Chapter 46:

A Short Break

"Where's your pretty daughter, Impa?"

Across from her Dinzra sneered, her white teeth bared in a wolfish grin that gleamed against her dark skin. But even that couldn't match the brightness of the column of light shining beside them, that not moments ago had shot up from the Temple of Time in a blast so powerful it sent a gust of wind shooting through Castletown. Even now, Impa had to hold up an arm to shield her eyes, squinting just to try and make out the battle taking place beneath them. All she could see were indistinguishable figures, crashing against each other under the wall on which she stood. Her heart plummeted into her stomach as she looked further, struggling to discern the square beyond.

This is all part of the plan, she had to remind herself as her stomach twisted in knots. She's strong. She has it under control. Get in, get out, get gone. She swallowed hard, trying to calm her nerves. She'd already faced this moment before, after all: the one all parents dread, where there's no other choice but to let go and hope for the best. It worked out well enough then.

As her eyes adjusted to the light and she scoured the town below though, the self-reinforcement was of little help.

Where was she...?

"Another one down. Younger than the last too." Dinzra cocked her head to the side, a wicked smile on her face. "If you make it out of this alive, I wonder...how much time do you think you'll get out of your next child? Five years? Ten?"

Rage immediately surged through Impa's veins - but even so, she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to remain collected while she adjusted the hilt of her knife in her grasp.

There were only very few times in the Sage's life that she had reacted to a taunt. But of those very few times, she remembered with satisfaction, there wasn't a single one where she hadn't eviscerated her opponent where they stood.

This would be another one of those times.

With a feral snarl she leapt forward and threw her knife at the unprepared Gerudo. Dinzra ducked back, but not quite far enough to avoid injury, as the blade lodged itself into her shoulder. Even as she fell back, crying out in pain, Impa pushed forward and slashed with her other knife, retrieving the first with a sharp yank as the Gerudo defended. By the time Dinzra had recovered her wits enough to strike back, Impa had already spun out of harm's way.

Dinzra let out a roar, all traces of amusement gone from her face. With a quick motion, she adjusted her scimitars in her grip, her golden eyes fiery with rage. "Or maybe," she hissed, "you'll rejoin them both after all!"

The Gerudo flew forward, her scimitars flashing dangerously as she attacked - but Impa only continued to evade her blows, side stepping each strike and circling around her to maintain her position in the center of the bridge. All the same, she could not keep her focus fully on the fight. Blood dripped from above her eyebrow where the Gerudo had managed a glancing blow, and she wiped it from her eye with the back of her hand, never lowering her knives. Despite her best efforts, she could feel her shoulders tensing, fear creeping into her heart as she fought to push away all thoughts that Dinzra might be right.

They went at it for what felt like hours, as Impa ducked and slashed and spun, all the while trying to catch glimpses of the square below in hope that somehow, even despite the masses below, she would be able to spot Aeria - but she never did. She had nearly lost all hope when a sudden flash of blue arose in the sky, shooting up in an icy blaze from somewhere in the crowd.

Impa's heart stopped.

The signal...

She was alive...

A sharp pain ripped through her back, causing her to let out a cry, and as she turned on the spot she caught a glimpse of Dinzra's vengeful grin. "Come on," the Gerudo goaded, gesturing with one her scimitars. "Come and avenge your dead daughter."

Impa's eyes narrowed. The time for fighting was over. Dinzra was the least of her concerns now, what with Aeria lost somewhere in the chaos, trying to escape - but all the same, she had a record to upkeep. Subtly she stretched her fingers from the hilt of the knife she had poised at her hip, reaching towards the pocket at her waist. As she did, she shook her head condescendingly.

"You stupid bitch."

Then without a moment's hesitation, she snapped her hand upward, releasing the throwing star held tight between her fingers.

By the time Dinzra's howl pierced the air, Impa had already turned her back and leapt from the bridge, sailing down into the chaos below. Only when she landed did she allow herself a brief moment to look back at the bridge to where Dinzra stood screaming, clutching the metal blades lodged in the socket of her eye as blood streamed through her fingertips. Impa smirked, reveling in her small victory as much as possible before she took of running.

While she hadn't managed to put her knife through her throat, this would suffice for now.

It was Kaepora Gaebora that led her to them, screeching loudly as he flew through the air above Kakariko bridge. By the time she'd found them, Ruto, Blaze, and Nabooru were already there, Ruto and Blaze kneeling on the ground while Nabooru stood stiffly before them, clearly trying to absorb the situation.

Then she saw Aeria, and her entire body went numb.

She lay still in Christian's arms, her eyes closed and skin white. Blood stained the entire bottom half of her shirt, and tipped the blades of grass beside her. Christian was weeping openly as he rocked her back and forth, pleading with the Sage to save her, while Blaze just held her hand and watched her with a desperate expression.

"No," Impa said breathlessly, staring in disbelief.

Nabooru's head whipped around immediately at the sound. As she registered Impa's presence, her golden eyes went wide.

"Impa..." she warned - only the Sheikah barely even heard it.

She wasn't...she couldn't be...

Before Impa knew it, she was running.

"Aeria!" she shouted, racing towards Aeria's lifeless form - but Nabooru came at her just as fast, catching her and holding her back. "Let me go!" Impa shrieked, choking on the tears she hadn't even noticed streaming down her face.

"Impa, if there's any hope at all-" Nabooru began. Impa cut her off immediately.

"Let me go to her!"

"-we have to get her out of here quick-"

"Let me go!"

"Be quiet, all of you!" Ruto shouted above the chaos. Nabooru's head whipped over her shoulder towards the two, even as she struggled to hold Impa back. Impa only watched helplessly as Ruto's brow furrowed in concentration, staring blankly at a heap of broken glass beside them as she gently held her fingers against Aeria's throat. For a moment, all was silent as they waited.

Then Ruto's head snapped up, her eyes wide.

"A heartbeat," she said in disbelief. "It wasn't there before, but the fairy..." Immediately, her gaze whipped to Blaze. "There it is again...it's weak, but..."

"She's alive," Nabooru echoed in amazement. For a moment, Impa's heart leapt in her chest, before Ruto cut her off.

"Barely," the Zora said harshly, ripping her hand from Aeria's throat and pulling herself to her feet. "She needs a healer. Now."

"First step is getting her off the battlefield," Nabooru pointed out, gesturing to the arrows still streaming towards them from the wall. They were all still coming up roughly twenty feet short, but now their attackers had begun to clamber over the side, clearly with the intent of charging. "Which means you," she turned to face Impa, eyes piercing, "have got to hold it together, you understand?" Before Impa could even open her mouth to answer, the Gerudo gave her a firm shake. "She's alive. She needs you. We get her out of the crossfire to Kakariko, buy us enough time to take the Ocarina from there and get back to Lake Hylia." Slowly, she relinquished her grip. "Can you manage that?" she asked.

Impa clenched her jaw, but nodded.

"We don't have much time," Ruto reminded them, taking a hold of Nabooru's hand and gripping the back of Christian's shirt tightly in the other. Without another moment's hesitation, Impa stepped forward, taking hold of Blaze and Nabooru's hands, and took a deep breath.

Just before she cast the spell to teleport them, and the world disappeared in white, she caught sight of Christian choking out a humorless laugh.

"She controls that."

Outside Aeria's tent, Impa stifled a sob.

She had been waiting anxiously for days now, reliving the moment she had seen Aeria's broken body over and over again as she prayed for the goddesses to spare her. All the while, Dinzra's words had echoed in her head...

"Where's your pretty daughter, Impa?"

Her mind was worn down by exhaustion and panic, and at this point it was pretty clear that there would be no staving off the emotions she had been trying to keep at bay. So she let them wash over her with full force.

Zelda had never scared her like that. The pain was reminiscent of that day, all those many years ago...but back then she hadn't had to watch Zelda die. Hadn't had to wrestle the thought that she might be too late. With Zelda she knew there was nothing she could have done - but this time, there had still been the slightest glimmer of hope, which only made it all the worse when she was held back. This time she had seen the wound, seen the pale, ghostly sheen of death upon Aeria's face. For all the pain Zelda's death had caused her, Impa had not had to suffer the sight of her broken, lifeless body.

Typical... she thought caustically. Of the two, Aeria would be the one to cause her that grief. Not that either of them had considered what implications the manner of their deaths would have on her - but seeing as Aeria had always given her a much harder time than Zelda in life, it only seemed appropriate that would remain true in death.

Except she wasn't dead.

She'd made it.

She was awake.

A shaky breath escaped Impa's lips as she stared up at the moon, glowing brightly over the trees and reflecting across the water of the lake. She was alive. In grave danger, sure...facing an even more complicated situation than before, without a doubt...but alive. She had escaped death's grasp, if only for now - and that was more than the old Sheikah could ask for.

"Thank you," she whispered up to the star-studded sky. While she had never been sure the goddesses had heard her prayers before, tonight she knew they had been answered, and she felt the need to express her gratitude.

Whatever goddesses were or weren't listening, the weight on Impa's heart lifted. She let out a deep sigh of relief, never tearing her eyes away from the night sky. The stars only twinkled in response. As she watched, one star in particular seemed to glow brighter than the others, and for a moment the old Sheikah imagined that Zelda was looking down upon her. She could feel a small tear forming in the corner of her heart as she considered the thought.

