Author's Note: Of course I'd finally hit 100 Reviews just as the story's about to end. Oh well.

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Anyway, I'd like to thank patricksarnott for following the story, and me as a writer; as well as Beemerz for both following the story and adding it to their Favorites List.

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And now the Reviews...

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mattbalser01: Where's Wizzro?

ultimateCCC: Well I guess that would make it twice that Ganondorf's been kicked in the "jewels", lol.

Ultimate blazer: Good- that's what I wanted you to think.

Guest: Now normally, I wouldn't respond to a Review from an earlier chapter. But since you're my 100th Review, I'll make an exception. I understand your frustration, but to be fair, the goal they were both set on, didn't include the death of the other trying; Link was trying to complete the Triforce, and Zelda was just defending herself. Link also never hated Zelda, he just just pissed off, wanted nothing to do with her. And why would I have Link willingly adopt a Human child? You're basically telling me I've written him to be inconsistent, yet you're presenting a scenario that makes even less sense. And as far as his relationship with Zelda goes, in Chapter 21, he already realized he was at fault. What he saw that chapter let him relate to Zelda on a personal level, after seeing that she's been through worst than him, which was why his feelings changed. I'll go ahead and admit that I messed up with Chapter 22, but since then, the only thing out of the ordinary that would imply feelings beyond respect for her happened in Chapter 29. And why in the world would Zelda have to explain anything to Link when he was the one who attacked her first? Moreover, what reason would he have to not trust her when she basically outright TOLD him multiple times that she needed him?

Final Chapter: Aftermath

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The idea that was Kakariko Village originated over a dozen millennia ago, by one of Impa's ancestors. The village was originally open only members of the Sheikah Tribe, though it has opened its doors to other races during most of the many downfalls in Hyrule's history. The location, though, has been mostly unfaithful, having been changed on multiple occasions throughout its existence. The most recent instance occurred shortly after Impa took the reigns as chieftain. After the relocation, Impa ordered that no Sheikah be allowed to leave the village. Though she gave consistent reasoning for her actions on several occasions, her people labeled them as acts of cowardiceb and her, unpatriotic.

Zelda and her companions were brought to this village with no time to look around, for the second the flash produced by the Deku Nut Sheik used vanished, the Princess and her allies found themselves in a place Sheik called a "medical facility", where they received immediate medical attention.

Zelda sighed as she was lowered from Link's back onto a wooden chair. The sight of Impa being lowered into some sort of container caught her attention.

"Not to worry." Sheik told her, the tanks you see are full of fluids that accelerates the healing process."

"Yes." a doctor followed as he sealed Impa inside, "However, it won't heal cranial injuries- we have to keep her head out of the liquid so she can breathe."

Link spared a worried glanced around the room as more doctors entered, "Where's Linkle?" he asked.

"In there." Sheik replied, a finger pointed at a tank next to the one that held Impa.

Near the head of the tank, the was a small glass window, allowing the light of a blue glow to light the ceiling above in a circular shape. Inside, Link could see the round face of his sister. Her eyes were closed, and the blood that had been flowing from her nose had been wiped away.

"We could've used a fairy from up the mountain," a doctor spoke as he approached, "but a lot of people prefer more traditional methods, so we put her in here."

"What's a fairy?" Link asked.

"A creature that can heal just about injury in seconds. They can even ressurect the dead."

Link turned to the doctor, "Really?!"

"Well-, yeah, but you would have to use it right away. It won't work on anyone who's been dead for too long."

Link sighed.

"Would you like to try one out?"

"...Sure."

Another doctor, a woman, approached the boy with a bottle containing the ball of light that was the center of discussion.

"Here you go." she said.

Link eyed the fairy as it float within the confines of the bottle. It almost seemed to stare back at him. He brought the glass closer, and, in one swift motion, he opened the bottle, and rushed the fairy into his mouth.

The doctor gasped, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Link held the creature down with his tongue as he spoke, "I'm using the fairy. What's it look like?"

"But-...you're not supposed to eat it..."

