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Chapter 7- The Meeting

The letter from Link has been haunting Zelda since she’s read it. She had planned to meet with the resistance in two days, and even moved her schedule around for it, but Link was demanding to meet with them now. It seemed that they would be here tonight, but Zelda was struggling to make time to meet them.

During the many meetings, it was all she could think about. How she was going to get to Telma’s bar, how she was going to disguise herself as Sheik, what she was going to say to Edmund and Amber. She was probably going to miss supper for this, but it was fine, this was more important than supper. She just wished that it hadn’t happened so last minute.

Goddesses, why couldn’t they wait two more days?

She didn’t pay attention to any of the meetings, anxious to get them done and to leave to get to the next one. She’d nearly fallen asleep countless times, and Edmund would discreetly wake her back up so she wouldn’t humiliate herself—which she was grateful for. She really wasn’t fit for any of this queen business at the moment, but there was so much to do, such little time.

As soon as the current meeting ended, Zelda found herself sitting in her chair, staring blankly at the wall instead of rushing to get to lunch. This was her only break, and she didn’t have the energy to move. Edmund didn’t move either, and he spoke to the nobles and representatives for Zelda as she stared. Soon the room was empty, and the two were left alone.

“Zelda,” Edmund started softly.

“It’s fine, Edmund. I just need a moment.”

Edmund stared at her. “You weren’t at breakfast.”

“No I was not.”

“You’ve missed breakfast these past few days.”

“I have.”

“And you’re about to miss lunch.”

“That’s fine.”

“And you look like death.”

Zelda gave Edmund an annoyed look and he leaned forward. “Zelda, you’re killing yourself. Why don’t you tell me everything that’s happening? Why don’t you let me help?”

Zelda continued to stare silently, not in the mood to argue.

“Look, I’m worried about you. I do… care about you. We were good friends as kids, and those memories I can’t forget. I want you to be taken care of, is that so wrong?”

Zelda stayed silent.

“You’re exhausted and you’re hungry,” Edmund continued when she said nothing, “I don’t want to think about how dehydrated you are. Just, come to lunch, take a break, and take care of yourself.”

“I can’t take a break whenever I want, I have too much to do—“

“Oh my Labryn, Zelda, the nobles can wait! They can wait for you! You need to take care of yourself first!”

Zelda sighed and stood up. “I’m not in the mood for this right now, Edmund.”

“When will you be in the mood? When you’re on your deathbed? I’m not wanting to wait until then!”

The queen didn’t respond and went to walk away. It was childish to not say anything, but she was too tired to argue. Too tired to think of something to say. She was just… so tired…

She reached the door and leaned against the wall, holding her aching head. She suddenly felt lightheaded and sick to her stomach. She heard footsteps approach her from behind and she gave Edmund a glare.

“Zelda?”

She huffed and reached for the door, but black dots appeared in her vision, and she felt herself begin to stagger.

“Zelda!”

Her stomach did somersaults as she began to fall, and soon she was surrounded by darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was beginning to set as Rusl and Link arrived at castle town. They moved quickly through the field, and Link could tell Epona was enjoying the free movement. She had become just as stir-crazy as he did after his adventure, so when she had a chance to move around outside of Ordon, she clearly enjoyed herself. When they arrived, they quickly got off their horses and headed into the town, trying not to take up too much space with their large animals. Normally, Link would let Epona roam free in the field while he did his errands in town, but after what he’s found out, he decided against it. It took a while to get to the bar; surprisingly the town was busy despite the day coming to an end, and people were always blocking their way, causing the horses to grow upset with the small space. Rusl and Link finally were able to tie their horses to a post near Telma’s bar where less people were at, and they hopped down the stairs and entered it. The bar was relatively empty, save for a few patrons who were quietly drinking by themselves. As usual, the place was dark and was only lit up by torches and candles scattered throughout. In the back, Telma and Auru were chatting at the table they all normally sat at, and Telma’s face lit up when she saw the two men, quickly burying them both in a hug when they got close.

“Link! Rusl! It’s so good to see you two!” She exclaimed, giving their shoulders a firm pat when she pulled away. Link smiled politely and let her lead the two men to the back table, where Auru was smiling.

“I figured you’d both be here tonight,” Auru said, ruffling Rusl’s hair as he sat down. “So what’s going on?”

“I’ll explain everything after Ashei and Shad get here,” Rusl said simply, fixing his ruffled hair.

“Hm, we sure they’ll be here tonight? This was pretty last minute.” Auru asked, leaning forward to look at both Rusl and Link.

“I know, I know it’s inconvenient but… it’s important,” Rusl frowned as Telma set down a mug of ginger ale in front of him, which he began to pick at mindlessly. “Me and Link found what’s been causing these disappearances, there’s no need to waste time anymore.”

Auru raised his eyebrows and he nodded knowingly. “Well then, that is quite important.”

Link nodded, staring at the milk in front of him—neither him nor his father bothered to drink anything. It was silent for a moment until Rusl awkwardly cleared his throat, catching Link and Auru’s attention.

“Well, we’re lucky you’re here, we won’t have to wait for you. You’re a lot harder to get a hold of than the others,” Rusl stated with a smile, and Auru gave a hearty laugh.

“Oh, my boy, I haven’t left castle town in weeks.”

“Did Sheik send you a letter?”

“He did. He told me to ask around castle town to gather information. It’s the only thing I’m capable of doing now,” Auru leaned back in his chair and stretched slowly, a pained expression on his face. “I’m getting too old for all this action.”

Rusl frowned and went back to staring at his drink. Link studied his father’s face, but it remained blank. When he really wanted to be, he was a master at hiding his emotions. There was a moment of silence again, being interrupted by Telma coming by to bring food for the two men, and Link couldn’t help but cheer softly.

“Oh goddesses, thank you Telma,” he said, already digging in, “I’m starvin’.”

Telma laughed and patted his shoulder. “I figured you’d both be hungry from the journey!”

“Aw, you didn’t have to do that, Telma,” Rusl chuckled slightly, and Telma lightly punched his shoulder.

“Oh, you hush, it’s the least I can do for my friends! Now eat up while we wait for the lovebirds to arrive!”

Link stared at Telma as she walked away, and he turned to look at Auru. “Are Ashei and Shad—“

“Engaged.”

Link’s mouth dropped. “Engaged? When did this happen?”

“A couple of weeks ago.”

Rusl and Link both glanced at each other in shock. Link knew that there was something going on between them, but after ten years, he figured that it was nothing.

“How did you know about this?” Link asked.

“They announced it when they stopped by,” Auru explained, gesturing with his hands. “I hang around here most of the time so me and Telma got to hear about it.”

“It’s about time,” Rusl scoffed, a teasing smile on his lips. “Those two were drivin’ me crazy!”

“No kidding! It’s a little late though. I doubt Ashei would be able to have kids at her age.”

Rusl’s face scrunched up. “What are you talkin’ about? She’s barely thirty! And you’re a fool if you think that Ashei and Shad would even want kids.”

“Oh come now, they’re good with kids!”

Rusl gave Link a look and he snorted. They both knew that they were terrible with kids. They could keep them alive, but they couldn’t keep them from crying. Auru rolled his eyes and waved his hand away.

“I just think it’s a waste to get married and then not have kids.”

“That’s an old way of thinking, Auru,” Rusl said, finally taking a sip of his ginger ale. “Some people don’t need to have kids. It ain’t our business what they want to do anyways.”

Auru scoffed slightly, but he didn’t continue. Link continued to eat in silence, not realizing how sloppy he was being. He was ravenous. He felt Auru watching him and he looked up.

“What?”

“You’re eating like a growing teenage boy. When was the last time you ate?” Auru teased slightly, and Link scratched the back of his head.

