Ok folks, well, here it is! The chapter that finally sets our plot in motion! I'm really excited for this chapter, and I am also SUPER excited to see what you think of Verona (since she is AWESOME!) Let's just say that nothing is going to be the same after this chapter, so hooray! Now, thank you to SenileEmu and tearful raindrop for following/favoriting! Now onto the reviews!
Link The Hero of Light: Yes the did, but of course, reality ruins everything... :(
explodingbunnies52: You're welcome!
sippurp123: Glad you liked the Zelink! And yeah, it sucks that she hurt him, even if she didn't really mean to (that will be important later on!) I hate to say that there will be relatively little Zelink in this chapter though... :(
erico637: Well, its not my intent to say close to canon. After all, this is fanfic, and I think I'm free to break some rules. Plus, the Veran in W&C is not the same Veran that appears in OoA, but an entirely different person/incarnation/whatever. As far as the ultimate source/provider of their power, I actually do plan on better explaining that here in L&S (but I can't say too much about it right now). And in regards to the Triforce discrepancies in W&C, it is my personal theory that Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf all kept their pieces of the Triforce even after time was reversed by Zelda after OoT. After all, why else would the Triforce of Power appeared on Ganondorf's hand during the execution scene? Plus, I'd also like to think that OoT Link and Zelda passed down their pieces to the Link and Zelda of TP. Hope that cleared things up a little!
Jarvis R. Yeriel: glad you liked it and YES I am rooting for Verona much more than i ever did for Veress and Veran, mostly because she's less of a B**** and like a thousand times smarter than either of them, something that you will see in this chapter!
ShadowRouge: Glad you liked it so much (especially the kiss scene! :D
TheJediAvenger: Yeah, that was pretty freaking tactless of her, wasn't it? And yeah, leave it to Midna to put Link on the spot like that! ;D
RandomButLoved: Glad you liked all of the references I made! And yeah, I don't think Zelda was rejecting him either, I think she was mostly just afraid of her growing feelings and she didn't want to hurt him just in case they can't be together, which was why she left. And indeed, Verona is coming, and I hope you'll love her as much as I do!
Alright. Well, with that all done, let's get stared!
Chapter 9: Queen of Shadows
"Destroying things is much easier than making them."
-Katniss, The Hunger Games
Midna stood well-concealed within the shadows, making sure to keep a careful eye upon the entire party from her hiding spot as she remained cautiously unseen. She knew that if Verona intended on attacking Hyrule any time soon, now would be a perfect opportunity. After all, both the queen and the hero were clearly distracted, and there was a great deal of important people gathered together for the coronation. The possibility of such an attack was quite high, but fortunately, the Twilight Princess was keeping up a dutiful watch for anything suspicious, even if no one else was.
However, her concentration was suddenly penetrated upon seeing Zelda enter back into ball room from the balcony that her and Link had been alone on, though she returned alone, much to Midna's confusion. A few minutes passed and the hero also stepped back into the room, but he did not go back up towards the throne to join the queen, even though she had invited him to earlier. The Twilight Princess could tell that her former companion was sulking as he slowly headed in the opposite direction, towards the back end of the chamber instead, almost as if he looked like he intended on leaving the party. Curiosity and worry overwhelming her, Midna sunk deeper into the shadows so that she would not have to pass through the thick crowd as she moved undetected towards the hero, joining with his shadow and coming out of it after making sure no one was watching.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked him a bit harshly, believing that he was backing down from interacting with the queen once more.
"I'm leaving," Link said as he continued walking towards the ball room's exit, the slightest hint of bitterness and frustration in his tone.
"What?" Midna asked in complete confusion. "Why? What happened with Zelda?"
"Nothing," the hero said emptily as he was painfully reminded of how she had pulled away from him so suddenly without really explaining why. "Nothing happened."
"That's not what it looked like," the Twilight Princess said, though there was no teasing in her tone this time. "It looked like the two of you were having the time of your lives together earlier! What went wrong?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out…" Link muttered to himself as he sighed and cast a glance over at Zelda's direction as the queen stood near her throne, staring out towards his direction.
