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Pride.
Honor and glory.
A history worth recording.
A legacy.
What gets left behind.
As Rauru slams his hand into the chest of the betrayer king, claws burrowing into darkened flesh, the Zonai can’t help but wonder what it is he will be leaving behind. What legacy will there be, what story will be told?
He never admitted it to anyone, but Rauru had thought about that question several times over the course of his life. Once he fully understood what it meant, of course. The realization of the devastating weight upon one’s shoulders is nearly too much to bear when legacy is considered. Each time that question turned itself over and over again in his head, the feeling it filled him with was neither hope nor sorrow. It was instead a mix of the two; optimism for the future that would be shaped by his actions, and regret for the things he could have done but did not.
When he and Sonia married, he had asked himself that question and, for the first time, it scared him. What would they leave behind? Rauru knew that he truly loved her, and that he was marrying her to unify his people and hers, and to establish the kingdom of Hyrule. An entire kingdom built on a true and real love was quite the legacy, surely. But would that be enough? Would the kingdom thrive? Would its people live long and happy lives? Would they have respect for their founders and the choices that they made? Would that be enough? Sonia asked him about it. Ever-observant, she was, and she had seen the worry fill his eyes once the marriage ceremonies and rites were done with. She had touched his arm gently, looking up to him and awaiting his response. Rauru tried to come up with the right words, to describe what he was being troubled by, but fell short. Sonia was patient with him as he stumbled through an explanation, but he could easily tell she knew there was more to his concern, more to that look in his eyes. Thankfully, she had let it be. She seemed to have understood, at least somewhat.
When Sonia had their son, the same worry made the question scarier. Would their boy grow up happy? Would he be satisfied? Had they put enough in place to ensure his eventual rule over their kingdom would be peaceful? Would he be proud of his heritage? Sonia was a wonderful mother of course, but was Rauru a good father? Would he raise his boy well? What was he leaving behind for their son?
Rauru had seen the look in young Princess Zelda's eyes too, her voice filled with worry as that question dug itself into her mind while she explained her discomfort with Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo. Rauru pondered the same, hoping he had made the right choice in allowing Ganondorf and his people to be considered allied and loyal to Hyrule. He knew of the dark ambitions within the Gerudo King’s heart, angered by the settling of this once savage and wild land, but he did not fear them. Keeping him close enough to watch would surely be of benefit. Even still, would their alliance be tense? Had he done right by his kingdom? Had he done right by the future Zelda was so tirelessly working to save? The name of the born desert king was enough to give the young girl pause, and Rauru couldn’t help but feel a sliver of doubt fill his spirit. Sonia encouraged him, reminded him that she married a good man; a wise king. She would give him that smile, full of warmth and love and comfort. Heavens above, how he loved that smile. It always calmed him down, centered him. Even when his fear for the days to come weighed upon him, he took comfort in Sonia and her seemingly endless wisdom. He would do nearly anything to see that smile on her face whenever he had the chance.
Then Ganondorf took Sonia away from him.
Of all the might Rauru held, as a Zonai and King of Hyrule, his greatest strength was ripped away. His fight was torn from his soul. The mother of his child and the fire in his heart was gone in an instant. He made a mistake. He was wrong. Rauru misled his kingdom. He had damned them all.
The rest of his time passes him in a blur. Gerudo Desert completely overtaken, monsters swarming their lands, the Demon King’s mocking laughter ringing in Rauru’s head, Sonia’s too cold body in his arms before he buried her. The only thing keeping the Zonai on his feet was the responsibility he had to his kingdom and his son, to Zelda and her future, and to Sonia. Long before his final confrontation with the Demon King, he knew what he had to do. Zelda tried to warn him of his inexorable demise, the price he would pay to rid this world of Ganondorf and his dark power. He still knew he had to try. His people and their futures were all that mattered. He had to try, regardless of the cost.
Ganondorf's flesh was unexpectedly cold as Rauru's claws dug their way in. It had taken nearly all of his strength to find purchase in the hulking expanse of the Demon King's chest, but he was not done. He could not be done. Power surging within him, Rauru began to bind himself to the darkness within his enemy. The Gerudo man laughed at him, but Hyrule's king did not falter. He knew he would not be long for this world; the seal would need every bit of his power in order to remain in place. Despite knowing this, he was not afraid. Link, the Hylian knight and the legendary sword of evil's bane, would put an end to Ganondorf's rampant and unchecked destruction. The question of legacy that had plagued him for years, that had kept him awake and restless over countless nights, suddenly had an answer. It was not the solution he had hoped to find, but it had to be enough. It would be enough.
Thousands of years passed in the blink of an eye, just as the Demon King had so mockingly predicted. Still, Rauru's spirit was tired and worn. His seal had weakened over the centuries, Ganondorf's malice and hatred seeping through its cracks. Unknowingly, Rauru had doomed his kingdom to a cycle of destruction. And yet, he felt no regret. His kingdom was strong, and he had a job to do. He had faith in the events to come.
The arrival of Princess Zelda and her knight had been anticipated, but it was still a welcome surprise. The Zonai had been holding on desperately, doing his utmost to keep the seal in place, even if it used every last bit of power within him. His body was utterly consumed in his several millennium long battle against the force of darkness he had shackled himself to. When he sensed the princess and the energy of the legendary sword, his spirit ached to rejoice. He had held the Demon King long enough. He had done it. And yet, no air of celebration lit up his soul.
Instead, he simply, and finally, let go.
Rauru, pride of the Zonai and King of Hyrule, sacrificed himself without hesitation to save his land. He placed faith in Link and Zelda. He left behind all that he could. The seeds had been planted and, though he would never sit in the shade of their trees, the roots would grow to be many and strong, his and Sonia’s legacy secured. Though, it was no longer their story alone.
A peaceful sigh, far beyond the veil and unheard by the Hylian youths.
We did it, Sonia. They’re going to win.