Real Courage [Complete]

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

you could probably publish it @Laxyak Loves LoZ

Thanks! I've toyed with the idea, but I haven't figured out how to make it original. It's too rooted in LoZ lore for my brain to separate.

Spoiler: Chapter Ten: Discussion

After the group traveled for a while in silence, Meredith said, “I have to ask. Why do you all look the same? I mean, why are you in pairs? I mean, she looks the same as you, Sire–”

“It’s okay, Meredith,” Zale sighed. “That’s what we want to figure out. But–I need the three of you to keep this a secret for right now. We don’t know what might happen if word gets out. Understand?”

“Yes, Sire,” Meredith, Arden, and Kolba answered.

“Good. Since you’ve helped us out so much already, I’ll keep you informed.”

Arden looked surprised. “You don’t have to do that for us, Sire.”

“Nonsense. I’m sure you’re all curious, just like us. As long as you keep your promise, things will work out.”

“Then,” Meredith wondered, pointing to Link and Zelda, “shouldn’t you two put on disguises?”

The two looked at each other and then at Zale, who sighed again. “That’s a good point. Do you two have any other clothing that will hide your face?”

Zelda answered, “Yes, but where can we get changed?”

Zale answered sheepishly, “Would you feel comfortable changing behind some trees?”

Zelda replied, “Sure. It’s not like I haven’t done it before.”

After Link and Zelda changed clothes, the party shared a pleasant conversation the rest of the way back to Castle Town. By unspoken agreement, they didn’t talk about Link and Zelda’s past. Zale wanted to question them in a more secure setting. He also wanted to keep an eye on them in case they had worse plans in mind. Arden, Meredith, and Kolba mostly stayed quiet, but Zale coaxed them into chatting more and more until they carried the conversation on their own.

Castle Town was still a mess, but residents worked cheerfully to repair buildings and, subsequently, their lives. As the group passed, people shouted praise for Lila and her courageous triumph over evil. Seeing so much energy gave Zale a little hope for the future, but the thought of his father’s death brought him right back down to earth.

Meredith and Kolba took the horses to the stable. Arden stopped in the town to continue fixing things. Zale gently took Lila’s hand and led the way inside. She tried to catch his eye, but he busied himself with finding a proper room for discussion. Sometimes they had to stop for a moment when someone needed something from the prince. The gratitude toward Lila continued through the halls. No one asked about the two hooded figures, and Zale imagined the sideways looks made Link and Zelda uncomfortable.

Finally, with Salvatore guarding the door, the four of them sat in a private room. The room was so cramped that it almost felt like a closet, but a small table with six straight-backed chairs was crammed in there. Simple torches on the walls provided enough light to make them comfortable. Once seated, Zelda removed her hood and Link followed suit.

Lila had a million questions but didn’t know where to start. Realizing this, she looked to Zale to get them going. Link and Zelda watched him expectantly. His head stooped, examining the table as though answers were hidden there. Before long, he spoke.

“We each hold a piece of the Triforce, correct?” The others were startled at the question but all nodded. “Two copies of the Triforce of Wisdom and two copies of the Triforce of Courage. It stands to reason that there should be two copies of the Triforce of Power, but you don’t know who that could be.”

Lila remembered her theory about the Triforce of Power and pulled her gloves off, but Zelda spoke first.

“We have one other companion, but I’ve seen no evidence that she has the Triforce of Power.”

“Zale, look!” Lila interjected. She thrust her left hand forward. Two triangles glowed on her hand. She had a huge smile on her face when she said, “Defeating evil comes with a few extra perks.”

There were gasps around the room. Even Link showed his surprise.

“How…?” said Zelda.

“By defeating Ganondra, of course,” Lila answered. “She was the one who had the Triforce of Power. I imagine there’s a Ganondorf somewhere running around with his own Triforce of Power.”

“Right,” Zale said, gathering his wits. “If you don’t know who that is, it’s possible he’s behind all of this. We need to find out who it is and learn if they have evil intentions.”

Zelda asked, “What makes you think they’re evil?”

“History,” Zale said simply. “In all of the research I have done, the one who bears the Triforce of Power is always looking for more power, usually to the detriment of others. That’s what Ganondra was after.”

No one said anything after this statement.

“Okay,” Zale continued. “Now, on to the question of you two. Where to begin…?”

“I’ll tell you where,” Link said. “We’re here to get the Master Sword. Rova said it belongs to me and that it’s time for me to claim it. Once I have what’s rightfully mine, we will leave and you’ll have nothing to worry about.”

“Not so fast,” Lila countered. “The Master Sword belongs to me, fair and square. I rescued it from Ganondra, and I went through the Trial of Light to earn it. You can’t just take it from me.”

Zale was glad they were talking civilly about it, even though they were both glaring at each other across the table. He tried to think of a compromise.

“Why do you need the sword?” he asked Link. “Maybe you can borrow it for a time and then return it.”

“No!” both Lila and Link said.

Zale deflated, feeling outmatched. How was he supposed to settle their dispute?

Zelda came to his rescue by saying, “Let’s talk about this later. I can tell Lila is about to collapse from exhaustion, and Zale looks like he needs to rest, too. I, for one, could use a break. Prince Zale, is there a place Link and I could stay for the night?”

“Of course, I’ll find you some rooms,” Zale said, relieved.

He opened the door and told Salvatore to take Link and Zelda to some empty rooms. He also instructed him to get Impa and meet him at Lila’s room. Then it was just Zale and Lila left.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Zale suggested. “We’ll go to your room.”

He took her hand again and entered the hallway. No one was in this particular hallway, which was part of why Zale had chosen it. He began a leisurely stroll toward Lila’s room.

At first, he didn’t know what to say. So much had happened since he last talked to her that fateful night in her room. He felt like it had been ages. They walked in silence for a while before Lila spoke.

“That was some adventure,” she said to break the silence. “I almost didn’t get out of there. The smell was horrible!” She smiled at Zale, but he still couldn’t look her in the eye.

“Yeah, the smell,” he said absently.

Sensing his distress, Lila comforted Zale. “What’s wrong?”

Zale was surprised to find himself blinking back tears. A lump formed in his throat which he tried to swallow but couldn’t. “I-I…”

Lila stopped and wrapped him in a hug. “It’s okay, I’m here now. Everything will be alright. I promise. I won’t get hurt anymore.”

Zale’s breathing was ragged, and he couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. He knew she was lying. She couldn’t stay out of trouble. It wasn’t in her nature. She would be a protector for the rest of her life. But that wasn’t the only thing on his mind. Before he knew it, he was sobbing uncontrollably. He and Lila sank to the ground.

“Please, tell me what’s going on,” Lila said.

Zale tried to breathe normally. He pushed into Lila’s embrace, wishing she could take his hurt away. He licked his lips, trying to find the right words to say.

“I… I can’t tell you… in the open… like this,” he said unsteadily. “The public… doesn’t know… yet.” He took a deep breath, shuddering with the exhale. “Please,” he added, “let’s go to your room.”

Lila nodded and helped him up. She supported him as they walked. She wanted to ask more questions, but he didn’t seem capable of answering them. So she stayed quiet. Zale hoped no one would see him like this and was glad they didn’t pass anyone in the halls.

Salvatore and Impa were waiting outside of Lila’s room by the time they got there. Salvatore stayed outside, and Impa entered the room with Lila and Zale. Zale quickly shut the door behind them and then he turned to Impa.

“Tell Lila what you told me. Tell her about the Shiekah and what happened with–on the road. No buts. She needs to know.” He paused and added, “I need her to know.”

Impa tried to protest but nodded in obedience.

Lila once again asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zale couldn’t look at the girls anymore for fear of crying again. “Impa will explain.” He put his hand on the doorknob. “I gotta–there are things–” He paused and risked a glance at Lila over his shoulder. “Just… we’ll talk later.”

He hurried out the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily. Salvatore eyed him with concern and said, “You need your sleep. It’s time for bed.”

By this time, guards had appeared for their post at Lila’s door, so Zale felt secure leaving her. He nodded to Salvatore and let his friend lead the way to Zale’s rooms.

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Eleven: Death of the King

Lila turned to Impa with concern for Zale plain on her face. For a third time, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Impa gestured to sit and they did. “It’s a long story since Prince Zale wants me to tell you about my tribe. If I tell you the ending first, will you promise not to run off?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll want to comfort him right away.” Impa couldn’t speak without showing her own sorrow.

Lila thought about it. “I think I can do that.”

Impa whispered in her ear, “The king is dead.”

Lila gasped and reeled away. “The… you mean Zale’s father?” Impa nodded. Lila looked at the door but kept her promise. “I’m listening.”

“My tribe, the Shiekah, was formed by the princess of the Era of the Hero of Time. There have been rough patches, but for the most part, we’ve stayed by the royal family to protect them from the shadows. We knew Ganondra was going to attack, so we took King Gaepora to our secret village.”

“Wait,” Lila interrupted. “You knew Ganondra was going to attack? Why didn’t you protect Zale? Zale got captured because you left him behind!”

Impa winced. “I didn’t know he was captured… We were told to just protect the king. I’m sorry. We should have protected the entire royal family.”

Lila softened, seeing Impa’s discomfort. “I’m sorry for getting angry with you. Please, continue.”

Impa nodded and did so. “At the village, the king became sick. We figured out that he had been poisoned, but we had no idea how. It took days of intense healing magic for him to get better. As soon as he was, we made our way back to Castle Town.”

Impa paused, her eyes misty. Her voice was choked when she continued. “On the way back we were attacked by two witches. They had the powers of fire and ice.”

“Kotake and Koume,” Lila said in shock. “I defeated them!”

“Then at least justice has been served,” Impa said with a small sob. “They were too strong for us to overcome. They killed everyone, including the king. I only managed to escape because the king sacrificed himself for me.”

Lila took a moment to process everything Impa had told her. There was a secret tribe that lived to protect the royal family. They took the king to safety only for him to be killed by Kotake and Koume. Then a thought occurred to her.

“If you had taken Zale to your village, then he would be dead, too…”

Impa gasped, having never made the connection. “You’re right! Thank Hylia things went the way they did!”

“Yes,” Lila agreed. “Maybe it was a divine decree that ultimately kept him safe.” She waited a few seconds and then said, “Well, I should go see him, now.” She stood up, wavering, but Impa protested.

“It’s late! Prince Zale needs his rest. By the looks of it, you need rest, too. You can talk to him in the morning.”

Lila felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. She grumbled, “Fine. I’ll wait until tomorrow.”

Impa turned to leave, but Lila held out a hand to stop her.

“Thank you,” Lila said softly. “For telling me all of this. I’m sure it was hard for you.”

Tears welled at the corners of Impa’s eyes. “You’re welcome. Thank you for listening.”

With that, Impa left, and Lila was able to go to sleep.

∴

After Salvatore had found them a pair of rooms next to each other, Link and Zelda were talking in Link’s room. Link was pacing in agitation.

“I should just get the sword while everyone is sleeping,” Link said.

Zelda said, “You tried that already, remember? Did it work? No.”

“Lila was already awake when I got there,” Link protested, not sure if it was true. “This time I’ll be ready. I know about the guards now.”

“Don’t tell me you plan to kill the guards.”

Before Link could answer, there was a flash of light in the corner of the room. Link and Zelda looked to see their teacher, Rova.

“What are you doing in the castle?” Rova demanded.

“Relax,” Link said. “We’re trusted here.”

Rova looked at him, one eye fiery and one eye icy. “Then why don’t you have the Master Sword yet?”

Link’s calm faltered. “Um, well…”

“We’re working on it,” Zelda supplied.

“Work faster!” Rova raged. “The sword belongs to you, Link, not that girl.”

“But ‘that girl’ also had the Triforce of Courage,” Zelda said cooly.

Before she could elaborate, Rova said, “I don’t care about that! It doesn’t matter. Get the sword, or we will have a problem.”

Link and Zelda both blanched at the thought. With one last glare at each of them, Rova vanished the way she had appeared.

“I gotta get that sword.”

“Yes, but how?”

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Twelve: Final Farewell

Zale had a hard time sleeping and eventually woke up early. He decided to visit with his little sister. Little Zelda was asleep in her room, looking like an angel. Zale brushed her hair with his hand and let the blond strands slide between his fingers. She always kept her hair clean and soft. The motion made her turn and open her eyes blearily.