As Zelda kept her gaze on Link, even though the entire length of the ball room separated them, she felt a burst of sadness begin to eat away at her heart. A wave of regret washed over her as she realized that she had been far too cold with him, even though that had never been her intent. It was true that she cared for him, but she just didn't have the same kind of courage to pursue such feelings as he seemed to have. Her heart sank as she saw him prepare to leave the ball, and a newfound fear filled her as she wondered if, after how she had treated him, he planned on leaving the castle and returning home as well. A silent gasp escaped her as she thought of this, knowing that having to watch him leave would certainly break her heart. Even though she doubted that they could ever be together as a couple, she still pined for his company above all else. She wanted to have him with her always, to simply know that he would be by her side to comfort her and support her whenever she needed him to. But at the same time, she knew that she was being selfish by planning on forcing him to conform to a life that wasn't his simply for her sake. It wasn't right and she knew that the only condition that she wanted him to stay under would be one in which they were both happy. And so, Zelda took in a deep breath as her sorrow began to turn into determination instead. She was going to find a way around the matter of their differing social classes. She refused to let something as petty and foolish as that get in their way. If both of them wanted to be together, then it would happen, one way or another.
Filled with this newfound resolve, the queen smiled at the hero as their eyes met once more, but for what reason, Link couldn't figure out at all as he simply looked up at her in confusion. Her heart brimming with affection and hope, Zelda decided that she wanted to tell him of her decision immediately, so that he would have no reason to leave her whatsoever.
However, it was only as the queen stepped forward to get to the hero that everything started to go wrong.
All at once, the ground suddenly began to rumble, causing all of the patrons of the ball to stop their dancing and conversing and glance around in confusion. Zelda stopped in her tracks as she noticed the quaking of the earth, her breath catching in her throat as a sudden chill ran up her spine. In one sudden gust of untraceable wind, the chandelier and candles that filled the room with warm, glowing light were suddenly extinguished, leaving an unnatural, shadowy light in its place. Upon seeing this, Link instinctually gripped the hilt of the sheathed Ordon Sword as Midna placed a cautious hand upon his shoulder, both of them already anticipating the worst based on the sudden feeling of darkness and malevolence that had crept into the room. The stirring gale continued throughout the room as the crowds began to grow fearful and nervous, and immediately, all of the nearby guards lining the edges of the room rushed to stand before the queen in order to protect her from any potential harm.
A low, quiet laugh began to fill the ball room, its smooth, feminine sound echoing clearly so that everyone could hear it, especially as it began to increase in volume with each passing second. As it reached its highest volume, it suddenly cut off abruptly as the large doors to the ball room swung open with a loud crash, the violent winds cutting off as well. Since Link was relatively close to the doors, he drew his sword and prepared to attack the intruder, but Midna, already guessing who it was, clenched her grip on his shoulder tightly and protectively, before pulling him back into the crowd so that they would not be seen.
The crowds all turned towards the open doors, mummers and gasps of fear rippling through them as a long figure appeared in the doorway, their form concealed by shadows until they finally, slowly entered the room, taking the entire crowd by shock and surprise at her appearance.
"Verona…" Midna growled under her breath as she sent a hidden glare to her cousin, who, just as she had been expecting, had invaded the castle at the worst possible time. However, as she looked upon the self-proclaimed Queen of Shadows, a burst of fear ran through her as she remembered the brutal beating she had taken from her but the previous day before. Anxiety clouded the normally bold Twilight Princess's thoughts as she shrunk back even further into the crowd, dragging Link along with her even though he didn't want to go and instead wanted to defend against this new foe, especially as she began to make her way towards Zelda. Yet all the same, he did remain still for a moment, as did the queen herself as they took in her imposing appearance.
