The New Chronicles of Hyrule: Two Suns

"Father."

Link looked up from the armory reports on the desk in front of him, to find himself looking up into the irritated golden eyes of his daughter. A blond brow arched as he contemplated her expression. She only got that particular look on her face for one reason and one reason alone... "Yes, Kisa?"

"They're still hiding in the Shadow Temple." Absently adjusting her dark grey tunic, Kisari flopped down in a chair across the desk from her father, draping her right leg over the arm as she lounged idly. "It's been nearly three weeks since she died, and I haven't even seen them leave the temple once!"

"They have, even though you haven't seen it." He barely bit back a laugh at Kisa's questioning look. "They've been visiting her tree every night."

Kisa fell silent, gnawing thoughtfully on her lower lip. The tree that sprouted up where Elenna died was less than a month old, but just a few days after its appearance, it was uprooted and taken to a secret area of the Kakariko Graveyard, where it could grow and flourish in peace. There, it proceeded to grow rapidly, and was already nearly as tall as most of the trees in Hyrule Field. However, it was unlike most trees, for its bark was a very light color, its leaves were tinted with grey, and there was even a hint of small violet blossoms high within its small branches. Undoubtedly, this was the hand of the Goddesses at work, urging the tree to grow more quickly to serve as a sort of memorial to Elenna. Kisa should've known the twins would never leave the last remnant of their mother unvisited. She sighed, then blinked, and narrowed her eyes at her father. "..How do you know that?"

"That's my little secret." Link smirked, and couldn't help a chuckle at the pout that permeated his daughter's features. "I'll tell you eventually."

Kisa snorted, her nose wrinkling. "Yanno, I really hate that word. Eventually. It makes everything seem so far away."

Rising from his chair, Link meandered around the desk, reaching out a hand to Kisa. She grasped his hand and stood, not even complaining as he pulled her close and hugged her. "I know you're worried about them, Kisa. But you have to give them time to deal with this. They lost their mother, and now all they have left is a father they don't even know, who refuses to see them."

"Which just makes him a big Sheikah chicken in my opinion..." Despite the fact that the words were muffled, spoken into the material of his green tunic where she had her face hidden against his shoulder, Link heard them easily and just laughed.

"I have to agree with you on that. I'll see if I can't talk to him, or get Zelda to." Kisa's head shot up at that, and she looked up at him with a grin that made the Hero of Time arch a brow. It was never good for anyone when the women in his life got that spark of mischief in their eyes.

"Ooh, if you sic Aunt Zelda on him, can I watch?" She bounced slightly, making Link burst into laughter.

"You're such a sadist sometimes... I'll only do that as a last resort. However, I may get her and your mother to talk to the twins." Lightly stroking her gold-streaked red hair away from her face, Link pressed a soft kiss to Kisa's forehead, then stepped back. "Now, don't you have training to do?"

Kisari rolled her eyes, but shot an affectionate smile at her father. "Yes, Father. I'll see you later."

Link settled behind his desk again as Kisa trotted out of his office, and couldn't help a grin. His daughter was a little too much like him for her own good.

--

Light streamed through the stained glass windows in the halls of Hyrule Castle, painting the stone floor in a mosaic of colors. Zelda mused that it was somewhat like walking on a rainbow, and the thought brought a small smile to her lips. Pausing, she glanced around to make sure no one was there to observe her, then lifted her voluminous skirts away from her feet with slender gloved hands, and began dancing through the sunbeams. Her soft laughter echoed in the empty hallways, until she spun around, and smacked face-first into a firm wall of cloth and flesh. She released her skirts with a startled gasp as she staggered backwards, only to find strong hands gently gripping her upper arms. Sapphire eyes darted upwards, to collide with a pair of gleaming emerald, even as a softly masculine voice fell from the lips of her savior. "You've always been such a child at heart."

"Yes, well, my heart is the only thing that still maintains a semblance of innocence." A blush suffused her pale cheeks as she placed her hands against the guard's firm chest, biting her lower lip with a giggle. She always felt like a schoolgirl around him. "And you seem to catch me most often when I have these moments of freedom."

"I enjoy seeing you like this." Once she was steady, he lifted a hand and cupped her cheek, stroking the soft skin. His head dipped, lips pressing to hers, his unruly brown hair falling down around his face, before he quickly drew back. "I miss you."

Zelda sighed, the dreamy smile that had appeared at his kiss fading into a small grimace. "I know, Ferren.. I miss you too..."

The sound of a door opening somewhere down the hallway made them both look towards the source of the noise, before their eyes met again. His lips claimed hers in another stolen kiss, before he reluctantly pulled back, and headed in the opposite direction. "I'll come to you when I can."

Silence surrounded the lovely Hylian as she watched the man who held her heart walk away. When she turned her gaze forward again, it was to find her son walking towards her with a vastly displeased expression. Gazing at Tyras, she considered how much like his father he looked. She was amazed no one made the connection between Tyras and Ferren.. they were undoubtedly similar in appearance. No one wanted to believe a Queen would choose to spend her cold, lonely nights with a guard. As Tyras came to stand before his mother, she arched a brow, peering up at him. "Is something the matter, Tyras?"