"How much time do you think you'll get out of your next child? Five years? Ten?"

Link and Zelda had barely even gotten that.

Impa let out a long, weary sigh. That was an even darker topic, one she simply didn't have the emotional strength to bear tonight.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow they'd look into it. Tonight...tonight was the time to celebrate what they had saved.

"And thank you," she added wistfully to the star, "for letting her stay."

A Short Break

As the sun began to rise beyond the tent, Christian blearily opened his eyes.

Everything was still a blur. With one eye he could see the dim light of dawn filtering through a crack of canvas, the other obscured by a tangle of gold. He wrinkled his nose as whatever-it-was tickled his face. Hair, he realized. Aeria's hair. She was asleep in his arms, her body rising and falling in deep, ragged breaths.

He hadn't fully planned to fall asleep there. To be honest, for once in his life, he hadn't really had any plan at all going into that tent. He just knew he couldn't stand another moment apart from her, that he had to be by her side. All things considered though, he felt he probably should have seen it coming.

He hadn't slept in days. After he'd been forbidden from the tent until she woke up, he'd been reaching out to her constantly with the mind link, waiting for the exact moment her eyes opened and he could rejoin her. It was all he could think about. The only thing he could do.

He'd been so worried...felt so helpless...so much had happened, all of it beyond his control...

"You can't do this!" he screamed, struggling against the guard pulling him from Aeria's bedside - but with one leg still skewered by an arrow, and only one good arm, his attempts to fight them off were less effective than he'd hoped. He could still see her, lying there motionless and covered in blood, as he was dragged out of the tent. Only when the flap had fallen closed behind them did the guard release him. Barely a second later, Christian swung his arm out to strike back - but unfortunately it only rebounded off the guard's armor with a metallic 'thwong', leaving the guard entirely unharmed and Christian hopping on his one good foot to try and regain his balance. "You can't!" he shouted again in a rage.

"That is my daughter!" came a shout from Impa within the tent. Hardly a moment later, the other guard dragged her out to join them, barely affected by the attacks she was launching his way. "Let me pass!"

"Queen's orders," was the only response they received, from the guard before Impa. Christian found himself clenching his hands into fists, despite the obvious fact that he was not going to be able to fight his way in.

"If she's the Queen, I am the Prince!" he snarled. "Step aside!"

"The Queen's authority outranks yours," the guard before him pointed out. "We cannot allow you to enter."

"Like hell you can't!" Christian bellowed. Even as he did, Impa whirled on his guard.

"And what about my authority?" she yelled, her stormy eyes blazing. "I am the girl's guardian!"

"We cannot-"

"That is the Princess!" Christian roared, swooping in beside her to gang up on the same guard. "Queen, Prince, neither of us can claim any authority any longer, and she cannot order you-"

"As the Princess is unable to make commands of her own at the moment, the Queen remains acting authority," the other guard interrupted, moving into the fray to assist his comrade. But Christian had stopped listening. He couldn't take any more, and from beside him, he got the feeling Impa had hit her limit as well.

"Now you listen here," he growled.

"That is my child-"

"That girl is the Hero of Time and your princess-"

"You've no right to keep me from her-"

"And she needs me-"

"You let me in this instant-"

"So step aside!"

For all their combined rage, neither of the guards even budged. With a cry of frustration, Christian threw all his weight at the one in front of him, a last ditch effort to get through - but it was useless. Instead, he only stumbled, his injured leg giving out beneath him as he moved forward, and fell to the ground.

Impa shook her head, seething. "Your mother," she began, apparently unable to come up with a vicious enough comment. Christian just shook his head, gritting his teeth as he fought back the pain tearing at his thigh and shoulder.

"Believe me, I'm aware," he hissed. At first he had been thankful that the others had come to their aid in Kakariko and joined them to go to Lake Hylia, that his mother - once one of the most skilled healers in the Castle, before the first attack - had personally taken over Aeria's care. Now, he wasn't sure he could manage to forgive her. At least, not unless she saved her. "I swear to Farore," he muttered up to the guard standing above him, "if anything happens to her, you'll wish you'd never been born."

It seemed like hours passed as they waited just outside the tent, carefully listening to try and hear what was happening inside. Every now and then the voices became more hurried, more panicked, and Christian would feel his heartbeat spike...but each time, slowly, the frenzy would calm and all would become silent again. Finally, a Sheikah man emerged from the tent, giving Christian a concentrated look.

"Well?" Christian demanded, refusing to pull himself up to his feet. Though unfortunately, he noted, he didn't think he would be able to anyway. The Sheikah recoiled slightly at his tone.

"The Queen sent me to address your wounds."

Anger surged through Christian's veins. "Forget it. I'm fine."

At that, Impa raised an eyebrow. "You're already out here," she pointed out. "We're not getting back in. Not to mention, you do have a bloody arrow in your leg." Even as she spoke, the Sheikah lowered himself to Christian's side and began opening his kit, to which Christian immediately pulled away.

"I said I'm fine," he growled once more.

"But we'll have to act quickly to prevent severe blood loss once it's removed-"

"Then leave it alone."

"Your highness, it will be less painful once-"

"I said, leave it alone!" Christian shouted, grabbing the Sheikah by the collar of his shirt. The man's eyes widened in shock as he caught himself on his hands and knees. "The woman I love is in there," Christian continued, voice dangerous, "and she may be dying." The Sheikah recoiled as he pulled him closer. "So you forget about my arrow and you go help her."

For a moment, all was silent. As he glared down the healer before him, he could feel the Sage's eyes on him. Raising a challenging eyebrow, he turned to meet her gaze - but she just watched him, her eyes intense as she regarded him. Without looking away, he released the healer from his grasp. Slowly, the healer pulled himself upright once more.

"Your highness," he began quietly, "the Queen did order-"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Impa cut him off sharply, shooting the healer a devastating look. "I am the leader of the Sheikah, your leader, and I am ordering you to leave the goddess-damned arrow in!"

Christian let out a long, shuddering sigh.

It had been at least a full day before he'd let anyone touch that arrow. He'd waited until they were sure Aeria had made it through the worst of it before anyone was allowed to tend to his wounds - after which, he had once more demanded to see her, livid when the guards informed him that no one was to enter until she awoke. And that was when Tom had come to see him, and the anger took over, and the next thing he knew he was throwing a left hook...

The hardest part was over, he reminded himself. Those last few days he had been waiting had been the most agonizing of his life...but the moment he had seen her, alive, and awake...

At least for now, they were safe. Battered and worse for the wear, to be sure...but still, alive. They had time to recover, time to get their feet beneath them before addressing the new threat before them. For all of that, Christian was beyond grateful.

But all the same...it was hard not to think of their losses.

Pike's dead...Dad might as well be...and her...

Almost in tandem with his thoughts, Aeria let out a small moan from beside him. His heart tore a little at the sound, and he tightened his hold on her.

"You're safe now," he whispered softly. "No more nightmares."

"It's not a nightmare."

Christian blinked, frowning as he carefully freed his arm out from under Aeria and pulled himself upright. There at the entrance to the tent was Impa. Even as he watched, she released the tent flap, letting it fall back down behind her. Her expression was bittersweet.

"She's protected now," she explained. "It's just the wound." All the same, he realized as he finally regained full awareness, her stormy eyes were grave. She gestured behind her, to the outside of the tent. "We should talk."

Without another word, she slipped back outside. Swallowing hard, Christian turned back to where Aeria slept. By now he knew only too well what this meant. If Impa wanted to speak with him alone, it could only mean that whatever she wanted to discuss was something she didn't want Aeria to know about.

He sighed, but dragged himself out of the bed, stopping only to place a gentle kiss on her cheek and retrieve his crutch. "I'll be back," he promised, before letting the tent flap fall closed behind him.

Impa hadn't gone all that far. She stood just beside the water, watching as the first rays of sunlight crept above the trees beyond. The lake was so still that it looked as though it held another sky within, dreamy pinks and purples mirrored in the glassy water.

"So calm," she murmured as he limped over to her. "You'd think nothing had happened, and all was still at peace." Her piercing eyes turned towards him.

"If only," he sighed. "What is it, Impa."

Slowly, the Sheikah turned to face him directly, never removing her intense gaze from his. "You said that Dark Link let you go."

Christian's stomach began to twist with dread. It was something he hadn't allowed himself to wonder too deeply about, something he'd pushed away, too caught up in worrying about Aeria to think about anything else. But all the same, it was something he knew carried a deeper significance than they had addressed. "What of it?"

"I think you know," she said darkly. "Tell me again. What Phantom Ganon said."

Against his will, the memory arose in the back of his mind. He clenched his jaw, swallowing hard as he tried to push the images away. Her desperate eyes...Phantom Ganon's hand around her throat...the look of shock that crossed her face as his blade slid through her...

"How do you destroy a man," he finally answered, letting out a ragged breath. His hands had involuntarily clenched themselves into fists. "He wanted revenge - said that it wasn't her that he wanted to hurt, that he had given her time to find another way, but it was too late. He said with one blow he would destroy three men, including one he hadn't intended."

"He wanted to stop the Dark Lord from returning," Impa nodded. "He would have taken the Triforce of Courage for himself and likely disappeared with it, hoping to thwart him forever. But instead of killing her outright, he waited until she was with Dark Link. He waited until you were all in one place, and it was clear there was no preventing his escape." Her gaze was expectant.