“It’s… actually been less than two days,” he muttered, giving Rusl a look. Neither of them ate dinner before searching the woods. They spent the next day sleeping and then the whole day traveling. Auru’s eyes widened when Rusl and Link remained silent, both having guilty looks on their faces.

“Neither of you have eaten in two days?” He asked, shocked.

“Maybe a bit longer than that–” Link muttered, and Rusl jabbed at him lightly.

“It’s fine—“ Rusl quickly said, but Auru shook his head.

“Eat that food Telma gave you, boy!” He commanded in a stern tone. Rusl quickly turned to the food and started eating it, looking like a guilty kid. Link snorted slightly and his pa glared him down. Auru patted his back with a satisfied look and leaned back.

“Must’ve been a crazy few days. What did Sheik have you do?”

“He wanted us to investigate a missing woman and Goron from Kakariko,” Link answered since Rusl’s mouth was full of bread.

“Ah, so that’s how you found it.”

Link glanced at Rusl who went back to staring blankly at the food. Auru picked up on the mood change and frowned.

“What is it?”

“We’ll explain when Shad and Ashei get here,” Rusl said quietly. Auru looked between the two and frowned.

“Alright,” he said, a worried look on his face as he stared at Rusl. It grew silent at the table again and the old man glanced up, his face lighting up. “Speaking of…”

Link turned around and saw Ashei and Shad walking to the group. Ashei looked annoyed while Shad smiled at the group. Rusl turned as well and shot up from his seat, marching towards the two.

“Hey! You two jerks!” He shouted, pulling them both into a hug. “You can’t just get engaged and not tell me!”

“Well next time, be here when we visit!” Shad teased, hugging him back. Ashei smiled slightly and gave Link a nod as he walked up to the two.

“When’s the wedding?” Rusl asked, his hands on the two’s arms.

“Don’t know yet, we’re just playing it by ear,” Shad answered, looking at Ashei who nodded.

“We’re in no rush,” she added.

“Well, you better have me as your best man, alright?” Rusl said with a smirk.

“My dear Rusl, I wouldn’t have it any other way!” Shad laughed. He glanced at Link and walked towards him. “And how are you doing, old boy?”

Link chuckled and gave him a side hug. “I’m doin’ fine. I’m happy for y’all!”

“Oh thank you,” Shad glanced at Ashei who was chatting with Rusl, a happy expression on his face. “I wouldn’t have imagined being with her, but here we are.”

“Love is a fickle thing, isn’t it?”

“Indeed it is.”

Rusl and Ashei walked up to the two. “Let’s sit down and talk, yeah?” Ashei started, “I want to know why you both were so intent on meeting today.”

“We can’t, not without Sheik,” Rusl sighed, sitting down. “He’s not here yet.”

“This has been eating me up inside, and you’re saying I have to wait longer?” Shad said lightheartedly.

Ashei pulled Shad down in the seat next to hers and gave him a look. “Sheik may be busy, this was pretty last minute, yeah?”

“So I’ve been told,” Rusl grumbled. Auru patted him on the shoulder with a chuckle, and the group started to lightly poke fun at Rusl. Telma came by with food and drinks for the couple that arrived, and she closed the curtains to give them privacy.

“Tell me when you start talking about what happened,” she said, “I still have work to do, but I’ll be sure to kick everyone out.”

“Sure thing Telma,” Link said with a nod, and the curtains were fully closed, leaving the group isolated from the drunkards that came to the bar.

“So… what did Sheik have you two do?” Link asked the couple, and they glanced at each other.

“Sheik told us to help investigate the disappearances with a captain named Hoz,” Ashei answered. “We really weren’t finding anything of importance though.”

“Ah, did you come here with him?”

“No, he was quite intent on continuing the investigations,” Shad jumped in, pushing his glasses up his nose. “That was the most focused soldier of Hyrule I’ve ever met.”

“It’s good, Hyrule needs more men like him,” Ashei said, staring at her drink.

“Though he was sort of a pain to work with,” Shad mumbled.

Ashei snorted. “He was. Everything needed to go his way otherwise he would implode.”

“... Does Hyrule still need more men like him?” Auru asked cheekily, and Ashei glared at him.

“Yes.”

Shad laughed slightly and sat up straight. “Yes yes, he was still good to work with. I’m glad that some soldiers are still trying to do their jobs.”

Ashei gave a knowing nod and took a sip of her drink as the others mumbled in agreement. The group started to chat about mundane things, how they were doing, how the families were doing, and what they had planned afterwards. Link was constantly looking over his shoulder, expecting Sheik to suddenly appear (which he did every time they met up), yet there was no sign of him. Rusl was getting more anxious as the evening went on, constantly fidgeting with his hands or pacing the small room, pretending to be observing the wall. Soon it became too late–the bar was fully empty as Telma closed it down and kicked out angry drunks, and the only area lit up was the back room where the resistance sat. Yet no sign of Sheik, and Auru finally let out a loud sigh.

“I don’t think Sheik is coming.”

“We just need to be patient,” Ashei said, “she’s a busy person.”

Auru frowned. “‘She?’ You think Sheik’s a woman?”

Ashei’s eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “W-well, Sheik is just a mysterious person, that’s all. I uh… say she could be a woman… or… something.”

The group stared at Ashei who stared hard at her drink.

“And what makes you think they’re a woman?” Auru pressed, a teasing smile on his lips.

“What makes you think they’re a man?” Ashei snapped back, getting angry. Auru raised his hands defensively.

“I’m just teasing you. You just never get flustered like that!”

Ashei glared at him and started cursing under her breath in frustration. Shad cleared his throat, wrapping an arm around her.

“Well, it doesn’t matter if Sheik is a man or a woman, what matters is that they’re not here right now.” He glanced up at Rusl who was still pacing back and forth near a corner. “We should start without them.”

Ashei sighed and nodded, a defeated look on her face. Auru nodded as well and stood up to drag Rusl back to the table. Link stared worriedly at his pa as he sat down, his face drained of all blood as he stared blankly at the table.

“Goddesses, are you alright?” Shad asked, and Rusl waved his concern away.

“‘M fine,” he mumbled. The group didn’t seem convinced by that answer, but they didn’t say anything else.

“Well, Link, Rusl,” Auru started, “tell us what happened. What is taking these missing people?”

Link glanced at Rusl who was still staring at the table, and he stood up, deciding to lead the conversation.

“Do you guys remember the shadow beasts?”

The group all froze, staring at Link with wide eyes.

“Shadow beasts? You mean those horrible black creatures that plagued all of Hyrule during the Twilight invasion?” Shad asked, and Link nodded.

“Yes, I… me and my pa found one in the woods… two nights ago,” Link frowned for a moment, that night feeling ages ago. He continued, “I think it’s a shadow beast that’s gotten stronger for the past ten years. It’s what’s been taking these people.”

“Oh… Labryn…” Ashei muttered under her breath.

“How do you know it’s the cause of all these disappearances?” Auru asked.

“We–uh—” Link glanced at Rusl who was still unmoving. “We sorta… found out the hard way…”

“Oh no… did someone–?” Shad started, but Link quickly stopped him.

“No, no it’s ok. I was able to stop the abduction but… I think it’s pretty obvious that this… mutated shadow beast is what’s causing all the disappearances.”

“Ok,” Ashei breathed out, “so it’s one of those shadow beasts, a little mutated, but we know what it is now. We should go out looking for it, yeah?”

Link pursed his lips. “Yes, but… be warned. I fought so many of those things by myself back then–”

“Yes you did! You were marvelous with the way you slashed them with your sword!” Shad exclaimed, swinging his arm around as if he had a weapon. Link smiled but it quickly went away.

