"How… how are you feeling?" Seraphina asked, lowering her hands.
It had taken her some time, but eventually, she finished healing all of Sheik's wounds. Having expended so much magic on top of the long and stressful day she'd had, she felt about ready to pass out.
Sheik sat up, experimentally pressing his hands against the various places he'd been wounded. "Less like I'm going to die," he said.
Seraphina winced at his words. "Well. That's good."
Sheik regarded her for a moment, then stood up, staring out into the flowing water of the river. "I've almost died so many times," he said, although it was unclear whether he was talking to Seraphina or just thinking aloud. "This time should've been…"
"Perhaps the gods aren't finished with you yet."
Seraphina and Sheik both jumped at the sound of someone speaking from behind them. Sheik drew his weapon, and despite everything, the princess was quick to leap behind his back. However, the one who had spoken was not one of their Sheikah pursuers. Instead, staring at them from further along the rocky shoreline was a small, glowing, golden rabbit.
"What the fuck are you?" Sheik demanded.
"Oh, my. That's rather rude, isn't it?" The golden rabbit hopped down from atop the rocks, coming closer to them. Sheik moved backwards, pushing Seraphina further back with him.
"No, wait." The princess stepped to the side, coming around in front of Sheik. She tilted her head curiously, looking at the rabbit. The way he appeared to be made of light seemed extremely familiar to her. "Laemora?"
"Not quite, I'm afraid," the rabbit replied, sitting on its hind legs. "I am her official replacement. You may call me Blumen."
"What?" Sheik asked, sounding skeptical. He walked closer to the rabbit, making the rabbit's tiny stature even more noticeable. "You? You're the new God of Light?"
"Quite right!" the rabbit said proudly.
Seraphina knelt in front of Blumen and placed a hand on his head. Bathed in the glow of the rabbit spirit, the princess felt a warm and comforting feeling wash over her. "I can feel it. Your presence. It's so much like Laemora's."
"Ah, good. See? This one knows true divinity when she sees it," Blumen said. "It is no wonder Laemora chose you."
"Hmm." Sheik grunted skeptically, putting a hand to his chin. "If you're a god, what can you do?"
Blumen shifted his position and scratched the side of his head below his ear. "Um. Well, I suppose technically I'm not a god yet. But, my sage here is going to help me with that."
The princess smiled. "You're going to make me your sage?"
"But of course!" the rabbit replied cheerily. "All you have to do is help me get to the Spring of Wisdom at the top of Mount Lanayru, and then afterwards, take me to my temple."
"Mount Lanayru?" Seraphina repeated.
"That's right. It's not too far from here. We should be able to see it once we get past these cliffs," Blumen replied.
Apparently unhappy with what the rabbit had said, Sheik stepped forward and picked him up by the scruff of his neck.
"Ow! Hey!"
"Are you telling me we need to go back to the Light Temple? After all the trouble I went through to get her away from there?" Sheik demanded.
"Sheik!" The princess snatched the rabbit away from him, holding him gently in her hands.
"Thank you, my dear," Blumen said. "But, yes. That is what we must do. First the spring, then my temple. And then, I shall officially be the new God of Light!"
"It won't be so bad," Seraphina tried to tell Sheik. "We can go to my aunt for help before we go back to the Light Temple. She can bring her army with us. And my siblings have probably returned home to make it safe again by now anyway."
Sheik sighed deeply. "Fine. Let's just get moving. We're much too close to Kakariko at the moment, and who knows who might be coming for us now."
"Hurray!" Seraphina cheered, lifting the rabbit into the air and twirling happily. "Don't worry, Blumen. We'll be home in no time."
"Come along, now! Try and keep up."
Seraphina shivered as she watched the golden rabbit hop up the pathway in front of her. It had already been cold in Naydra Snowfield at the foot of the mountain, but it had only gotten colder and colder as the ascended towards the peak of Mount Lanayru.
"Aren't you cold?" the princess asked through chattering teeth.
"Of course!" Blumen replied. "It is a wonderful new sensation. Now, come on!"
Seraphina wasn't quite sure what the rabbit meant, but she didn't ask. She simply followed.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw Sheik not far behind her. She quickly looked away before they made eye contact. Ever since she found out he was the one responsible for Princess Sabah's murder, she'd been confused. She didn't know if he was a good person or a bad person anymore. He'd always been rather coarse with her, but he still protected her. She'd thought he was good. If he wasn't, why was he doing all this for her?
The princess didn't know what to think, but she wasn't in a good position to do so anyway. She was freezing. She wasn't traveling with garments that were particularly well-suited for cold weather in the first place, and the wind and snow bit hard into her skin.
While she shivered, Sheik appeared at her side, holding out a lit torch. She flinched at the Sheikah's sudden appearance, looking up at him questioningly.
"Take it," he demanded. "I'll block the wind so it doesn't go out."
Seraphina hesitated, but she took the flaming torch into her hand. It wasn't a perfect solution, but carrying around her own personal campfire certainly helped a little. And, true to his word, Sheik kept pace with her, standing in the way of the wind, which also helped to warm her up.
"We are nearly there," Blumen announced. "Ah, I can taste the wisdom already."
"Why do you need to go to this spring?" Sheik asked irritably. "What's so special about it?"
"This spring is sacred to the goddess Nayru, young man," the golden rabbit replied. "You ought to show her more respect. She guided your entire civilization, you know."