Even from a first glance, it was clear to see that Verona bore a striking resemblance to Midna; they both had the same pale blue skin, with a shadowy black covering much of their chests in the same way. They were also both quite tall, towering over most people present in the assembly, though it was clear that the Queen of Shadows was taller than even the Twilight Princess, most likely because she was a few years older. Her hair was a fiery shade of scarlet, flowing midway down her back, with some of it tied in front of her in the same fashion as Midna. Verona, on the other hand, had her orange locks hanging down in front of one of her eyes, a single white highlight running through it. Upon her head she wore a simple silver tiara, most likely crafted as a sign of her stolen status as the ruler of the Twilight Realm. She wore large, curved magenta shoulder pads, from which a long black cape hung and dragged long on the ground behind her as she walked. She wore dark blue fingerless gloves, and a flowing, form-fitting skirt that showed off her slender, curvaceous figure and hung down to the floor, blue Twili patterns adorning its black fabric and a banner hanging from it bearing an ominous, elongated crimson eye symbol. In her right hand, she bore a tall, elegant scepter composed of dark metal, with an empty glass orb at its tip. Her dark red lips were curved up into a calm, calculating grin as she kept her one visible red and yellow eye on the front of the room, where the queen, or rather, her throne, were positioned. Overall, Verona had the appearance of one who certainly looked befitting of the tittle "Queen of Shadows"; she was incredibly beautiful in an exotic way, and she had an air of dangerous charisma and confidence to her, her steps echoing loudly throughout the hall as she approached the throne, the crowds parting for her largely out of fear of the power she so clearly wielded.
Despite the wall of guards still standing before Zelda, Verona did not stop her approach, but instead she merely lifted her hand as she headed for them, effortlessly creating a wall of energy and pushing them all aside roughly, as a mere simple show of her magical might. Upon seeing this, Link immediately began to push his way through the nervous crowds, knowing that he had to protect Zelda from this new threat above all else, even despite what had just happened between them. Midna gasped when the hero broke out of her grip, and she carefully began to sift her way through the throng as well, though she made sure to draw very little attention to herself, wanting to stop the hero from doing anything rash.
Verona's silent grin deepened as she finally came to a stop at the bottom of the platform that the throne was one, tapping the bottom of her scepter down upon the ground as she gave the new queen an examining look for a moment, before finally speaking. "Well, well…" she began, her voice smooth and regal, her mysterious grin still apparent. "This is quite the glorious gathering you have here, your highness… Though I would expect nothing less from the great kingdom of Hyrule itself… Oft have my people spoken of the riches and splendor that this land has to offer, and they certainly were not wrong. It's certainly a place with much to offer indeed…" She let out a small laugh, the greed in it quite clear, before she continued. "Oh, but where is my mind? I am being terribly rude… Allow me to introduce myself. I am Verona, Queen of Shadows and Ruler of the Twilight Realm. It is an honor to finally meet you face to face, Princess-or should I say-Queen Zelda…"
"You are not the true ruler of the Twilight Realm," Zelda protested, finally working up the nerve to speak as she forced herself to stand tall and assertive before her foe. "I have heard of how you stole the throne from the rightful Twilight Princess, but you shall not do the same to Hyrule!"
Verona simply raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, her cold smile still not fading as she replied. "Oh, don't fret, your majesty," she said in a falsely benevolent tone. "I do not wish to claim your kingdom… At least not by such barbaric means…"
"Then why have you come here?" the Hylian queen asked suspiciously, not trusting the queen of shadow's supposed sincerity for a minute.
"Well, when I heard of such an important celebration, I knew that I simply could not keep away," Verona said calmly. "After all, considering that the land of Hyrule and the Twilight Realm are so profoundly connected, it would be an absolute insult to both of our kingdoms if I did not make an appearance."
"You are not welcome here," Zelda said, her tone projecting much more confidence and bravery than she was actually feeling, though she knew she had to be strong for her people. "Now leave, and do not return."