“Yeah, well… I fought this one, and it didn’t die no matter what I did, so… I think we should be careful. We can’t underestimate this thing.”

The group nodded.

“Alright, well, thank you for telling us Link,” Auru said. “No one in Castle Town described anything like that.”

“No kidding,” Ashei replied and Link nodded glumly. This wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t let such a thing live, he couldn’t help but feel guilty over it.

“Well, it’s late, we can discuss plans tomorrow, but in the meantime, I think we should all get some rest,” Auru stared sternly at Rusl and Link, “you two especially. I can tell you need it.”

Link smiled slightly and Rusl got up quietly, leaving the room in an instant. The group stared in shock as he disappeared behind the curtain. Auru looked at Link and pointed at where Rusl left.

“Is he alright?”

“I… I don’t know…” Link looked down, debating on whether he should tell them the details of what happened, but he really didn’t want to, and he didn’t know if Rusl would want him to. “He’s probably just tired… the uh… the shadow beast was… aggressive to say the least. I’m gonna go talk to him real quick.”

He felt everyone’s eyes on him as he left, and he glanced at Telma who looked worried, but she forced a smile when she saw Link.

“Did you all start the conversation without me?”

“Oh— goddesses Telma I’m so sorry—“

Telma waved his apology away. “I’ll make the others tell me. Rusl went upstairs, sweet pea.”

Link nodded and slowly walked up the stairs, his entire body suddenly feeling heavy. He glanced around at the secret upstairs inn, trying to remember which one was normally reserved for him and Rusl. He poked his head in the first room, finding Rusl laying on one of the beds, his hands resting on his face. Rusl flinched when he sensed another person near him, but he quickly relaxed when it was Link.

“Spirits, Link,” he chuckled, lying back down. Link smiled and sat down on the other bed across from him.

“Pa… are you…?” He started, but he stopped when Rusl glanced at him. Rusl’s face didn’t hold any annoyance, but instead guilt. He sat up and sighed.

“I’m ok, Link. I’m… sorry for how I was acting down there… I just…” Rusl paused for a moment before sighing again, resting against the wall. Link tilted his head

“What?”

“Oh… it’s not your burden to bear.”

“Well… I kinda already know why you’re upset so… hiding it from me is a fruitless effort.”

Rusl grinned slightly. “I suppose so… I just…. Ever since that night I’ve been feeling so… terrified every waking moment—no—even when I’m trying to sleep I’m terrified, I just—“ he stopped himself and rubbed his face. “I don’t know.”

Link frowned. “I know the shadow beasts would turn people into other shadow beasts, maybe you’re still feeling the effects from that?”

Rusl shrugged, a disturbed look on his face.

“You… also were almost eaten,” Link chuckled darkly, “that would traumatize anyone.”

Rusl smirked slightly, but it quickly went away, so Link continued.

“I mean… I know I’ve nearly been eaten myself. So many times. By giant plants, and a giant eel, and wolfos trying to tear me to pieces, and spiders, and I guess smaller plants too, plus another giant spider, and possibly a lot of other things and—“

Rusl’s face had grown more concerned the longer Link rambled, and he quickly tried to recover.

“I-I mean, I turned out fine! Maybe? I mean maybe I haven’t turned out fine but—but it’s fine! I’ve kinda gotten used to it, everything trying to eat me. Heh, it makes me wonder if I taste good. I mean Midna will definitely say that I taste good but, you know—“

“Link, I don’t need to know this,” Rusl interrupted him, though he almost seemed amused. Link blushed slightly and scratched the back of his head.

“S-sorry, that kinda came out.”

Rusl chuckled slightly, which made Link feel a little better. He observed his father’s tired face and frowned.

“Pa… you should get some rest.”

Rusl raised an eyebrow. “Doting and worrying is supposed to be my job Link, not yours.”

“Well, who did I get it from?” Link rebutted, and Rusl laughed.

“Correction then: doting is a parent’s job.”

“But I am a parent.”

“Not my parent!”

Link snorted and Rusl joined him in his laughter. It felt good to laugh after these past few days. Link sniffed and sighed, staring at Rusl’s bed.

“You should get some rest though, Pa.”

“You should get some rest too, Link.”

Link pursed his lips and looked down, shifting uncomfortably.

“Not as much as you.”

Rusl raised an eyebrow. “How much sleep have you gotten in the past forty-eight hours?”

Link clamped his mouth shut. “I… um… like… four…. hours…?”

Rusl smirked and gestured for him to come over. Link sighed and trudged over to him, the lack of sleep catching up to him. He rested against Rusl’s side while he wrapped his arm around him, and Link finally relaxed. It always felt good to be held by one of his parents. Being an adult, it didn’t happen as often compared to when he was a kid. Rusl started playing with the tip of his ear and he lightly kissed his forehead.

“I’m proud of you, Link,” he said softly.

“For what?”

“For becoming the man you are today. You’re a good person, determined, and kind. And I’m proud of you for it.”

Link smiled slightly. “But you and ma raised me to be that way.”

“Oh, we were only trying to nudge you kids in the right direction. Ultimately, it was you who chose to become a good person. Give yourself more credit.”

Link sighed and drowsiness began to get the better of him.

“Thanks. I love you pa.”

Sleep began to take over him as he heard his pa say one last thing.

“I love you too, my son.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zelda awoke with a jolt. She was in her bed, her heavy dress was replaced with a lighter one, and her daughter was reading a book by her side. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, startling Amber.

“Mother! You’re awake!” She exclaimed, closing her book. “We were so worried!”

Zelda looked around the room, confused. How long has she been out?

“Father came to me and asked me to stay by your side! I hadn’t left once!” Amber continued. “I’ve just been reading this book about birds, I’m hoping to find one to match the birds Hylians used to ride, but so far none of them have been big enough…”

“Amber,” Zelda rubbed her eyes, still feeling exhausted. “Where’s your father?”

“He’s in meetings right now, he said he’ll come by to see if you’re awake!”

Zelda groaned and rubbed her face. What had been happening while she was out? She hated not being in control of everything.

“I hope you’re alright,” Amber added quietly, and Zelda glanced over at her. She had a worried look on her face, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m fine, thank you for watching over me,” Zelda said with a smile, and Amber beamed at the praise.

“I’m so glad mother! Do you want me to fetch you some supper? It’s a little late but—“

“Wait, how long have I been asleep?”

“Oh! Um… a few hours.”

Zelda tried to hide her frustration, and she turned away as she groaned. She didn’t have time for this. She still needed to meet with the resistance! If she didn’t leave now…

Amber gasped as Zelda started to get out of bed, ignoring the vertigo that assaulted her.

“Um… mother? Father told me to make sure you stayed in bed a-and—“

“I’ll be fine, Amber,” Zelda grumbled, but she knew she wouldn’t be. It didn’t matter though, she needed to be somewhere.

“But… father said…” Amber’s voice trailed off, and Zelda heard another person enter the room.

“Zelda,” Edmund’s voice called out, and she sighed. Great.

“Father!” Amber hopped up and ran to him. “Mother’s awake! Do you want me to get a meal for her?”

“No, I already sent a maid to do that, my dear. You go get yourself to bed.”

Amber nodded and looked back at Zelda. “Goodnight mother.”

Zelda smiled slightly. “Goodnight Amber.”

She lingered for a moment, her mouth agape, but she finally turned away and left the room. Edmund and Zelda remained silent, both staring intensely at each other. Finally, Edmund let out a huff and started to walk forward.

“I’m glad you’re awake,” he said, “I brought you something.”

Zelda frowned. “What is it?”

Edmund sat down on the bed with her and handed her a little box. She carefully opened it to reveal a chocolate orange. She blinked several times, wondering if the lack of sleep had finally caught up to her and that she was hallucinating it. But the smell hit her nostrils, and she lightly traced the chocolatey edges.

