Chapter 16

Zora's Domain

Zelda's Lullaby lyrics were made beautiful by KatetheGreat19 on youtube. Please look her up and listen to her beautiful version of Zelda's Lullaby!

They could smell the scent of burning grass and flesh as they made their way into Zora's Domain. Outside the kingdom looked untouched and perfectly fine until you made your way inside is when the horrible smells and destroyed caves got to you.

"Was the citizens here even part of the rebels?" Vaati asked as he held his sleeve over his nose.

"This kingdom was always known for being neutral and never took part of any wars. From what I read about the war we fought with Gerudo, this kingdom was the first to pull from Hyrule because they didn't want to fight." Midna said as she looked at burnt coral. "We must be close to the center, I feel wavelengths getting stronger."

"I thought Zaira said the whole kingdom was slaughtered by Lilith's army. How are you feeling wavelengths?" Vaati asked.

"Someone must've hid or their spirits are guiding us. I've been known to speak to the dead multiple times for help."

They reached an arch that was once the main entrance to one of the most beautiful places in all of once was Hyrule. Zora's Domain was completely ruined and left to rot and crumble into dust. The water was dyed red, bodies sleeping hundreds of feet below with the fish. Vaati pointed out the throne room ahead was in ruins and filled with broken arrows and tridents.

"Guys look over here." Midna said as she pressed her ear to the wall. "I feel a draft, another room is hidden behind this." Vaati grabbed one of the tridents and slammed it into the wall creating a small hole. He peered inside and pulled back before starting to knock the wall down.

"I saw light up ahead in there." Vaati said. Link grabbed another trident and quickly helped Vaati while Bryce searched the throne room looking for answers. The wall collapsed with one final hit and the two boys dropped the tridents and walked inside. A fire torch was lit on the wall as they kept walking forward with Midna tailing them from behind. They heard something moving up ahead and moved quicker.

"Hello?" Vaati asked.

"We're not here to harm you, we're just here to look for something important… Maybe you can help us find it." Link said. Midna looked around and noticed the walls were painted with different symbols in blood.

"Protection spells. It keeps away evil spirits and protects whoever paints them with their own blood." Midna said. She pressed her fingers to her temple and breathed in slowly. "The wavelengths is very strong, I think we're dealing with a kid."

"How could a kid know all about these protections spells?" Link asked.

Vaati grabbed another torch on the wall and handed it to Link as they turned a corner and walked into what looked like a small living room. Sitting on the farthest corner in the room was a small table and two chairs draped in blue fabric while in the other corner were a small couch and rug that matched the fabric. Link edged forward to one of the doors and pushed it open.

"Hello?" Link asked. He saw a small bathtub and looked inside finding it was filled with seahorses swimming around not knowing what horrific event happened not long ago.

"We're not here to harm you. My name is Midna and we're here to rescue you." Midna said pushing aside the other door to what looked like a bedroom. It had two beds each filled with water underneath with tiny fish floating about. She noticed a closet and slowly opened the door.

"I never realized my mother would just destroy a whole kingdom without a real reason." Bryce said as he sat down on the broken palace floor next to Zelda.

"This is horrible… The most peaceful kingdom ends up in a blaze and they never had time to defend themselves. I bet she did this because of blue skin girl."

"Why because she committed suicide?"

"Exactly. She knows how this game is played. In the end only one of us become the ruler of Hyrule but your mother didn't realize that we were all going to stick together. As punishment for their tribute killing herself she destroyed Zora's Domain to show who is in control."

