Children of the Triforce: Retold

Chapter 10 – A Terrible Wish

Three years passed, and Princess Kyla managed to reach her tenth birthday. Unfortunately, very little had improved during that time. She was still weak, she still got sick, and she still had to stay in bed most of the time.

The situation slowly started to wear on her psyche. Not only was her life sad and frustrating, it was also soul-crushing. To constantly be confined to her room all the time. To have to consume numerous medicines just to survive. To have to sit and watch everyone else around her live a completely normal life, all while knowing that she might never get the opportunity to do so herself.

It was honestly a miserable existence for a girl that wanted nothing more than freedom.

As the years dragged on, and her situation failed to improve, Kyla slowly came to resent her parents. She no longer saw them as loving or caring, but rather punishing and controlling. They never let Kyla do what she wanted, no matter how much she insisted that she felt well. They always told her that she was too weak or too sick and would send her straight back to bed. It was far from encouraging, having to hear this time and time again.

Kyla came to resent her siblings as well. As they began to enter their teenage years, they were allowed more freedom than ever before. They soon began to partake in more adult-oriented events, such as evening balls or horse racing. Naturally, Kyla just ended up alone in her room while all the fun was going on. She wanted to go to balls! She wanted to ride horses! But as always, her siblings got their way, and she simply got nothing. It really wasn't fair how much easier their lives were compared to her own.

As Kyla grew sick of her family, and sick of the castle walls that confined her, she turned to daydreaming as a means of escape from her cruel reality. She liked imagine scenarios in which she became Queen of Hyrule and ruled over everyone else. To live happily and healthily. To do as she pleased for once in her life.

Kyla also liked to stare out her window and wish for a handsome Prince to come and visit their castle. She honestly hoped that he would steal her away from her parents and take her to some far-off land where she could live in luxury, without anyone telling her what to do. There, she would get treatment from an actually competent physician, one that could successfully heal her and give her the healthy life that she deserved. She would then spend the rest of her days free of any of the burdens that she had known up until now.

But alas, Kyla knew that such daydreams were nothing more than fantasies. Illusions that would never come true. There were no handsome Princes out there who cared to save her. She would likely be stuck in this miserable castle until the day she died.

Kyla also reminded herself that she was the youngest child in her family. She knew that she would never have a chance at becoming Queen. She would never get to stand at the top of her Kingdom. That right would go to Cecil, and if not him, then Kristin before her. As for Kyla, she had no purpose. She was just a sick, weak little girl. That's all she was, and all she ever would be.

It was around this point that Kyla felt herself starting to lose hope. She no longer believed that she would ever overcome the constant illnesses that plagued her. That she would ever grow into a healthy, normal adult. She would just continue to suffer, experiencing illness after illness, over and over again until the day that she finally exhaled her last, cursed breath.

Dark thoughts like these constantly weighed on the girl's mind. Because of this, she usually ended up sulking around the castle, even at times when she wasn't confined to her bed. It's not like her limited freedom mattered to her. She still wasn't able to do the things that she wanted to do, and she'd probably just end up getting sick again anyway.

It was on one such day that Kyla was found sitting in her room, staring out her window with a frown. The weather was nice and warm outside, but it was just torture for the girl who wasn't allowed to go out and enjoy it. She sighed, cursing her situation as she always did.

It was around this point that she heard a knock at the door. She glanced behind her to find Link standing there.

"Hey, Kyla, how are you feeling?"

The girl frowned some more. As was the case these days, she wasn't particularly happy to see him. "I'm fine." She then gave her father a curious look. "You're back early," she noted.

"I finished training Cecil and Kristin for today," he explained with a smile.

Kyla's expression soured as she turned away, looking out her window. Like always, it felt like the achievements of her siblings were being shoved in her face. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, they went to go spend the afternoon in Castle Town, so I figured I'd come back here to spend some time with you."

"Hmph," the girl grunted, still refusing to look at him. As if his company would do anything to improve her situation.

Link smiled some more as he watched her. He could tell that she was feeling sad and lonely. Fortunately, he had some good news to share with her today. He soon walked over and took a seat on the windowsill next to her.

"Listen, Kyla. Your mother and I have been talking, and we both agreed that we want you to be able to go out and do some of the things that your siblings are doing. However, we still want to make sure that you feel well enough to attempt them. The last thing that we would ever want is for your condition to worsen. That being said, we both believe that as long as you feel like giving it a try, then we should let you."