“I remember you loved these things as a kid,” Edmund muttered, a nostalgic smile on his face. “I always hated them, but I did enjoy eating one slice with you whenever you had them.”

Zelda couldn’t help but smile as she grabbed a slice of the chocolate. She glanced at Edmund and her smile dropped slightly.

“How do you know I still love these?” She asked, and Edmund took in a quiet, deep breath.

“Do you?”

Zelda looked down and put one in her mouth. The chocolate instantly melted as it hit her tongue, the sweet flavor mixing with the tanginess of the orange rewarding her taste buds, and she couldn’t help but close her eyes in satisfaction. She hasn’t had one of these in years.

“It seems you still like it,” Edmund chuckled. Zelda opened her eyes and turned away, embarrassed.

“Yes,” she mumbled. Edmund hummed and leaned back, resting on his hands.

“I’m glad.”

Zelda turned to look at him, his mustache lifted up with his smile. “Why’d you bring this to me?” She asked.

“Oh, I figured you’d need an energy boost. Chocolate does wonders for that,” Edmund reached for a slice. “May I?”

Zelda nodded and offered one to him. He took a slice and bit into half of it. His face scrunched up in disgust and he covered his mouth. “Eugh, I still don’t like it.”

Zelda smiled and almost let out a giggle. “That’s quite a shame, they’re so delightful.”

Edmund grinned and stared at the uneaten slice. “I probably should’ve put the full thing in my mouth, now what will I do with this?”

Zelda stared at it for a moment, and before she could even think, she plucked it out of his hand.

“Can’t let it go to waste,” she said before putting the rest of the slice in her mouth. Edmund looked surprised but his expression softened into a pleasant smile. Zelda looked away, her face flushing slightly, and she picked at the remaining chocolates. “Thank you for this Edmund, that was very thoughtful of you.”

Edmund nodded. “Of course. I… I just want to help out.”

It grew silent between the two—any feeling of contentment was gone in an instant. Edmund picked up on Zelda’s discomfort and he let out a sigh.

“Why won’t you accept my help?”

Zelda glanced up at him. Where an accusatory and bitter tone normally was, this time, there was just curiosity. He was trying, it was only fair that Zelda tried as well.

But could she trust him?

It was kind of him to try to help her, but was he trying to manipulate her into trusting him? She remembered her father always showering her mother with gifts whenever he did something to upset her. It was always a way to regain her trust. Was Edmund trying to do the same?

“Listen, becoming the king of Hyrule hasn’t been an easy transition for me,” Edmund started, his back turned to Zelda, “Labrynna gives its power to the king, but here in Hyrule, all of the power goes to the queen.” He let out a breath while Zelda remained silent. He’s never told her this before. “I admit I’ve felt…. Emasculated as a result, and I’ve been acting childish because of it. For that I am sorry.” He glanced back at Zelda, an almost worried expression on his face, but Zelda stayed quiet. “But, I feel useless. I feel like I’m being used for my connection to my family, and that I’m nothing more than an object to your people and… I suppose that’s why I’ve been… frustrated about you keeping things to yourself. But… looking at you now, I’ve grown more worried than upset. You’ve overworked yourself so much to the point that you collapsed. That’s not a good thing. I suppose I… I just want to know why you’re so intent on doing everything yourself, when I’m here to… help you.”

Zelda stared at him for a moment, his emerald green eyes never leaving hers. For once, Zelda couldn’t find her words. She knew she should try to communicate with him—he was being so open with her, but why? Was he trying to worm his way into her life? Or was he being genuine? He’s never taken the time to sit down and talk to her about things, but then again, Zelda never gave him the chance. Did he deserve her to try to be open as well? She turned away, emotions running rampant. She couldn’t cry, it wasn’t queenly to do so, but she was so tired. She took a deep breath to control herself.

“I… I don’t know if I can trust you,” she finally said softly. She felt Edmund shift beside her.

“Why?”

“I–I’ve watched my father strip my mother of all her power. He took everything away from her, ruled Hyrule as a tyrant, and took control of every aspect of my life. It doesn’t matter if Hyrule gives the power to the queen, the king can take over and I can’t let that happen again. It’s happened to me twice now and… I just… I–” She hiccuped slightly and she rubbed her exhausted eyes. It was quiet as she once again tried to take control of her emotions, and she glanced up at Edmund, who looked horrified.

“I had no idea,” he finally said. “I always– I know we didn’t see each other a lot but… I didn’t know…”

Zelda sniffed and sat up straight. “My father did a good job at hiding it. And he made sure I hid it as well.”

Edmund gave her a sad look. “I’m so sorry. I…” He grew silent for a moment. “... thank you for telling me. I’ll leave you be. A maid should come by with food for you.”

“I-I can’t stay I need to–”

“Zelda.” Edmund gave her a firm look. “I…I ask that you give yourself rest and proper nourishment, please.”

Zelda stared for a moment, remembering the resistance. “I can’t. I still need to meet up with—“ she stopped herself and Edmund raised an eyebrow.

“With… your friends that are taking care of the disappearances?”

Zelda pursed her lips. “Yes.”

“Perhaps I can meet with them in your stead.”

She shook her head quickly. “No I—“ they didn’t know that she was the queen; if Edmund came instead, they would figure it out, even if one already knew about it. And she certainly couldn’t tell Edmund about Sheik. Frustration was apparent on Edmund’s face, and he sucked in a sharp breath and stood up.

“So are you just going to keep pushing yourself until you die? Sure, you may not trust me, I understand that. But you have representatives, diplomats, nobles, even guards that could go in your stead! Why can’t you utilize them?”

“Edmund. I. Can’t. A-at least…” Zelda looked down, her eyes going back and forth between the chocolate orange, the bed, and Edmund. He did have a point; she couldn’t keep going on like this. She really could end up dying from her neglect, which would be an awful thing for Amber and for the resistance. But she knew no one could help the resistance with the disappearances. She had to take care of that herself. But… perhaps with everything else…. Goddesses, she hoped she wasn’t making a mistake. “Could you… just take care of the meetings tomorrow? I must deal with these disappearances on my own.”

Edmund’s expression softened and he nodded. “I’ll take care of them.”

Zelda smiled. “Thank you.”

“Will you… visit Amber before you leave anywhere?”

Her lips parted and she nodded. Edmund nodded back, and for the first time in years, there was a mutual understanding between them. Edmund hesitated for a moment before finally turning to leave. Zelda was left alone, and she contemplated everything that had just happened.

She collapsed after a meeting and slept through the entire day. Her daughter stayed by her side while Edmund took care of the rest of the day. He brought her chocolates and they had a conversation that didn’t result in them fighting. They opened up to each other… and now…

She sighed. She needed to meet with the resistance, that was her first priority. Hopefully it wasn’t too late.

She wasted no time to get into her disguise, despite her exhausted body and rumbling stomach. Just as she was about to sneak out, she remembered what Edmund asked of her.

“Will you… visit Amber before you leave anywhere?”

She sighed. She’s been a terrible mother to her own daughter, not spending any time with her despite Amber desperately wanting to. If the resistance needing to meet up tonight hadn’t been about the missing people, she probably would have been tempted to stay. Maybe spend time with her family, her daughter, and try to be the mother Amber deserved. But she knew this was important; it had better be important. She needed to take care of this, and she needed to find the missing people so that Hyrule would be safe for Amber. If the resistance found out important information about the disappearances—like where the missing people were—she would personally go to rescue them herself and eradicate any threat that came in her way. This threat would come to an end, Zelda would make sure of it.

But it meant she would be gone for a while. So she didn’t know when she would see Amber again.