The boy froze, "...Oh..."

He opened his mouth to allow the fairy to exit from within.

Zelda burst into laughter.

Link turned to her, his face red, "Stop laughing!"

The Princess continued her fit, hugging herself as she leaned to the side. She just barely manage to avoid falling out of her chair.

"Here." Midna said as she guided the orb back toward Link, "You're supposed to touch it. With your hands."

Link followed the simple instruction, prompting the fairy to circle his body at an increasing speed. It rose as it did so, vanishing once it ascended above his head.

"Where did it go?" he asked.

"We don't know. Our researchers are still trying to figure that out."

"Your what?"

"Your Majesty," a young, female, doctor cut in, "would you like to use fairy as well?"

Zelda glanced up at the woman, caught off guard by her usage of "Your Majesty", a labeled she usually used on her father and mother during their life.

"Your Majesty?" the doctor repeated.

"Er-, yes, I would like to use one as well."

The doctor was handed the bottle over before returning her attention to the Princess, "I have to say, Your Majesty, you look amazing your your age! I-If you don't mind me asking, what moisturizer do you use?"

"...What are you talking about? I'm only seventeen."

The woman paused, "Wha-... But-..." She forced a chuckled, followed by a respectful bow, "My apologies, Your Majesty, I never knew you had a sense of humor."

"But...I wasn't joking..."

"Yeah," Midna added, "And she doesn't have a sense of humor. Trust me."

Zelda continued, "I think you have me mistaken for my mother, the Queen."

The doctor glanced at Midna, then at Zelda, "But that doesn't make any sense- the Queen never had children..."

Zelda froze.

"Regardless," the male doctor interrupted, "you still need to treat that wound in her leg."

"Oh! My apologies, Your-...um...here's your fairy!"

Zelda stared forward, even as the fairy was let out of its bottle, and presented to her.

She must've misheard...it was impossible for the late Queen of Hyrule to not have had children- she was her child. She was even named after her... How could this be?

Zelda was snapped out of her doldrums as she was given a reminder to use her fairy. Even as she obliged, the feeling of pain leaving her body was lost to her, having been massively overshadowed by uncertainty.

"Your Grace." Sheik called as she approached with another, smaller, bottle containing a fairy, "I would like for you to keep this. However you go about taking the next step to reclaiming Hyrule, you may need it."

"Even after what you've heard," Zelda spoke, "you still refer to me by that title. Do you know something?"

"...All I know is that whenever Lady Impa spoke of you, she referred to you as 'the Princess' or by 'Her Grace'." Sheik leaned towards Zelda and whispered, "But Lady Impa isn't very mentally stable."

"What do you mean?"

Just then, the tank containing Linkle opened on its own.

"Linkle!" Link shouted as he dashed towards her. His hands dipped into the strange liquid encasing his sister as he pulled her body upward. Her tunic was still extremely bloody, though her wounds were gone. Strangely enough, neither her clothes nor her skin were wet.

"Linkle!" he called again as her head leaned to the side, her eyes still closed, "Can you hear me? Wake up!"

"Not so rough." a doctor told him.

Linkle's eyes cracked at first. A light groan warmed her throat as she placed a hand over the side of her head. She heard her named called again, before two arms wrapped around her. Once her eyes opened to their fullest, she was startled by the sight of people she didn't know, and immediately eased by the one she did.

"Brother?" she nearly whispered, "Where are we?"

Link pulled away, though his hands remained connected to his sister, holding her weary body in place, "Some place called a, um..."

"Medical facility." Sheik told him.

"You're in a hospital." a female doctor said from across the room.

Link nodded, "Yeah, what they said."

"Hey Linkle!" Midna called, "You should've seen it! Your brother tried to swallow a-"

"Shut up!" Link yelled as he nearly pounced on her.

Sheik turned to look at the male doctor, "How long until Lady Impa is healed?"

"It should be a few more minutes."

The Sheikah turned to face Zelda, "Your Grace, I don't know how you're going to proceed with reclaiming your kingdom, but know that I'm available to assist you in any way I can."

