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Zelda - The Winged Ones - ch15

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The Legend of Zelda
The Winged Ones
Chapter 15: Loss and Life

Link once again awoke in the safety of home, he was in the center of the large bed, wings carefully laid out and folded at either side of him under the sheets, his now lightened gold hair strewn across the pillow. His face bore the faint marks of the Tenshioni, the marks of the demon half.
Navi was curled up asleep in his hair. He was barefoot and in crisp clean night pants but no shirt due to his now permanent winged form.

Added to his collection of faded rosy scars was the red scar of the demon. A huge crimson gash deep in his flesh, dealt to him upon the healing of a wound that was cursed to never heal. A wound that brought him within the grasp of death only to be saved by a drastic choice.

Link's body was numb but a deep feeling of loss wrenched at his heart causing him to feel a pain that his nerves could not "Kaepora…" he whispered softly not looking away from the ceiling, his eyes adjusting to the light. Kaepora was the last thing he saw and the last voice he heard.
"He is home." said Zelda who sat beside him. "And so are you." she said touching him gently but taking her hand away as he winced closing his eyes and looking away.

As Link opened his eyes again he saw the Ocarina of Time on the nightstand, Zelda had put it there knowing that in all this time he had never let it out of his sight, even during the Wind Temple he had it stashed in is side bag.

Link's gaze returned to Zelda, his eyes silently asking her to continue,

"He is restoring his land, the old wolfose at the Ice Caverns was still alive. The beast was relieved of its life long duty of keeping the Tenshioni alive as another took his place. The poor old thing is on the hill at the back of the castle…he was too weak to make it back to the land of snow so we offered to let it spend the last of its days here, protected and under the sun it had not seen in so long…"

"His family…?" Link said weakly, the plight of Kaepora being taken from his family struck Link deeply for his son was the greatest gift life had ever gave him "They still sleep, he will release his family when their home is restored…he told me that it will take some time…"
Link said no more, the hero laid unmoving as he closed his eyes and quickly fell back into a death-like sleep.






Link laid bedridden for more than a week.
During this time his body and soul learned to live again.

Chirin was by Link's side nearly constantly as he recovered, sometimes trying to entertain Link, sometimes just sleeping on the floor next to the bed atop the bench cushion he stole from the other room…Chirin wanted to stay close to his father…And Link welcomed the company for loneliness seemed to wrench at his chest causing a pain to grip him from within, and it grew worse when he was alone.

Though the boy had endured much hardship alongside his father Chirin recovered quickly, he had the strong spirit of his mother. Even witnessing the near death of his father was not enough to break his optimistic nature.
Once again Link found himself in the presence of someone with more emotional strength than his own…But this time Link's soul was more than just battle weary, the upset to his inner self went much deeper than what Zelda healed as they grew up together.
However,  it seemed that the only thing that could help Link feel like his old self was staying close to Zelda and their child. His connection with them was the only thing keeping his sanity in check.




Several more days past, Link awoke alone in in his room, one arm and one wing slung over the side of the bed with his hat in his hand. Link found only Navi nearby, the fairy was sitting in his hair untangling it strand by strand.

Realizing that Zelda had mentioned she would be out for the day Link decided he had enough of this lifestyle of sheets and pillows and today would be the day he got up even though Zelda had insisted he stay put for a few more days to fully recover.

Link stepped out of bed nearly falling as his feet touched the floor for the first time in so long, catching himself on the nightstand as Navi silently fussed over him. Link left his hat aside and took the ocarina from the nightstand and put it in his pocket.

He passed the great mirror on dresser by the door and stopped, this was the first time he had seen his new self.
His hair was blonde but very pale, the Oni marks were light on his face…and it was now that he saw just how much smaller his wings were.
If one had never seen his full Tenshioni form they would think the wings were quite large, but they were now nearly half the size.
     His wings used to tower over his head when folded at his back, the tips used to be so long that he had to curl their massive length to the front or back of him to keep the plumage out of the way and off the ground. Now his wings when folded were not much taller than his own head, and the tips when held straight were inches above the ground.

