Chapter 60: Epilogue
The next day, Link woke up for a new day, blinking at first at seeing he was now in a royal suite that was fitting of an honored guest room within a castle, before blinking again at seeing that Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru were sleeping, while on different beds, in the same room as he was. He then remembered why he was here, yawning a little and stretching his arms, before plopping down on the cushion again for another moment. As he was now dressed in some night clothes the valet had supplied him, he decided to get out of the bed in search of the bathroom to wash up properly. As he got out to where he could wash himself, he startled as he saw the King outside the room.
"Ah, Your Highness!" He said.
"Well, good morning, young lad. My apologies for startling you." The King said.
"It's alright. What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to speak to you alone for a little while… at least until the others wake up."
"Sure thing." Link said, nodding as he was curious to know what the King himself had to say.
"First of all, I wish to express my sincere admiration for your skills in battle. From what my daughter Zelda has told me, your battle skills and valor are putting those of most of my soldiers to shame, especially since you refused to give up in even the darkest of times."
"It's no problem, Your Highness," Link said, getting a little bit shy to be complimented by a King no less, "I just do what I believe is right to protect the lands and those I care about."
"And the result of that has paid you off in space, especially since you simply do it without being paid or simply told you to do. Which is why I want to give you an offer."
That piqued Link's interest.
"An offer?"
"Yes. I wish for you to give my soldiers some pointers for when it comes to their fighting skills, so they can help in keeping the lands safe in future calamities more properly."
"You mean like a battle instructor or tutor?"
"Something like that, yes. It may seem odd considering your current age and everything, but believe me when I say that this can be of great benefit. You can expect soldiers at first not taking you seriously, until you actually show them what you're made of. With the skills you've gained over time, you're practically the best and youngest swordsman Hyrule has at this moment."
Link nodded, smiling at the King.
"I accept your offer, Your Highness. I feel certain that the soldiers will benefit from being taught some new skills. I can even recommend a Sword Training School in Clock Town, Termina that will suit the needs for the soldiers over there, or something the soldiers here can benefit from too in case I get occupied by other matters that require my attention."
"Very well, I will take it into consideration. In which part of Clock Town is that school located?"
"It's located in West Clock Town, close to the gate leading to West Termina Field and by extension the Great Bay area. The school can definitely give some pointers in the basics and a challenge for those who think they are ready to take the Expert Course."
"I thank you for your information. I also want to express my admiration for your courage and selflessness. I find that Zelda has become also quite more assertive as of late. She has become quite interested in you, I might add."
"She is?" Link asked, subconsciously feeling his heartbeat increasing a little.
"Yes. She admires not only your battle skills, but also has felt touched at your blatant disregard for your own safety; she seemed the most touched when you took a shot that Majora fired at her yourself in her defense, regardless of what happened after."
Link was actually at a loss for words here, all he could give in response was having a slight grin on his face while scratching the back of his head. The King smiled at this.
"I also feel like you and your closest friends can also have another job to be added to this." He then said.
"Oh?" Link asked.
"Since you have friends of each race that live here, I think it would be fitting that you and Zelda both could form a council of sorts, which your friends acting as representatives for their respective races, so you can discuss the matters at hand in times of need and see what you can do to assist those who need it. Through this it will show that Hyrule truly is a united land where no one gets left behind, if you get what I mean." The King said.
Link gave it a serious thought.
"That's not a bad idea actually, I'll see what they think of it first so I have their input on the matter. Besides, it shows that everyone will be treated equally." Link said.
"A very wise decision indeed. You seem to have quite the talent for making the right decisions. You'd make quite an amazing ruler of a country that has the full support of the people once you're old enough." The King said.
Link felt quite flattered at this compliment, making him smile.
"Your friends should be waking up anytime soon now. I need to make the preparations for the ceremony today, so I will see you soon." The King said.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Link said, bowing once more, before the two parted ways for the time being.