"But why are we going there?" Seraphina joined in, also curious about the Spring of Wisdom. "Are we going to find out how to save the kingdom?"
"Perhaps! That is for us to discover. There is wisdom in patience, after all," the light spirit told them.
Sheik grumbled in response.
None of them spoke much for a while after that. Seraphina was still cold, and she was still a bit uncertain about Sheik, but she stayed by his side, hoping to allow the torch flame to warm them both.
"Ah, we have arrived!" Blumen declared after some time.
As they rounded the path, Seraphina could see they'd finally reached the summit. While they were not at the very tip of the mountain top, the princess could see what looked like a doorway that had been carved into the rock in front of them. Two rows of ancient-looking stone columns lined a tiled path that led up to it.
"It's in there?" Seraphina asked, pointing forward.
"Obviously," Sheik replied, going on ahead of her. "Hurry up. It's probably warmer inside."
"Yes, that's the spirit!" Blumen agreed, hopping along the tiled pathway to catch up to him.
Seraphina moved quickly as well, not wishing to be separated from them.
Past the doorway was a narrow corridor. The walls and ceiling were intricately carved, creating flat, smooth surfaces. The stone the hall had been carved from was dark blue in color and covered in whitish impurities, giving it the appearance of the night sky filled with stars.
"Wow," Seraphina exclaimed in wonder. "It's beautiful."
"Indeed!" Blumen glowed so brightly, it would have been enough to light the way through the dark corridor even without torches.
Eventually, the corridor opened up into a crater within the mountain. With no roof over their heads, the night sky was open to them, illuminating the area with moonlight. However, the area within the mountain was no mere barren crater. It was a beautiful hot spring encircled by more ancient stone pillars. With mist rising from the hot springs, the air was much warmer than it had been outside. A stone pathway extended from the doorway to a circular platform in the middle of the spring. Across from the platform was a gigantic statue of the goddess Nayru.
Seraphina gasped when they walked out into the spring, her eyes gazing over the place in awe.
"Well, we're here," Sheik said impatiently. "Do what you need to do," he said to the golden rabbit.
"Patience is a virtue," Blumen repeated, hopping along the pathway until he reached the circular platform. He waited until the others caught up to him. "O Wise Nayru," he spoke up at the statue in prayer. "I have done as you have requested. I have reached the Spring of Wisdom. What great knowledge shall you impart upon me?"
The three of them stood together for a moment. Blumen seemed to be expecting something to happen, but nothing did.
"That's just a statue," Seraphina pointed out, raising a finger.
"I know that," Blumen replied. "She should still be able to hear me, though. Lots of people pray to her through her statues."
"Then maybe she didn't hear you over everyone else's prayers," Seraphina speculated. "Maybe you should try again?"
Blumen scoffed. "I am certain my lady could hear me."
"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" Sheik asked. "Is Nayru supposed to give you something, or not?"
"Well, I assumed-"
Blumen was interrupted by a noise from behind them. Seraphina and the others turned to see something massive emerging from the water near the entrance. Sheik quickly stepped in front of the princess, holding out his arms as if to conceal her.
When the water cleared, a blue dragon appeared, with most of its body still concealed beneath the water's surface. The creature flexed its wings, as if to stretch and shake the water off of itself. Everyone froze in fear. It took the monster a few moments to even notice them, but when it did, Seraphina could see the pupils of its large eyes contract as it focused on them.
"Ó. Hver ert þú fólk?" The dragon moved its head closer to them, but it spoke rather than trying to eat them.
Seraphina couldn't understand what it had said, but the fact that it had spoken at all made it appear friendly. "What?" she asked, taking a step out from behind Sheik.
"Stay back, kusogaki!" Sheik warned her.
However, the dragon still did not attack them. It blinked, closing and unclosing two sets of eyelids over its great big eyes. Then it leaned away from them. "Sorry. I asked, who are you people?" the dragon said, speaking in Hylian this time. The voice it spoke in was still a little scary, but the tone was calm and nonthreatening. It also sounded somewhat feminine, although it was difficult to tell.
Seraphina was about to answer honestly, having forgotten she was supposed to be concealing her true identity. However, Sheik clamped a hand over her mouth before she managed to make the mistake. Instead, Blumen hopped forward, standing on his hind legs and glowing brightly, perhaps in an attempt to appear strong and threatening.
"Who am I, you ask? I am Blumen, the new God of Light!" he declared.
The dragon did not respond for a moment. She exhaled a misty breath that dispersed into the air as she peered down at the golden rabbit. "And you two?" she asked, apparently unimpressed by the self-proclaimed god.
"Troy. Blossom," Sheik replied, indicating himself and then the princess.
Seraphina blinked. She'd forgotten all about their current fake identities, and she'd been a moment away from introducing herself properly.
"Blumen. Troy. Blossom," the dragon repeated. "I am Vaida."
Both parties stared at each other for a moment. Seraphina was still confused, but the dragon seemed friendly enough.
"You're not going to eat us, are you?" the young princess asked.
The dragon exhaled a fine mist once more. Her moment of hesitation frightened Seraphina, but then she replied. "I had not planned to, no."
"Oh. Good. Thank you." Seraphina forced a smile.
"Then what are you doing here?" Sheik demanded.
"I am quite curious myself," Blumen joined in. "To bathe in Nayru's sacred fountain is not a privilege afforded to just anyone, you know."
The dragon's heavy breaths were quite audible as they waited for a response.
