Ok, so we have a REALLY loaded chapter right here, what with everyone meeting, all the introductions between them, backstories, oh and not to mention Zelink! :D Can't help it, they the OTP so if you aint for it, then deal! (sorry if that was kinda mean, but whatever) So yeah, this is super long and really jammed packed with a lot of stuff, so I won't keep you here too long! Let's get to it!
Chapter 17: Reunion of the Ages
The bright orange afternoon sun shined down bright upon the brittle, earthen ground of southern Hyrule. It was a largely abandoned place that few ever saw need to go to, but it was about to become filled to the brim with the bulk of Hyrule's army as a bright light flashed across the rocky earth.
Lana, Agitha, and Midna were the first to arrive. Considering the deal they had made to take down Cia together, the Twilight Princess had of course demanded to accompany the white sorceress to the present, which Lana had allowed seeing as how Midna had shown she was more than capable of handling herself. Though the members of the Resistance were excellent allies, they had dutifully decided to stay behind in their native era, opting to take care of all of the remaining monster still plaguing the land. The insect princess, on the other hand, was a different story. Both Lana and Midna had tried their best to convince Agitha to remain in the era of Twilight, the young girl was insistent upon going with them, innocently claiming that she wanted to continue "playing" with her newfound friends. Of course, the white sorceress and the Twilight Princess both knew she was referring to fighting, a very dangerous activity for such a wide-eyed, precocious child to engage in. And yet, Agitha was adamant. It took a near temper tantrum on her part to get the two older women to agree to bring her along, though even as they did so, Lana made an unspoken vow to herself and the insect princess that she would not let anything happen to such a friendly, kind-hearted young girl, even in the heat of the no-doubt violent battles ahead of them.
The trio arrived in the Hyrule of the preset through a portal that Lana had created, instantly transporting them from the Twilight Realm to the earthy space. The white sorceress's forces also followed, dismissed by their young leader to go out a ways to set up camp while her and her allies waited for everyone else to show up.
"So, this is what Hyrule's gonna look like in the future, huh?" Midna asked, her hands on her hips as she looked around with an unimpressed look on her face. "And I thought the Hyrule of my time was empty…"
"Well, this is only a small part of it," Lana said with an amused grin. "I thought this would be a good meeting place for us and my other allies to reunite. They should be here anytime."
"More friends?" Agitha asked with a cheerful smile, glancing up from the Goddess Butterfly perched on her finger. "Hooray! We're going to have so much fun together!"
The Twilight Princess rolled her eyes upon hearing this, not even bothering to make a sarcastic remark as she turned to the white sorceress. "So… do your other allies know about… you and Cia?" she asked, remembering everything Lana had told them about her connection to the black witch before they left the era of Twilight.
Lana sighed and shook her head, realizing that she would have to come clean to them too once they returned, especially now that the Gate of Souls had been closed in each era. "No," she said with remorse in her voice. "I haven't told them… I guess it's because I was… ashamed to let them all know that I had been too weak to stand against the evil presence that found its way into Cia, into us… I didn't want them to think that I was on her side in all of this…"
"Well of course you're not on her side!" Midna exclaimed as if it were obvious. "You couldn't be any more different than Cia!"
The white sorceress smiled at her ally, glad for the reminder that her and the black witch were no longer one and the same. Unlike Cia, Lana still had her morals in check. "Thanks, Midna," she said, feeling a little less burdened. "I just hope that they can forgive me for lying to them this whole time…"
"I don't see why they wouldn't," the Twilight Princess said with a smirk, glancing over at Agitha, who was happily engrossed with an ant mound she had happened across nearby.
Before the white sorceress could say anything else, a flash of light shined across the area briefly, signaling the appearance of a new portal. Fortunately, Lana had thought ahead and, upon creating the portal that she, Midna and Lana had used, she also connected to the portals in the other two eras, redirecting them so that they would all conveniently end up in the same place in the Hyrule of the present. The Twilight Princess only casually glanced over her shoulder for a brief moment as the white sorceress watched with anticipation to see who would arrive first, wondering if it would be the hero or the two Sheikahs. However, who did come through the portal caught her by surprise quite a bit.
Lana watched with wary confusion as a metallic, feminine-like figure glided gracefully out of the portal, her winged arms hanging down at her side and her expression cold and emotionless. This mysterious being locked her gaze onto the trio of young women who stood before her, all of them giving her awed, wondering gazes.
"Who-" the white sorceress began to ask, but before she could even get another word out, she was interrupted by the insect princess.
"Wow!" Agitha exclaimed with absolute delight, rushing forward towards the empty-eyed figure. "You're the biggest butterfly I've ever seen!"
"Correction," the ethereal being said in a monotonous voice. "I am not an insect. I am the spirit of the Goddess Sword, created by the goddess Hylia. My given name is Fi."
The insect princess frowned a bit in disappointment upon finding out that the sword spirit was not a butterfly as she had hoped, but she quickly got over it by continuing to hunt for bugs nearby. All the while, however, Lana and Midna continued to stare at Fi in amazement, neither of them really sure of what to make of her.
"So… what exactly are you supposed to be again?" the Twilight Princess asked, placing her hands on her hips as she gave the sword spirit a caustic glance.
"The spirit of the Goddess Sword," Fi said calmly. "Are there any further inquiries that you have, Princess of Twilight?"
"Wha- How did you know who I am?" Midna asked, taken aback.
"I am knowledgeable in many things," the sword spirit articulated eloquently. "Through my scans, I am able to deduce the identities of most objects and beings, including yourself." She paused for a brief moment, looking away from the awed Twilight Princess to turn to the equally wide-eyed white sorceress. "You are the white sorceress, the one called 'Lana', correct?" she asked, though it was clear she already knew the answer.
"Um… yes," Lana said, blinking her shock away. "Yes, I am."
Fi nodded in confirmation before she continued. "My Master sent me ahead of him to tell you that he shall be arriving here shortly," she reported. "He wished to bid farewell to our other allies who were unable to accompany us to this era."
"Your… Master?" the white sorceress asked, raising an eyebrow. However, before the sword spirit could offer an explanation, another figure stepped through the portal, one that Lana did recognize this time.
Link let out a sigh of relief as he arrived back in his own time, struggling to walk a bit with the temporary makeshift crutch he had forced himself to walk with in light of his still-injured leg. However, he wasn't that concerned with it as Fi had assured him that with a bit of fairy magic, it would heal almost immediately, which gave the hero no excuse to keep his other allies waiting. Though Link had tried to convince Groose, Pipit, and Karane to join their efforts in standing against Cia and her forces in the present, they had humbly turned him down, knowing that the damage done to Skyloft would have to be repaired and that their assistance would be needed there. And so Link and Fi had gone alone, the sword spirit vowing to accompany the hero in battle regardless of any obstacles that stood in their way.
"Hey!" Lana smiled happily upon seeing the hero safely return as the Twilight Princess had gone back to watching the insect princess as she frolicked around, hoping to keep the young girl safe in case anything were to befall her. "Look who's back! How did things go in the era of the sky, Link?"
Upon hearing that name, Midna's attention was immediately caught. Her eyes growing wide, she spun around quickly, taking in a gasp of shock as she saw the hero, who returned the white sorceress's friendly grin. Time seemed to freeze for the Twilight Princess, who had missed him for so long and yet now it was as though he had somehow returned to her yet again. Memories of their precious time together flooded her mind as she pushed back tears, and for the longest time she remained floating frozen in the air, not even bothering to wonder why he had not paid her any attention whatsoever as he engaged Lana in casual conversation. "L-Link…" Midna choked softly, her voice for once to small and soft to be heard. She could scarcely believe it, and yet there he was, right before her very eyes. Indeed, it seemed as though the white sorceress had fulfilled the promise she had made to reunite them already. And as emotions continued to overwhelm the Twilight Princess, she found that she could remain silent and still no longer.