Zelda quietly snuck into Amber’s room, her daughter curled up in her bed, clutching a bird stuffed animal to her chest. She brought her mask down and walked up to her daughter, emotions going through her once again. Her sweet little Amber, growing up before her very eyes, and she was missing all of it.

Her hand brushed against Amber’s temple and she began to stir. She looked up at her mother and furrowed her brow.

“Mother?”

Zelda’s breath hitched and she helped Amber sit up.

“Amber,” she started, “I know… I know I haven’t been the best mother, but I want you to know that I love you with every fiber of my being.” Zelda pulled Amber close and hugged her. “I love you so much.”

She rocked her back and forth, Amber clinging to her tightly. Despite her dry eyes, Zelda found tears forming, and she had to choke back a sob. Amber however wasn’t hiding her crying, and she felt her tears soaking into her clothes. She finally pulled back, wiping away a tear on Amber’s cheek and rested her forehead against hers.

“I promise I’ll try to be better,” Zelda whispered, pecking her on the forehead, and she stood up, walking towards the door.

“M-mother?” Amber called out.

“I’ll be back,” Zelda promised. “Just stay here with your father and focus on your studies. I… I love you.”

“I love you too…”

Zelda’s heart hurt more than her aching body as she turned away. How many times has she turned her own daughter away? How many times has she brushed her off when Amber reached out? She ran out, her frustrations over herself giving her the energy she needed to escape the castle. How will Amber view her when she grew older? Would she resent her the same way Zelda resented her father? Would she feel unloved by her own mother? She stopped as she reached the entrance to the courtyard, looking back at the castle. She was panting heavily, sad and angry tears finally pouring down her face.

It didn’t matter what her father tried to do to her, Zelda never felt worthy of being queen. She didn’t feel worthy of anything in her life. Especially her own daughter.

Amber deserved a better mother.

For a moment as she stared at her castle, she thought she saw Edmund watching her, but his supposed silhouette went away in an instant. She turned away, her head hanging, and finally marched to Telma’s bar.

It was late, she didn’t know how late it was, but it was late enough for no one to be out in the streets save for a few guards. Sheik’s stomach was cramping terribly, and her throat and tongue felt like sandpaper. She almost wished she stayed behind to eat the food Edmund got for her, but she knew she couldn’t let the resistance down. She leaned against a wall catching her breath, her hand rubbing against a box in her pouch. She didn’t know why she grabbed the chocolate orange Edmund gave her; she supposed she couldn’t leave it behind. She continued onward to Telma’s bar, feeling that it was a much longer walk than what she remembered. She normally went through the dungeons to reach Telma’s bar, but from how she was feeling, she didn’t have the strength to go that way. As if to prove her right, her knees nearly buckled as she went down the stairs, causing her to stumble into the door. She pulled back and blinked harshly trying to clear her head. She took a deep breath to calm herself and she went inside. The bell rang loudly through the empty bar, announcing her presence.

“Sorry, we’re closed right now,” she heard Telma call out from the back. The barmaid poked her head from the curtains and her face lit up. “Sheik! Well, it’s about time you got here, honey!”

Sheik awkwardly shuffled forward, allowing herself to be hugged by Telma.

“S-sorry I’m late,” she mumbled, not caring if Telma heard her or not.

“Oh… it’s not me you should apologize to. The others have already gone to bed, save for Ashei and Shad— well… actually it’s just Ashei,” Telma laughed slightly. Sheik was disappointed that the others had already gone to sleep, it was much later than what she hoped for, but she was slightly relieved that Ashei was the only one awake save for Telma. Though Sheik had tried to keep her Royal identity a secret, Ashei had found out about it. She had to admit, it was nice not having to hide everything from one person. She could at least confide in her with everything that has been happening.

“My, you look terrible,” Telma continued, eyeing Sheik worriedly. “Here, let me whip you up something real quick—“

“Oh, no you don’t have to do that—“ a loud grumble from her stomach interrupted her and Telma raised an eyebrow. Sheik looked down, embarrassed. “Apologies.”

“You’re alright sweetheart, just head to the back and I’ll get you some soup.”

Sheik nodded and walked to the back where she saw Ashei and Shad sitting next to each other. Shad was asleep, his head against Ashei’s shoulder, while Ashei had her arm wrapped around him. She had a pleasant smile on her lips as she watched him, until she looked up, spotting Sheik.

“Are you going to sit down, or are you going to keep watching us like a creep?” She asked, and Sheik straightened.

“A-apologies… I didn’t mean to stare.”

“Don’t worry about it, yeah?” Ashei glanced at Shad, then back at her. “I wanted to stay up to wait for you. I knew you’d get here eventually. He was intent on staying up with me, but I guess he couldn’t do it.”

Sheik smiled despite Ashei not being able to see it. “I’m sorry I came so late.”

“You’re fine, but what happened? Why did it take so long for you to get here?”

“I…” Sheik didn’t want to talk about her fainting today, nor about her lack of sleep, food, and water. “I’ve just been very busy.”

Ashei studied her for a moment. “Are you alright?”

Sheik looked up at her, and simply shook her head. “I’ve been very busy,” she repeated.

“Labryn… Zel—Sheik, you can leave this to the rest of us. You don’t have to help us every second, yeah?”

“I know, but I’m tired of sitting here not knowing what’s going on. Not actively trying to better my kingdom.”

Ashei shook her head. “You can’t do everything by yourself. That’s why the resistance is here, to help Hyrule.”

“I know… I know… I just…” Sheik sighed. Goddesses she was exhausted. The two grew silent until Telma came in with a bowl.

“I could only make some broth, I hope that’s ok, sweet pea.”

Sheik felt herself beginning to drool and she gratefully took the bowl. “This is wonderful, thank you, Telma,” she said. Telma gave her a soft smile.

“Of course honey! That’s why I’m here, to take care of my friends.”

The word “friends” stuck with Sheik, and she looked down at the bowl, her emotions running rampant once again, though her eyes were finally too dry to cry again.

“Now, if you two will excuse me, I’m going to head to bed myself.” Telma turned to Ashei with a teasing smile. “Unless you need me to carry him to bed of course.”

Ashei gave her an annoyed smirk. “I can do that myself. Thank you though.”

The barmaid gave a hearty laugh. “Alright, good night you too. And Sheik? I have some water on the table for you. Take care.”

Sheik glanced at the cup on the table, her thirst becoming unbearable.

“Thank you,” she said again, and Telma turned away, leaving the two women alone. Sheik glanced around, eyeing Shad cautiously, and Ashei caught on.

“Don’t worry, he’s out like a light.”

“But what if he wakes up and sees me without my mask?”

“Then I’ll knock him back out, yeah?”

Sheik chuckled softly and pulled her mask down. Though it wasn’t filling, the broth was amazing, and the water made her feel much better than before. She sighed as she drank the broth, feeling relief run through her body as she finally got nutrients in her body. She glanced at Ashei who watched her worriedly, and she looked down.

“How was Hoz?” Sheik asked.

“Oh, he was fine. Quite determined to find the missing people. He’s a good man.”

Sheik smiled slightly. “Indeed, he is. What did Link and Rusl need?”

Ashei’s breath hitched. “They found what’s been causing these disappearances.”

Sheik gasped and nearly dropped her bowl. Though it was exactly what she had hoped for, she was still surprised that it actually happened. “What is it? What’s causing it?”

“Link thinks it’s a shadow beast.”

Dread instantly filled Sheik’s body. Memories of the beasts breaking through her castle and slaughtering the guards came in at once, and she clenched her fists. How…?

“We hope to make a plan to hunt and kill it, but according to Link, it’s gotten powerful over the past ten years, and it won’t die so easily.”

Sheik swallowed hard and nodded. “I see… any… any news on the people?”

