This Chapter is dedicated to my amazing boyfriend, the only prince capable of holding my heart. For you're a true warrior and leader for Hyrule.

Chapter 17

The Water Medallion

Bryce woke up to the smell of something burning and rolled over to see Vaati for the first time cooking a small pig.

"Well, have we caught breakfast for the first time?" Bryce smirked. Vaati glared at him.

"If you must know Link caught the pig but he left me on cooking duty since Zelda and Midna took whatever his name is out to find clean water." Vaati hissed.

"Wait… where is Link then?"

"In the water over there. He said something about looking for a clue to where the medallion since the little kid doesn't know what we were talking about."

Bryce picked himself up and yawned. "He shouldn't be in those waters."

"Why?"

"If bodies are down there then my mom could've cursed them to drown anybody who swims near them. It's just something she would do."

"Why use up that much magic just to show someone whose boss?"

"Because then she knows something valuable is down there that we want." Bryce said smiling.

"The medallion?" Vaati asked.

"I already told you guys that our city connected the rivers to the inside so we would never have to go outside for water. The nearest water source is miles away." Ruduk said.

"That's just great we'll die of thirst not some monster or Lilith. Let's hope we find this stupid medallion today." Midna said leaning against a tree as Ruduk sat on a rock and watched Zelda walk back and forth with her eyes closed, thinking.

"What are you doing, Zelda?" Ruduk asked.

"My teacher told me a certain tree has water stored in its trunk but I don't remember what it's called." Zelda said still moving back and forth.

"Water sap trees are only near deserts." Ruduk replied.

"No that's not the one I'm thinking of, it's older and the trunk is a lighter brown then any tree you've ever seen before."

"Well in the back of the city we have weird colored trees but someone told me most of them are poisonous."

"That's because these trees are poisonous! Their trunks are covered in small pores that release poison gas but we need something to stab it. Their trunks aren't stable and can break with the slight touch it's the gas released that protects the tree."

"Even if we try poking it the tree is just going to release the gas and kill us all." Midna said.

"Not if you stab it in the right place. We need to stab it in the middle of its worn out area."

"You're going to kill a tree?" Ruduk asked.

"It won't kill it just paralyze it for a couple of minutes which is why we need to work fast. I would kill it since they ruin the area around it but burning trees isn't a good idea." Zelda said. She grabbed her bucket and her bow and the group walked back towards Zora's Domain and into a hidden tunnel Ruduk directed them towards.

"It's the fastest way around the city. You guys were only in the inner part." He winked and pushed aside a few webs and rocks. The three of them avoided large gaping holes that could easily lead to death by sharp rocks if one of them fell through. Ruduk talked about how the citizens would use the water system by connecting the rivers outside into the inner city which only ended up them draining the rivers and forcing the city to live on their own man-made lake. "Yep so that's why the nearest water supply is Lake Hylia. King Zora was the one who discovered the filtration of our water so we could use it to cook, clean and bathe in!"

"Wow… seems pretty impressive since we all live by rivers and use it for everything after boiling it." Zelda replied killing a bug that was trying to crawl up her arm.

"You think Vaati is doing alright after all the pain he's been through?" Midna asked Zelda.

"Vaati will get through it. The first person he's going to kill is Lilith for killing his family."

"Vaati's family died also?" Ruduk asked pushing aside another stone door that led to the back of Zora's Domain. The area was dead except for the poisonous trees that stood there gleaming. The grass crackled with death as the three of them walked near the first poison tree.

"Vaati was from Minish Village. As soon as we defeated the last tribute in order to leave the arena, Minish Village rebelled against the Queen and as a result, Lilith sent troops to destroy the village. Vaati's family died and Lilith made sure Vaati would suffer for what they did." Midna said watching Zelda adjust her arrow on her bow. The weakness was in the front, lucky them, and was much larger than they expected. Zelda took aim of the spot and stood far enough to make a good hit. Her breathing lessen as she breathed through her mouth. She fired the arrow which hit the target beautifully. The tree shuddered and turned a deep blue as Ruduk grabbed his pail and ran towards the tree. He took out his hunting knife and made a small hole in the tree, water sputtering out and falling into his pail. Zelda fired two more arrows into two other trees and the girls filled their share of water in the buckets before the trees had time to unfreeze and shoot out its poison. Ruduk led them through a hidden entrance that supposedly led them into the throne room.

"Hey we're back with water!" Ruduk shouted. He handed Bryce his bucket and looked around the place and sniffed the air. "Where is Link?"

"He said he might know where the medallion is so he went searching in the water." Vaati said handing Ruduk a piece of meat. Ruduk dropped the meat and rushed over to the edge of the water. From where he sat he could see the top of Link's head swimming around searching under rocks and seaweed. He was too far for Ruduk to grab him so he looked over at Zelda and Midna. "Get him out of there! That women threw everyone down there and made sure whatever was down there could never be retrieved!"