"Link!" Midna exclaimed, unable to keep her tears back this time as she flew towards him, a huge smile gracing her features. The hero looked away from the white sorceress only for a moment before the small imp barreled into him, nearly knocking him to the ground due to his injured leg. He was completely taken aback as this strange, impish being locked him in a firm embrace, having no idea how she knew her name or why she was being so forward with him enough to hug him so suddenly. All the while, Lana stood by, her eyes wide with sudden fear as she realized the mistake she had made in not properly introducing them first, only it was too late to fix it now.
"Oh, I missed you so much, my little wolf!" Midna gushed, a hint of joyous laughter, something that was quite different from her usual cold manner. "I can't believe how much you've changed! Where'd you get this fancy little scarf from? It's not really your style, you know…"
Link was thrown off by the Twilight Princess's joking tone as he weakly tried to break free from her tight embrace. However, after a moment or two, Midna let him go on her own volition, coming to glide only a few feet in front of him as she continued to give him a clever smirk. "So," she said coyly, still not letting the hero get a word in edgewise. "Have you missed me as much as I think you have these past few months?"
"Um… Do I… know you?" Link asked a bit hesitantly, giving her a look of bewilderment as he took in her unique appearance, unsure of what race she was even of.
Midna's warm smile faded for a brief moment, before she simply laughed his confusion off. "Oh, I get it!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes at him. "You're just kidding. Well, I have to admit you almost got me there, little wolf. But you should know by now that nothing gets past me!"
"I'm sorry… I really don't have any idea of what you're talking about…" the hero said with a frown. "I… think you might have me confused with someone else…"
"Ok, that whole act was cute the first time around," the Twilight Princess said, crossing her arms and giving him a disapproving scowl. "Now it's starting to get annoying. Has it really been that long enough for you to forget about me: Midna?!"
"Um, actually…" Lana said a bit awkwardly, finally cutting in as she came to stand between the two of them. She could tell from Midna's expression that the Twilight Princess was becoming increasingly frustrated, not that it was Link's fault though. "Midna, there's something you should-"
"Hold up a minute, Lana," Midna said, turning to the white sorceress with a genuine smile. "I… Well, I don't normally do this, but… I just wanted to thank you. I mean, who knew you'd be able to reunite me and Link so soon!"
"Well…" the white sorceress said a bit guiltily, glancing over at the hero, who was still just as confused as ever. "I' really sorry to tell you this, Midna, but… he's not your Link… He's the hero of our time, not the Hero of Twilight…"
"W-what?" the Twilight Princess asked, completely appalled by this information. Her eyes were wide as she looked back to Link, who wasn't entirely sure of what to say at this juncture. "But you look just like…" she trailed off for a long moment, giving him a closer look than she had before now that her excitement had worn off. And indeed, she was now able to notice the difference between this hero and her own. Aside from the blue scarf hanging upon his shoulders, the green of his tunic was a brighter shade of green and he was a little less muscular than the Hero of Twilight. His hair was also lighter and more golden compared to the darker, subdued locks Midna had known in her hero, and while their features and eyes were nearly identical, his were a somewhat innocent sky blue instead of a more mature dark cobalt. The Twilight Princess felt her heart sink upon realizing that Lana had been right; as much as she wanted to believe otherwise, this was not the Link she knew. "Oh…" Midna sighed after a long moment or two, glancing down away from him in disappointment. "You're… you're not…" Once again, she found herself unable to finish her statement as she took in an uneven breath, turning away from the hero and quickly gliding away from him, lest her emotions overflow completely.
Link and Lana exchanged a concerned glance as they watched the Twilight Princess retreat a few feet away from them, both of them able to see that she was clearly upset. "Midna," the white sorceress called out, stepping forward to explain things to the Twilight Princess fully before the hero unexpectedly stopped her.
"I'll go talk to her," Link said with more confidence than he actually had, for he really wasn't sure what he was going to say to the distraught Twili imp.
"Are you sure, Link?" Lana asked with a frown, feeling guilty for not telling the Twilight Princess about the hero of her time and his no-doubt close semblance to the Hero of Twilight beforehand.
The hero simply nodded in response as he went on ahead, the remainder of his troops emerging out of the portal in his wake to join the rest of the army. Link slowly limped over towards Midna until he was standing beside her, though she still did not bother to look his way as she intentionally glanced the opposite direction, crossing her arms and pouting bitterly.
"Um… Listen," Link began calmly, trying his hardest not to make this situation any more awkward than it already was. "I'm sorry I'm not… who you thought I was…"
The Twilight Princess shrugged diffidently, still not looking over at him as she spoke in a soft, yet sour tone. "Eh, it's not like it's your fault," she said rather coldly, not really in the mood to converse with him. "I guess it was pretty stupid of me to think I'd see him again so soon… It's just… you look so much like him…"
Much to Midna's surprise, the hero laughed good-naturedly at this. "Well, you don't have to feel too bad about it," he said, giving her a friendly grin. "After all, I've kind of gotten used to people confusing me for other heroes. I guess it's just something that comes with the title."
The Twilight Princess couldn't help but chuckle at this, somewhat amazed that this new hero was able to cheer her up so quickly, despite not being the Hero of Twilight she still missed so much. "Goddesses, you even have his stupid sense of humor," she said jokingly as she turned to face him at last. "I really am sorry for the confusion though. You see, I teamed up with Lana and little miss 'insect princess' over there to save my realm, and she promised me that she'd help me reunite with the Link of my time. The two of us were pretty close, but once his journey was over… well, we had to say goodbye… But when I saw you…" She trailed off once more, sighing and shaking her head wistfully. "I guess it was too good to be true…"
Link frowned as he heard all this, feeling genuinely sorry for her. "Well, why don't we just start all over then?" he asked, extending his hand out to her as he gave her a kind smile. "I'm Link. But… I guess you already knew that."
"I'm Midna," the Twilight Princess said with a coy grin as she shook his hand, realizing the irony of the fact that her first meeting with her own hero was nothing as formal as this. "Princess of the Twilight Realm."
"You're a princess?" Link asked with intrigue, still grinning at her. "No offense, but you're not really like any princess I've ever met. Then again, I've only ever met one other princess…"
"Well thanks," Midna said flatly, rolling her eyes sarcastically. "But just for the record, I normally don't look like this. I was cursed by that crazy witch. Believe me; most of the time, my beauty is beyond compare!"
"I'll take your word for it," the hero said with a laugh, though he fully believed her. However, before the pair had any time to engage in any further conversation, the insect princess skipped up to both of them cheerfully, beaming as a dragonfly flittered above her outstretched palm.
"Miss Kitty, look!" Agitha exclaimed, proud of her newest insect friend. "Isn't this dragonfly absolutely beautiful?!"
"Sure, kid," the Twilight Princess said dully, rolling her eyes at the girl's usual over-enthusiasm about bugs. "Whatever. And what have I told you about a thousand times before? I'm not a cat!"
"Whatever you say, Miss Kitty!" the insect princess giggled, not really hearing the Twili imp as she turned her attention to the hero, who was watching the entire exchange with amusement. "Oh, boy!" the girl exclaimed with excitement. "You're wearing so much green that you remind me of a grasshopper! Are you a friend of Miss Lana's?"
"I am," Link said, giving her an outgoing grin as he slowly knelt down to her level, cringing a bit as he felt a small pain ripple through his injured leg, though he didn't let that stop him. After all, he always had a soft spot for children. "My name is Link. What's yours?"
"You have the privilege of speaking with Princess Agitha of the insect kingdom," the girl said, giving him a bright smile and a curtsey.
"Another princess?" the hero asked, raising an eyebrow as he let out a good-natured laugh, deciding to play along with the insect princess, even though the Twilight Princess shook her head as she glided nearby. "Well, it's an honor to meet you, your majesty."
Agitha giggled happily as the hero kissed the back of her extended hand as a formality, knowing that very few adults ever took her title as the insect princess seriously. Midna couldn't help but grin slyly at Link as he rose to stand once more, knowing that her own hero would have kindly encouraged the young girl in the exact same way. And, all the while, Lana watched the encounter from afar, holding her hand over her heart as she felt a sudden pang of longing, one that she felt guilty for in light of all that had happened, but one that she could scarcely suppress all the same.
