Children of the Triforce: Retold

Chapter 12 – Devastating News

Three more years came and went. Kyla continued to dream about the Triforce from time to time, but she rarely dwelled on these thoughts anymore. She had decided to give up any chance of ever accessing the sacred relic. Not only was she too weak and fragile to make it up the stairs, but she knew that even if she did, her parents would just reprimand her for it. It would be pointless to even try, so she hardly saw the purpose in pursuing what had only turned out to be yet another false hope.

As she turned thirteen, Kyla's body began to mature physically, but she was still susceptible to illness. Despite the doctor's best attempts to treat her, she succumbed to sickness nearly every month. Over time, Kyla learned to endure it. She was still miserable, but she found that it wasn't as bad when she was already expecting it. Perhaps there was a benefit to feeling disappointed all the time.

Her siblings were still having the time of their lives. Cecil had turned eighteen and was now a handsome young man. Meanwhile, Kristin was sixteen and she had become a beautiful and brilliant young woman. Many spoke positively of them, noting how attractive they had become, in addition to always being so kind and friendly.

Meanwhile, Kyla was constantly confined to her room. Over the years, she had grown to become a rather beautiful girl as well, but it hardly mattered if no one was ever around to take notice of it. She was little more than a doll. One that was meant to be placed on a dusty shelf and never admired.

Still, despite her persistent troubles, Kyla's parents did their best to support her. Link tried many times throughout the years to help her master the art of riding, but unfortunately, the results usually bordered on disastrous with one thing or another always going wrong. Leave it to her fragile figure to fail her time and time again. Zelda offered to get Kyla involved in the court politics, but the young girl just found this sort of thing to be boring. Being shut up in that stuffy old court room was hardly any better than being confined to her bed. And besides, she didn't want to focus on politics or work. She just wanted to go outside and enjoy herself, the way that her siblings had always been allowed to.

Unfortunately, it seemed that such desires would never be more than dreams. Illness after illness struck, and not once did Kyla ever bother to hope that things would turn around. Her misery would likely haunt her until her dying breath.

Meanwhile, Zelda had her own troubles to deal with throughout the years. She began to experience odd premonitions about the Triforce, and these dreams were different than anything she had seen before. They typically contained images of a shadowy figure approaching the golden triangle and stealing it away right before her eyes. Zelda only had one guess as to what these dreams were trying to warn her of. Clearly, it would only be a matter of time before the Triforce was in jeopardy once again.

As a precaution, Zelda made sure to visit the Triforce's vault at the top of the tower at least once a month. She always made sure that she was alone before unlocking the vault in private. She would then peek inside, ensuring that the Triforce was still safe and whole, before shutting the door and locking the vault up once again. Doing this helped set her mind at ease, as it proved that the Triforce had not been stolen under their noses. Still, Zelda feared that despite all of their precautions, it would only be a matter of time before someone got their hands on it anyway.

Nevertheless, any worries concerning the safety of the Triforce quickly evaporated once the Royal Family received some incredibly unfortunate news. In fact, it was the most devastating news of their lives.

It all happened one day, when Kyla began showing signs of yet another illness. Her face was pale, she had a nasty cough, and she started experiencing the chills. As soon as Link and Zelda noticed these symptoms, they immediately insisted that she go and have the physician examine her. Kyla just sighed, having lost faith in that man and his practice long ago, but also knowing that it was pointless to argue. Her parents had the final say on this matter. They always did.

Once Kyla arrived at the infirmary, the physician took a serious amount of time to examine her. Link and Zelda just patiently sat in the waiting room, eager for an update. They prayed for good news, but even they knew not to get their hopes up at this point.

"I wonder what's taking so long," Zelda said as she frowned towards the door. "It's already been more than a few hours. His examinations have never taken this long before."

Link nodded, also noting how odd this was. He soon turned to his wife. "If you need to get back to the court, you can go. I'll make sure that Kyla's okay."

Zelda smiled but shook her head. "No, it's nothing that can't wait until tomorrow. I'd rather stay here and make sure that my baby is all right."

Link smiled back. "And that's what makes you a good mother."

"Oh, you're too kind," Zelda replied playfully.

Just then, the door to the medical room opened, only for the physician to walk out and close it behind him. Link and Zelda were quick to stand up.

"How is she, doctor?" Zelda asked.

"Fine for now. I gave her something to put her to sleep. She's resting quietly."

Link frowned, raising his eyebrows a bit. The doctor had never done anything like this before. "Um…is she all right?"

"I'm afraid not," the physician said with a shake of his head. "Princess Kyla is facing something serious; perhaps more serious than anything else that has come before."

Zelda's eyes widened a bit, and her hand hovered before her mouth, ready to cover a gasp if necessary. "Oh no…What is it this time?"

To their surprise, the physician simply sighed. He then started walking towards a door off to the side. "Please, come into my office. I think it would be best if we discussed this privately."