"LINK!" Zelda screamed.

Link was swimming casually using a type of seaweed he found that could make him breathe underwater for long periods of time. Where the hell could one stupid coin be? The water was getting colder as he was getting deeper but it was also getting darker and harder to swim through. His fingers bumped into something squishy and slimy and he jerked his hand back. Why did he feel like he was being watched? Suddenly the water around him burned his skin, and bubbles forced their way into his face, blinding him. Something grabbed his feet, a vine of some sort and started dragging him down. Link tried screaming but water rushed into his lungs, drowning him. He was being dragged to his death once again and they were so close to destroying Lilith. Something grabbed his chest and pulled him up, the ropes on his feet losing the tugging battle between the new beast who would kill him sooner as he tugged him up to air. Did it already kill the others? Air rushed into Link's body as he took a breath of it, the water a deep red around him.

"LINK!" Zelda screamed. Link turned and saw Bryce holding him, his savior? He handed Link to Vaati and Midna who pulled him out of the water.

"What's down there, Link?" Ruduk asked. Link kept coughing up water and blood, the words he wanted to say unable to form on his tongue. Bryce stepped out of the water in time for the bubbles to appear on the surface of the water, steam rising from the pool.

"Move back everyone!" Bryce shouted. He snapped his fingers as fire appeared on his fingertips. At first a small eye popped out of the water before a head of once was a Zora citizen and then another and another before hundreds of them rose from the water, their eyes pitch black, bodies only holding together by bones that were easily seen from their frail skin.

"Why have you disturbed our resting, intruders?" All of them spoke at once, the booming of their voices caused rocks from above to fall landing onto the marble flooring with a crash, shattering the flooring.

"We're here to avenge your deaths. Lilith murdered you for no reason and we're here for the one thing that could destroy her regime." Bryce shouted at them.

"Lilith only put us to rest. What she did was a blessing not a curse. We cannot allow intruders stealing the medallion." The bodies started moving forward towards the shore, Ruduk screaming. Zelda quickly did the only thing she thought of and shot an arrow at one of the bodies, the thing slamming onto the marble floor bleeding blue blood.

"Blue blood… These things are made of water and blue potion also known as the water of life potion. Aim for their heads!" Zelda shouted to Bryce.

"Can't I just burn them up?" Bryce shouted turning a body into a massive fire, setting the closest bodies in a blaze. The bodies burned up quickly leaving nothing but a small blue spirit that floated in the air. It floated towards Bryce and circled him a few times before shooting up to the small opening on the top of Zora's Domain, vanishing forever.

"Their spirits are trapped in their old bodies…" Midna whispered. She held out her hand and shot out black smoke that completely destroyed a dozen of bodies that were edging closer to them, their spirits rushing out from the ash and floating towards freedom. Vaati picked himself up and used his magic to shoot out beams of light, burning a good portion of the bodies. Midna shuddered and fell back from the brightness.

"Midna?" Link asked.

"I'm… I'm fine." Midna breathed. Zelda looked over at Midna in confusion before turning back and firing more arrows at the bodies that Bryce would burn in order for their spirits to be set free. The bodies kept coming from the water, all of them heading towards Bryce and Zelda, their arms held out like they wanted to choke them. Zelda was getting uneasy, how many Zora citizens were there? Her hand was burning and pulsing. She pulled off her glove and noticed the triforce was glowing and sparkling. She picked up another arrow, the tip glowing with desire and power. She aim and fired the arrow shooting through a dozen bodies before erupting into a large ball of light, the bodies burning up. The light vanished and left but hundreds of spirits floating above the lake. The largest of them all moved closer to Zelda and formed into once was the Zora King.

"Thank you, Princess Zelda, for freeing us. The thing you seek most is hidden in ice at the bottom of the lake. We wish you much luck and take care of the last of the Zora race. Peace be with you." The King said before taking off with the other spirits to the heavens. Midna shuddered against Link's shoulder, her hands covering her face.

"Midna what's wrong?" Zelda said rushing over to her. She grabbed Midna's hands and pulled them away to show Midna's face burned on his cheeks and forehead.

"Light…"

"The Twili will burn when they're around large beams of light. Now I understand why you hid in the caves by the waterfall during the games. What I want to know is how all of a sudden you started to burn when you were outside before and it was sunny."

"Large beams of light you idiot! We were walking through forests so the light hardly showed through the trees so it only made me uncomfortable." Midna snapped at him, Vaati appearing at her side and lifted Midna's hand onto her face while her magic healed her burns.