“Hey, sis,” Zale said softly. “It’s time to wake up. I have something I need to tell you.”

Little Zelda sat up in her bed, blinking away the sleep. She asked, “What is it?”

“Not yet, little one,” Zale said. “Get dressed and then we can talk over breakfast.”

Zale stepped out to Salvatore to bring his and Zelda’s breakfast up to them while Zelda changed out of her nightclothes. Once Zelda was dressed, Zale returned to her side and waited for the food to arrive.

“Can you tell me now?” Zelda asked, excited.

Zale’s heart sank. How was he supposed to tell her? He had to be the one to do it, though. She had to know before he told anyone else.

“Sit down, Zelda,” Zale said, his voice husky.

Zelda caught the mood immediately and sat down, subdued.

“This isn’t something fun,” she said.

Zale shook his head. Slowly, his eyes closed. He took a deep breath and began.

“You know how Father’s been missing?”

Zelda’s breath caught. “Yes.”

Zale took another deep breath. “I’m afraid he… he didn’t make it home.” He saw tears in his sister’s eyes. “He… he… father… well, he was… killed.” Zale swallowed hard as Zelda looked desperately at him. “I’m so sorry, little sis.”

Seeing her tears brought out his own tears, and together they started crying uncontrollably. They hugged each other fiercely. The pain was unbearable, but it was worse now that Zelda felt it, too. Zale wanted to take all of the hurt from her, even if it meant taking it on himself.

Zale didn’t know how much time had passed when there was a knock on the door. He quickly stood up and answered. Salvatore and Nellie stood there with Zale and Zelda’s food. Zale gestured for the food to be brought in but stopped Salvatore.

“Did you tell her about my father?” Zale whispered.

“Yes, Sire, just like you asked,” Salvatore responded.

“Thank you.”

Nellie was Zelda’s handmaiden and best friend, just like Salvatore was to Zale. She knelt beside Zelda and gave her a great big hug. Zale watched for a moment. Maybe things would be okay. They had friends by their sides.

∴

After eating, Zale and Zelda went to the shrine of Goddess Hylia. It was a sacred place in the center of the castle that only the royal family could visit. Therefore, Salvatore and Nellie waited in the chapel that led to the shrine’s entrance. Zale and Zelda entered the shrine by themselves. It was a small, rectangular area that was open to the sky. A pool of water separated the Goddess’s statue from the viewing platform. The morning light reflected beautifully off of the water.

Zale held Zelda tight beside him. He looked at the Goddess’s statue, not currently feeling tears in his eyes. His mind wandered, thinking about all of the things he needed to do next to become king. Occasionally, Zelda’s soft sobs broke into his thoughts.

After a few minutes of silence, Zale said, “We’ll be okay. Don’t worry, Zelda. I’m here for you.”

They turned to leave. A bright light made them pause and turn back around. To Zale’s astonishment, a semitransparent figure floated above the water.

“Father?” Zale gasped. The figure looked exactly like the king.

“Yes, my dear son, darling daughter,” said the ghost of the king. “Lady Hylia has granted a special meeting between us. Our time is short. Know that I love you both and am very proud.”

Fresh tears sprang to Zale’s eyes. His mouth hung open at first. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. The image of his father remained.

“We love you, too, Daddy,” Little Zelda cried out. “We’ll always love you!”

King Gaepora addressed Zale. “My son, I know the task ahead of you may seem monumental. There will be times that you doubt yourself. But know that in the end, your father believed in you and knew you could handle yourself with grace.” Then he spoke to Zelda. “My dear. My darling Little Zelda. You may be sad for a while. It may be a long while. But someday, you will find the strength to help your brother run the kingdom.”

Zale could sense that their time was running out. He said, “Your will. Did you mean what you wrote for me?”

“Of course,” King Gaepora said, spreading his arms. “It’s time for me to go. I love you, my children. Never forget that.”

The king began to fade. Zelda held out a hand, and after a moment, so did Zale. Within seconds, King Gaepora was gone for good.

After a long silence, Zelda said, “Let’s go, brother. Tell me how I can help you.”

Zale laughed at the unexpected words. The two left the shrine, and he said, “Stay with Nellie for now. I’ll let you know when I need you. I think I know exactly how you can help.”

“How?” Zelda asked.

“I’ll tell you when I’m ready,” Zale answered.

“What am I supposed to do until then?” Zelda pouted.

Zale laughed again. “I don’t know. I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

Then he and Salvatore went to check on Lila. On the way, Zale told Salvatore about the encounter with his father’s ghost.

“You’re very lucky,” Salvatore said. “Not many people get to say goodbye the way you got to.”

“I know,” Zale said. “Hylia honored Zelda and me.”

Once they arrived at Lila’s room, Zale knocked on the door. There was no answer, so he knocked again. Fearing the worst, he pushed the door open.

“Lila?” he asked, worried she was gone again.

His fears receded when she bolted up in her bed.

“Hu-what?” Lila wondered, reaching for her sword.

Zale laughed and held up his hands to calm her. “Relax, it’s just me.”

“Oh,” she said, leaning back on her pillows. “What do you want so early in the morning?”

“It’s not that early,” Zale said. “I just wanted to check on you.”

“I’m here, I’m alive.” Lila put a pillow over her face, so her next words were muffled. “Can you make it dark in here?”

Zale laughed again. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a sitting position. “Come on, it’s a great day!”

Lila raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s gotten into you?”

Zale had a small smile as he said, “I spoke to my father’s ghost.”

Now Lila was awake. “That’s amazing!”

“Yeah. He told me that he loved me, and now his death doesn’t seem so hard.”

“I’m happy for you,” Lila said with a smile. “You’re very lucky.”

“That’s what Salvatore said. Anyway, I have a lot to do today. You should get something to eat and we’ll chat later.”

“Okay,” Lila agreed.

“Se ya around.”

“Goodbye.”

Zale left, feeling better than ever. He wanted to see Impa next, so he went to the infirmary. He asked about her and was told she had opted to return to her own home. They told him where to go and he went on his way. He was glad to find her still at home.

“Good morning,” Zale greeted as she let him in. Salvatore waited outside.

“Good morning,” Impa replied. She seemed weary.

“How are you holding up?” Zale asked sympathetically.

Impa didn’t respond at first. She guided Zale to a sitting room and motioned for him to sit.

“Can I get you anything?” she asked.

Zale shook his head. “No, thank you. I want to know how you’re doing.”

Impa stood for a while, seemingly lost in thought. It looked like she was holding back tears. Then she sat across from Zale with great sigh.

“It’s tough,” she finally admitted. “I feel like it was my fault that the king died.”

Zale frowned, feeling sorry for her. “It’s not your fault. I said it the other night, and I’ll say it again. Don’t feel bad about what happened.”

Impa bowed her head. “I know… I know. It’s just… hard to wrap my head around.”

“It will take time,” Zale said, “but you’ll feel better eventually.”

“Thank you,” Impa said. She siped her eyes and looked up at him. “What about you? You seem to be doing alright.”

Zale smiled softly. “Yes, I’ve made peace with my father’s death. Actually, his ghost visited me and Zelda. He told me he loved me and that made everything better.”

“Wow,” Impa breathed. “How wonderful!”

“It was,” Zale said with a nod. He paused for a moment and then said, “Are you up for helping me with a big task?”

Impa sat up straight. “Yes, anything, Sire.”

“This might be hard for you, but you’re the only one who can do it. I need you to retrieve the bodies of my father and the Shiekah that fought beside him.”

Impa gasped.

“Can you do it?” Zale asked.

She quickly nodded. “Yes, of course. I’ll leave right away.”

“Good. Take as many soldiers as you need. The time for secrecy on the matter is over.” Zale stood and Impa did the same. “Be quick about it. I want a proper funeral as soon as the generals return.”

Impa saluted to him and said, “Yes, Sire. We’ll be back by the end of the day.”

“Good. And, Impa.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“Anything for you, my Prince.”

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Thirteen: A Race

Lila ate her breakfast in the dining hall. She was tired of being in her small room all the time. Admittedly, she didn’t spend much time in there anyway, but it was too much. The dining hall was much better.

She still got looks and praise wherever she went. She figured all of the attention would eventually die down. At least, she hoped it did. She wasn’t used to receiving accolades from everyone around her. All growing up, she had been like a pariah, someone looked down on. It was because she grew up among the Gerudo, where everyone else was stronger than her, a Hylian. Now, she was looked to as the strong one.

Link joined her while she was still eating. Zelda wasn’t with him. A couple of servants standing at the ready were the only others in the room.

“Are you here to take my sword?” Lila accused.

Link held up a hand. “No, no. Not this time. I actually want to make a peace offering. How would you like to meet my Loftwing?”

“Your what?”

“Loftwing. It’s a rare bird large enough to fly on. Zelda mentioned that she told you about the ocarina. Loftwings come from a time long ago.”

Lila glanced at the servants but could read no reaction. She was worried that Link was too loose with his words. Out loud, she said, “Yeah, I guess that sounds like fun. Maybe we can race. You on your Loftwing and me on a horse.”

“Great idea!” Link said.

He waited for her to finish eating and then they went to the stables together. Lila picked out a horse and guided him to Hyrule Field. In the field, Link pulled out a whistle and blew. Then they waited until a large, bright red bird landed next to him.

“This is Crimson,” Link said, stroking the bird’s head and beak. “He has been my faithful companion throughout my journey.”

“He’s beautiful,” Lila said in awe. Her horse brayed as though feeling left out. “You’re beautiful, too,” Lila said.

“Shall we get going?” Link asked.

Lila nodded. “Let’s see what you’ve got!” She mounted her horse and waited for Link to do the same. Once he did, she pointed out Lon Lon Ranch. “We’ll race to the ranch,” she said. “Ready?”

“Go!” Link shouted and took off.

Lila spurred her horse forward. “Hey, that’s cheating!”

All she could hear was Link’s laughter fading away as he climbed into the sky. She concentrated on riding as fast as she could. He swooped down and glided next to her, taunting.

“Looks like I’m going to win,” he goaded.

Lila pushed her horse, willing him to go faster, but it just wasn’t enough. Link landed his Loftwing easily while Lila skidded to a stop. He was the clear winner. Both riders were panting fiercely when they dismounted.

Lila stomped over to Link and got in his face. “You cheated by starting early!”

Link laughed and backed away. “I didn’t need to cheat. I was way ahead of you.”

Lila had no real response to that, but she was still angry. “Why you–”

She heard a scream and all of her anger evaporated.

“Someone’s in trouble,” she said, looking around.

“Yeah, so?” Link said, frowning.

“We have to help them!” Lila ran off to the entrance of the ranch. Link shrugged and followed her. The Loftwing flew off, and the horse ran away in fear.

Within the ranch gates, the ranch keeper and his daughter were cowering from deformed black figures. The figures had big, flat heads, and walked on two legs. They had two arms and a number of whip-like tendrils sprouting from their heads. There were nine of the creatures.

“Help me defeat those things,” Lila said to Link and then rushed to attack the nearest one. Link grunted in acceptance and attacked another one. As soon as they were within range of the monsters, a translucent fence fell out of the sky to trap them. Lila didn’t care. She wasn’t planning to leave until they were gone.

Because there were so many creatures, Lila tried to lure them all close to one spot. It wasn’t hard. Five of them had their attention on her. The other four were surrounding Link. Once she deemed her five were in a tight enough circle, she raised her sword to the sky. Her sword glowed with blue light, and she spun on her toes, hitting each monster. They fell to the ground and didn’t get back up. She checked one to make sure it wouldn’t fight anymore and then went to help Link.

He was holding his own, but since he didn’t have the Master Sword, he couldn’t use the spin attack like Lila. She slashed at one of the monsters, drawing it away from the others and Link. After that one was defeated, she drew a second one away. Then only two remained.

“Wait!” Link warned. “You can’t leave one still standing or it’ll awaken the others!”

“What?”

“Trust me!”

“We’ll kill them together, then,” Lila said. She squared up beside Link, ready for the final kill.

“Together. One, two, three!” Link said.

On three, the two of them attacked the remaining monsters, both of which fell at the same time. With the battle over, the monsters burst into black squares. The squares rose into the air and into a portal that Lila hadn’t noticed before. Then the fence also disappeared.