"That is not the easiest question to answer," Vaida replied, sinking a bit back into the water. "I came here for a purpose. I was seeking something. A key, of sorts. But it was not here."
"So why are you still here?" Sheik asked, still sounding quite suspicious of the apparently friendly dragon.
Vaida sighed, mist spilling from her great jaws. "Because I do not wish to go back."
"Back? Back where? The Outer Continent?" Seraphina asked. She knew dragons were not common in Hyrule anymore, but she'd heard stories of them flying into the kingdom from the Outer Continent, where they were supposedly plentiful.
The dragon shook her head. "To my brother. To our people. To our cause."
"A dragon with a cause," Sheik stated with his usual mild irritation. He didn't sound skeptical, as if he thought she was lying. It sounded more like he thought the very idea was ridiculous.
Vaida sighed, turning her head to gaze over the spring. "It is said that those who come to this place are gifted with some of Nayru's wisdom," she said. "My kind tends not to think much of her Children's legends, but after bathing in these waters, I feel… a sense of clarity, perhaps."
"Do not overlook the gifts of a goddess," Blumen said with some satisfaction, likely proud to hear the Spring of Wisdom performed as promised.
"Has the goddess spoken to you?" Seraphina asked, hoping she would get to do the same while she was there.
The dragon shook her head, water falling from her long neck as she did. "No. No one has spoken to me since I arrived here, save for a few groups of adventurers who sought to kill me. Not until you all showed up, that is. I have merely reflected on my own actions, while I was not busy hunting or fleeing from monster slayers." She set her gaze on the princess. "You asked if I planned to eat you. I have eaten humans before, child. And I've killed more than I've eaten."
Seraphina's eyes shot open in fear, and she hid behind Sheik.
"So that is your wisdom? Your moment of clarity? Just not killing people anymore?" Sheik scoffed derisively.
"I've seen what it does. Killing people, trying to retake our lands – my brother is obsessed with it, and it has driven him mad," Vaida explained. "But I… I can live in peace, so long as I cease those pursuits."
"Bullshit," Sheik snapped, taking two steps forward with purpose. "Peace? Peace? You think you just get to live in peace now? Just because you've stopped killing? The people you've killed are still dead! What good does your peace do for them?"
"Shei–Troy!" Seraphina grabbed him by the back of his cloak.
The dragon waded through the water and lowered her head, bringing it down in front of Sheik. This frightened Seraphina, and she switched from pulling against Sheik's cloak to clinging tightly to him.
"What would you have me do, then, human? Die?" Vaida asked Sheik. "My peace will do no good for those I've killed, surely. But what good would my death do for them?"
"Regardless of how little it benefits the dead, it may yet be what you deserve," Sheik replied, not backing down despite the dragon's icy breath being exhaled right in front of him.
"Come, now." The golden rabbit hopped between the two of them. "Surely we would not want to blaspheme by fighting in Nayru's sacred spring, would we?"
"I do not care for what your gods want," Vaida replied. Nevertheless, she backed away. "But I am done with killing."
"That changes nothing," Sheik insisted.
"Troy!" Seraphina shouted, tugging on his sleeve. "Y-You stopped killing, didn't you? Or, er, don't you want to?" she reminded him. "So, can't she?"
Sheik did not respond. He remained standing in place, glaring at the dragon as she settled back into the warm waters of the spring.
"Ah. Now I see," Vaida replied. "You are like me, then. You're a killer as well."
"Yes," Sheik said definitively, not bothering to deny it at all.
"Do you plan to die, human?" Vaida inquired.
"I did. Until this one stopped me." Sheik gestured to Seraphina, sounding irritated that she had prevented him from dying.
"That is no way to speak, young man," Blumen told him sternly. "The gods do not give you a life just so you can throw it away."
"Do not tell me what my life is for, rabbit," Sheik shot back.
"Sheik!" Seraphina shouted, forgetting to use his fake name, not that she knew his real name. There was still so much she did not understand, but hearing him talk about wishing he was dead frightened her more than the dragon.
Vaida had little reaction to Seraphina calling him Sheik, however. She was much more interested in what he'd said. "The people we've killed will still be dead even if we die as well, human," she reiterated. "Nothing can truly bring back the dead."
Seraphina did not believe that. As far as she was aware, the Triforce could do anything, including bringing back the dead. She'd sometimes wondered why her father had never used it to bring back her mother, but she figured there must have been some sort of rule against it.
"I have an idea," Blumen said, interrupting their debate before it got more heated. "Lady Vaida here seems to have been granted some level of Nayru's wisdom after having bathed in her spring. Why don't we do so? Perhaps Nayru shall enlighten us as well."
Seraphina looked down into the water. It looked quite warm, which would be extremely pleasant given how cold it had been as they'd climbed the mountain. Stepping over to the edge of the walkway, she leaned over and lowered her hand into the water.
"Oh! That feels nice," the princess said, smiling with warmth. "Okay, let's go for a swim." Although a part of her was still nervous about the dragon, the pool of water was large enough that she could stay far away from her, and Vaida seemed fairly dedicated to not harming them anyway.
"Don't be stupid," Sheik said, glancing down at Blumen. "Sitting in a pool of water isn't going to magically grant us the answers to our problems."
"It will warm us up, though," Seraphina argued, already beginning to remove her clothing. "What have we got to lose? Come on, let's give it a try." After carefully folding her clothes and leaving them on the cleanest part of the stone walkway she could find, the princess lifted the golden rabbit into her arms and stepped into the water. "Ohhh, that is nice!"