Ashei shook her head sadly. “No, they only mentioned the beast I’m afraid.”

Sheik slumped slightly. If it was a shadow beast taking these people then… they probably weren’t alive anymore. She remembered watching Zant turn her guards into shadow beasts before her eyes, even those who weren’t personally cursed turned when beside them. Even her own parents turned into creatures of darkness…

Were the people dead? Or had they turned into shadow beasts, doomed to be mindless monsters until they’re put out of their misery? Sheik didn’t know. But if that were the case, wouldn’t they have known about the resurgence of shadow beasts? Either way, Sheik was having a hard time being hopeful about the fate of the missing people.

“We’re going to be doing a lot of planning tomorrow,” Ashei continued, “I don’t know when we’ll head out, but if you’re wanting to come with us, I suggest you get some rest, yeah?”

Sheik looked up at Ashei who had a firm expression on her face. Sheik had grown tired of everyone telling her to rest, but with the food and water in her system, she couldn’t fight back the sleepiness.

“Alright,” she mumbled before standing up, staring at her empty bowl confused.

“I can take care of that,” Ashei said, and Sheik set it down awkwardly. “We can talk more tomorrow, yeah?”

Sheik nodded and dragged herself up the stairs where several rooms were hidden. Her eyes were barely open as she tried to find a room to go in. She typically took the first room, so she opened the door and threw her head cover and mask off, closing the door behind her which left the room in total darkness. She stumbled over to the bed closest to her and fell asleep before her head could even hit the pillow.

#smiles writes #love at twilight #I miss Kori :(#dw he’ll be here probably in the next chapter #twilight princess #gosh I LOVE the resistance #they’re so fun #oh Zelda …#how much I love exploring your character that I made up #I should really put a summary so that people will see this and know what my fic is about #but I guess they could go to AO3 to see the summary #hm #hope you guys like it!!#Edmund is going to therapy #/hj #now it’s Zelda’s turn that poor woman #and poor Amber #AGH I poor everyone

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silenzahra · 2 days

Text

Chronicle of an announced concert ✨

June 8th was an important day for me. In other circumstances, I would've been in Madrid for the Book Fair with my bookish friends, but this year was different.

And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I had been waiting for this date since December last year, when a concert of my favorite band in Sevilla, close to where I live, was announced. I immediately ran to grab my tickets, but I swear, that day, the whole of Spain was on that website and the tickets flew. I could manage to get two for the stands at least, even if this is a group that always makes me wanna dance and jump with their rhythm, but I'd seen them from the stands in the past and the people would stand up during the concert, so I was happy. I was gonna see Estopa after all.

Now, this wasn't going to be my first time seeing them live, as I've been "estopera" since I was 10 (according to my mom; I actually thought I'd been since I was 8, when their first album came out back in 1999 🤭). This, actually, was going to be my 9th time seeing Estopa live, being the first one back in 2006, when they came to my very city. I was 14 back then and I immediately became addicted to Estopa's concerts.

And finally, after long months waiting... the day came! 🤩

As I warned here, this post is mostly gonna be me fangirling over Estopa, though I'll also mention the Mario Brothers as I intend to take inspiration from my experience to write a story based on my musicians headcanons. Obviously, you're totally free to read everything or just the parts that focus on Super Mario! (or ignore this post too ofc 😂)

If you choose to read everything, make sure to grab a snack and a drink and make yourself comfortable, because this is gonna be VERY long. Here we go! 👏

The concert was held in Sevilla, so I traveled there with my mom and we spent the day together touring a bit around the city and such. At 7.30PM more or less, we headed to the place where the concert would take place, and it was funny because literally every single person on that bus was going to the exact same place 😂 After all, tickets were sold out! So you best believe, when we reached the place at last, the bus was left empty 😂

We found our places easily and were happy that we could be seated in the end, mostly for my mom. And a bit for me too... I'm not a young teen anymore 😅 Age does take its toll, and even if I LOVE jumping and dancing during a concert, I'm glad I can be seated at times and rest a bit.

I obviously had to take some pics before the concert started, and I also went and bought some merch as a good estopera 😁 I already had a couple of these bracelets from previous concerts (the two on the bottom), and I added two more to my collection! ✨

This is what I mean when I tell you I'm a hardcore Estopa fan 😂

If I may add, I did record some videos of the concert, but it's mostly me "singing" (I can't sing lol 😂), and since I got up and jumped and danced most of the time, the videos don't have quality whatsoever. So instead of showing them, what I'll do is share some videos I've found on the internet by some other people who were there too! Mostly this youtube channel but also this one for the last videos. Hope that's okay and that you enjoy the videos if you see them! 💖

Now, ever since the very first time I saw Estopa live, they always make us wait a little bit more past the starting time. This means it was 10.15PM when the Muñoz Brothers finally came on stage and started singing the very first song of their very first album! 🤩

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Yes, they do like big special effects, and yes, there's a Stop signal on stage, as their name is, after all "Stop" but with an E at the beginning and an A at the end 😂 It's even part of their trademark! Jump to 2.21 if you wanna se the moment they finally appear and to 2.36 for the actual beginning of the song! (and see how the people immediately start singing, you BET I was doing the exact same thing 😁).

Also, 3.49 for a silly moment of David "playing" with the Stop signal, and 4.05 to see them singing together face to face... and then do this 👇 (source)

THE FREAKING BEGINNING OF THE FREAKING CONCERT AND THEY WERE ALREADY DOING THIS. I saw it through the big screens on the sides and I MELTED AND SCREAMED 😭😭😭 These two doing the forehead touch like Mario and Luigi, I seriously cannot get over it, and especially with those faces, the knowing look they're sharing, the LOVE. David and Jose are SO Mario and Luigi coded and I love the four of them SO MUCH 🥹🥹🥹

Besides, in that part of the song, they were literally singing "And I'm still here by your side until the wind takes me away." Isn't that fitting for them sharing this beautiful moment right afterwards??? 🥹🥹🥹 (Also, in case you're wondering... yes, that's my new lockscreen 🤭🥹)

You know, this tour is to celebrate not only the release of their latest album, but also their 25th anniversary since they started in music. And, as David said after this and another song (they usually start with one and then link to a second before they make a short stop to say hello and breathe a bit), this concert in Sevilla happened to be the most crowded one of their entire career 🤩 The whole place was filled to the brim and they couldn't believe it! They kept on thanking everyone for coming, and David literally said while laughing: "We're gonna give a concert with all the songs that we know" 😂

They certainly gave an amazing concert! 🤩🤩🤩 They brought back many old songs they hadn't played live in a few years, as well as their greatest and best known bangers, of course, and it was truly a delight for me! 😁😁😁 As I said, I've seen them live 9 times counting this one, and I believe some of the songs they played last Saturday, I hadn't heard them live in more than a decade! So it truly was a pleasure that they decided to bring them back 😁

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This one is an example! I literally hadn't heard it live since my very first concert back in 2006, so you bet I was singing and clapping and dancing to the fullest 😁😁😁 Especially during the last instrumental part, it literally had me jumping, and I couldn't stop thinking of my dear bestie @bberetd! 💖💖💖

Oh, and that little moment of the brothers singing as if they were talking to each other (2.33)... you BET I'm grabbing that for the future story I wanna write with Mario and Luigi 🥹🥹🥹 It fits so well!

