Children of the Triforce: Retold

Chapter 22 – Love

Zelda's tears flew freely into the wind. She was overcome with emotion. She could barely think straight. All she knew was her grief and the frantic galloping of the horse beneath her. A part of her acknowledged that she was being reckless, but another part of her felt like she had no choice. Her entire world was slowly collapsing around her and she just couldn't take it. She needed to put a stop to this madness at once.

Link was right, Zelda thought as despair washed over her. There's no use reasoning with Kyla. She…She's gone too far!

It was honestly heartbreaking. The day before, their family had seemed so happy and healthy. Weeks ago, they had been celebrating Kyla's miraculous recovery. Years ago, they had been praising the Goddesses for blessing them with a wonderful daughter.

How had it all fallen apart so quickly and horribly?

The sun was setting by the time Zelda reached the North Castle. By this point, her grief had slowly shifted into frustration, and with it came confidence and bravery. Zelda spotted the Iron Knuckles patrolling from a distance, but she didn't care. She rode right up to them at a thunderous pace. Her steed even released a loud whinny when she pulled on its reins, forcing it to halt.

As soon as she stood before the soulless suits of armor, many of them went to draw their weapons. However, one of their number stood superior to the rest, and quickly raised a hand into the air to keep them back.

"Who trespasses on our Queen's land?" the deep, echoing voice of Iron Knuckle rang out.

Zelda glared at the mention of "Queen". It put a sour taste in her mouth to know that Kyla referred to herself so arrogantly. "I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule, and I have come to speak to my daughter," she declared bravely. "Let me through at once."

The Iron Knuckles continued to brandish their weapons, but upon receiving a telepathic signal from their leader, soon sheathed them. "Let her through," the soulless knight commanded. "Queen Kyla will deal with her personally."

"More like I will deal with her," Zelda murmured as she descended from her saddle. Honestly, she was surprised to have been allowed entry into the castle, but she assumed that it was likely because she came alone. If Link and the kids had come with her, a battle surely would've broken out the moment they arrived. Knowing this, Zelda was grateful for such an easy entrance. It meant that she would get to speak with Kyla that much sooner, and oh, she had some choice words for her youngest child…

The leading Iron Knuckle graciously led her through the halls. Zelda had visited this place a number of times before, so she easily recognized the abandoned halls and rooms. However, as they made their way deeper inside, she began to notice the changes. Fresh carpets and banners the color of blood. Black stonework. Torches lit with purple fire, which cast everything into an eerie light. Zelda shivered a bit as they ventured further in. This place felt more like a dungeon than a castle.

However, the worst sight was yet to come, when Zelda finally reached the throne room. There, a number of Iron Knuckles lined the walls, silent and still and as rigid as statues. And if that wasn't imposing enough, the young Princess Kyla sat comfortably on a sinister black throne, decorated in all sorts of lavish treasures and jewels. Resting on the girl's lips was a grin which Zelda could only describe as "wicked" in nature.

"Welcome, mother," Kyla said, her voice sounding unnaturally cold and icy. "I'm surprised to see you here, but I hope you enjoy my new home. It's the future capital of Hyrule."

Zelda clenched her fists as she approached her daughter's throne. She wasn't even the slightest bit afraid. She was far too angry and heartbroken for that. "Why did you do it?" she breathed.

Kyla casually raised an eyebrow, as if she didn't have a care in the world. "What are you referring to?"

"Your grandfather," Zelda choked out, the tears welling up in her eyes once again. "You killed him, didn't you? How could you do such a thing? Why would you!?"

Again, Kyla seemed mildly confused. "Hmph, don't accuse me of things that didn't happen. I did not kill grandfather. He simply died of a heart attack."

This gave Zelda some pause. "What?"

"Yes, he was quite old, you know, and he seemed particularly unwell today. Almost as if he was under a lot of stress."

