Children of the Triforce: Retold

Chapter 14 – Miracle

With the Triforce of Power safely in hand, Kyla easily pulled the door to the vault shut, and used her mother's key to lock it up again. She then grinned to herself. Now all she had to do was return the key and nobody would ever know that she had been here. No one would ever realize that the Triforce was missing. It was the perfect crime.

Admittedly, Kyla did feel a little bad about betraying her parents' trust and going behind their backs to steal a scared family treasure. However, considering the circumstances, she was more than willing to justify her actions. If she didn't have this piece of the Triforce, she would still be sick and in danger of dying. Now, she had been given a chance to live. Besides, her parents had done nothing with the Triforce except leave it in that dusty old room for countless years. If they weren't ever planning to use it, then why shouldn't she? Sure, her parents had likely just been trying to keep the Triforce safe, as was their family's duty, but Kyla was hardly worried about such a thing. As long as she held one of the pieces in her grasp, then it wasn't like the whole thing was in danger.

Yes, she thought as she slowly clenched her fist. I'll keep it safe, and it'll keep me healthy. It will be the perfect relationship.

Still grinning, Kyla began making her way back down the staircase. As she did, she was surprised at how light her body felt. With her newfound strength, each step felt like a breeze. She was incredibly surprised when she reached the bottom after only a few minutes of walking, and she didn't even feel tired to boot! Her grin widened as she snuck back to her room.

As planned, she returned the key to her mother's jewelry box, and then decided to slip back into bed. She figured that she should try to sleep, as that's what her family expected her to be doing at this moment. However, she soon found that she couldn't even sit still. She was far too giddy. Far too excited. The mere thought of what she had accomplished made her heart beat fast in her chest.

With a smile ever present on her lips, Kyla began dreaming of how drastically her life would change from this point forward. No more getting sick. No more being confined to a bed. No more living in her siblings' shadows, or under her parents' control. Now she would live freely, just as she always wished to. She would go outside and run through the courtyards and fields and she would laugh and have fun and practice swordsmanship and archery and make friends and catch the attention of boys her age and so much more! So many doorways had just opened for her. So many possibilities. And it was all thanks to this magical artifact known as the Triforce.

For the first time in her life, Kyla was thankful to the Goddesses for something. They had given her hope. They had left this Triforce in her world, and she had used it. And now, she no longer had anything to fear.

Except for her secret getting out, that is.

Yes, despite the girl's excitement, Kyla reminded herself that she would need to keep acting sick for a while. Right now, she was supposed to be sad and heartbroken after contracting a terminal illness. If she started acting happy and perfectly healthy, her parents would immediately get suspicious and wonder what was going on. And if they found out what she had done, they would probably have a conniption.

Keep it a secret, a deep voice echoed in the back of Kyla's mind.

The girl paused, blinking before suddenly sitting up a bit. That voice…that wasn't the voice of her own thoughts. It sounded strange. Foreign, even. She honestly had no idea where it had come from. Was someone else talking to her?

"Hello?" she whispered timidly. She glanced around her room, almost expecting someone to step out from their hiding place and reveal themselves. But no such moment came.

Who said that? she wondered, feeling confused.

Just then, the voice rang out again, repeating its words from before. Keep it a secret. Don't tell your parents about the Triforce.

Kyla's eyes went wide as she watched the back of her hand start to glow. There, the golden outline of the Triforce appeared, shining as brilliantly as ever. The girl suddenly started to understand. The voice didn't belong to her own thoughts, but it was certainly coming from her mind!

Who are you? she asked, attempting to project her own thoughts back.

To her surprise, the deep, mysterious voice responded. I am the voice that resides in the Triforce of Power. I am here to guide you and assist you in utilizing this piece of the Triforce…

Kyla furrowed her eyebrows. The voice was some sort of guiding force? Her parents had never mentioned anything about this before. But then again, she was dealing with an ancient magical artifact, so she supposed that anything was possible.

Are you here to help me keep the Triforce safe? she asked.

Exactly, the voice purred. Follow my every instruction, and you and I shall never be parted. With me by your side, you shall live a long and healthy life. Learn to trust in my voice, just as you would trust your own conscience.

Kyla frowned a bit as she hesitated. Truth be told, she didn't really want to listen to this odd voice echoing around in the back of her head. It honestly reminded her of her parents, and how much they tried to control her life. However, even though Kyla had wielded this piece of the Triforce for less than an hour, she already felt reliant upon it. Felt that she couldn't live without it, which frankly speaking, she couldn't. And so, feeling like she had no other options, she chose to trust in the voice for the time being.

Fine, she answered back. So what do you want me to do?

For now, keep your piece of the Triforce a secret from your parents. If they knew what you had done, they would make you give it up.

Kyla nearly rolled her eyes. Like she even needed to be told that. She had already concluded that it would be better to keep this whole thing a secret. That it would be better to continue acting like the sickly girl who was possibly on the mend. So far, this voice's initial advice was far from helpful, but she supposed that it was at least nice to know that the two of them shared a similar line of thought.