"He wanted Dark Link to be there when-" Christian broke off, unable to finish. "He wanted Dark Link to watch."

But why?

How had Dark Link wronged him? It was clear the two had some kind of grudge match going on, from what he'd witnessed back in the desert...but if he'd just wanted to thwart both the Dark Lord and Dark Link, why hadn't he just tried to kill her before?

He'd had every opportunity in the Gerudo Fortress, back when they had been captured. If Christian was the one he'd intended to hurt, why hadn't he dragged him up there and killed her then? Why risk it all, letting her go to the Temple of Time, waiting until the last possible moment? True, he'd said he'd given her a fair chance to find a way on her own...but to let her get that far? To only finally step in when it became unquestionably clear that she was going to break the seal herself?

Why did Dark Link need to be there? How would killing her hurt him? What more was she to Dark Link than a means to an end?

And when that end was in his grasp...why would Dark Link let them go...?

Then it hit him.

He hadn't just stabbed her.

He had presented her...

"No..." he whispered, shaking his head and staring at Impa in horror, hoping for some indication that he was wrong. But the Sage's gaze was resolute.

"One he never intended to," she said, giving him a sad, sympathetic look. "Two he did."

He had forced Dark Link to look at her...he had made him look her in the eye...

Her father's eyes...

The Sheikah's expression was grim, her eyes knowing.

No...

"But..." he immediately tried to argue. It wasn't possible...it couldn't be...but if he was right...goddess, he hoped he wasn't right. "The attack...the triforce pieces..."

"They found nothing," Impa pointed out. "No one saw what actually took place...and he let you go..." Christian dragged his hands through his hair in disbelief, shaking his head once more and trying uselessly to deny it - but he knew she was right. It didn't add up any other way...

"You can't tell her," he blurted all at once, immediately surprised by the words coming out of his mouth. Apparently he wasn't the only one, he noticed, as Impa's eyebrows shot up. All this time he'd been advocating for her, arguing that she deserved to know everything, but this...

This would kill her...

"Christian-" He barely let her get the word out.

"No," he said firmly. "She's been through enough. You can't do this to her. You can't-"

"Christian," Impa repeated, cutting him off sharply and giving him a meaningful look. The look in her eye was decidedly firm, but strangely, he saw no fight there. For that reason alone, he forced himself to hold his tongue. "I don't plan to," she explained, her voice growing soft. "That's why I wanted to speak with you. I knew you would figure it out as soon as you knew she was okay, and I wanted to be sure..." She trailed off, furrowing her brow. "But I had expected..."

Christian swallowed hard. "You expected I would argue," he answered for her, fully understanding. He still wasn't entirely sure he felt okay with himself for this...for being the one to leave her in the dark. He didn't want to keep any secrets from her...but what good could this possibly do her?

"I understand that a lot has happened since the Graveyard," Impa said quietly. Her blue-gray eyes surveyed him carefully. "But the last time we spoke about what she needed to know, you felt differently. And I wasn't sure where you would stand."

"That was different," he pointed out. "I thought that would help her. But this..." He broke off, taking a deep breath. "I don't want to see her hurt anymore."

"Then it's agreed," Impa said solemnly. "Until we know for sure...and only if it would be in her best interest to know...we don't tell her."

Christian dragged his hands through his hair in exasperation, but he could see no other option. All this could possibly do was bring her pain. Defeated, he sighed. "Agreed."

For a long moment, the two stood in silence. As Christian raised his head back up to examine the Sheikah, he noticed her expression had grown hard, and her gaze had dropped to the ground.

"There's...something else I wanted to speak with you about..." Impa's voice sounded oddly strained. "I also understand...while I was gone...you personally watched over her and ensured her safety. Oftentimes over your own." She took a long, deep breath. "If I had known I wouldn't be there, I would have asked...but you did so much more than I could have asked of you. If it weren't for you..." Her frown deepened, and she cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Thank you," she said finally, clenching her jaw and raising her gaze to meet his, her gratitude shining in her blue-gray eyes.

Despite her kind words, Christian could only nod back at her numbly. The memories began to float up in his mind again...her body, limp against the grass of Hyrule field, covered in blood...how cold her icy hand had felt in his...the way she shuddered against him as she struggled to breathe, agony etched into her pale face as he held her in his arms...

I couldn't save her...

There was a thought he had been considering for a long time now. An idea born in his captivity, as he counted all his regrets. In all the time since, as he had waited desperately for Aeria to wake up, the memory playing over and over in his mind, it had only grown in intensity...and now, he was certain of his choice.

"Impa..." he began carefully. "I know Aeria's like a daughter to you..." The Sage tilted her head, watching him quizzically. "And I think you already know that we...well...we're close." Her eyebrow rose, but her knowing gaze was all the answer he needed. "So I want you to know...I would never intentionally hurt her. I would do anything in my power to protect her." He swallowed hard. "But...I couldn't save her...I tried so hard, but there was nothing I could do..." He gave her a meaningful look. "I don't ever want to face that situation again."

Impa frowned. "What exactly are you saying?"

Christian took a deep breath.

"I want to be trained as a Sheikah."

It took a moment for his words to register - but when they did, the Sage appraised him with shock. "You want to be trained...as a Sheikah?" she repeated in astonishment.

"I don't know if I carry any of the bloodline in me," he admitted. "But if it's possible that I do...I know Aeria was able to start learning later than most, and if you'd be willing..."

"Well...we could determine if you had the ability for magic...but you do realize..." Impa's face was serious. "You'd be starting at the coming of age for Sheikah. You'd have to make the Vow. You'd have to commit your life to protecting..." She trailed off as realization dawned across her face.

"The Royal Family," Christian finished knowingly. "I'd have to commit my life to the princess." Watching as she carefully assessed him, he just shook his head. "I'm already in this, Impa. We've already committed our lives to protecting the pieces, whether we wanted to or not. I have no reason not to formally commit my life to the Royal Family." He gave her a grim smile. "It's already hers."

Impa's expression grew even darker, her brow furrowed in thought - but finally, she nodded. "I'll teach you what I can. At the very least - that is, if you do have the ability - magic. Perhaps if I had been around, I might have started sooner..." She shook her head, letting out a long, shuddering sigh. "You're right - you'll need whatever you can get. Not just for her, but to protect yourself." She swallowed, giving him a pointed look. "She loves you too, you know."

His smile widened a little. "I know."

"You didn't see her when you were taken. You didn't see what she was like." Her face grew hard. "I don't want to see her hurt like that again either. So you take care of yourself too."

"I'll do my best," he told her honestly. Slowly, he turned his head to gaze back at the tent where Aeria still slept...

The princess...

"Everyone knows now, don't they," he said quietly.

"Those who had memories of her will have recovered them," Impa answered. "Everyone else will simply recall a face, or a name, the next time they try. She was well hidden as a child...with any luck, most will still believe her dead..." She sighed. "But yes. Her secret's out, to who knows what end...we'll have to figure it out as we go."

Christian swallowed hard.

"As we go then."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

It's the third time Christian has said it this morning. If there were any room for doubt that he loved me before, it's gone now - because despite the fact that I'm no doubt crushing the life out of his fingers, all he's expressed concern about this whole time is whether or not I'm okay.

To be honest, I'm not really. Not fully anyway. But having him here helps.

My arms shake as I sit on the edge of my bed, trying to mentally prepare myself. I don't really want to go through with this part...but it's the only way to get to what I actually want. What I have to do.

Goddess, I hadn't expected it to hurt this bad...

"Yes," I hiss through gritted teeth, squeezing my eyes shut. My other hand is clamped so tight over my wound that my fingers are turning white.

Just like last night, just sitting up was painful. Christian had to help me, and even still I was out of breath by the time I got upright. And what I didn't see coming was how much more painful it would be to try and get off the bed. I've finally got my feet on the floor, and all that's left is to stand up...but as I struggle to regain a normal breathing pattern, I'm dreading doing so.

"How is it this much worse?" I ask no one in particular. "Last time I was standing...walking..."

"Last time you had immediate help," Blaze points out from the other side of me. It was clear that I was going to need assistance getting around this morning, and what with his injured arm and leg, Christian wasn't going to able to provide any. So he'd gone out to get Blaze. I have a feeling, under different circumstances, neither of them would have let this fly, but this...today...this is too important. "And you had better treatment available. And you'd been unconscious and healing for over a week. It's been three days and this time, you tore yourself up more trying to escape on foot and riding a horse. Of course it's going to hurt."

"You really should be resting," Christian adds quietly. "There'll be a lot of people...if it's too much..." I just shake my head.

"Might as well get it over with," I reply. I know he's not going to fight me on this one...but he brings up a valid point, I note as my heart begin to race nervously. Most of the camp knows who I am now. That I'm...well...who I am. And if I thought the attention in Kakariko was bad...

It's safe to say I'm probably in for a lot worse.

"Don't push yourself, at least," he continues. "They just want to see you. You don't have to say anything, you don't have to do anything...just..." Christian takes a deep breath, his eyes sympathetic. "They'll be there later. You can officially address the situation later. But you're wounded, and...just focus on looking out for yourself today, all right? You need rest."

"I'll rest," I assure him, taking a deep breath. "After." With that, I shoot them both a determined look. "Okay...I'm ready."

