From Shadow to Light

By Michael Muirhead

Chapter 3

The Reunion

Auru surveyed the damage to the wagon the next morning to see if it could be salvaged. Unfortunately, he found that the wagon would need some extensive repair if they intended to use it again. As far as he could tell from a quick check, the support frame under the carriage had been split, two of the wheels had been completely shattered, and the side the monster had hit was dented and ready to fall apart.

Auru could only shake his head in regret as he made his way to where Erin and her two children sat. They had gathered everything they could from the wagon and were sifting through the ruble to see if anything could be salvaged.

As Auru approached them, Erin turned and looked to him. "Can we salvage it?"

Auru shook his head as he took a seat next to Erin. "It would take too long to fix. Right now, our only hope is to reach Hyrule Castle before nightfall."

Erin sighed. She then looked over to Auru's arm. "How's your arm feeling?"

Auru took a glance at the cast that now covered his left arm. As he feared, it was broken. His side had long since stopped aching, which gave him the relief that he had escaped any cracked ribs. Still, he knew he could not fight in the condition he was in. "I'll be okay. Just worry about your kids."

Erin gave a small nod and continued her job of sorting through items for essentials they could salvage.

Auru then looked up and noticed Ronald approaching the camp. Seeing he was walking alone, he could only assume that Ronald had failed at his task. "No sign?"

"That horse is gone. She must have bolted during the attack," Ronald cursed as he entered the camp.

Auru felt a sense of pity wash over him. Ronald and his family were good people. To see them being struck by such a disaster was heart breaking. But even if they lost a lot of their belongings, they still had to pull through for each other. Auru could only hope that they could quickly recover from this tragedy.

"If we are going to make it to Hyrule Castle, we'll have to get started soon," Ronald explained.

"Agreed," Auru nodded.

"But what are we going to do about that?" Erin asked as she looked off to one side.

Auru followed her gaze to the little imp. The creature was currently tied to a tree. Throughout the night, the imp had remained mostly quite. She rarely spoke and was constantly in a state of depression. For a moment, Auru considered releasing her, but still felt that this imp was somehow connected to the monsters that attacked them. After witnessing the power of the bracelet, he was sure of it. "We'll take her with us."

"Take her with us?" Ronald asked, slightly appalled by the idea.

"There are still some things I need to find out about her. I don't want to turn her loose until I get some answers from her," Auru answered.

"For all we know, she might be leading those monsters to us!" Ronald replied.

"It was her power that saved us last night." Auru explained.

"And what if those things come back for her? What then?" Ronald demanded.

"That is exactly why we need her. If she knows how to kill those things or at least drive them off, then we'll need her help," Auru replied.

Ronald threw his hands up in disgust and looked the other way, desperately trying to control his anger. He saw Auru as a good friend who had helped in the past several times, even risking his life last night to save his family. But he also knew Auru could be quite stubborn and set in his ways. All that mattered now was getting his family to safety and to do that he was going to need Auru's help. "All right," Ronald reluctantly agreed. He then stormed off to examine his wagon in silence.

"Sorry about my husband. He's just…" Erin began.

"I know. We're all on edge now," Auru finished. With his wagon destroyed and the threat of the monsters returning in the night, Auru could understand Ronald's actions.

Auru then got up and walked over to where the imp was tied down. As Auru approached her, she made no movement to show she acknowledged his presence. It wasn't until he was right next to her that she even spoke.

"I see tensions are running high," the imp began.

"I don't suppose you can tell me the secret on how to kill those things," Auru stated.

"Why? So you can kill an innocent life?" the imp replied.

"I'm trying to save the life of this family," Auru stated.

"By killing another one," the imp added as she turned her head away from Auru.

"What do you mean?"

The imp remained silent as she silently stared at the ground.

Auru let out a sigh of discontent. From her expression, he doubted he would be able to get any more information from her. He knew she was upset by the sudden loss of magic within the bracelet, but he also could sense that there was something more important troubling her. What was she hiding?

* * * * *

With great determination, the wagon party made its way through the fields with no incidents. They marched in single file, with Ronald in the lead and Auru bringing up the rear. To ensure that the imp did not get away, Auru had made a crude leash that was tied around her waist.

For Auru, the journey was nothing more then a simple country hike. After retiring his services from Hyrule Castle, he had gone out on many pilgrimages to explore the world. For him, the track through Hyrule Field was nothing more then a leisurely stroll through the country. The same could be said about Ronald and his family, having experience traveling from province to province to conduct trade and move goods. But the imp was a different story.

Having a leash tied around her waist, the imp was forced to keep up with the rest of the people. However, her short legs were just not up to the task. For every step that Auru took, the imp was forced to take three or four. She was also forced to move at a jogging pace which was quickly tiring her out.

