Chapter 59: Aftermath

In the days that followed at the end of the final battle against Garo Ganjora, much changed within both Hyrule and Termina. Once the word got out that the menace was finally defeated, the populations of both lands erupted in cheers and went on massive celebrations. The survivors returned to their respective homes to be reunited with their loved ones, those soldiers who were on the run due to having sided with the enemy were eventually captured and those who managed to evade capture had bounties placed on their heads. This didn't just count for the Hyrulean and/or Terminan Soldiers though; this rule also applied to the Gerudo. In fact, some groups looking for the fugitives consisted of both soldiers and Gerudo altogether. At times the search parties had success in finding the fugitives, although there were soldiers and Gerudo, whom regretted what they did, whom actively sought out such parties in order to turn themselves in, leading to their more peaceful arrest due to their full co-operation. Still, there were soldiers and Gerudo whom were still on the run, still believing they did nothing wrong or otherwise couldn't or wouldn't believe that their 'masters' were finally dead. There were only a few occasions where the groups would find the ones they were looking for having committed suicide, due to them wanting to prevent capture or otherwise being unable to live with the shame that their actions had brought upon them.

When the heroes finally arrived back into Hyrule, they could see that Hyrule Castle was already in the process of being rebuilt. Much to Zelda's delight, there were several people waiting for them, including Zelda's father, the King of Hyrule.
"Father, you're alive!" Zelda said, hugging him.
"Yes, my dear princess, I am." He replied.
"How did you survive? I haven't seen you ever since I was taken away with my friends to Termina…" Zelda said.
"I did my best to buy enough time for most of the civilians and others to escape, before several of my advisers told me that I did everything I could and I should retreat myself, knowing that Hyrule would inevitably be lost. I decided to disguise myself to prevent capture when it became obvious the battle was lost, but I haven't stopped there; I've launched several operations of my own to come to the aid of my people and took down several enemies myself. What has happened to you, my child? Your clothes are in tatters… and where is your hat?"
"It's a long story, but my friends and I fought together against the main enemies and eventually won. We also made the wish on the Triforce to restore the damage that those two have caused during their time here." Zelda said.
"I see. I do expect to hear everything from you once we're alone."
"Yes, father. I've also wanted to request to hold audiences on my behalf in the upcoming days."
"Consider your requests granted, we all have tough times behind us. It is only rightful to honor the sacrifices we made and the people who fought for us in order to bring this all to a good end." The King said, nodding with a smile which in turn made Zelda smile.
The King then turned to Link and the Six Sages.
"I understand you've been at her side. It pleases me to come to know my daughter's closest friends." The King said, acknowledging even Nabooru as a friend.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness." Link said, bowing politely, as did the others.
"No need for formalities, child. Friends of my daughter are friends of mine." The King said, smiling.
"Thank you." Link said, smiling.

Once the group had fully disembarked from the ship and were safely escorted to Hyrule Castle, they went their separate ways in order to inform their other friends that the war and the battles were finally over and that they could finally live their lives in peace. Link and Saria both returned to the Kokiri Forest, where upon their return, with Navi, Tatl and Tael at their side, were almost being dog-piled by the remaining Kokiri whom were elated to see them again. Only Mido and Fado were more controlled, but happy to see Link and Saria again. Ruto was being held closely by her own father, King Zora, upon her return into Zora's Domain, with Ruto this time accepting the hug with glee, having matured over the course of the travels. All the Gorons in Goron City, Death Mountain all cheered when Darunia returned, with Goron City having returned to its former state thanks to the wish of the Triforce as the lava had either dried up over time or otherwise whisked away by the wish on the Triforce, with Death Mountain and its crater being now more at ease. Rauru returned to his duties as the Guardian of the Temple of Time, although he did his part in rebuilding the temple by using his powers in order to keep the debris from collapsing again as the workers reinforced the structure. Nabooru returned to the Gerudo Fortress with Reimu, Leia and the Pirates whom decided to move in the fortress, where they were being received with open arms by Aveil and the other Gerudo whom remained loyal to her or otherwise made a heel-face turn over the course of the whole war. As for Princess Zelda, she and Impa both held a private meeting with the King of Hyrule himself after the princess got a brand new hat to wear, where Zelda told her father everything what has happened to her, with Impa confirming the story as a whole. The King was impressed to learn that Zelda traveled through all those places, grueling at the mentioning of the places like Ikana Canyon and the Skulltula cavern as well as the numerous injuries Zelda herself had suffered along with the others over the course of her grand adventure, although he had to stop Zelda at a point when she mentioned her death at the hands of Ganondorf…