"Ooh, yes! I quite like this. Warmth is a much more pleasant sensation than cold!" Blumen agreed, pushing himself free of Seraphina's grasp to go swimming through the pool.
Sheik and the dragon continued to stare at each other. Sheik did not turn his back on Vaida, nor did he climb down into the water to join his companions. Nevertheless, he stepped over to the side of the walkway close to where Seraphina was soaking in the pool, then sat down, still keeping an eye on Vaida.
There was silence for a while. Seraphina sat where she was, leaning her back against the dais she'd been standing on before, the warm water covering up to her neck. She stared up at the statue of Nayru in front of her.
While the Hylians were considered to be the people of Hylia, the princess knew her family in particular had a special connection with Nayru as well. She was the Goddess of Wisdom who had guided all of civilization, which was the role her family was considered to hold now. At various times throughout history, when the Triforce had been split into three parts, it had always been a member of her family who had been entrusted with the Triforce of Wisdom, the piece of the artifact that had been created by Nayru herself.
I wonder who it would be given to. Vicky? Lance? Sophie?
It made her smile to think of her siblings. She was still quite far from all of them, but once she made it to her aunt, she'd be able to find out where they were right now, and then she'd be able to go see them again. Maybe they would all meet back home when she went to take Blumen to the Light Temple.
She thought about Blumen as well, watching the glowing golden rabbit swim around in the spring in front of her. Seraphina was overjoyed by the prospect of becoming the Sage of Light. Many had told her she would make a good successor to Sage Aurun someday. She wished the day hadn't come so soon, though.
"Blumen?" Seraphina asked.
"Hm? Yes, my sage?" the rabbit spirit replied, treading water to face her.
"Are my parents happy in the spirit world? Is Sage Aurun?"
Blumen swam back over to the princess. "I am sorry, my child, but I am not from the same kind of realm that mortals go to when they die. I am certain the Golden Goddesses saw fit to grant them an afterlife in paradise, however."
Seraphina felt a little better hearing that from a fledgling god, but it hurt not to know for certain. "Isn't it scary, though?" the princess asked. "How come the goddesses don't tell us what comes next when we die? What are we supposed to do about that?"
"It is scary, I agree," Blumen replied. "But mortals were never meant to know everything. In fact, not even us gods are meant to know everything. Sometimes the mystery is what makes life interesting. And, with your lives so limited, it isn't important for you to learn or accomplish everything. What's important is to make the best of the time you have."
Seraphina didn't really understand all that, but she sort of got the idea. She nodded, feeling at least a little comforted by the fact that her new friend was trying to cheer her up.
Suddenly, Blumen glowed much brighter than usual. A brilliant white light engulfed him, forcing Seraphina to shield her eyes. The next thing she knew, she was being lifted out of the water. Sheik had grabbed her from behind, pulling her back up onto the stone walkway.
"What's going on?" Seraphina asked.
"How the fuck should I know?" Sheik asked, holding her tight to him.
Blumen, or rather the glowing mass of light that must have had Blumen at the center of it, rose into the air, hovering above the spring water. Glowing blue runes appeared all around the walls and pillars, and the eyes of the Nayru statue lit up.
While the suddenness of the bright lights had scared Seraphina, they did not last long. The statue's eyes and the glowing runes soon faded, and the light engulfing Blumen died down as well. The rabbit spirit was lowered back into the water, landing with a small splash.
"What was that?" Vaida asked, unfurling her wings, which she had used to shield herself from the light.
"Blumen?" the princess asked, concern in her voice. She stood up, and Sheik let her go. Before she made it to the edge of the stone dais, Blumen hopped out of the water. However, he was much larger than before, and the shock of that was enough to make the princess gasp and fall backwards.
"Ah! That was quick," Blumen said happily, shaking the water off of his glowing golden fur. While he had been the size of an ordinary rabbit before, now he looked slightly larger than Seraphina. "Look, friends! Look how I've grown! Nayru has blessed me on this day."
"Is this normal for your kind?" the dragon asked, leaning her head in curiously, probably knowing even less about spirits than Seraphina and Sheik did.
"Of course! Probably," Blumen replied confidently. "My transformation is not complete, though. If I am to become the true god of light, I must be brought to the late Laemora's temple."
Sheik sighed with clear irritation. He'd made it clear when they'd first met Blumen that going back to the capital was the last thing he wanted to do.
"Wow," Seraphina said in amazement, approaching the newly-enlarged rabbit spirit. She reached out and placed her hands upon him, brushing his soft fur. She smiled warmly. "So cute!"
"I believe you mean 'divine' or 'magnificent,'" Blumen replied. "Now, as much as your admiration is appreciated, we still have work to do. Take me to my new temple, my sage."
"What? No, we have to see my auntie first," Seraphina replied, shaking her head.
"That would be the actual smart thing to do…" Sheik added.
Turning around, Seraphina saw Vaida gazing at them. Eying the dragon's wings, the princess had an idea. "Vaida," she began, moving closer to the dragon. "Could you fly us to my auntie's home? It's right at the bottom of the mountain."
Sheik furrowed his brow. The shocked look on his face made it seem like he'd just heard the stupidest thing he'd heard all day. "What? Are you insane?"
The dragon moved through the water, bringing her head down closer to the princess. "Do you not find me terrifying, human child?" she asked, exhaling a blast of cold breath in Seraphina's face.