Her collapse was sudden. In one quick moment, the imp had fallen to her hands and knees and began coughing. As Auru bent down to examine her, he found that she had just vomited in the grass. With one hand, she was clutching at her stomach. Her face looked distorted and pale. Immediately, Auru got to his feet and called to Ronald. "Hold up, Ronald. Let's take a break."

Ronald looked back towards Aura to survey the situation. From his position, he was unable to see the imp's condition, but he could see that his kids were feeling exhausted. He then quickly made some calculations on their location in his head before answering. "Alright, we'll take an hour break."

Auru was grateful and quickly turned his attention to the imp. "Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right?" the imp spat. She then started to cough violently.

"No. Not really," Auru said as he reached for his canteen and rations in his pocket, "Here. This will help you get your strength back up."

At first, Midna wasn't sure if she should take it, but hunger got the better of her. In a quick motion, she snatched the ration away and started to devour it with gusto. She then reached for the canteen and took giant gulps of the cool water inside. For her, the food and drink were a welcome relief.

Auru took a seat next to her and pulled out another ration from his pocket. "You seem hungry. Do you want another?"

Midna did not hide her desire for a second as she quickly snatched the bar away and began to chew on it with the same energy as the first. After another few gulps of water, she let out a small belch of contentment. She then patted her stomach in relief.

When he saw that she was done with it, Auru reached for his canteen and took a sip of water himself, though by far not as much as the imp had drank. He then took another good look at the imp as she lay on the ground.

"You know, I still find it hard to believe that we met somewhere before, like you said. But you do seem to know me and a few of my friends," Auru began.

"Like I said, I like to hide in the shadows and avoid attention," Midna replied.

"Maybe, but I think I would remember someone who looked like you."

"Not likely," Midna singed.

"Perhaps you looked differently back then?" Auru asked.

The small smile on Midna's face vanished as she heard this. Images of what she used to look like began flood her mind. She then held up her hand and examined it. "I was…beautiful…once," she began. Her hand then made a fist and she shut her eyes tight, "but no more."

Auru remained silent.

"I gave up everything for…" Midna stopped herself the next moment when she realized she had been rambling. Inside, she was beating herself for letting such information slide.

"Why hold back so many secrets?" Auru asked.

Midna turned and looked at him. On her face was a wicked smile, "It's easier to manipulate people this way."

"Are you trying to manipulate me now?" Auru asked.

"I already got you wrapped around my little finger."

* * * * *

It was an hour before nightfall when the group had finally caught sight of the west bridge that led into the Town of Hyrule. For everyone, it was a welcome site and a clear sign of salvation. Even the imp seemed to show sincere signs of elation as she saw the great town.

"The place has changed. It doesn't look as grand as it use to without the castle though," the imp commented as she looked over the great town.

Auru took a moment to look over the town and found that he agreed with the imp. Hyrule Castle had been completely destroyed by an explosion of dark energy. Already plans and construction had begun on building a new castle, but so far only the lower sections of the castle had been completed. The rest would take several more months if not years if they hoped to bring Hyrule Castle back to its former glory. Unfortunately, it wasn't the only thing needing to be repaired.

"With the exception of the castle, the rest looks the same," the imp continued.

"There's been more change than you can possibly imagine," Auru commented.

The imp looked up at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"You may find out," Auru replied.

Midna gave a disgruntled snort and placed her hands on her hips. Obviously, Auru was using the same tactics that she had been using on him earlier. In some way, she had enjoyed these little mind games with him. At least her plan had succeeded so far. Without Auru's help, she doubted she would have gotten this close to Hyrule Castle. Now all she had to do was steer Auru a little more and then it would be only a matter of time before she reached her ultimate goal.

* * * * *

As the group approached the gates of Hyrule, Auru found himself wondering how to keep Midna a secret. Stating that Hyrule had enough problems already, Auru was able to convince Ronald and his family to keep the imp a secret. But hiding the creature from the public eye was another matter entirely.

Auru's first idea was to stuff the little imp into a sac and carry her into town. However, he ran into two problems with this. The first one being that he didn't have a sac large enough to hold the imp. The second problem being that the imp put up quite a fuss when she heard the idea. Auru was certain someone would notice him if he carried a bag with a struggling imp inside.

"What about your rain cloak? If you carry her on your back while wearing it over her, she should appear as a pack your back," Ronald suggested.

Auru turned and looked at the imp for a second. The idea sounded like it could work. However, Auru had his doubts on whether it was safe to strap the imp to his back. Slowly Auru approached the imp. "Are you going to give me any trouble if I hide you in my cloak?"

"Believe me when I say that I'm as interested in getting out of this wilderness as much as you are," the imp replied. It was clear she didn't like the idea, but she knew she had little choice in the matter.