Zelda lowered her head, "Thank you..." she replied in an almost defeated tone.

In the few silent minutes that ensued, the doctors had all but left the room, leaving Zelda and her comrades the only ones present as they waited for Impa to emerge from her tank.

The lid opened, proceeded by the emergence of the Sheikah chieftain.

Zelda watched on, as her guardian was greeted by Sheik and Midna. There were many questions on her mind that she wanted asked, but in truth...she was afraid...afraid of what she might hear...

"Your Grace."

She jolted.

Impa knelt before her, her head lowered, "It pleases me to see that you're safe. However, time is of the essence- we must proceed before the Humans realize than Ganondorf is missing."

Zelda blinked. Her clouded mind was hindering any thoughts of anything Impa told her.

Impa mistook her silence as a sign of the worse, "You...did defeat him, did you?"

"Eh-, yes...he's vanquished."

"So what now?" asked Midna, "It's not like we can just barge into the castle- those Humans are weak, but there're a lot of them, and a good chunk of them have weapons."

...

...

"I have an idea." Zelda spoke. She dug into her chest armor and brought out a Deku Nut.

"Link."

"What?" he responded, his reddened face turned away.

"It is very important that you remain silent."

The boy frowned, "Why're you just telling me this?"

"Because, you complain very often about the flash these nuts make."

Midna snickered.

"What?" Zelda asked.

Midna looked away, "Nothing."

"...Anyway, this is one of the Deku Nuts Lana gave me that allows me to return to the basement of the castle. Once there, we can begin."

Midna turned to look at Zelda "Begin...what, exactly?"

"...The Humans aren't aware of Ganondorf's death. We could use that to our advantage. We could write a letter to a high-ranking Human official in the castle, giving the order to turn in their weapons."

"And why would they do that?"

"We could make it seem as though that Ganondorf wants to usher in an era of peace, since those who had been threatening the kindgom were defeated. If we execute the strategy the right way, we could leave the Humans defenseless, and unable to revolt when we demand they leave."

"'Leave'?" Linkle repeated, "But...where will they go?"

"Where they came from."

"What about the Humans here?" asked Sheik.

Link, Linkle, and Zelda all froze.

"There are Humans here...?" Linkle asked.

Sheik nodded, "Yes. Impa brought them here as children. Most of them are in their teenage years."

"Why would you do that?!" Link screamed at Impa, "Don't you know what those animals do?!"

Impa rose to her feet, turning her attention towards Link, "The Humans brought here were made orphans during the missions we went on in which either Zelda or myself would participate. The Humans we killed were mostly parents, meaning we would be leaving their children to die should we leave things as they were."

"And what's wrong with that?!"

"Would you truly have children punished for their parent's crimes?"

"You're damn right I would! Those bastards are all the same!"

"Sheik." Zelda's voice rose, "Are there any Humans in this hospital?"

"No. They live in another part of the village. It isn't very likely you'll see them unless you actively search for them."

"So wait," Midna cut in, "why do that to them, though? Wouldn't that make them feel segregated?"

"It isn't like they're alone- the Sheikah visit them very often. Some of them even live with them. We keep the Humans in a section of the village for the sake of the former slaves whom are also brought here. You see, most of the them suffer from a condition our researchers call post traumatic stress disorder. Most, if not all of them, had witnessed an event, or a compilation of events, that triggers their condition whenever they see a Human, or if they're exposed to a condition that reminds them of their times as slaves."

Linkle shifted uncomfortably. Sheik's words were reminding her of the time she had a panic attack after being placed inside a crate, as well as her fear of darkness.

The Sheikah continued, "When certain conditions are met, most of them will panic. Others will faint, scream as if they're being beaten or worse, or..."

She glanced at Link.

"...they'll lash out violently."

"Don't look at me like that." Link spat bitterly, "If you've seen the things they've done, you'd feel the same way I do."

"...Believe it or not, there are people here who have been through worse than you have. Through therapy, however, they have recovered, and some of them can even hold conversations with Humans regularly."

