A/N: Yes, I'm a terrible person. Classes and life are great excuses but I really should be updating more than this. At least in the time between the last chapter and this one I've spent revamping the ideas that were present in the original (as well as dealing with plot bunnies for a few other stories). Classes should be less stressful and time consuming this coming quarter, so I anticipate having more time to write then.
The Legend of Midna
Act 1 - To Enter the Twilight
Chapter 3: Twilight
Midna took a moment to study her opponent. It was difficult to tell what sort of creature lay beneath the cloak of bats. Only Gomess' head and arms were visible, and both were covered in the sinister red markings of corrupted Twilight. Twin yellow-orange orbs glared at her as Gomess darted forward, scythe whistling through the air. Shadow met steel as Midna's magic flared to life, blocking Gomess' scythe with a wall of searing flame that drove the reaper back. Gomess shrieked in anger as his bats burned and writhed in agony. Several of them fell to the ground and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.
"You'll pay for that, witch!"
Midna was forced to leap backwards, splitting into particles of energy that reformed several meters away in order to avoid Gomess' furious assault. Twin balls of shadow lanced from Midna's open palms and into the mass of bats, briefly scattering them. Within moments they were back, hiding the almost skeletal form underneath. As the bats shifted and swirled to reform their protective coat, Midna caught a glimpse of the pulsing yellow core beneath the Twilit Reaper. The princess flicked one hand at the monster before her, shards of shadow bouncing harmlessly off of Gomess' bats. It did nothing to stop the reaper from darting forward, scythe slicing through the air in an attempt to cut her down. But Midna was ready for him, arms raised to conjure a bubble of twilight that not even the strongest of strikes from Gomess could penetrate. As Gomess retreated, Midna lowered the shield and stumbled backwards, struggling to keep herself upright. When did I become so out of shape? she wondered, taking a moment to steady herself and marshal her magic for another attack. It had been over a year since Midna had needed to use her magic in combat, and the stress of battle and the focus needed to cast her spells were already taking their toll on her. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this spell up, either - best to end this quickly, she thought, and closed her eyes, dredging up magic she hadn't already used to channel into her spell. Beneath her skin, tendrils of power danced, delighted to be used after an age of dormancy.
"What's the matter, girl? Giving up?" taunted Gomess. Deep in her spell, Midna didn't answer. "Don't worry, I'll make this…" His eyes narrowed as Midna's markings began to glow a faint blue. "Now just what are you up to?" Gomess twirled his scythe and darted forward with the speed that belied his size. Before he could do anything, an explosion of energy blasted Gomess back, causing his bats to scatter with shrieks of anger. He lifted his weapon, ready to strike the sorceress down —
But Midna had disappeared. "Where did -"
One fiery fist slammed into Gomess' exposed core while a well-placed kick knocked his scythe away. The reaper rolled to his left, narrowly avoiding another punch from the blur that seemed to be everywhere, and let out a shrill whistle. Out of his shadow, new bats emerged, taking their place around Gomess' body to shield him from harm. "A neat trick, to be sure," he called to the seemingly empty air. "But why don't you show yourself so we can end this?"
"Since you asked so nicely…"
The reaper's eyes darted around the battlefield, trying to the pinpoint the sound of Midna's voice, when a rain of blows to his head forced him to the ground. With a final kick, Midna leapt away from the bats that sought to trap her and landed on the steps several feet away. Wreathed in blue fire, Midna's entire body pulsed with arcane might, her magic drawn to the focal points that were her hands and feet. A spectral orange hand drifted off to one side, shimmering in the half-light of the Twilight Realm. The princess pointed at Gomess, the spectral hand following suit. "No one threatens my people, Gomess!" Pure fury radiated from her eyes as she dashed forward, punching through the curtain of bats as though they weren't even there. The reaper grunted and staggered backward at the unexpected force. Before he could bring his scythe up, the spectral hand knocked it away, then wrapped itself around him and began to squeeze. One by one, the bats that had protected him vanished in a puff of purple smoke. Midna raised her right hand and brought it down. Her magical hand followed suit, smashing Gomess into the ground again and again until the Twilit Reaper was nothing but a broken, bloody mess. "And stay dead," she spat as his broken form burst into black particles and dissipated. The exhaustion that had lingered at the edges of her vision came crashing down and the Twilight Princess fell to her knees, her limbs growing weaker as the power she'd focused into them to augment her punches and kicks vanished.
The sound of a slow clap filled the air. Midna's head shot up, searching for the cause. She didn't have to look far to spot eyes that mirrored her own glaring back at her.