“What were those?” Lila wondered, looking at the portal. It shrunk until it also vanished.

“Shadow Beasts,” Link answered. “But it doesn’t make sense.”

“What doesn’t make sense?”

Before Link could answer, the ranch keeper and his daughter came up to them with smiles on their faces.

“Thank you!” said the ranch keeper.

“You saved us!” said the daughter.

Link looked uncomfortable, but Lila said, “It’s all in a day’s work. I’m used to fighting monsters.”

“Wow,” the daughter said.

Then they heard clapping from near the barn. They turned around to see a tall Gerudo woman with green skin walking toward them. Her two-toned hair was pulled up into pigtails to emphasize the red and blue portions. Something about her gold eyes made Lila’s skin crawl.

“Rova, what are you doing here?” Link asked. Lila saw that he stiffened, but didn’t seem ready to attack. So he knew the mysterious person. Things seemed tense between them, but she obviously wasn’t an enemy.

“Those monsters chase me here,” Rova answered, drawing near. “Thank goodness you arrived when you did.”

“So, those monsters weren’t your doing?” Link asked.

“Good heavens, no,” Rova responded. “I don’t know how they got into this realm.”

“Excuse me,” Lila said, “can someone tell me what those monsters were?”

“They were from the Twilight Realm,” Rova explained.

Link added, “Which was supposed to be sealed off.”

“What’s the Twilight Realm?” Lila asked.

“Long story,” Link said.

“Yes, it is,” Rova said dramatically. “I’ve had such a hard day. Maybe we can go someplace to get a bite to eat.”

“You can eat with us,” offered the ranch keeper.

“No, no,” said Rova. “Let’s go to Castle Town. Link, lead the way.”

Link shared a look with Lila and shrugged. Then he did as he was told.

“Thank you for the offer, but we really do need to go,” Lila said before following Link and Rova. The ranch keeper tipped his hat as she hurried away.

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Fourteen: Burdens

Cleaning up the kingdom’s affairs felt endless to Zale. He seemed to be working nonstop since the defeat of Ganondra. At least the generals would be arriving today, so maybe they could lighten some of his burdens. He missed his father. King Gaepora would be so much better than Zale, but the task fell to the prince.

This morning, Zale had to figure out what to do with all of the Gerudo currently occupying the dungeon. The kingdom wasn’t equipped to handle so many prisoners. Not for much longer, anyway. He wondered if they had a leader, now that Ganondra was gone. He could work with a leader to negotiate peace. He decided to ask Lila about it and moved on to the next pressing matter.

Zale needed to announce to the kingdom about his father’s death. He had to wait for the generals to come back before that could happen, though. Was there anything else he could do to prepare? No. That task would have to wait also.

That left Zelda, a mysterious visitor. Zale went to her room, but the guard wasn’t there. Zale wondered where she could be, then thought about where he would go in her position: the library. He hurried to the library, and, to his delight, found Zelda curled up with a history book. Zale cleared his throat to get her attention.

“Hello, Prince Zale,” she said, not looking up.

“Are you enjoying the book?” Zale asked, sitting in an armchair beside her.

“Oh, yes,” she replied. “It’s interesting to see events from a different perspective.”

“Ah… yes,” Zale said, unsure of what she meant.

Zelda closed the book and set it aside. “That’s right. You don’t know.”

“Know what?”

“Link, Rova, and I have been traveling through time,” she said. “We have been gathering sacred objects after their usefulness was over.”

“What for?” Zale wondered.

“To protect them, of course.”

“Protect them from what?”

“Time, monsters, take your pick.” Zelda shrugged.

“That seems… unnecessary.”

Zelda shrugged again. “It’s what Rova told us to do.”

Zale said, “Rova… Link mentioned her before. Who is she?”

“She’s our mentor and our guardian. She raised us until we were old enough to collect the artifacts. She trained us and put us through trials. We owe everything to her.”

“I see,” Zale said, sitting back and putting a hand to his mouth in contemplation. “And you’ve never seen the Triforce of Power on her hand?”

“Correct,” Zelda replied.

“I take it you trust her?”

“Yes.”

Zale considered his next question before voicing it. “What would you do in my position? Would you hand the Master Sword to a stranger just because he had the Triforce of Courage?”

Zelda took her time answering. “Normally, yes, but there are two Triforces in play.”

“Exactly.”

“Then, no, I suppose I wouldn’t.”

“So you see my problem.”

Zelda sighed. “Yes, I do.”

The two were silent for a moment, both deep in thought.

“Perhaps… they could duel over it,” Zelda ventured.

Zale wanted to dismiss the proposition immediately for fear of Lila getting hurt. However, he saw no other alternatives. He mulled the idea in his head for several minutes. Finally, he said, “That seems to be the only reasonable option. Neither one will use the Master Sword in the fight, to make it fair. It might be a while before we can schedule the fight, though.”

Zelda cocked her head to the side. “Why’s that?”

“My–” Zale felt emotions well up inside him. He thought he had made his peace with this! “My father passed away recently, and I need to prepare his funeral.”

Zelda softened instantly. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “Of course, we can wait until after the funeral.”

“Thank you,” Zale said, his throat constricted.

Zale patted his knee, and he smiled weakly at her. Then he made his goodbyes and left the library.

Outside the library, he took several deep breaths and then said to Salvatore, “I thought I was doing better.”

Salvatore said, “Grief comes in waves. Sometimes you’re okay and other times you’re not. It’s okay to let the emotions take over.”

Zale sighed and shook his head. He didn’t want to be taken by emotion. He still had so much to do.

Salvatore said, “Perhaps it’s time for you to eat lunch.”

Zale sighed, “Yes, alright,” and headed for the dining hall.

Lila was there with Link. They were both chowing down fiercely, as though they were having a competition. A woman was with them. Zale assumed that was Rova. He hailed them, and Lila stopped eating to smile and reply.

“Good timing,” she said. “I can tell you all about our encounter while we eat.”

“Encounter?” Zale asked, sliding into the seat next to her. A servant immediately brought him a plate full of food.

“Yeah,” Link said with his mouth full. “We fought some monsters that were after Rova. That’s Rova, by the way.” He gestured at the woman without putting his food down. Zale noticed that she wasn’t eating. Her plate had been picked clean.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Zale said to his new guest.

“All good, I hope,” Rova responded politely.

Zale stared at her for a bit, taking in her appearance. Something about her seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place why. To hide his staring, he said, “I hope you have been treated kindly.”

“Actually, we were stopped on our way into town,” Rova said cooly. “Lila had to convince your guards that I wasn’t an enemy. Do all visitors go through such hostility?”

Zale said, “I’m afraid my subjects are a bit afraid of… Gerudo. We… recently had a battle against them.”

“Oh really?” Rova remarked.

Lila watched the two during the exchange. She felt uncomfortable even though everything seemed normal. Eventually, she broke into the conversation.

“Zale, why don’t you eat?” she said.

He looked at her, surprised. He had forgotten she was there.

“Oh, right,” he said and picked up his fork and began eating.

“If you don’t mind,” Rova said, getting up, “I would like to retire for an afternoon nap. Is there a place where I can rest?”

Zale nodded and waved Salvatore over. “Salvatore will take you to an open room.”

“Thank you,” Rova said. She curtsied before leaving with Salvatore.

Zale shot a concerned look at Lila, then masked his expression so Link wouldn’t notice.

“Zelda and I were just talking,” Zale said. “We have an idea on how to settle the dispute over the Master Sword.” Lila and Link both looked at him in anticipation. “We think it’s only fair for you two to duel.”

“You actually want us to fight over it?” Lila asked.

Link grinned. “Sounds good to me. You’re not scared, are you?”

“Of course, I’m not scared,” Lila quickly replied.

“When do we start?” Link asked.

“After my father’s funeral,” Zale answered. “It should be no more than two days from now.”

“Hear that? In two days, that sword will be mine,” Link said, but Lila put a hand on Zale’s shoulder. Zale smiled softly at her. Link saw the exchange and added, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” Zale said to Link.

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Fifteen: Twins

“There you are!” Came a voice. Everyone turned to see a woman with blond hair entering the dining hall.

“Lady Fapiath,” Zale greeted. “A pleasure to see you.”

The woman bowed.

Zale continued, “This is Lila and Link.” He pointed to each in turn. “Have you eaten? Please, join us.”

Fapiath shook her head. “I have been waiting, sire. Remember? I wished to speak to Lila as soon as she was awake.”

Zale bit his lip and then replied, “I’m sorry. A lot has been on my mind.”

Fapiath sighed. “I understand.” Then she turned to Lila and bowed again. “Lady Lila, might I have a moment of your time?”

“Sure,” Lila said. “What’s this about?”

“I knew your parents,” Fapiath said unceremoniously.

Lila gaped and looked at Zale. Then she looked at Link. “Um… if you knew my parents…”

Fapiath followed Lila’s gaze and gasped. “You… you’re twins?”

“Well,” Lila said, “that’s what I was going to ask you.”

The woman shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you sit,” Zale offered again. “Tell us what you know.”

Fapiath took a chair near Link and began her tale. “We’re from Ordon Province, a fruitful region protected by the sacred being Ordona. Life there is quiet and peaceful. Your parents owned a small orchard near the north of the province. They were the most kind-hearted people I ever knew. They were always watching over the village, helping those in need, and assisting with defense against monsters. Their death was devastating.” She paused and had a faraway look in her eyes.

“What happened to them?” Lil said in a near whisper.

Fapiath continued, “It was the morning of your birth. No one knows exactly what happened, just that your home was seen in flames. Everyone thought the baby had been lost in the fire. Then I saw you on the battlefield and knew who you must be. Now it’s my turn to ask: Where have you been all this time?”

Lila found that tears welled in her eyes and wiped them away. “I was raised by the Gerudo.”

“I was raised by a woman named Rova,” Link said, startling Lila. She and Zale looked at him in surprise. “What? It’s clear they could have been my parents, too.”

“It’s true,” Fapiath said. “You both look just like them.”

“That means,” Lila said slowly, “we must be twins. And if Link and I are twins, then… does that mean…?” She looked at Zale with wide eyes.

“It’s possible that Zelda and I are twins,” Zale said, his eyes downcast in thought. “And it’s possible that Ganondra had a twin.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Lila said.

“That means, your father…” Link trailed off, looking at Zale.

“Is Zelda’s father,” Zale finished. “I need to tell her.” He rushed off to the library, leaving the others in stunned silence.

“Um, I should follow him. Thank you,” Lila said to Fapiath. She nodded to Link, and the two of them ran after Zale. He was already out of sight, but luckily, Salvatore was back.

“Where’s Prince Zale off to in such a hurry?” he asked.

“To find Zelda,” Lila said quickly. “Do you know where she is?”

Salvatore looked around and then whispered, “Which Zelda?”

“My Zelda,” Link responded.

“We last saw her in the library,” Salvatore said.

“Thanks!” Lila said and tore off, Link at her heels.

“Wait!” Salvatore shouted, but they ignored him. Lila wasn’t sure if he would run to catch up, but didn’t really care. She just wanted to get to Zale.

Lila and Link caught up to him just outside the library. He heard them running and looked around.

“What are you doing here?” he huffed.

“We’re here for support,” Lila answered, also panting.

“Well… okay, thanks, I guess,” Zale replied.

After catching their breath, they went into the library together. Zelda was still there reading. She looked up when she heard them approach.

“What’s going on?” she asked quietly, closing her book.

Zale responded just as quietly. “Don’t worry, we just made a discovery.”

“Oh?”

“We figured out that Lila and Link must be twins, which means you and I must also be twins,” Zale said. He gave her a slight smile.

“Well, of course,” Zelda said, blinking.

“You already knew?” Zale said, deflated.

Zelda explained, “I puzzled it out as soon as I met Lila. It’s the most reasonable explanation. Link and I were born in this time, after all.”

Zale dropped into an armchair. “So, then, you know that my father is–”

“My father, yes. I…” Zelda hesitated. “I am sorry I didn’t get to meet my parents. I knew Mother had died in childbirth, but I was hoping to meet Father someday.”

No one spoke for a moment. Zale realized that, of the four of them, he was the only one to grow up with a birth parent. He wondered how that made the others feel. It must have been hard, growing up without a parent, but a guardian would do what any parent would do. Right? He searched for something to say next.

