Rise of the Goddess

Chapter Ten - Aadil

He recognized his face in an instant, how could he not?

Miko had returned to Hyrule.

"Aadil?" Jira asked, watching his weird expression, and then followed his gaze across the room. She turned back to him with a grin, "What are you waiting for?"

He started at a walk, which quickly turned into a speedy trot that turned into a run. Despite himself, he was smiling wide at the sight of him.

Halfway across the room, Miko saw him and started running.

They met in the middle of the room with a kiss, one that quickly turned into a hug. Around them, the room seemed to go silent.

"I've missed you so much," he muttered.

"You have no idea,"

Aadil drew back, "Where have you been all this time?"

Miko's gaze fell to the floor, "It's uh—" he paused, "I was Faron,"

"All this time? Really?"

"Yeah,"

"What were you—? You just didn't reach out? Or anything?"

Miko frustratedly rubbed his forehead, "I screwed up, Aadil, I wasted ten years just hiding, from everyone, from everything," he said, "Now I just regret it all,"

Aadil took a step back as the information hit. There wasn't a reason at all? He had just been away, too afraid to come out? He could barely understand it, and was a little hurt by the thought of it. Hesitantly, he came forward again, and dropped it.

"I forgive you," he said, raising his chin, locking their eyes together, "And besides, now is not the time to be holding grudges. Especially against those we love,"

Miko smiled a little, then he looked up and his jaw dropped. Aadil turned to see what it was.

"Whoa," he muttered at the sight.

It was Zariah, looking more beautiful and more mature than he'd ever seen her before. She stood tall in an elegant flowing black gown, floral lace framing her neck and wrapping down her arms. She had some sort of golden necklace wrapped around her neck and her hair was completely entangled around some sort of beautiful golden headpiece looking like golden leaves and petals through her hair. Her clear blue eyes looked over the entire crowd, her deep red lips slightly opened as she breathed to steady herself.

But it wasn't her appearance that shocked Aadil, but the golden threads that streaked from her person throughout the entire room, the entire world. She looked like some sort of golden shrine, or like a sun, rays encapsulating her. The energy that seemed to thrum around her seemed like static, rising and falling with her heartbeat.

Something incredible had changed within her.

Behind her was Link, her father the King, and along with him was Zariah's knight Raeden.

He and Miko made their way over to talk to her, and so it seemed Jira and her family and Darmar. For the first time in over a decade all of the champions had been brought together, all except Corvus... but she wasn't a champion, she never would be, she didn't deserve that honor. His blood boiled at the thought of it.

Zariah looked over them all, "Thank you guys for coming," she said, smiling sadly, "And since everyone's already here, could we get together later? To really get to catch up and stuff,"

Aadil caught her eye flashing over to the corner of the room, but ignored it, "Yeah, definitely. I'm sorry for your loss, losing a parent like this is really tough,"