"Zant!" Midna bit back words of surprise that tried to force their way out. There was no mistaking the man strode up the steps to stand in front of her. How did he survive? The power of the Fused Shadows and the Master Sword should have killed him! "Somehow, I'm not surprised." Midna crossed her arms. "What, no ridiculous helmet this time? It suited you."
Zant laughed. "Still the same, Midna. I should have known that even the light could never change you."
"I could say the same of you, Zant." She motioned at the bloodstained spot that had been Gomess. "Yours, I assume? Still sending other people to do your dirty work?"
He snorted. "Oh, please, princess! How hypocritical can you be? What is it those light dwellers say, again? 'Pot, meet kettle?' How is what I do any different that what you did with your so-called hero?"
At the mention of Link, Midna's eyes narrowed. "That's completely different, and if you value your life, Zant, I suggest you stop talking and leave."
Zant threw back his head and laughed. "I doubt you could even touch me now, Midna, drained as you are of power — don't try to deny it, I can see how exhausted you really are."
And it was true, Midna noted glumly. Not even a spark of her arcane magic remained. She'd burned it all to bring Gomess down, and though it would regenerate in time, it would not be fast enough to help her in combat against Zant. Not that I'd ever reveal that fact to him. "I still have more than enough to kill you again," she bluffed. A blast of shadow magic struck her chest and knocked her back several feet. She doubled over in pain as the magician advanced, a smirk on his face.
"Cute, as always," he drawled. "But really, Midna, I know the curse you once bore with such hatred limited your power, and it hasn't been nearly long enough for you to recover your full strength." He knelt before her and forced her head upwards, looking deep into her eyes. "Join me, and together light and twilight shall become as they should have been all this time — ruled by shadow."
The princess slapped his hand away and spun with one leg outstretched, sweeping Zant off his feet. Before she could pin him to the ground, the magician let loose a wave of power that plastered her against the walls of the Palace of Twilight.
"Even in the face of death, you show such spirit! It such a pity that I have to kill you," he said. With the snap of his fingers, the two blades he'd once wielded against the Hero of Twilight materialized in his hands. "If only you had sided with me…" He sighed. "I don't want to kill you, Midna, but my master has decreed that the Twilight Princess must die."
Midna could do nothing but watch as he raised his blades into the air. " And die you will."
Exhausted by the day's events and her meeting with Mayor Bo, Zelda bid a good night to her guardsmen and returned to Link's house. With a kettle set to brew on the stove, the princess turned to the small room that made up the hero's residence. While she did not want to pry, she couldn't help but be curious about the man that had saved her kingdom. She knew next to nothing about the farmhand-turned-hero, except for his peerless skills with the blade and his penchant for helping those in need. Tales of the legendary Hero of Time had been passed down in the Royal Family, always speaking of his boundless courage and kindness, and the similarities between the two were almost uncanny. Was Link a reincarnation of the hero, or simply a man that had risen to the challenges set before him and taken his place among the legends of Hyrule? Despite her time spent as a spirit within Midna, she couldn't be sure. It had taken most of her energy and concentration to keep the two of them distinctly separate and shield Midna from the sunlight. Even then, the knowledge of twilight magic had been imparted to her as surely as several of her own spells had been gifted to her twilight counterpart. Now, as she traced her fingers over the small carvings of various animals, she began to get a sense of the man behind the hero. Though several of the carvings looked to be more than a few years old, Zelda could almost feel the emotions radiating from the wood. An affinity for animals, especially dogs and wolves, was more than apparent - and something that the princess was unsurprised to learn. But the affection and kindness that sprang from the likenesses of the villagers was almost astonishing. She'd heard the reports of Link's deeds, of course, but to feel what he must have felt when helping others — it was almost too much to wrap her mind around.
No wonder he was chosen to bear the Triforce of Courage. But why is it that those with the biggest hearts suffer the most, in the end? The legends of the Hero of Time neglected to mention certain aspects of his journey. Only the Royal Family knew the true sacrifices he had made to save Hyrule. With every victory and Sage awoken to their power, the hero had lost someone close to him. And yet he had fought on, not for himself, but for all the peoples of the land. It was no wonder the hero had left — for even as Ganondorf had been sealed away and the world's balance restored, he had lost everyone he had held dear to duty and honor. And no amount of courage, power, or wisdom could change that. The Hero had left Hyrule in search of the one companion he could not bear to be without, and had returned alone, older and more bitter than before. Zelda could not help but wonder if the same would happen to Link.