"Wait right there one second, Zelda… you actually died?!" The King asked, blinking as he had to make sure he had heard it right, although Zelda's expression pretty much confirmed it for him…
"Yes, father," Zelda said with a solemn expression, "there was a brief period where I didn't make it, but I was not alone. Four of my friends, including Link himself, had died along with me back then."
"How did that happen?"
"It was Ganondorf's doing; he and Majora first weakened us so that the Master Sword would lose its power on its turn, before torturing Link. Once he was thrown off the tower, I tried to make a last stand of my own, only to be met with a similar treatment. What made it worse was that Link actually took the hit of an attack Majora sent at me for me by pushing me out of the way."
"I see, so how were you brought back? Was it the Triforce?"
"No," Impa interjected, "We first secured the bodies to ensure they wouldn't decompose over time, while I personally hid the spirits of Zelda, Link and the three others within my own Shadow. We eventually learned of the Queen of the Fairies named Venus, whom we decided to visit. It was she whom restored Zelda, Link and the three others back to life. We regret not having told anyone about their initial resurrection at first, but this was mostly done to keep whatever friends they had in other places whom were still alive out of Ganondorf and Majora's clutches as potential bargaining chips or having them being killed out of spite."
"I see," The King said, nodding, "so how did you manage to hold out for so long?"
"The bodies were sealed into an ice cavern in order to preserve them properly, while I secured their spirits. Together we've worked on infiltrating enemy ranks to see what they were up to and what their plans were, from which we learned they had set up outposts within the vast forest between Hyrule and Termina as well as a barren lava sanctuary hidden between Snowhead and Ikana to prepare for an invasion in Termina. After the resurrection, we managed to disable both of the outposts, but we couldn't prevent the invasion taking place while we were moving through the depths of the lava sanctuary itself." Impa said.
"During the times we traveled around, we also grew stronger, gained some new weapons and learned some new skills, which we put to great use against our enemies as well as solving puzzles within an abandoned, hidden temple which was mostly void of enemy troops around, save for a Skulltula or two. We figured that hidden temple could be made of great use as a training ground for our soldiers." Zelda said.
"I see." The King said, nodding again as he listened with interest.
"Once we went through the temple, we came across a coastal area where a boat was waiting for us. We took the boat towards the island where Ganondorf and Majora's lair was, coincidentally stumbling across their underground headquarters. We messed up their plans there, but Majora then tried to drown us in the lava that was present around the area, eventually causing the machinery to overload before it exploded. We barely managed to escape with our lives from the explosion, after which we finally arrived at the humongous tower that was their lair." Zelda said.
"So they did make a tower?" The King asked.
"More or less; due to its complexity we actually wondered if they simply modified it next to the occupation. The darn thing was taller than the Stone Tower in Ikana!" Zelda said.
"Zelda!" Impa said, chastising her for saying a bad word.
"It's alright, Impa," The King said, nodding to her, "but was that tower really that tall?!"
"It was, and filled with enemies, rising lava traps and tons of complicated devices we've never seen before." Zelda said, nodding.
"Eventually we confronted our nemeses at the very top of the tower, leading to a long and hard battle which eventually resulted in our victory. And here we are." Impa said, concluding the story.
"I understand. I believe I do owe you an apology, Zelda." The King said.
"Father?" Zelda asked, blinking.
"I should have taken your warnings and premonitions regarding Ganondorf more seriously. Then again, I've ruled the unified lands for over ten years, perhaps the comfort of the peace around must have made me careless. Perhaps if I would have seen this treason coming sooner, this all would have likely never happened." He said, expressing a tone of genuine regret in his voice.
"It's alright, father. Even I have done things of which the consequences were unexpected to me. Perhaps we can make use of the time of peace we have now to fix our mistakes." Zelda said.
"I do believe you are right. Let's prepare the ceremony that will be at hand, I'll see to it that you and your friends will be rewarded for your efforts in the battles we faced." The King said.
"Thank you, father." Zelda said, smiling.