"Excuse me, Miss Lana," Fi cut in, breaking through the white sorceress's thoughts. "Seeing as how my Master is busy, I see it fit to deliver this report to you instead. From a recent scan, I am able to sense that another portal is about to break through to this area from another area approximately… now."
Almost as soon as the sword spirit said this, another bright light flashed across the area as the last portal opened up. Link, Midna and Agitha turned to see who would be arriving next, though the white sorceress and the hero already were expecting the two Sheikah women to be returning from their mission. However, only one Sheikah came through the portal instead, arriving in the present above all of her allies.
Impa grinned as calmly as she could as she came through the portal first, knowing that Zelda had remained behind a bit in order to surprise the rest of their allies by her return. But all the same, she had cautioned the Sheikah guardian to keep the reveal a secret, especially from Link, though her specific reasons for keeping the hero out of the loop were unclear.
"Impa!" the hero exclaimed with a wide grin, glad to see that the Sheikah guardian had safely returned.
Impa's smile widened upon seeing Link, thankful that he had not gotten himself killed on his first solo mission, though she frowned for a moment upon seeing his semi-broken leg. "Good to see you, Link," she greeted him with a nod, not bothering to watch as some of her troops emerged from the portal. "What happened to you?"
"Let's just say a ten-story monster nearly crushed me," the hero said with a casual laugh, though the Sheikah guardian merely raised an eyebrow at him and his joking ways. "But don't worry. I made it pay for breaking my leg."
"As you should have," Impa said with a sly nod of approval. "I must say, I'm impressed with you, soldier. At first, I was worried about whether you'd be able to lead a faction on your own, and yet you managed to both succeed in you mission and live to tell the tale. Good work, Link. You too, Lana."
"Thank you, Impa," the white sorceress said with a warm smile, accepting the praise humbly.
"Hey, where's Sheik?" Link asked, glancing past the Sheikah guardian to look for the Sheikah warrior, who was surprisingly absent.
Impa couldn't help but crack a sardonic grin at this, knowing that the hero would certainly be just as shocked at the truth as she was. Though it had taken the Sheikah guardian some time to cope with the fact that Zelda had disguised herself for so long, she eventually had after spending some time in the princess's company once more, accepting all of her many apologies for the deception and the lies. In truth, Impa actually respected the choice that Zelda had made to hide herself in the guise of a Sheikah to fight alongside the Hylian troops, but what really brightened the Sheikah guardian's spirits was that the princess had finally returned in earnest, and this time, she was here to stay.
"She's… on her way," Impa said as naturally as possible, more than capable of keeping this act up. "She's keeping up the rear of our forces. But for now… it looks like you both have brought back some allies as well…" She gave a nod of greeting to the sword spirit and the Twilight Princess, disregarding their unusual appearances and instead feeling the power radiating from them both, things that would certainly make them assets in battle later. She gave a caustic glance to the insect princess though, unsure of why a mere child had accompanied one of them back into this era, especially for the sake of a war.
"As well?" Lana asked in confusion. "Are you bringing people back from the past too, Impa?"
"You could say that…" the Sheikah guardian said with a grin, turning to the portal just as the Goron patriarch and the Zora princess stepped through it. Darunia and Ruto had readily agreed to accompany Impa and Zelda to the present in order to stand against Cia, hoping to right the wrongs that she had done to both of their people. Though Saria had wanted to join them, she had refuted, claiming that she needed to return to the forest where she belonged. And so the group of four, after nursing the wounds their forces had received at Lake Hylia, returned to the present, Ruto's Zoran troops and Darunia's Goron brothers accompanying them to add to the joint Hylian army.
"Oh, my!" Ruto exclaimed almost immediately after she came through the portal, already feeling parched from the dryness of the surrounding area. "Impa, you never said the Hyrule of your time was so… disgustingly arid! Where's all the water?!"
"Oh, come on, Sister Ruto!" Darunia said, a wide grin crossing his face as he examined the area hungrily. "Look at all these rocks!" he said, motioning to the hardened earth all around them. "My brothers and I are gonna eat good tonight!"
"Well, I just hope there's a river somewhere nearby," the Zora princess said with a scoff, crossing her arms. "Otherwise, all my people will be as dry as a-" Ruto cut herself off as she glanced over at the other allies gathered not too far away, an ecstatic gasp escaping her as she caught sight of the hero specifically. "Link!" she exclaimed, unable to contain herself as she rushed towards the hero.
Midna was already giggling as the hero gave the Zora princess a confused expression, though both of them had already figured out what was happening once more. "Not again…" Link said with a sigh, unable to stop Ruto as she barreled into him, this time knocking him to the ground thanks to his unsteady footing.
"Wow, you weren't kidding about this happening a lot," the Twilight Princess laughed slyly as she watched the Zora princess give the hero a sudden kiss on the cheek as she kept him pinned down.
"Oh, Link…" Ruto said, her tone dreamy as she let out a romantic sigh. "What a pleasant surprise it is to see you here…"
"Um, actually, I'm-" the hero began to correct her so that he could tell her that he wasn't who she thought, but the Zora princess was quick to silence him by placing a finger over his lips.
"Shh…" she whispered, giving him a flirtatious grin. "Don't speak, darling. I know it's been a while, but you certainly couldn't have forgotten your fiancée, right?"
"F-fiancée?!" Link exclaimed in surprise as Ruto took her hand away from his face. Midna burst out laughing upon hearing at the incredible humor of this situation as Agitha gave her a curious expression, not really knowing what a fiancée was. All the while, the hero was reeling in shock from this news, knowing that he had never really met a Zora before, much less purposed to one.
"Well, of course!" Ruto said huffily. "How many times do we have to go over this!? Don't you remember how we're just destined to be together?"
"B-but… but I didn't-" the hero began, desperately trying to get a word in edgewise, but the Zora princess wouldn't hear it.
"Oh, come on, Link," Ruto said, rolling her eyes playfully. "Don't act like you don't want me. After all, I wouldn't have given you the Zora's Sapphire if I didn't think you'd make the most perfect husband for me, Ruto, Princess of the Zoras!"
Link was even more bewildered upon hearing this, but fortunately, before the Zora Princess could continue, the Goron patriarch had approached the two of them. Originally, Darunia wanted to greet the hero, who in his own time was his sworn brother, but the Goron leader was easily able to tell that the one Ruto had pinned to the ground was not the Hero of Time as she had suspected. "Uh… Sister Ruto?" Darunia said, tapping the love-struck Zora princess on the shoulder. "I hate to break it to you, but… I don't think that's him…"
"What are you talking about, Darunia?" Ruto asked with a harsh scoff, glancing back at him briefly. "Of course he-" The Zora princess stopped short as she looked back to the befuddled hero underneath her, taking a closer look at him this time as he smile faded into a look of confused anger.
"W-what?!" Ruto exclaimed, suddenly flustered as she glared down at Link, who had no idea what to say for himself. "Who are you?! You're not my Link! You're… you're an imposter!" The hero had no time to react as the Zora princess let out an infuriated shout, swinging her arm fin so that it struck him roughly across the face. Link gasped in pained surprise as Ruto stood and marched away from him angrily, even though she wasn't really as upset as she let on.
Midna howled with laughter as the hero struggled to stand up, rubbing the painful red mark the Zora princess's slap had left across his face. "Oh, I like her!" the Twilight Princess snickered playfully, ignoring the insincere glare Link was giving her.
"Heh heh, sorry about that, little brother," Darunia said with a grin, giving the hero a hearty pat on the back. "Looks like Ruto thought you were a friend of ours, the Hero of Time. Though I gotta admit… you do like kinda like him…"
"I've been getting that a lot," the hero said with a smirk, knowing not to hold the confusion against the Zora princess at all. "Apparently, all of Hyrule's heroes look pretty much identical…"
Link, Darunia, and Midna all shared a laugh at this, but before the hero and the Goron patriarch could properly introduce each other, they were distracted by one last figure stepping through the portal from the era of the Hero of Time. The entire world seemed to freeze in place the moment Link saw Zelda, his eyes growing wide as he was unable to keep himself from staring at her. Though it had been weeks since he last saw her, she looked as strong and as beautiful as she had been during their first encounter in Hyrule Field. Awed, he took a small step forward as the last portal closed behind her, pouring an elegant light upon her slender form and making her look even more radiant. His breath caught as their eyes met, scarcely able to believe that she was finally back after being gone for so long. Like Impa, Link had spent the past several weeks worrying for the princess's safety and praying that she was well, and now all of that dread was finally put to rest. It was almost too good to be true.