“Our parents died in a fire,” Lila told Zelda. “Somehow, I ended up with the Gerudo, and Link ended up with Rova. Do you think… someone… set the fire to kidnap… us? Could… could Rova be behind it?”

“No, Rova wouldn’t–” Link began to protest, but Zelda cut him off.

“You know as well as I do that Rova is capable of such a thing.”

Link stiffened. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Then why not kidnap me?” Zale asked, shuddering. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad she didn’t.”

“Maybe it was too dangerous to take us both,” Zelda suggested.

Zale sighed. “Maybe.”

“So what’s Rova’s plan?” Lila asked. “Why kidnap and raise two Triforce holders?”

“We didn’t always have our Triforces,” Link piped up. “In fact, we didn’t have them until recently. How would Rova know?”

“The same way Ganondra knew,” Lila said. “There was some sort of prophecy before we were born. But that doesn’t answer the question: why?”

Zelda said, “The same reason we collect artifacts: for protection.”

“Protection from what?” Lila asked, growing impatient. “Why protect only you two?”

“Maybe she didn’t think you two would obtain Triforces,” Link said, also growing heated.

“Calm down, you two,” Zale said. “There’s no need to get angry. Why don’t you go do something else while Zelda and I talk it out.”

Lila shook her head and sat in another armchair. Seeing her actions, Link did the same. “I’m calm,” she said. “I’m just really curious.”

“Me too,” Link chimed in.

Zale nodded. “Good. Now, where were we?”

“What is Rova protecting them from?” Lila supplied.

“Right. Do you have any idea?” Zale asked, looking between Link and Zelda.

Link shook his head, frowning. Zelda on the other hand seemed contemplative. She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms.

“Zelda?” Zale prompted.

“Rova has never been straightforward when I ask,” she said.

“You’ve asked her?” Link balked.

“Yes. She always said there was a great evil out there. She wouldn’t tell me where or when this evil was. Maybe it’s time to ask her again.”

“That might not be a good idea,’ Link cautioned.

Zelda sighed. “I know. I doubt I’ll get anything more out of her.”

“Not to mention the Master Sword situation,” Link said.

Before anyone could say more, Salvatore appeared and said, “Prince Zale, the generals have arrived.”

“I’m sorry, everyone,” Zale said, standing. “We’ll have to continue this later.”

Lila also stood up. “I’ll come with you,” she said.

Zale smiled at her. “Thanks.”

With that, they left the library.

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Sixteen: A Meeting with the Generals

“Where are they?” Zale asked Salvatore outside of the library.

“They have only just arrived,” Salvatore said. “I’m sure they’re still in the courtyard.”

Zale made a split-second decision and guided Salvatore and Lila to the throne room. Upon entering the throne room, Zale looked at the empty throne with sadness. He approached the grand throne slowly. He felt the oiled cedar as he ran his hand along the armrest. Then he stood back and imagined his father sitting there. King Gaepora’s time had passed. Now it was time for Zale to rise.

Feeling determined, Zale sat on the throne for the first time. It was surprisingly comfortable, though slightly too big for him. His father had been a man of great stature, whereas Zale was almost as frail and fragile as his sisters. He wondered if he would ever fit in his father’s place.

“Your Majesty,” Salvatore said, kneeling. Lila watched him curiously before doing the same.

Zale clenched his jaw and said, “Please, don’t do that. At least, not when we’re alone.” The two stood again. “That’s better. Now, Lila, I want you to stand beside me as my vanguard.”

Lila stepped onto the platform without hesitation. Zale pointed to where she was supposed to be and she took her position. She stood tall with one hand on her belt above her sword. The other hand hung free, ready to grab her sword at a moment’s notice.

“You don’t have to look so scary,” Zale said, trying to joke around. He found he was feeling a little too nervous to put on more than a quick smile. When they were ready, Zale said to Salvatore, “Okay. Bring them in.”

Salvatore nodded and left to fetch the generals. There was a few minutes of silence. Zale resisted the urge to fidget around in his chair. He wished he had a more commanding presence like his father. Instead, he had to draw on his own strengths. What were his strengths again? Lila was the strong one. He could rely on her for anything. He looked at her. She had her light blue eyes set forward watching the door. When she saw him looking at her, she gave him a broad smile.

“You’ll be great,” she said.

Then the doors opened and Salvatore announced that the generals of Hyrule had arrived. He tried to name them one by one, but General Davros stopped him.

“What are you doing on the king’s throne, boy?” Davros demanded, shaking a fist.

Zale swallowed. He knew this would be hard, but he didn’t realize how angry the general of Castle Town would be. Luckily, the other generals didn’t seem angry. They looked at each other with expressions of uncertainty.

Deciding patience was his strength, Zale waited for the generals to calm down. He looked at each of them in turn, landing on Davros last. When he was ready, he spoke in a calm, unwavering voice.

“My father, King Gaepora Nohansen Hyrule, has passed from this world,” Zale stated. He was glad that emotion didn’t take him. “It falls to me as his son and rightful heir to be the new king.”

The generals were startled by the news, but they all knelt down and bowed to their new king. Salvatore said, “All hail the king!”

Zale waited a moment. No one spoke. Good. Then he told them all to rise. “Now, we can begin preparations for the funeral. Send out messengers to your areas of the land. Have them announce what I just told you. Have them also announce that the funeral will be in two days' time. All are invited to attend.”

“Two days, sire?” Jovom, the Zora general, asked.

“Is that not enough?” Zale asked back.

Jovom shook his head. “No, I suppose two days are fine.”

“Good,” Zale said. “Anything else?” He looked around at the generals, but they stayed quiet. “The servants will handle decorations and all of that,” he added. “Now on to my coronation. Davros, is there anything you wish to say right now?”

The general in question looked at his feet. In the quiet room, Zale heard him mutter something under his breath but thought it best not to ask him about it. Finally, Davros raised his head and asked, “When will the ceremony be?”

Fapiath answered, “It’s traditional for the ceremony to be performed right after the funeral.”

Zale said, “Then that’s when we’ll do it. We will have a rehearsal tomorrow. Is there anything else we need to discuss regarding the passing of the crown?”

Fapiath shook her head. “You’ll go over all of that at the rehearsal.”

Zale nodded. He wondered if there was anything else he should go over with the generals. Fapiath caught his eye and he frowned at her. “What is it?” he asked.

“Maybe we should discuss… the two visitors,” she said carefully.

Zale’s jaw clenched. He hadn’t wanted to talk about them, but now that Fapiath had brought it up, he had to. Before anyone else could say something, he said, “Their names are Link… and Zelda.” He waited for their gasps to subside. “We have come to the conclusion that Link is Lila’s twin brother, and Zelda is my twin sister.” More gasps. “They have been away from Hyrule until now. Zelda makes no claims to the throne. They are here for the Master Sword.” He wondered if he should say more, but Davros spoke up.

“What makes him think he can have the Master Sword?”

“Don’t worry,” Lila said suddenly. “He’s not going to get it!”

“That doesn’t answer my question, Lady Lila,” Davros said a lot more politely than before.

Zale sighed. “As twins, Lila and Link both have the Triforce of Courage.”

A third round of gasps. Even Davros couldn’t hide his surprise.

“And… you and Zelda…?” Jovom wondered.

“Yes,” Zale answered. “We both have the Triforce of Wisdom. And before you ask, Ganondra had the Triforce of Power and we don’t know if there’s a twin.”

“So someone could be out there with the Triforce of Power and you have no idea?” Davros accused.

“That is correct,” Zale said, calmly staring into Davros’s eyes.

“If there is another threat,” said the Goron General Nodu, “then we will crush them like we crushed Ganondra!” He slammed his fists together each time he said “crush.”

Zale smiled for the first time during that meeting. “That we will, General Nodu. Everyone, keep an eye out for any activity that might indicate a new enemy.”

“Don’t forget,” Lila piped up. Zale turned to look at her. “Link and I fought some monsters at Lon Lon Ranch. I’d say that indicates a new enemy.”

Zale turned back to the generals. “Yes, that’s true,” she said contemplatively.

“We’ll report anything we see, sire,” Fapiath said.

“Good,” Zale replied. “I know I can count on all of you. You each fought well during the battle against Ganondra.”

Ready to change the subject, Zale said, “Now I pass the floor to you. Do any of you have things you would like to discuss?”

General Davros spoke first. “What are we going to do with all of those Gerudo prisoners?”

“Good point,” Zale said. “I was hoping to talk to Lila about this matter.” He turned to her again. She looked startled at being addressed. “Lila, do you know if there’s a person who would be the leader after Ganondra?”

Lila tilted her head in thought. “Probably Nabooru. I think she was the leader before Ganondra took over. She’s pretty old, but she was always by Ganondra’s side.”
Zale nodded. “Then we’ll find her and see if we can come to an agreement of some sort. I want to send the Gerudo home peacefully if at all possible.”

“But, sire,” Davros protested, “they’re ruthless heathens! What if they go back on their word? What if they want revenge for the death of their leader?”

“They’re not ‘ruthless heathens’!” Lila countered. “They’re people just like you! Seems to me that you’re the ruthless one.”

“It’s alright, Lila,” Zale said, raising a hand to calm her. To Davros, he said, “I believe the Gerudo will be reasonable. The only reason they attacked is because Ganondra lusted for more power. Now that she’s gone, the Gerudo will go back to their peaceful lives.”

“They’re not completely peaceful,” said the general of Kakariko, Eri. She was the one who lived in closest proximity to the Gerudo. “We tolerate them in our lands, but they have been known to assault men. They don’t believe in marriage, and fathers rarely get to see their daughters.”

Zale put a hand to his chin in thought. “Hm, maybe we can ask them to change their ways… but that seems unlikely. I’ll talk to Nabooru about it, but I make no promises. If they can’t be more civil toward Hylian men, then we might have to take more drastic measures.”

“Such as?” Eri asked.

“Banishment,” Zale said bluntly. “That’s the best I can think of.”

For once, Davros smiled. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Prince Zale.”

“But only if it comes to that,” Zale reiterated. “I’d rather have open peace between our two peoples.” He sighed and sat back in the throne. “I think that’s enough for today. If there’s anything else you wish to bring up, you can talk to me about it before the rehearsal tomorrow. Thank you all for returning to the castle. You will have your rooms prepared for you. Good night.”

With that, Zale stood up from the throne and motioned for Lila to follow him. Then he left the throne room. He got just outside of the room when he sighed a huge sigh and leaned his back against the wall, his face looking up at the ceiling.

“Being a king sure is hard,” he said.

Lila wrapped him in a hug, surprising him. “You did amazing,” she said quietly. Zale lowered his head and hugged her back.

“Thanks,” he breathed into her. He took in her smell and smiled. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“I only helped a little,” Lila replied lightly. “You still would have done great if I wasn’t there.”

Zale nuzzled her neck and she giggled.

“That tickles!”

Salvatore chose then to clear his throat. The two broke their hug immediately.

“Will you be eating in the dining hall this evening?” he asked.

“Yes,” Zale answered, breathless. “Let’s go, Lila.”

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Seventeen: Breakfast Secrets

Lila woke up screaming. She sat straight up in her bed, trying to piece together her nightmare. She was sweating profusely, and she felt a massive headache, but the only thing she could remember was eyes. Glowing yellow eyes. Or were they two pairs of eyes? She felt it was important that she remember, but she couldn’t.

The guards burst in and swept the room for intruders. Lila paid them no mind. Her head was hurting too much. It didn’t take them much time to see that the room was clear. One guard stood looking out the window while the other guard turned to Lila.

“What’s wrong, Lady Lila?” he asked.

Lila squinted up at the guard. “Bad dream,” she managed to say.

The guard at the window returned to her post, but the other guard remained. Concerned, he asked, “Are you in pain? Should I get someone for you?”

Lila shook her head slowly. The pain was starting to recede. “No, I’ll be fine. I just need more sleep.”

“Yes, Lady Lila,” said the guard, and he left the room, closing the door.

Lila stayed sitting in her bed for a while, letting the headache pass. She couldn’t remember anything about the dream anymore. She shrugged and went back to sleep.

∴

The next morning, Lila had no recollection of waking in the middle of the night. She wanted to sleep in, but a guard was shaking her awake.

“Lady Lila,” he said. He was the same guard as last night. Lila realized she didn't know any of her guards’ names. The guard was still talking. “Prince Zale has requested your presence in the dining hall.”