The Queen of Shadows' smile finally faded into an insincere look of hurt. "Oh, your highness…" she said patronizingly. "Do not be so tactless… After all, I have simply come to make an alliance with you, not to attack your kingdom. Contrary to what my dear cousin Midna may have told you, I do not bear you or your kingdom any ill will. In fact, there need not be any sort of altercation or violence at all… You may even keep your newfound position and title… So long as you and all your citizens swear your allegiance to me…"
Verona grinned darkly once more, her scarlet eye seeming to shine with greed and desire as she cast a brief glance to the Hyrulian throne behind its proper owner. Zelda clenched her fists tightly at her sides upon hearing this, realizing that she had been in this position before when Zant first attacked. But unlike then, Hyrule's defender was present, and as the queen noticed Link break out of the crowd and come to stand before them, pausing several feet behind Verona and watching her carefully in case she tried to attack, she felt much more safe and secure. "You lied then," she said boldly. "You do intend on conquering Hyrule."
"You misunderstand, your excellence," the Queen of Shadows said with an incline of her head. "I do not wish to conquer your people; I wish to liberate them. I merely want to free them from the bondage that the light of this land has always set them under, and bondage that they never even knew they were a part of. Light has become far too oppressive and stagnant. I believe that both of our kingdoms would prosper greatly from an era in which shadows were revered instead…"
"You speak of upsetting the natural balance between light and shadow, and I shall have no part of it," Zelda proclaimed firmly, holding her ground so that all would see that she was a dedicated, unyielding ruler. "Hyrule shall never ally itself with you, and neither shall any of its citizens!"
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that, your highness…" Verona said mysteriously as she turned her glance slightly behind her, her eyes locking onto the hero who still stood at the ready to defend against her for the queen's sake if need be. The Queen of Shadow's soft grin deepened as she turned to face Link even more, giving him a long stare that was both examining and piercing at the same time. The hero's sharp glare directed towards her suddenly faded into discomfort upon seeing this, as he felt as though her burning red gaze was searching his very soul. But even so, he did not back down, but kept his sword aloft nonetheless, just in case she decided to bring any form of harm upon Zelda.
After a moment or two later, the Queen of Shadows finally turned to face the Hylian queen once more, her relaxed, easygoing manner still ever present as she casually placed the orb of her staff in her free hand. "But either way, I suppose that if you disagree with my tactics and motivation, there is little I can do…" she said with a relenting sigh. "If that is the case, then there really is no reason for me to be here… I might as well be on my way…"
Zelda was quite taken aback upon hearing this, especially as Verona turned to exit the room in the same way in which she had come in. Why had the Queen of Shadows come at all if she did not even intend to do anything? "R-really?" the Hylian queen asked in clear confusion, as a rumble of equally wondering whispers came from the crowd below.
"Well…" the Queen of Shadows said thoughtfully as she fully faced Zelda once more. "Not quite yet… After all, I would be terribly remiss if I did not offer up a gift in honor of her royal highness's grand coronation…" Having said this, Verona held up her hand and conjured up a small, floating object above it; immediately, Midna recognized it as the strange black shard that the Queen of Shadows had briefly shown off during their battle in the Twilight Realm, but she still had no idea what it really was or what it did. Which was which she was quick to grasp Link firmly by the arm as the hero prepared to leap into action, already knowing how dangerous the ominous item looked.
"Link, wait!" the Twilight Princess whispered sharply so that only the hero would be able to hear her. "I don't know what that thing is, but I can sense a great deal of dark energy coming from it. Don't go and do anything stupid. Just wait a minute and see how this plays out."
"But, Midna, I-" Link's aggravated protest was quickly cut off however as Verona spoke once more, this time her tone taking on even more malice and cruelty as her former polite manner disappeared.
"Now, your highness," she began, an aura of magical shadows surrounding the shard above her hand. "I will make this offer one last time. Surrender Hyrule to me peacefully… or watch it perish because of your own stubbornness… It's your choice."
Zelda took in a silent gasp upon hearing this, her former confidence instantly melting away from such a threat. Like Midna, she was also detecting a great dark power coming from the shard that Verona wielded, and certainly, with power like that, she had the capacity to bring both Hyrule and its queen to her knees in a matter of hours if she really wanted to. However, as fear filled her heart for both herself and her people, the queen happened to look towards the hero, their eyes meeting for just a moment. All at once, everything that had happened on the balcony mere moments ago was forgotten, and it was clear to Zelda that Link's sole intention at the moment was protecting her from Verona, even though she feared that he would get hurt in the process.