Blaze and Christian glance at each other, but nod. As Blaze sits down beside me, wrapping my arm over his shoulder, Christian takes a firm grip on my arm.

"One..." Blaze begins the countdown.

"Two..."

"Three!"

The pain that rips through my abdomen as they pull me up onto my feet is horrific. I let out a loud cry, squeezing Christian's other hand even harder than before. Just like sitting up though, it's the transition that's the worst of it - once I'm up and stable, the pain begins to fade a little. My breath comes in ragged gasps as I fight with all my might not to crumple on the spot, trying to regain my composure.

"Are you okay?" Christian asks gently, worry in his brown eyes. I simply nod, swallowing hard, and lower my gaze to my bare feet.

I'm going to have to move them.

I really don't want to move them...

"Can't be much worse than it was in Castletown, right?" I ask optimistically. The look I get from Christian is less encouraging than I would like.

"Aeria..." he points out grimly. "You were in shock."

My eyes fall back to my feet, and my stomach begins to knot itself in dread.

"Damn it," I hiss. But determined, I squeeze my eyes shut and brace myself, before slowly lifting a foot. "Damn it damn it damn it damn it-" As my foot meets the ground again, taking my weight, the impact sends a fresh wave of pain shooting through my stomach and I break off in a whimper.

"You don't have to do this..." Christian whispers in my ear. I just shake my head.

"Yes, I do."

The first step is the worst. Afterward, I try to roll my feet with each step, aiming to glide and avoid jarring my stomach any further. It seems to work...at the very least, I make it to the exit of the tent without too much damage. Slowly, Blaze lifts the flap back to let us through, and I'm immediately blinded by bright light.

It takes a good long moment of blinking and squinting before my eyes finally adjust. The sun is halfway up its ascent, reflecting brilliantly off the blue water of the lake. Around us, I can see tents - several of which look to be in the process of being taken down. A small crowd of Sheikah, Gorons, and Gerudo are scattered across the shore, while a few Zora dart through the water.

"Is this all that's left?" I ask, my heart falling in my chest. There were so many more before...how many fell?

"No," Blaze assures me. "Only a small chunk of the armies came back to Lake Hylia. The others fled back to their lands, to protect their homes." As I watch, a few members of the crowd turn to look at me. My heart starts to thump a little louder in my chest. "They remained to ensure you were protected while you recovered."

"That's...that was...thoughtful..." I say nervously. A few of the Sheikah have started walking towards us. Instinctively, I tighten my grip on Christian's hand.

This is the first time I face the world as a princess.

The first time I face Hyrule, my past no longer a forgotten memory and my identity exposed to the light. The first time I have nothing to protect myself, the private aspects of my life stripped away and laid bare for all to see.

The first time I have to face my heritage for all that it entails.

And while I know I didn't have any other choice but to reveal it...I wasn't ready for this. Not yet.

As the other groups start to follow after the Sheikah, my heart only beats faster.

I ran...

I took off, leaving nothing more than a note. I gave them no choice but to follow me. I led hundreds of people to their death...

I swallow hard.

I led Pike to his death...

"Christian..." I whisper, panicking.

Is that the kind of princess Hyrule deserves?

There are so many faces...so many people, all watching me...waiting...

Is that the kind of princess that they need?

"Aer," Christian whispers, steadying my shaking hand in his and squeezing softly. "Look down."

I'm so panicked I don't think about it twice. My head whips downwards, towards my feet - I swear, if I was supposed to wear shoes...

But what I see catches me entirely off-guard.

Flowers...

I frown in confusion, wiggling my toes to make sure I'm not seeing things - but I can feel them. Soft, velvety petals gliding against my skin...

There must be a hundred of them...picked flowers, laid upon the ground beneath my feet. I follow their trail with my gaze, only now realizing that they're strewn around the entirety of my tent...arcing out from the entrance...woven around the beams...

It's...

Beautiful...

This...this can't be...

The Sheikah close in, finally stopping no more than ten feet away as the other groups fall in behind. I can feel my heart thumping hard against my chest as they stand there, all watching...waiting...their eyes searching me, unsure...

I swallow hard.

This isn't for me...this can't be for me...

This is for her...

They're looking for the princess. For someone like my mother - calm, poised, regal...

They're looking for a leader. Someone who will protect them, someone they can place their faith in. Someone who will save them. Someone like my dad.

I've tried my hardest...damn if I haven't tried...but I've made so many mistakes. I've messed up so many times, just as the Hero of Time...

How could I ever be the princess they're looking for?

I open my mouth, trying to say something...to apologize...anything...but as I struggle for words, suddenly, the Sheikah nearest me smiles.

Not a smirk. Not a sneer. No Sheikah feigning. A real, honest-to-goddess, all-the-way-up-to-his-eyes smile...

Then all of the air in my lungs goes at once, as slowly, he drops to one knee before me, and bows his head.

One by one the crowd falls to their knees before me, and as they do all I can do is stare. I can feel myself trembling...from disbelief...from fear...from gratitude...I don't even know. All I know is that I can hardly breathe.

"Christian..." I whisper once more - but as I look over to him, all he does is give me a small smile.

Then, he lowers himself with his crutch to bow to me as well.

I nearly stumble in shock. Luckily, Blaze has a good hold on me, and Christian's hand still grips mine tightly. I just can't believe it...

They're actually bowing...to me...despite all I've done...

As I sweep my gaze over the crowd, still not sure that what I'm seeing is real, I notice the sandy blonde head of a little boy hidden amongst them and my throat grows tight.

Jem...

Suddenly all thought of the crowd is forgotten, as a wave of pain rushes over my heart.

"Aer..." Christian whispers nervously, as my fingers relax against his and slip from his grasp. I bite my lip as I slowly take a step forward. Blaze immediately grasps at my elbow as my arm slips from his shoulder, tugging gently, but I ignore it, focusing only on placing one foot in front of the other.

Luckily for me, the Sheikah before me recognizes my weakness, and raises a hand. As I walk forward and fully separate from Blaze's hold on me, my legs begin to shake. Just as I'm about to stumble, he catches my hand and holds me steady. I swallow hard, giving him a small nod as once more I grit my teeth, focusing all of my energy into each step and trying as hard as I can to ignore the tearing pain in my stomach.

As I enter the crowd, a sea of hands rise to my aid, and another rush of gratitude courses through me. Once or twice, I stagger, but strong arms pull me upright and help me onward. All I can seem to see is the little boy with sandy blonde hair, who dares not look up at me.

When I reach him, I stop, eyes cast upon the top of his little head. Slowly, with the help of the hands around me, I shakily lower myself to my knees to face him.

"Jem..." I whisper.

Only then does he raise his blue eyes to mine. And they strike me like a dagger.

The blue in those eyes is piercing. Crystalline, perfectly transparent...like purest ice.

There's no warmth in those eyes. No emotion. They're a corpse - the cold remnants of a grief so devastating and overpowering it burned out the very heart that gave it life.

There's a twist in my gut, and a pulling at my heart.

I know what those eyes mean. I know it all too well.

And before I can even think about it, I pull the boy up and against me, and I wrap my arms around him tight.

I want to heal him, to make all memory of the pain disappear. I know it's no use. My scars will remain with me for the rest of my life. His will be no different.

But even so, I can't stop trying to make them fade.

"There is nothing I can say or do that will ever make this right," I whisper over his shoulder. He doesn't even move. His body, like his eyes, is cold and lifeless. "Because it isn't right. It isn't fair. I hate this. I never wanted anyone to get hurt because of me." I swallow hard, but all the same I don't let go. I can't let go.

"Your family is the reason I am alive today," I continue. "Your brother and your father gave their lives for mine, just as my own mother and father did a long time ago. Not one of their lives did I ever ask for. Not one of their lives did I ever want. Not one of their lives would I not immediately return in exchange for my own if I could."

Jem's breath catches, his jaw clenching. As I pull back to look at him, his eyes are locked with the ground. When they rise back up to mine again, it's all I can do to keep my heart from tearing apart. They've become circled in red, making his irises appear even colder and paler a blue. His eyebrows draw and rise together helplessly, beneath which his eyes water and glisten, the pain in them rushing to the surface in a harsh wave.

"Nothing is ever going to make that right," I whisper, feeling the tears pulling at my own eyes and fighting them back. I can't cry. He died for me. Because of me. I don't get to cry. "I can never repay your family for what they have done for me, but so long as I have life within me, I will never stop trying to make things as close to right as I can. Your family protected me as one of their own, even when I didn't have one. And so, from here on, your family is as mine. You and your mother have my gratitude, my protection, my support, my life, and my love." I squeeze his arms a little tighter, trying to ease my own pain as well as his. "I'm sorry it isn't enough...I'm so sorry..."

I wait to allow Jem to take in all of my words, wait for him to acknowledge them. His eyes move side to side as they search mine, and I don't look away, allowing him whatever he needs. I watch him swallow hard and grit his teeth, his hands clenching into fists and his back stiffening even more than before.

Then to my shock, he whips a sword altogether too big for him from a scabbard I hadn't even noticed dragging at his side. I have to duck back as the steel rips through the air, and he clumsily grasps for the hilt with his other hand to pull it back and regain control of its weight. The thought suddenly occurs to me that his goal might be to kill me - but considering all that's happened, I can't find it in me to fight back, let alone blame him.

