Chapter 53: Parents and Grandparents
AN: Hey everyone! Just to let you know that the next chapter, will be the last one of this story. I'm in the process of writing it and, once again, I'd like to thank you for being an avid reader of my work. I am proud that I will be finishing my second story and know that people enjoy reading my stories give me a bit of pride. So thank you for reading it and I hope you enjoy this one.
***I don't own anything in this story, so please don't sue me.***
Six long months had passed and Samantha had given birth to her first child. As happy as she was to have a child, she had wanted a girl and her first child was a boy. He had golden yellow fur and bright blue eyes. He was merely four months old and he was seeing snow for the first time in his life. He was inside and watched the tiny snowflakes falling from the sky with awe while his mother gently rocked the carrier back and forth. Samantha's recently appointed maid, Maya, enjoying a cup of coffee while Serena and Krystal were sitting in front of another young boy. His name was David Michael Yvonne and like Rodney, he was an adorable little child. His cheeks were big and puffy, he had brown hair and brown eyes and he was donned in a cute little light red beanie. Serena had given birth to a boy as well and despite how much Virginia wanted to get married, she remembered that her birthday was the same day as her parents' anniversary. She did not want an event like that, so she and Serena agreed to have their children before getting married.
"Isn't it pretty, Rodney? All the snowflakes falling down…it's pretty." She gently cooed. Rodney has with him a stuffed bunny rabbit doll and he was drooling all over her hands like he was trying to eat the doll. "Rodney, we don't eat dolls." Samantha carefully pulled the doll back and as she removed the doll from his mouth, Rodney began crying.
"Rodney, come now…no tears." Samantha said and she cleaned his mouth and wiped the tears from his eyes. She gently held his itty bitty hand and she squealed with excitement as he played with her fingers. "Maya, you want me to bring him to you?" She stood up and walked over to the boy.
"Hi Rodney." She waved with a big smile on her face. Rodney clapping his hands and laughed when he saw the senior maid.
"Aw…he loves you." Samantha laughed. "Do you want to hold him?"
"He should be with his mother. I'll sit in the corner…don't mind me."
"Maya, you're like family to me. Everyone who works here is like family. Everyone who lives here is like family. No one…fucks with my family."
"Samantha!" Krystal's eyes narrowed at the woman. "Not in front of Rodney." Zelda and Samus entered the room and Samantha was hoping no one would say a word.
"Look at you!" Zelda gushed and sat next to her daughter. "My little girl…and my handsome grandson."
"Rodney, look! It's Gram Gram!" Samantha gasped and Rodney reached up for her hand as well. Zelda gave him her hand and the young boy giggled as now he had both his mother and his grandmother's hands.
"Such a silly boy, Rodney." Zelda laughed. Samus knelt down next to David and she gently rubbed his cheek.
"Serena, he's gorgeous." Samus smiled. "Seriously, he's such a cutie pie."
"Well, he is my son." She remarked and the trio of women chuckled. "I'm hoping that he
Marcus and Fox entered the castle before Jackson and Alexander and finally Link and Snake were the last two.
"Is it cold out there?" Krystal teased while sitting by the fire place.
"Actually, no. We did a bit of the work, but Virginia brought some friends from the Aether foundation and the job was pretty simple. Torch, Pyro, Pixie, Braixen, K-9, and a few others made the job really easy. All we had to do was sweep and a little shoveling." Fox laughed. "How's my grandson?"
"Rodney's behaving himself. So is David." Krystal turned and smiled at Serena who was in front of her first child.
"So, are we opening gifts yet? Mom-"
"Patience, Alex." Samus held up her hand. "Our entire family isn't here yet." Just then, Melvin walked up to the royal family. He removed his winter clothes and his shoulders white from snow as he brushed it off on the doormat. "Please excuse me. There was a few snowflakes on the front steps and-"
"Melvin!" Samantha called out. "You don't need to sweep outside. We've got plenty of men. Here, come over here and pour yourself some coffee or hot chocolate. Maya's awfully lonely over there." Samantha pointed to Maya who held up a mug for her husband. Melvin smiled and bowed his head.
"I'm here to inform you-"
"Melvin, I'm ordering you to sit down and enjoy your dirty bean water." Samus informed the man.
"Why don't you call it coffee?" Zelda asked.
"Dirty bean water is more fun." Samus smirked while her wife rolled her eyes and scoffed. Melvin walked over to Maya and accepted the mug before sitting next to her and taking a sip. "Now, you were saying?"
