Scars of a Caged Bird | Zelink Medieval

Epilogue

So, after about a year and a month of my blood, sweat, and tears... this... is finally over. Oh my gosh, writing this was so bittersweet... I loved and enjoyed writing this so much, and I'm so sad that it's over now... 

This has I believe almost 100,000 words and is well over 200 pages long so congratulations to whoever has completed this and made it this far! I'm sorry, haha, just this is the first book/piece of real writing that I've ever completed, and just the feels, man!

Expect new work in the very near future as well! This chapter in my writing career is over, but there's so much more to come!!! ^_^

This is dedicated to ALL of my readers, voters, peeps who comment, all of you guys! Because you all helped me make it to this moment right now X)

So, please read, vote, and comment because, like always, I'm a tired person, haha. <3 LOVE!!! <3

Always,

~Zel

I look out at the sand surrounding me before turning to my sister, Nabooru, and her husband, Aziz. Nabooru is armed with her twin scimitars and has a satisfied expression on her face as Aziz lovingly cradles their year old daughter, Serenity – my niece. As the new leader of the Gerudo, I'm meeting with the king of Hyrule in order to discuss the terms of our peace treaty.

Nabooru, as my second-in-command, has agreed to join us so we're a complete team: me, Nabs, and Aziz.

And, at my side, stands the little girl I've adopted as some kind of little sister/daughter combination, Nabila. At the knowledgeable age of fourteen, she's also come along with us to learn more of our culture.

The newly crowned king of Hyrule is kind and full of new ideas to help create a better future: one without discrimination of race or color. He's been extremely open to any ideas I offer or bring to the table, listening to them all and considering how they might be placed within our treaty.

Yet, even though I try to think of the king as the king, I can't help but think of him as my dear friend, Sheik. And that's who he wishes to be, I believe. Not some stuffy old king but someone relatable – Sheik, the shadow native to light, the Hylian who somehow had the ability to slip into the shadows.

Upon the death of his father and older brother, at age 27, Sheik claimed the Hyrulean throne. He's brought about worlds of good to Hyrule and has been working toward making Hyrule a better place.

By his side stands his younger sister, Princess Zelda, now aged twenty-two. Her left hand now glitters because of a diamond placed on her ring finger, and I can't help but make eye contact with her every now and then while Sheik and I continue working out the details of our peace treaty.

As we talk, I can't help but think of all the dear friends I'd made on my journey – we've all gone separate ways but still manage to keep in touch or visit every once in a while.

Marine – after the death of her twin sister, she returned to the Zora's Domain, and her heartbroken father no longer had seven daughters – he had six. He forbade the Wanderers to ever leave the Domain ever again. Marine has never gotten over the bitter betrayal of her deceased lover, Cove.

Impa, Kron, and Zilla returned to Kakariko Village where Kron continued our tradition of chasing cuccos around and having the cuccos chase him back. Kron and Zilla finally married and are expecting their first child imminently. Impa still visits Hyrule Castle every now and then and ruffles Sheik's hair or smacks his head to help him focus. She's very excited for the nearing approach of her first grandchild's birth.

Darron also returned to his father, Darunia, who was overjoyed to see him alive. He's since visited me at the Gerudo Fortress twice and has enjoyed it very much, with the exception of the fact that there are very few rocks in the Desert.

Sheik and I still sometimes get together to go visit Saria and the East Woods Skull Kids. They always enjoy it when Sheik and I share a lyre and ocarina duet before they join us on their flutes.

My fairy, Rota, has actually stuck around, and she's constantly badgering me about how things should be done within the Fortress – we all joke around by saying that she's the true boss around here.

Nabila has blossomed into a very sweet young lady and is now working in the Fortress infirmary. She's also been catching the eyes of the few young men at our Fortress. I suppose I'll have to be a firmer big brother/father figure because I can't have them asking for her hand in marriage yet. (One of them actually has, yet I told him to go or else I'd unleash a flock of cuccos on him.) She's far too young to be worrying about such things.

Relena has begun healing from her imprisonment by Ren, and it seems that Sheik has taken notice of her in new ways as well. I suppose there'll be another wedding on the horizon after mine and Zelda's. Hyrule hopefully won't be lacking an heir by the time Relena and Sheik finally realize their obvious feelings for one another.

My father and mother have moved to the Fortress in order to try to be close to me, and they've since become two of my best friends in the entire world. I can only wish that they'd been able to see me grow up into who I am today, but I know that I am who I am today in part because of my evil adoptive father, Ganondorf.

Still, they're wonderful to me now, trying to make up for lost years and giving me whatever advice they have to offer.

The Gerudo accepted me as their leader, much to my surprise after Ganondorf's demise. They laid aside their weapons when they could have continued against me; they acknowledged me as their rightful ruler. That honored me beyond imagination because I finally felt like a true Gerudo, regardless of my Hylian heritage and light skin.

No matter how many lives I've taken and how much I feel like a monster sometimes, I feel this lightness in my heart – like I'm where I'm supposed to be. And that's a satisfying feeling to me.

As we wrap up the terms to our peace treaty, we both stand and shake hands before and after signing our names on the paper.

"That's it?" I question.

Sheik nods, "I think that's it."

I breathe in deeply before repeating, "That's it."

Nabila beams, "With this treaty, now we, the Gerudo, and you, the Hylians, are family." Her tones are more mature than two years ago, and I know that that's not the only thing that's changed in the past two years.

My two Triforce pieces glow brighter, and I nod in firm confirmation, "Yes, we're family."

Given the go ahead from Sheik, Zelda crosses over to where I'm located and wraps her arms around me. Nabila is all smiles, and Sheik looks proud as he surveys the final product of our time together, the completed treaty.

Nabooru lays down her scimitars before accepting her baby as my niece begins to cry for her mother. Aziz wraps an arm around his wife as well, looking upon his small family fondly.

"I'm proud of you, Link – we're going to be able to heal together," Zelda whispers into my tunic.

This causes me to smile as well, "I'm proud of us, Zelda." Our Triforce pieces begin to glow even brighter. I nudge her slightly as we both look into the blue sky above us.

Two birds, one crimson and one a blue-ish purple, soar through the sky, making dazzling swoops and twists as they fly together, always with the other and never alone.

~~~

Total Word Count:

1,172