Lana, on the other hand, was not all that surprised with Zelda's sudden reappearance, as she had theorized Sheik's true identity long ago, but for the princess's sake, she had kept it a secret. However, she still couldn't help but frown as she watched Link approach Zelda, the warm smile on his face undeniable as the princess weakly returned it.
"Zelda…" the hero said with a sigh of relief, not even bothering to remember formalities. "I'm so glad you're alright…"
"It's… good to see you too, Link…" Zelda said a bit hesitantly, her heart welling up with emotions far different than the reserved ones she was showing. And as much as she warmly wanted to reunite with the hero after so long, Cia's threat still echoed in the back of her mind, despite her resolve to stand against it: "You WILL keep your distance from him. You WILL stay away from him. You WILL stay out of my way. And if you don't… then I will hunt you down, and I will personally make sure you never see him, or anyone else ever again!" The princess's heart pounded with sudden fear as she remembered this terrifying encounter with the black witch, her smile quickly fading as she looked upon the hero that Cia was willing to go to any lengths for. And though Zelda knew it was too late to hide herself away as Sheik again, she couldn't help but fear that perhaps the black witch would end up making good on her ominous promise after all, hurting both the princess and all those she cared about, maybe even Link himself.
"Wait," the hero said, not noticing the fact that the princess had intentionally glanced away from him as he looked around, noticing one member significantly missing from their party. "Where's Sheik?"
"You're looking at her," Impa said with a clever grin, giving a nod to Zelda.
"What?!" Link exclaimed, completely blown away by this revelation as he looked at the princess in amazement. "Zelda… you… you were Sheik all along?"
Zelda was still frowning as she nodded solemnly. "Forgive me for not saying anything," she said sincerely. "I was… forced to hide my identity from my enemies. Only recently was I able to reveal myself. Again, I apologize to you both for the deception," she said, speaking to both Link and Lana.
"It's alright, your highness," the white sorceress said with a respectful smile. "You did what you had to. It's good to finally meet you in person, though."
"Likewise," the princess said, giving her a cordial nod before she felt someone gently graze her hand with his touch. Zelda drew in a tight breath as she looked up at Link, realizing that he was standing quite close to her, which she wouldn't have minded much if not for Cia's threat.
"Zelda…" the hero said, giving her a gentle affectionate smile, one that absolutely melted her heart and brought fear to it all the same. "I can't believe we never noticed you were with us all this time… You know, we were all so worried about you, and…" He paused for a moment, looking down a bit bashfully as his cheeks reddened in slight embarrassment. "I… I really missed you…"
Zelda knew her hand was trembling as Link ran his fingers over it subtly once again, making her shiver with both satisfying warmth and dreaded cold. She could scarcely put together all of her racing emotions as she felt a blush light up her own cheeks, one that she was unable to hide, especially as she stared him and the kind smile he was giving her. In truth, she wanted to cherish this moment, to bask in the look his light blue eyes were giving her. And yet, her fear was overwhelming her, choking her to the point that she could not accept it, nor reciprocate it. At least not as long as Cia was still around to hurt her kingdom or her people.
"Link…" Zelda muttered under her breath, just loud enough that the hero would be able to hear and no one else. "Now is neither the time nor place for this… don't you think?"
Link's smile faded upon hearing this, watching with dismay as Zelda pressed her way past him, not even bothering to look back his way. He was quick to turn at watch her with dismay as she walked away from him, unsure of what he had said or done wrong. The hero had no idea why the princess had reacted to his honesty relief and joy at seeing her again so coldly, but he had to admit to himself that it hurt just the slightest bit. He had hoped that she would have been happy to see him, even a little, but instead she had merely refuted him for some reason he couldn't place. But even so, it seemed as though, even though the princess herself was back, she was intent on being just as reserved and mysterious as the Sheikah warrior she had disguised herself as had been.
"Well, everyone," Lana said with a perky smile, speaking up so she could be heard among the very diverse crowd composed of allies old and new. "We closed each Gate of Souls, putting things right with space and time. And it looks like we each brought back some new faces from each era. Since we're all going to be working together, why don't we all get to know each other a little? Who wants to go first?" she asked a bit leadingly, not particularly caring to explain herself as completely as she had to Agitha and Midna, especially to her first set of allies.
Midna took notice of the white sorceress's hesitation though, and though she wanted to call her out of in, she was interrupted first by the insect princess, who was more than eager to introduce herself to her new friends. "Allow me to present myself!" Agitha exclaimed, her tone bright and bubbly as she stepped forward, not noticing the curious looks the older members of the group were giving her. "I am Agitha, princess of the insect kingdom! It is a pleasure to make all of your acquaintances!"
"Princess of the… insect kingdom?" Ruto asked with a confused frown, trying hard not to let her disdain for bugs show, lest it upset the young girl. "Is that going to become an actual thing in the Hyrule of the future?"
"Why of course!" Agitha quipped cheerfully, smiling as the Goddess Butterfly continued to flutter around her. "And me and all my little friends are more than happy to play for our team in this fun game, right, Li'l Butterfly?"
The butterfly showed no sign of a reaction, but the insect princess let out a warm laugh all the same, as if the creature had somehow communicated with her. Upon seeing the young girl's innocent, unaware nature, Impa crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at both Link and Lana. "Alright, which one of you brought her back?" she asked in an unamused tone, knowing that certainly a carefree child such as Agitha had no place in the violent war they were fighting in.
"Um… I did," the white sorceress said a bit sheepishly, though she was ready to defend the insect princess, for despite her small stature and her youth, she did have strengths all her own, as she had clearly shown thus far. "But, Impa, believe me when I say she's a lot tougher than she looks. In fact, if it wasn't for Agitha's help, I don't even think I would have found the Gate of Souls in the era of Twilight."
"I can vouch for that," Midna said dryly, unable to deny that despite the fact that Agitha somewhat got on her nerves, she was a valuable ally all the same.
"Be that as it may, this war is too dangerous for a young girl like her to get involved in," the Sheikah guardian said, refusing to let any innocents get hurt in battle if it could be avoided. "She's going to have to be sent home."
"No!" Agitha exclaimed with a pout, having heard this despite her distraction with the Goddess Butterfly. "I don't wanna leave! I want to say and keep playing with everyone and so do all my dear little insects! Please, don't make me go home, ma'am!"
Impa was about to deny the girl's pleas, but before she could, Zelda suddenly cut in. She held a hand up to silence her guardian as she came to kneel down before the insect princess, giving her a kind smile. Agitha was so upset about the possibility of having to leave that she was nearly in tears, but she managed to hold them back as the princess spoke to her in a sweet, genuine tone. "So sweetie, you say that you're a princess?" she asked, feeling sorry for the young girl, who she could honestly relate to. After all, from the time she was young herself, Zelda had always wanted to fight just as skillfully and bravely as Impa did.
"Mm hm…" the insect princess nodded, still pouting sadly.
"Well, isn't that ironic?" the Hyrulian princess asked playfully, pointing to her tiara. "I'm a princess too."
"Really?" Agitha asked softly, her eyes growing wide with amazement.
Zelda nodded, letting out a warm laugh. "Really," she said encouragingly. "And you say you want to stay here and help us?"
The insect princess nodded in response to this once more, not really sure of where the Hyrulian princess was going with this. "Well, I'll tell you what," she said, taking one of the younger girl's hands. "We'll let you stay if you promise me one thing."
"What?" Agitha asked wonderingly, ready to do just about anything if it meant she could stay with her new friends.
