Chapter Seventeen

Link followed the three-year-old girl, Avylon, across the drawbridge of Old Hyrule Castle. It had been fifteen years since defeating Vidoreh, and a lot had happened since then. Link had slowly gotten used to being king, and there were days when he longed for the simple life of a hero, or better yet, Protector. He was still all three, and at times the stress of it all drove him up the wall. It was then that he took refuge in Old Hyrule Kakariko, where the Sheikah there knew better than to bug him.

Link looked up at the sky, noting how its colors were turning a dusky purple. It would soon be time. The clouds threw pink highlights into the purple. It had rained earlier, and he feared that he wouldn't be able to do what he had been planning to do, what had become tradition fourteen years ago. But the rain and sky had cleared. Only the puddles remained, and it was to one of these puddles that Avylon was heading.

"Oh no you don't, Avy," Link said, scooping up the little girl into his arms before she made a real mess of her dress (already the hem was wet). She squealed with laughter, her blue eyes that contained only a hint of purple lighting up. Link kissed her cheek and she hugged him as best she could with her small arms. Link continued on with Avylon in his arms to the gatehouse across the small field next to the castle. There, on top of the gatehouse – the only dry place, but also the place they always had this tradition – sat Zelda and a five-year-old boy, who was named for his grandfather. Yes...the boy's name was Conrad. On either side of the wide, flat arch that went over the actual gate were railings so that the two children wouldn't be in danger of falling.

Zelda looked up from what she was doing and frowned. "Did she get into a puddle?" she asked as Link set Avylon down before sitting next to Zelda. The little girl sat next to her brother and they both watched Zelda's swift hands fold and crease a large sheet of paper.

"She's fast. She got to the puddle before I realized what she was doing." He looked up again. The clouds had faded from pink to purple, and the sky was getting darker.

"Father?" Avylon's small voice broke the silence.

"Yes, Avy?" Link replied, looking back at Avylon.

"Can you make it glow again?" the little girl asked. Link scooped her up once more, settling her in his lap. He took her left hand in his left hand. Zelda paused in her folding, a smile on her lips, watching Link and Avylon. A moment later, the Triforce on Link's hand lit up with the two triangles glowing brighter than the third, and a second after that, a smaller Triforce on Avylon's hand glowed with all three triangles glowing equally.

"Mama says it is the sign of the Protector," Avylon said.

"She's right," Link said, glancing at Zelda. "You will become the Protector, and Conrad will become king." Conrad grinned at hearing this. Silence once more reigned, and Link looked down at the two Triforce symbols that glowed on through the night.

"Are you going to help me, Link? We still have two more to make." Zelda's sweet voice cut through Link's thoughts.

"Maybe," Link teased. Zelda rolled her eyes and grinned. Avylon got off Link's lap as he pulled a sheet of paper closer.

For a while, Link and Zelda talked quietly, folding their sheets of paper. The elaborate folds soon turned the paper into lanterns. As Link was putting the final touches on the four lanterns he and Zelda had made, the sky became fully dark. Link looked up. The stars shone brightly, but there was no moon. Avylon, curled up in her mother's lap, was nearly asleep when Link said, "It's time to light the lanterns."

"Father, can I light mine this year?" Conrad asked.

"Only if you're very careful," Link replied. He handed Conrad a long, thin stick and stood next to his son as he lit first the stick with the fire from a small candle and then his lantern's small candle. The young prince then carefully handed the long match to Zelda, who swiftly lit her and Avylon's lanterns. Finally, Link lit his and blew out the match. The way the lanterns were designed they would float up after a while of having a candle lit underneath; the warm drafts caused it to rise.

"Why do we light the lanterns?" Avylon asked.

"It is to celebrate the long years of peace in Hyrule," Zelda explained. "Since your father returned the peace, we have always lit the lanterns."

"And as long as there is peace in Hyrule, this tradition will go on," Link added, watching as Conrad's lantern slowly lifted into the air. The two children were riveted. Once all four were airborne and floating up to the starry sky, Link lay back, his hands supporting his head. He watched the glowing lanterns grow smaller and smaller, while his thoughts drifted to those who he knew would be sending the lanterns off this night as well...

In Kakariko, Ty and his young family would be lighting the lanterns alongside Nathan, Nenah, Camilla, and Vorges. Deep in Kokiri Forest, Saria and the rest of the Kokiri would send out their lanterns as well. And in the Twilight Realm, Midori, Rodezant, and their son, Rody, would join in, though their lanterns wouldn't be seen by any in Hyrule. Leaders of the various tribes would also send up their lanterns, as they, too, were responsible for making the peace of Hyrule last.

"Link, I see more," Zelda said, as she lay down next to him, with Avylon and Conrad on either side of her. Link looking in the direction she was pointing.

Ten lanterns floated up in the air. "They're coming from Kakariko...but why are there so many?" Link wondered.

"Maybe there are more Sheikah joining in this year."

"Maybe." Link sighed. Another group of lanterns joined the sky, and Link knew these were the Kokiri lanterns.

As the night wore on and the lanterns grew smaller until they seemed like stars, Conrad and Avylon fell asleep. Link sighed peacefully, before sitting up. "Maybe we should take them to bed," he said. Zelda nodded and stood, picking up Avylon. Link stood as well, hoisting his son into his arms. He and Zelda walked slowly back to the castle, avoiding the left over puddles.

Once they had put their children to bed, Link and Zelda sat out on the balcony next to their room, still watching the starry sky. Zelda leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I forgot to tell you," Link said. "I saw Midori yesterday."

"You did?"

"Yeah. She told me something interesting. Apparently, since Kaldari changed her ways and all that, she's been in Hyrule a lot more often than we realized."

"Is that a good thing?"

"I guess. She's found someone, a Hylian, to talk to and he's helped her out. And now, as Midori told me, the two have fallen in love."

Zelda lifted her head off Link's shoulder. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Do we know him?"

Link nodded, a smile crossing his face.

"Well, who is he?"

Link chuckled a bit. "She's fallen in love with Nathan."

For a moment, Zelda stared at him. "You are joking with me," she stated in that usual manner of hers.

"I wish I were. But I met Midori in Kakariko, and saw the whole thing with my own eyes. A Twili and a Hylian...it's a bit of an odd couple, but those two are closer than anyone would have imagined." He laughed again.

"That reminds me of another couple I know," Zelda said.

"What couple?"

Zelda looked him in the eyes and smiled softly. "Us. We were smitten the moment we met."

"That's true." Link grinned, thinking back on all the days he and Zelda had spent together, on the days when they traversed Hyrule in search of the six Sages, on the day he surprised her by proposing...

He lowered his face to hers and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed back. After a moment, they broke apart, but only slightly. Zelda's arms were still around Link's shoulders. Link kissed her forehead and whispered into the night: "What would I do without you?"

Author's note: So here it is, the last chapter of The Protector. I hope you all enjoyed reading this story. Thanks to those of you who reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story. And a sepcial thanks goes to Llwynog the Bard for reviewing the previous chapter. If you liked this one, then check out my other stories as well if you haven't already. I will be posting soon a Spirit Tracks fanfiction, so keep your eye out for it!

Until next time!

~TwiliRupee~