"I don't need any therapy!"

"This is going nowhere." Impa interrupted, "There are no Humans in this part of the village, so there's no chance of any of you seeing them."

Zelda continued, "The Humans here will be allowed to stay, but the others are beyond help at this point. If they don't adhere my demands, they will be exterminated."

Linkle lowered her head and stared into the strange liquid she was still sitting in. Was this really the only way?

"So how do we spread the word?" asked Midna.

"After we take their weapons, we'll no longer need to remain hidden. I will make the announcement that they have a week to leave. If any if them are still in Hyrule after the seven days, they will be killed where they stand."

Midna sighed, "I've gotta say, that's pretty ruthless of you, Zelda. Killing the Humans at those plantations was one thing, but those Humans you're gonna kill will be unarmed- they won't be able to defend themselves. I don't think I'd be able to harm them."

Zelda thought for a moment, "...My apologies. I know that ruthlessness is a trait a leader must possess at times, and I wish I could say that's the only reason I'm resorting to this, but-...after the life I've lived, it's malice and spite that make me more...willing to resort to this..."

"Well...it's not like they'll just up and leave if we ask them nicely. Maybe this is the only way. But what about the Humans that live in different parts of Hyrule?"

"I have that covered." said Impa, "I'll have a group of Sheikah spread the message to every corner of Hyrule. They're fast, so we won't have to worry about a certain group of Humans being given too much more time to gather their belongings than others."

"Excellent." Zelda nodded, "We have our plan. Does anyone have any objections?"

No answer...

"Very well. I'll start on the letter immediately."

The letter Zelda wrote was to be believed by the general Human population to have been written by Ganondorf. The letter consisted of "news" that the threat that was the sorceress and her "minions" had been defeated, leaving no threat to neither the kingdom, or the Humans themselves. The next section of the letter was deliberately placed to take advantage of the initial overjoy the readers would most likely be experiencing, by making the outlandish command to hand in all their firearms, and that they would have would have two days to do so. The next section delivered the promise of everlasting peace, lowering the chances of anyone questioning their orders by magnifying the emotions invoked by the first part of the letter. The two day period given to dispose of all firearms would be proceeded by a celebration in Castle Town, where Zelda would appear, armed, and give her terms. Leave, or die. The celebration was to be held the morning of the third day. Of course, though, not every Human would be able to make the celebration, which was Impa was having several members of her tribe spread the news.

Sheik was given the task of delivering the letter, as well as information on who to give it to by Zelda, who disguised herself as a commoner, and went into hiding in a small village in the outskirts of Hyrule. Once she overheard news of the order to hand in all firearms, she made her leave. The following day was spent at an inn in Kakariko Village. There, Zelda told Impa, Link, and Sheik to standby as she gave her demands to the Humans the next day. Should they suddenly attack her all at once, the three were to intervene, and take out as many Humans as it takes for the attackers to stop. During the following two week time period, the remaining plantations were to be liberated, and the Gorons still enslaved in the north would be rescued. After that, the monsters still pleaguing the fields near the villages as well as the Lizalfos in the north, who had worked under Volga, helping him keep the Gorons in check, were all to be exterminated.

The morning of the third day was anticipated like no other. Humans gathered near a large wooden platform set up in front of a large statue of Ganondorf in the town square, their numbers consisting of men, women, and children. The people had expected their king to address them with a speech before the celebration officially started.

But were, instead, greeted by Princess Zelda.

Zelda stood on the wooden stage, glaring down at the group of Humans who stared back with eyes full of confusion, lust, hatred, and much more. She could see that a chunk of the Humans brought a few of their slaves with them. She hasn't been in front of this many Humans since-...since...

"You damn sellout!"

"What the heck are you doin' up there?!" one shouted at her.

Another chuckled, "Hey, remember when she used to perform for money? Maybe Lord Ganondorf's got a show planned for us!"

"Boo!" a loud one shouted, "I say she takes off all that crap on her chest and give is a real show!"