Kyla just raised her eyebrows as she turned to her father. "What do you mean? Try what?"

Link grinned. "How would you like to learn how to ride a horse today?"

Kyla froze. "Ride a horse? Me?"

"Only if you want to, of course."

Kyla couldn't stop herself from smiling wide. "Oh, yes, daddy, I'd love to!" She soon leaned in, giving her father a well-deserved hug. It was almost as if all of her dark thoughts had been cleared away in an instant. All of her resentment for her parents now a thing of the past. "Please, show me how. Oh, please, please."

Link just laughed. "Okay, but remember, this is only if you're feeling well enough…"

"Oh, I do, daddy, I do!" she insisted. "I haven't felt this good in weeks! Months even! My last cold is far behind me, I promise!"

"All right, all right, I believe you," Link said with another laugh. He could tell that this meant a lot to her. "Why don't we go ahead and move to the courtyard? Then we can get started."

"Let's go!" the girl replied, jumping to her feet and tugging on his hand.

"Whoa, relax, Kyla. We don't want you to wear yourself out."

Kyla just shook her head. There was no chance of that happening. Not when she felt this excited. For years, she had to enviously endure watching her siblings ride horses around the castle grounds as they pleased. She couldn't even count the number of times that she wished she could have joined them. But now, all of that was about to change. Today, she would learn how to ride a horse, and she would finally stand on equal footing with them.

That is, until it all went horribly wrong…

Kyla had been doing it. She had finally been doing it. Link had gotten her properly setup in the saddle. She had begun casually galloping along a dirt path. She could feel the warm sun on her skin. The cool wind blowing through her hair. She opened her mouth to laugh, surprised to find her voice full of glee. She had never felt so much freedom in her life before. In this moment she was truly happy.

But then, it struck. Kyla placed a hand on her chest and slumped over in the saddle. The galloping of the horse had slowly been knocking the wind out of her. Her eyes just went wide as she let go of the reins, suddenly finding herself unable to breathe.

It was an asthma attack.

Kyla heard her father calling her name. He soon ran to her side and caught her just as she fell out of the saddle. She stared up at him as she desperately gasped for air. Fortunately, Link was prepared for this. He pulled out a small bottle and poured the contents into her mouth. She swallowed, and moments later, her breathing was steady once again.

Kyla just frowned as she stared up at the sky, as well as her father's disapproving face.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," she mumbled.

He soon shook his head. "Maybe you weren't ready for this yet."

Kyla tried to sit up, quick to protest. "No, daddy, I was doing just fine-"

He pushed her back down and gently shushed her. "I think it's better for you to take it easy right now. How about we try again in a few days?"

Kyla just stared at him in disbelief before slowly closing her mouth. As if a few days would help anything. She already knew what the outcome would be. She would just get sick or suffer another asthma attack, and then her parents would forbid her from ever riding a horse again. It was practically inevitable...

That evening, Link and Kyla sat down at the family dining table for dinner. Cecil and Kristin were still in Castle Town and wouldn't be returning until later in the evening, so it was just the two of them for now, sitting in a deafening silence.

Kyla poked at her food, too depressed to even attempt to eat it. Link just watched her with a frown. He understood how disappointing today must have been for her. Still, he knew that they could give it another try once she was feeling up to it.

Eventually, Zelda walked into the room and joined them. "Sorry I'm late," she said as she gave Link a kiss. "The council meeting dragged on for longer than expected."

"No worries," Link told her.

Zelda soon sat next to him, ready to dig into her own dinner. However, she made sure to take time to talk to her husband and daughter first. "So, how did it go today? Did the two of you manage to get outside?"

"Yeah, we did," Link replied. "Kyla, do you want to tell her how it went?"

Kyla just frowned as she poked her food some more. No, she absolutely did not want to tell her how it went. The last thing she wanted to do right now was relive that depressing memory. "It was a disaster," she mumbled.

Zelda's eyes went wide. "Oh no. What happened?"

"I had an asthma attack and fell off the horse," Kyla replied bluntly.

"Oh, my poor baby," Zelda said, her heart melting with sympathy. "I'm really sorry to hear that."

"It wasn't all bad though," Link interjected, trying to stay positive. "Before that happened, she was doing pretty well. She was galloping down the road and laughing as she went. She's a real natural."