Zelda froze, her gaze falling to the shiny marble floors—another new addition which seemed so out of place in this dusty old castle. She began thinking over all of the events within the last two days, and how they had certainly taken a toll on the entire family. However, the stress of such things must have affected Harkinian the hardest. Being the oldest among the family, there was no doubt that he would have blamed himself for the terrible events that had transpired. With all of that guilt and regret weighing upon him, it was no surprise that it had eventually been too much for his old, frail body to handle. He very well could have died of a heart attack.

"It was a shame though," Kyla continued with another half-hearted shrug. "It happened at a most inopportune time. We were right in the middle of our negotiations when he collapsed and started begging for help."

This caught Zelda's attention, and she quickly cast her gaze back to her daughter. "What negotiations?"

"Shouldn't it be obvious?" the girl challenged her. "I detailed it very clearly in my letter. I wish for the throne of Hyrule to be passed straight to me. I told grandfather to sign the document so we could avoid any unnecessary conflicts, but he foolishly refused. That's when he started having chest pains."

Zelda's eyes narrowed into a scowl. She could feel her anger rising again. "Why didn't you help him?" she demanded bitterly.

Again, Kyla shrugged, almost as if these events didn't truly matter to her. "I told him that I would only help him once he signed the document, but he kept refusing me. So I let him be until he made the right choice."

"So you did nothing?" Zelda seethed. "You…You just sat there and watched him die? Your beloved grandfather! Your own flesh and blood! How could you do that Kyla? How could you be so cruel and heartless!?"

Kyla glared as well, looking displeased. "If he wanted my help, he should have signed the document. I made it very clear to him."

Upon hearing this, something snapped inside of Zelda. She courageously crossed the rest of the distance between them, and swiftly slapped her daughter across the face. Kyla recoiled, falling limp in her throne.

The room was silent and still for a moment, with everyone a bit too stunned to fully process what had just happened.

Eventually, Kyla raised a hand to her reddened cheek, and glanced up at Zelda with all the innocence of a frightened child. She had been struck by her mother once before, but it still stung on a level beyond physical.

Zelda, in-turn, stared down at her daughter with a glimmer of sympathy. She hadn't meant to lose her head like that, but she didn't necessarily regret her actions either. Kyla had honestly earned that smack after saying such horrible things.

"Kyla, you need to atone for what you've done," Zelda said in a stern, steady voice. "It's time to put a stop to this. Please, give up the Triforce."

Upon hearing mention of the golden relic, Kyla's frightened eyes shifted into a cold, hard glare—the darkest one she had conjured yet. She soon rose to her feet, and Zelda, whether out of surprise or fear, took a step back.

"So that's how it is," she whispered coldly. "You're going to regret what you did to me, mother. I might have been willing to let you live if you had simply given up the throne, but that chance is gone. Now, I'm going to have you locked up in a dark cell where you can rot forever."

Zelda nearly gasped as her blood ran cold. Never in her life had she expected such a dark and disturbing threat to come from her own child. She unconsciously took another step back.

"Kyla, you have to stop this," Zelda insisted.

"You're one to talk about betraying your own flesh and blood, mother," she said bitterly. "You think I don't understand how you feel about me? That I don't know the truth?"

Zelda frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Kyla glared some more, the fire in her eyes growing ever stronger. "You never loved me," she said accusingly. "Father never did either. None of you did. I was the unwanted child. The nuisance. You would have been glad to be rid of me!"

"K-Kyla," Zelda stuttered in horror. "That's not true. How could you even-"

"Silence!" the girl barked. "Don't deny it! I know what you said, mother! Back before the day of my birth, you claimed that you would be better off if you suffered a miscarriage. That I caused you nothing but pain and misery. That you would be better off if I wasn't born!"

Zelda felt her heart sink in her chest while the rest of her froze. She blinked a few times, feeling horribly confused as well as guilty. Before long, the tears started flowing from her eyes. It was almost like a ghost stood before her. A demonic entity which had haunted her for years and years, and yet it was nothing more than her own words. Eventually, a whimper escaped from her throat before she managed to quietly choke her words out.