Instead, however, he recovers the sword in his grip and drops back to his knee, laying it across his lap and moving one of his hands to the blade. My heart sinks into my stomach as to my horror, he bows his head and raises his sword, presenting it to me with shaking arms.

I think I'd rather he'd killed me.

"My sword is yours, Princess." His voice trembles almost as much as him. I know the words aren't his; they're too formal. He's heard them somewhere else and is repeating them now, but it's the way he says them that frightens me.

The words aren't his. But the meaning behind them very much is.

My eyes fall back to the glimmering sword beneath me. I can see splattered teardrops on its flat.

"Don't."

The word comes out as a knee-jerk reaction, stronger than I had imagined it would. Multiple heads rise, including his. I swallow hard, whatever strength I had before fleeing me. "You shouldn't bow to me," I get out weakly. Now the entire crowd is looking at me, and I look back, my eyes moving from upturned face to upturned face. "None of you should bow to me," I whisper, more to myself than them. My eyes turn back to Jem, whose devastated eyes blink back at me in confusion. I place a hand atop his sword and press down, forcing him to lower it. "Least of all you."

It's a moment before I can catch my breath. I can feel the eyes of the crowd on me, and once more, under their scrutiny, I feel hopelessly small. My heartbeat quickens, and I'm reminded of being in Kakariko, wanting to vanish off to the side and away from their gaze. But that's no longer an option. I am their Princess now.

My head whips back to look at Christian, for some kind of comfort or reassurance. His expression is a mix of confusion, anxiety, and lament. Back in Kakariko, he had swept me from the public gaze. Back in Kakariko, he had guided me through it. But he can't guide me through this.

It's me they want to see. Not some carefully constructed speech. Not a bodyguard, speaking diplomatically on my behalf, deflecting their curiosity with sweet, vague words.

They want to see their Princess. They want to know who she really is.

Heat surges through my veins at the thought, pooling in my chest, stretching across my shoulders and arms up my neck and to my cheeks. That little voice in my head that always tries to argue with me when I'm about to do something stupid shouts in alarm, but by this point I'm altogether too good at ignoring it.

Oh hell. This is not going to be very Princess-like. This is probably the exact opposite of what Christian would advise, especially considering his urging for me to lay low this morning. But I have to say it.

Let them see who I am.

"You should not bow to me," I repeat, more firmly this time. Almost fiercely. There's a strength in my voice that usually only comes out when I'm fighting, those times when I know what I need to be doing. What is right. The trembling in my legs as I force myself back onto my feet is the only indication of how physically weak I actually am.

As I turn my gaze around the crowd once more, I see many raised eyebrows. "I hardly imagine I'm what you expected," I say. "I know that in some cases, I have not been the princess that you wanted. I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry for a great deal of things.

"I'm sorry that things happened the way they did. I'm sorry that I used my position as a means of leading you into battle. I never wanted that. Enough people have died on my account." I try to ignore how fast my heart has started beating, and how I've started to sway on the spot. My legs had so little strength to begin with, without support, it's a miracle I haven't collapsed. "I am so, incredibly, sorry to have put you in harm's way. And I cannot thank you enough for following me, regardless of whether or not it was by your choice. If you hadn't, I would not be here.

"I don't know how to be your princess," I admit. "Least of all the princess you deserve. I didn't know who I was for a very long time - and now that I do, I still don't know what to do. I wish I could guide you with my mother's wisdom, and her grace...that I could promise you the unfailing strength of my father...but I can't. I am not my mother, or my father. I'm just me." I swallow hard. "But you offered me allegiance. You offered your lives in defense of mine. And while I don't know how to be the princess you deserve, I give you my word, I will try as hard as I can to make amends for that." I take a deep breath. "But you should not bow to me."

Almost as soon as those final words leave my mouth, whatever has been holding me up flees me. All strength, all conviction, rushes out of my body as I look around at the stunned faces surrounding me. My stomach aches worse than ever, my legs shake and my shoulders tremble, and I get the immediate sense that I have made a huge mistake.

But just as my legs begin to give way beneath me, two strong hands grab me by the forearms and stop my fall.

I barely have time to look up towards my savior when two more hands take a firm hold of my shoulders, pulling me upright. I only just register the face of a Sheikah in front of me, the Gerudo at my back, before suddenly the crowd is moving in towards me, and there are hands all over me. They hold me up; they reach for my arms, my face. Only when my feet leave the ground do I realize I've been lifted. They placed me on their shoulders, and there are hands immediately at my lower back to support my wounded torso.

"Your Grace," the Sheikah from before says aloud, his eyes locked onto mine. Then, not seconds later, it's repeated by a Zora somewhere else in the crowd. Before long, the entire crowd is echoing with the words as they hold me aloft. Your Grace...your Grace...your Grace...

This isn't what I expected...I look around at the crowd in disbelief, touched by the show of support. I wish I felt like I could give them what they need...that I felt as confident as they apparently do.

Struggling against the doubt in my heart, I turn to look back at Christian, seeking his guidance again. As he pulls himself back up to his feet, he gives me a small, grim smile. I see the words form on his lips - "Your Grace" - and slowly, he dips his head into a small nod.

All the same, I can see it in the solemness of his brown eyes.

Everything is about to change.

A Short Break

"Slow down," Impa chided, her eyes scanning their surroundings as they walked. All she got in response was an impatient tug on her arm, and a "humph!"

Zelda too had voiced her annoyance at Impa's extra precautions, back in the day. Somehow, though, Impa seemed to remember her being a little more civilized about it. Of course, most of the time they'd traveled, Zelda hadn't been four.

"Aeria, I said slow down," she warned again as they came into the castle courtyard - but as Link and Zelda came into view, her words might as well have been to thin air. Without wasting a minute, the little girl slipped from her grasp and took off, blonde head bobbing as she ran.

"Daddy!" Aeria shrieked with glee, arms outstretched as she raced towards Link, who - of course - was already putting on an overly animated expression of excitement, his mouth open wide as he held his arms out expectantly. As he dropped to his knees, Zelda just rolled her eyes with a small, bitter smile, leaving him behind as she continued forward to meet the Sheikah. Despite their attempts to mask it, Impa could clearly see how worn they were.

"Ohhhh!" Link let out in an exaggerated groan as Aeria finally caught him in a hug, pretending to fall back to the ground and dragging her with him. Aeria's squeals of laughter filled the air. "Look how strong you're getting, you knocked me right over!"

As Zelda finally reached the Sheikah, she just shook her head, still watching the two. "Just once," she sighed. "Just once, a 'mommy!' would be nice."

Almost immediately, Aeria's head perked up, her expression almost a little guilty as she looked back at them. "I love you too, mommy," she pointed out, her voice filled with concern. She quickly pulled herself back up to her feet and toddled back to hug Zelda's leg, squeezing tight with her small arms and looking up at her with distress in her big blue eyes. "You know I love you too right?"

Zelda smiled. "I know," she answered, rubbing the little girl's back with her hand. "And I love you." As Aeria just stared back in earnest, obviously trying to make sure her affections were known, Zelda let out a small laugh. "Okay, I feel a little better now," she assured her with a knowing look. "You've met your mother appreciation quota. You can go play now."

Impa let out a snort as Aeria beamed, kissed her mother's skirts, and turned on heel to race back towards Link. Almost immediately they were right back where they started, wrestling on the grass.

"You married a child," she noted as they watched the two rolling around. Zelda gave her a coy grin.

"You keep forgetting," she teased. "He looks like an adult, but mentally he's got a seven year delay."

"I heard that," Link's voice cut in loudly. Zelda just waved the comment aside.

"So how was she?"

Impa cleared her throat, trying to come up with the most appropriate way to answer her question. "Good. She was good, for the most part. But we had an...incident."

Almost immediately, she regretted her choice of words. In a heartbeat Link had whipped his head to look at them from where he lay in the grass, still holding Aeria in the air as all traces of amusement fled his face, replaced with pure alarm. Next to her, Zelda reacted similarly, watching warily as her body visibly tensed.

"Not that kind of incident," she quickly amended with an apologetic look. Slowly, Zelda relaxed, her shoulders loosening as she let out a sigh of relief - but in that moment, her true exhaustion showed. Link took a deep breath, shaking his head.

"Farore, Impa," he swore. "If you could at least try not to give me a heart attack."

"Link," Zelda reprimanded, though she was still clearly trying to regain a normal breathing pattern. "Let's not teach our daughter to swear, please."

"Farore!" Aeria chirped with almost perfect timing, still dangling in the air as Link held her above him. Then, very seriously, she informed them, "Farore is one of the goddesses."

"Yes," Link nodded, giving her a mock-serious look right back. "And daddy never ever ever takes her name in vain, isn't that right mommy?"

Zelda just sighed and closed her eyes, ignoring Link's teasing as she massaged her temples. "What happened."

"Aeria decided that it would be fun to terrorize Anju's cuckoos today," Impa explained. "Turned my back for one second, and when I came back she was running around hitting them, screaming, 'Cuckoo stampede, cuckoo stampede!'" She shook her head. "Anju was in a state."

Zelda stared at her in disbelief. "Cuckoo stampede?" she repeated, completely bewildered.

Link, however, seemed unaffected.