"Promise me that you'll be brave," Zelda said firmly, yet still benevolent. "Promise that you won't be afraid to stand with us. After all, a sign of any good princess lies in their courage. And so, as princesses, we both have a duty to our people to be stand up for them when they can't. So can you promise me that you'll do just that?"
"Oh yes!" the insect princess agreed with a wide smile, nodding vigorously. "I can be brave! I promise! And all my little friends promise too! We won't let you down!"
"Very good," the Hyrulian princess said with a pleased grin as she rose to stand, only briefly meeting eyes with the hero as he gave her an unreadable look, before she quickly glanced away and took her place beside Impa once more.
Seeing as how the situation had all been neatly handled, the Twilight Princess took the initiative to introduce herself next. "Well, I see no reason not to add onto the already staggering number of princesses in this group," she said sardonically, grinning slyly at all her allies. "The name's Midna, and though I may not look like it, I'm the Princess of the Twilight Realm and its people, the Twili."
"Pardon me, Lady Midna," Fi cut in, her tone respectful, yet also somehow wary despite its usual monotone. "But I am sensing a strange dark power radiating from your being, or more specifically, the relic resting atop your head. Seeing as how it is unfamiliar to me, might I inquire what it is?"
Midna gave the sword spirit a distrusting glance, not particularly liking to tell such things to beings as strange as her. "Why do you need to know, huh, twinkle toes?" the Twilight Princess asked caustically, giving Fi a nickname based on her ballerina-like feet.
"Purely for analytical purposes," the sword spirit said calmly. "I am highly knowledgeable in most subjects, and the very few things I do not know about, I wish to have information on until my database is comprehensive. That is all."
"Whatever," Midna scoffed a bit sourly, crossing her arms and scowling at Fi, whose expression remained as blank as ever. "It's called a Fused Shadow, an old magical relic of my people. And don't worry; it's not dangerous… as long as it's in the right hands."
"Indeed," Fi confirmed, not sensing any immediate danger from the Fused Shadow, despite its dark aura. "And on that note, I believe that I shall now participate in this introductory ritual," she said, turning to the rest of the group as she continued. "I am called Fi, the spirit of the Goddess Sword, created by the white goddess Hylia to serve her chosen hero, and all future ones. I have accompanied my Master to this time period in order to aid in the fight against the black witch, the one called Cia. I welcome all of you as my allies as I hope that you all equally welcome me."
"Wow," Darunia said with a small, good-natured chuckle. "You really have a way with words."
"Thank you, Sir Darunia," the sword spirit said politely, already knowing all of her new allies' names without needing any formal introduction. The rest of the group was somewhat surprised at her foresight, but the Zora princess was quick to throw forward a question of her own.
"So… you're the spirit of a sword?" Ruto asked tentatively, trying to grasp the concept completely.
"Yes," Fi replied without a moment's hesitation. "The Goddess Sword to be exact. And for the sake of evaluating my usefulness, allow me to inform you all that as such, I am relatively immune to injury. However, if I am damaged too heavily, I will retreat back into my sword form for a time, allowing this human-like shape I am currently taking on to recover."
"Durability," Impa said to Zelda with a satisfied nod, internally taking stock on all the new allies her forces had gained so that she could create an adequate battle plan utilizing such strengths later on. "A good quality to have in a warrior of any ilk."
The princess nodded halfheartedly, still trying her hardest to keep her gaze away from Link as he continued to look her way for some reason, even as the circle of introductions continued, moving onto the Zora princess this time, who readily stepped forward to make herself known.
"I am Ruto," she said pointedly, smiling proudly as she kept up her perfect posture. "Princess of the Zoras. And while I may be in the company of quite a few other 'princesses' the peasants among you are not required to bow to me… at this moment."
"And I'm Darunia!" the Goron patriarch chimed in cheerfully as he pointed his thumb to himself, giving the Zora princess a pat on the shoulder at the same time, which elicited an angry gasp from her. "Big brother of the Gorons! Nice to meet you all!"
"Darunia!" Ruto scolded, glaring insincerely at him. "You completely overshadowed me!"
"Oh man, I wasn't trying to, Sister Ruto," Darunia said a bit guiltily, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry about that!"
"Of course you are…" the Zora princess said bitterly, crossing her arms sourly. "Just don't forget about the dousing I gave you back at Lake Hylia! I can just as well do it again!"
"Yeah," the Goron patriarch said with a playful grin, knowing that anger was just Ruto's way of showing affection. "I know, sister."
Once this friendly exchange was over, the attention was shifted to the members of the group who were from the present, and among them, the Sheikah guardian was the first to present herself. "I am Impa," she said with her usual firmness. "General of the Hyrulian forces of this time and guardian to Princess Zelda. It is an honor to have all of you joining our troops. With our combined might, our enemies will not stand a chance."
The group cheered in steady agreement with this confident statement as the princess herself came forward, giving the diverse group as steady of a smile as she could manage. Though she still feared standing up against Cia and what it could ultimately end up costing her, her hope had been somewhat restored upon meeting those who had selflessly come to help. "I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule," she said formally, her tone much more confident than she actually felt. "And likewise, I also thank all of you for coming together to stand with us. I know that this is not the Hyrule of your time, but I would like to believe that we are all here in common cause, to fight for the Hyrule not just of today, but of yesterday and of tomorrow as well. Your courage and your selflessness shall not go unnoticed once this great battle that lies ahead of us is over. And though we all come from vastly different times and places, let us stand together as one people and one army. For the kingdom of Hyrule!"
Already Zelda had their allies hooked by her inspiring rhetoric and upon hearing this, the entirety of the group heartily cheered "For the kingdom of Hyrule!" in response. The princess smiled in relief at this, hoping that they would fight with not only bravery, but also unity in the battles ahead.
It took Link a long moment to regain his focus after hearing what Zelda had just said, her eloquent words both encouraging and inspiring him as well. He would follow her anywhere, not just for her words alone, but also for her kindness and honor. In his eyes, she was certainly someone worth fighting for.
"Link!" Proxi's sharp and sudden whisper broke the hero out of his heavy gaze set upon the princess. He blinked for a moment or two before noticing the expectant looks everyone was giving him, knowing that he was one of the only two left to introduce themselves properly.
"Oh, right!" Link exclaimed with a somewhat awkward, yet endearing grin. "Um… I'm Link, and I'm-"
"The Hero of Hyrule!" Proxi broke in brightly, flittering above the hero's head excitedly.
"Proxi!" Link exclaimed in embarrassment, not really liking to refer to himself as a hero too often as he was too humble for titles such as that.
"What?" the fairy asked with a laugh, casually perching upon his shoulder. "It's true."
"You're the Hero of Hyrule, and…?" Impa asked him, giving him a knowingly look as she urged him to go on.
"Oh! And I'm also… the second general of the army," he said a bit reluctantly, not really liking to be referred to as that title either, but he accepted it for the Sheikah guardian's sake.
Zelda finally looked at Link upon hearing this, forgetting that Impa had entrusted this position to him, signified by the scarf that he wore, the very one she had sowed herself. She didn't deny that he deserved both the mantle of the hero as well as such a high-ranking office, for being in it only made him third in command over the entire kingdom after herself and the Sheikah guardian. His courage and strength had certainly been proven on the battlefield, things that Zelda herself had seen during her tenure as Sheik. And though she wished to thank the hero for his service thus far, she remained silent, quickly looking away from Link the moment he turned to glance at her.
However, what Zelda didn't know was that Link had by now fully caught onto the fact that she was trying to avoid him, even though he had no idea why. And yet, the hero knew that now was not the time to approach her about something like this, not with so many people around.
"And last but not least, I'm Lana," the white sorceress said rather hastily, not wanting to dwell too long upon herself. "Well, it looks like we're all acquainted now! Next, we should-"
"Hey, hold on a minute, Lana," Midna suddenly cut in, something that Lana had feared she would do. "Don't you think you have some explaining to do?"
"Um… about what?" the white sorceress asked innocently, though she knew exactly what the Twilight Princess was talking about.
"Don't play dumb," Midna said knowingly, crossing her arms and frowning. "You know what I'm talking about."