Lila thanked the guard, asking his name, and got ready for the day. As always, she wore a green tunic, just like the heroes of old. It had become her uniform of sorts. Everyone could recognize who she was when she wore it. It allowed her to go anywhere she wanted without being questioned.

In the dining hall, Lila was the last to arrive. Link and Zelda were there, Link looking as sleepy as Lila. Impa was also sitting on Zale’s left. To Lila’s surprise, Little Zelda was there with Nellie, too. A spot was waiting for Lila on Zale’s right, so she sat there. Food was brought to her, and then all of the servants except Salvatore and Nellie left.

“Salvatore,” Zale said, “seal the room.”

Salvatore walked around the room, waving his arms and chanting under his breath. Once he made a complete circle, he bowed to Zale and took a seat at the table where his own food was waiting.

Curious, Lila looked at Zale. He smiled back at her and then addressed everyone.

“Thank you for meeting for breakfast. Please eat,” he said. Everyone took slow, thoughtful bites of food. Zale continued, “I invited you here to discuss Hyrule’s future. First, some introductions.” He pointed to Little Zelda first. “This is my sister, Zelda. Her existence is currently a secret to everyone. We call her ‘Ella.’” Zale then pointed to Zelda. “This is my other sister, Zelda. She and her companion Link are also a secret. They only recently came to our land.”

Zale gave Lila a warm smile and said, “This is Lila. She saved our kingdom from Ganondra, as I’m sure you all know. Link is her brother.” Next was Impa. “This is Impa. She’s part of a secret group known as the Sheikah. Their job is to protect the royal family.

“Finally we have Salvatore and Nellie. They are the personal servants of myself and Ella.”

Lila was surprised that Zale said all of that. This was all stuff that needed to be kept secret, but he was sharing it with everyone at the table. Granted, the room was sealed so no spies could overhear. But they had known Link and Zelda for only a few days. Lila wasn’t yet sure if they could be trusted.

“Now,” Zale said, clapping his hands together, “I’m sure you all have a lot of questions. Hopefully, I’ll be able to answer them. Everyone here is either royalty or serves royalty.”

Lila noticed that Link glanced wearily at Zelda but said nothing.

Zale continued, “First things first. Impa, I want you to recruit two of your kind to watch over Zelda and Ella. They are of royal blood and qualify for the protection of Sheikah.”

Impa nodded. “Yes, sire.”

“Good,” Zale went on. “While she’s gone, I want you by my side, Lila. As for Ella, she needs protection.”

“Why now, brother?” asked Ella. “Nellie has always been enough.”

“Because I’m going to tell Hyrule about you,” Zale answered. Lila could tell that Ella was surprised when her mouth hung open. “At my coronation, I’ll name you as my successor.”

Ella protested, “Won’t that turn the people against you?”

Zale held up a hand to calm her. “The people will follow me because the generals follow me. Plus, they have seen me in battle, meaning I have earned their trust.”

“If I leave now,” Impa interjected, “then I can be back before you make the announcement.”

Zale cocked his head. “Can you really?”

Impa nodded. “We Sheikah have some tactics up our sleeves that you don’t know about.”

Zale nodded. “Good. You can leave after this meeting. Now, I have a question for you, Zelda.” He looked at her with a seriousness that Lila hadn’t seen before. “I need to know. Do you have any designs for the crown?”

Lila gasped, but Zale paid her no mind. His attention was on his estranged sister.

Zelda’s face was blank as she answered, “None. Link and I are here for one thing only and that’s not your crown.”

The two stared at one another for a few seconds before Zale smiled. “Good to know.” Lila couldn’t help but wonder what passed between them. “Do you wish to be introduced to Hyrule at my coronation?”

Zelda thought about her answer before speaking. “No. Now is not the time. I don’t know if there ever will be a time for me to step forward as your sister. Along that vein, I don’t need a Sheikah protector.”

“As you wish,” Zale said with a nod. “Finally, I want to give a quick rundown of what to expect in the coming days. Today, I have a rehearsal for my coronation, which will be tomorrow after my father’s funeral. The next day, Lila and Link will duel over the Master Sword. Any questions? Comments? Concerns?”

“Yes,” came Ella’s voice. Zale looked at her with kind eyes. “You said I could help you. You didn’t give me anything to do to help.”

“You’re right,” Zale sighed. “Well, you can join me at the rehearsal today.”

Ella clapped her hands and smiled. “Good!” she said.

“Anyone else?” Zale asked.

When no one responded, Salvatore spoke up. “There are the volunteers you promised to keep in the loop. Are you going to tell them what’s going on?”

“Ah, yes,” Zale said uncertainly. “Um… Any suggestions?”

Zelda said, “You’ll have to lie to them.”

Zale sighed, “I suppose you’re right. I’ll just tell them that you and Link are travelers from another land and your appearances are coincidental. Do you think they’ll buy that?”

Zelda responded, “They’ll have to you. You’re their king, or will be.”

“It seems wrong to lie to them that way,” Zale said. “But I suppose it’s for the best. Now, is there anything else we need to discuss?”

Salvatore said, “It is traditional for the Royal Choir to perform with the one being coronated. Have you been keeping up with your harp practice?”

Zale’s eyes widened. “I had no idea. What song are we to perform?”

“‘Zelda’s Theme’ is traditional, though with you being male–”

“I’ll do it,” Zale said emphatically. “Ella, you play the flute, right?”

The young princess flushed in surprise. “Y-yes.”

“If you’re familiar with the song, would you like to join us?”

Ella beamed. “Yes! I’d love to!”

Zale smiled back at her. “Wonderful. Salvatore, will you inform the choir of our rehearsal this afternoon?”

Salvatore bowed in his chair. “It will be my pleasure.”

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Eighteen: The Gerudo Leader

After breakfast, Zale took Lila to talk to Nabooru. They met with her in a room outside of the dungeon so they could be alone. She was in chains, but that didn’t diminish her dignity. She was an old woman, and she sat up straight in her chair. Chairs were brought in for Zale and Lila to sit in.

“Remove her manacles,” Zale instructed.

“But, sir–”

“Do as I say. She will not harm anyone,” Zale said. Once the guard had done as he asked, Zale then added, “You may leave us now.”

“I must protest–”

Zale looked sharply at the guard. “Don’t make me ask again. Lila is here. I’ll be fine.”

The guard shrank under Zale’s gaze and left the room. He locked the door behind him.

Sighing, Zale turned his attention to the prisoner. She was rubbing her wrist and had a thoughtful look on her face.

Zale asked, “You are the leader of the Gerudo?”

Nabooru shook her head. “I was until Ganondra forcibly took control.”

“Tell us how that happened,” Zale prodded.

Nabooru’s red eyes clouded over. “I believe those witches, Kotake and Koume, encouraged her to do it, though I had no warning of the coup. One day, Ganondra entered the throne room brandishing a sacred trident. She gave me the chance to abdicate, and I did. I thought I might be able to influence from the background, but Kotake and Koume had too great a hold on Ganondra. I bit my tongue and managed to stay alive.”

“Ganondra used that trident as a symbol of her power,” Lila supplied. “It’s what I recovered from the bulblin king. Maybe, if negotiations go well, we can give it back to the Gerudo.”

A light flashed in Nabooru’s eyes and she asked, “What do you plan to do with us?”

“That depends on you,” Zale said. “Firstly, now that Ganondra’s gone, will you take up leadership again?”

Once more, Nabooru shook her head. “I cannot hold that honor after cowardly leaving the throne. Perhaps my daughter Riju will accept the honor.”

“Then you will not speak for your people?” Zale asked.

“No.”

“Very well.” Zale stood up and knocked on the door. When the guard opened it, he said, “Take Nabooru back to her cell and bring me her daughter Riju.”

“Yes, sir,” the guard said. He took Nabooru and left Zale and Lila alone.

“What do you think?” Zale asked, startling Lila.

“I don’t know,” she answered. “Ganondra took over before we were born, so I knew nothing about it.”

“My father gave me the histories of the Gerudo, so I knew there had been a peaceful change in leadership. I had no idea it was a coup. Did you notice the way Nabooru reacted when you suggested returning the trident?”

Lila frowned slightly. “No.”

Zale looked away from her, thinking. After a moment, he said, “She mentioned that it was sacred. Do you know anything about that?”

“No. I only knew it as one of Ganondra’s tools. It never seemed sacred to her.” Lila shivered, remembering how the evil woman had used the trident.

Zale noticed and said, “I’m sorry to bring up painful memories.”

Lila gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. She’s gone now.”

A thought struck Zale at her words. What if there was another? He should have asked Nabooru if Ganondra had a twin. He decided not to mention this thought to Lila just then.

They sat in silence for a time, and then they could hear two people approaching. Soon, the guard led a young woman into the room. Zale and Lila stood at their entrance. Zale was happy to see that the woman wasn’t in chains.

As the three sat down, Zale asked, “You are Riju, daughter of Nabooru?”

The woman nodded. “Yes,” she said simply.

Zale continued, “It is my understanding that you are the next in line to be leader of the Gerudo.”

Riju showed no emotion as she asked, “Did my mother tell you that?”

“Yes,” Zale said.

“Then it is so,” Riju said. She sat back in her chair, arms crossed.

The hairs rose on the back of Zale’s neck. Something about Riju felt hostile. He supposed being raised under Ganondra’s reign molded her differently than Nabooru. He would have to be careful when dealing with her.

Zale asked,” Will you speak for your people?”

“Yes,” Riju said.

“Then we can begin,” Zale responded. “I know you want your freedom. I want that for you as well. If you cooperate with our demands, you may have it.” He paused, but Riju merely watched him with her steady gaze. “Our demands are simple: stop harassing men, and allow them to see their daughters.”

Riju exploded, “Unacceptable!” She raised from her seat with her fists clenched. “What you ask cannot be done! Our land is sacred. No man may step foot there.”

Zale stayed seated and remained calm. “I’m not asking you to allow men into your land. I’m sure you can arrange to let fathers see their daughters outside of the Gerudo Desert.”

“That is not our way,” Riju asserted. “I cannot meet with your demands.”

“Then I’m afraid there’s only one other option left to you,” Zale said solemnly. “You and your people will no longer be allowed in Hyrule. You will have to relocate after being released from our prison. I will give you time to decide.”

With that, he stood and knocked on the door. Lila followed him out of the small room, leaving Riju behind. Zale stalked down the hall and Lila hurried to keep up with him.

“Are you okay?” Lila asked.

“Me?” Zale said. “I’m fine. It’s Riju I’m worried about. I really wanted to have peace between our people.”

“Not everyone feels the same way you do,” Lila said.
“I know,” Zale sighed. “I just hoped…” He sighed again and stopped his mad walk. “I think I know what option she’ll choose, and there’s nothing I can do to change her mind.”

Lila placed a hand on his shoulder. He grasped it with his hand and shut his eyes. They were alone. He took a few calming breaths and then turned around to meet her eyes.

“It is her choice. I need not worry about the matter.”

“That’s right,” Lila said. “You have more important things to deal with.”

Zale sighed and looked down. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry!” Lila said. “She tilted his chin up again. “Don’t worry about it! You’ll be fine!” She smiled and he smiled back.

“Do you know that I love you?” Zale let slip out.

Lila blushed, not expecting his words. “You may have mentioned it.” Her eyes flitted to his lips and then back up.

They stood gazing into each other’s eyes. Time seemed to stop. Zale’s body temperature rose. Was this a good idea? Could he stop himself if it wasn’t? There was nothing in the world he wanted more than Lila.

Slowly, gently, their lips met. There was no saying who initiated the kiss. They were one. Zale and Lila. Lila and Zale. Together, the only people in the whole world. Nothing could be sweeter.

When it was over, Zale wished for more, but his duties tugged at him. He ignored them and pulled Lila in for a deeper kiss. He couldn’t get enough of her. She was the most precious thing to him. He shunned the idea of having to leave her, even for a second. All he cared about was Lila. His love. His life.

Finally, Lila broke away. Breathless, she said, “We have a rehearsal to attend. Besides, what would people think if they saw us together like this?”

“Who cares what others think!” Zale said just as breathless. “Let me love you.” He leaned in for another kiss, but she pushed him away.

“Not now. We’ll save it for another time.” Lila disentangled from his grasp and pulled him along down the hallways.