Unaware to Link, Zelda had woken up after he had left and was stretching out. She got out of her bed and walked to the door, being slightly distracted at hearing Rauru grunt a little as he moved to lay in a different position, therefore not noticing the door opening as Link got back in the room, while Link himself watched the King walk away down the corridor. Just as Link turned around to get back in the room, he bumped straight into Zelda as she walked out of the room, causing Link to fall flat on his rear as he grunted, but he had no time to look up as Zelda fell on top of him.
"OW!" both children said as they landed.
"Oh, sorry about that. I didn't see you there." Zelda said to Link.
"It's alright, I should have looked where I was going too." Link said, as both children got up.
"So, what were you doing out here this early?"
"Nothing special really, except having had a private word with your father, the King."
"Oh? What did he say?"
"He revealed parts of what is likely going to be our reward for helping the people and defeating our nemeses. In fact, he offered us a job."
"What kind of job?"
"He said something about the eight of us forming some kind of council in which we can discuss the matters within Hyrule and beyond at hand and see what we can do to help each other, as in the respective races, out. I think that can be used to our advantage; we could use the Chamber of the Sages as the meeting place for this."
"Hmmm, you bring up a very interesting point there. Anything else?"
"His Royal Highness also offered me to help the loyal soldiers out in sharpening their sword skills. I even went so far as to recommend the Sword Training School in Clock Town for this, so they have the basic course and the Challenge course altogether."
"That's not a bad idea, but you do realize that Clock Town is days away from here, even on horseback, right?"
"I know that. It's actually part of my idea to also make it a test of will and determination, to see which soldiers are willing to become the top-notch swordsmen they aspire to be and which soldiers are either complete slackers or wish to excel in other weaponry, such as archery or artillery."
"And it also gives the soldiers experience with riding a horse for a long distance or just go on foot while also having kind of a survival thing going on. That should not only improve their sword skills, but also their condition too."
"Exactly. That way they can prove to us that they are doing whatever they can in order to prepare themselves for any other events that require them to defend the lands from evil, just in case."
"I agree. Perhaps we can bring this up in our first council meeting so we can set up a proper training program as well. Perhaps the Gerudo can help in instructing with other matters of sword combat or when it comes to the use of spears and glaives."
"My thought exactly." Link said, smiling.
"Looks like we have quite the planning to do then." Zelda then said.
"Indeed, but as long as there is peace, we should take advantage of it. Perhaps we can travel around and see what else we can possibly learn to improve our skills even further."
"Indeed. We could make it into our vacation then as well."
"Say, when will the Temple of Time be accessible again?"
"This afternoon at best. Why?"
"I wanted to know, since I think it's the time again to put the Master Sword to rest again until it's needed to slay evil. I'll still have the Golden Sword and the Great Fairy's Sword to defend myself with though…" Link said.
"Wise idea. Besides, we should keep the Master Sword as a secret weapon in case the time was there. Which reminds me, has it gone back to normal actually? Since the Fairy Queen Venus has merged the Master Sword with your Gilded Sword after our resurrection..."
"I think so; when I got to bed upon our return to the Kokiri Forest and all I saw that I was carrying two swords again. Perhaps the influence of the Fierce Deity's Mask had something to do with it, since I had been wielding that oversized Golden Double Helix Sword during our last confrontation with Garo Ganjora. I didn't pay much attention to it at first to be honest; getting the much needed rest after all those hectic battles and all other events was my primary concern, same with Saria; she's been sleeping over at my place ever since we got back, mostly to help in chasing any potential nightmares away…" Link said.
Zelda understood this all too well, in fact it was one of the rare occasions she actually felt comfortable with Impa's company during the night so she could sleep easy as well. Given Impa's duty as Zelda's attendant, it was only the right thing to do.
"We should check it once the ceremony's over. I wouldn't want to keep father waiting." Zelda said.
"Right." Link said, nodding as the two got prepared for the day.