Most of the Humans burst into laughter.

"Enough of this foolishness." a Human near that back of the crowd cut in. Upon a glance Zelda could see that the Human was dressed in fancy clothing, their height multiplied by the pair of slaves he was standing on. He continued, "Where is Lord Ganondorf?"

Zelda turned her back on the crowd, and glanced upward at the Ganondorf statue.

Suddenly, the bomb she had Sheik place on the nape exploded, completely destroying the head. Then, Zelda turned to face the dead silence behind her.

"Your king," she began, "Your precious 'Lord Ganondorf' has died- by my hand, he is no more."

"LIAR!" a Human screamed, "You filthy Elves aren't capable of defeating a man of Lord Ganondorf's calib-"

"Silence." Zelda interrupted, her Rapier manifesting in her hand. She pointed the tip into the crowd, "You will not interrupt me again."

Silence...

She continued, "You are looking at the new ruler of this kingdom. You are all at my mercy, and will follow my orders at the risk of immediate execution."

More silence...

"S-So what do you want?" a Human asked.

"You all have one week. One week to relinquish ownership of any and all slaves under your possession. You are then to gather your belongings, and leave this country."

"'Leave'?" a Human repeated, "But-...where will we go?"

"From whence you came."

"BULLSHIT!" a Human shouted, "You're spewing bullshit! You can't force us out of our homes!"

"Ganondorf and his allies are dead. There isn't a single firearm left in all of Hyrule. I ask you, who can possibly stop me?"

"You-... You bitch! So you're the one who wrote that letter that told us to destroy all our weapons!"

"Yes."

Just then, a Human rushed the stage, and charged at Zelda. Without hesitation, she turned and swung her blade, slashing him across the throat. She turned to the gasping crowd as the body fell behind her.

"I have given my demands." Zelda told them, "If you are not gone after seven days, you will be hunted down and killed. And trust me- I'll know if any of you are still here. Now leave."

Zelda could feel the collective mood of the crowd before her dampen. As it began to disperse, she listened to the variety of sentences spoken, some of which ranging from, "Where are we gonna go, Mommy?" to "That cocky little bitch'll pay for this someday, just wait."

The news of Zelda's orders spread across Hyrule like wildfire. One day had passed, with the second seeing several protests across the kingdom. Rioters destroyed, vandalized and even burned property. These protests were quelled almost immediately, when members of the Sheikah, under Zelda's orders, killed the organizers of almost every event. Zelda made sure that the Humans were told that the Sheikah tribe members were acting under her orders- she wanted them to fear her, so she would be sure they'd never return. She used the protests as an opportunity to show the Humans that she had others working under her, which she hoped would further discourage them from returning. She also took it upon herself to visit several of the larger villages in person, alongside Sheik, and other Sheikah. The rapier she held in her hand during every visit served as a silent reminder of their alternative to leaving their homes behind.

There were Humans who tried to bargain with Zelda as well. The tried to either defeat her in combat, or in a battle of wits, neither of which ending in their favor. There were two reasons why Zelda decided against ending the lives of those who challenged her. One being that a good amount of them happened to be younger than her (which, in itself, was reason enough for her to not kill them), and the other was so they could wallow in their defeat, which she hoped would enforce the message to they, and all onlookers, that leaving was their only choice.

Most of the Humans were long gone after the passing of the seven days they were given. The ones who were honestly running late were shown mercy, and were given the rest of the eighth day to leave. However, several groups of Humans went into hiding, but were immediately found and wiped out.

Also, within the first two days of the seven day period, the remainder of the slaves were freed, and brought to Kakariko Village. Many slave owners executed their slaves as an act of defiance, but were then, themselves, executed. Some slaves actually caught wind of their owner's lack of weaponry, which inspired them to revolt. Some groups have their former masters as slow and painful a death as possible; others tied them up and left them to starve, though Zelda had them released, and allowed them to leave; and other groups simply left, deciding to not stoop to their former owner's level. A larger team of Sheikah, accompanied by Zelda and her remaining companions, ventured to the northern mountains to rescue the Gorons. After a lengthy battle with the Lizalfos there, it was discovered that the Goron population had dwindled to a mere handful. Zelda speculated that this revelation was what caused Impa to suddenly go silent for the rest of that day. For what reason, though, neither she, nor Sheik, would reveal.