"H-How do you know about that…?"

The girl continued to scowl. Her mother's pained expression brought her no joy. "I've seen it. The memory of you telling father that you would be better off without me, and the way that he just accepted those words. I knew it then, that the two of you never loved me. You always resented me. Hated me even. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if you purposely did something that caused me to be born too early! And that's why I've always been sick and weak!"

Zelda's face went pale. She slowly shook her head while she felt her knees begin to quake. She almost feared that her legs might give out from under her. "Kyla, you don't understand. I would never do such a thing…"

"Don't lie!" the girl screamed back. "I know that this is how you truly feel. You're the one who did this to me, mother! You!"

Zelda felt like her heart was being ripped in half, but she still managed to summon all of her courage, if only so she could try to provide some comfort to her daughter who was clearly suffering. "Kyla, you're wrong. I did want you. I always did. Yes, my pregnancy was difficult, and there were even times where it was overwhelming, but I never blamed you for any of it. None of it was your fault, sweetie…" She paused, taking a slow, shaky breath. "I-It's true. I did utter those words once, but I always regretted them. It was a moment of weakness, and I never meant it. Believe me, Kyla, I always wanted you. When you were born too early, I was so terrified that I was going to lose you. You came so fast that your father had to deliver you in our bed. But when I finally heard your cries and got to hold you in my arms, I…I felt so relieved."

Zelda sobbed a bit before continuing. "I was scared, Kyla. I had these terrible dreams. Nightmares that something dark would happen in our future. But I ignored them, because I loved you. I didn't want to believe that our family was leading a cursed life. And we didn't. For so many years, you brought nothing but joy into our lives, sweetie. Your father and I loved you so much. We always have. You're our baby girl."

As Zelda finished, Kyla fell silent. Throughout her mother's speech, the deathly glare on her face had slowly begun to soften, eventually being replaced by an expression that showed a hint of confusion. A hint of conflict beneath all of her anger and hatred. Almost as if she was mulling over her mother's words with a very great seriousness.

Zelda wiped her tears away. She was ashamed at showing such weakness, but it felt good to finally let the truth out. Yes, she may have said some horrible things in the past, but she truly regretted them, and she loved her daughter with all her heart. And it was because her love was so strong, that Zelda felt she needed to see this through to the end.

"Kyla," she said, her voice growing soft. "Please, give this up. The Triforce of Power is corrupting you, baby. You need to let it go."

"Stay back," Kyla replied, suddenly looking panicked. "You can't take the Triforce from me. I need it. And you're wrong—it's not corrupting me, it's giving me life!"

"You let your grandfather die," Zelda reminded her. "And you attacked a town. This is not something that you can deny. You must atone for your actions, and I'm willing to help you."

"You only want me to die!" the girl stressed. "I never did anything wrong! You can't judge me! Not when your own sins are so great!"

"The town was burned, Kyla. People died because you sent the Iron Knuckles there."

"That's not my fault! It was their choice to give up their life for treasure!"

"Your grandfather begged for help, and yet you did nothing but think of your own selfish goals."

"I never wanted him to die!" Kyla insisted. She then took a deep breath, collecting herself. "I…I just wanted him to sign the document. I really hoped that he would. And I did send his body back for a proper burial. I could've just burned it, you know."

Zelda gave her daughter a long, sad stare. "You don't speak like a child of mine," she said quietly. "You're not the sweet, innocent girl I once knew. You truly have been corrupted. There's no denying it."

"You're wrong," Kyla insisted, shaking her head in denial. "You don't know me."

"I'm your mother, Kyla. I know you better than anyone in this world."

"No! You might think that you know me, but you're wrong. You never knew how much pain I was in! How much hatred and bitterness I felt!"

"But I did, sweetie," Zelda said quietly. "And I still do. Right now, you're scared and confused and worried. But if you just give up the Triforce, it will all go away. I promise it will."

