, much less to have her name uttered in the same sentence. She glanced over and noticed the one who was named Aryll holding something that looked like a hand pan under her arm. She set it down and knelt in front of it. She began gently hit different sides and the sound they made was quite beautiful. After a few warm up notes, she rubbed her hands together and smiled with excitement.
"Want to see something cool?" She glanced up at Samantha. Samantha sniffled and rubbed her eyes before turning to the girl.
"…I don't know." She sniffled again and Aryll began playing. It was such a wondrous musical melody playing from the hand pan. To Samantha's surprise, a seagull flew down from the sky and landed next to Aryll. After a few more seconds of playing, a second seagull landed next to the first, then a third, forth, fifth…Samantha couldn't believe it, but as the girl played, there must have been a dozen seagulls that flew next to the girl. When she finished playing, she smiled and she began to carefully pet the birds. "What did you think?" She looked up and smirked at the princess.
"That was incredible." She sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "I'd like to hear more…if-if that's alright with you." She wiped her nose with her forearm and her eyes still red from crying.
"Only if you promise to go back down with me." She tried bargaining with Samantha.
"I couldn't. I…I'm not worthy to be in their presence." She turned away from the young child.
"Why do you think that?" She stood up and walked towards her. The birds parted from her path and returned to the ground.
"I'm not…it's-"
"Tetra? I know she's kind of mean, but you know, deep down she-"
"No, it's-"
"Will? Hey he's just really lazy. He sleeps too much, but don't tell him I said that." She whispered that last part.
"No, it's-"
"Is it the pirates?" She quietly asked.
"It's not the damn pirates!" Samantha yelled with anger. The little girl quivered and hid behind her hand pan. "I…I'm sorry." Samantha quickly apologized and turned around to hide her face.
"You know…Grace has told us a lot about you." She took a seat next to Samantha.
"…she…she has?" She questioned and slightly turned her head back around to see Aryll nod.
"Uh huh. She also says you're showing signs that you're going to make a great queen."
"Queens don't abandon their kingdoms." Samantha quietly stated.
"Well…I don't know about all of that, but I'm older than you so I'm telling you to go back down there." Samantha glanced over and chuckled before rubbing her eyes once more.
"You're kind of mean." Aryll stuck out her tongue and laughed.
"Pretty please? If you go down, you can have some of Grandma's soup. She makes the best soup and-"
"Wait a minute." Samantha's head quickly turned towards the girl. "How can we eat if we're dead?" She asked. Aryll just shrugged her shoulders and Samantha was left puzzled.
"Come on, I'll hold your hand all the way." Aryll held out her hand and tried using that as an incentive to convince Samantha to come with her. Samantha appreciated her efforts to try and make her feel better. Samantha stood up and sniffled one last time before knelling in front of Aryll.
"How about I carry you?" Samantha walked over to the hand pan and picked it up. Aryll held out both arms like a child who wanted to be picked up. Samantha scooped the little girl up in her free arm and started walking back.
"I'm really happy you're here." She hugged the princess.
"This is…it's a lot to take in." Samantha said, but continued walking towards the group. She finally made it back and the entire group were either sitting in the sand or standing by the boat. One of the pirates noticed the two of them walking towards them.
"They're back!" One pirate declared. Samantha walked right up to her grandmother and carefully set her great aunt and the hand pan down.
"We can eat soup?" Samantha asked her grandmother.
"You can eat whatever you want. Within reason, of course." Grace informed her. "You can't consume things like poison ivy, or you know, wood, or sand."
"But we're dead. Why do dead people need to eat?"
"You ever hear the expression, life after death?" Samantha remembered the conversation she had with her mother.
"When we die, we'll find out if there's life after death or reincarnation or whatever."
"She was right." Samantha quietly said to herself.
"Excuse me?" Grace raised an eyebrow.
"After I won my first championship, Marcus proposed to me…"
"Yes, I remember. Your mother told me all about it."
"She told you? Why didn't you tell me that you met her?"
"Your mother can't see the dead. I'm talking about those times when she talked to my tombstone. I was there every single time and I heard every detail she shared with me." Grace smiled and her eyes watered. "I just want to hug her…Hylia, I miss my little girl."