Link stared at the scars on his body, not long ago in a time of peace he had assured Zelda he had no intentions of adding to his collection of scars, but now he had one that overshadowed them all and made the worst of his old scars seem tame.

Link looked at the scar on his neck and touched it, before now this was his most deadly mark. The scar on the side of his neck was obtained when the Shadow of Link first appeared in the future that almost was, nearly slitting his throat in battle…Link had only just barely won that time… he already felt lucky to be alive each day because of what happened with Dark.
After that trial in the Water Temple Link had hoped to never suffer like that again, to never lay wounded and helpless in the hands of the help of others unsure of his own survival.
He had hoped to never stare death in the face again, but now he has for the second time.

Link studied the gash on his chest, he touched it, feeling the indentations in his flesh. He grimaced at the sight…once again that deep sense of longing and loneliness began to wash over him along with the pain…it was worse than before, it gripped at his heart making his eyes grow harsh and cold, the kindness of the hero fading from his soft blue eyes.
Navi landed on Link's shoulder, snapping him out of the darkness he was transcending into. Link smiled at Navi, at the little companion who stayed alongside him during his trials in the future that almost was. "Thank you." he told the fairy "For what?" she said confused, she had merely landed there to sit on him, she had no idea what was going on within "uhhh Nothing." Link said not wanting to cause alarm having realized the fairy had no clue of the dark place his mind had just wandered into "I am just so glad to have you back." he said sincerely, the little fairy nuzzled herself under his ear.

Link looked back to the mirror and thought about what had just happened, "Why do I feel this way!? There is too much for me to be grateful for, too much for me to give in to the downsides of the choice I have made….but why, why can't I keep this darkness at bay…"

Link staggered unsteadily down the hall, Navi followed silently, resisting the urge to finish untangling his hair. Link stopped and stared at one of the decorative suits of armor, he swiped it's spear using the staff to help steady his weak gait.  The tile floor was cold under his bare feet as he made his way to the back of the castle.

The hill in the field was covered in snow despite the fact it was late spring.  A white and withered wolfose laid wearily at the top, its posture spoke of stiffened bones and pain, the great creature was slowly dying.

Epona and her daughter Fillea came running as Link approached the gate and they followed him close, Epona nudging at the ocarina in his pocket for she liked to hear him play "In a moment" he said stopping to stroke the graying mare's face, he looked towards the hill, a feeling of sadness gripping him again as he gazed upon the frail old wolfose.

Link climbed the hill, the crunch of snow under his bare feet. Epona and Fillea had stopped at the edge of the grass. Link sat next to the wolfose who looked at him with pleading eyes "I know…" Link said as the wolfose laid it's head in the snow still looking at him. "Thank you…" Link said, the voiceless creature responded by closing it's eyes and sighing.
Link took out the ocarina and played a song he had learned in another land, a song that brought peace to the dying and repaired tormented souls, the Song of Healing.

The wolfose sighed a deep sound of relief and its form slowly faded into a swirl of dust. The dust gathered to one small spot at Link's side. The hero looked down with curious shock at the unexpected item, a mask had formed in the now melting snow.

He picked it up, wondering if it held the same properties as the Goron, Sheikah, Deku, Zora and Oni mask, but not daring to try it…Link never again wanted to experience a transformation. His soul had been in so many forms and now the form his spirit rested in was forever torn between worlds, he dared not split himself three ways.

Link climbed down the hill sliding in the slush of the now melting snow nearly falling, he would have fallen and been coated in mud if it weren't for Epona. The ever faithful horse hand bounded to his side and Link caught his fall on her flank. Epona walked slowly back to the gate, supporting the only person she ever let be called her master, the only person whose soul was kind and calm enough to reach out to hers.