The princess shivered, and not just from the cold. "Well… I… yes…" she replied, rubbing her hand against her shoulder nervously. "But… you seem nice. And you don't want to hurt anyone, right?"
Sheik appeared from behind her. He put a hand on her shoulder to push her back, then put himself between her and the dragon. "She claims she doesn't want to hurt anyone."
"You think I lie," Vaida stated, apparently not surprised.
"I think everybody lies," Sheik replied. "That's why we ended up like this."
"Now, now." The newly-giant rabbit hopped in between Sheik and the dragon. "I can understand your skepticism, young man. Monsters are ordinarily not to be trusted. I was none too pleased to find this one defiling Lady Nayru's spring myself, at first."
The dragon let out a low growl at these remarks.
"But she and I have something in common," the rabbit went on. "We have both bathed in the Spring of Wisdom, and I think it has granted both of us a clarity that most people do not have."
Sheik seemed unconvinced. He eyed both Vaida and Blumen skeptically, but ultimately turned to the princess, waiting for her input.
"Will you do it?" the princess asked Vaida again. "Will you help us get to my auntie?"
Vaida did not answer for a moment. She seemed extremely hesitant to help any of them, let alone someone like Sheik who still saw her as the enemy. After letting out a deep, misty sigh, she spoke. "Your aunt is in Hateno?"
Seraphina nodded.
"I will take you close to the city," the dragon told her. "I will not fly over it. The last thing I need is a hail of arrows piercing my wings."
The princess was still a little nervous, but she smiled brightly. "Thank you."
"Splendid," Blumen said. "Get dressed, child. Next, we take to the skies!"
"Weeeee!"
Seraphina could not believe how good it felt to fly. She'd been somewhat worried at first when she, Sheik, and Blumen had climbed atop Vaida's back. Being up high might have been scary, they might have fallen off, and the dragon's spiny back didn't exactly seem comfortable. And that was all without thinking about how cold it would be once they got even higher into the sky above the snowy mountain.
And yet, soaring through the air on top of a dragon was exhilarating. She felt free. Seraphina wondered if this was what the Rito felt like all the time when they flew. Jeanne was known across Hyrule as the Crimson Angel, and she often referred to Seraphina as her 'little angel.' Perhaps if she had angel's wings, she would've been able to feel like this all the time, too.
"Do not let go," Sheik demanded, grabbing Seraphina's outstretched arms and forcing them down onto the dragon's back.
"Sorry," the princess replied, gripping onto the armored, spiny protrusions on the dragon's back. "But this is just so fun!"
"You call this fun?" Blumen cried back. Despite his supposed divinity, his material form lacked opposable thumbs, and thus he seemed very nervous about losing his grip. He looked terrified. "If only I'd been given wings like Laemora."
"Don't worry!" Seraphina said. She was sympathetic to Blumen's plight, but she was unable to keep herself from smiling brightly as she spoke. "We'll be there soon. Just look how fast we're going!"
"I'd really rather not…"
"Be careful, you stupid lizard!" Sheik shouted to Vaida. "You're tipping too much to the side!"
"Do not tell me how to fly. I need to do this in order to turn properly," Vaida explained, her voice carrying much more easily over the wind than the rest of theirs did.
Despite Sheik and Blumen's reservations, the dragon flew them all to the bottom of the mountain as promised. The City of Hateno was in full view throughout most of the flight, and Vaida was no doubt visible to the people of the city as well.
As expected, the city's alarm bells began to ring as the dragon flew close to it. Just as Vaida had promised, she set her passengers down at a reasonable distance from the city's walls, not wishing to attract the arrows of the City Watch.
When the dragon landed, Blumen immediately hopped down from her back. "Oh, praise the golden sisters! I never want to leave land again," the enlarged rabbit spirit cried in relief, hugging the ground.
Sheik lifted Seraphina into his arms and leapt down off of the dragon's back, then set the princess down on her feet.
Seraphina smiled brightly. The short flight down from the mountain top had been the most fun she'd had since before the Blood Moon. When she turned to thank Vaida, she felt a pang of guilt for having been afraid of her in the first place.
"Thank you so much for your help, great dragon," the princess said, curtsying gracefully the way her sisters had taught her. "I only wish you could stay with us a while longer."
"You have a kind heart, young one," Vaida replied. "I do wish I had met more humans like you." The dragon then turned her attention to Sheik, bringing her head down closer to him. "What do you plan to do now?"
Seraphina was a little confused about what Vaida was asking. They'd told her what they planned to do next already. "We're going to see my auntie," Seraphina replied.
Vaida was not talking to her, however. Sheik stared back at the dragon with an unreadable expression upon his face.
After a moment of silence, the dragon grunted, giving up on getting an answer from Sheik. "Very well. Good luck to the three of you." With that, she unfurled her wings and took to the sky once more, flying back towards the mountain.
Seraphina waved to Vaida as she flew away, but Sheik seemed eager to move on.
"Come on." Sheik set off towards the city gates. Blumen and Seraphina hurried to follow him.
"Can I look like me again?" the princess asked as they walked, tugging lightly against her altered hair. "My auntie won't recognize me like this."
"Not yet," Sheik insisted. "You'll draw too much attention."
"And he won't?" Seraphina pointed to the large, golden rabbit hopping alongside them.
"Hm? What's wrong with me?" Blumen asked.
Sheik turned to look at him. "No one's searching for a giant rabbit."