Auru took another moment to consider the plan. Although he wasn't sure why, his instincts told him he could trust the imp. From what he could tell, the journey had already weakened her. She could not put much of struggle if she did try something.

It did not take long to set up the preparations. To make sure the imp didn't try anything, her hands were bound and tied to Auru's back as well as her feet. When the rain cloak was draped over Auru, he had the appearance of having an uneven pack underneath it. It wasn't the best disguise, but it would help him avoid unwanted attention.

As the sun began to disappear over the horizon, the group finally made it to the gates that led into the town. It was here that Auru parted company with Ronald and his family. He had to get the imp to a hidden location before someone saw her.

The best way Auru figured in getting to his final destination was through the many back alleys. Very few people passed through them and he could avoid the crowds of the market square. The only problem was the amount of time it would take to traverse the alleys.

"Aren't we at Telma's bar yet?" the imp cried from underneath the cloak.

Auru's eyebrow slightly rose upon hearing the question. "Why do you think that?" he whispered as he tried to avoid attention.

"Call it woman's intuition."

"Woman's intuition," Auru answered sarcastically. After what the imp had told him so far, he very much doubted that was the truth at all. Still, she was right about their final destination.

As darkness fell over the city, Auru finally found his way to Telma's bar without incident. As he entered the establishment, he was greeted by the warm smell of cider. To his pleasant surprise, the bar was nearly empty.

"Look who finally decided to show up!" Telma shouted happily.

Auru looked to the bar to see Telma running up to greet him. "Greetings, Telma."

"By the Goddesses, what happened to your arm?" Telma demanded as she walked to him and inspected the cast over his left arm.

"It's a long story," Auru answered as he shifted the cast away from her gaze, "Are any of the others here?"

"Shad is in the back, reading as always. Ashei is on a hunting expedition up north. What's going on?" Telma demanded.

"I'll explain."

* * * * *

"So you really think that this thing is a Twili?" Shad asked as he started to poke the imp in the arm.

The imp retaliated by quickly slapping Shad's hand. Clearly, she was agitated after having to endure being carried by Auru and then being poked and prodded like some experiment. Throughout Auru's explanation of the past events, the imp sat and glared at everyone, remaining mostly silent. The three people seemed to hover all around her like hyenas.

"Careful, boy, she might bite," Telma teased.

"I don't bite!" Midna growled.

"I think she might be," Auru answered Shad, "She seems to have knowledge about the creatures that attacked me and the markings on her skin are the same as theirs."

Telma let out a deep sigh of frustration. "The last thing we need is another invasion," Telma replied angrily. She then turned to the imp and glared down angrily at it. "Wasn't trying to encompass us in darkness and then blowing up our castle enough!" Telma shouted angrily.

Midna made no response.

"Easy, Telma, we don't know yet if she is even associated with the Twili that attacked us. She might be some other creature from the Realm of Twilight," Auru responded.

"What else could she be?" Telma asked.

"Maybe she's a pixie from their world," Shad suggested.

"Maybe, that's why we need you to find out," Auru stated as he turned to Shad.

"Me?"

Auru nodded, "You have the most knowledge on ancient races."

Shad looked over the imp again who only returned his stare. "I guess I can try. There's nothing much about the Twili really."

"This should be interesting," Midna commented.

"Telma, can we stash her here for now?" Auru asked.

Telma turned and looked at the imp and stood in thought for a moment. "We can keep her in the back room I guess. No one will notice her there."

"How about some food as well," the imp inquired.

Telma looked to Auru for an answer. When she saw him give his nod of approval, she made her way back to the bar. "I got some Rice Cakes if that will work," Telma replied.

"That will do," Midna said as she got up from where she was sitting. She then followed Auru and Shad to the back room where she was to be kept. Telma followed behind with a plate full of Rice Cakes and placed them on a table inside the room. Immediately, Midna pulled up a chair and started devouring the Rice Cakes one after the other.

As Midna ate, Telma, Shad, and Auru exited the room and locked the door behind them. They then made their way to the bar to discuss their strategy.

"Do you think we should get Rusl and Ashei down here?" Shad asked as he took a seat.

Telma gave an amused snort. "Good luck finding Ashei. She's high in those mountains right now. She won't be back for days at least. But I do think bringing Rusl here would be a good idea."

"It would take a messenger maybe two to three days to reach him. Then it's another three days for Rusl to come here. Two if he makes a hard ride," Auru explained. Auru then sat in thought as he carefully weighed other options. "What about Zelda? Any chance we could ask her for assistance?"

Both Shad and Telma seemed to share a look before turning back to Auru.

Auru could see the worry covering each of their faces. "What is it?"