The couple turned to each other with concerned looks. This sort of thing had never happened before either, but they were quick to follow his instructions. They walked into the physician's office as he closed the door behind them. He then invited them to sit in the two chairs across from his desk before taking a seat himself.

"Sir Link, Princess Zelda," the man said, taking a moment to eye each of them. "I'm afraid that I have some incredibly unfortunate news."

Once again, Zelda's hand hovered near her mouth. "What is it doctor?" she whispered. "Is Kyla okay?"

The physician frowned. "Not this time, no. This most recent illness that she has contracted…I recognize it, and it's not good. No, it's honestly terrible. One of the worst diseases you could ever hope to contract. It works its way through you slowly, shutting your body down one section at a time. In most cases, this illness proves to be incredibly fatal. There is a chance of survival, of course, but it is very, very slim…"

Link blinked, feeling confused. He caught the physician's every word, but they didn't register. "What are you saying, doctor?" he asked quietly.

The physician breathed another deep, sorrowful sigh. "I'm sorry, but I fear that Princess Kyla will not live to see her fourteenth birthday."

As the devastating truth was revealed, Zelda finally gasped, placing her hands over her mouth while tears glistened in her eyes. She choked back a sob, and her words tumbled out without any sort of order to them. "No, please no. Don't tell me. Please, Kyla, no, NO…"

Link turned from his wife to the physician, feeling utterly terrified. "Are…Are you serious?" he whispered.

The physician slowly nodded, only for a few tears to emerge from his own eyes. He had been treating Kyla for over thirteen years. He had been treating her since the day she was born. It was heartbreaking to know that this would be her end. "You have my sincere condolences. I, of course, will do everything in my power to combat this illness. To give Princess Kyla a fighting chance. But given her fragile immune system and her track record for succumbing to illness, I…I wouldn't get your hopes up…"

Zelda sobbed again, fully planting her face into her hands as she bawled. Link just sat there, feeling lost and broken. It didn't take long for his own tears to begin sliding down his cheeks.

Kyla was going to die.

"I'm sorry," the physician mumbled as he carefully wiped the tears from his eyes. "I wish that I could do more for her. I really do."

Link slowly nodded before turning to Zelda. Honestly, he felt like he was the only one who was even listening to the physician at this point. Zelda was a complete wreck, far too distraught to comprehend anything at the moment. Not that Link could blame her. Even his mind felt like a dazed, jumbled mess.

"Could we have a moment alone?" he asked quietly.

"Of course," the physician agreed as he rose from his desk. "I'll be in the medical room if you need me." He then took his exit, closing the door behind him.

The room went silent save for Zelda's sobs. Link sadly watched her, his own tears continuing to subtly fall to the floor. Eventually, Zelda released her face from her hands, only to glance back at him. As expected, her cheeks were soaked, and the skin around her eyes was red.

"Link," she whimpered.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he reached over and pulled his wife into his arms. She embraced him desperately, as if holding on for dear life. She buried her face into his tunic, staining the green fabric with her endless tears. Before long, another sob escaped her throat.

"She's my baby, Link. My precious baby…"

Link patted her on the back. "I know, Zelda. I know." He was surprised at how hollow his voice sounded. As if it was completely devoid of life. Devoid of hope.

But Link was determined to stay strong. He had to, for the sake of his wife. So he kept his tears to a minimum as he continued to hold her, gently rocking her back and forth in his arms.

"It's not fair," Zelda choked out. "Why did this have to happen? Why?"

"I don't know," Link mumbled. He tended to be an optimistic guy, but even he was at a loss for this one. Had the Goddesses truly abandoned them? Ignored their prayers and cursed their youngest child to die? Link honestly couldn't believe that the Goddesses would ever be so cruel to them, but in this moment, he wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

Zelda continued to bawl for a few more minutes before she finally released herself from Link's chest. She then took a few shaky breaths as she went to wipe away her tears. Link could tell that she was trying to compose herself. Doing her best to stop the tears. He eventually reached over, using his own gentle touch to wipe her eyes and cheeks clean.

"I'm sorry," Zelda mumbled. "I…really should be more collected…"

"It's understandable," Link told her. If anything, he was surprised that she hadn't immediately burst into tears again. But alas, it seemed that her crying was truly done, for she soon sniffled and produced nothing more than a sad frown.

"Link," she said quietly. "What are we going to do?"

"Whatever we can," he said, trying to sound confident. "We'll follow the doctor's every instruction, and we'll pray every night. He said that Kyla does have a slim chance of surviving. I say we do whatever it takes to make it possible."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Then we'll stay by her side, comforting her until the very end. We need to stay strong, for her sake."

Zelda blinked before sniffling some more. She was honestly surprised at how quickly her husband took charge. As the future Queen of her Kingdom, she always assumed that she must be the more decisive of the two of them, but now she wasn't so sure. She wondered if his training as a knight had forged this certainty into him over the years.