Tyras sighed, looking down at his mother as he frowned. "They haven't left the temple in weeks. I understand they're still grieving her, but staying holed up won't help."

Lifting a hand, Zelda pushed some of his unruly gold-laced brown hair back from his face, only to laugh softly when he promptly shook it back down to lay partially over his right eye. "I know you worry for them, Tyras, but these things cannot be rushed. You must give them time."

"I know, Mother." Tyras nodded, then abruptly swept his mother up in a hug, delighted by her laughter and playful protests that she be put down. After a moment, he set her on her feet again, then kissed her cheek. "Uncle Link said he wishes to speak with me. I'll see you later."

Zelda watched with undeniable amusement as her son trotted off, and unnecessarily brushed debris from her skirts, before she resumed her path to her study. The work of a Queen was never through.

--

The sun had just set when the two emerged from the Shadow Temple. Liru came to the fence first, and looked over his shoulder at his sister. She was nearly the spitting image of their mother, save that she had their father's vibrant crimson eyes, whereas Liru favored their father, in all respects save his eyes, which were Elenna's deep violet, and the lack of the tattoo around his left eye. Gazing thoughtfully at Kura, Liru then hopped the fence, and waited for her to join him. His twin landed silently, and as she straightened - she was only a few inches shorter than him - they clasped hands, and moved towards the small path that led to their mother's tree, hidden by a thick curtain of vines. "Tyras misses you."

"And Kisa misses you. Don't try to guilt trip me, I'll just turn the tables on you and you know it." Kura shot him a sharp look, and he rolled his eyes. His sister was so bloody obstinate sometimes. ..Correction, most of the time. Their footsteps resounded quietly off the stone walls around them as they moved through the tight passageway, before finally emerging into the substantial alcove where their mother's tree stood tall. Kura smiled, a rare expression for her, and reached out her free hand to lightly touch the tree's pale bark as she murmured. "Hello, Mother."

The tree trembled, and some of its branches seemed almost to reach towards them, as though responding to Kura's touch and voice. That was when they heard the gasp from behind them. The two siblings whipped around and simultaneously narrowed their eyes at the intruders. There stood Kisari and Tyras, who was aiming a glare at his cousin, even as she winced. "..Busted."

Liru felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips at the very childlike reaction from the Gerudo girl. Kisa always had been light-hearted and naive, despite her snarky, sarcastic exterior. But he ignored that, and looked over at his sister. Kura was livid, though she hid it behind a blank mask, her tone carefully neutral. "What are you two doing here?"

"We were worried about you. You've been holed away in the Temple since Elenna died." Tyras frowned as he stepped forward, his piercing sapphire blue eyes fixated on Kura. She unconsciously moved back, and he stopped, his eyes darkening with sadness. "Kura..."

"We understand you miss her, and so do we.. all of us do.. don't make us miss you, too..." Liru felt his heart lurch at the tone of sadness in Kisa's voice. He hadn't realized everyone was so hurt by their antisocial behavior. She looked at him with those golden eyes, and all he could do was.. stare.

Kura, however, scoffed quietly and tugged her hand out of her twin's grasp. "Well, thanks for your concern, but we'll return to the world of the living when we're ready to, not a moment before."

"Kura--" Tyras moved forward again, reaching for her, but he pulled back as she snapped at him.

"No, Tyras. Just.. go away. Leave me alone." The other three watched with a varied range of expressions as Kura fished a Deku Nut out of a pouch around her hips, and threw it to the ground. Hands rose to shield eyes from the blinding flash, and when they lowered again.. she was gone.

Liru glanced at Tyras, who looked.. utterly devastated, if not a bit annoyed. He grimaced. "I'm sorry, Tyras. I'm sure she didn't mean it."

"I know.. thanks, Liru." Tyras sighed, then shrugged uncomfortably as he turned and left. Kisa and Liru both watched him go, before the Gerudo turned her golden eyes back on Liru.. and gave him a dazzling smile.

"It's good to see you again." Her voice was soft, and for a moment, Liru was speechless. He'd forgotten how lovely she looked in the moonlight.

Rather than say anything like that, he just looked at the ground and shrugged uncomfortably. "Sorry. Kura.. didn't take Mother's death well. I haven't felt comfortable leaving her alone, and she's refused to leave the Temple."

Kisa surprised him by closing the space between them and wrapping her arms around him. For a moment, Liru was too stunned to move. Then his arms hesitantly came around her, hands resting on her back. "I understand, Liru. I just want you, both of you, to come back to us. We need you."

"I'll talk to her.. I'm sure she'll come around." Liru nodded, and lightly rubbed Kisa's back, only to let his arms fall as she pulled away.

"Good! Well.. I should probably go after Tyras.. I don't doubt he's upset. Don't be a stranger." She gave him another of those smiles, and waved, before turning and running off after her cousin. Liru sighed, and turned back towards his mother's tree.

And found himself face-to-face with what could have been his reflection.. if his eyes were crimson.