"Things have gotten a little worse since you got back," Telma replied.

"How bad is it?" Auru asked as he felt a deep sinking feeling inside his stomach.

"While you were gone, the economy here has been falling," Telma explained.

"With the recent Bulblin attacks, the destruction of the castle, and the lack of a sufficient police force, not to mention an army to defend us if we came under attack again, the government has been in turmoil. Zelda has had to petition various nobles for concessions to help with the rebuilding effort," Shad explained.

"The problem is that those greedy nobles want power in the royal council. In other words, they'll give the money and support Zelda needs if they can take a seat in the royal court," Telma spat angrily.

"Charon, Myer, and Kaylob have already been removed from their duties," Shad continued.

Auru felt a sense of dread wash over him as he heard those three names. For years, the three men Shad had mentioned were Zelda's best advisors. To have them replaced in this time of rebuilding was a mistake. However, he could understand why the nobles chose those three advisors to be removed. Without them, Zelda's influence with the people would weaken and the nobles could over power her decisions. Still, Auru knew Zelda very well. She had a strong will and would not go down without a fight. "Who were the three nobles who replaced them?" Auru asked.

"Well, two of them are your typical fascists. Zelda would not have any trouble in keeping them under control. It's the third one who will be a problem," Telma explained.

"His name is Wisler. He's had the monopoly on trade between the Zoras and Hyrule. And since the Bulblins don't attack that route, he's one of the richest men now," Shad explained.

"He's been responsible for our current law enforcement as well. Almost all the guards are under his jurisdiction. He can make them turn a blind eye to certain events if he wanted them to," Telma angrily added.

Auru let out a sigh of frustration. It was bad enough before he left, but now things seemed to get a lot worse. "So asking Zelda for help is not a good idea," Auru replied.

"If Zelda gets involved, then Wisler will too. And he will use everything in his power to take advantage of the situation. Maybe even try to use it as an excuse to overthrow Zelda," Telma explained.

Auru thought Telma's last comment about overthrowing Zelda was too unbelievable. Zelda was very well loved by the people and a just ruler. Overthrowing her would only enrage the populace. It could even lead to possible civil war. Wisler would need Zelda's voice if he was to keep his power.

Suddenly, the sound of broken glass echoed from the back room. Immediately everyone got up from their seat and made their way to the back to investigate. As they opened the door, they found the little imp curled up on the floor, shaking violently. To one side of her was the broken plate with a few Rice Cakes.

"By the Goddesses," Telma said as she rushed over and gathered the creature in her arms.

The imp had gone pale and was shaking violently. Desperately, she clutched at her stomach as if she was in great pain.

"What's wrong with her?" Shad asked as he kept his distance.

Auru bent down for a closer look. Unfortunately, he knew very little about the imp to come up with a possible diagnosis. Whatever was causing her pain was coming from the inside.

"Brace……"

Auru was only just able to hear her voice whisper something. Hoping to hear her better, Auru moved his ear closer to make out what the imp was trying to say.

"Brace…let"

"You need the bracelet?" Auru asked.

The imp gave a small nod with her head.

Quickly Auru searched his pockets and pulled the bracelet out. He then handed it to her. The imp weakly took it from him and clutched it in both her hands. She then began to chant a spell under her breath. The only word Auru was able to make out was 'azule'.

As the imp finished the incantations, the orb on the bracelet started to glow a bright white. The green markings on the band also began to glow as well. The bracelet then returned to its normal pulse of fading in and out. The imp fell limp in Telma's arms the next second, dropping the bracelet to the floor.

Telma placed a hand on the creatures head. "She's burning up," she then turned to Shad, "Go get some cold washcloths," Telma instructed as she carried the limp form to the nearest bed.

"Right," Shad said as he started to make his way out of the room.

As Shad left, Auru picked the bracelet up and followed Shad to the bar. "Shad, do you know what 'azule' means in the ancient tongue?" Auru asked.

"Umm," Shad thought as he gathered some wash clothes and began to soak them in water, "I think it means…heal. Excuse me," he said as he made his way past Auru towards Telma.

"Heal," Auru said to himself as he looked down at the bracelet.

To Be Continued….

* * * * *

Author's note: I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I look forward to any reviews you might have. Sorry I did not include Ashei in the story, but I had trouble with her accent and could not figure out how to place her in the story yet. She may or may not make an appearance.

Truthfully, I wish there was a story about her posted. Maybe it would be a nice challenge for me after I complete "From Shadow to Light". Still, I encourage anyone out there interested in writing Zelda fanfiction to give it a shot.

The characters and game belong to the companies responsible for creating Legend of Zelda. This story is only based on it and is not being used to make money. Only to satisfy a hobby I have and to share it with others.