"Really?" Zelda said with a smile. "Well, that's good. It sounds like you had a little fun, at least."

Hardly, Kyla thought with another frown. What's the point if it didn't even last?

"So you were okay then?" Zelda asked her daughter. "You didn't get hurt or anything, right?"

Kyla sighed. "I was fine, mommy."

"I made sure to give her the concoction as soon as the attack started," Link explained. "We stopped after that. I told her that we can try again in a few days."

"Well good. That'll give you both something to look forward to."

Kyla frowned some more as she poked her food. What was there to look forward to? Another attempt that would inevitably fail? Another hopeful day replaced by misery and disappointment? Honestly, Kyla was starting to resent her parents again, if only because of their optimistic attitudes. They didn't understand what she was going through. They didn't understand how she felt.

"Ah, this reminds me," Zelda continued as she turned to Kyla once more. "The physician said that he is close to finishing a new medicine that he thinks will help keep you from getting sick. If you'd like, the two of us can go down to the infirmary tomorrow to give it a try."

Kyla's eyes narrowed a bit. "No thanks," she replied bluntly.

Zelda just blinked at this response. "What? Why not?"

"None of his medicines ever work. Not once." It was true. Throughout the years, the physician had attempted to come up with a number of remedies that might aid Kyla's condition, but the results had always been less than successful. Kyla continued to get sick and experience asthma attacks with as much frequency as she always had. She wondered, why should she bother to try anything new? Especially when his medicine always tasted so disgusting.

"This one might work," Zelda said, trying to stay optimistic. "You never know until you try it."

"I don't want to try it," she argued back.

Link soon sighed from his seat across from her. "Kyla, you really should give it a chance. This might help you out the next time we practice riding."

Kyla scowled, growing more frustrated by the second. "I don't want to ride horses either."

This response gave her parents some pause. They just turned to each other with concerned expressions.

"You…You don't?" Link asked.

"No."

"But you seemed so excited earlier."

"Well, I changed my mind."

"Is this because of what happened today?" Zelda asked softly. "Kyla, I'm sure that things will get better."

"No, they won't," Kyla stated adamantly. "They never do and they never will."

"Oh, sweetheart, don't say that," Zelda with a sympathetic look.

"Yeah," Link agreed. "Just give it a few days, and I'm sure you'll feel better."

Kyla sighed, dropping her gaze back down to her plate. Of course her parents didn't understand. They never did. She soon began poking at her food again.

Link and Zelda gave each other another concerned look. Even though she had been sitting here for a while now, she had barely touched her dinner. Clearly, something was wrong.

"Do you feel all right, Kyla?" her mother asked tentatively.

"I feel fine," the girl mumbled back.

"You're hardly eating," Zelda pointed out.

"I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure you're not sick? Link, maybe you should check her temperature."

"I said I'm just not hungry, okay?" Kyla snapped. This outburst was honestly rather tame, but it was still enough to make her parents freeze and stare at her with confused expressions. Kyla just scowled back at them. She was sick of dealing with them for the day. She soon dropped her fork onto her plate and pushed her chair out from the table. "I'm going to my room," she said quietly. She then departed without another word.

Link and Zelda stared at the doorway, feeling equally concerned and confused.

"What was that all about?" Link asked his wife.

"I don't know," Zelda murmured with a frown. She had never seen any of her children walk away from her like that before. Kyla hadn't even asked if she could be excused from the dinner table.

"Is it just me, or has she gotten more stubborn recently?" Link asked, also frowning. "Where in the world does she get that from?"

Zelda just paused, taking a second to roll her eyes at her husband. "Are you serious?"

"What?" Link asked defensively. "You don't mean me, do you?"

"As if it could be anyone else," Zelda said with a shake of her head. She then went back to staring at the doorway. "I think that something is really bothering her…"

Link sighed. "Well, she's got it pretty rough right now. Even when she's finally able to go out and have some fun, she just ends up getting sick like she always does."

"I feel so bad," Zelda said, looking down. She soon stood up from the table. "I'm going to talk to her."

Link nodded. "Do you want me to come too?"

"No, I think I'll be fine on my own," Zelda told him. "But thank you, though."

It didn't take long for Zelda to track Kyla down to her room. When she found her, the young Princess was half-lying at the foot of her bed, staring up at the ceiling while he legs dangled over the side. Now that the sun was starting to dip below the horizon, the entire room was rather dark and gloomy.