"No…" Kyla shook her head again. "That can't be true. The Triforce isn't a curse. It's my salvation! Without it, I'll die a meaningless death!"

Zelda gave her daughter the longest, saddest stare yet. "You fear death, and yet you hold no respect for the lives of others. Why can't you show some remorse for your actions? For all the chaos and destruction you've caused?" She extended a hand to her frightened daughter. "Please, give it up, Kyla. I'm asking kindly."

Kyla remained still for a long time, looking at her mother like she was some sort of alien creature that she couldn't make sense of. But eventually, her senses returned to her, and she gathered her resolve. She clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes and looked at the woman across from her not as a parent or ally, but as a sworn enemy.

"No," she said, her voice sounding cold and icy. "I will not succumb to your tricks. You want me to die so that you can finally be rid of me. Well guess what? I will not die. I will not give up the Triforce. And I will become Queen of Hyrule."

Zelda felt her heart shatter for the final time. Perhaps it was too late. Perhaps her daughter was truly beyond saving. Still, Zelda couldn't help but reach out one final time. "I'm begging you, Kyla. Please stop this madness. If you don't, I'll have to take it by force."

Kyla's eyes narrowed some more, but she soon grinned. It was the same wicked look as before. The look of a crazed tyrant. "Oh, you don't scare me, mother. I know that you're not as powerful as you used to be. You've gotten older, and you don't have the Triforce of Wisdom in your possession like you did when you were younger. You're nothing more than an old maid, desperate to bring me under your control."

Zelda shook her head. "Please, I don't want to do this!" she pleaded.

But Kyla wasn't having any of it. With a snap of her fingers, she called to her minions. "Iron Knuckles, pin her down!"

Zelda took a deep breath as she watched the line of statues rumble to life and start approaching her. It was too late. Her only hope of stopping Kyla now was to fight. She soon summoned her magic to her palms and began casting a number of powerful spells. Blasts of light scattered the suits of armor to pieces, a fireball knocked them across the room, and a gust of wind held them back. Yes, Zelda may have aged since her heyday, but she was still quite experienced, and she wasn't going down without a fight.

And what a fight it was. Her magic was so powerful that it practically presented a one-sided battle. None of the Iron Knuckles drew close enough to use their weapons, so all they could do was endlessly march forward in vain, hoping to close the distance. The only downside was that this power came at a cost. A few seconds into this onslaught, Zelda's shoulders began to sag and her breath became heavy. She wasn't sure how long she could keep this up, but she persisted in obliterating the knights one by one.

Unfortunately, her time to fall came far sooner than she hoped. For while she managed to keep the Iron Knuckles at bay, Kyla had been left to do as she pleased. And of course, with all her studying of magic and the Triforce of Power at her disposal, she managed to craft her own spell. One which was potent enough to make Zelda glance back in terror.

"Kyla, no!" Zelda begged, desperately raising up a shield spell.

But it was no use. With a maniacal laugh, Kyla let a ball of dark energy fly from her fingers. It promptly shattered Zelda's shield and hit her directly in the back. The elder Princess cried out in pain as she was paralyzed. It felt like lightning was coursing through her body, and she soon collapsed to the ground, too weak to even stand.

As this happened, Zelda's spells of fire and light and wind immediately ceased, and the remaining Iron Knuckles managed to recover. With nothing left to stop them, they soon congregated around Zelda's twitching body. Kyla also took several steps forward, looking positively pleased. She crouched low so that she was right in front of her mother's pained face.

"Don't tell me that you underestimated your weak little daughter?" she taunted. "I've been studying up on my magic, and the Triforce has given me quite the boost in power. Are you proud of me?"

Zelda whimpered. The electrical energy coursing through her body was still excruciatingly painful, and she couldn't even move her mouth to speak.

Kyla laughed at her struggle. She felt no pity for this woman. She was an enemy of the rising Queen, and nothing more. "Chain her to the wall," she commanded her knights.