"Mom misses you more. Every time she heard stories about you, she cried or almost cried." Samantha smiled and felt her cheeks warm up before she heard a bunch of feint gurgling noises nearby.
"Miss Tetra…" Gonzo stated while the other pirates groaned with hunger. "…the boys and I…we're getting-"
"Fine! Ya big babies. Go get some food." She dismissed her crew with a wave of her hand. All but Will, Aryll, Grace, Tetra, and Samantha remained. "So, who was right? I want to hear the rest of this." Tetra asked the princess.
"Right. Sorry." She quickly apologized. "Anyway, I asked my mom what she thought happens after we die. She said we'll figure out if there's life after death later. But…obviously she's correct. We can eat, we can sleep…we can do anything that we did when we were alive. So, this proves there is indeed life after death."
"Heh." Tetra smirked. "That story sucked."
"Tetra!" Will tapped the pirate's arm with his elbow.
"What? Her story was boring. Now what Daphnes did when you died…now that was a good story."
"Shut up, Tetra." Grace said with her mouth clenched.
"What Daph…Grandpa? What did he do?"
"Nothing. He did nothing." Grace quickly stated and began walking towards the house. "Come along, Samantha. Granny Olga makes the best soup in the entire afterlife."
"But-"
"I suggest you drop it, Samantha…or…do you have a nickname?" Will questioned the princess.
"Sam. Everyone…Everyone calls me Sam." She weakly smiled while she walked alongside the rest of her family.
"What's bothering you?" He questioned her.
"…it's nothing."
"Liar." He shook his head. "Are you really going to lie to me?" Samantha didn't want to bring disrespect or shame to her family and, it's not like she gained anything by lying.
"There's just…so many questions I still have. And I don't want to bombard Grandma with too many questions."
"Well, ask me. I know…some things. Unless they're specific questions."
"Well…" Samantha rubbed the back of her neck. "Ok, have you heard of Clan Sheikah?"
"Yes. Your grandmother was a part of that group. The fiercest warriors in all the lands."
"Was there ever one who went by the name Sheik?" She asked. Hoping that maybe Will would know something.
"…I don't know." He quietly said and Samantha clenched her teeth to prevent her from saying something she might regret. "Hey, Grace!"
"N-No no! Wait! Please-"
"Yeah?"
"You ever hear of someone named Sheik in your clan?" Will called out and Samantha felt embarrassment and humiliation.
'Great. Now she's going to think I'm stupid or something.' She panicked and avoided eye contact with everyone.
"Sheik? A member of Clan Sheikah named Sheik? You're funny, Will." Grace chuckled and knocked on the door of a house.
"So, you're saying there isn't anyone named Sheik who is a part of your clan?" Samantha asked with more concern than hope.
"Nope." Grace casually stated and Samantha looked like she was about to blow a gasket.
"Samantha…" Tetra cautiously questioned the princess. "…you doing ok?"
"NO! FUCKING NO! GOD-MOTHERFUCKING-DAMMIT! SON OF A MOTHERFUCKING-"
"Sam." Will grabbed her arm. "What's happening?" Samantha took a few deep breaths, but she was still enraged by the realization that Sheik lied to her.
"I need some space…" She quietly stormed away and Grace quickly chased after her.
"Samantha, wait. What's going on?"
"I met someone named Sheik. They told me that they were a part of Clan Sheikah and now…I think that person was a spy."
"A spy?" Grace folded her arms. "Why would anyone want to spy on you?"
"Gannondorf killed me because that Sheik person kept spying on me." She pouted and sat down on the grass. "I'm so stupid."
"Samantha, you're not." Grace reassured the princess. "Hey, you know what? How about if we do something exciting?" Grace suggested. "Let's get you some soup and I'll show you something exciting." Samantha could use some cheering up, so she nodded her head and the two returned to the house for some soup. The two of them returned and everyone was sitting in front of the house happily consuming soup.
"I'm sorry." Samantha said while looking down and sighing with frustration.
"Don't worry about it." Grace walked up to the old lady. "Hi Olga."