"Well…this makes it more awkward…but, Miss Malon and young Linkle are at the door."
"What?!" Zelda exclaimed and Rodney began crying again.
"Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh…it's okay Rodney…mama's here…don't cry, baby." She gently rocked the carrier and his cries eventually quelled for a moment.
"I got it." Marcus said just before the door opened and a red haired woman along with a young blonde girl entered.
"Brrr….it's colder than ol' Frosty's heart." She rubbed her arms and took deep breaths.
"You alright? We were going to come get you." Link kissed his wife and helped remove his wife and daughter's coat, mittens, scarves, and hats.
"It's alright, daddy. We were brave! We marched through the frozen tundra…our lives were at risk. We were going to die if we turned back. But we saw the light! We knew if we could just-"
"Linkle, you got some clouds in that ol' noggin a' yers." Malon rubbed her daughter's head and Linkle whined.
"Muh-Mom!" She stuttered and stepped away from her mother; her hair now a mess.
"We was in town an' had an'…escort? That what it's called? All the way here. Ain't no tundra…ain't now dyin' out there. We was safe the whole time."
"I'm happy you didn't die, Linkle…where would I'd be without my niece? Oh! The horror! My dearest niece…out there…in the frozen wasteland…" An overdramatic Zelda placed the back of her hand to her forehead and acted out an over-the-top dramatic scenario for her. Linkle giggled and Zelda gave her a smile. "I believed you, dear."
"So, mom-"
"Alright, alright…Alexander. Now we can eat." Zelda stood up and the others also rose. Serena and Samantha carefully picked up their children and followed the others to the dining room.
"Rodney's a cute little bug." Serena gushed. "But David is so much more adorable."
"We're not doing this." Samantha smiled…but the temptation was too much. "Nope. Damn it. Rodney's cuter." Serena laughed as they walked towards the dining room. As they walked in and took their seats, Serena's mother came out along with the other cooks and began setting the table.
"Mom…you don't need to cook. Seriously, you're a guest here-"
"I can't just sit around, Serena. I must do something."
"Grace, I understand your desire to want to be active. But my cooks…they excel at their jobs. Please…let them do it. If you'd like, I can let you cook for them later." Grace seemed disappointed, but she nodded her head and walked towards the bathroom.
"Let me just wash up quick. I'll be right back." She wiped her hands on her shirt and left the room. David began squirming and acting fussy.
"What's wrong, Mr. Fussy?" A foul smell emanated from him. "Alright, let's go David." Serena picked her son up and left the room as well. Samantha figured she'd do the same with Rodney and she left with him almost immediately after Serena left.
Virginia, when are you getting married? Serena's already a princess…you're basically married already. When are you having the official wedding?" Samus asked her daughter.
"I will give birth to all my children before we get married." She stated with a serious tone. "We're having the wedding in the Alola region and all my friends will be there. Sam will be my maid of honor, all my friends from the Aether Foundation will be there, you'll meet all the other friends I've made, I've been planning this out for a long time, mother."
"Can I come?" Linkle asked.
"Linkle, if you didn't attend, I'd be upset." Virginia replied. "As soon as preparations are made, everyone in this room and Mrs. Yvonne will be invited. It'll be the best wedding ever. No offence, Marcus."
"I don't know…our wedding was pretty snazzy." Marcus smirked while an ice type pokémon leapt onto his lap.
"Frosty!" Virginia sternly said to the pokémon. "You can't sit there." The pokémon whine and Marcus began to rub her back.
"It's fine, Virginia. I don't mind." He smiled. Virginia did bring the other pokémon with her back to Hyrule. But unfortunately, Quad didn't want to leave and neither did Psy or Ghost; the abra and ghastly whom was to be a gift for the boys. However, Torch and her sisters refused to leave Virginia's dies, so Virginia brought the eevee siblings with her to the castle. Hyrule had a small army of pokémon pets living within her walls; enough to make up for the absence of the late Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule.
"She's so cute, though…" Krystal smiled and Frosty hopped to her lap.
"Frosty!" Virginia yelped and the young pokémon looked up and frowned. Krystal massaged her neck and the icy pokémon purred.
"Alright, you…go spend time with your siblings." Krystal gently nudged her back and the young girl hopped down and walked towards her siblings and her friends. Next to them was Samantha's absol, Abby. Zelda's gardevoir, Yuki also walked in and though she had lived in the castle for six months, she was still nervous of large groups.