Zale sighed, a smile on his lips.

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Nineteen: The Rehearsal

Zale and Lila smiled at each other all through lunch. They didn’t look at anyone else while they ate. Ella kept trying to engage them in conversation, but they only gave hums in answer. They had to be reminded to eat several times and were the last ones to finish eating.

Eventually, the party moved to the throne room where several people waited. There was the Royal Choir, which consisted of six members. There were also four guards in heavier armor than usual. One wore red, another green, the third was in blue, and the last wore purple. Each one carried a cushion on which rested a dull rock. Finally, there was an old man dressed in ornate white and gold robes. Zale knew him as his father’s advisor Eugene. Everyone bowed when they caught sight of Zale.

“Please rise,” Zale said uncomfortably. He would have to get used to people bowing to him.

“Now that you have arrived, Prince Zale,” Eugene said cordially, “we may begin the rehearsal.”

Eugene started by arranging everyone into their proper places. The choir went to the back, on the right side of the throne. The four knights mirrored them. The advisor stood in front of the throne, and Zale was in front of him on the steps. Ella was placed in front of the choir, while Lila and Salvatore stood on opposite sides of the throne.

“First will be your performance,” Eugene said. “You will be able to practice that later. Then I put this robe over your shoulders to symbolize the sailcloth…” Eugene pulled out a white robe. When he unfurled it, the Hylian crest adorned the back. He placed the robe over Zale and then continued.

“Next will be the presentation of the Royal Jewels. Knights, come forward.”

The knights took one step forward and then turned abruptly toward Zale. He looked at them curiously.

Eugene said, “They have rocks for now but will have the jewels when the real ceremony commences. Prince Zale, you will take each one as they are presented to you and will name their corresponding element.”

The green knight came forward first. He knelt in front of Zale and held up his cushion. Zale took the rock and said, “Earth.”

The red knight was next, to which Zale declared, “Fire.”

The blue knight, water, was followed by the purple knight, wind.

“Now repeat after me,” Eugene said. “With these four elements, I vow to protect and rule Hyrule with an eye toward peace.”

Zale repeated the words, staring out into the invisible crowd.

“Then the knights will take back the jewels.” One by one, the knights did just that.

“And there’s just one more step to go,” Eugene said. He handed Zale a book. Zale opened it and revealed blank pages.

“Hold that open and repeat after me. I vow to record the history of Hyrule as sacred knowledge to be passed down to my inheritors.”

While Zale said the words, Eugene placed the crown on Zale’s head. Suddenly everything felt heavy, like the crown carried all of the burdens of the entire kingdom. Zale’s breathing became labored and he struggled to get the words out. He thought of his father lying dead in the road and wished he could talk to him once more, despite the final farewell he had been granted. At the last word, Zale dropped the book and collapsed.

Lila was by his side in an instant. She knelt on the steps of the throne and cradled Zale in her lap.

“Zale, what’s wrong? Talk to me!”

His face and lips were pale, but his eyes fluttered open.

“What happened?” he asked wearily.

Lila hugged him to her chest and Salvatore said, “You passed out. Are you alright, sire?”

Zale held a hand to his head. He felt dizzy.

“Perhaps a little something to eat and a glass of water will help,” Eugene suggested.

Salvatore bowed, saying, “Yes, sir,” and left.

Eugene continued, “I’ve seen this before. Your father did the same thing when he received the crown.”

“He did?” Zale asked.

“Oh yes. There was so much on his mind. Grieving the loss of his wife, caring for a young child, and having to rule the kingdom.”

The revelation brought Zale closer to his father. He started to feel the dizziness subside and sat up on his own. Lila kept a hand on his shoulder.

“I think I know some of how he felt,” Zale said. “Thank you for sharing.”

Eugene bowed and said, “You’re welcome, sire.”

Salvatore hurried back into the room holding a piece of bread and a cup of water. He handed the items to Zale.

Zale said, “Thank you, Salvatore,” even though he felt like he didn’t need the sustenance.

While he ate, Eugene said, “You’ll be alright soon enough. Just take your time.”

Zale nodded and finished off the bread. Then he washed it down with the water. He handed the glass back to Salvatore and got to his feet with Lila’s help. He said, “Thank you for the respite. I feel much better.”

Lila squeezed his hand and then went back to her post.

Ella handed the fallen crown to Eugene.

“Thank you, dear. Should we run that part again?”

They practiced each of Zale’s vows until he could say them without prompting, then went through the whole ceremony one more time. Afterward, the choir and Ella got to join in as they played and sang with Zale’s harp. They rehearsed until everyone was satisfied. Though exhausted, Zale invited all of the participants to dinner, after which he gladly went to bed.

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Twenty: A King’s Funeral

The funeral was held early the next morning, too early for Lila’s taste. Zale felt a lump in his throat as he prepared for the ceremony. He let tears fall as he put on his special clothing and looked in the mirror. He appeared more regal than he felt. He felt like a lonely little boy about to say goodbye to his father for the last time.

He looked at his eyes in the mirror and steadied himself. Memories of his father’s life came into his mind. He would remember the happy times, however few, and not the sad times. He would make the funeral a celebration, not a day of mourning.

In the Temple of Time, adjacent to Hyrule Castle, crowds gathered awaiting the day’s events. Hyrulians of every race came to pay their respects to the fallen king and witness the rise of the new king. Hylians were predominant, but there were also Gorons and Zoras.

The generals held a place of honor at the front of the crowd. With them were their spouses and their children. They all wore their most ceremonial attire. Even Lila was given a fancy outfit to wear, and she adorned the Master Sword proudly.

Lila and Salvatore escorted Zale to the Temple of Time when he was ready. No one had the heart to speak, but Zale held Lila’s hand the whole while.

Zale was pleased to see that Impa had returned. She wore traditional Hylian armor to blend in. Zale wondered if there were other Sheikah in attendance and glanced around, looking for white hair and red eyes. He caught sight of a Sheikah woman standing near Ella and Nellie. Good. Presumably, that was Ella’s new guard. Zale would have to compliment Impa on her speedy work.

Before Zale entered the ceremony room, Salvatore went forward to announce him. The crowd bowed until Zale and LIla were seated near the casket. Ella was already there, and Zale wondered if she had been announced like he had. He watched the crowd. They were whispering and pointing at Ella, a strange girl so high in the ranks and so beautifully dressed. Zale deduced that she had not been announced. That would be his job later on.

While looking at the crowd, Zale was surprised to see Link, Zelda, and even Rova. He caught Zelda’s eye and gave her a nod. Some of those around them looked around to see who the prince was nodding to. Link, Zelda, and Rova pulled their hoods closer over their heads.

Zale then turned his attention to the room. It was beautiful, with stained-glass windows lining the upper part of the walls. The images depicted were of important events in Hyrule’s history, including the Twilight War. Prominently displayed at the head of the room were the glass images of the Hero of Courage, the Princess of Wisdom, and the Wizard of Power. A calmness came over Zale as he looked at the portrait of the princess.

A few flowers decorated the room. A large bouquet of warm safflinas rested upon the king’s casket. Two portraits of the king stood as sentinels on either side of the casket, completing the decorations.

It came time for the funeral ceremony to start, and Eugene took his place in front of the casket. He was wearing the same robes as yesterday.

“Hyruleans, we gather here today to honor a great man, King Gaepora Nohansen Hyrule. As advisor to the king, I had the pleasure of getting to know him personally.”

Eugene gave a moving speech that taught Zale some things about his father he didn’t know. Afterward, the Royal Choir sang a beautiful hymn. Then, Eugene performed the ceremonial magic that made the casket disappear in a flash of light. In its place, a mask hovered, turning in the colored lights of the stained-glass windows. Eugene took the mask in both hands and, walking slowly and deliberately, presented it to Zale. Tears slid down his cheeks as he beheld the face of his father.

Eugene bent down and whispered, “I’m sorry for your loss. That goes in the Royal Treasury.”

Zale nodded his thanks since his throat was choked up.

Eugene returned to his place and bowed to the crowd. Everyone bowed back to him, including Zale and the royal party. There was a moment of silence with everyone’s heads hanging low. Then Eugene straightened up, signaling for everyone to do the same, and said, “This concludes the funeral ceremony. This evening will commence the coronation. Thank you.”

The crowd began to disperse. Zale stayed in his seat, staring at the mask of his father. The tears dried up and he called to mind the happy times. He smiled at Lila and said, “Let’s get lunch.”
Lila wiped a tear from his cheek. She smiled back. “Okay, my prince.”

The time between the funeral and the coronation was uneventful, except for when Zale stole secret kisses from Lila. Soon enough, it was time for Zale to receive his crown. The ceremony went smoothly, and then it was time for Zale’s announcement. Eugene stepped back to give the new king room.

With the crown on his head and the blank book in one hand, Zale said, “Thank you all for attending. It is an honor to serve you, people of Hyrule. I promise to rule with a kind heart, just like my father. It is my pleasure to announce my successor. My sister, Princess Zelda. Ella, come here,” he added gently.

While the young girl stepped lightly to Zale’s side, the crowd murmured in hushed though shocked tones.

“Princess Zelda has been kept a secret for her protection, but now it is time for her to reveal herself,” Zale explained. “Should I die before a new heir is old enough, she will become the new queen.” He nodded to Eugene who came forward again.

Eugene said, “All hail King Zale and Princess Zelda,” and knelt.

“All hail King Zale and Princess Zelda,” the crowd repeated, also kneeling.
After a silent moment, everyone stood up again.

Eugene said, “Thus concludes the coronation ceremony. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves. This is a joyous day!”

The crowd cheered and slowly left the throne room. Many people threw looks at the royal party as they waited their turns to exit. Zale wasted no time in leaving the room as well, his hand clasped tightly to Lila’s. Though it was dinner time, Zale led her to a private room. His heart fluttered wildly.

Lila giggled as he closed the door. “You’ll be missed at dinner.”

“Who cares about dinner,” Zale said. He was flushed with excitement. “There’s something important I have to ask you.” His eyes shone brightly.

Lila caught his mood and she had to gasp. “What is it?”

Zale knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. He took a deep breath. “Will you be my queen?”

Lila’s open mouth held a ghost of a smile.

Zale went on, “You’re the most amazing, beautiful, courageous woman! Will you be my wife, for me to love you forever? I know, being a queen may seem like a lot of work, but I’ll be by your side–”

“Yes,” Lila said, breathless.

“Yes?” Zale asked, rising to hug her. “Yes?”

Tears were in Lila’s eyes as she smiled and nodded. “Yes!”

Zale held her up and twirled her around.

“Yes! You said yes!”

“Yes, I did,” Lila giggled. “I will be your wife!”

Zale kissed her passionately, again and again. They leaned against the wall, kissing with all of their might.

Then Lila’s stomach grumbled loud enough for both of them to hear.

“Oh! I’m sorry!” Zale said. “I’ve kept you from dinner. Shall we tell everyone the good news?”
Lila’s eyes glimmered like the stars. “Yes, why wait?”

Zale laughed, “Good point!”

They walked hand in hand to the dining room, which was unusually full. Link and Zelda weren’t there, but the generals and their families were. Everyone was waiting for the king to arrive.

Zale couldn’t help himself. As he entered the room, he held up Lila’s hand and declared, “We’re going to be married!”

The room erupted into applause. Congratulations were thrown around like confetti. The happy couple took their usual seats at the head of the table. Then dinner was served.

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Twenty-One: The Fight

The next day was LIla’s fight with Link over the Master Sword. She woke up unusually early (for her) to practice in the yard. She had been too busy the last two days to practice. After a while, Zale came to watch her.

“You weren’t at breakfast,” he said.

Lila didn’t pause her movements. “I’m too riled up to eat.” Her stomach growled in protest.

Zale laughed. “Sounds to me like you’re ready for some food.”

Lila finished her forms and put away her sword. “Okay, you win,” she teased.

He led her to the dining room, where everyone else had finished eating. He ordered a servant to bring Lila some food and then she chowed down. Zale watched her feeding frenzy.

“Slow down,” he laughed. “There’s no need to rush.”

Lila listened to his advice and tried to slow down. She swallowed what was in her mouth and said, “I just want to get back to practicing. I haven’t used my sword in so long.”

“It has only been a few days, my sweet.”