However, as the hero looked to the queen, whose lovely blue eyes were wide with clear terror and worry, he felt more compelled than ever before to defend her from any harm whatsoever. He would do anything to keep herself, even throw himself into danger headfirst if he had to. Which was why, even despite Midna's previous warnings and Zelda ever so slightly shaking her head at him, Link decided that he could no longer simply stand by and watch the queen he cared for be threatened in such a way. He stepped out of the Twilight Princess's grip, but before Midna could stop him, he spoke up, prompting her to slip back into the crowd so that Verona would not find her.
"Hey!" the hero shouted firmly to the Queen of Shadows, showing no fear or hesitation in his tone whatsoever. "Leave her alone!"
Still keeping the shard positioned above her palm, Verona slowly turned around to face him, her eye nearly alight with untold excitement as she looked upon him. "Ah…" she cooed, her tone falsely sweet and smooth once more. "Link… The Hero of Twilight… Your name and reputation precedes you… I have heard much of your courageous deeds and I commend you for them. A spirit such as yours is certainly a strong one indeed…"
Link ignored her flattering words as he kept up his stance while both Zelda and Midna watched him worriedly all the while, both of them wishing that he would remain out of harm's way instead of putting himself into blatant danger such as this. "I told you to get away from her!" the hero proclaimed with clear anger, the protection of both the queen and her kingdom at the forefront of his mind. "Or I'll make you!"
The Queen of Shadows simply let out a soft, melodious chuckle at this, the shard seeming to take on an even darker shade as it rested suspended in midair. "Oh, you will?" she asked, though her tone was not doubtful or patronizing, oddly enough. "Well then, go on ahead. I would simply love to see you try…"
Without another word, Verona turned her back to Link, as if she was not concerned with is presence whatsoever. However, as she lifted the shard up into the air, the dark aura surrounding it intensifying even more, the hero received all of the motivation he need to leap into action before it was too late.
"Link, no!" Midna shouted in a panic as he began to rush towards the Queen of Shadows' turned back, but ultimately she was too late, for nothing could have stopped what happened next. For in the end, haste and hesitation were the reasons why it happened in the first place.
Hesitation had kept Zelda frozen in place out of terror as she stood doing nothing while her hero selflessly and blindly rushed to her aid.
Haste had been what had forced Midna into running to the world of light when she should have stood by her people instead of leading her foe to an all new land.
Hesitation had also been what held Midna back out of fear over facing her cruel and violent cousin after what happened the last time the dueled.
But most of all, haste had been what had prompted Link into rushing forward to protect Zelda, having no idea what he was about to get himself into, but instead only caring about doing all he could to save her from a terrible fate, not even knowing that he was about to fall victim to one himself.
For at the very moment that they hero reached the Queen of Shadows, his sword raised and prepared to strike, Verona suddenly spun around in a movement so quick, Link barely even saw it. The Queen of Shadows quickly lowered the shard in her palm, before thrusting her hand forward towards the hero as he was only about a foot away from her, sending the shard his way with an incredible speed. Time itself seemed to come to a crashing halt as the shard struck Link directly in the chest with an immense amount of force, its sharp tip penetrating his chainmail completely and stabbing its way into his skin. His mouth opened in a silent cry of agony as it dug itself into his body deeper and deeper, the puncture wound it had created pouring with blood already. And, when the shard was about halfway embedded into his chest, or more specifically, his heart, Verona's dark grin grew triumphant and wicked as she let out a wave of powerful energy, repelling the hero away from her as he crashed to the ground semi-consciously several feet away.
"Link!" both Zelda and Midna shouted in near perfect unison, both of them shocked and terrified at what they had just witnessed. A wave of panic was rushing through the crowd upon having watched the Queen of Shadows so easily take down the Hero of Twilight himself. If he had been subdued by her power, what hope was there for any of them to stand against it?