"Yuki…come sit with us." Zelda stood up and pulled a chair for her to sit in. Yuki quickly rushed to the queen and sat in the chair. Zelda pushed it in and took the seat next to her. "Don't be scared, sweetie. No one is going to hurt you." Yuki hesitated for a minute before smiling at the queen. Serena and Samantha returned with their children before Grace came back and took their seats. Serena sat next to Virginia and the empty seat that her mother would take and Samantha sat in between Marcus and Linkle.
"Can I…can I see Rodney?" Linkle asked as Samantha put Rodney in his carrier.
"Sure. Rodney, you remember cousin Linkle?" Samantha asked and Linkle waved at the young fox who began crying again.
"Was it something I did?" Linkle panicked.
"He's probably hungry." Samantha said and had a bottle nearby. She picked the boy up and held the bottle in front of him. Rodney began slowly sucking the bottle and eating while David was fast asleep next to Serena. Serena carefully put David in his carrier and moved away from the table to give her son her full attention. Braixen and Sunny approached the children. Sunny was the second oldest of the eevee siblings and he was a leafeon. The two were next to David and the child reached out for something.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Grace asked.
"Later. Right now…I just want to watch David. He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping." Serena smiled while she gently rocked the baby seat carrier.
"I propose a toast before we eat…Samantha, no need to raise your glass." Samantha smirked at her mom.
"I'll just raise Rodney." Samantha joked and her brothers laughed.
"No matter where we have started or where our lives may take us…may we forever stay in touch and always remember that we are one. Our ties are forever and this family will remain strong for as long as we live. To family."
"To family." Everyone went around and clinked their glasses before placing food on their plates. It was a grand feast that looked almost like a Thanksgiving meal; however, this was Hyrule and the meals in Hyrule were always top notch. Turkey, mashed potatoes, beets, stuffing, two different kinds of gravy, glazed hams, non-alcoholic champagne bottles for the kids underage, bottles of white wine for the adults…it was quite the sight to behold. Samantha smiled as the rest of her family began eating.
"We should really wait for Samantha." Zelda inquired.
"Mom, go on and eat. Rodney's hungry and it wouldn't be motherly of me to ignore my son's hunger."
"You're learning…almost as well as you've learned magic." She smiled. Samantha focused on her drink and held out her hand. Her drink gently lifted off the table and slowly made its way to Samantha. Before she grabbed it, the glass began shaking slightly and Samantha grabbed it before it made a mess.
"That was really good!" Zelda smiled. "You've come quite a ways in such a short amount of time. Granted, your sister's much further along, but that's only because-"
"She didn't have a child. I know, mom." She smiled. Samantha turned and saw her sister was using her magic almost at free will. A flick of the wrist and a spoonful of mashed potatoes dropped on her plate; she moved two fingers and chicken gravy drizzled on top of the potatoes. She pointed with her other hand to the turkey and motioned for it to come to her. Two large slices of turkey floated to her place and gracefully set down on her plate. She reached out with a pinky and curled it back and some beets moved to her plate; all without dropping a drop onto the table.
"Wow…look at you. So fancy and all that." Jackson smirked and spoke between bites.
"So classy…" Alexander teased and took a sip from his drink.
"So, Snake…how did you meet Zelda?" Grace questioned the man.
"I am friends with Samus. She introduced us." He stated as he took a bite of food.
"But you're so…mysterious…"
"I am a man who likes my secrets. The less people know, the better." He replied. "If you are concerned about your daughter's well-being, rest assured…I have ensured Virginia and Serena's safety."
"But…it doesn't concern you that even though we are family-"
"Not a bit." Snake added and took another bite.
"You can't even off the slightest bit of information to me?" She pouted and Serena's face turned red from embarrassment.
"I provide information to people." Snake said.
"What kind of information?"
"It's not necessary to delve into that."
"Please?"
"No." Snake took his glass and took a sip.
"You're a really tough cookie, Mr. Snake." Grace folded her arms and huffed with anger.
"Perhaps." He remarked and continued eating.
"Grace, there's really no point in trying to pry more information out of him. Snake is…he's not going to give you any more information." Krystal mentioned. "Secrecy is his thing."