Setting the miniature Bo down, Zelda brushed her fingers against more carvings. These ones appeared newer, less worn, but showed the same careful craftsmanship and affection of the other pieces. Both the Goron and Zora carvings were painstakingly detailed, oozing a sense of camaraderie that Zelda found herself envying. It had been decades since the Royal Family had been on good terms with either race, territorial and trade disputes forcing apart what had once been the closest of alliances. And yet Link had managed to do in a few months what she and her father had been trying to do for years. The Hylians, Zora, and Gorons were closer than ever before, united against the remnants of Ganondorf's armies, and it had happened without any intervention on her part. A solitary voice echoed through her thoughts, advising her to let it go, that it was destiny's course and nothing more. She grit her teeth. Being the bearer of centuries of wisdom did carry its downsides, sometimes. Shaking those thoughts from her mind, Zelda blinked in surprise when she spotted a half-finished carving of herself. Her hand hovered over the figurine for several seconds before she withdrew it. There were lines that she dared not cross, even to sate her curiosity, and this was one of them. If Link had wanted her to know what he thought of her, he no doubt would have told her. The man was that direct. Returning to her tea, the princess of Hyrule contemplated all she had learned in silence and began looking over the financial reports that the mayor had given her.
It was over an hour later when Zelda put down the reports and let out a yawn. She got up from her chair — only to sit back down as a ghostly white form faded into existence in front of her. The emblem on the transparent robes was all she needed to identify the mysterious visitor as one of the Sages that guarded the Arbiter's Grounds. Her heart jumped into her throat as her thoughts turned to Link. What if something had happened to the hero as he had made his way through the desert? Or worse, if he had left Hyrule completely? Zelda silenced her thoughts and curtsied to the floating Sage. "Welcome, Sage of Light," she greeted. The Sage bowed in return.
"Princess Zelda of Hyrule, though I am honored to be in your presence, I wish our meeting could have been under better circumstances."
Zelda forced the growing sense of unease to the back of her mind. "What do you mean?"
"I have come with ill tidings. Not an hour ago, the one known as the Hero of Twilight arrived at the Mirror Chamber."
The unease was replaced by panic, panic that Zelda knew she could not display. "What has happened to him?"
The sage sighed. "The fault was ours. We did not believe that the Mirror of Twilight, shattered as it was, posed any threat…"
"Gods, please no," whispered Zelda. "He cannot have…"
The Sage looked away. "He brought flowers and placed them by the stand that once housed the Mirror… and then the unthinkable happened. The Hero carried a fragment of power equivalent to the Mirror, one that would not be denied its place beside the one who holds the others."
"The Fused Shadow," breathed Zelda. She had given Link the Fused Shadow, believing the piece to be inert. How foolish and naive have I been?
The Sage nodded. "Its call and power reacted with the mirror shards, you see, in a way that we never could have expected. Before we could comprehend what was going on, the combined energy of the Mirror remnants and the Fused Shadow re-opened the portal to the Twilight Realm."
"He went through it." It was not so much a question as a statement. There was no doubt in Zelda's mind that Link would have done anything, sacrificed nearly everything to see Midna again. And it seemed he had. Link, what have you done? And what have I done? In seeking to repair a broken hero, she had both succeeded and failed. Link would be mended by the Twilight Princess' touch, but no longer would he be the hero that Hyrule needed — he could not be, broken as the connection between the realms was. Even if Link wanted to return — and Zelda could not see that ever happening — he could not. Hyrule was on its own. Her shoulders sagged. Did I push him too hard? she wondered. She had placed the burden of saving Hyrule on his shoulders once more, and he had shrugged it off. Not that Zelda could blame him — what he had experienced was more than any one man should have to bear in a lifetime.
"He did," confirmed the Sage of Light, oblivious to her thoughts. "Along with the Fused Shadow piece. The portal closed just as he vanished."
"Then it is done," said Zelda, and closed her eyes. "Without a Hero to champion our cause, Hyrule may yet fall under the encroaching darkness from my dreams."
"Though we Sages are bound to guard the remains of the Mirror, we will do what we can to aid Hyrule in the coming days. I believe I speak unanimously when I say that the Sages will not let this land fall — not while we still exist in this mortal plane."
Zelda smiled. "Thank you, honored Sage. We must all that we can in the coming days to stop whatever evil approaches." She looked out the window as the last rays of the sunset disappeared beneath the tendrils of the night.
"We must… or the light of Hyrule will be blotted out forever."