Bryce tapped on his knees as he stared at what was the hidden hallway that Link, Vaati and Midna walked through leaving him with the leader once again. The last time they were alone like this without having to face Twilight beasts and the undead was when Zelda was wounded. Would he ever get a chance like this again? He sat there drowning in his own thoughts and dreams, the only person who understood him was sitting next to him waiting for him to say something but what could he say? He didn't know if in reality she hated him like the other three did. Every night they spent in that cave Link was staring him down with Zelda's sword in his hand waiting to plunge it into his chest if he even sneezed but what for? He was Lilith's son was why and they thought he was part of her plan and waiting to kill them in their sleep so he slept as far away from them as possible but yet Zelda was still treating him like he was important and welcomed into this broken family. He looked over at her and noticed she was swirling the blood dyed water with one of her arrows and staring aimlessly like something was bound to jump up and drown her. He looked back at the black hallway and let his mind wander as he thought of his mother. His mother… a women he feared for as long as he could remember but never once got a drop of attention from her. The moment he was born he was pampered and brought but maids and the old butler who loved him more than Lilith herself. If he didn't have the triforce on his hand would everything be different? Would he even be sitting here with Zelda next to him?

"Should we go search for them? They've been gone for a pretty long time." Zelda said still swirling the water watching the ripples move to the other side of the small pond.

"No… Vaati said we should watch out in case Lilith's army returns or one of the citizens show up." Bryce said not taking his eyes off the hallway. Zelda looked over at him for a moment and pulled out the arrow from the water. She tossed it next to her bag and sat in front of Bryce blocking his view of the hallway. Zelda never noticed how beautiful brown his eyes were; it was like looking at autumn when the leaves turned brown and fell to the ground before winter blew in. Of course his hair was messy and out of place but to her it made him seem more warrior-like and handsome. She turned away and looked at the cracked walls, knowing he was staring back at her with interest and concern.

"Can I ask you something?" Bryce asked her. She looked at him and nodded hoping the amount of fear she had right now wasn't showing up on her face. "Do you think my mother and I are in on this plan she has?" She looked at him, his gaze bringing sorrow and hurt.

"Of course not."

"Your friend thinks different."

"Link has always had problems with trusting guys around me. He's just protecting me is all, he'll warm up to you soon, they all will." Zelda said grabbing his hand. Bryce's mouth twitched and before he could even think he leaned forward and kissed her deeply on the lips. Zelda was shocked at what Bryce had done but something was pulling her to him and she smiled before kissing him back unaware that someone was watching them from the hallway. Midna.

"We found him hiding in his closet scared almost to death. All the cuts are from him using his own blood to create protection symbols and spells. His name is Ruduk." Midna explain to Bryce and Zelda as they looked at the little white fish citizen of Zora's Domain. His eyes were pure black but blinked with interest as he stared at Zelda.

"Well Ruduk, I'm Zelda. You must've heard everything going on outside the hidden hallway."

"They just walked in like friends and attacked like animals. At first everything was happy and our king was talking to this women dressed in all red like an old friend and before I knew it she cut his throat and started screaming about our tribute disobeying the rules and we had to be punished, that's when everyone was attacked and I ran into the hallway unseen."

"I knew it. Blue skin must've knew this was going to happen and thought it was best of her people died before the war took them away slowly." Vaati scowled.

"Our tribute… What did Ruto do?"

"She killed herself… She thought it was better to die then kill others for something she'll never have." Zelda told him.

"Am… Am I the only one left?"

Midna grabbed him from behind as he started to cry.

"We should look for the medallion tomorrow, it's getting too dark to go searching for it now. Vaati let's go see if there is any animals left outside to hunt for." Link said before picking up Zelda's bow and arrow bag and handing it to Vaati. The two of them left leaving Midna, Zelda and Bryce with Ruduk.

"I'll try to find some wood." Bryce said breaking the awkward silence first and leaving the same way Link and Vaati used to go outside. Midna held Ruduk like her own child as she stared at Zelda who was looking at the ground and her boots.

"Why Bryce?" Midna asked her. Zelda looked up surprised at her question, her heart racing that Midna saw what she shouldn't have in the first place.

"I… I don't know."

"Oh don't give me that crap, Zelda. I saw you kiss him back like you meant it. Why Bryce?"

"I said I don't know! I… I don't know the feeling I have for him yet. It's hard to explain."

"Oh don't worry I already know how you feel about him. Zelda… haven't you realized that he might not be what he's acting like?"