"Hello, Grace." The elderly woman gently caressed Grace's cheek. "How are you doing today? I've made some soup. Won't you try some?" She held out an empty bowl. Grace grabbed one and turned to her granddaughter.
"Olga, this is Samantha. You remember my tales of my daughter's daughter." She gestured towards the young blonde girl. Before Samantha could react, she felt the old woman pinch her cheek and it hurt.
"What a beautiful young lady!" She smiled and let go after a few seconds. Samantha tried her best to not wince from the pain, but Grace chuckled as she saw Samantha rubbing her cheek.
"My dear, have some soup. It's good for you." On appearance it had the smell of cream of mushroom and, to be honest, Samantha actually liked mushrooms.
"It smells wonderful." Samantha took the piping hot bowl and a spoon. She gently blew on it to cool down the spoonful of soup before placing it in her mouth. Her entire body felt stronger, somehow. It was like her Granny Olga made a super potion or something.
"You feel that?" Grace questioned the princess. "Granny Olga's soup is unlike anything else."
"Yeah but…I have two questions. First, I thought everyone was supposed to be young."
"Well, some people prefer their old souls compared to their younger selves. You can choose up here."
"That's…actually, pretty cool." Samantha took another bite of soup. "Second, what is in this soup? I must make it when I return."
"Oh…um…boy, this is awkward…" Grace rubbed the back of her neck and nervously looked away.
"What?" Samantha tilted her head ever so slightly to the side.
"Well…I've…it's kind of rare to return to the land of the living once you come here." Grace bit her bottom lip. "It's like, a million to one odds. So…"
"So I'm just dead forever?!" She exclaimed. "B-But…what about my kingdom? And my family? And…" Her eyes lit up. "Wait! Marcus! Marcus is here, somewhere. And Krystal was here too. She made it back! I can too!"
"Marcus is here?" Grace's eyebrows shot up. "And Krystal's alive?" Samantha quickly nodded her head. "…alright. Let's finish up your soup so I can show you that surprise." Samantha almost downed the soup in one sitting; she was incredibly excited and her love for surprises was almost as great as her joy of being with her grandmother.
"Done!" Samantha declared. "I…I don't suppose we could…I don't know, take some with us?" Samantha asked hoping there was some way to bring Granny Olga's soup with them.
"We'll grab some, but first. I want to show your family what you're capable of. How flexible are you?" She asked.
"I do yoga with my mother every morning since I was little." Samantha informed her grandmother.
"With Samus, I presume?"
"Yes."
"Show me." She ordered and without any backtalk, Samantha set the bowl aside and stood with her feet next to one another and she reached up to the sky. She then bent down and grabbed her ankles with ease. She then moved her legs and she fell into splits without any trouble. She laid down on her stomach and, Samantha felt like she had the strength of two men. She went into the downward dog pose.
"Samantha, push yourself forward." Grace instructed her.
"What do you mean?" Samantha asked.
"Push your legs up and go into a handstand."
"What?!" Samantha exclaimed. "But-"
"Focus your energy. I know you can do it. Clear your mind, and feel it from within." Grace calmly told the princess. "Do not dwell on what might happen. Focus instead on accomplishing this simple task. All members of Clan Sheikah can do that. See?" Grace set her bowl down and went into a handstand. To show off her abilities, Grace moved closer to her bowl and lifted one arm off the ground to continue eating soup.
"You're just showing off."Samantha laughed and lost a bit of strength. She quickly recovered as she moved into a handstand. Grace continued eating her soup. Grace set the spoon back in the bowl and used her arms to jump and flip in the air before landing right side up.
"Woah…" Samantha spoke in awe. "That…wow…"
"Think you can do that?"
"No." Samantha laughed and did her best attempt to replicate Grace's flip. She made it halfway and fell onto her back. She grunted with pain as she rubbed the back of her head.
"It takes time, young lady." Grace smiled and offered a hand to help Samantha up. Samantha grabbed her hand and got back to her feet. "Right. Tetra, how much longer?"
"We're almost done. Jeez, calm down." Tetra tipped her bowl to drink the rest of its contents. She finished it with an exhale and a big smile on her face. "Hey guys, where are we at with lunch?"