Nevertheless, when the three of them arrived at the city gates a few minutes later, the guards were rather shocked by the rabbit spirit's appearance.
"Better get inside, citizens." The first guard to spot them gestured to the gate. "There's a dragon about."
"What in Din's name is that?" the guard next to him asked, pointing.
Blumen sat proudly upon his hind legs, rearing up to full height. "I am Blumen, successor to Laemora as the God of Light!" he declared. "I ask humbly that you allow us inside and take us to the lady of this fair city."
Sheik sighed in irritation, and the two guards exchanged a look.
"Well, it doesn't seem dangerous."
"And it can talk. That's gotta count for something, right?"
Shrugging, the first guard signaled to the gatekeeper to open the gates, allowing them to pass.
"If you wish to find Lady Kochi, just follow the road leading up to the palace at the top of the hill," the guard informed them. "I… can't promise she's available, though."
The guards did not seem to believe the rabbit spirit's claim to godhood, but they did not try to stop them, so Seraphina and her companions decided to continue.
The stares Blumen received did not stop once they entered the city. As they made their way through the streets, plenty of people stopped what they were doing to observe the golden rabbit. Many of them likely believed he was some sort of exotic pet, or a part of some sort of traveling entertainment group, but some may have at least recognized him as a spirit.
"Can't you take a less conspicuous form?" Sheik grumbled, clearly seething at how much unnecessary attention was being drawn to them thanks to the giant rabbit's presence.
"That isn't how it works, I'm afraid," Blumen replied. "Shapechanging is not among my many incredible abilities."
"Can't you do the thing where you change how he looks?" Seraphina asked Sheik. "Like you did to us," she added, leaning in to whisper to him.
Sheik sighed. "I could make him look like some other large animal, perhaps, but none that move the way he does. The illusion would not be very stable, and an illusion breaking in public draws even more attention."
"Oh." Seraphina didn't really understand, but he sounded like he knew what he was talking about.
Despite Sheik's frustration, the party did not have to spend too long drawing attention to themselves, as they soon arrived at the gates of the governor's palace.
As had been the case with the guards at the city's entrance, the guards at the palace gate looked at Blumen in bewilderment. Nevertheless, one of them addressed Sheik, assuming him to be in charge.
"What is that thing? And why have you brought it here?"
"He is the new God of Light," Sheik replied. "He wishes to see the governor."
Seraphina looked at Sheik in confusion.
Blumen didn't want to see my auntie. I did.
"Ah, so you have finally acknowledged my divinity," Blumen said with pride. "It is true. I am called Blumen. I have been sent to this realm as Laemora's replacement."
The guards share a few whispered words with each other. "What do you want with Governor Kochi?" one of them asked.
"Do not question the gods," Sheik warned them. "Just inform the governor of Blumen's arrival. We will wait inside."
Despite the hesitance of the guards, Sheik's confidence eventually convinced them to comply. "Step inside," one of the guards told them as the gate opened. "But wait here. I'll see what Governor Kochi has to say."
Now inside the outer walls of her Aunt Celessa's palace, the gates shut behind them, and Seraphina began to feel nervous. She toyed with her hair, knowing it looked different than it should because Sheik still refused to undo the illusion he'd placed on her. It wasn't the right length, either. And the clothes she wore were not like any of the pretty dresses she liked.
What if she doesn't recognize me?
"Sh… Troy?" the princess began, tugging on Sheik's sleeve. "Can you fix my hair now?" she asked, hoping she could phrase the question in a way that wouldn't upset him.
"Once we see the governor," he said quietly to her, eying the guards around them suspiciously. "Just in case."
"I think your hair looks beautiful, my child," Blumen said approvingly.
Seraphina smiled at her strange new rabbit friend, but she still felt uncomfortable.
Sometime later, the gate guard returned, along with four knights wearing cloaks bearing the Loftwing symbol of House Kochi.
"Greetings," one of the knights said to them. "You three, please come with me. Governor Kochi would like to speak with you."
"Ah, splendid!" Blumen hopped forward, eager to continue.
Seraphina glanced up at Sheik, hoping he would remove the illusion now, but he pushed her forward, and the three of them were led inside.
It had been a very long time since Seraphina had last visited her aunt in Hateno. It had been a trip she'd taken with all of her siblings, although her father had been too busy to come at the time. Some things had changed since then, but many of the decorations remained the same.
The walls displayed many fine portraits of members of House Kochi from throughout the centuries. As they walked down a hall, Seraphina stopped to look at one of the paintings. It had caught her eye, and she realized it was a portrait of her mother. There had been a very similar painting back home in Hyrule Castle.
"That is the late Queen Elincia," one of the guards told her, noticing she was staring at it. "She was the governor's sister."
"She's beautiful," Seraphina said.
"Blossom," Sheik called back to her impatiently. "Let's go."
"R-Right." The princess hurried to catch up with him.
Eventually, they were brought to a large door with the crest of House Kochi decorating it. When the guards standing outside opened the door to usher them in, they entered into a large audience chamber. Sitting upon the throne at the other end of the hall was Seraphina's Aunt Celessa, along with several knights.
Seraphina was elated to see her aunt. Having finally been brought to a member of her family, it seemed as though her entire ordeal was finally over. And, what was even more exciting, there was someone else Seraphina recognized up on the dais, standing beside her aunt's throne.
"Jeanne!" the princess cried.