"Really? Is Snake even your real name?" She asked. Serena was going to speak up, but Virginia turned and shook her head. Serena swallowed her words and looked back at her sleeping son.
"Virginia?" Grace asked.
"I call him father." He replied and he smirked before hiding his smile. She knew that he appreciated that she kept his name a secret.
"Serena?" She asked. Snake looked at her with concern, but Serena shrugged and looked back at her son. "Well, fine." She gave a heavy sigh and resumed eating. On the other side of the table, Linkle kept glancing at her cousin who was finished eating and now playing with a giant fuzzy dice block.
"Linkle, eat your food before it gets cold." Link nudged his daughter.
"Linkle, I promise I'll let you play with Rodney when you're done. But right now, I'll feel a whole lot better if you eat."
"Ut-" Linkle protested with her mouth full.
"Linkle, don't talk with your mouth full." Samantha sternly stated to her. The young girl swallowed her food and spoke.
"But what if someone takes him?"
"Takes my son?" Samantha smirked. "They won't."
"But-"
"Linkle…" Samantha repeated. "Please eat. When you're done, we'll switch places." Samantha looked down and her son had a few of his fingers in his mouth before reaching up to his mother. Samantha kissed his cheeks multiple times and the baby laughed while Samantha pulled away. She smiled and kissed his other cheek and pulled away while he giggled again.
"Mommy loves you, Rodney." She smiled at her young child and let him wrap his hand around her finger. "You're so cute." She whispered to him. "You're going to be the greatest king in Hyrule's history. The great Rodney Nohansen McCloud." Samantha felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Marcus sit next to her and smile at her wife and her son.
"Rodney, look! It's daddy." She smiled at the young boy. Rodney smiled upon seeing his father and held the boy's hand.
"Why don't you go eat, hun? I'll take care of him." Marcus said and she stood up.
"Don't have too much fun." She laughed and walked towards the table. She began helping herself to the food and her stomach began growling.
"Good thing you're about to eat." Samus smirked as Samantha placed a spoonful of green bean casserole in her mouth.
"Mmm." She nodded and continued eating. Virginia had finished eating and went to trade places with Serena so she could also eat. Serena walked to the table and she licked her lips with anticipation.
"Everything looks amazing. I don't know where to start." Serena ended up grabbing some ham and some mashed potatoes to fill her plate.
"All done. Daddy? Sam?" Link looked over at her daughter for an answer.
"Alright, Linkle." Samantha nodded and took another bite. Linkle's chair moved back and she walked over to Marcus and Rodney.
"She loves that kid." Link mentioned to the princess.
"Kind of like how my dad loves me." Samantha's cheeks blushed a bit red.
"Well…your dad would be proud of you." Link joked with his daughter.
"My dad's an asshole." She said quietly and Link chuckled alongside Samantha.
"Just like your mother." He shook his head and Samantha laughed again. "I'm proud of you, Sam. You're a good mother."
"I had three great examples. My parents and Aunt Malon." She spoke with pride and the two clinked their glasses. They took a sip and watched Linkle playing peak-a-boo with Rodney. Every time she opened her hands and made a silly face at the young boy, they could hear his laugh from the table.
"I wonder if I was that easily entertained when I was a baby."
"Babies are easily entertained. You'll spend hundreds of dollars on toys, just to figure out your child loves hearing the sound of bubble wrap." He smiled and took another bite of his food. "How's your sleep schedule, by the way?" He smirked and already knew the answer.
"I haven't had a good night's sleep in forever." She smiled and took another bite of food.
"Is it worth it?" Link asked.
"Mmhmm." She nodded with her mouth full of food. She swallowed and cleaned her mouth with a napkin. "If I knew it would be this tough, I'd happily go through this again."
"See? You're going to be a great mother." Link repeated and with that, she finished her meal in peace. She cleaned her plate and looked back at her son. Linkle was humming the song that her mother played all the time at Lon Lon Ranch. She gently moved his arms from side to side while Marcus watched them with a smile. Rodney didn't cry or laugh, but he did smile from time to time while Linkle hummed.
"You think he's going to be a dancer when he's older?" Marcus asked the young girl.
"If he wants to, let me teach him!" Linkle begged. "I'm a good teacher!"
"For now, you'll have to settle for Linkle, the babysitter." Marcus laughed and he got up and walked back to Samantha. In his place, Abby walked up to the carrier and place a paw on the seat to begin rocking him gently.