Several days later, after having settled their personal affairs, Link and the Six Sages were being summoned to Hyrule Castle. Having packed what they needed, Link and Saria prepared themselves and Epona for their trip to the castle. The Kokiri looked on in curiosity, while Mido approached them.
"Where are you going this time?" He asked.
"We're headed back for the Castle. A friend of ours wishes to see us." Link said, smiling.
"I see. How long will you be gone this time?" Mido then asked.
"I hope not too long, but you'll never know with what she has planned. Either way, there won't be any battles for now." Link said.
"Not for the time being at least." Saria said, agreeing with Link with a smile.
"I understand. Just be careful underway." Mido said.
"Don't worry, we will." Saria said as she and Link mounted the young horse, whom neighed in content, before she took off on a gentle, eased pace towards the exit of the Kokiri Forest towards Hyrule Castle.
The Kokiri waved them off with a smile, with Link and Saria smiling and waving back before they were out of sight.
"So, what do you think Zelda wanted to see us for?" Saria asked as they entered Hyrule Field.
"I have no idea, but she said it was of high importance. In any case we'll be meeting the King of Hyrule formally and all of the other Sages and our friends are going to be there as well. I also heard that Zelda wanted to see Reimu and her band at the castle." Link said.
"The whole thing is making me quite excited actually, I don't know why…" Saria said with a smile.
"Heh, maybe it's because we finally are going to participate in something that doesn't require fighting? It's actually about time something peaceful happened…" Link said.
"That bad, huh?" Saria asked.
"Yeah, the first peaceful night back at home, I was a complete wreck."
"You're not the only one. According to Fado, we slept for about two days straight. She even wondered why we both were sleeping in your house."
"Good thing we told her it was mostly to chase the nightmares away. It shouldn't be too surprising that we slept that long though; physically we may be all fine and dandy, but mentally… that's another story altogether."
"Touché. After all we both experienced quite the traumatic events, our deaths being the worst ones."
"Not to mention all those monsters we had to face. At least we have a few things in common…"
"True that. Hey, the castle is in sight with its drawbridge down."
Looking forward, Link and Saria saw that the drawbridge was indeed down, allowing them to enter the now-greatly renovated Hyrule Castle Town, where the two saw several civilians continuing repair work or otherwise being in business, with several Hylians, Gorons, Zoras and Gerudos watching them pass by.
"Let's grab the invitations so the guards can let us pass." Saria said.
"Right." Link said, nodding.

The Hyrule Castle Gate was one of the things that was quickly rebuilt over the days after Garo Ganjora's defeat and the subsequent restoration of the lands because of the wish made on the Triforce. The resident guards did a double-take when they saw a young, red horse with white manes and two children approaching them, coming to a halt in front of the gate.
"Uh, aren't you two a bit too young to be coming here?" The Guard asked.
"We're here on a special invitation by Her Royal Highness, Princess Zelda." Link said as he and Saria brandished the invitation.
The guard looked them over, nodding as both sported the genuine autographs of the Princess herself.
"Very well, you may pass. Have a safe trip." The Guard said as he ordered his comrades to open the gate, which they did.
"Thank you, sir." Link and Saria said as they watched the gate open up, before passing through the open gate and moving on the path towards Hyrule Castle.
Arriving at the front bridge of Hyrule Castle, they saw Rauru, Darunia, Ruto and Nabooru waiting for them.
"Hey there." Link said, greeting them with a smile.
"Hey, kid." Nabooru said to Link with a smile, nodding towards Saria as well.
"The Princess and Impa should be with us soon, Reimu and her followers should be arriving later." Darunia said.
"Alright. So, what is this about?" Saria asked.
"It appears that His Royal Highness, the King of Hyrule, wants to see us in person." Nabooru said, just as the drawbridge came down, with Impa and Zelda standing on the other side of it.
"Hey there." Zelda said, smiling as she and Impa approached the group.
"Hey, Zel. I take it you're coming to get us?" Link asked, with Saria giggling at seeing Zelda blush lightly once more at Link's affectionate nickname for her.
"That's right. Father wishes to meet you all in person, even though he knows Darunia already." She said, smiling.
"Well, let's not keep my other Sworn Brother waiting." Darunia said, smiling.
With that, the group moved into the Castle itself, with Zelda and Impa leading the way towards the throne room.

Entering the throne room itself, the group would see the row of Royal Guards standing at either side of the red carpet, with the King himself sitting on his throne, smiling warmly at his daughter and her friends.
"Well, if it isn't my Sworn Brother Darunia. It pleases me to see you present here." He said.
"Likewise, Brother." Darunia said, smiling as he thumped his chest in enthusiasm.
Link, out of habit, got on one knee and bowed down towards the King as a show of respect.
"Your Highness, it is truly a great honor to meet you." He said.
"Rise, young one. It pleases me to see one of the people whom has been aiding my daughter when she needed it in person as well. In fact, the stories I heard of you two working together with your other friends have been quite intriguing. Better yet, seeing each of you from the different races that dwell here show a sign of perfect co-operation, as if the races of Hyrule truly have united together." The King responded with a smile.
This brought a smile to Link's face, even more so when the King readily accepted Nabooru as the representative and spokeswoman on behalf of the Gerudo tribe, something that Ganondorf himself tried to do before, but failed as a result of his plans of treason being exposed. Nabooru's efforts to make an alliance with the King of Hyrule was unsurprisingly far more successful, especially since Princess Zelda herself had a lot of faith in her, which was proven over the time they spent together and fighting enemies together. Nabooru also explained to the King about how her tribe as a whole got into a civil war, with the King nodding in interest, especially when Nabooru informed him that those Gerudo whom opposed Ganondorf in the first place have done their best to gather and guard the survivors alongside any surviving soldiers where needed, which by itself would increase the trust the King had in Nabooru herself, especially when the information she gave him was confirmed and backed up by the others.