She had no idea how her caretaker was there. The beautiful, red-haired knight in pure white armor stood to Celessa's right with her hand on her halberd, looking as protective and duty-bound as ever. When Seraphina had seen her last, she had suffered serious injuries at the hands of the guards who had attacked them in Hyrule Castle during the Blood Moon. And yet, there she was. Seraphina did not care what miracle had occurred, however. She broke off from the group and sprinted down the carpeted walkway, eager to be with Jeanne again.
Jeanne looked surprised at having her name called out suddenly. The other guards in the room were also alarmed by the young child running straight for the governor.
"Hey!"
"Halt!"
"Somebody stop that kid!"
Before anyone could stop her, Sheik snapped his fingers. Seraphina felt a strange tingling sensation running over her skin. The guards who had been approaching her stopped in their tracks, the confusion at what they were seeing rendering them temporarily unsure if they should approach. Jeanne, however, had a different reaction.
"Seraphina!" The knight dropped her weapon to the floor, left the governor's side, and leaped off of the dais. She and Seraphina ran towards each other. When they finally met, Jeanne got down onto her knees and held her arms out. Seraphina threw herself into her caretaker's arms, and the two of them embraced.
"Jeanne! Jeanne!" Seraphina cried, burying her face into her retainer, tears beginning to flow.
"I'm here. I'm here, little angel. I'm here." Jeanne hugged the princess tightly, her own eyes welling up with tears. "Everything's alright now. You're safe."
The governor and the rest of the guards in the room were shocked, the sudden appearance of one of the princesses coming as an unexpected surprise to them.
"That is my niece?" Governor Kochi asked for clarification.
"It is, my lady," Jeanne replied, looking over her shoulder as she continued to hold onto the princess.
"Bring her here, please, dame."
Jeanne did as she was bid, scooping the princess up into her arms and carrying her back across the red carpet. When she set Seraphina down, the princess quickly gave her aunt a hug.
"Aunt Celessa," Seraphina said simply, having trouble forming words as she cried tears of relief.
"It is good to see you, little one."
As soon as Celessa drew her arms back, Seraphina clutched onto Jeanne's side, hugging her tightly once more.
"You two," Celessa called out.
Across the audience chamber, Sheik and Blumen remained where they stood, watching the reunion.
"You have brought my niece here?" the governor asked.
"Well, I suppose it was her who brought me here, in all honesty. She is to be my sage," Blumen replied. "But it was our friend here who brought her all the way from the heart of this land." The rabbit spirit gestured to Sheik with his paw.
Sheik's illusion had been broken as well, or at least the one he'd been using when they arrived. He now appeared as Seraphina originally remembered him; a Sheikah with flecks of ashen gray in his hair.
"Is this true?" Celessa asked.
Sheik hesitated, but he nodded in confirmation.
"You have my gratitude, young man," the governor told him.
"Yes, we are eternally grateful to you for bringing Princess Seraphina back to us," Jeanne added.
Seraphina wondered if she should say anything. Sheik had admitted to being the one who killed Princess Sabah. He would probably be in trouble if Jeanne or her Aunt Celessa found out.
He saved me. But is it wrong to keep secrets for him?
Jeanne must have noticed the strangely uncertain look on Seraphina's face. On top of that, Seraphina was somewhat of a mess from her trek through the wilds.
"My lady," Jeanne said, speaking to the governor. "Seraphina must be exhausted. I would like to have her bathed, fed, and given a place to rest, if I may."
"Of course." Celessa nodded. "You and my niece are dismissed. I will handle matters here."
"Thank you, my lady." Jeanne lifted Seraphina in her arms once again, then exited the audience chamber through one of the side doors.
A short time later, Seraphina found herself in a nice, warm bath. The private bathing area to which she'd been taken consisted of a tiled room with a large, circular pool in the center of it. The pool was currently filled with steamy, foamy water, which felt great against Seraphina's skin, perhaps even more so than the Spring of Wisdom. Jeanne knelt in the bath behind her charge, washing the princess's hair. For the first time since before the Blood Moon, Seraphina felt safe.
"I missed you," Seraphina said.
"I missed you, too, little angel," Jeanne told her, speaking softly in a soothing voice. "Are you hurt?"
Seraphina shook her head, scooping up some water from the bath to wash the soap bubbles off of her face before they got in her eyes.
"I'm glad," Jeanne said.
"But you were." Seraphina peered up at Jeanne over her shoulder. "You got hurt before. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine now," Jeanne assured her. "My sister patched me up. I'm good as new. And I'll never leave your side again. I promise."
Hearing those words brought back memories of everything that had happened that night. She had never been separated from Jeanne during a crisis like that before. It may have been the scariest thing that had ever happened to her. But now, Jeanne was back.
Unable to help herself, Seraphina turned and embraced Jeanne once more, tears welling up in her eyes again.
"Shhh, it's okay. You're safe now. Everything will be okay." As she comforted the princess, Jeanne hugged her tightly, running a hand through her wet hair.
The two of them did not discuss much for the rest of Seraphina's bath. Once the princess had been thoroughly cleaned, Jeanne helped her dry off and got her dressed in a new set of clean clothes. It was the most refreshed Seraphina had felt since before her ordeal had begun.
Afterwards, Seraphina was led to Jeanne's room in the palace. Her retainer placed her in a chair in front of the vanity and began brushing her hair.
"What happened to your hair?" Jeanne asked. "It's so short now."
"Sheik cut it," the princess replied. "He said it would help me hide."