Upon hearing the hero let out a sharp cry of pain as the shard dug ever deeper into his chest somehow, the Twilight Princess completely forgot about keeping her cover up and she immediately rushed to his side, ripping her concealing cloak off and not even caring about the frightened whispered from the crowd as she knelt down beside him and looked over him with wide, fearful eyes. All the while, all Link could do was clutch his chest, unable to rip the shard out of himself as it finally embedded itself into his body fully, the skin and tissues over where it had been stabbed somehow magically repairing themselves even though he was still in an incredible amount of anguish. A painful shiver of cold tore through his entire body as it felt as though needles were stabbing him everywhere. He was in so much pain that he could not even think as the world began to grow dark through his vision, but not before his eyes met Zelda's for just a moment, the queen's expression of horror and concern for him quite clear, before he finally blacked out, another moan of agony escaping him first.
"No!" Zelda exclaimed worriedly as she began to rush towards Link and Midna, before Verona erected a clear barrier before her, barring her from leaving the platform and forcing her to only watch with worry.
"Oh, come now, your highness," the Queen of Shadows said to her with a small, teasing laugh. "Don't be so cross. I never said that the gift was for you…"
"What did you to do him!?" the Hylian queen asked anxiously, her eyes not leaving the suffering hero for a second.
Verona ignored her question as she began to saunter over to Link and Midna, her cold smile deepening even more upon seeing her hated cousin. "Ah… Midna…" she said with a hint of clear ire in her tone as the Twilight Princess finally tore her gaze away from the hero and glanced up at the Queen of Shadows fearfully. "I knew you were here somewhere… After all, if it had not been for you, then I would have never found my way here…"
Midna gave her a completely appalled look, having no idea how Verona had even gotten to the world of light in the first place, since the gateway she had made had only lasted long enough for her to get there and no one else. "But… I didn't-" she began to stammer, but the Queen of Shadows simply cut her off with a cruel laugh.
"Now, now, dear cousin," she said patronizingly. "No need to be so alarmed… After all, I think I've changed my mind about killing you, at least for the moment. Instead, I think I'll be content in just… humiliating you a little. And besides, your noble hero is going to need you now more than ever…" With a wicked laugh, Verona lifted her scepter high into the air as a dark glow surrounded it, before aiming it right at the Twilight Princess, a blast of shadow magic escaping from it. Midna only had time to let out a shocked gasp before the dark energy struck her, enveloping her form in its cursing shadows. She let out a small cry of pain, shutting her eyes tightly as the world turned to pitch black and she felt a bitter pain coursing through her. And then, all at once, it was over. The shadows surrounding her disappeared, revealing a form far different from the Twilight Princess's true, beautiful appearance.
The moment Midna opened her eyes and looked down at her hands, she gasped in shock and rage, not even need to look at herself in a mirror to know how she looked now. Zelda took in a sharp gasp upon seeing that the Twilight Princess had been reverted to the same impish form that she had been cursed into by Zant, complete with the Fused Shadow resting upon her head as it always did, save for one of its handles being broken due to Ganondorf breaking the dark relic prior to his defeat.
The now-impish Twilight Princess sent a hateful, enraged glare to her cousin for cursing her into this hated form once more, especially as a few screams of terror came from the crowd behind her for her startling appearance, though she paid them no mind. She had no words to say as she was so angry, not just for this, but for whatever Verona had apparently done to Link. Even though she had embedded the shard into his body somehow, he appeared to have no physical injuries from it, but it was clear, from how his expression was twisted in agony, that it was causing him a great deal of pain from the inside.