"You hear that?" he cooed to Aeria. "Impa scared the living -"

"Link!"

"- hoo ha out of us over cuckoos!"

Impa ignored the comment. "We managed to stop her, asked her what she was doing," she continued, "and she told us she was just trying to stir the cuckoos up to the point of what she kept calling a 'cuckoo stampede'. But, you really hear should what she said when we asked her where she'd gotten the idea to rile them up."

"Well, what did she say?" Zelda pressed.

Impa turned her eyes knowingly towards Link, who was suddenly very interested in everything except meeting her gaze.

"Aeria," she said loudly. "Where did you get the idea that it was okay to hit cuckoos?"

Just as she had earlier that day, Aeria scrunched up her little face in a clear attempt to appear as tough as possible, before she let out a growl. "My daddy didn't raise no snitches!"

Zelda's eyebrows nearly shot right off her forehead. Meanwhile, Link sucked in his lips, obviously trying very hard to maintain a look of innocence even as he fought back laughter. Neither of them moved for a moment as the words sunk in - but then Zelda's hand rose to her hip and she turned around towards him, a dangerous look on her face.

She didn't even have to say a word. "All right, all right, all right," Link sighed, pulling himself up into a cross-legged position. In response to the change in position, Aeria wrapped her arms around his neck and dangled against his back. "We were talking about cuckoos one day," he began matter-of-factly, "and I told her that, back in the day, when I had had a hard day, I would go out to Lon Lon Ranch to visit the cuckoos there. And, naturally, she asked me why - you know how she's just so fond of that word, 'why'." He gave them a small, sardonic grin. "And I said it was because it relieved a lot of the stress I was dealing with. And of course, she asked, 'why?'. So I told her, because it was fun to hit the cuckoos and work them up into a frenzy. And then she asked - you guessed it - 'why?' So I told her, if you managed to terrorize them just enough, they would get so angry that they'd swarm all around you and chase you all over the field."

"Cuckoo stampede!" Aeria cried in delight, right on cue.

Zelda could only stare at him in disbelief, before burying her face in her hand and slowly shaking her head back and forth. Link just turned his head to look back over his shoulder at the beaming little girl.

"You know, I just don't get the feeling you understand the point of the whole 'no snitching' thing," he told her with mock-seriousness. Aeria just blew him a wet raspberry, the meaning of his words clearly lost on her.

"Well, now we know where she picked it up," Zelda noted, shooting Link a sour look. "How many other things have you told her that you've taught her to cover for you?"

"Hey now," Link said defensively, pulling himself to his feet. Unable to hang on anymore, Aeria slid down his back and plopped onto the springy grass. She looked surprised for a moment, but quickly her attention was caught by a nearby firefly, flickering in the dim light of the sunset. "I didn't mean for her to go off chasing after cuckoos," Link continued. "I just..." He broke off with a sigh. "Look, sometimes I tell her things and I forget that she doesn't really understand the whole context is all. The 'snitches' thing was just a little joke, for those times when we stay up past her bedtime reading stories, or I sneak her an extra cookie, or just...you know..." He looked up at Zelda with big blue eyes. "Give a man his moments with his only daughter," he plead. "I know I messed up this time, but I'll try to be more careful with what I say around her from now on."

Zelda closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Then, the hints of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "You're going to spoil her," she said finally.

"Father's right," he quipped with a grin, before turning to Impa. "Sorry she gave you a hard time today," he told her, giving her an apologetic look. "I'll go talk to Anju myself, see what we can do to make things right." As he considered, he ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "As it is, I'm pretty sure I still owe her some kind of compensation for my previous cuckoo incidents, so might as well kill two birds with one stone." A grin suddenly lit up his face as he realized the irony of his words.

"Let's just leave all the poor birds alone," Zelda advised with a raised eyebrow, turning to face Impa. "Thank you," she told her, reaching out to give the Sage an embrace. "We had a bit of a rough day, you've no idea what a help it was that you could look after her. Sorry for the trouble."

"Oh, please," Impa dismissed her. As she did, she gave her a subtle extra squeeze. Nowadays she still got to see Zelda frequently enough, but the more she saw her, the less she seemed to want to let go. "She's a kid, kids get into trouble. Not to mention, I've had a lot of practice." She gave her a knowing grin. "Bring her by whenever you want."

Zelda smiled. "Thanks Impa."

With that, Link pulled this Ocarina from his pocket. "I guess I'm off to talk to Anju," he said, before turning to Impa. "Free lift to Kakariko, if you want."

Impa nodded. "Think I'll take you up on that."

"Kiddo needs to get ready for bed anyway," Zelda added, looking out to where Aeria was still chasing after fireflies. "I'll go take her inside." Just before she turned to go after her, she leaned over to place a quick kiss on Link's cheek. "See you soon."

"See you," he answered with a small smile. As she headed back towards the Castle, taking Aeria's hand in pulling her in two, he just continued to watch them.

"Rough day, huh," Impa said once only the two of them remained. Link sighed.

"One of the knights came back, said there was a group of Stalfos wandering outside the desert. Tyran's concerned about seeing them so far away from Kokiri Forest, and in those kinds of numbers...we don't think they actually came from the Lost Woods."

"You think they're coming through the seal?"

Link nodded. "No one's seen anything from the Temple of Time, so we've been hard-pressed to convince anyone, but with everything that's happened..." He broke off, shaking his head. "It's the seal, I know it," he declared. "It's just like it's been weakened from somewhere else...even though I know the Temple of Time is the only entrance to the Sacred Realm. It's like there are other parts of Hyrule that are connected to it, like they're leaking through elsewhere." He gave her a dark look. "Of course, Elridge just took it as an opportunity to blame the Gerudo, so now we have that old battle to deal with."

Impa's mouth twisted in disgust. "I've always thought he was an intolerable weasel of a man."

"You got that right," Link agreed, taking a deep breath. "Thank you again," he added. "It was a mess there for a while, and lately Aer's gotten really good at giving Anjean the slip...but we knew you would be able to handle her." A mischievous look lit up his face. "It's good that Aeria has her Grandma Impa so close."

Impa snorted. "I was only twenty when we met," she pointed out. But Link just shook his head.

"Ah see, you keep forgetting those seven years," he grinned. "To me, you're ancient."

The Sage only looked back at him with an even stare. "Well you're still just a boy to me," she said cooly. "And I will hurt you if you make me."

"Understood," Link gave in, raising the Ocarina in his hands. "But honestly. You raised Zelda, so like it or not you're family. And I'm glad Aeria has family to look after her when Zelda and I aren't there." Just before he began to play, he shot her a crooked smile, blue eyes sparkling. "Even if you're the youngest Grandma there ever was."

Impa took a deep breath as she watched the scene from afar, gripping the hilt of her knife with tense fingers. But while her body stood beneath the shade of her tent in Lake Hylia, her mind was somewhere else entirely.

Oh Zelda... she thought mournfully. How did it all go so wrong?

The memory, though it was from so very long ago, seemed almost brand new to her. It had taken her a while to get used to them again, and not only because there had been so many.

Because they only made it so much worse.

She knew it was inevitable. She knew that Aeria would have to face them - face the world - for all she was. There was no hiding that now. But all the same, she was having a hard time fighting back the urge to run out and protect her. Princess she might be, but she was still Aeria. Still the same girl who had been through hell and barely survived, and who had no idea what she would be facing next. Who hadn't even had time to recover and prepare herself before the truth had spread like wildfire. She wasn't a child anymore, Impa knew. But she was still her child, or grandchild rather, if raising her counted for anything - and if that didn't, what else could?

"They seem quite taken with her."

The Queen's voice caused Impa's heart to skip a beat and her fingers to instinctively clench even tighter around the knife in her grasp. Her own training was too indoctrinated for her to physically reveal it, but nonetheless, she couldn't deny the inner anxiety tearing at her and the alarm she had felt at being caught off-guard.

"They do," Impa pointed out, trying to even her heartbeat again. "But we'll need all of Hyrule backing us, and she...well. You saw as well as I did. She's hardly what you'd imagine a princess."

The Queen slowly came up beside her, looking out as the remainder of their troops carried Aeria on their shoulders. "No," she agreed. "But that's exactly why they love her."

At that Impa managed to tear her gaze away from the crowd, turning to face the Queen with a frown on her face - but she just shook her head.

"It's not a perfect princess that they need," the Queen said. "They don't need someone who knows the proper social etiquette, the delicate graces required to resolve a conflict diplomatically. They need a leader. Someone they can believe in. Someone who will fight for them, and give them hope." She shook her head. "She may be far from the image of a perfect 'princess', but if there's one thing she's shown time and again, it's that she will not stop trying. She will not stop fighting, no matter what. That's the kind of courage that will inspire them. That's the symbol of hope Hyrule will need." With a soft smile, she added, "You should be proud."

"Proud," Impa repeated with disdain. The word left a sour taste in her mouth. "I wish I had less reason to be. A symbol may inspire hope, but it also attracts targets, and while the symbol cannot die the girl most certainly can. If things were different, it would be one thing, but this..." She broke off. "I would happily trade away the pride, let her run away from this if it could get rid of the fear and the anger I have for what faces her. As it is it's hard to even feel it when it's weighed so heavily under everything else."

The Queen's face went grim. "I know the feeling."

