Ͳhҽ Ꝉìցhէղìղց Cհìҽƒ ×~° ʗⲏⲁⲣⲧⲉꞅ 9 ✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⚝ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦ She had been waiting for days, and still, no news. Kira paced the length of her underground room, growling slightly in frustration. Riju had been gone for almost a week! 'Ⲱⲏⲁⲧ ⲕⲓⲛd ⲟf ⲥⲏⲓⲉf ⲁⲃⲁⲛdⲟⲛs ⲏⲉꞅ ⲣⲉⲟⲣlⲉ fⲟꞅ ⲧⲏⲁⲧ lⲟⲛg? Ⲱⲏⲁⲧ ⲕⲓⲛd ⲟf FꞄⲒⲈⲚD ⲁⲃⲁⲛdⲟⲛs ⲧⲏⲉⲓꞅ fꞅⲓⲉⲛd fⲟꞅ ⲧⲏⲁⲧ lⲟⲛg?' A sneering voice at the back of Kira's head asked her. But another voice - which recently had become more dominant - retorted, 'Ϩⲟⲙⲉⲟⲛⲉ ⲱⲏⲟ ⲁⲥⲧuⲁllⲩ gⲓvⲉs ⲁ dⲁⲙⲛ ⲁⲃⲟuⲧ dⲟⲓⲛg ⲧⲏⲉ ꞅⲓgⲏⲧ ⲧⲏⲓⲛg. Ϩⲟⲙⲉⲟⲛⲉ ⲱⲏⲟ ⲱⲁⲛⲧs ⲧⲟ sⲁvⲉ ⲏⲉꞅ ⲣⲉⲟⲣlⲉ.' Kira flopped down on her bed, depressed and spent. 5 days since Riju had left - five days since her life had meaning. Suddenly, a shout reached her ears and she sat upright, heart beating frantically. "It's done," Someone sobbed, and the heart-wrenching sob cracked Kira's heart. Because she knew who had made it. She leaped out of bed, throwing the curtain door to the room open to reveal LIGHT, pure SUNLIGHT, streaming through the windows and doors. She gasped, not daring to hope, and sprinted through the Emergency Shelter, scattering younger girls in her haste and knocking over shopkeepers' wares. "Hey, girly!" One shouted after her, "Watch where your grubby feet are taking you!" But Kira didn't notice. She was too excited, too amazed and hopeful, to pay any attention to the woman. Because right there, her sandy hair tangled and out of place, her skirt almost in shreds, was - "RIJU!!" Kira screamed, shoving the Gerudo gathered round their chief out of the way roughly; they were finally going to be together again, they were finally going to be happy. And no one would get in the way. The girl on the ground, arms wrapped around herself forlornly, looked up and barely had time to register who was charging towards her through tear-filled eyes before she was enveloped in a hug so large that it stopped her sobs. So large that it might - just - have enough love in it to save Hyrule. "K-Kira," She gasped, and threw her sandy arms around her old friend. And for a moment it was just them, just them and the wonderful world. But then Buliara cleared her throat, speaking with joy in her deep voice. "We must rebuild Gerudo Town and spread this wonderful news. The desert is safe once again! Send word to the Gerudo escorted out of the desert; they may come home." Riju had happy tears running down her tanned cheeks, and Link put his mechanical arm around her shoulder, grinning. She leaned her head on his, as the older vai left. It was just them and Kira. She stepped back slightly, sensing they needed space; she gave it to them, retreating happily back into the shelter. But now they were alone, Riju struggled to find words to say what she knew she needed to. "I missed you," she admitted quietly, her low voice seeming impossibly loud in the abandoned town. "When you left after Vah Naboris." She could see Link's cheeks turning the colour of the summer sunset, glowing ethereal pink over the mountains looming in the distance. "Me too," He whispered, placing his hand over hers. I wish I didn't have to leave. I wish I never need to leave. I'll stay here for a bit, before resuming my quest; and I'll make sure to come back - regularly." His voice was thin, distant ... like he wanted to talk about something else. Riju's heart beat impossibly fast in her chest as she looked out over the desert, the sunset turning the sand a beautiful orange-pink. She found herself threading her fingers through his, breathing in his scent... the scent of freshly fallen snow, damp earth and flowers. "Were you - angry at me?" Link asked, his face a mask. As Riju turned to answer his question, she found his face so close to hers that she could see the flecks of brown at the back of his eyes, see the faintest line on his cheek - presumably from a scar. And suddenly an idea popped into her tired mind; an idea so crazy it might just work. An idea that she immediately knew she wouldn't regret... not as the Gerudo Chief, not as a young girl blaming herself for terrible things. And she seized upon the idea. So Riju leant into Link, resting her dark brown cheek against his light brown one as he let out a quiet gasp. She inched her lips closer to his, her heart beating frantically in her chest, and... "RIJU!!" They sprang apart as Kira cam pelting towards them at lightning speed, clutching a sand seal in her hand and grinning from ear to ear. "Come to the shelter! Quick! We have something for you - both of you!" Link grinned. "Okay! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠠⠐⠒⠂⠐⢒⠂⠤⠄⣀⡀⢀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡠⠔⠚⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠂⢄⠀⠈⠀⡰⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⢴⠊⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠑⡄⠀⠘⢦⣀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⢀⡴⢡⠃⠀⠀⣀⡴⢾⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣼⣄⠀⠀⢈⡝⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⢀⠎⢠⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⡠⣋⣝⡻⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡾⠋⢁⣙⠇⢀⡞⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⢀⠇⠀⢢⠀⠀⠀⡠⢪⡿⢻⣿⣿⣦⠙⠐⠒⠒⣿⣾⣿⣗⠄⡖⠁⠀⠀⠁⠀ ⠀⡸⣤⠗⠶⣓⡚⠀⡇⠈⠀⢾⣿⣿⠈⠀⠀⠀⠘⠹⣿⣿⠙⠀⠟⢒⠄⠀⠈⠀ ⠀⠇⠀⠑⢄⠣⡇⠀⢰⣄⡢⣈⣛⡫⠂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠠⣻⡯⢂⠈⢸⠋⠀⠀⡉⠀ ⠸⠀⠀⠀⠈⠱⡀⠀⢸⠸⡍⠂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠐⠀⠀⠀⠀⢁⠇⡼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⢤⡯⣕⠁⠀⠀⢰⣶⡖⢶⣶⡖⠀⣠⠴⣅⢠⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⣃⠤⣍⣲⠂⠤⠿⠯⡧⢟⡲⠉⠀⠀⠘⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⠔⠋⠑⢄⠀⠀⠀⠻⡛⣤⣀⠀⠀⡀⢀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡠⣾⠧⡀⠀⠀⠀⠣⡀⠀⠉⣵⠌⠉⡝⠀⠱⡀⢣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⢀⡠⠎⠁⡎⠀⠘⢦⠀⠀⠀⠑⣄⠞⠀⠀⣸⢹⠀⠄⠱⡀⠱⡀⠀⠀⠀ ⡠⠔⠈⠁⠀⢀⡸⠀⠀⢀⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠀⢇⠘⡄⠱⡀⠘⠄⠀⡐ Chapter 10 (finale!):