"Let's get that stupid coin and get the hell out of here before another surprise attack pops up." Vaati hissed. He walked towards the water and took off his cloak and his shirt, his chest nicely muscular and fit. Midna and Zelda giggled at him, he blushed as he pulled off his shoes. The other two boys rolled their eyes and Vaati dove into the water.

"Show off." Link muttered.

"I bet when you guys win all the ladies will be asking to be his bride." Ruduk smirked. They sat their healing Link's wounds before Vaati appeared from the water carrying a chunk of ice and tossing it to Bryce. Bryce melted the ice and tossed it to Zelda who put it safely in the traveler's bag.

"Alright let's get out of here." Zelda said helping Link up.

"No, we eat first you hear?" Vaati hissed at them before putting his shirt and cloak on again.

"Goddesses forbid if Vaati starves to death." Bryce joked and ended up getting hit with a piece of pig in return.

The group made it to another rebellion village called Kakariko Village where rebels immediately sent word to Zaria that her sister was alive and well. They gave the tributes food and rooms in a small inn to sleep in before they continued to find the last medallion. Zelda sat out on the porch of the inn looking at the newest medallion they collected. It was dark blue and had the symbol of a snowflake on it. She flipped it in her hands, the snowflake symbol burning into her memory. She was alone outside since everyone was asleep except for the guards that were posted in the front and back entrance of the village. The others were asleep inside, Ruduk most likely sleeping in her bed, fearing the bodies from Zora's Domain would attack them again.

"Want some company?" Bryce asked from behind before taking a seat next to her looking at the coin in her hands.

"I think I finally have the puzzle to this, Bryce." Zelda said to him.

"Oh really?"

"All the sages that held onto these coins also bind their spirits to them, that's why when we find all six and return them to the triforce then they will reappear and return Hyrule to its normal state. Your mother doesn't want the sages to return, she knows they will be on our side and fight against her."

"That and also Gerudo will become a part of Hyrule once again. Just like Cole said, the winner of the games will become ruler of Hyrule so my mother would lose her crown to one of us."

"Do you really believe we'll win against her?" Zelda asked him.

"After what I saw what you did to those living dead monsters? Yep, we'll beat my mother."

"Five of us would end up winning then. How will we split that up?"

"Well since I bet Ruduk would want a piece of it too, then what if we split the crown into six pieces?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly like I say. Split the crown; create provinces that also match the medallions. Each of us represents a medallion and we'll help the sages rebuild by each of us guarding a piece of Hyrule. I think you should be the main ruler of all of us though. You're the leader of this group and every rebel here uses you as the symbol for the rebellion. You'll make a better Queen then anyone."

"I'll have to marry one of you in the end."

"No you won't. If it comes to that then marry Link. He's your best friend and strongest companion."

"I can't do that to Midna, it'll break her heart. I know how much she really likes him."

"Then marry Vaati. His muscles could come in handy." Bryce joked before Zelda nudged him playfully.

"How come you haven't said yourself?"

"Hyrule wouldn't be pleased if their Queen married Lilith's son. It'll give my mother a chance to steal the throne again. It's better if I get the desert to watch over and I'll disappear forever after this is all over. It's bad enough the rebels want to kill me, I can see it in their eyes."

"I won't let them kill you; you're a tribute and a rebel. You're one of us now."

"I just wish I wasn't labeled as my mother's bad seed son. If I really was her faithful son I would've killed all of you and take the triforce for myself and give the power to her. If I die in this battle I want to be remember as a hero not a villain; a member of Hyrule, a Hylian."

Zelda stared at him as he looked down at the ground. "What I did to you yesterday… I-"

"No it's alright, you don't have to apologize."

"It was so sudden… I didn't mean-" Zelda turned his head and kissed him, silencing his apology.

"Tomorrow will be kinder." Zelda whispered.

"You…"

"I do, Bryce. Muscles don't impress me much; it's the kindness of the heart that truly impresses me. You've shown me nothing but kindness; especially when I thought when you were going to kill me in the arena." Bryce was speechless as he stared at her. "We'll defeat her, Bryce. We'll restore Hyrule and rebuild it together along with the others. If they people can't see you for who you are now then we go in fighting with them and you show your mother what side you're really on." Zelda said before hugging him tightly.

"I… I love you, Princess Zelda." Bryce whispered, a single tear falling from his face. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Bryce. We'll get through this together. We'll always be together, forever." Zelda said before they kissed and sat there holding each other letting the world watch them. Above the curtains drew back and a broken boy sat there on the bed watching his friend fall in love with someone else. Someone who was actually there for her during the games while he was hiding in the mud, hiding from the other tributes. Someone who was a better protector for her then him. Link looked in the mirror before him and wept softly letting the tears take away his broken heart, his broken everything.