Impa sighed. "Quite a pair we have, don't we?" she said with a bitter smile. "And while I know it's of little comfort...you ought to be proud too."

The Queen scoffed. "Forget that. You're right - what good does pride do us? We should be convincing them to run off instead. If Hyrule is going to hell anyway, I'd at least like to see some grandchildren before we go."

At that, Impa couldn't help but let out a laugh - a welcome feeling amidst all the doom and gloom she'd felt earlier. "Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren't we? Not to mention a statement most befitting Hyrule's queen."

"Former queen," she corrected, "if not formally announced." There was a sparkle her eye as she grinned slyly. "Besides, half the art of politics is knowing when and with whom you can speak your mind, as opposed to anything but. Given present company, I think I'd prefer the former." She nodded towards where Aeria and Christian were mixed in the crowd. "Admit it - wouldn't you like to see that too?"

There was a small tug on the Sage's heartstrings as she watched and that old memory flashed once more in her mind.

There was a time when she had watched Zelda and Link together and wished for nothing more than that for the two of them. And they'd managed to achieve it. She had gotten to see them come together...pledge themselves in marriage...have their first child...but it had all been a fool's paradise. Even then she knew they faced high odds, but she had been so swept up in that happy time that she'd denied to herself that anything could ever dash it. To be fair, it had been a wonderful dream - perhaps even a worthwhile one - but after that, she would never forget the threat that loomed over it.

"Yes," she nodded solemnly. "Someday...if that was what they wanted...I'd wish nothing more than to see them both safe and happy." Even as she said it though, she could feel her heart sinking. "It's just hard to see that being possible in times such as these."

The Queen nodded. "Of course. Not to say the road wouldn't be tough. It'll be tough no matter what. But just look at her." She gestured out towards Aeria, currently held atop the crowd. "Perfect image of a princess? No. But she has the spark." Even as she said it, she shook her head in awe. "We both know Zelda was hardly interested in constricting herself to the role, she even blatantly opposed it at times, but despite all that, the loyalty she commanded defied imagination." A wry grin lit her lips. "For all they say she is her father's daughter, I do so much see her mother in her. Feisty and bright, just like she was."

Impa let out a quiet chuckle. "And stubborn," she pointed out. "Farore, was she stubborn. The goddesses keep testing me with these stubborn children." She shook her head, letting out a long sigh. "Feisty, bright, and stubborn, like her mother. And that's not even taking into account the qualities she got from her father. Recklessness, an aversion to authority, and, oh, I forgot, more stubbornness. Nayru help us, I've no idea how to help her." The Queen shook her head amusedly.

"They made quite a pair, didn't they," she said with a smile. "Yet they made it work. Because they had the will to make things right. That's all she needs, and she already has it." She let out a small chuckle. "Remember, I wasn't bred for royalty either. When it all went sour, I just tried to model myself after Zelda. She knew how to play to others better than anyone, and I remember thinking, if I could play the game at least half as well as she could, I'd be all right. And if I could learn, there's no doubt Aeria can."

"She'll have to," Impa said darkly. "The Gorons and Zora have offered their full support, sure, but there's no denying the divide of the Gerudo, and there's no telling how many Sheikah are secretly against our cause." Her blue-gray eyes turned even more stormy than before. "We can't make the mistake of overlooking the Hylians again. Noble or otherwise...we need to win over all we can."

"Well then, it seems my timing is fortuitous," the Queen mused. "Give Christian and I a couple weeks with her - by the time we're done, she'll have the part of a graceful, refined royal down."

"Except for the fact that Christian just this morning expressed the desire to be trained as a Sheikah," Impa informed her - to which the Queen immediately frowned. "Which will require at least weeks of lessons within Kakariko. All the more important as our second highest priority will be determining which Sheikah are our enemies and uncovering their plans." She gave the Queen a dark look. "It only took one traitor to destroy the first Royal family."

The Queen nodded in acknowledgment, but her brow remained furrowed. "Do you think that's best?" she asked uncertainly. "Not that I'm opposed - I agree it might be beneficial. But at a time like this...with the rumors starting to fly and Hyrule unsure of who to look to...is it really best to have him disappear to Kakariko?"

Impa took a deep breath. "I do," she answered honestly. "They've been through too much, too recently. They need time, and guidance, before they step out into the public eye. Not to mention to prepare for the fight ahead." Her eyes flickered back to the crowd, to where Christian was supporting himself on his crutch. "We did well to start his training early, all those years ago...but that fell by the wayside after I was captured." Her voice was tinged with regret. "We never even broached the topic of magic, and he's right - he needs whatever I can teach him. Aeria's been a little more resourceful in hers - mostly by necessity - but she still hasn't reached the Sheikah rite of passage either, and I think we all know her leadership skills leave something to be desired."

"So then you plan to take them both to Kakariko?" the Queen pressed. Her frown deepened. "Surely you wouldn't separate them..."

The Sheikah only sighed, a sad, grim feeling settling in her heart. Much as she disliked the idea, it seemed the the most efficient path to preparing them. "It's the best way," she finally said quietly. "Aeria's still not of age for the Vow, and what she needs now is a different kind of preparation." She gave the Queen a knowing look. "She has the spark. But she'll need more than that to win over the Hylians, especially the nobility." As she turned her gaze back towards the crowd, Christian's eyes met hers from afar. They watched her carefully, shifting towards the Queen beside her, and then back to the Sheikah. His expression grew resolute as his eyes flashed in recognition. "Christian already has that," Impa continued, giving him a small nod of acknowledgment. Christian nodded back in understanding, before turning back towards the crowd - though the stony look never left his face. "He knows how to work the politics. And he's already of age for the Sheikah rites. If he is to be trained, now is the time to start."

"Well..." the Queen started, her voice a tad mournful. "I'm happy to help however I can. The goddesses know, I owe that girl everything I can give." She took a deep breath, shaking her head. "You'll at least give them time to grieve...?"

A heavy feeling fell over the Sheikah's heart. Once more her eyes turned back to the crowd, above which was held an exhausted-looking Aeria, and where not far off, Christian leaned heavily on his crutch. And that was only their physical injuries. Emotionally...this had taken it's toll on all of them

After all they'd been through, they deserved the time to mourn their losses.

"Of course," she answered in quiet agreement. "We won't keep them apart any longer than they need to be. And we won't move forward with anything until they've recovered and they're ready. They've earned that much at least."

Across the field, the crowd slowly lowered Aeria back to the ground. She could see Blaze and Christian making their way towards her, to help her forward. Not that they needed to - it seemed the group around her was all but willing to help support her, slowly passing her through to them. Even from there, she could see the weakness in Aeria's legs, the flash of pain that shot across her face. She watched as Blaze took her arm back over his shoulder, and Christian whispered something in her ear, slipping his fingers between hers.

She did it.

Regardless of how - the details of which Impa was sure she would never fully approve of - she'd done it. Christian was safe, recovered from the Dark Lord's forces. They'd both survived. And while Impa still didn't quite know how she felt about her breaking the seal - there were going to be a lot of enemies to face, sooner rather than later - she had to admit, the Dark Lord's expulsion from the safety of the Sacred Realm gave them a significant advantage.

"She did good," the Queen said with a nudge. She turned knowing eyes towards the Sheikah. "Maybe not in the most princess-like manner...but they'd be proud. She's their daughter, through and through."

Impa nodded in agreement, unable to look away from Aeria. No, it hadn't been the most princess-like course of action...but it had been the bravest.

The one Link would have chosen.

With that thought, her heart grew heavy with mingled pride and sadness, and a grim smile lit her lips.

"She's the Hero of Time."

The wind blows strands of hair across my face as I stand, but I still can't find the ability to move and brush them away. I'm having a hard time doing anything but staring.

Laid upon a funeral pyre before us, his sandy blonde hair floating in the breeze, is Pike.

The blood and grime that had covered him in battle has been washed away with care, and the makeshift sling that held his broken arm has been removed. He's been dressed in the crisp, clean uniform of a guard: white tunic and pants beneath a thick blue vest and coat of chain mail, completed by a breastplate against his chest marked by the Royal Crest. The helmet has been placed beside his hip, his sword held in clasped hands against his ribs, the blade pointing down and towards his feet. He now embodies what all of the stable boys had been in training to become. What he ought to have become. Just not like this.

Christian's hand tightens on my forearm as I swallow hard, pulling me closer to his chest. He rests his chin atop the back of my head, his good arm holding onto his crutch extra firmly to support the both of us. He's using his body and the crutch to hold me upright, leaning forward to counterbalance my weight as I lean back against him. Blaze stands beside the both of us, ready to take over if need be, but I think Christian is reluctant to let go despite the strain. I understand why. As I stare at Pike - at the boy who used to be Pike - I squeeze my fingers around his, looking to him for comfort.

"We honor Pike, son of Viscen, for his loyalty and bravery," the Queen says aloud. She stands at the head of the pyre with a flaming torch in hand, officiating the ceremony. For a brief moment I wonder if that's something I will have to do in the future - one of the new royal duties I'll find myself having to shoulder - only to quickly realize the pointlessness of that question.

Pike will not be the only one I bury in this war. Royalty has nothing to do with it.

The thought makes my throat tighten.

"There is no greater sacrifice than the laying down of one's life for another...for family, for friends, for country alike. There is no doubt that his actions gave all of us the chance we needed to fight for life, for peace, and freedom in this land." She bows her head. "May the goddesses grant you peace."