Several hours later, the ceremony was on its way. The King of Hyrule sat on his throne, the royal guards standing in a row along the red carpet and at the main doors. Several civilians from Hyrule and Termina both, including Gorons, Zoras and Gerudo along with the Hylians, were present as they had been invited. Among them were also Malon, Talon, Ingo, the Indigo-gos, the Goron Elder from Snowhead, Romani and Cremia.
"I wonder what this is about." Romani said.
"This is in celebration of those whom have helped in saving the lands of Hyrule and Termina." Cremia said.
It was then that trumpets sounded in the hall, indicating the ceremony was about to begin. Everyone went quiet as eight people stepped in the room. Malon's eyes went wide.
"It's the Fairy Boy from the forest… and is that the Princess?!" She asked her father.
"That they are… and look, they must be friends of theirs, considering the friendly glances they give each other…" Talon replied.
As soon as Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru stood in front of the throne, the King spoke.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today to honor those people whom have contributed in saving our homes, our families, our loved ones and our friends. These people have gone through great lengths and have faced many trials and fought many enemies to accomplish the nigh-impossible task on defeating the villains responsible for this crisis. These people here have shown the power, wisdom and the courage needed to overcome all of these trials to reach their ultimate goal, which is to bring peace and prosperity back to our lands." The King said, before approaching the group, drawing his sword, but keeping it low.
Link and the Seven Sages kneeled in front of him, each with a smile on their faces.
"Citizens of Hyrule, words cannot describe how grateful we are of you having successfully achieved the peace that you have fought for, defeating our sworn enemies once and for all. By Royal Decree, with this sword, I shall dub thee Knights of Hyrule." The King said, before performing the accolade ceremony on each of the group, giving them a new rank by giving each of them a gentle stroke with the flat part of his sword against the sides of their necks.
The resident audience blinked at seeing the Princesses Zelda and Ruto being given the same title as Link, but they were happy for them nonetheless, as it showed that everyone of the group has done their part. Once each of the group had been dubbed knight, they rose as the King handed them the insignias of their new order, which consisted of a badge with the crest of the Royal Family, with an added touch of having a custom-made insignia on it that represented their respective element/force, the latter being the wisdom for Zelda and the courage for Link. This was done as the King had been informed by Zelda of their adventures after all. Each of the group happily accepted this new insignia as a badge of honor, coupled with the new privileges that came with their new title. The surprising thing to most people remained was that Zelda was being given the same privileges as well, as if she was being treated equally despite being the King's daughter. Then again, not many have witnessed a princess doing her part in fighting off enemy forces personally, which in turn has effectively debunked the stereotypical part of princesses being a damsel in distress as observed in most stories. So seeing someone of royalty being also an active combatant was definitely a welcome change, in turn increasing the people's respect for her altogether.
"Congratulations to your new, added titles. You are now part of the Order of the Knights of Hyrule! May you serve long and well. Great songs will be sung of your deeds. You will be remembered with honor." The King said, after which the audience erupted in cheers, giving the group a standing ovation.
This all brought a smile to Link's face, not just because of being given this title at his age, but because people recognized him for his heroic deeds to save the lands of Hyrule and Termina.
"Now, bring in the Gerudo Reimu, Leia and their entourage." The King said.
As the group and the audience turned around, they saw the group of six Gerudo entering the throne room. Each of them were quite nervous, but since word got out of their own heroic deeds and their quest for redemption for the most of them, people actually began to respect them. Which is why they were here as Link and the Sages stepped aside. The six Gerudo also kneeled in front of the King, showing their genuine respect for him.
"The six of you have faced quite the trials of your own as well and most of you performed acts that were out of your control, due to an malevolent, outside force making you do those heinous acts. Yet, when you were freed, you took responsibility for those acts and as such you have sought to redeem yourselves by fighting alongside our soldiers against the hated enemies and secured the safety of the survivors and those who sought refuge in distant villages. For these deeds you will be recognized. Therefore I am giving you a probation time for three months. Prove to us that you would do anything to complete your redemption and prove your loyalty towards your own leaders and those of other races. Once the period is over and your loyalty has been proven, you will be given Honorary Citizenship. All that we ask from you is to cement your loyalty to us. Consider it a final test." The King said.