Link slowly made his way back to his room and tenderly added the wolfose mask to the trunk of items under his bed. He added this new mask to the collection he had brought home form the land of Termia, many of which still held the hurt and sorrow of others…

Link looked at the Goron and Zora masks and remembered how he had healed their broken souls. He put a hand to his chest "Perhaps mine is broken as well…" he thought "Will my end be the same as theirs…? Is the song of Healing the only relief I can find…"
Link snapped himself out of that dark thought, Chirin and Zelda meant to much to him, he must push on and find a way to live with the new emptiness that laid within.


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It took a year for the magic of the wolfose to bring the land of snow back to its frozen splendor. The Ice dragons had returned from whichever expanse of land they had retreated to, so far from Hyrule that Kaepora was forever unable to find them.
With aid of their wings Link had sent volunteers and paid workers from his kingdom to help restore the kingdom of the Tenshioni, they planted trees and restored houses, even the Temple of Wind was on its way to recovery.



It also seemed to take Link a year to get used to the new form he was left as a result of Kaepora's desperate move to save his life.

The wings he had in his new form were now smaller than those of a true Tenshioni, this meant they did not get in the way as much but they still proved to be a burden. Shirts became an interesting task, as did riding horseback, windy days, sitting in his throne, and swimming. Daily life changed for the hero for even simple acts like sleeping came with new problems thanks to his feathers… and lets not even get started on how hard grooming became thanks to his permanent plumage, or how Zelda had to learn to tolerate the smell of wet feathers that filled the palace every time Link bathed.

Link's new body also came with another price to be paid, one that dashed his dreams of a larger family. Chirin was the greatest blessing that life ever gave him....and it was his wish, as well as Zelda's, to have the future bless them with more new lives to cherish.
But Link's wings were such a heavy burden that he did not wish to bring another life into this world cursed with wings that could not fly, forever taunted by the fact they were so close and yet so far from experiencing something as wonderful as flight.
  Furthermore things may not turn out too pleasant for Zelda in the end, Hylians are not meant to be born with wings. Bringing a new life into the world was not worth risking the life of another.
Link had grown up without a mother and it would tear him apart if he had to watch Chirin do the same.


In addition to troubles caused by his new form Link found he could only just barely and clumsily get off the ground on his now smaller wings which proved to be utterly useless.  Link fought the urge to let this deter and depress him. He began working on honing and strengthening what little remained of the Tenshioni magic he once held with such strength. Link's hope was that one day he could use magic to restore full use of flight, if he has to live with these cumbersome things they might as well be useful…however, all his attempts at flight have failed.

  But the hardest thing of all for the hero to learn to live with was the loss of his inner peace. As the two forms merged a seam laid between them at his core, a void that upset the balance within. Gone was the deep and true serenity he once had for now a deep sense of longing and emptiness was always present at the back of his mind, a feeling that at times gripped at his heart and brought his mind into dark places. This feeling left him sleepless in the night and disturbed him on a daily basis for it caused him great concern to be alone, afraid he may loose himself completely if no one was there to pull him from the brink.
As a result Link became so much closer to his family, it seemed that only their presence could hold these feelings at bay and because of this their bond grew ever stronger. Alongside his family Link was free to be his old self.




Despite the dark emotions that lingered over the irretrievable Hylian form he had surrendered, despite the pitfalls of his new body and the fact he could no longer even fly. Link had no regrets.
Through the hardships Link faced in his many quests he had learned to never squander a gift. The gift of life was the most import gift of all…and Link was the only person fortunate enough to say that this gift was taken from him and then graciously given back…

There was so much he had to live for, too much for him to ever regret having the gift of life returned to him, even if it did come at a cost.








And so a year had past, the land of snow was indeed a land of snow again, small trees and plants dotted the landscape, the Temple of Wind which also served as the home and palace of the Tenshioni Sage and King was half restored. New homes were built and crops were planted, animals had been restored to the land and a few cold cows provided by Malon of Lon Lon Ranch huddled in the snowy field alongside cuccos that were learning to adapt to the sensation of freezing toes.