"Look at you two. It's the perfect team!" Marcus laughed along with his wife and Link.
"Marcus…those two things. Galeem and Dharkon…"
"Don't think about it, Sam." His voice became hushed and serious. "I don't know when or even if they're coming back. We can't prove they're actually real."
"That's what they said about Tabuu and he was very much real. I'm only asking-"
"Don't."
"Marcus-"
"I can't lose you, Sam. That…I'd rather die than lose you or Rodney."
"Marcus-"
"I need you, Sam. You are so very important to me…I don't want to even consider that idea. If those two forces come, we'll fight and we'll win."
"How do you know? That book…Rafiel read it to me…they're power is unlike any mortal God that exists…without the guardian, they have ability to conquer whole universes in the blink of an eye. "
"So we'll fight. We'll fight in a month, or two months…or four months. Or a year, or two, or ten, or twenty…we'll fight and we'll win. Now please, let's not dwell on that." Samantha put aside her worries and watched Linkle playing with her son.
"Hey Linkle…you mind watching over David as well?" Serena asked and Set David next to Rodney. To ensure she didn't have too much stress, Braixen and Sunny walked over to the young man. Sunny was the second oldest of the eevee siblings and to anyone else, he was known as a leafeon. David reached out for something and Sunny leaned in to lick his cheek. David laughed and his hand gently rubbed Sunny's nose. Sunny returned to a sitting position and looked over at Abby who was still gently rocking Rodney back and forth. Sunny copied the movement of Abby and Linkle then sat down and watched the pokémon work while she rested.
"My, my…Linkle is the great cousin." Maya commented and walked over to Samantha. "Your highness, may I clear the table?"
"Only the empty plates. We'll take care of the leftovers."
"Nonsense! I'll package those as well." Maya began clearing the table and bringing the dirty dishes to the kitchen to wash them herself. As Samantha's senior maid, her duties were more diligent than the other maids. While their primary focus was keeping the castle and the rooms clean, Maya's job was to focus on the more specific details. In addition to fulfilling any personal request Samantha had, she also had to wash her family's clothes, pick up and wash their dishes, clean the table…she worked not only for Samantha, but her immediate family. Virginia declined to have a senior maid and Jackson and Alexander wanted their own independence so they also rejected having a senior maid. Samantha looked at Marcus with a smile.
"Our next one will be a girl."
"And if it's a boy?" Samantha paused and frowned for a moment.
"I'll still love him, but…I'd really like a girl." She insisted and he nodded his head.
"I'll try to deliver on that promise." He replied. Meanwhile, Virginia had finished eating and she was sitting in a chair with Cosmo on her lap while she gently rubbed his back.
"Serena…" Virginia whispered. "Kiawe and I are…um…you know…"
"It's tomorrow? Well…he'll be gentle. Kiawe is such a sweetheart."
"I'm scared." Virginia gulped hard. "What if…what if it hurts?"
"It'll be alright. Kiawe won't hurt you, honey. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body." Serena smiled and snickered. "Heh…bone."
"Serena, focus!"
"Look, he's be super careful with you. And it does feel good after a while."
"Really?" Virginia whispered in surprise.
"It'll all work out, I promise. I'll be here every step of the way and your parents will help out in any way they can. Don't worry." David began crying out and instead of rushing to his side, Serena nudged her wife.
"Virginia-"
"I got it." She stood up and approached her young son. She picked him up from the carrier and gently cradled him in her arms.
"Hey now, David…don't cry. Mommy's here…" She gently and quietly began shushing her son and he calmed down. "That's it, David." Virginia kissed his cheeks and he grabbed her nose. "You're a silly boy, David. You're mommy's silly little boy." He smiled at his mother and she placed him back in the carrier and left the dining hall. "Serena? Care to join me?" the brunette woman nodded her head and stood up, followed by her pokémon and most of the eevee siblings. Those that remained were Frosty, Zap, Little E, and Aqua. As the second sibling left, Samantha leaned back and exhaled with a hand on her stomach. She groaned and lowered her head.
"Regrets?" Marcus smirked.
"Nope. A full belly is a happy belly." She gently tapped her stomach and exhaled once more. "Better check on Rodney." She slowly got up and walked over to her son with Marcus in tow. The two knelt down as Linkle and Abby backed up.
"Hi Rodney!" Samantha said with glee. Rodney smiled and moved around with excitement upon seeing his mother. Samantha gently grabbed his hands and slowly moved them like he was fighting.