Kyla waited for a while to see if the voice would say anything else, but her mind remained silent. Eventually, the glowing mark on her hand faded away too, and Kyla knew at once that she was truly alone. With nothing left to be said, she rested her head on her pillow, staring up at the ceiling as she tried to consider what came next.

The following days were rather hectic, with Kyla receiving constant visitors in her bedchambers. Her guests mostly consisted of her family, having come to comfort her and grieve her situation. Either one or both of her parents was always by her side. Talking to her. Making sure that she was comfy. Giving her different medicines to see if anything would ease her imaginary pains. Her siblings and grandfather visited too, doing their best to offer words of encouragement. Everyone just felt so bad for the little girl that was going to die.

Meanwhile, Kyla played her role perfectly. She had spent her entire life being a sick and weak child, so it was hardly any trouble to act sad and tired as her family fawned over her. If anything, it was hard to hold back her giddiness as they hugged her and expressed their grief. She had never desired anyone's pity before, but in this moment, she was honestly enjoying it. For some reason, seeing their depressed expressions provided her with a sick sense of satisfaction. It was nice watching her family get sad and blame themselves for what happened all while showering her with love and affection. She supposed it was because she knew that she wasn't going to die. That her family was simply fretting over nothing at this point. That all would be well once they realized she would live. Their pity was basically worthless; now nothing more than a wonderful feeling for the young Princess to bask in.

But Kyla knew that this charade couldn't go on forever. She could only enjoy it for so long before it became tiresome, after all. Besides, she was eager to finally get out of bed and start turning her life around.

And so it was, that one morning Kyla decided to stop faking a cough. She decided to stop faking her fatigue. She now acted as if she felt better out of the blue, and she made sure to let her parents know immediately.

As expected, the couple just turned to each other with blank expressions before looking back to her.

"You're feeling better?" Link asked.

"I think so," Kyla said in a light voice (she naturally still had to act a little weak). "I…don't know how to describe it. It almost feels like this heaviness has left my chest."

Zelda blinked in surprise, only for her expression to turn curious. She immediately felt her daughter's head for a fever, all while preparing numerous questions. "What about your cough?"

"I haven't coughed all morning, mommy."

"And how does your stomach feel?"

"Okay."

"Are you tired?"

"No, I feel wide awake."

Zelda frowned a bit, but soon retracted her hand. "No fever either," she noted.

Link crossed his arms, looking just as perplexed as his wife. "That's odd. But I suppose that this is good news though."

"It really is," Kyla agreed, still speaking quietly. "I haven't felt this well in ages."

Zelda simply frowned some more, feeling a bit hesitant about accepting all of this. A few days ago, she had been delivered the horrible news that her daughter was going to die. She wasn't about to start accepting any signs of hope, for fear that they would just be smothered out and her heart would be broken all over again.

"Well, I think you should still stay in bed for a while, sweetie," Zelda told her. "You might be feeling okay for now, but you never know when things might take another turn. The Goddesses know it's happened before."

"I know, mommy," Kyla said with a small nod. "I'll stay here and keep getting rest. I think it's helping though."

"I'm happy to hear that," Zelda said as she allowed herself a smile. Despite her reservations, she agreed that Kyla's good condition was something to be thankful for, even if it was only temporary.

Link walked over and rubbed Kyla's shoulder a bit. "Will you be okay without us today?"

"Yeah, I think I will," Kyla replied.

"Okay, just send for us if you need us. We'll be in the castle."

"Yes, daddy."

Each of her parents took a moment to place a kiss on her temple, and then promptly disappeared, leaving Kyla alone. The girl just snickered to herself, amused at how easily it was to manipulate the people who had controlled her for as long as she had lived.

Over the next few days, Kyla continued to spin the narrative that she was slowly getting over her illness. She reiterated that she felt much better. She no longer felt tired or coughed or had chills or fevers or even asthma attacks for that matter. And each day, she smiled more and talked in a more confident tone. She tried to be subtle about it, but she was still doing everything in her power to convince her parents that she was healing.

Naturally, Link and Zelda were shocked at what they were witnessing. Not only was their once sickly daughter starting to emit the natural glow of life, but she had managed it so quickly too. It was as if her situation from just a few days prior had been completely reversed. If they didn't know any better, Kyla almost appeared to be the picture of health.

Still, Zelda held her reservations, as did Link to a certain extent. They both recalled what the physician had told them, and neither of them were eager to get their hopes up. Kyla's chances of surviving her terminal illness were said to be slim at best. Even if she was starting to feel better now, there was no guarantee that she wouldn't relapse and succumb to illness once again, just as she always did. And considering what the physician had told them, they felt it was only a matter of time before her body began to fail once more.

But Kyla kept pushing. She kept doing everything in her power to make her parents believe in her recovery. She started walking around the castle halls without showing a trace of fatigue. She devoured all of her meals without showing any signs of nausea. The final strike came when Kyla decided to walk out into one of the sunny courtyards on her own. Her mother had nearly shrieked when she spotted her, as she hadn't been wearing a coat or any blankets to keep her warm. But Kyla just laughed off her mother's concerns, claiming that she had never felt better.