The soulless suits of armor were quick to obey. They grabbed Zelda by the arms and forced her up against the wall where a pair of iron manacles rested. The Iron Knuckles then secured her wrists and ankles, binding them in dark chains. Zelda hung there loosely. The pain was starting to ease, but she still felt completely drained of energy. She could barely find the strength to glance up as Kyla approached her once again.

"It's not fun, is it?" Kyla gloated with a grin. "Being confined to one place all the time. Just like how you confined me to my bed for all those years. But now you'll finally get a taste of what my miserable life was like. Oh, and by the way, these chains are cursed so that whomever they bind won't be able to perform magic. Pretty clever of me, no?"

"Kyla," Zelda weakly croaked. "Please…don't do this…"

"Oh, it's too late for apologies," Kyla replied, even though her mother hadn't been apologizing at all. "You won't convince me to stop. Not now. Not ever."

Zelda shook her head. She didn't want to believe that this evil tyrant before her was the sweet daughter who she knew and loved. Sure, the Triforce of Power had corrupted her, but was there more to it than that? Had this girl always held such bitter resentment and lofty ambitions, and the Triforce had simply brought those qualities out of her? Qualities that were once dormant, but had since become her strongest characteristics? Zelda shivered, trying to make sense of it all, but was only left with a hollow sadness that weighed heavily on her shattered heart.

"Kyla…why are you doing this?" she eventually asked. "What do you want?"

Kyla stood close to her mother, and answered in a cold, ruthless tone. "I want you to watch me. I want you to witness the moment that I reunite the Triforce and become Queen of Hyrule. Because when that happens, you'll finally be forced to realize that I'm not some weak little girl that you can control. I never was. I'm going to be the richest, most beautiful, and most powerful Queen in all the lands, and I'm going to live forever. And nothing you say or do will ever take that life away from me."

Zelda remained silent. Whether she was too weary to argue, or she just didn't have the words, even she didn't know. All she knew was that this was not her daughter. This was some evil entity that had corrupted and replaced her. And this fact alone was enough to rip Zelda to pieces.

Kyla soon crossed her arms as she eyed her prisoner. She seemed to have moved past her chance to gloat, and now looked to the future. "I suppose congratulations are in order, hmm? Now that grandfather is dead, you should by all rights be the official Queen of Hyrule. This means that if I wish to ascend the throne, I must find a way to deal with you."

The young, self-proclaimed Queen paused, taking a second to pace in front of Zelda. "I'll keep this simple, mother. Either sign the document that will abdicate you of the throne, or die at my hand. Don't think that I won't commit to it. Grandfather's death may have been an accident, but I'm not afraid to do whatever it takes to secure my Kingdom. I'll go down the line if I must. You, then Cecil, then Kristin…" The girl paused here, almost as if for dramatic effect. She even smiled. "But I'd really rather not. Enough people have died as a result of this family's foolishness. Don't you think it would be better to simply give the throne to me?"

Kyla turned to her mother, hoping for an answer, but she received none. Zelda continued to hang limp, perfectly keeping her silence. This caused Kyla to frown, and she almost felt impatient enough to demand an answer, but she soon sighed and let it go. She saw no reason to rush things along. She had all the time in the world to secure her throne, and she intended to use it.

"The choice is yours," Kyla said as she turned away. "I'll give you until dawn, so be sure to think long and hard about it."

Again, Zelda gave no response, save for a single tear which travelled down her cheek before plummeting to the dark stone below.

Ouch, my poor broken heart. I feel awful for Zelda here. She finally has to confront the monstrosity that her daughter has become. She has to confront her own guilt and overcome it. She has to accept that her daughter truly is beyond saving, all while declaring her sincere love for her and pleading for the girl to give up. This is the family drama I live for. It pulls at the heartstrings in just the right way.

Next chapter will be the big battle. Please look forward to it!