As the Queen of Shadows was distracted by taking delight in the fear her magic had stirred up within the crowd, Midna placed her concerns for herself aside as she devoted her all of her worry to the hero instead, gently placing a small hand upon his shoulder as she tried to rouse him awake. "Link, come on," she whispered nervously to him, her voice higher to match her smaller form. "Wake up…"
With a low, barely audible groan, Link, having heard her words, slightly opened his eyes and glanced up at her as she floated near him, not even bothering to acknowledge the fact she was an imp once more as the world blurred through his vision. "M-Midna?" he muttered softly as another unexplainable wave of pain coursed through him. However, he was unable to say anything else as Verona turned her attention back to the two of them. The Twilight Princess was quick to place herself between the Queen of Shadows and the injured hero, just in case she wanted to cause him more harm. However, Verona merely scoffed at her cousin's valiant efforts as she used some simple magic to shove her away from Link, causing her to land on the ground roughly several feet away. With the Twilight Princess out of the way, Verona continued her approach, coming to stand right before the hero as he cast as much of a glare as he was able to up at her.
"Be at ease, dear hero…" she said with an almost benevolent smile. "You'll be thanking me for the wonderful gift that I've given you soon enough…"
Link only had a moment to be confused upon hearing this, before the Triforce of Courage on the back of his hand suddenly emitted a bright, blinding light, sending another burst of pain through his already aching body, however, this was a kind of agony was quite familiar to him. He shut his eyes tightly, instinctually embracing himself for a change he had undergone many times before, but still wasn't used to. The hero was unable to hold back a cry of heavy pain as his body convulsed violently, unable to do anything as his Hylian form gave way to a lupine one once more, though he had absolutely no idea as to what was bringing this transformation about at a time such as this.
Zelda and Midna both let out shocked gasps as they watched with confusion as Link quickly and suddenly shifted from human to wolf once again, both of them having never anticipated that such a thing would occur ever again. However, though the queen was still trapped by the barrier the Queen of Shadows had set up, the Twilight Princess was quick to rise once more and rush towards the hero as the transformation completed and his human cries of pain briefly drifted off into wolfish howling before he fell unconscious from the strain of the shift.
Upon seeing the Hero of Twilight transform into a beast before their very eyes, the crowd finally broke out into an all-out panic, their screams of terror echoing throughout the hall as they all backed away from the hero-turned-wolf out of fear that he would attack them. Zelda finally tore her eyes away from Link upon hearing what some of the dignitaries in the throng were shouting about him, her jaw dropped in shock at some of their accusations. "The hero is a monster!" someone cried in horror. "He'll kill us all!" another person screamed fearfully.
The queen shook her head at these panicked words, knowing that the hero was not the true threat here, but rather the Queen of Shadows who had apparently been the cause of his transformation in the first place. And in light of this, Zelda refused to let this chaos go on any longer. "Wait!" she called out, straining to be heard amidst the cries of the crowd, even though her voice was ultimately lost among them. "He will not harm you! He is not-"
"Let them think what they want, your majesty," Verona cut her off as she turned to face Zelda once more, a sadistic grin on her face as she watched the people quiver with fear. "Who knows? In a few days' time, their fear of him might even become rational…"
The Hylian queen gave her adversary a confused look for a moment before she looked to Link once more, ashamed that she could do nothing to help either him or Midna in light of what had just happened. All she had done during this entire encounter was stand by helplessly and watch with fear as her friends were attacked and cursed, unable to aid them at all. Her heart broke for them both, but especially for the hero as the very people who had applauded his heroism mere hours ago now trembled in terror at the mere sight of him. No matter what she said or did, she was unable to curb their frightened reactions, nor was she able to undo whatever strange, dark magic Verona had cast upon them. Anxiety ate away at Zelda as she looked out across the ballroom, realizing that even though she had been resolved to protect her people, she had been unable to help any of them when they needed her most.
Midna also heard the fearful words of the crowd and, to keep Link safe from any further damage to his once-good reputation, she contorted her magical, long, orange hair into a large hand and placed it in front of her and the unconscious hero, blocking them both from the view of the people. After taking in a leveling breath, the Twilight Princess glared back at her cousin with intense hatred for causing such a catastrophe, but Verona merely let out a small, wicked chuckle as she lifted her staff up yet again.
"Verona!" Midna hissed through her clenched teeth in absolute fury. "You'll pay for this! We won't let you have your way with Hyrule or the Twilight Realm!"