Zelda just politely knocked on the already open door. "Kyla, can I come in?"

The girl didn't even glance in her direction. "What do you want?"

"I was hoping that we could talk," Zelda said as she stepped inside. She soon grabbed a candle and lit it with her magic. Finally, the room had some proper lighting. "Ah, that's better."

"I have nothing to say," Kyla said bluntly.

"Oh, I don't believe that," Zelda said with a soft smile. She soon walked over and sat down on the foot of the bed, right next to Kyla. "It sounds like you have a lot on your mind. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," she replied, still being blunt.

"I think it will make you feel better," Zelda encouraged her.

This time, Kyla remained silent. She continued to scowl up at her ceiling.

Zelda sighed. She could tell that she was upset. "Kyla, your father and I understand that things haven't been easy for you. But we want you to know that there's no need to simply give up. We truly believe that you'll grow up to become a beautiful, completely healthy woman someday."

Kyla scowled some more. "When?"

This question gave Zelda some pause. "Well, it may still take some time, of course…"

Kyla just shook her head. "It's never going to happen, mommy. Never."

Zelda sadly smiled. "Now Kyla, don't say things like that…"

"But it's true!" Kyla snapped as she suddenly sat up. She clenched her teeth in frustration as she turned to her mother. "I'm never going to be healthy! I'm never going to get over these asthma attacks! And I'm never going to be able to do the things that Cecil and Kristin can do!"

Zelda nodded, trying to patiently listen to her daughter's suffering. "We don't know that for sure, sweetheart."

"Yes, we do," Kyla stated adamantly.

"You still have a lot of growing to do. Things could change-"

"They won't!"

Zelda paused, pursing her lips. "And how do you know?"

"Because they never do!" the girl exclaimed. "Every time I've ever had a little bit of hope, it's been ripped away from me! I just get sick over and over again! It never ends, ever!"

Zelda sighed. "Kyla, I know that it's hard to have hope right now, but you can't have this sort of attitude about your situation."

"And why not?" Kyla snapped, a few tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Mommy, you say that you understand, but you don't get it at all!"

Zelda felt a bit taken aback by this. "What don't I understand?" she asked softly.

"I hate this life!" Kyla yelled. "It's been so unfair to me! I hate everything about it! I hate getting sick and not being able to breathe! I hate the physician and his stupid medicine that never works!"

"Oh sweetie…" Zelda murmured. She had no idea that her daughter's suffering was this great.

The girl continued. "I hate being stuck in bed all the time! I hate that Cecil and Kristin get to do whatever they want! I hate them both so much!"

Zelda's eyes went wide at this. She had never expected her daughter to say something so cruel towards her siblings. "Kyla!" she began to scold her.

The young Princess didn't relent. With tears spilling down her cheeks, she continued her long pent-up tirade. "I hate how unfair everything is! Why did this have to happen to me? I…I wish that I had never been born!"

This was the final straw. With a sharp gasp, Zelda suddenly glared at her daughter before giving her a swift smack across the face. Kyla immediately fell silent, holding a hand up to her tear-stained cheek. She gazed at Zelda with a look of fear. Her mother had never hit her before. In fact, Kyla didn't think that she had ever hit any of her children before.

This time, Zelda's eyes were the ones threatening to well up with tears. "Don't say that," she whispered. "Don't you ever, ever, say something like that, Kyla."

Kyla just blinked, feeling sad and confused. "…Mommy?"

Zelda soon grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and stared straight into her eyes with a stern gaze. "Listen to me. You may have it rough, but you have so much to be thankful for. The Goddesses have blessed you with a wonderful home and a loving family. Do you even realize how many children have been born sick without being so lucky? How many of them are forced to grow up without any of the luxuries that we have here? Without medicine and proper meals?"

Kyla just looked into her mother's eyes, feeling uncomfortable. She didn't know what to say. She was still stunned from being slapped.

"Kyla, we all love you so much. Your father and I. Cecil and Kristin. Your grandfather and auntie. We are all so thankful to have you in our lives. We can't even imagine what life would be like without you. So please, sweetheart, don't you ever say that you wish you hadn't been born. My heart can't take being broken like that."

Kyla opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. She still didn't know how to respond. She had never been reprimanded so strongly in her entire life.