Also, in that video, you'll se that many people are wearing some bracelets we were given at the entrance. We thought at first they were broken, because they wouldn't turn on, and it turns out they were all connected and they started to light up during the sixth song they played, one of my favorites! 🤩🤩🤩

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Jump to 2.08 to see the bracelets lighting for the first time! And also to see all the people gathered there and vibing with Estopa, this is one of their best and most loved songs and everyone knows the lyrics 🤩 After all, you can see David letting us sing some lines in his stead during the entire video! 😁

Also... at the beginning of it, he was mentioning Taylor Swift 🤭 You see, this artist came to Spain and performed in Madrid on May 30th, and it was such a big event that it was even on the news! They know many people like her, and David couldn't help but mention her sometimes. In this video he was saying, "We're not as good-looking as Taylor Swift, but a little bit we are" 😂😂😂

In between songs, the brothers usually joked with each other, tell some silly stories, and sometimes they also took matters seriously. There was a point in the concert where David saw someone holding the flag of Extremadura, a region in Spain from where their parents are from and that they both hold close to their hearts. The flag happens to resemble another one, and David didn't hesitate to say: "You know, we didn't want to get into politics and shit, but I'm seeing the flag of Extremadura, which reminds me a lot of the Palestinian one, and I can't help but think of the thousands of children that are being massacred in Palestine. We know we can't really do much from here, but we'd like to show our support."

And, you know, considering Estopa is one of the biggest and most well-known groups in my country and many other Spanish-speaking places, I believe it's wonderful that David decided to say this. He knows they have a great audience, that their voices are truly heard, and he decided to do something good with it (aside from their music of course). Not many famous people dare to openly speak about such issues and I couldn't be more thankful that they did 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

Another big moment on stage was when they brought a car on stage. Yes, a freaking car 😂 As David explained, he had heard Ricky Martin say something like "You can't bring a car on stage," and according to David's own words, he immediately turned to his brother and said, "Hold my beer, Jose." And they brought the freaking car on stage 😂😂😂 Isn't that something that our beloved Mario would do??? Being told you can't do something and then doing it??? David is SO MUCH like him OMG ❤️❤️❤️

I'm not an expert whatsoever, but apparently, this is a Seat Panda! It's a very old kind of car, I believe it's not even made anymore, but it has its history with Estopa 🤭 First of all, they used to work at a factory that made car pieces for Seat (Wrecking Crew, anyone? Only not car pieces 😂), and a specific Seat Panda is mentioned in their absolute most famous song. Literally every single Spanish person knows this song even if they can't remember who sings it, but believe me when I say it's the GREATEST banger in my country. Perhaps even you have heard it, if you happen to know someone who speaks Spanish! It's their most well-known song after all 👏👏👏

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Yes, at the beginning they are, again, joking and being silly 😂 And having a great time! I just love how they both have lots of fun in their concerts, whether they're singing or chatting between songs 🥰 Then David starts listing a few things they like referring to the typical village festivals, and please, just look at how the people immediately starts vibing as soon as David finally begins to sing!

And the chorus!!! They literally let us sing the chorus, they even stopped the music 😂 La raja de tu falda, my dear friends. THE banger. The very first song that launched them to fame back in 1999. A fucking anthem I swear. Even more famous than the Spanish actual anthem (which has no lyrics btw 😂😂😂).

Back to the car on stage, I cracked up, because Jose was inside as if he were driving, but David was pushing the car from behind 😂😂😂 And they wouldn't stop signaling at each other as if they were like "Move on a little more!" "Stop right there!" "Go on, go on!" and David even went like "Push, Jose!" They're so silly, I swear 😂😂😂 My mom and I couldn't stop laughing 😂😂😂

And then David jumped onto the car to sing the next song! Unfortunately I couldn't find any long videos for this one, but I did see a couple of Instagram stories and recorded a little bit 🤭 They both ended up on top of the car singing together like the amazing team they are, and then Jose jumped down of it and offered his hand to David to help him down. Mario and Luigi, I say 💚❤️✨

I tried to go and edit two different videos (Instagram stories, which means both of them are short). The first one doesn't have a very good quality and whoever recorded it was singing just like I was during the entire concert 😂 And the second one is also very short (again, Instagram story), but still I hope you can get to see them singing together even if for a few seconds! 💖

Also, something I'm also including in my story is a line that has become very famous in the history of Estopa 🤭 You see, in a couple of songs, right before the beats go high and hard, David sometimes says "Come on, Jose!" and he also does it during the concerts, although the audience is always faster and start saying it before David has the chance to 😂 And something that I love is that, once David finally says it while laughing and looking at his brother, then Jose goes "Come on, Andalucía!" and oh GOSH I AM including this in the future fic 😍😍😍 Mario telling Luigi "Come on, Lu!" to go on singing and playing, and then Luigi turning to the audience and screaming back "Come on, Mushroom Kingdom!" or Sarasaland or wherever they're playing 😍😍😍

Unfortunately I could only find this video from last Saturday's concert, but it's SO long and it includes a flamenco-centered part at first that I didn't want to add it here, but if you follow the link, you can go to 8.22 to hear David saying "Come on, Jose!" first and then Jose adding "Come on, Andalucía!" You'll see David laughing because all of Sevilla has already said his line before he did 😂

A few more pics that I'm definitely taking as inspiration! 😁😁😁 (source)

I especially LOVED when David cheered us on with things like "Come on, Andalucía!" or "Keep clapping!" or even "Those horns to the sky of Sevilla!" during the entire concert, as well as turning the mic towards the audience like he's doing on the last pic! You certainly cannot be bored at a concert of these two, they won't let you take a breath for even a second 😁😂 (also, the look Jose is giving David on the second to last pic 😍😍😍)

There were a couple of funny moments where David forgot the lyrics and his brother immediately looked at him like, "That's not how it goes!" 😂 Heck, David even had to stop a song for a second and ask his brother for help, and neither of them could stop laughing 😂😂😂 You BET I'm also including something like that, I like the thought of Mario being so devoted to the music and the concert and the audience clapping and cheering that he forgets the lyrics, and he immediately runs to Luigi for help, and again, they're both cracking up 😂😂😂

Also! Jose, the main guitarist, has a few songs that he sings mostly alone with his brother backing him (they normally do it backwards: David is the lead singer and Jose plays the guitar and backs his brother). The most famous one is Ya no me acuerdo, a very beautiful ballad that everybody sings along with him, but in this case, I'd like to show you the videoclip instead of a video from the concert, as it's also gonna be a great source of inspiration. I mean, just look at it! 👇

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Right at the eighth second they do something that I included in my headcanon post! They put their index fingers on each other's brow to help concentrate right before going on stage. And, please, don't miss 1.56: David jumping right next to his brother and staring proudly and happily at him as he sings 🥹🥹🥹 Mario, Mario, MARIO doing that while Luigi sings, I'm literally SCREAMING AAAAHHHH 😭😭😭

Also. 2.46. The look David gives Jose. The pride. THE LOVE. AW I swear I have CHILLS just by rewatching this videoclip, it's been FOREVER since I last saw it and some of these parts, I had forgotten about them 🥹🥹🥹

But I hadn't forgotten about the hug at the end (3.19), and the way they sing together, and David screaming "¡Ole mi hermano!" 🥹 It could be translated as "Bravo, my brother!" or something like that, "Ole" really has no translation as it's the way we Spaniards express our support, something we say as we clap or to congratulate someone 😂 Actually, I was screaming "Ole" every single time they finished a song as I clapped 😂 I guess it could be our equivalent to "Bravo", which is why I chose that specific word to give it some sort of translation 😅

But yeah, the thing is: Mario looking at Luigi while he sings alone, joining him in some parts of the song, and then going like "Bravo!" or "That's my bro!" right before they hug. Also, the part where David is pressing his fist against Jose's arm (2.27), the line he's singing says: "They say time and oblivion are like twin brothers." SO PERFECT. They may not be specifically twins, but they've stated many times that they feel as if they were, and we all know two brothers who are actual twins, so more inspiration!!! 😁😁😁 My gosh, how I LOVE that my favorite band is inspiring me so much 🥹🥹🥹

Actually, they've inspired me a lot throughout my life! The first two novels I wrote, I owe them not only to Mario and Luigi, but also to Estopa. The first one starred two brothers who travelled in time, and the second one was inspired by this videoclip that they made as if it were the trailer for an action movie. They also played this song, btw, and it was SO GREAT to hear it live again after so many years 🥹 Yeah, these videos are old, the song Ya no me acuerdo turns 20 this year and Cuando amanece is 16. And... I am old too 😅

I would've liked to show you a video of the ending of the concert, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any that has enough quality so you can see them singing together and a silly dance they do right as they say goodbye. So I had to go to a different concert! This one took place in Cádiz back in 2022 and I was also among the crowd 😁 This video is from then, and this is the last song they always play, another FREAKING anthem: Como Camarón.