"Oh, really?" the Queen of Shadows asked, rolling her eyes sarcastically. "Because I think I've already gotten my way and then some…" With another smooth, confident laugh, Verona pointed her staff towards Link and Midna once more, and before the Twilight Princess could do anything to stop her magic, it struck both of them, causing them both to completely vanish out of sigh.
"Link!" Zelda exclaimed, no longer able to hold her worry back as she pounded against the barrier as hard as she could, though it did not wield for her. "Midna! What did you do to them?!" she demanded of Verona, glaring bitingly at the Queen of Shadows as she turned away from the place where the hero and the Twilight Princess had once been.
"Oh, don't worry yourself, your highness," Verona said with her constant collected grin. "I merely sent them away for now, so that they will not be here to impede my plans… After all, the easiest coup is one that has relatively little resistance. And I think you've made it quite clear that you aren't going to do much to resist me…"
The queen clenched her fists tightly at her sides, a burst of warm fury running through her even though she knew that her foe was right. Even though she wanted to fight back, she knew that she was not strong enough to do so without Link and Midna's help. And of course, Verona had made sure to separate them so that she could claim Hyrule uncontested. Clearly, the Queen of Shadows was a crafty, dangerous enemy indeed, one that they had all severely underestimated.
"Now… I believe that this party is over," Verona said, a hint of darkness entering her elegant tone as she raised her staff yet again as a dark aura surrounded it. With almost no effort at all, she used some of her magic to summon a horde of shadow beasts into the ballroom, eliciting even more fear from the already panicking crowd. Even though Zelda's guards tried to stand up against the monsters, they were quickly disposed of as they began to chase the guests out of the ballroom as the Queen of Shadows desired. After all, she had no use for anyone at the moment, save for the Hylian queen herself, though she knew that the hero would become even more useful to her in time.
Once the guests were finally cleared out of the hall and well on their way out of the castle entirely, the barrier before Zelda finally dissipated. However, before the queen could even attempt to escape, one of Verona's shadow beasts gripped her roughly by both of her arms, firmly restraining her even though she struggled against its hold.
Zelda could do nothing but watch with disgust as Verona sauntered past her and casually took a seat upon her throne, giving the Hylian queen a triumphant smile the entire time. "Hyrule is mine now," the Queen of Shadows declared firmly, her red and yellow eye alight with treachery. "But don't worry, Zelda. I won't dispose of you just yet. I need you alive… for now…"
With a cold, patronizing laugh, Verona waved the shadow beast holding the shocked, dismayed Hylian queen away, commanding it to take her away and imprison her in another part of the castle. Zelda said nothing as she was dragged off against her will, but instead she merely closed her eyes and let out a fretful sigh. Her heat and mind were filled with woe and worry for her people and her kingdom, as well as for the Twilight Princess and the hero. In the course of but a few short minutes, what was supposed to be one of the greatest nights of her life had turned into one of the worst. The hard-earned time of peace that Hyrule had been in suddenly shattered all at once, leaving a veil of dread and uncertainty in its place. Zelda had no idea what was to become of Hyrule, Midna, Link, or even herself in light of this new threat, and so, she finally let a few of her pressing tears of mourning over the disaster that had just occurred and how she had failed her people yet again. Once more, she was about to be imprisoned within her own castle as her people were left to an unknown fate; she had let them down before she had even gotten the chance to prove to them that she would be a good queen, and now she feared that she would never get that chance again. And so, the Hylian queen did the only thing she could do as the doors of the once-glowing ballroom slammed shut behind her; she uttered silent prayers to the goddesses for their much-needed aid in this dire plight as her kingdom crumbled all around her once more.
Well, I hope you all loved Verona's grand entrance. She is going to be such a fun villain for me to write, but for now, I figured that I'd leave you guys with a ton of unanswered questions, since that's always more fun! As for the next chapter, we'll have some angst, lore, and drama as we take a look at what exactly happened to Link and Midna, as well as foreshadow to what's to come later on! So anyway, for now I wanna go and play the TP Hyrule Warriors pack so i must leave you! Don't forget to REVIEW! Until next time!