After listening to the group about what they had gone through in order to save the lands, the King finally spoke.
"I cannot express enough how thankful I am that you have fought so valiantly to save the lands and their people, even through the hardest of times. Which is why I'm informing you that tomorrow a ceremony shall be held in your honor. Until then, consider yourselves as Royal Guests of the Castle and its princess." The King said.
"Thank you, Your Highness. We expect the other people whom have done their best to aid us in the conflicts to arrive tomorrow as well." Nabooru said.
The King nodded in understanding and acceptance with a smile, before flagging down one of the Royal Valets whom served as a butler.
"Escort these heroes to the Royal Guest Chamber near the room of my daughter. It is time for the bad ceremony to take place." The King said.
"What do you mean by that?" Saria asked curiously.
"There have been several soldiers whom have served me whom have shown acts of cowardice and treason. Impa will be attending as I need someone to see whom is lying or being truthful if they wish to explain their actions. I will be good enough to show mercy to those whom have genuine regrets or otherwise have redeemed themselves over the course of the conflicts, those whom show no regrets in their treasonous actions will be met with severe punishments, varying from being stripped of their titles, ranks and/or houses, demoted or perhaps even exiled or, in the case of the high treason offenders, executed." The King said.
The group nodded in understanding.
"For now, you can go to your guest quarters to rest up there. Tomorrow will be a day of celebrations." The King said, smiling.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Link said, bowing again.
"You can join them if you wish, dear Zelda." The King then said to his daughter, who smiled at him in kind.
"Thank you, father." Zelda said, moving off with the others as the valet took them to the guest room.

Several minutes later, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru had gathered inside the Castle's Courtyard, a place where Zelda loved to spend some time in the open. It was also a bit of a trip down the memory lane for both the young hero and the Hyrulean Princess, as the very courtyard was the spot where they also met for the first time.
"To think that our adventure as a whole began over a year ago…" Link said as he sat on the steps towards the platform where Zelda spied on the clandestine meeting between her father and Ganondorf a year prior.
"Yeah. It's hard to believe that only a few decisions and actions can influence events so big that they could have lasting consequences…" Zelda said, nodding.
"I'll say. I mean, how long has this whole chain of events lasted?" Nabooru asked.
"I lost track of time to be honest, but I feel certain that it must have taken up at least a month or so, maybe more, considering we've been traveling primarily on foot or by horse or by boat…" Link said.
"Not to mention the times we were rendered out cold or when we were among the dead…" Ruto said.
"Yeah… and the times we also had to rest also took up some time. I'm surprised we eventually made it through this all." Saria said.
"Yeah. Time also flies whenever you're occupied with something, like all those long battles…" Link said.
"True, not to mention all those puzzles we had to solve underway…" Zelda said.
"We definitely need a vacation, I assume." Nabooru said.
"That's right. At least we can now do the things we WANT to do instead of the things that we HAVE to do." Ruto said.
"Indeed, it should definitely do us good to have some time off and relax for a change." Saria said.
"Right, that way we should have cleaned our minds too in a way by thinking of the good things." Zelda said.
"You bet." Link said as the five relaxed in the courtyard, absentmindedly picking up the sounds from Zelda's father doing his work as a King by passing judgment on the traitors and granting mercy to those who showed genuine remorse or have in any other form or fashion redeemed themselves from their mistakes.
Nabooru was listening in the most on this, seeing as she was going to do a similar act upon her return to the Gerudo Fortress.
"You know, I would like it if you four would accompany me towards the Gerudo Fortress when it's time." Nabooru said.
"Oh? Any reason why?" Zelda asked.
"The main reason is that each of you will receive the Gerudo Membership Card, this way you can access and enter all areas of the Fortress at will. I'm extending this also to Darunia, Impa and Rauru as well." She said.
"That is really nice of you." Zelda said with a smile.
Nabooru smiled back at her in response.
"Perhaps this will be a sign of long-lasting peace between our respective races." She said.
The others nodded as they relaxed, wishing that this time of peace would really last for a long time to come. Still, they would make sure the lands were safe and were more than ready to come to the people's aid in the time of need, but for now they wanted nothing more than relaxing and just put their thoughts and minds aside, although Link, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru were curious as to what the ceremony of tomorrow was going to be about. Zelda had a distinct feeling that it would be something to express gratitude for their efforts to keep the lands safe. She would soon realize that it would be something more than just an act of gratitude…