It was this moment that finally caused Link and Zelda to cave and take Kyla to see the physician again. Upon their arrival, the man had expected to treat a sick and dying girl, but he was genuinely surprised when the family requested another examination instead. What surprised him even more were the results that came back.

"I…can't believe this," he murmured as he looked over his notes.

This time, Link and Zelda were sitting in the exam room, both gently holding onto Kyla's hands for the sake of supporting the girl as well as themselves.

"What is it, doctor?" Zelda asked timidly.

Link's tone mirrored his wife's. "Is everything okay?"

"It…It's completely unprecedented," the physician continued to mumble. "It's honestly nothing short of a miracle."

"What?" the parents asked in unison, their concern only growing worse by the second.

"Princess Kyla…is completely healthy," he said slowly. "There's no trace of her terminal illness anymore…No trace at all."

Kyla grinned. This is what she had been expecting, but it still felt so satisfying to hear it. Her parents, however, were shocked beyond words. They glanced at each other before turning back to the doctor.

"Wh-What?" Zelda whimpered, clenching her daughter's hand tightly.

"Did…Did we just hear you right?" Link asked quietly.

The physician nodded, still glancing through his notes with equal surprise. "I assure you, it's the truth. Your daughter is completely healthy."

Kyla smiled some more as she withdrew her hands from her parents' grip. She then clasped her hands together, deciding to put on a compelling performance. "So I'm not going to die then?" she asked innocently.

"I think I can safely say that danger has passed," the physician declared with both a smile and a nod.

"Oh, this is just wonderful news!" Kyla cried, really hamming it up at this point. Not that her parents noticed. They were still far too stunned to even process what had happened.

Zelda was the first to rise to her feet, almost as if she was in protest. "But wait, how is that possible? You said that she had a slim chance of survival! We…We really believed that she wasn't going to make it!" Before long, tears started to well up in her eyes.

Link soon stood up as well, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. "She's right. This is all so sudden. What…What happened?"

"I wish I could tell you, but I honestly don't understand it myself," the physician said with a shake of his head. "Just the other week, I accurately diagnosed your daughter with an illness that was sure to end her life. Now, no such trace of that illness remains. It's as if it simply disappeared overnight. It's the most bizarre thing. Truly nothing short of a miracle."

Link and Zelda turned to each other again, still feeling rather confused by this sudden turn of events. However, as they continued to stare into each other's eyes, they could slowly feel their hearts loosening up. And for the first time in days, the couple allowed themselves to experience something that they had truly believed was gone for good. They allowed themselves to have hope.

"So, my baby is going to live?" Zelda asked, her words nearly being choked out of her shaky throat.

The physician gave the worried mother a sincere smile. "Yes, for many, many years by the looks of it."

Link could feel his own eyes threatening to well up with tears, but he held them back as he flashed his wife a bright and happy grin. "Kyla is going to live," he whispered, relishing in the wonderful truth of those words. "Praise the Goddesses, she's going to live."

The next thing he knew he was hugging his wife and thanking the physician, and then before long he was hugging his daughter and the lot of them were crying while Kyla started giggling a bit.

"Okay, daddy, enough! You're going to crush me!" Kyla teased.

Link laughed as he hugged her tighter. "Hold on! Just give me a few more seconds."

After squeezing her a bit more, Zelda soon swooped in, claiming it was her turn next. She then hugged her daughter from the side, wrapping her arms around her small shoulders. She honestly couldn't believe this news. That her baby was alive and healthy and no longer had to fear dying at such a young age. It was as the physician had claimed. This was nothing short of a miracle. Zelda rocked Kyla back and forth a bit as she bowed her head and prayed to the Goddesses, granting them her everlasting gratitude. Ever since she had first learned of Kyla's terminal illness, she had visited the temple every day in order to pray and ask for the Goddesses to heal her daughter and ease her pain. And now, it seemed that her prayers had finally been heard.

Kyla simply laughed some more while her mother continued to squeeze her and her father rubbed the top of her head. Even though she had come to resent her parents throughout the years, she was more than happy to share this wonderful moment with them. To sit back and watch the relief flood their faces and appreciate that she was going to be sticking around for a while. It was all she could have ever wanted. To be healthy, normal, and loved.

In this moment, Kyla felt like she had never been happier.

One thing I really like about the original Children of the Triforce is the casual family dynamic that Link and Zelda have with their kids. There's no real sense of "royalty" or "formality" among them. The kids call their parents "mom and dad" instead of "mother and father". Link and Zelda personally take care of their kids instead of leaving them in the hands of a caretaker. Zelda even refers to Kyla as her "baby" all the time. It's just nice to see them act close to each other without being too formal. I feel that it makes their interactions somewhat cute and wholesome.

Oh, and feel free to ignore that random voice that Kyla heard in her head. I'm sure it's nothing :)