The day had arrived, Kaepora was at the palace gates, his typical warm grin on his face. Link had not seen Kaepora since before that defining moment when the Sage used his abilities to forever bind Link with his wings, in the process saving his life and keeping his soul in this world.  

To one side of the sage stood Yubreit whose face lit up at the sight of Chirin. To his other side stood a small pack of giant wolfose, their companionship providing the cold he and his people would need to make their return to the land of snow. Link grinned to see the guards sneaking away from their posts to investigate the trail of frost that had followed the huge creatures, he laughed as one noticed the King was watching and slipped on the Ice.

Impa, Link Chirin and Zelda accompanied Kaepora, Chirin gleefully riding on Yubreit's back as the dragon pranced about. Together they made their way to the Ice cavern.

The wolfose had froze the water outside the entrance with a single touch of a paw. Ruto and a few Zora joined them seeing as how this was all happening right out their back door…that and Zora's domain needed time to thaw out after the wolfose had made their way through.

"The wings of light have prevailed" Kaepora chanted breaking the barrier that kept his people in an ageless slumber. Slowly his people emerged alongside the young wolfose,  the one who had taken on the task of sustaining an endless winter in the cave.

Rubbing sleep from their eyes the meager group of surviving Tenshioni stretched their wings and took to the sky in joyous celebration. Kaepora heard his name amidst the flying crowd and hooting with laughter Kaepora flew into his wife's arms, Kaepora's young son followed carrying his still flightless little sister. It was one big bear hug in the sky.



Impa smiled in spite of herself at the sight of the freed winged people. Her clan had tried to save the Tenshioni in repayment for what the winged prince had done to save them. But they had failed, and the result was the start of her clan's downfall. The Sheikah clan never held ill will towards this fact, but rather they felt responsible for what they thought was the death of a race.

The fact that Zelda had gone in the form of Sheik and played a part in restoring the winged race filled the wizened red eyed warrior with great happiness. For in the end the Sheikah in a sense were able to succeed in repaying the deed that the winged prince had done for them at the cost of his life.
And now her clan's history laid fulfilled in the end.



The small winged family landed. Link gazed upon Kaepora with his children. What Link now felt was different than before, for the first time Link saw more than just his mentor, Link saw Kaepora as the loving father and gentle King that the sage was always meant to be.
Link smiled, deeply happy, he never imaged that Kaepora's typical warm grin could get any warmer, but here he shone like the sun in the glow of his family.

Chirin was in his winged form, he had taken off the heavy coat his mother had insisted he wear and took on his Tenshioni form to enjoy the cold air that radiated off the huge wolves. He sat in the frost that was forming in the grass next to his father…Moments later the boy felt something breathing on his shoulder.

Behind him was Kaepora's little girl her cheeks pink as she blushed. Chirin was uneasy and whispered in a disturbed voice to his father "d…dad, why is she looking at me like that?!" Link looked at the blushing girl and had instant flashbacks of princess Ruto when they meet as kids. Link got an exasperated smile on his face and whispered back "I've seen that look before. Try to run." the girl moved closer, Chirin ran screaming in a peeved and desperate tone "Gaaaaaah! I don't wanna be kissed!" Link shook his head. "Too many memories."

Link watched as his son ran from the giggling love struck Tenshioni fledgling.
Life had not changed for Chirin, it was decided that he would live the same life he would have lived had he never obtained the Triforce. It was also decided that no one would be informed of the boy's state, it would be kept within the royal family including Impa and Kaepora.

The change in the world was subtle but it was there, the sacred realm reflecting the purity from within Chirin cloaked the world in a newfound tranquility…a tranquility that failed to reach Link's torn form.



Link walked over to where a wolfose was sitting with her chubby little pup whose size was half that of Epona despite just being a baby. Link sat down, as the hero sat alone in the forming snow he was caught again with a sense of loss as his soft blue eyes watched the grand wings that filled the air above. An unrest washed over him as his eyes grew harsh staring at their wings, his gaze cold and mean. The wolfose pup waddled up and sniffed his small wings, nudging them, the touch brought Link out of the grip of the dark attack. As the little pup laid at his feet Link's heart raced, the hero was not sure what just happened but what he felt worried him. Link wanted to spare his family from how the downfalls of his choice affected him, so he quickly regained his composure and tried to act as if nothing had happened.