Lana bit her lip anxiously as the other members of the group exchanged wondering glances. The white sorceress had known from the very beginning that she wouldn't be able to keep this a secret from them forever, but even so, she still wasn't ready to reveal it. "Er… yes…" she began nervously, hoping and praying that her allies wouldn't view her as a pariah for this. "Well… uh… It's about me and Cia… The thing is… I… We… we're not just from the same clan…" She paused for a moment, gauging Link, Zelda, and Impa's reactions most of all, seeing as how she had known them the longest. "We're actually… the same person…"
Nearly everyone was taken aback by this sudden revelation, save for Fi, who had already been able to tell through her scans and Midna and Agitha, who had already been told the truth by the white sorceress herself. Ruto and Darunia exchanged a surprised glance as Impa's eyes widened in confusion and bewilderment. However, Link and Zelda were the two most shocked by this news out of all of them, though each for different reasons. The hero had never really seen something like this coming, and in truth, he wasn't really sure how to take it. After all, Cia and Lana were as different as night and day that it was honestly hard for him to believe such a thing to be true. The princess, on the other hand, sudden froze up with both awe and fear as she stared at the white sorceress, not really knowing how it could be possible, but terrified of the implications all the same.
"But… how?" Link asked after a pregnant silence, still trying to grasp this impossible idea.
"It wasn't that long ago…" Lana said with a guilty sigh as she looked to the ground. "Something took hold of Cia, something powerful and evil. It filled her with greed and lust and forced the light from her heart entirely. And I… I'm that light. I'm what was driven out of her… And it was all because of that horrible monster, that great evil that's responsible for all this…"
"He should love you, not her…"
This sole thought suddenly pervaded the young sorceress's entire being, causing her to free up entirely as it reverberated throughout her mind. It seemed foreign somehow, darker and more selfish than her usual train of thought. And though it was strange, it somehow also felt right, as it was a truth that she could not honestly deny. The hero should love her rather than a princess who had shown blatant disregard for him time and time again.
"But that's not how it's supposed to be."
Her own natural thoughts retorted against the darker voice sounding out in her mind as she tried to resist it, knowing that it was wrong. She had her destiny and purpose and the hero had his. And, according to the fate's design, their paths were not meant to cross. She would just have to accept that.
"But what if the fates are wrong?"
She was second-guessing herself and she knew it. And yet, she tried to convince herself that she wasn't that she was simply having momentary doubts that would pass. After all, she wasn't so weak that she couldn't overcome a brief bout of mere uncertainty, right?
"The fates are never wrong."
"So you're just going to allow the fates to dictate your entire life so easily? How passive…"
"It is not passive. It's wise."
She tried to convince herself that this was true; that following fate's path was right and good. And yet, that seed of doubt was still there, and it was starting to grow.
"But you are the powerful Guardian of Time! You deserve everything you desire, including the precious soul of the hero you are so fascinated with."
The voice inside her thoughts seemed louder and clearer this time as her eyes grew wide, the world around her starting to dim about as she was taken in by its tempting words. Indeed, she did have power, far more power than any other mere mortal. And yet, she had never really exercised it. Perhaps it was finally time…
"What?! No!"
Her thoughts sent a chill of warning up her spine as she shook her head. What had she been thinking? She couldn't just lash out her powers however she pleased. She had a duty to uphold, a duty that had been bestowed to her by the very goddesses themselves. She could not go out and carry out such petty flights of fancy like this. No matter how much her heart cried for it.
"Your love for him is stronger than the 'love' she has for him… Don't you think he deserves that love? That you BOTH deserve that love?"
Her heart trembled at this thought. She could not deny that she loved him, in a way that she had never loved anyone or anything before. She adored everything about him and the very thought of him filled her entire being with joy. And yet, she could not be with him. Or maybe she could...?
"No! I can't! He doesn't need me!"
"Not like how you need him?"
She gasped in shock at how much her thoughts were contradicting each other, but her own mind was completely stunned silent upon being faced with this idea. She did need him; she loved him. She wanted him…
"You have seen his every life… You know him better than anyone else could. You have felt his pain and sorrows. You know is every secret. And yet, he knows absolutely nothing of you. Wouldn't you like to free him from his destiny, his burden, and have him with you forever?"
She did. Oh goddesses, she did. The very thought of having the hero with her for the rest of eternity seemed like a wonderful dream come true. It was all she could ever want and ask for.
"N-no! It doesn't matter what I want! I have to protect the Triforce above all else, even above my own wants and needs!"
"Do you really want to spend the rest of your days here alone? Always watching, never interfering as you continue to watch him from worlds away…? You have kept your watch for so long, been away from the world for so many years, and for what? To protect a golden relic that cannot go anywhere on its own?"
"But… but protecting it is my duty! My destiny!"
Her heart was pounding by this point as she tried to decide who was right: her own thoughts that sought for things to remain exactly the same as they had been for countless years or the voice that had found its way in, who was promising her wonderful things, including her beloved hero. She was forced to choose, between her responsibility and her dreams.
"A destiny that you did not even choose…"
Her own thoughts were silent for a long moment, seeming to be increasingly driven back by the growing volume of the other voice, which was growing more and more temping by the minute.
"The hero should be yours… Every piece of him should belong to you: his heart, his mind, his body, his soul… And you know that you have the power to claim him. The power to rip him away from that wretched princess once and for all. The power to show him who he's truly meant to be with…"
She did have that kind of power. That much was true. She was strong, capable, resolute. But this was wrong, all of it. She could not just take what she wanted by force.
But she wanted him so badly… More than she had ever wanted anything before. She loved him so much that it ached to be apart from him. She needed him, for how could she survive another moment without him?
And, in a brief moment of weakness, her own thoughts for once agreed with her.
"Do as I say, and you shall finally be with your beloved hero… forever…"
"NO!"
Her thoughts suddenly returned in full force, nearly screaming at her to stop before it was too late, before she lost her waning purity completely. But it was already too late. The voice of darkness had seduced her; it had convinced her that every word it said was true.
And it was all because of a moment of weakness.
"No! Stop! We can't do this! This isn't right!"
"But it's what I want!" she said, finally speaking out loud as she shut her eyes tightly.
"Don't listen to that voice, please! It only seeks its own desires! It wants to use us!"
"I don't care! For so long, I've catered to the whims of fate and destiny. Well, now, it's time for me to do what I want! For me to get what I need!"
"We don't need him! We only think you do!"
"No," she said, her voice dangerously low and dark. "I KNOW I need him! I need him more than life itself! More than anything! And I will do WHATEVER it takes to get him!"
"Wait! NO!"
"I will do as you say!" she proclaimed fiercely to the dark voice, ignoring the sudden splitting pain coursing throughout her entire body. "I will do what I must to unite myself with the hero! I will do whatever I must…"
She suddenly felt incredibly faint as the darkness took her completely. An ear-splitting scream of pain escaped her as she collapse to the ground, finally slipping into unconsciousness as something very important was driven out of her: her light. And in its place, only darkness could exist.
When she awakened, she found that she was no longer one single body or consciousness any longer, but two, both holding the same memories and both holding an identical semblance to one another. Light and dark had been torn apart and now existed apart from each other, two halves of the same whole. The only difference that existed between them was their incredibly differing motives.
"Cia… What have you done?"
The black witch laughed wickedly as she picked herself up the ground, grinning down darkly at her lighter half who was still weak as she tried to recover from nearly being obliterated entirely. "I've done what I want for once!" she proclaimed, summoning her magical staff and watching with pleasure as a dark aura surrounded it. "The hero will at last be mine!"
"Cia, please," Lana begged as she slowly rose to stand, quickly summoning one of their other shared relics, the book of sorcery in order to protect herself if she had to. "This has to stop. You don't know what you're doing!"
"Oh, I know very well what I'm doing, Lana," Cia said haughtily, glaring at the white sorceress who had, mere moments ago, been a part of her. "Believe me, I've never been more in charge of my own destiny than I am now!"
"Can't you see that monster is manipulating you!?" Lana said desperately, her heart breaking for the dark turn her other half had taken.