After the Humans were gone from Hyrule, another three days had passed before talks began of rebuilding the kingdom. Castle Town, alongside every village aside from Kakariko, was burned to the ground. Hyrule Castle was spared this fate, however, since it was the only Hylian-made construct that remained from the years before Ganondorf took control of Hyrule.

Zelda wished desperately to go and see her people, but she felt that she should focus solely on overseeing the renovation of Hyrule Castle, as well as the reconstruction of Castle Town and, later, the other villages.

Although...perhaps it was best that some of the former slaves didn't see her...

Zelda stood on a hill, miles away from Castle Town. Even from this spot she could see how the castle stood tall and proud, despite the horrors it had undoubtedly seen over the years. It was on this very hill where she stood as a fourteen year old girl, her sword pointed in the castle's direction as she vowed that she would take back her kingdom. She took her first deep breath of freedom, and let a wistful smile spread across her face. Hyrule's recovery process would definitely be a long one, drenched in hardship. She opted to allow the former slaves to rest through it all, though a good amount of them insisted on helping her rebuild Hyrule, which greatly moved her. Between her, her people, and the technologically advanced Sheikah, she knew that her dream of a free Hyrule was attainable. But for now...

Zelda returned to the castle. Within it's depths, was a courtyard, which she won ownership of after the second instance in which she engaged in combat for the purpose of keeping what little freedom she had at the time. The Human who had wished to own her happened to own this courtyard, which was why Zelda offered the stipulation that, if she won, it would be hers. Though she couldn't bring herself to admit it, she mainly did this out of spite, as she knew she had no plans of using the courtyard.

At least...not until now...

Zelda used the courtyard for the first time in the year since she won ownership of it. It remained untouched, though, outside of the the removal of the portraits of its previous owner. The one addition Zelda did finally make, however...was the grave in the center.

Impa emerged into the courtyard from inside the castle. She went to call for her superior, but hesitated. She moved to stand beside her. As she followed Zelda's downward glance, she subconsciously read the tombstone beneath them. It simply read...

..."Lana"...

"Impa..." Zelda suddenly spoke.

The Sheikah looked at her, "Yes, Your Grace?"

"I don't want you to think of this as an order...but a request instead. When I pass...can you bury me next to her?"

Impa glanced down at the tombstone. She could almost see her late companion seated on top of it, waving at the two with a smile.

"...Yes...I will."

The most important lesson Lana taught Zelda was to "keep moving". It was a lesson the sorceress taught her during combat training, but it was especially applicable to her current situation. She didn't have to let go of the pain of the past, but she didn't have to let the pain hinder her. Instead, she would take her previous hardships and learn from them. As they stay fresh in her mind, as well as the fields of Hyrule, she would use them, and with them, Hyrule would usher in a new era- an era of peace, an era where children can grow, and be whatever they want to be, with nothing holding them back. And as long as there are those who thought the way she did, this dream would never perish.

However...the greater the light of hope shined, the greater the shadow it projects...

*sniff*... *sniff*

The Skull Kid sat atop a stump, wiping away at its face. It had recently made its first friend in years...

But with every hello...the was always a goodbye to follow.

"Thank you..."

The Skull Kid smiled, "Well...at least I was able to help her find her way... That's what friends are for...right?"

"Hey, kid."

After a startled jump, the Skull Kid turned to look over its shoulder. The glance revealed an strange creature dressed in violet robes, adorned with macabre ornaments. In one of its rising hands was a heart-shaped object, outlined by spiky protrusions upon a closer look, it appeared to be some kind of...

...mask...

"It's okay," Wizzro spoke with an ominous smile, "I'll be your friend."

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The End...

Author's Note: Any questions this chapter has left you will be answered...eventually.