Kaepora called for all to gather round for he had an announcement, the sage's daughter ran to his side and Chirin climbed down from the tree he had taken refuge in. "Our home has been restored. Link, the king of Hyrule sacrificed much to save us all, even sacrificing himself and his mortal form to restore our land. The form he has been left with is that of both his own and of our people, he may be trapped between forms but as far as I am concerned he fully is welcomed as a Tenshioni." he turned to face Link his face as sincere as anyone's can be "I am forever grateful to him." the crowd cheered and Link's face grew flush, he is more accustomed to being an unsung hero.

"Let us go home" Kaepora continued his warm smile huge on his face, wife at his  side with one arm around her "the next five days will be nothing but celebration!" the crowd cheered and began heading to the land of snow following the giant wolfose. Kaepora turned to Link "You've done so much for us, the least we can do is invite you to the festivities." a fierce cold wind blew making Link and Zelda shiver. Chirin walked up to his parents, his lips blue as he had taken on his Hylian form again in hopes that Kaepora's daughter would not recognize him. The shivering child asked for his coat back.

Link sighed "I know you thrive in the cold but we Hylians…and half breeds…enjoy being warm." there was another gust and it blew Link's hat off before he had a chance to stop it. Link's long light blonde hair toppled out over his shoulders, Ruto's eyes widened "Wow your hair is as long as Zelda's!" Ruto piped as Link ran after his hat "I never knew you had long hair." Link's face had an amusing look of embarrassment, he had never let his hair down outside the palace. "hmmm" said Ruto "I am not sure I like guys with long hair, and I was already iffy about the wings. I guess you are off the hook." she teased going back inside giggling over Link's exasperated expression.

  As soon as Link had tucked his hair back into his hat they said their goodbyes and headed back home. "Dad, why do you hide your hair?" Link looked at him "I've always had long hair and the Kokiri used to tease me about it… but Saria loved it, she was my only friend when I was your age, she adored my hair and used to braid it just for fun. Being my only friend in the whole world growing up I left it long to remind me of how much her friendship meant to me… Besides Navi loves it too, that is why she hides in my hat so much. She even builds little nests in there sometimes."
"Hey?!" Navi said popping out of his hat "That was our little secret!" she said flustered as Link grinned at her with a boyish smile.

Chirin cocked an eyebrow "So you hid your hair all this time just because you got teased?" Link looked at his son, Link said not a word but the look on his face said "you're right" and he took off his hat letting his thick long hair come down over his shoulders.
Navi grumbled over the loss of her sleeping space.

Link scooped up Chirin and put him on his shoulders, the boy's laughter washing away any trace of the dark emotions Link felt before.
The sun was sinking low on the horizon, Link sighed "Come on lets go home, we've got some one's birthday celebration to plan for." Chirin hooted in joy but then stopped suddenly and stiffly "Dad, just please don't invite that girl to the party." Link busted out laughing and Zelda rolled her eyes.

The small family of three began to make their way home under the warm glow of the setting sun…
Oblivious to the fact that a black feather drifted through the air behind them.
This is the Last chapter of part 1

Art for this chapter

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Poster for this fanfic

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You can also find links to each chapter there

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The grounds for a sequel have been set in these last few chapters...will a sequel be made?

Maybe...

If this story gets enough attention, if I see enough Zelda fans yearning for more of the new story I created for the characters we all know and love, then I will take the time to write a sequel.

I have a plot laid out for the sequel...I just need a lot of encouragement to dedicate the endless hours of having my butt in this chair to bring it to life.

EDIT: Story continued, 30 chapters in all :)
© 2011 - 2024 LilleahWest
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season10's avatar

I cannot wait what happens next!!!! YES YES YES YES YES