"Please," Cia scoffed bitterly. "The only one who ever manipulated me was you, Lana. Always wanting me to 'do the right thing' as you put it. I was so sick of it! But now, I'm finally free from you! Free to be who I want to be and to be with who I want to be with!"
"Cia, no!" Lana nearly begged. "You can't do this! This is against everything we've been taught, everything we stand for!"
"It may be against everything YOU stand for, Lana, but I see no problem with it at all," Cia said with a sinister grin. "You and I are no longer the same person and we never will be again!"
"Cia, please, it doesn't have to be this way," Lana said with great sadness in her voice. "We can fuse back together. We can be one again and we can drive this darkness out of us together!"
"I don't want to be one anymore, Lana!" Cia hissed hatefully. "Don't you see? Now I can finally be with him! I can make him love me and we can be together for eternity! And why stop there? After all, I certainly wouldn't mind ruling over this entire kingdom with my beloved hero at my side…"
Lana took in a shocked gasp upon hearing this, terrified to hear that Cia's intentions were much darker than she had once thought. She knew that this sudden ambition to rule Hyrule must have come from the darkness pervading her thoughts and she had to put a stop to it before it's too late. "I can't let you do that, Cia!" the white sorceress proclaimed, gathering her courage even amidst her great grief over her fallen counterpart. "Even if we were once one, I won't stand by while you try to subjugate both Hyrule and the hero into your control!"
"Oh," the black witch said darkly, her glare sharpening even more. "I see. You just want him all to yourself! You always have! That's why you were trying to hold me back! You think you can take my place at his side! Well I won't stand for this mutiny! The hero will be MINE and mine alone!"
With an infuriated shout, Cia held her scepter up as a dark aura surrounding it, the Triforce behind her starting to glow in response to this. Lana gasped fearfully as she realized what her darker half was planning, and she knew that she had to stop her before she could access its power. Everything that happened next was in a quick succession: the white sorceress counteracted the black witch's move on the Triforce by casting a spell upon it that split it into its three parts. Though Cia managed to hold onto the Triforce of Power, the other two went out into the world to find their respective bearers, leaving only the two halves of the Guardian of Time behind. In her immense rage, the black witch nearly killed the white sorceress, but fortunately, Lana was able to escape Cia's wrath just in time, tears streaming down her cheeks as she cast one last glance upon the Palace of Souls, which had once been the place that both her and Cia had called home.
"I'm sorry, Cia…" Lana whispered tearfully, knowing that her one sole moment of weakness had cost them both so much. "I'll find a way to save you… somehow…"
"…And that's what really happened," Lana finished her long tale with a morose sigh, knowing that unlike the last time she had told her allies this time, this time, it was no lie. "Cia and I are no longer one and the same, and if things continue going the way they are… I doubt we ever will be again."
The entire group gave the white sorceress pitied glances, feeling sorry for the grief she had to go through, even if none of them could relate to it in exactly the same way. "I'm sorry that happened, Lana," Link said with sincere sympathy, feeling somewhat indebted to Lana in light of all he had heard, knowing that she had done her best to keep Cia in check despite her overwhelming lust for him.
"No, Link, I'm sorry…" Lana said with a guilty frown. "It's my fault all of this happened in the first place. I was too weak to save Cia in the first place, which led things getting as out of control as they are…"
"But… we closed the Gate of Souls," Midna said reassuringly. "That's gotta count for something, right?"
"I guess so," the white sorceress said, still not feeling too comforted despite this accomplishment. "But I know that's not going to stop Cia now. Without the Gate of Souls, she's backed into a corner. Now more than ever she'll be more dead set on doing anything at all to get what she wants. Already she has the complete Triforce, so now, if I could guess, her main focus will be on-"
"Me," the hero cut in, his tone hard and his expression even harder. Everyone went silent upon hearing this, especially Lana and Zelda, who both understood what Link specifically saying this meant. In a way, it really meant that the hero had come to terms with the fact that he was the overall goal of their enemy, the prize that she sought above all else and was willing to kill and destroy as much as she had to in order to obtain. That this entire war had begun essentially because of him. And neither the white sorceress nor the princess could take it. Though Lana showed her immense guilt over what she had caused in a much more subtle way by letting out a solemn sigh, Zelda found her overflowing emotions much harder to contain as she slipped out of the group practically unnoticed, knowing that in light of all of these revelations, she could no longer endanger the hero's life or his freedom by being around him anymore.
However, one person did notice the princess depart, even as the rest of the group awkwardly transitioned away from the subject of the black witch and her ambitions to more conversational subjects. Link frowned as he watched Zelda's hurried departure, knowing that something was wrong, and though she was determined on avoiding him, he was determined to figure out what it was.
The decision was quickly made to set up camp as the sun was starting to get low on the horizon and night would soon be upon them. It was clear from their initial interactions alone that the diverse group was already starting to bond, each in their different ways, leading to the hope that they would function well together as a fighting force for good. However, as everyone split apart to take to different tasks in settling down for the night, the hero took off after the princess, hoping that perhaps she would finally talk to him if they were alone. And, all the while, the white sorceress watched him from afar, her guilt overwhelming her more than ever before as she knew that the danger he was in was completely her doing.
Zelda stood upon a raised plateau overlooking the flatlands that her troops were building their camp upon, her breaths coming in short, succinct gasps. She held her arms tightly as she desperately tried to hold her tears of fear back, knowing that she was having nothing less than an outright panic attack. She knew that such weakness and trepidation was shameful, especially of a princess and especially during a time of war such as this. And yet, she couldn't help it. Every time she thought of the threat Cia had issued, of the heavy injuries she had landed upon her, all of the immense terror she had felt during that moment came rushing back to her. She had been able to handle it better when she had been disguised as Sheik, for she knew that the black witch had not known her identity then. But now, the disguise was gone. She was Princess Zelda again, the very target of Cia's hatred. There would be nothing stopping the black witch from ravaging her kingdom, from killing her allies now. If anything disastrous were to happen now, the princess knew it would be all her fault, and that was a burden that she could not bear to shoulder.
"Zel—um, I mean… princess?" Link asked from not too far behind her, catching Zelda completely off guard. A frightened gasp escaped her as she slightly turned to face him, her heart pounding with unspeakable fear. The princess knew well that she couldn't just cut her ties with the hero; after all, he was a great asset to their forces and to do so would be cruel after all he had done for her and her kingdom. And yet, every time she looked at him, the only thing she could hear were Cia's cold words, as threatening and as sinister as they had been the first time: "Stay away from Link, or die with the rest of your kingdom." The black witch could enact this horrible threat at any moment now, and Zelda knew that being around Link in any capacity was only making things worse, especially since he kept trying to reach out to her. She could hardly blame him for it; after all, he had no idea that Cia had appeared to her at all. But still, she knew his attempts, as well-intentioned as they were, were only making things more difficult than they already were.
Link frowned as Zelda said nothing to him, turning away from him coldly and perplexing him even more. "Princess," he said with a bit more certainty, deciding to call her by her royal title as he took a step closer to her. "Is… is something wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong," the princess said succinctly, still not turning to him. She was genuinely touched by his concern for her, but this was something that she had to deal with alone.
"Then why are you avoiding me?" the hero asked knowingly. "Did I do something wrong?"
Zelda was silent for a long time upon hearing this, her heart aching at the fact that he thought he might have brought her anxiety about when it was exactly the opposite. "Link, I'm not avoiding you," she lied, trying harder than ever to suppress her tears. "I simply wish to be alone…"
Link noticed the very subtle sob that Zelda accidentally let out after she finished speaking, and based on that, he knew that she was not as fine as she let on she was. "Zelda…" he said softly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you… crying?"
The princess clenched her arms even tighter, knowing that she was quickly failing in trying to shut him out. Nonetheless, she shook her head, even though it was useless to try to convince both him and herself that nothing was wrong.
"Zelda, what's the matter?" the hero asked, more concerned for her than ever. "Did something happen?"