"No don't say that. We already talked about this and I saw the fear and sadness in his eyes. He isn't involved in his mother's plans. If anything she wants him dead too because he's just another bump in the road."

"He was born a gerudo so why does he have the triforce on his hand?"

"He hasn't explained that to me yet. Maybe the Goddesses have a plan for him or something."

"You can't breathe a word of what you saw to Link and Vaati you got it?" Zelda warned her.

"Promise but you do realize that you're not the only one in love here."

"What do you mean?"

Midna looked away and blushed. Zelda's jaw dropped. "Midna…"

"I like Link. He's so sweet to me and protected me that night those two things attacked us. No one ever did that for me before in my life."

"Wow… so Link finally gets an admirer. You know he always complained when this one boy in our class always got more chocolates on sweetest day then him. I would always have to ask my dad to send a giant chicken and horse chocolate mold for him the next day at school so he could brag that I was his sweetheart and make the other boys jealous." Zelda said causing both of them and even Ruduk to laugh.

"Wow he's a stubborn one isn't he?" Midna asked.

"Oh believe me I have loads of stories about him being stubborn and cranky. He's my best friend, we watch out for each other but never once has he fallen in love with someone before."

"Never?"

"Nope." Zelda smiled brightly. "Maybe you might be the lucky first."

"I… I don't know I mean I'm not the prettiest girl in all of Hyrule and I have a mean temper sometimes-"

"You're beautiful, Midna. He'll be stupid to not even see that. You're actually his type."

"Zelda… this means so much to me… I don't know what to say… I really truly hope we all live long enough to get married and start a family on our own."

"We will, Midna. I can promise you that and you too Ruduk."

"Ew marriage is gross. All that kissy lovely dovey stuff makes me sick." Ruduk said making a disgusted face.

"One day you won't think that anymore… One day." Midna said laughing.

The boys returned with dinner and enough wood to keep a fire burning all night as they cooked and got to know more about Ruduk. He lived with his mother after his father died of a rare disease. He liked to draw and was given a "gift" by the goddesses that he could predict the future based on what he saw in his dreams and drew them out for everyone to see, but the massacre was something that never showed up while he slept. After a while he started to yawn and Midna tucked him away in a blanket they grabbed from his place and he looked over at Zelda.

"Our king said the Princess from Ordon had the most beautiful singing voice in the world. It's so beautiful that the world stops to hear her lullaby the trees sing so she could sing it right back." Ruduk said. "Can you sing me your lullaby?" The others looked over at Zelda who was staring at her feet sadly.

"I never sang it to anyone except my sister, Zefa." Ruduk looked away. "I'm sorry. I know it must be hard on you right now with your sister in the middle of all of this."

"No… You asked if you could hear it. In case I die they should know what the spirits' lullaby for me was."

Ruduk smiled and sat up, Midna sat down next to Link and looked at him before Zelda. Bryce, sitting near Ruduk looked over at Zelda and then Link who pretended to think Bryce didn't exist.

La lay loo, la lay loo

All the stars, they shine for you

Guiding you, and protecting you

From their fields of blue

Dream, child so dear

Wise beyond your years

Never lose sight of who you are

In time I see, in time I see

You'll no longer need me

Rise to meet your destiny

Oh how proud I'll be!

Dream, child so dear

Wise beyond your years

Never lose sight of who you are

Ruduk was fast asleep before Zelda was finished. Bryce looked at his hand as the others starting grabbing blankets and picking a spot to rest for the night. Zelda handed him a blanket and laid down next to him, covering herself with her blanket.

"Goodnight Bryce. To me you're a part of this family." Zelda whispered to him. Bryce laid down next to her looking at the night sky above, the stars twinkling ahead just like they did in the arena. Bryce watched them, his heart skipping with glee. That kiss wasn't just any kiss. It was a way of her telling him she did like him and for once in his life he was happy, happy that he was in love, happy that the most beautiful girl in Hyrule loved him back, happy that the world stopped to hear her lullaby. It indeed stopped.