“That’s too long,” Lila retorted, though she couldn’t help smiling at what he called her.

Link entered the room with a serious look on his face. “When will we start the fight?”

“As soon as Lila’s done eating,” Zale said.

“Hang on,” Lila protested. “Give me some time to digest after. Link, have you eaten?”

“I don’t need to eat.” Then his stomach growled.

Lila and Zale laughed. Lila said, “It seems your stomach says otherwise. Pull up a chair. Join me.”

Grudgingly, Link sat down and got his own plate. Zale told the servant to bring more food.

Zale said, “Warriors need to eat a lot if they’re to keep their strength up.”

Neither Link nor Lila replied.

Zale continued, “So, this fight. I don’t want either of you hurt too badly, so I want you to be careful. Just tap your opponent. When one of you surrenders or is obviously at a disadvantage, the other wins. Can I get you both to agree to that?”

Lila nodded and said, “Yes, sir!”

Link was more solemn when he said, “I’ll do as you say.”

“Good,” Zale said. “Now hurry up and eat so we can get this over with.”

An hour later, Lila and Link were well-fed and rested. The time had come for their fight.

Zale made sure the practice yard was clear. He didn’t want anyone besides himself and Zelda to witness the fight, even Ella. He allowed Salvatore and Impa to be there, however. Salvatore in case they needed anything, and Impa because she was Zale’s personal guard.

Lila and Link each took down a soldier’s blade and felt the balance. Both agreed the swords were acceptable and stood in the center of the practice yard.

“Remember,” Zale said from the side, “I want a clean fight. Be careful.”

“You got it,” Lila said, eyeing her opponent.

Link merely nodded.

“Ready?” Salvatore called out. “Go!”

Link lunged forward only for Lila to block. She smoked. This was going to be easy.

Zale watched fascinated as the two moved through forms one after another. Sometimes the weapons and feet moved too fast for his eyes to follow. They appeared equally matched, and Zale wondered who could possibly be the winner.

They moved across the yard. Sometimes Lila would push Link back. Sometimes it was the other way around. However, often they were in the middle, their swords ringing off of each other in a fierce battle.

The fight dragged on and on. Five minutes went by. Then ten. Fifteen minutes and they still parried one another’s thrusts. Sweat made their tunics cling to them.

Eventually, their movements slowed. Their attacks became more wild. Lila drew the first blood. A tiny scratch on Link’s wrist. After that, blood was struck more and more.

“Be careful!” Zale shouted, getting worried. He thought Link was becoming reckless in his attacks. He seemed to have the upper hand all of a sudden.

Then Zale saw something that chilled him to the bone. Link’s next attack was going to kill Lila. Without thinking, Zale threw himself into the fight. He managed to block Link, but at what cost? His vision blurred and blackened. He fell.

“Zale!” Lila shouted. She threw her sword to the side and caught the king as he fell. Salvatore and Impa rushed to their side.

“What have you done?” Salvatore demanded of Link.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to,” Link said, shock plain on his sweat-drenched face.

“Zale, hang in there,” Lila coaxed.

Impa took the king from Lila and ran him to the infirmary. After a moment of hesitation, Salvatore followed.

Lila threw herself at Link and wept. Surprised, he wrapped his arms around her. He stroked her hair, trying to comfort her. To comfort her! A minute ago he tried to kill her!

“He’ll be okay, won’t he?” Lila sobbed. “He has to be okay. We’re g-going to get m-married.”

Zelda came close and caught Link’s eye. They held a silent conversation over Lila’s head. Link seemed to say, “I can’t do it.”

“Come with me, dear,” Zelda said, pulling Lila from Link. “It will be alright. We’ll go to the infirmary and check on King Zale.”

Lila clung to Zelda as she led her away. Link followed listlessly. They made a slow procession to the infirmary. Lila kept muttering between sobs, “He has to be okay!”

The infirmary was in a flurry. A nurse saw Lila’s group and ushered them out, saying, “You can’t come in here just now. Oh, I see you two are bleeding. How bad is it?”

“We can wait,” Link said through the lump in his throat.

“Good,” the nurse said and scurried off.

Salvatore and Impa were standing outside of the infirmary. Impa took Lila from Zelda and held her soothingly. Salvatore rounded on Link.

“What were you thinking?” Salvatore demanded. Link held his head in shame. “You were about to kill Lila, and instead you may have killed the king!”

“I’m sorry,” Link whispered. “I-I-all I can say is I’m sorry.”

Salvatore glared at the pathetic form in front of him, drenched in sweat and blood. “That’s all you have to say for yourself?”

“I’m sorry,” Link repeated.

Salvatore sighed. His whole body slumped. “I can see you mean it.” He dropped into a chair. “I apologize for yelling at you.”

There was silence except for Lila’s weeping. Eventually, she cried herself out, and the silence was deafening.

Suddenly, Link sprang up and grabbed Lila’s hand. “Come with me,” he said, pulling her to her feet. “I need to tell you something important.”

“Can’t it wait?” Lila said. All of the energy in her body seemed to be gone.

“It’s important,” Link reiterated.

“Okay.”

Lila followed him away from the infirmary. He led her down several corridors until they came to his room. He shoved her inside, came in, and locked the door behind him.

“What’s so important?” Lila asked, her curiosity piqued.

Link paced the room, wrestling with himself. Lila was anxious to get back to the infirmary, but she said nothing to interrupt his thoughts.

Finally, he said, “I think Rova’s wrong. She told me to make sure I won the fight, even if it meant killing you. I was about to, you know, kill you. Zale saw it. That’s why he stepped in. I’m such an idiot for listening to her!”

Lila cocked a half smile. “You weren’t going to kill me. I was about to win.”

Link glared at her. “You’re not listening! Stop being so cocky and listen! Rova is evil! I see that now.”

The smile dropped from Lila’s face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean we have to stop her,” Link said emphatically. “I don’t know her plan, but we have to stop her!”

“Stop her how?”

Just then the lock clicked and the door opened. Rova stepped into the room, a staff in one hand and a round mirror shard in the other.

“You’re too late,” Rova sneered. “If you won’t be my dog, then I’ll just have to trap you.” She raised her staff, which had a red and blue colored ruby on the top.

Lila saw her menacing yellow eyes and something clicked in her mind. Before she could grasp it, however, her head burst into a splitting headache. She screamed in pain and Rova laughed.

“Here, let me lift that particular spell,” Rova said.

The headache disappeared and suddenly Lila knew.

“Kotake and Koume!” Lila gasped.

“Yes, it is us,” the evil woman laughed, though for a moment there were two old witches in her place. “You may have defeated us for a time, but we are too powerful for you.”

Rova raised her staff again and chanted. Lila and Link felt cold all over and their vision wavered. Then a shadowy form came out of each of them. Lila and Link collapsed. The shadows fused together. Lila could just make out her own face staring back at her. Or was it Link’s face? The figure switched between the two people, but it was no longer a shadow.

Rova cackled. This time she raised the mirror along with her staff.

“Enjoy the Twilight Realm.”

Everything went black.

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Twenty-Two: LiLink

Zelda, Impa, and Salvatore waited for news about Zale’s condition. Zelda sat in her chair with her legs crossed at the ankles. Even though she wore commoner garb, she looked regal. Impa was pacing the floor, hating the hopeless feeling that tied her stomach in knots. Salvatore held his head in his hands, his breathing shallow.

“Link and Lila have been gone for a long time,” Zelda said suddenly. Impa and Salvatore looked at her. “I hope everything’s okay.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Salvatore asked.

“Those two get into fights easily,” Impa said.

“That’s right,” Zelda said. “There’s no telling what trouble they may have gotten into.” She stood up but Salvatore stopped her.

“There’s no point looking for them,” he said. “They didn’t say where they were going. They might come back before you find them.”

Zelda sat down again and sighed. “I suppose you’re right. But if they don’t come back soon, I will go looking for them.”

The silence dragged on again. Impa resumed her pacing, and Salvatore took up his position once more. Zelda began tapping her foot.

Finally, Link appeared. Alone. He had a strange smile on his face. Zelda shot out of her chair to greet him.

“Where have you been? Where’s Lila?” Zelda demanded.

Link’s features changed slightly and his hair grew to Lila’s length.

“I’m here,” said the voice of Lila.

Then she shifted back to Link.

“We’re both here,” Link’s voice said.

Zelda and the others gaped at the strange figure, not comprehending.

The form of Link spread his arms. “We are LiLink. Rova helped us reach our highest potential. Now we don’t have to fight over the Master Sword.”

Zelda grit her teeth. “No, you just have a body to fight over. How is this better?”

“Wo don’t fight over our body,” Lila said.

Link said, “As we said, Rova helped us. We know when it’s our turn to come out.”

Zelda’s fingers dug into her palms. “This isn’t right. You aren’t yourself.”

“Do you know that Rova is two beings in one?” Link revealed. “They can do it, so can we.”

Zelda shook her head. “Lila, what about your marriage to King Zale?”

“That’s not as important as protecting the kingdom.”

“Not as… now I know you’re not yourself. How could you possibly say that after all you’ve been through with him? You two were made for each other!”

“The kingdom comes first–”

“If you break the king’s heart, I’ll break you,” Impa said. Her stance was one of ready to fight. “Change yourselves back!”

“That can’t happen,” LiLink said. “We are as we are, and the kingdom will be better for it.”

“I’m going to talk to Rova,” Zelda said as she walked toward the door.

LiLink stopped her with a firm grip. “You can’t speak to her right now.”

“Why not?” Zelda huffed. She tried to break her arm free but LiLink only squeezed harder. “You’re hurting me, Link.”

“We told you, we are LiLink!” They shoved Zelda away from them. She looked at them with sorrowful, shocked eyes.

Just then, the nurse entered the room through the second doorway. Salvatore and Impa looked at him, but Zelda and LiLink continued staring at one another.

The nurse announced, “King Zale is stable. He will wake up soon.”

“That’s a relief,” Salvatore sighed.

“Can we see him?” Impa asked, relaxing.

“Yes, but please be quiet,” the nurse said. “He needs his rest.”

Salvatore followed the nurse. Impa touched Zelda on the arm and said, “Come on, he’ll want to see us.”

Zelda tore her eyes from LiLink and followed Impa. LiLink took up the rear. They took the form of Lila, a calm look on their face.

The nurse led them to a private room where Zale slept restfully. It was a bit crowded with all of them there, but they were given time to be with the king. The doctors and nurses left them alone. Salvatore sealed the room so they could talk privately.

Since no one else took up the position, Impa sat next to the bed and held Zale’s hand. She felt strange, knowing Lila should be there instead of her. But LiLink stood rigidly next to Salvatore, indifferent to the situation.

No one spoke. No one felt the need to break the stillness. All eyes were on Zale, although Zelda occasionally glanced at LiLink. The strange person seemed like a doll, a puppet. No emotions showed on their face. Even the eyes were dull, lifeless. Not at all like the Link or Lila she knew. She had to figure out a way to get them back to normal.

After a short while, Zale started to stir. He had large bandages covering his right arm and shoulder. There was no sign of blood. The nurses must have cleaned him up well. His face was a bit pale, though. He made noises in his throat as though trying to groan. Finally, his eyes flickered open. He didn’t register anything at first. Then he turned his head to see Impa.

“Impa?” Zale whispered. A surge of panic swept through him. “Where’s Lila?”

“Here,” LiLink said. They smiled but it didn’t reach their eyes.

Zale looked up with an effort, but his eyes were blurry. “Lila?” he puffed. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing.

Zelda turned to Salvatore and whispered, “He’s too weak to learn about Lila and Link. We should leave him.”

“What was that?” Zale asked weakly.

LiLink heard Zelda and cut her off. “We have exciting news. Link and I have joined forces. We are now one entity called LiLink.”

Zale scrunched his forehead. His wounds ached. “What do you mean? You’re a team?”

“No,” Zelda cried. “They have joined bodies! They are no longer themselves. I wanted to keep this from you until you recovered a little.”

Zale looked around the room, trying to understand. He saw Salvatore, Zelda, Lila, and Link–no, wait, There was just one of them. But which one?

LiLink said, “We have done this to better protect the kingdom. Rova can help you and Zelda do the same.”

“Never!” Zelda gasped.

“Let’s not discuss this now,” Impa said. She still held Zale’s left hand. She could see his breathing becoming more labored.