"Rodney dodges a kick and he's going for his finishing move…" She gently moved his arms forward and back; making her own sound effects to heighten the pretend drama. "And he's won!" She whispered with excitement and raised his arms in the air. "You champion…for the twenty fifth time…Rodney McCloud!" She imitated the sound of the crowd cheering for her son. "Rodney…Rodney…Rodney…"
"Twenty five championships?" Marcus asked.
"Our kid? Absolutely. In fact, thirty seems a little on the low side?"
"Thirty? Now, you're crazy." The two laughed and Rodney began babbling some incoherent nonsense.
"Daddy and I love you very much Prince Rodney Nohansen McCloud." Rodney yawned and gently rubbed his eyes.
"You tired, big guy?" Marcus asked. "How about we go for a walk?" Marcus picked up the carrier and exited the room along with his wife, Abby, and the remaining eevee siblings behind them. All that was left were the parents, the two princes of Hyrule, and Linkle.
"Your highness, what a wonderful feast. Truly that was-"
"Grace…no need to be so formal. You can tone it back a bit." Samus motioned for her to tone it down.
"Really, Grace…there's no need to be so formal all the time." Krystal reassured her. "We're all family here, there's no need for titles between any of us. Just first names is fine."
"Sorry, I…it's…well, it's a lot to take in. My little girl is the princess of an entire country."
"She's a fine example of what Hyrule nobles are expected to be. She fits right in with our children." Zelda added while Maya cleaned up the rest of the plates. "Grace, you may call me Zelda. It's quite alright."
"It's not offensive? I don't want to haunt my daughter's reputation."
"It's fine." Samus finished off her drink and set it in front of her. "We love Serena and she's as close to us as our own children and grandchildren. We feel that you are one of us as well."
"One of us…one of us…one of us…" Samus and Fox began chanting before the table snickered and Krystal and Zelda gently hit their spouse's arms.
"Fox…" Krystal smiled and shook her head.
"Samus, behave yourself." Zelda sternly told the woman. Grace chuckled at the joke Fox and Samus were playing.
"So becoming a royal in Hyrule is a cult?" She joked.
"No! It's a proud tradition and an honor for-"
"Zelda, I'm pretty sure she's joking." Link took a sip of his drink. Zelda looked back and blushed with embarrassment.
"I…I didn't know. I'm so sorry."
"It's alright." Grace smiled. "I'm getting more comfortable by the minute. But…" She turned her head towards Maya. "Are you sure you don't need help cleaning those dishes?"
"You're too kind, Miss Yvonne. But it's my job to wash them. I can't disappoint Sam or much less the Hylian queens. To fail them…or even show the slightest disrespect-"
"Maya…you're alright. The only rule we made was to take care of Sam. You're doing that quite well. If Grace insists on helping you, I will allow you free choice to decide if you want it. There will be no repercussions should you accept aid."
"In that case…Miss Yvonne…if you are willing to help."
"Of course! Of course. Lead the way." She stood up and followed the maid into the kitchen. Jackson, Alexander, and Linkle ran outside to go play in the snow which now left only the closest of friends in the dining hall.
"When was the last time we were altogether?" Link smiled.
"It's been too long." Zelda replied.
"What a time to be alive…" Fox nodded his head.
"Let's see…destroy an ultimate guardian from another world? Check." Samus made an imaginary check mark with a pretend pencil in her hand.
"But what about those other things? Galeem and Dharkon." Krystal asked with worry. "When will they arrive? And will we be powerful enough to stop them?" The room fell silent and everyone suddenly became worried of what the future might bring.
"We'll win." Snake replied from the end of the table. "Six months ago, we fought a guardian being known as Tabuu. The odds were against us and, in any other circumstance, we may have lost. But we didn't. We persevered and endured the hellish onslaught that was presented in front of us. We did not bend, nor did we break upon the fight and the result was that we won. So whenever these forces arrive, we shall go on to the end. We shall fight in Hyrule. We shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength. Whether it be from assistance in the form of the laguz tribe, or beorcs. We shall defend our homes. We shall fight for what's right and as long we are together, the important fact to remember is that we fight together." The room went silent once more and finally Link nodded his head.
"Yeah…that's a good speech, Snake."
"It's also completely ripped off of Winston Churchill." Samus remarked. "Why not go all the way with the whole 'we shall fight on the beaches! We shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.'" Samus added.