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Something that I LOVE and that David also did in the concert in Sevilla from two days ago is including everyone. In case you don't know, Spanish is a language that marks the gender a lot, and because of patriarchy, it tends to be very male-centric, being "todos" the word that has always been used to refer to everyone no matter their gender. Something that we've started to do recently is adding not only "todas", which is the female form, but also "todes", which refers mostly to nb people but is also a way to include everybody regardless their gender. And David said in both concerts, both when greeting and when saying goodbye, "todos, todas y todes". Inclusive brothers. I love them even more 💖💖💖

But yeah! This is their goodbye song. I LOVE IT 🤩🤩🤩 Como Camarón is one of my absolute favorites, and I LOVE listening to it live, but it always gives me a feeling of bitterness, as the fact that they're singing it means the concert is coming to an end. So you bet I always jump and scream to the top of my lungs, as I LOVE the lyrics, and I obviously did it both in the concert from 2022 and in the one from last Saturday 😁

It can't be seen very clearly, but at 3.43 they start hugging 🥹 They always hug at the end of the concerts, they also did it in Sevilla and I was melting 😭😭😭 Also, 4.28! What they do there after waving at the audience and such, that silly dance in which they grab each other's hands and make the other spin to pretend a silly dance, they also did it this past weekend! 😂 Again, I saw it through the big screens, but it's something that has been etched in my mind and, guess what... I'm also adding it to my story with Mario and Luigi 😌 After all, they're two silly goobers like Estopa, so of course they're also gonna be dancing 🤭

And referring to that concert from 2022, in my musicians post I also shared this video in which they also dance! So... more inspiration!!! 😁😁😁

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Go to 3.28 to see how David beckons his brother to come closer, as that part of this song (yet another very famous banger) always has the audience screaming ESTOPA, and immediately, they start dancing again 😂 And David even pretends to fall at 3.49 so that Jose has to grab him, I swear I can never have enough of these two sillies making these dances on stage 😂😂😂 They're but another proof that they're having the time of their lives while playing, and I obviously intend to reflect that with Mario and Luigi! 😁😁😁

So this is it! I know this post got even longer than expected, but I didn't want to leave anything out. I know seeing this through a screen is not the same as actually seeing your favorite band live, because that's certainly a feeling that can't be described with words. You have to experience it firsthand in order to fully understand what it truly means, at least that's my case with Estopa.

More than half of my life being their fan and they never, ever disappoint. I could never get tired of going to concert after concert of the Muñoz Brothers. I simply cannot put down to words what I feel when I see them there, in front of me, so close yet so far, giving it all while they throw banger after banger to your face and continue to joke between songs.

Saying that they're great, that their concerts are one of the most powerful and intense things you'll ever experience in your life, would be an understatement. Estopa is simply another level. It's not having time to breathe between songs and, even so, never wanting it to end. It's having the chance to sing along to your favorite songs with a crowd of other fans and, moreover, the artists themselves. It's not knowing what they'll come up with next, what surprises they're keeping in store with their jokes, their songs, the staging, and enjoying everything to the fullest.

For me, this concert meant nostalgia. It meant having the chance not only to see again my favorite band live, but, as I said, to enjoy some old songs that I hadn't heard live in a very long time. And the feeling of hearing them again... I swear, in most of the videos I recorded, at the beginning of the songs I'm like "OH MY FREAKING GOD THEY'RE SINGING THIS ONE!!!!!! 🤩🤩🤩"

And you know the best part? After so many years going to Estopa concerts, I've already learned to recognize what songs they're about to play just by the very first notes or something they say at the beginning 🤭 For instance, when Jose starts narrating a story in the video of Partiendo la pana I shared (the last one), I immediately know this is what's coming next. When David refers to the working-class people and says that they're dedicating their next song to them, I automatically know Pastillas de freno is coming (another freaking banger that makes me jump A LOT and that refers to their time working at the Seat factory). And when he starts saying goodbye, I'm always like, "No, please, don't start singing Como Camarón, not yet" 😂

But yeah... all good things come to an end. Luckily, I did enjoy this concert to the absolute fullest, and the best part is they're coming also very close to my city in August. So guess who's repeating the Estopa experience later this summer 😁😁😁 That one will be my 10th Estopa concert OMG... When I say I can never get enough of these two and their music I'm not exaggerating even a little bit 😂😂😂

Also! This is the merch that I bought! 🤩

Estopía is the name of their latest album, as alluding to the word utopia. The pork on the back appeared on their second album, Destrangis, and they brought it back to commemorate their 25 years being Estopa (Extremadura, their parents' homeland, is famous for raising these porks). The other t-shirt, as you can see, actually celebrates this fact, and displays the whole list of places they're visiting or have visited during this tour. Actually the shirt I was wearing for this concert, I bought it at the Cádiz concert in 2022 and it also includes the list of that year's tour on the back, so of course I had to have the one for this year too 😁

Also, the keychain is a pick! They mostly play the Spanish guitar just with their fingers, but sometimes they use a pick, and other times they switch to an electric guitar so, again, pick! And the bracelets, I showed them at the beginning of this post, but to sum up: now I have four 😂

Gosh, thank you so much if you read it to the end 😂 I know this isn't directly related to the Super Mario franchise, but as this is also a pair of brothers, as you see, they're constantly inspiring me 😁 First the post I made back in March, and now the story that I'm planning 😁😁😁 I love love LOVE Estopa, and I love that they never stop inspiring me no matter how many years go by 💖💖💖

And I obviously LOVE seeing them live! Hope you enjoyed the songs if you gave them a listen, and I also hope you'll like the story once it's ready! (I don't know when it'll be though 😂 I have a very long list of WIPs, but we'll get there! 💪)

And before I go, if I may... This is before they made the forehead touch 👇 (source)

And this is right after they made it 👇 (source)

Estopa even went and made a thank you video that they posted on Instagram yesterday, they said this was the BEST concert in their entire career and their most-crowded one to date. And I honestly cannot believe that I was there with them 😭😭😭 I'm literally CRYING writing this, gosh, this band is so so SO important in my life. I owe them so much 🥹🥹🥹

Again, thank you if you read everything. I hope I could make you at least feel half the excitement and LOVE I feel for these two brothers from Barcelona. Long live Estopa 🤘🔥

#personal post #estopa #spanish band #Youtube #super mario bros #future story coming!#I swear I can never get enough of them #and the way they inspire me!!! gosh I'm so BLESSED #hope you enjoyed this post if you read the whole thing #thank you again! and sorry if this was annoying lol #I've been told in the past many times that I'm annoying with Estopa but what can I do if I love them #musically speaking they're my entire life #and they've also played an important role in my writing #just like videogames and movies and books #so how could I NOT go on and on about them #but anyways thank you again and hope you enjoyed this!#my PMs are always open to fangirl about Estopa hehehe #and about the Super Mario franchise of course!#love you so much!

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