Whatever the case may be, she was grateful for it.

"We'll be there for her," Zelda agreed with a nod. "No matter what."

A few hours later, Kyla was rushing through the castle halls. She ran wildly. Frantically. She wasn't even sure where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away from that cursed infirmary and that damned physician. Her parents had called out to her; tried to stop her, but she just ran regardless. She moved so quickly that she risked giving herself an asthma attack, and yet she didn't care.

Her mind was an absolute mess, full of confused and scared thoughts. Even now, she could still hear the terrifying news echoing in her ears. The physician's sorrowful expression as he explained her latest illness. One which she would most likely not survive. In that moment, Kyla had just turned to her parents, feeling lost. Her mother looked like she was on the verge of tears, but she held a strong, resolute expression. Her father's expression was similar, but she could tell that there was a broken man hiding behind it.

That's how she knew that this was real. That this would truly be her final illness. That she wouldn't even live to see her fourteenth birthday.

And so she ran. Ran away from the infirmary and the physician and her parents in a futile attempt to leave all of her problems behind her. But alas, she already knew that no matter how fast she ran and how hard she fought this illness, she would never be able to escape this inevitable death that marked her. It would be a pitiful end to a pitiful existence. And then the world would simply move on, without a single care for the poor, sickly girl it had lost.

Kyla soon arrived at her bedroom. She wasn't sure if she chose to come here or if she had done so subconsciously, but she immediately slammed the door behind her. She then crawled into her bed, which was both her prison and her safe haven in this wretched world. There, she buried her face in her blankets and burst into tears, all while her heart shattered to pieces.

She was going to die.

She was going to die.

Kyla balled her hands into fists, pounding them on her bed as she screamed into her pillow. Images of her family passed through her mind. Her controlling parents, her lucky brother and sister, her grandfather who was pushing seventy years of age. None of them had any issues. None of them would ever have to deal with something like this. The pain. The misery. The terror of knowing that your time was up.

Eventually, Kyla curled into a ball, lightly sobbing as the tears continued to spill from her lovely green eyes. "It's not fair," she murmured. "Why is this happening to me? What did I ever do to deserve this? Why, why, why!?"

She sat like this for a few minutes, continuing to curse her horrible situation, but she eventually felt someone place a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open and she soon saw her father sitting on the bed next to her, looking as stone-faced as before.

Kyla immediately clenched her teeth, feeling anger and frustration well up within her. "What!?" she snapped. "Can't you knock, dad!?"

Link sighed. "I did. You probably didn't hear me." He then paused, taking a moment to brush some of the girl's messy hair out of her face. "Do you want to talk?"

Kyla whimpered, suddenly feeling all of her anger dissolve only to be replaced by a horrible, inescapable sadness. "What's there to talk about?" she asked as another sob escaped her throat. "I…I'm dying, daddy!"

Link opened his arms, and Kyla immediately fell into them. For the second time that day, the hero's green tunic was stained with the tears of his loved ones. He just pulled her close though, gently rubbing the girl's back as she continued to cry.

Before long, Zelda arrived and took a seat on the bed as well. She wrapped her arms around her husband, so that they cradled Kyla between them. "It's okay, Kyla," she said softly. "Your father and I are here for you."

Link glanced over. He could tell that Zelda was trying to stay strong, but even she couldn't stop herself from releasing a few tears. She sniffed as she gently ran her fingers through Kyla's long hair.

The family sat like this for a while, each of them crying and sniffling and trying to come to terms with this situation. Eventually, Link leaned in close to Zelda's ear and whispered to her.

"Who's going to tell Cecil and Kirstin?"

Zelda frowned, suddenly feeling her heart drop. She forgot that the rest of their family would need to be informed as well. "Can you?" she whispered back. "I…think that you'll be better at it. I'll stay here with Kyla."

Link gave his wife a long, tired look, but he soon nodded. He pulled away from Kyla, but not before giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead. The girl accepted it, only to retreat into her mother's embrace and continue to bawl her eyes out. And with that sad sight to see him off, Link turned away.

He wished that he didn't have to do this. Wished that he didn't have to pass such unfortunate news along to his loved ones. But he knew that someone had to, and being the man of his household, he supposed that it was his duty to take charge in dire situations like this.

Still, while he may have been better at sharing the unfortunate news, that certainly didn't mean that he was any better at accepting it. In fact, he wasn't sure if he could ever accept such a terrible reality. It was just too depressing. Too tragic to believe.

Nevertheless, his feet kept moving, and he managed to soldier on as he went to collect the remaining members of his family.

Pain, pain, pain. This family just can't catch a break when it comes to their youngest, can they? :( I feel especially bad for Link, who has to try and stay strong for his other family members when he's clearly as torn up as they are. Shoutout to the original author, Alexandra Spears, for creating such a heartbreaking development.