"His speech is relevant to what we plan to do, correct?" Snake asked his friend. Samus' attitude was put in check and she looked away.
"Yeah…" She said quietly.
"I don't know about the rest of you…" Zelda slapped her thighs and stood up. "This conversation is making me depressed. "I wish to spend my time with my grandchildren and now dwelling on what may or may not happen in the future. For all we know, it could happen when we are long gone."
"Zelda's right." Krystal stood up. "Worrying about it now will do no good for anyone. "We must focus on the present and live in the moment." With that, Krystal and Zelda left to spend time with their grandchild.
"We best be seein' what mess Linkle got herself into." Malon stood up and Link followed her out.
"Actually, I really want to see what David and Rodney think of the snow. Melvin! You coming?"
"Right behind you, sir." Melvin stood up and walked out now leaving Samus and Snake alone.
"Shall we go?" Snake asked the queen.
"You're holding something back." Samus said quietly and stiff; like she was scared for the answer.
"I don't know what you're-"
"Don't LIE to me, David!" She knocked a glass off the table and it shattered against the ground. "How long do we have?" Snake did not immediately reply.
"I'm not doing this to you."
"How long…do we have?" Samus asked; refusing to back down and restrained her anger. Snake gulped hard and looked down.
"If I did the math correctly…I'd say five years? Maybe ten?" He said. "Samus, I'm begging you not to tell anyone. If Zelda knows that bit of information…it would destroy her. She would crumble before our very eyes and the others…" He shook his head.
"Five to ten years, huh?" A voice spoke up and both Samus and Snake looked at the hallway. Fox was standing there alone.
"Fox-"
"I'm not telling anyone, you both know that. But Snake…Samus and I both know when you're keeping secrets. I also knew that Samus would never open up her true emotions with anyone else there. Snake, can I ask…you can't see into the future, right?"
"No." He replied.
"Damn." Fox looked down, dejected. "I was going to ask…if we have five years…who makes it? And who bites the bullet?"
"Even if I knew the answer, Fox…is that something you'd truly wish to know?" There was a pause that felt like an eternity before Fox spoke up.
"…no. I wouldn't." He replied. "Samus, we can not tell anyone. Not now…not yet."
"But they're coming…Fox, I don't know if I can do it again. I mean, look at us! We're not exactly in our youth anymore."
"Sam is getting better. Virginia is as well. Alex, Jack, Marcus, Serena, plus all the new allies we made in Fódlan…we've got a capable army, Samus. We don't need to be on the front lines anymore."
"But a queen's duty is to her country. If they attack Hyrule-"
"They won't."
"Fox." She spoke with a serious tone. "If push comes to shove…would you be willing to lay down your life to protect those who you swore to protect? If they come after Corneria…"
"Yes. I'd be willing to die to ensure others can live." Samus closed her eyes and quietly cried.
"I feel like maybe we're going to make that decision in five years." Samus wiped her tears and walked away. "Rodney! Where's my dear, sweet, grandson?" Samus turned back on the charm and left the two men alone.
"Can I be honest with you, David?" Fox asked. He never used Snake's real name unless he was about to say something dear and personal to his heart.
"Whatever you wish. You know I'm good with keeping secrets."
"When I saw my parents for the first time…there was a part of me that didn't want to leave. I was content with remaining dead. And, I want to grow old and see my grandchildren grow up…but…all I can think about is going back. Is that selfish of me?"
"Fox, you're a good man. Your parents love you very much…but James would want you to live. Vixy would want you to live. As much as they want you back, they know you are very important to many people here. Your family needs you. Krystal, Zelda, Samus, Sam, Marcus, Virginia, Serena, Jackson, Alex…I need you as well, Fox. You're important to us. If you leave us, you're taking a part of us with you. I don't know what the future brings…but, please don't leave us." Fox smiled before wiping his eyes and as Snake stood up, Fox hugged the man.
"Thank you, David. I needed that." They broke the hug and looked towards the entryway.
"Now, if you don't mind…I'd like to see my daughter."
"Can't we stay together a little while longer?" Fox jokingly asked.
"Does your wife know you're with me?" Fox laughed and Snake smirked at the man.
"Probably not." He tapped his shoulder and the two walked towards the exit of the room and towards their children and their grandchildren. Questions of the future loomed, but for now, they would live in the moment and cherish what they had before them.