"Just about done, Miss Tetra." Gonzo spoke up. "We can eat on the ship whenever you-"
"Let's pack it up." She ordered. "Then we've got to move. We're just going to make it if we-" She glanced over at Grace and realized she had a request. "…no."
"Tetra-"
"No!"
"I just-"
"Come on, Grace! They already hate me." She shook her head. "I can't be late, again!" Tetra insisted.
"I want to go back." She requested. "It's for Sam."
"No, we won't make it in time. She's going to be pissed if-"
"How about a wager, then?" Grace suggested. "Gonzo versus Sam. If she wins, we go. If Gonzo wins…I'll tell them I was the reason we were late."
"Seriously?" Tetra's eyes lit up and a huge smile spread across her face. "Hell yeah! You've got a deal! Gonzo, kick this whiny bitch's ass." Gonzo stepped forward and Samantha gulped hard.
"I can't do this. Why would you make a bet like this?" She hissed in a hushed whisper to her grandmother.
"You'll be fine. I've heard all the stories about how well of a fighter you are. Now you can show up Tetra and if you win, you'll get that surprise." She whispered back before standing upright. "Let's make it simple. First one to fall on their back loses."
"Ready? Go!" Tetra yelled and with that, Grace gave Samantha a solid push towards her opponent. Gonzo charged forward and, with the help of Granny Olga's soup, Samantha felt faster and more…herself. She sidestepped his attack and threw an elbow to the side of his head. She then kicked his side and gave him a roundhouse. He landed on his stomach and quickly got back up.
"But…But I won." She protested.
"Get him on his back! Come on, Sam!" Grace encouraged her. Gonzo got a decent shot to her cheek and after the second attempt, she spun him around, placed a hand on his neck, and swept his legs from under him before slamming him to the ground. He groaned in pain, but she was the clear victor as his chest was facing towards the sky.
"No way…" She shook her head. "grrr….alright, fine. Where are we going?" I'll tell you on the ship, let's get sailing. The boarded the ship and set sail towards a new destination. Samantha was still unsure of everything that was happening; where she was, and if this was real or not. But it felt real and she could obviously speak to these people. Even if she wasn't entirely sure if they were real. Gonzo walked by and took a seat next to her on the deck.
"Sorry about that." Samantha quietly apologized to the man. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." He rubbed the back of his neck. "What about you? Are you ok?"
"I'm good." She smiled cheerfully, but it faded when she began thinking of Sheik. "I just…man, I don't know. This whole Sheik thing…I can't…who the hell is Sheik? Like, who would go to such an effort to hide their identity from me? And why?" She rubbed her cheek and shook her head.
"Well…I don't know about any of that. But now that you're with us, we'll figure it out together. Well, I mean, Miss Tetra's probably the smartest one of us. But, you know, with Will's help…and Tetra's help…we'll help you with this problem. Mako's pretty good with problems like this." He smiled and that caused her to smile too.
"Thanks Gonzo." She held out a fist and he just stared at it.
"What are you doing?"
"It's a fist bump. You…bump it…with your fist." She slowly explained it to him. Apparently, he had never heard of such a thing in all his time here. He formed a fist and moved it like he was throwing a punch. Samantha quickly pulled her arm back before he made contact.
"You're not supposed to punch it!" She yelled. "Here, make a fist and don't move it." He complied with her directions and she lightly tapped his fists with her own. "You see? It's simple."
"Ah. Ok. I…I understand." He laughed nervously.
"Hey Samantha! We're almost there." Grace called out. She got up and walked away from Gonzo. She turned around and hugged the man.
"Thank you…for making me feel better." She weakly smiled.
"O-Oh…um…y-yeah…" He nervously laughed and Samantha could've sworn she saw him blush. She walked over to Grace and looked out towards the blue sky.
"What're we doing?" Samantha asked.
"The surprise I have for you…it's just down there." She pointed towards the ground below.
"Down there?" Samantha questioned. "What are we going to do? Jump?" She sarcastically asked her grandmother.
"Yep." She walked towards the plank while Samantha stared with disbelief.