“No,” Zale said, “I need to understand. Rova merged Lila and Link into one body?”

“That is correct,” Zelda said haughtily.

“And you’re suggesting that Zelda and I do the same?”

“Of course,” LiLink said. “For the good of the kingdom.”

Zale felt lightheaded. He tried to grasp the implications of what they were telling him.

Zelda helped by saying, “They are not themselves. There is something wrong with them now that they’re joined.”

“We are better, more focused,” LiLink said. “We no longer fight over petty squabbles.”

Zelda brought out the biggest objection. “Lila doesn’t want to marry you anymore.”

Zale’s breath caught. He took a moment to process. He shuddered. “You-you can’t mean that,” he choked out.

“It’s for the good of the kingdom,” LiLink insisted.

The room was silent.

Tears formed in Zale’s eyes. He couldn’t breathe properly. His heart was breaking. His world was breaking.

“You need to leave!” Impa burst out.

“Lila… no…” Zale whimpered. He held out a hand for her, but she just stared back at him. All of the spark was gone from her eyes.

Impa stood up and shouted, “Leave, now!”

Salvatore opened the door and shoved LiLink out.

“I’ll go, too,” Zelda said quietly and left.

“I’ll guard the door,” Salvatore said.

And then it was just Impa and Zale, the latter of whom started weeping softly. Impa smoothed his hair and made shushing noises.

“Lila, my Lila. What has Rova done to you?”

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Twenty-Three: The Twilight Realm

The first thing Lila noticed was pain. she had numerous cuts on her body and an ache lingered in her head. The cuts were from her fight with Link, she remembered. Then she recalled the last moments before she passed out.

She gasped and sat bolt upright. Rova was Kotake and Koume. How could that be? Lila had defeated the witches days ago! (Was it really only days?) Sitting up made her head spin and she closed her eyes, hand to her head. A groan escaped her.

She heard moaning by her side and peered around. Link was sitting up beside her, shaking his head.

“See,” he said, “she’s evil.”

“Where are we?” Lila asked. She took this time to look around her surroundings. Everything was bathed in an amber light, as though it was twilight. Flecks of gold and black danced in the air, although she felt nothing when they touched her.

They seemed to be within a set of ruins. Black columns crumbled in a wide circle around them. They were sitting on a square platform. On one end were steps leading down. On the other end, curved rock stretched, broken, to either side. Shards of glass were stuck in a crack, suggesting the rock once held something.

“Rova said something about the Twilight Realm,” Link said. “This sure looks like twilight.”

Lila nodded. “Yeah, it does.” She stood up, dusting off her clothes. More shards of glass cut her hands. “There’s glass everywhere,” she said. “What happened here?”

“This is where we said goodbye.”

Lila and Link spun around to see a woman coming up the steps. Portions of her body were shrouded in black, while the other half of her skin was an eery blue. She wore a slanted skirt that showed off tattoos on her right leg and a long black headdress. Her hair and eyes were sunset orange. She was taller than any Hylian. As she approached them, she walked with a serene grace that radiated royal power.

“Who are you?” Link asked.

“Don’t you remember me, Link?” the woman asked. “Ah, but I see you’re not the Link I once knew.”

“You knew one of our past lives?” Lila asked.

The woman looked at her with a curious smile. “Yes, I think so. Time moves differently here. You both look so much like him. The Hero of Twilight, they called him.”

“That was a hundred years ago,” Lila gasped.

“Like I said, time moves differently here. I wonder, do you know my name?”

Lila and Link looked at each other and then shook their heads.

“Should we?” Lila asked.

“I guess not,” the woman said. “I am Midna, queen of the Twili.” She giggled, a surprising sound from someone so noble. “It’s nice to meet you again.”

“I’m Lila, and, as you guessed, that’s Link. Um, can you help us get home?”

Midna sighed. “You won’t stay for a visit?”

“I’m sorry,” Lila said, “we have work that needs to be done, as soon as possible.”

“Well,” Midna said, “I’ll be honest. I thought the doorway between our worlds had been closed forever. Can you tell me how you came to be here?”

“It was a witch named Rova,” Link said. “She had a magic staff and a shard of a mirror. I don’t know any more than that.”

“I think she chanted something,” Lila added.

Midna put a hand to her chin in thought. Lila felt uneasy in the silence. What if there was no way home? She had to get back. She had to make sure Zale was okay. Oh, Zale…

Lila must have groaned because Midna looked up at her. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Zale…” Lila said quietly. “The king of Hyrule. We… we just got engaged. I have to get back to him. He’s… he was gravely injured.” She glanced at Link who looked to the ground.

Midna either didn’t notice or ignored the exchange. She rested a hand on Lila’s shoulder and smiled. “I think I’ll be able to get you back to him.”

Lila looked up at her hopefully. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Midna replied. “As you noticed before, there’s a lot of glass around here. Fragments of the mirror that opened the doorway between our worlds. I might be able to use my magic to restore the fragments long enough for you to cross through.”

Lila clapped her hands. “I hope so!”

“Stand back,” Midna instructed.

After Lila and Link stepped off of the platform, Midna raised her arms as though in supplication. Slowly, flecks of glass floated from the ground. The shards flew toward each other, forming a disc where they once resided. The new mirror shimmered in the twilight air as each tiny piece rotated in place. The mirror grew black with intricate white lines creating a magnificent pattern. The Triforce was displayed prominently in the center.

“It’s beautiful,” Lila said.

“Hurry, it won’t last long,” Midna said through a strained voice.

“Come on,” Link said, pulling Lila along. The two stood in front of the mirror, or doorway.
Lila took one last look at Midna and said, “Thank you.”

“Goodbye,” Midna said with a tear in her eye.

The doorway pulled Lila and Link through back to their own world. As soon as they were gone, Midna dropped her arms and the mirror fell.

“I’ll have to do something about this,” she said to herself.

 

[Laxyak Loves LoZ]

Spoiler: Chapter Twenty-Four: The Spirit of the Sword

Lila and Link walked through a dark tunnel that shone with stars and lines. Before long, a bright white light filled their vision. Lila put an arm up to block the light from her view, but it was over in a flash. Then they were in Rova’s room.

“What? How?” Rova said, mystified.

Before she could do more, Link grabbed Lila’s hand and ran out of the room.

“Where’s the Master Sword?” Link demanded, running down the halls.

“In my room,” Lila answered. “What are you–?”

“We have to stop Rova!” Link said.

Lila heard something and looked back. Rova was hot on their trail. Lila shouted, “Hurry, she’s behind us!”

Link let go of Lila’s hand and ran faster. She hurried to catch up to him.

“This way,” Lila said. She guided Link through lesser-used halls, hoping to avoid running into anyone.

A tongue of flame nearly hit Lila.

“Duck!”

The two lowered their heads but kept up their mad dash.

An icicle shot at them but missed. How long would their luck keep up? Could they make it to Lila’s room and the Master Sword in time?

Lila and Link continued to dodge the flames and ice blasts. Then the attacks stopped. Lila didn’t know why, and she didn’t care.

“Keep moving,” she warned.

Finally, safely, they made it to Lila’s room.

“Move!” she shouted to the guards at her door. She barreled inside, grabbed the Master Sword, and whipped around to fight. She came out of the room and said to the guards, “Protect yourselves. This fight is bigger than you.”

“Give me a sword,” Link told one of the guards.

“No time for arguing,” Lila said. “Give him your sword and hide in my room!”

The guard did what was asked of him.

Then Rova walked casually around the corner.

Not thinking straight, Lila struck out with the Master Sword. Rova easily blocked her with a wall of ice.

“Tisk tisk,” Rova said. “That was weak, Lila. How you managed to defeat our other form, we’ll never know. Time for you to go back to the Twilight Realm.”

Rova raised her hands, one holding her staff and the other holding the mirror shard. She chanted, but nothing happened.

“Strange,” Rova said. “I guess that’s no longer an option. I’ll have to send you somewhere else. Perhaps… the Desert Mine will do?”

“No!” Lila shouted, but this time Rova’s chanting took effect. The cramped hallway faded and rock walls took its place. It was dark, but torches lined the walls, burning as fiercely as the day Lila crawled through the dungeon.

Lila stood there for a minute to get over the shock. Link wasn’t faring much better. They had to hang on to the wall to keep from losing balance.

“Watch out for screamers,” Lila warned in a low voice.

“What’s that?”

“When they scream, your whole body locks up. You can do nothing until the effect wears off, which gives them time to attack you. They’re slow,” Lila explained. “I wish we had a ranged weapon. We’ll just have to avoid them as much as we can.”

“I think I know what you’re talking about,” Link said. “ReDead Knights?”

“Yeah, that’s what Zale called them.”

“Okay. Give me the Master Sword. I know how to handle them.”

“Not on your life,” Lila said, pulling away from him.

Link managed to grab her wrist but not the sword. “C’mon. Give it to me!”

As they grappled, the sword was raised high in the air. Link was able to touch the hilt with one finger…

Before either could move, the sword started to glow blue. Lila and Link were stunned as they watched. The glowing formed into a blob, pulling away from the sword. Then it jumped away and morphed into a feminine figure, completely blue. Lila and Link stood transfixed in shock. When the figure spoke, it had a melodic harmony, as though the voice was echoing.

“I calculate it has been many millennia since I was forged,” the woman said. Then she took a closer look at the pair holding the Master Sword. “I also calculate a ninety-eight percent chance you two are twins. No, data analysis complete, one-hundred percent chance. You two are twins.”

Neither said a word, so the woman went on.

“Twin Heroes… The chances of that are so remote, not even I can calculate it. It seems a problem has developed. Data shows both of you want the sword, correct?”

“It’s my sword!” Lila answered.

At the same time, Link insisted, “I deserve the Master Sword!”

They glared at each other, still holding the sword in the sky.

“Ah… yes,” the woman said falteringly. “There’s only a thirty-five percent chance both of you will need the sword for the coming battles.” Then she looked right at Lila. “Fifty-seven percent says the sword belongs to you.”

“Only fifty-seven?” Lila shouted. She kicked Link right between the legs, making him let go and curl up in pain. “How’s that for fifty-seven percent?” She swung the sword around pompous to emphasize her point.

The woman cocked her head to one side, watching Link roll around whimpering in the dirt.
“You dirty little cheat!” he squeaked at Lila.

Lila smirked. “It’s payback for cheating in our fight. Why do you need the sword?” she asked Link.

“Because it belongs to me,” he answered, rising from the ground.

“That’s not a need,” Lila countered. “Why do you need the sword?”

Link had no answer for that. His head fell and he mumbled something about technicalities.

“I need the sword,” Lila went on, “to defeat Rova. I need the sword to protect Hyrule.

When Link didn’t respond, the woman chimed in, “I prefer to ber with the girl. The Blade of Evil’s Bane was forged to save Hyrule, and it will continue to do so throughout all time.”

“It’s settled, then,” Lila said. “I’m keeping the sword. She turned to the woman. “Is that your name, Blade of Evil’s Bane?”

The woman shook her head. “No. I am called Fi. The Blade of Evil’s Bane is one of my titles. Another is the Master Sword.”

“That’s the one we’re familiar with,” Link said. “I’m Link and that cheater is Lila.”

Lila rolled her eyes.

“I have served many with the same names,” Fi said wistfully.

“You have?” Lila asked. “I thought I was a fluke.”

“You being twins is a fluke, but there have been many female heroes.”

Link asked, “What would you say to Princess Zelda having a twin also?”

Fi said, “That another power is at work.”

“Rova!” Link fumed, clenching his fists. “She’s been planning this from the beginning!”

“That doesn’t change anything,” Lila said. “We were going to stop her anyway.”

“I guess you’re right,” Link said, calming down.

“This Rova person,” Fi asked, “you need to defeat her to protect Hyrule?”

“Yes,” Lila and Link said together.

“Then I will help you. I have a special ability that can only be used when your health is full. Give a horizontal slash and my power will come out as a sharp wave.”

“No fair, you get all of the good stuff,” Link complained.

“I am sorry,” Fi said to him. “This only works with the Master Sword.”

“You don’t have to rub it in,” Link muttered.

“Ready when you are,” Fi said, disappearing into the sword.

“Let’s get moving,” Lila said. “There’s no telling where we are in the mine. We’ll just have to explore until we make our way out.”

“Lead the way,” Link pouted.