"May the goddesses grant you peace," I echo in a whisper, lost among the chorus of the crowd responding with the same. My part comes in soon. I swallow hard as I wait for the words to signal my piece.

"As acting Queen of Hyrule, I declare my forbearance of the throne and all of the authorities it entails," she continues. Her hazel eyes meet mine, and I give her a small nod. "Now we see our true princess returned to us, she will conduct the parting rites."

It's time.

I take a deep breath. "Thank you, Lady Anjean." The address sounds foreign, improper in my mouth - she still seems like the Queen to me - but that was the address Christian had told me to give her. She gives me a small nod of encouragement, so I guess it must be right. "I...Princess Aeria...daughter of Link and Zelda...hereby knight you, Pike, son of Viscen, for your act of valor." I sigh. The scripted part is over. Now it's all from the heart. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing here today. I can never repay you for this selfless act. But I promise you, I will make sure your sacrifice is not in vain. I will strive every day to repay my debt, in protecting your family and fighting for the Hyrule that we both dreamed of." A small, sad smile forms upon my lips. "And I bet you anything, someday we'll have it."

I feel a gentle squeeze of my hand. Christian approves. I swallow hard, my eyes turning towards his mother. The Queen - Lady Anjean - nods in recognition, slowly walking towards me and handing me the torch. The wood feels heavy in my hand, and not just due to my weakness.

Slowly, I turn my gaze down to where Jem stands beside me, his mother's hands tight on his shoulders. His clear blue eyes rise to meet mine, rimmed with red, but his expression is hard.

Age.

That's what I see in his face. He looks much older than the impish 10 year old I'd met at Castletown.

I look up to his mother, awaiting her approval. Tears stream from her own blue eyes, but she manages a nod through her sobs.

With that, Blaze comes forward to support me. As he takes a firm hold of my waist and forearm, I step forward from Christian's grasp and kneel down to match Jem's height. My eyes meet his, trying to express once more how incredibly sorry and grateful I am, and I extend the torch towards him.

Jem's brow furrows, and I can see his jaw clenching as he fights back tears. But all the same, he takes the torch in his grasp, placing his hand over mine. Together, we lower it forward and light the funeral pyre.

As the flame catches, we carefully place the torch amongst the wooden branches of the pyre, unable to look away as it spreads. Pike's mother pulls Jem back up and into her arms, and beside me, Blaze gently lifts me back to my feet. I can feel Christian's hand on my shoulder not seconds later, pulling me closer, and with Blaze's help I slowly fall back against him. Almost immediately my hand finds his, squeezing tightly.

Pike's blonde hair still rustles in the wind as the fire rises around him, the orange light gleaming off of his new armor. I can still see the faintest traces of a smile on his lips, but it's just an echo, a ghost of the impish grin that used to sit there. Not long after, even that disappears, lost to the flickering flames.

"Thank you," I whisper softly.

And without another word, I watch the fire envelop what's left of the boy who bet his life on me.

"Come on, Aer."

Christian's voice is gentle in my ear. I swallow hard, still unable to remove my eyes from the smoldering pile of wood.

I don't seem to know how to react. I still can't believe it. Somehow, the truth hasn't fully sunk in yet, despite seeing it with my own eyes.

How can he just be gone...?

There's a soft tug on my forearm, reiterating the words that had preceded it. I close my eyes for a moment and take a deep breath, but slowly nod, turning away from the remains of the pyre as Christian adjusts his grip to support me.

Most everyone else has already left. Christian, Jem, Jem's mother, and I are the only ones left around the smoking mound. Even Blaze walked away, after Christian assured him that he would be able to get me back to my tent on his own. While it isn't too far off, I get the feeling that it's more because he doesn't want to let me go than that he's confident in his ability. I'm still not sure how he plans on supporting me. But to be honest, even if I could let go of his hand, I don't want to.

I almost can't believe any of this is real. It almost feels like another bad dream - although logically, I know it can't be. Ever since Christian informed Impa that the Dark Lord had been reaching out to us via mind link, gleaning information and sending us into visions, she's placed a protection spell on the camp. As it turns out, while my nightmare of the future had been very much real, all the other dreams-that-weren't-dreams - the ones we never quite understood, that had served no purpose but to torture us - had been attacks. I'd never considered that the link before triforce-bearers extended to more than Christian and I, but after Dark Link had let it slip to him in the Temple of Time, and he'd explained it to me, it all suddenly made sense.

I know it's real.

But that still doesn't make it feel real.

The only thing keeping me grounded in the present is the aching pain in my abdomen from my wound, a clear reminder of the truth. I did face Dark Link. I did live my nightmare. Phantom Ganon did nearly kill me, and I did in fact save Christian and break the seal.

I did it.

But now what?

"Hey," Christian says, his brow furrowing in concern. Apparently my emotions are written all over my face, because my apprehension doesn't escape his notice. With his uninjured arm he reaches out his hand to lift my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His brown eyes are mournful, but reassuring. "It's going to be all right."

I try to give him a weak smile in return, but my lips refuse to fully cooperate. Instead I just give him a doleful look, wordlessly expressing the doubt within my heart. Christian's brown eyes grow sharper.

"Don't you give up hope now," he urges, his hand rising along my jaw so that his thumb can stroke my cheek. "Not after how far we've come."

My eyes drop to the ground guiltily, and I take another deep breath. "I haven't," I assure him. "It's just..."

I don't have to finish. As I look back up towards him, I can see in his eyes that he's feeling the exact same thing.

"I know," he answers slowly, nodding in understanding. "But we'll figure it out." A small smile lights his face. "Together."

With that, he carefully pulls his crutch out from under his arm, handing it to me. I frown, giving him a confused look, but take it anyway. Once I have it firmly under my arm, he limps around to my other side, draping my arm over his neck and wrapping his good arm around my waist. "I've got you," he promises, never removing his beautiful brown eyes from mine. Though I have my doubts, I swallow and take a step forward, allowing him to help me towards my tent.

Despite my earlier hesitation, Christian's got a relatively good hold on me, helped by the fact I have his crutch to lean on. The only real drawback is that we have to walk very slowly to maintain our balance - although, given we're obviously not in any kind of rush, it's not much of a drawback at all. It just gives us more time to take each other in, and draw in as much comfort from one another as we can.

Just before we reach my tent, I look out past the entrance to the lake and the golden expanse of Hyrule field to where, barely a pinprick in the distance, I can see the towers of Hyrule Castle. Even from here I can see the dark clouds forming overhead. Beside me, Christian's eyes follow my gaze, and for a moment we both just stare out into the beyond, watching as the storm rolls in.

The war's not nearly over yet. Something tells me we're only just getting started.

Christian's fingers slip inside mine, squeezing them gently. "Together," he reminds me once more.

This time, my lips manage to curve into a small smile.

"Together."

Goddess help us.

Epilogue:

To the Children of Destiny:

Congratulations on your success. Given past circumstance, I had expected that at least one of you would not survive. To be honest, I am astounded and impressed by your fortitude.

With those niceties out of the way, I will get straight to the point. It occurs to me that the enemy of my enemy is my ally. Whether that still holds true after recent events is for you to decide. However, I suggest you seriously consider the matter, as it is clear to me that much has escaped your notice.

In your scrambled efforts to survive you have failed to address several important details, not the least of which is the alliance between the Dark Lord's loyal Gerudo and the traitorous Sheikah, and the forced assembly of Gerudo in the Shadow Temple. So heed my warning:

The treachery does not end with Rydin. There is a greater evil among the Sheikah than you know.

Although after examining your latest triumph I believe our joined efforts would be fruitful, in the case that you do not wish to combine forces, I will not risk the chance of any further information being released to the enemy or misused in your hands. Should you wish to discuss, find me at the the Wolfos Claw Inn on the first full moon of Winterfylleth. Come in secret. Come alone.

Lastly, I leave you with one, final question:

What do you know of Termina?

- P.

Brief Author's Note:

Holy hell you guys.

Seven and a half years. That's how long it took to come full circle on this story, and I honestly don't know what to say.

Thank you, most importantly. Whether you've kept up and endured from the very beginning or just joined in now, thank you for taking the time to read my story. I know it's been a long ride, with some cruel author's tricks, cliffhangers, twists, and incredibly long delays, and I can't thank you enough for bearing with me.

The fact of the matter is that I have spent the most transition-filled years of my life growing up with this story, and as I've grown and evolved, so too has it. This story has been a labor of love, a practice in character and world building, and the first novel-length piece I have ever finished (let alone continued beyond more than a few chapters), so it will always hold a special place in my heart. If by chance it brought you some entertainment, I am happy it was able to share some of that joy with you as well :)

In case you couldn't tell, this story somehow ended up getting away from me, becoming much bigger than I had expected. That said, I do in fact have thoughts for a sequel, and will most likely begin writing again as we head into the new year. Over the last few years I have struggled to keep up my writing in the face of life challenges, and I'm hoping that the combination of completing this and rejuvenating my brain with a new story will help give it the jump-start it needs to get back in the habit. So, should you have any interest in reading that, let me know, and stay posted!

Once again, thanks for joining me on this long, crazy ride. Hope it was as fun for you as it was for me :)

Yours truly,

Larien