"Oh." Jeanne sounded like she was worried that she had brought up something unpleasant, but she continued to gently brush Seraphina's hair. "Is Sheik the man who was with you when you arrived?"
"Yes." The princess nodded. "I don't know his real name."
"And he helped bring you here?" Jeanne continued.
"Y-Yeah." Seraphina's hands gripped the edges of her chair as she began to recall how she and Sheik had first met. It was not a pleasant memory.
"I shall have to thank him, then." Jeanne began to hum softly.
"Um… There's, um, some things you should know…" Seraphina felt the need to tell her caretaker about everything that had happened. There had never been a time when so much had happened while they'd been separated. She didn't understand it all, but she knew Jeanne would know what to do.
"What is it, little angel?" Jeanne asked gently, but with clear concern in her voice.
"Um… Sheik… he saved me, but… he was… the one… who… killed… Sabah." It took her a while to get the words out, but as soon as she did, she began to cry.
"Shh… Shh… Hush now, little angel. I'm here. I'm here." Jeanne hugged her tightly, gently running her hand over Seraphina's back.
"I'm sorry." Seraphina sniffled, feeling the need to apologize for bringing her friend's killer there with her.
"You have nothing to apologize for, child. I will take care of everything. For now, you should rest."
Seraphina hadn't thought about it, but as soon as Jeanne mentioned rest, she felt extremely tired. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw she had bags under her eyes. It made her yawn.
Jeanne lifted the princess into her arms and carried her over to the bed, laying her down softly. As the red-haired knight pulled the blankets over her charge, she hummed the lullaby Seraphina's elder sisters used to sing to her when she was little.
Although she still had much to tell Jeanne, Seraphina felt content to forget it all for now. She was comfortable, she was finally safe, and she could finally rest. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next day, Seraphina awoke feeling content. The bed she'd slept in was so soft. It was much better than sleeping on the cold, hard ground like she'd done while traveling through the wilds.
"Good morning, little angel."
The princess smiled. Hearing her caretaker's voice first thing in the morning filled her with so much happiness. "Good morning, Jeanne," she said, sitting up in bed.
"Would you care for some breakfast?" Jeanne offered.
Seraphina nodded. Just as she hadn't had a good night sleep throughout her journey, she hadn't eaten a good meal during that time, either.
"Let's get you dressed properly, then."
Jeanne helped Seraphina out of bed and into a pretty, finely-made dress. The princess spent a minute smiling at herself in the mirror, twirling the dress playfully while Jeanne watched over her.
Afterwards, Jeanne took the princess by the hand and led her to the dining hall. When they arrived, the governor and much of her court were already enjoying their meal. Two seats at the grandest table at the end of the hall had been left open, just beside Seraphina's aunt. Amusingly, Blumen sat in a chair beside the open seats, placing his paws on the table as he ate from a bowl.
Seraphina and Jeanne approached the governor at the table.
"Good morning, Aunt Celessa," Seraphina greeted her, curtsying before aunt while Jeanne bowed beside her.
"Good morning, child," her aunt replied, smiling warmly. "I hope you slept well."
"I did!" the princess replied cheerfully. "May I join you?" she requested, remembering the manners Jeanne had drilled into her.
"Of course, my dear. Please, join me, both of you."
"Thank you." The princess and her bodyguard made their way around to the other side of the table and took their seats.
"Ah, my sage!" Blumen said when Seraphina sat down beside him. "Would you care for some of these delicious morsels?"
Seraphina saw the giant rabbit had been eating from a bowl of what appeared to be grass and some assorted vegetables. She smiled warily. "Perhaps another time."
Celessa had her servants bring the princess a hearty breakfast, knowing it must have been some time since her last proper meal. Seraphina was so hungry, she dug in right away. Jeanne didn't chide her for forgetting her manners this time, however.
A little later, Seraphina realized Sheik had still not joined them at the table. She gazed across the dining hall, wondering if he were sitting at one of the lower tables, but she did not spot him. She knew of his ability to change his appearance, but she wasn't sure if he would have made himself look different again already.
"Where is Sheik?" the princess inquired.
Celessa looked a little uneasy, hesitating before answering. "At the moment, he remains confined to his guest quarters."
"...Oh." Seraphina knew why, and she did not understand if it was a good thing or not.
Jeanne placed a comforting hand on Seraphina's shoulder. "Has he told us anything helpful yet, my lady?" she asked the governor.
"I have not questioned him fully, but it seems he worked for the Impa Family before his defection," the governor explained. "He also tells me the Impa Family conspired with Lord Remoth."
Seraphina gasped.
"What is it, Princess?" Jeanne asked.
"Lord Remoth. He's the one who killed Sage Aurun." Seraphina desperately felt the need to tell her that. She hadn't been able to earlier, but she couldn't stop herself now that the name had been mentioned.
The look on Jeanne's face was one of utter horror. "That wicked man… And to think my sister…" she muttered.
Seraphina tilted her head curiously, but Jeanne turned back to the governor.
"My lady, the princess may have stumbled upon something very serious here," Jeanne said to Celessa. "Please allow me to aid you next time you speak with this Sheikah."
"Very well," the governor agreed. She then directed her attention to Seraphina. "Princess, I hate to involve you in such matters, but you may know something that can help us," she said gently. "May Jeanne and I speak with you in private after breakfast?"
Seraphina wished this could all just be over, but if the kingdom or anyone in it was in danger, she wanted to help if she could. So, she nodded. "Yes, Aunt Celessa."