"Wait, what?!" She exclaimed. "Won't we-"
"Die?" Grace chuckled and Samantha remembered that she was already dead. It's not like she can die twice. Grace walked the plank and turned around.
"See you down there." She winked and with that, she leaned back and fell off the plank.
"Grandma!" Samantha called out and without hesitation, she ran after Grace and jumped after her. She descended faster and faster towards the ground.
'I really should've thought this through.' She tried to reach Grace at a quicker pace. Grace looked up and waved.
"Hurry up, Samantha! We're going to be late!" Samantha closed her eyes and tried to speed dive towards her grandmother. As she finally caught up, Grace smiled at her granddaughter. She carefully slowed their speed and finally came to a stop.
"How'd you do that?" Samantha looked down while she and Grace were suspended in midair.
"You'll float too, you know." She let go of Samantha and she quickly fell towards the ground. Samantha screamed as she fell. "Think about floating!" Grace called out. Samantha imagined herself floating in midair and suddenly, she was suspended in the air.
"See?" Grace descended from above her. "You'll float too."
"Please don't say that." Samantha rubbed her arm.
"What? Why?" Grace tilted her head in confusion.
"It's just…" Samantha hesitated. "It's a phrase that Pennywise the dancing clown says and-"
"Stop. Just stope." Grace held up her hand and shuddered. "I hate clowns. They're fucking creepy and…" She shook her head and folded her arms. "Sorry."
"It's fine. So…where's the surprise?" She questioned. Grace grabbed her wrist and they sank down towards the ground. After a few moments, Samantha recognized where they were.
"It's home." She quietly uttered to herself. "This is Hyrule. What…What are we doing here?"
"You'll see." She descended until they came to her tombstone. She examined it with a disapproved look. "You know, I wouldn't mind a good polishing every once in awhile."
"You wouldn't?"
"It looks so…old." Grace gestured to the tombstone. "A good cleaning would make me look good and damn it, I look fucking amazing if I do say so myself." She boasted and Samantha smiled.
"You're the forth most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Samantha admitted.
"The forth?" Grace questioned the princess with an irritated tone. "Who are the other three?" Before Samantha could answer, she saw Lilly walking towards them with a cane in one hand and a small stool in the other. She set the stool down at the foot of Grace's tombstone.
"In almost fifty years, she's never missed a meeting once." Grace sat on top of her tombstone.
"Lilly?" Samantha quietly spoke.
"She's…she's the kind of woman I wish I could've been. I could never have asked for a better friend." Grace spoke with a somber tone.
"Hello Grace." Lilly began with a warm smile. "Weather's nice today, thank Hylia." She looked up and admired the blue sky above. "Jackson and Alexander were trying out sword fighting. They wanted to practice with real swords, but Adam…well, he gave them training swords. They gave each other quite the beatings." She chuckled and Grace also laughed.
"She can't hear me, but between your mother's weekly chats and Lilly's daily chats, I've learned quite a lot about my family." She never took her eyes off her best friend.
"I am concerned about Samantha, however. We spoke and…she's with her mother, Samus." Lilly looked back at the castle and leaned in. "To be honest, not having her around is…well, we all miss her." Samantha's eyes began watering. She never knew how much her presence meant to the workers in the castle. "She was always helping someone and though no one will admit it, morale has been lower since she left."
"…I…I didn't know…" She rubbed one eye, but Grace continued watching Lilly.
"She's a sweet child. You'd love her. She…" Lilly chucked and her smile grew a bit wider. "She reminds me of you when you were younger. I still think the happiest day…well, the second happiest day of my life was when that old bastard, Daphnes proposed to you. 'Bout damn time, too." Grace weakly smiled and her eyes watered as well. "You were so happy. I was happy for you." Lilly sniffled and wiped away the tears. "Hylia, I miss you, Grace. I miss Wendy, and George…I'd trade places with you any day of the week. I…I should've done something."
"Miss Lilly!" A voice called out as she looked back at the castle.