"Thank you, Your Highness. We shall prove ourselves worthy to be at your command." Reimu said.
"See that you do. You are dismissed." The King said with a smile.
"Don't forget, I'll see you in the Fortress later today." Nabooru said.
"We'll be there, My Lady." Reimu said, bowing before she left with the others, except for Leia as she was held back.
"Leia, you have sought out our aid ever since I came to the fortress myself and helped me in ensuring that those Gerudo who were brainwashed were liberated, giving them the chance to redeem themselves. Which is why you are being given the Honorary Citizenship right away in recognition of your deeds to aid us against our enemies." The King said.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Leia said, bowing again.
The King nodded with a smile in recognition of Leia's deeds before Leia herself left. With most of the ceremony complete, the festivities began in celebration of the preservation of Hyrule and Termina and the destruction of the evil that had infested it.
A few hours later, Link and the Seven Sages were now standing in the Room of Time, where the Pedestal of Time was still present and miraculously intact even after the destruction of the Temple of Time. With the Temple itself being partially rebuilt and its structure reinforced to make it more resilient against attacks against it, Link felt it was now the right time to return the Master Sword back into its pedestal, to close the gateway between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm in the process, until the time comes where the sword is once more needed to slay the forces of evil. With the iconic thrust downward, Link plunged the Master Sword into its pedestal while the Seven Sages stood around it, the platform they stood on glowing for a brief moment in acceptance. Once this was done, Link and the Seven Sages gazed once more on the evil-banishing blade, before leaving the Temple of Time, heading towards the Gerudo Fortress to complete some of their final tasks before the group would travel around once again. This time, Navi, Tatl and Tael remained at the group's side, not leaving them as they too had grown to learn the value of having a companion by their side, so they were not alone. Before leaving, Zelda played the Song of Time on the Ocarina of Time, closing the restored Door of Time to close off this part of their lives, until the time would come where it would be needed again. This also would ensure that no outsider would barge into the temple and take the Sword for themselves, especially when they were not in possession of the very treasures that could give one access to the Master Sword in the first place. Despite Link's current Golden Sword having lost some of its power, it was by itself still twice as strong as the Gilded Sword by itself once was, making it still a formidable weapon, being only surpassed in power by the Great Fairy's Sword.
Later on, as the group entered Gerudo Valley, the resident Gerudo blinked as they saw Nabooru approaching with an entourage of non-Gerudo people. Some of the guards there reacted on natural instinct and attempted to move to intercept the group, but one quick glare from Nabooru herself made the guards back off immediately, not wanting to risk the ire of their leader. Upon entering the Gerudo Fortress, the resident guards and other Gerudo immediately gave Nabooru a wide berth as well as bowing in respect, evidently recognizing that their leader was now back on business. After dismounting their horses, Epona among them, Link and the Seven Sages then entered the main room of the Gerudo Fortress where Aveil was waiting. Aveil had spent most of the time brooding within the fortress, but as word got out of Nabooru's resurrection and the subsequent liberation of their brainwashed comrades and the arrest of several traitors gave the Second-In-Command hope. Hope which was justified as she instantly rose upon seeing the revitalized Nabooru and her entourage entering the room.
"Lady Nabooru! It pleases me to see you back in the flesh once again." Aveil said.
"Likewise, Aveil. What's the status on the prisoners?" Nabooru asked.
"At your request we have separated those who wish to repent for their wrongdoings from the ones whom still believe they have done nothing wrong. We have detailed accounts on their actions from eyewitnesses. Some of the Gerudo whom sought redemption also helped in apprehending their more treacherous 'comrades', although the latter ones had to be restrained on multiple occasions as they wanted to kill those whom 'sold them out'. Even in jail some of the treacherous Gerudo are still being violent within their cells."
"I see. It's time to get to business. First, I would like to have Reimu, Leia and those four Gerudo Pirates whom have been accompanying them here."
"As you wish. And what of your entourage?"