"I… I can't tell you…" Zelda whispered anxiously, closing her eyes tightly as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Why not?" Link asked calmly, even though he was a bit nervous from seeing Hyrule's usually collected princess this distraught. "I just want to help you, Zelda. You know that…"
Upon hearing his gentle words, it was as though a floodgate had been opened. She finally turned to him and began to weep pitifully, not even caring about how much of an embarrassing disgrace she was being. At that moment, her fear, dread, and sorrow all came crashing down on her, and she could no longer hold any of it inside. For a moment, she didn't care what Cia would do to her; she couldn't keep this hidden from him anymore.
The hero resisted the urge to pull her into a comforting embrace, remembering how she was and her position. And so instead he took her hand and began to quiet her down, hoping that he could ease her apparent grief somehow.
"Zelda," Link said firmly, yet reassuringly. "Tell me what happened."
Zelda sucked in a tearful breath, knowing that her heavy shame would certainly ruin her reputation even more in his eyes. "A-after the battle in Hyrule Field… I went back to the castle…" she began disjointedly, deciding to start with what she had told Impa earlier. "And… and then… she appeared…"
"Who?" the hero asked in confusion.
"You know who…" the princess said with a hint of bitterness in her tone, hating the black witch even more for what her cold words had reduced her to.
"Oh…" Link said with an angry frown upon realizing who she was talking about. "Cia…"
Zelda wiped some of her still-falling tears dry as she nodded. "She… she threatened me… and my entire kingdom… She said she'd kill all of us and… and destroy Hyrule… Unless… unless I… I stayed away from… you…"
The hero was stunned into silence upon hearing this, unsure of even how to respond to it. The first thing he felt was anger, perhaps more than he had ever felt before in his life. How dare Cia threaten Zelda and Hyrule, the two things he vowed to protect with his life, simply because she lusted after him. And though he hadn't been there when it happened, he could tell that however the black witch had done it, it certainly must have been a traumatic experience for the princess to make her this upset and fearful.
"She hurt you…" Link said after a long moment of silence, his tone serious and cold as his anger towards Cia steadily rose. "Didn't she?"
Zelda's entire body was trembling by this point as she felt a pang of phantom pain burst across her back, reminded of how the black witch had torn it to bloody shreds during their first encounter. She nodded slowly, and the hero understood that she didn't want to go into any details about it. But all the same, the fact that Cia had physically harmed the princess enraged him even more. Certainly, there was no point that the black witch wouldn't stood in order to get him, and after discovering all of this, Link refused to let her win now more than ever before.
"Zelda, I'm so sorry…" the hero said with a sigh of guilt, trying to hold his deep anger back in front of her, as that was the last thing she needed right now. "This is all my fault…"
"No!" the princess exclaimed, refusing to let him take the blame for any of this. "Link, you had nothing to do with any of this. This was before you even knew a thing about Cia and her desire for you. Please, don't think that any of this, her threatening me, this war, anything, was because of you. You did nothing wrong."
"I know," Link said, though he wasn't entirely sure if he believed it. After all, as long as he remained out of Cia's hands, more people would suffer and die, something that he couldn't help but feel bad about. "But you and I both know that she won't stop until she gets me… She already hurt you… Who knows what else she'll do?"
"So… what are we going to do?" Zelda asked hopelessly, just as uncertain of what the future held as he was.
"I don't know…" the hero said with complete honesty. "I guess the only thing we can do is keep fighting her. But Zelda, if there's one thing I am going to promise you, it's this: I won't ever let her hurt you again. I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you before, but I will be there next time and I'll keep you safe from her, no matter what."
"Link, please don't promise things like that," the princess said with shame in her tone. "I am the princess of Hyrule. It's my duty to protect both myself and my people. My safety is not your responsibility."
"But I feel like it is…" Link said, giving her hand a small squeeze. "Zelda… I… I want to protect you… I don't know how to explain this… and it might even sound a little crazy but… I feel like that's what I was born to do… to serve you and Hyrule…"
"Oh, Link…" Zelda said softly, finally smiling as she took his other hand in hers. "I feel the same way… I believe that…that there is a bond between us… one that was there long before we ever met… It is a bond of destiny, one that cannot be denied…"
"I guess that explains why… why I care so much about you…" the hero said, his cheeks reddening the slightest bit in embarrassment as he gave her an endearing grin. "Even though we've only known each other for a little while…"
The princess's smile widened as she nodded, knowing that she cared for him as well. "Yes…" she said contentedly, glancing down at their intertwined hands. All at once, it felt as though her former anxiety about Cia and her threat had faded away. Prior to what she had originally thought, simply being around the hero inspired her, his kindness warmed her and his strength comforted her. With him at her side, she felt as though she no longer had anything to fear and that together, they could readily face any enemy that opposed them, even the black witch herself. "I suppose it would…"
"So… I guess that's why you disguised yourself as Sheik, huh?" Link asked, still giving her a smile, though it was a bit halfhearted. "To hide from Cia?"
Zelda nodded as her own smile faded. "It was cowardly of me," she said with shame in her tone. "I shouldn't have ran away in the first place, but I did. I thought that disguising myself so I could fight alongside you, Impa and Lana would make up for my weakness, but…"
"I don't think that was cowardly," the hero said reassuringly, picking up after she had trailed off. "I think that was brave. You took a huge risk and you still managed to stand up against Cia in your own way. Though I have to admit… I'm going to miss Sheik a little…"
The princess laughed warmly at this, knowing that he was kidding. "Well, I decided that it was time to come out of hiding and be myself again," she said with resolve. "Sheik's no longer needed… Even if pretending to be a Sheikah was pretty fun…"
The pair shared another laugh before Zelda sobered a bit, giving Link a proud smile. "Link, I want to thank you for all you've done for me and my people thus far," she said with absolute sincerity, knowing that she owed him so much. "Your courage and determination are extraordinary. I could see your potential from that first moment in the training yard."
"That seems like so long ago now…" the hero said a bit bashfully, not entirely sure if he was completely deserving of the princess's praise. "It's hard to believe that when I woke up that morning as just a recruit, but by the time the day was over, I was second in command of the entire army."
"Well, you certainly deserve such an high honor," Zelda said with compete certainty. "As far as I'm concerned, you've more than proved your worth. In fact… if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here right now…" she said with a thankful smile, referring to how he had saved her life on more than one occasion during her tenure as Sheik. "I owe you my life, Link…"
"No," Link said, shaking his head as he held their hands a bit closer to him, looking down at her with a tender smile. "I owe you mine. I nearly died during that first battle in Hyrule Field, but you saved me… I don't think I'll ever forget about that…"
"Then… I suppose we're even," the princess said with a small laugh, finding herself taken in by his handsome blue eyes once more as he stared at her with the same affection.
For the longest time, neither of them said anything else as they watched the sun set from afar, the unique bond that they found between each other speaking for them instead. They both understood that there was a risk of them being in each other's company, but for a moment, neither of them cared. After all, Cia had control over neither of them, despite her trying to manipulate the situation. Link and Zelda were both determined to stand together in the battle against her and her forces, resolved to repel the threat she brought to Hyrule no matter what. After all, if there was one thing that the princess and the hero had in common aside from their bond, it was the deep love they both shared for the kingdom they would do anything to protect.
Ok! So like I said, its a heavy, really loaded chapter, but at least I finally got to write a little establishing Zelink, something I haven't done in a long time! Now before some of you people get all upset saying "Oh but Link and Zelda don't know each other well enough to be in a relationship yet!" Well, they're not in a relationship yet! They're still friends, but I do plan on developing their bond to the point that it becomes romantic, so if that bothers you, I'm sorry but its my story and I dont wanna hear any complaints about it! :D Anyway, next time around, I'm thinking we're gonna have a Team Cia chapter, focusing on Cia, Wizzro and Volga for a little while, as well as introducing everyone's favorite Gerudo baddie ;) So I'm pretty excited about that as I hope you all are! Now for the chapter question: If Nintendo releases another DLC pack for Hyrule Warriors, what game would you like it to have content from? For me, I would definitely LOVE to have a Wind Waker DLC pack, complete with Toon Link and Toon Zelda/Tetra, cause why not? So, let me know in the REVIEWS! Until next time! :D