"They can wait." She turned back and smiled. "And then there's Zelda. Hylia, what a beautiful queen." Lilly smiled. "Grace, I have tried my best to fill your role…to be her mother…but, I'm nothing like you. I can't ever be the woman you would've been. Do you remember that discussion we had about her costume? That shows you how much she wants to be like you. And Samus…what a partner. Zelda designed the clothes, Samus studied the methods. The only criticism I have is the name….Sheik. Honestly, a member of Clan Sheikah named Sheik? Only a fool would buy that." Lilly chuckled and shook her head.
"Wait…no…" Samantha shook her head in disbelief. "Sheik…Sheik is mom? Sheik is my mom?" Her eyes grew big as she was in shock at the startling revelation. "Wha…What the fuck is this? What did you-" Grace held up a hand to quell Samantha's rage; to her surprise, it actually worked.
"Samus studied for hours the methods and training you went through. You'd be amazed how much research she did to provide Zelda with all the tools to pass her off as an actual member of Clan Sheikah. And the outfit…" Lilly placed a hand over her heart. "It looks just like yours. Both of them…you'd be so proud." Grace wiped her eyes and smiled.
"Miss Lilly!" The voice called out once more, but Lilly ignored it.
"Well, I suppose I must get going. It's about lunch time. Oh, by the way, Daphnes is…well, back to his old self. Locked away working on…whatever it is he's doing. I wish he'd step outside every once in a while." Lilly remarked under her breath. "Grace, if I may…can you do me one simple favor? Please help Samantha. I feel that perhaps she needs guidance. Please." Finally Grace glanced over at her granddaughter.
"I don't know…she kind of looks like she has a good head on her shoulders." She stated to the princess.
"But…what about Sheik? Did you know?" Samantha questioned the former queen.
"I…" Grace looked away from her. "I felt that it…it wasn't my place to say. I'm sorry." Samantha no longer felt angry at Grace. She was doing what she felt was right. Her anger turned to her mother and the next time she would find her, she would unleash all of her anger.
"I…I'm not mad at you." Her fists still clenched. "Though mom has a lot to answer for."
"Be nice to her." Grace pleaded. "Look, alright. I knew about her…other identity, but why she hid it from you, I don't know. Let me be the one to scold her."
"But-"
"Samantha, I am her mother." Grace spoke with a stern tone. Samantha understood what she was getting at. She nodded and the two looked back at Lilly. Grace stood up and walked towards her friend.
"Are you sure you should be walking to her-"
"Over my dead body." Grace smirked and hugged her friend. Lilly gasped and rubbed her arms.
"Did you see that chill?" Grace questioned the princess. "That's how we let the living know we're here."
"Can we speak to them? Like in a kind of subtle way?" Samantha questioned.
"You need to be very close to them. Both literally and in spirit. Think about it like you can only speak to your closest friends." Grace leaned forward and whispered to her friend.
"Thank you, Lilly." She whispered and Lilly turned her head followed by a big smile.
"I can hear you, Grace. Your voice…it carries in the wind." She smiled. "Give George my regards. And be nice to Wendy. She's your sister for Hylia's sake." She spoke to Grace like she knew she was sitting next to her.
"Miss Lilly!"
"Alright! Shut up! I'm coming!" She yelled back. Samantha lightly laughed and Grace chuckled as well.
"It's wonderful to see that her bitchy attitude hasn't changed. Hylia, I miss you, Lilly." Lilly stood up and began walking away from Grace.
"Same time tomorrow, Grace. Don't be late. I know you, you lazy bitch." She smirked and grabbed the stool and walked back to the castle.
"Asshole." Grace stuck out her tongue before turning back to Samantha.
"Alright, well, shall we get going? There's one more surprise I have and this one is huge!" She began ascending upwards.
"Wait! How do I-"
"Same way you got here. Just imagine yourself floating up." Samantha closed her eyes and she began ascending upwards.
"Thank you…grandma. I'm really happy for that surprise."
"We've got one more."
"What is it?" Samantha tried to pry the answer from the former queen.
"Ah ah ah." She shook her finger. "Not yet. Wait until we get back. You'll see soon enough." Samantha pouted and gave up trying to pry.
"Alright, fine." They ascended and returned to the ship.
"Finally!" Tetra threw her arms up. "Any longer and I'd have left you both here. Can we go?"
"Yes. Let's get going." Grace instructed and they took sail once more.