"They are my friends whom have helped me out within the battles of the past month and vice versa. I want to give them the Gerudo Membership Cards so they can make use of our training facilities whenever they please." Nabooru said in a tone where she would not accept any retorts or protests.
"I understand, My Lady. Your will shall be done." Aveil said, before she went to work.
A couple of minutes later, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Impa, Darunia and Rauru were given the Gerudo Membership Cards that allowed them free access to all the facilities the Gerudo Fortress had to offer, before Nabooru took her seat as leader of the Gerudo with Aveil at her side. Then several Gerudo Guards accompanying Reimu, Leia and the four Pirates came in the room, with the Guards taking position at the sides of the carpet and at the door, awaiting further orders. Once again Reimu and Leia as well as the four Gerudo Pirates were quite nervous, but relaxed as they saw Nabooru smiling at them.
"Reimu and Leia, you and your comrades have served me well, despite the initial interference from certain outside parties," Nabooru said, "since most of you are in the last stages of what you believe to be your quest for redemption, I have decided to give you a special assignment."
Reimu and Leia looked up, remaining silent.
"Reimu, your assignment is to be my personal guard along with your sister Leia. Since I will be off traveling around soon again, I need two of my comrades as bodyguards and to assist my friends in their time of need. After observing your records and actions I have concluded that you two are the best qualified for the job." Nabooru said.
"Thank you, Lady Nabooru. We shall prove ourselves worthy of this honor." Reimu said.
"See that you do. As for you four," Nabooru said, turning to the remaining Pirates, "you will be assigned a similar position, but you will be at Aveil's command."
Both the pirates and Aveil nodded in understanding and inwardly Aveil was happy; she had been in danger when the Gerudo Civil War came out and, while she did remain safe, she didn't come out unscathed and several of her loyal comrades were either injured, captured, brainwashed or killed in the ensuing conflicts. So she could use a group of Gerudo who would remain loyal and protect her in case of Nabooru's absence.
"We accept the assignment." One of the pirates said as all four of them bowed.
"Good. If the rest of the redemption seeking Gerudo are as wise as you demonstrated, I have no doubt that our people will over time be more respected than ever before, especially since we have allied with the King of Hyrule. You may go to your posts now." Nabooru said.
The six indeed went to their posts.
"Alright, bring me the other Gerudo who are seeking redemption." Nabooru said.
"As you wish. You have anything special in mind?" Aveil asked.
"Since I'm in a good mood, I've decided that each of the Gerudo whom are seeking redemption can stay with us and will therefore not be stripped of their ranks and homes. However, this doesn't mean they get away with it scot-free; I want to test them to see if their redemption-seeking quest is genuine." Nabooru said.
"What do you have in mind?" Aveil asked.
"If they really want to show that they want to redeem themselves, they must show it. A specialized training course will be prepared for this in our training center, where they must face several of the enemies we have captured there." Nabooru said.
"Would this also count for some of the traitors?"
"No. I have decided that all of the traitors will be exiled from this fortress and sent to either the isolated Gerudo Pirate fortress in the Great Bay area or otherwise into the Forest area close to that Forest outpost I have visited. Since that area is largely abandoned, it should be a fitting place for the exiled to gather there to live with the shame they have brought upon themselves. I regret having to take this course of action, but I have to show that such heinous actions of treason are simply intolerable."
"Will this also mean they have a chance to come back?" Zelda asked.
"Only if they have an actual change of heart and are also seek redemption. But this will go at a different level than with the redemption-seekers here; those who are exiled will have nothing to their name and thus must be willing to work VERY hard if they ever want a chance at regaining their honor." Nabooru asked.
"So in a way it's like what my father does as a discommendation act, am I correct?"
"Suffice it to say, your old man inspired me to follow this kind of example." Nabooru said with a smirk, to which Zelda responded with a smile and an acknowledging nod.
