The Hero of Twilight knelt before her successor and she smiled. Standing with her own Hero, who was now ready to move on, they watched as the Twilight Hero knelt before the Princess of Hyrule.
“en daʃeʋu nobe̞ ʃo̞ndʊ,” Hyrule’s princess sang, as tradition, raising her blade above the servant’s left shoulder.
en daʃeʋu nobe̞ dʊʃʊ,” the Princess’s blade moved towards the hero’s other shoulder.
“tʏe ʃʊtʊ nobe̞ dezu dotʃe̞.”
When the Princess finished her song, the crowd stood up, applauding Hyrule’s new champion and Hero. Zelda turned to her own hero and took his hand in her own.
“Look what you helped save,” she gestured towards the smiling faces, before looking into the Hero of Twilight’s own.
His blue eyes gleamed with the same overwhelmed joy as her own Hero’s had once looked at this very ceremony. Although the parts of the Princess and Hero were called the Wing Ceremony in their day, instead of the Knighting Ceremony.
Suddenly, the cheering and waving stopped short, and the Hero frowned, looking down at his chest.
Zelda’s hands flew to her mouth. Screams echoed throughout the chamber as the attendants rushed for the exits and the Hero of Twilight sunk to his knees, an arrow protruding from his chest.
Her own Hero’s flesh began withering away and his hand turned bony and skeletal once again.
The Hero’s Shade rushed to the Hero of Twilight, armor clanging, and The Princess looked to the now visible Zelda, a confused plea in her eyes.
Zelda shook her head, in shock and sadness, beckoning to her grandchild.
The princess looked angry now, the tears once in her eyes now gone, “But you’re a spirit! You must have some power front he Goddesses if you are still around! You must save him! He saved me and my country, surely you can understand!”
Zelda looked at the Hero’s Shade, who’s body was shaking as if weeping, if skeletons could weep.
“I do understand child, more than you know. It will be hard, ruling a kingdom on your own. I am sorry you have no Hero to guide you. He deserved better.”
A tear ran down Zelda’s cheek as she brought her granddaughter into and embrace, though she looked no older than the younger’s age. Glancing again at the Hero’s Shade over the other dead Hero’s body, she whispered words that the younger princess would never forget.
“They all deserve better.”