A single tear slid down Zelda's cheek before she pulled her daughter into a hug. She choked back a sob as she stroked the girl's hair. "Kyla, please promise me that you will never say something like that again. Please."

"I…I promise," Kyla said weakly. Honestly, she was still having a hard time processing what had been said to her, but she did feel sorry when she saw her mother's reaction.

"I know it's hard, sweetie," Zelda said, rubbing her daughter's back. "And I'm so sorry that you have to go through this, but your father and I love you, and we promise to be with you every step of the way."

"I know," the girl replied quietly.

Eventually, Zelda pulled away from the hug, and took a second to wipe the tears from her eyes. She then tried to smile at her daughter. "Do you feel a little better?" she asked softly.

Kyla honestly didn't know. If anything, she still felt stunned and confused. However, she soon found herself giving an absentminded nod, if only so she could appease her teary-eyed mother.

"Good, I'm glad that we could have this talk." Zelda said. "And Kyla, if you ever want to talk again, just let me know. I'll always be willing to listen and help you with whatever you're struggling with."

Kyla gave another small nod. "Okay."

Donning a sad smile, Zelda rubbed the girl's arm. "Would you like to come back to the dinner table and finish your meal?"

Kyla just frowned. "Um…no thanks. I feel pretty tired…"

"I understand, sweetie. I'll let you get your rest." Zelda then leaned in and gave Kyla a kiss on her forehead. "I love you so much."

Kyla sadly smiled back. Even though she resented her parents, she couldn't deny that her mother's tender affection was having a profound effect on her.

Zelda soon got up from the bed and departed the room, closing the door behind her. Now that she was alone, Kyla crawled under her blankets and ended up staring into the dark corners of the room. Her mother's words still weighed on her mind.

Before long, she began to cry.

Her mother had told her to have hope, but did her situation even allow for such a thing? Kyla still had to endure illness after illness. Even if she did hope that things would get better, would anything actually change?

Kyla forced her eyes shut. What hope did she have left? What else was there for her to believe in? Would she ever truly be saved?

She didn't know the answer, but these negative thoughts continued to weigh on her mind as she eventually cried herself to sleep.

That night, Kyla had a vivid dream. She was in a dark landscape, crawling around on the cold earth. She was currently sick, coughing and hacking into her tiny hands. Her head was hot and she felt dizzy. She couldn't even stand up. She tried calling for her parents to help her; for her brother and sister and grandfather, but nobody came. Nobody was around to aid her.

Before long, Kyla began to wheeze as she felt her airways tightening up. It was an asthma attack. She extended a hand out towards the darkness, trying her best to scream for help once more, but it was no use. No sound escaped her closed throat. She soon collapsed onto the ground, choking and dying.

But then, something strange happened. A beautiful golden light appeared from above, shining down on the girl. Suddenly, the ground felt warm, and with a sharp gasp, Kyla managed to successfully take a breath.

She was breathing! She wasn't sick anymore! In an instant, she seemed to have been healed completely.

Blinking a bit, Kyla soon sat up. She looked around, wondering what had happened. What was this golden light that surrounded her? Was this what had saved her?

Then, she saw it. A beautiful golden triangle, floating in the sky. No, it was actually three triangles assembled into one, each piece radiating that brilliant light onto the landscape below.

Kyla just stared at it, feeling mesmerized. It was such an alluring treasure. So bright. So shiny. So…powerful.

Suddenly, Kyla realized what this thing could do. It could heal her! Make her a completely normal and healthy girl! All she had to do was reach out and touch it. To accept its golden power as her own. She soon stood up and extended her tiny hand into the sky, hoping to brush her fragile fingers against it…

With a start, Kyla suddenly woke up, gasping a bit. She blinked a few times before looking around the darkness that surrounded her. She was back in her bedroom at the castle. It had all been a dream.

No, Kyla quickly thought. That wasn't just a dream. That felt like more than a dream. That felt as if it was real. Yes, that golden triangle is actually real too. It must be! I can feel it!

With a small smile, Kyla suddenly realized that there was hope for her after all. All she had to do was find that golden triangle and get her hands on it. If she could do that, then she could finally be healthy.

If she could do that, then she would be the happiest girl in the world.

Yay, Kyla finally has hope! I'm so happy for her, and I'm sure that nothing will go wrong, hahaha (sweats nervously).