Soon enough, the judgments have passed. While the redemption-seeking Gerudo were elated that they at least had a place to stay, despite being on probation and earning what they seek, the treacherous Gerudo were upset in regards to being exiled. While some of the Gerudo appeared to show signs of remorse by accepting their fates with a bowed head, others had to be dragged out of the chambers while shouting curses at their fellow kin as well as Nabooru's friends. Link's fingers itched to show them a thing or two, but Nabooru stopped him.
"Remember this, kid; sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." She said.
Nodding, Link relented and stood down, wondering if it was still because of the Fierce Deity's Mask's influence that made him a bit on edge when his friends were concerned. A comforting hand around the shoulders from both Zelda and Saria put him at ease, causing him to hug his friends.
As business picked back up in both Hyrule and Termina, it appeared that both lands seemed to enjoy a time of peaceful co-existence and co-operation. Lon Lon Ranch for instance agreed to a brand partnership with Romani Ranch, which would prove to become a positive influx on the businesses of both ranches respectively, so much that the Gorman Brothers eventually forfeited their own business and began to focus more on the horse racing department, their milk business already having sealed its fate once their acts to put Romani Ranch out of business became public knowledge. Clock Town's Sword Training School also received a positive influx of business, primarily because of Link's recommendation to make use of its facilities to get down the basics of Sword combat, coupled with the Expert Challenge that would earn those who passed a legitimate certificate which would later on become mandatory for those aspiring in becoming professional swordsmen. Both Clock Town and the rebuilt Kakariko Village would also observe an increase in tourists, with the market area in Hyrule Castle Town also becoming more popular among tourists from Termina.
The Indigo-go's, the famous Zora band from the Zora Cape in the Great Bay area, had gathered around the grave of their fellow band member, comrade and hero Mikau, paying their respect to him by holding a moment of silence, while also playing the song they had been composing in his honor. The Gorons in Snowhead were occasionally seen visiting the Goron Shrine in the Mountain Village to pay their respects for their hero Darmani the Third, believing that his wandering spirit was still around to safeguard them and ensure that the Goron Village would remain safe. The Deku Butler was on his turn comforting the Deku Princess as they visited the final resting place of the Deku Butler's son, the Princess' love interest, whom was the first victim to be killed/cursed by the rampaging Majora before his arrival in Clock Town and by extension Termina itself. The Deku King himself was also present, saddened at seeing his only daughter crying bitter tears at the loss of her love. Several Gerudo have been working on a graveyard of their own at the backside of the Gerudo horseback archery challenge, burying the bodies of their fallen comrades whom they had been able to retrieve over the course of the past days. The King of Hyrule himself attended the funerals of those soldiers and civilians whom had fallen in the aftermath of Ganondorf and Majora's rampage, while those who were resurrected also attended to honor those whom had made their sacrifices. The Kokiri on their turn also still mourned the loss of the Great Deku Tree, even though there was still hope for them as a new sprout was beginning to grow, in effect making sure that the Kokiri would still have a guardian tree watching over them over the years to come.
Link was once more traveling through the forest area while riding his trusty steed Epona, but this time he was not alone. Sitting behind him was his childhood friend Saria, while five other horses were accompanying them. One of those horses was a Royal Gray which was rode by Impa with Princess Zelda in front of her, the four other horses being the generic horses which were rode by Nabooru and Ruto, Rauru, Reimu and Leia respectively. The one who didn't need a horse was Darunia, as his rolling speed easily matched the speed of a galloping horse by itself. Flying close to Epona were the fairies Navi, Tatl and Tael, whom felt quite comfortable in such a big company. Of course, Tael couldn't resist teasing both his sister Tatl and their friend Navi, which earned him being chased by the two female fairies in kind, earning a good laugh from the others. Seeing the bright sun up ahead, the group noticed they were coming close to a clearing as they continued to explore the forest, in search for a good place to spend their vacation. Seeing it as a potential spot, they let the horses gallop towards it, with Darunia leading in his role to prevent injury to the horses themselves, as if in search for a new and hopefully more peaceful adventure. And as the group moved towards the clearing, the first tunes of Saria's Song resonated throughout the area.
THE END.