Zelda crumpled the piece of paper in her fist, shutting her eyes tightly and rubbing her temples with her fingertips. She cast the ball of bunched up paper to the floor, and knew that she had to find commander Daemon and fix this. She rushed down the hallway towards the west balcony, for she knew he always went there whenever he was troubled, or had something weighing on his mind. With the kingdom in the condition it was now, she knew that if Daemon resigned, there would be virtually no hope for Hyrule. She knew this madness had to be stopped before it was too late. As she reached the end of the corridor, she could see Daemon's figure through the glass door as he leaned against the balcony railing, staring out over the vast expanse of hills and valleys all the way to the Snowpeak Mountains. She carefully opened the door and stepped out into the crisp autumn air. She stood beside Daemon, leaning against the railing next to him. He did not flinch; his eyes stared solemnly ahead. The princess drew in a deep breath, "You know this kingdom needs you."
Daemon did not speak. Both his facial expression and figure were so rigid and still, that from a distance, one might mistake him as a statue.
"You know these people need you. My safety is not our most immediate priority right now," Zelda prodded.
"Maybe not to you," Daemon replied after a long pause.
For some odd and unexplained reason, Daemon's words struck Zelda in a way she did not expect. She mulled them over in her mind several times, and chose her response carefully.
"Commander, the twilight messengers will be back. You and I both know this is not over. They merely retreated because of the sunlight. Darkness is the source of their strength. These creatures are both intelligent, and tactical. Because they thrive in darkness, they will wait until the next lunar eclipse to return, when the world of light is at its darkest. And although the barricade we've constructed around the town is strong, it won't hold forever. We can't simply sit and defend… We must fight. And without you, Commander, our chances of defeating the twilight messengers only get slimmer."
Daemon looked up, meeting Zelda's pleading eyes.
"And what if something were to happen to you? What if you were to be killed? Hyrule could never possibly recover from such a loss as that. And whose responsibility are you to protect at all costs? Mine," Daemon's voice was stern and grim.
"That's what you're afraid of? Commander, this is war. The loss of lives is something to be expected. My being princess does not put the value of my life above anyone else's. I will do everything in my power to protect this kingdom, and that includes fighting on the battlefield alongside my loyal soldiers. Without you, who will I have to fight alongside? Commander, this kingdom needs you, and you can't deny that. Why you insist on resigning right before what could quite possibly be one of the most grueling wars Hyrule has ever seen is still beyond me," Zelda tried her absolute hardest to keep her voice calm and steady.
"Well that's the very reason," Daemon explained, "if something happened to you during this battle I would feel responsible. And that's a burden I can't possibly begin to bear."
"I hate to point this out, Commander, but I'm going to be fighting in this battle no matter what the circumstances may be. Without you to fight by my side, my life is only increasingly put at risk."
"Then don't fight! I'm begging you, dear Princess, do not put your life at risk like this! There are more than enough men out there to fight for this kingdom," Daemon paused a moment to think, "…I'll offer you a compromise…" he spoke slowly, "If you don't fight in this war, if you remain safely hidden in the castle during the fighting, then I will fight."
"You're being absolutely ridiculous! What kind of a leader would I be if I didn't fight alongside my men? It has always been Hylian tradition for the leader of the kingdom to assist in the war effort not only in planning, but on the battlefield as well. You know that perfectly well. My men need my support, and one more person fighting for this kingdom can only help," Zelda reasoned. "And Daemon, you know it isn't just this kingdom that needs you. I need you."
"You need me? What about your Hero of Twilight? Where is he when you need him?"
"Commander!" Zelda was startled by Daemon's sudden hostility. "If I knew of Link's whereabouts, believe me, I'd find him. But even if he were here, that wouldn't mean that I wouldn't need you as well. You are our army's most revered General, incomparable to anyone else. And quite frankly, your rude behavior is beginning to irk me." She crossed her arms, trying as best she could to avoid saying something she'd later regret.
"I'm simply concerned for your safety, Princess," Daemon had composed himself enough to keep a steady voice.
"I understand that, but you need to keep in mind that I have a kingdom to protect. That's just a naturally risky responsibility," Zelda looked Daemon in the eyes, making sure he held her stare, "Commander Daemon, I am begging you, do not resign. Not only does this kingdom need you… I need you."
"We need his help," Midna insisted.
"We need no one's help. We were doing just fine. Without him," Malore pressed irritably.
"No, obviously we weren't. Might I remind you that had it not been for him, we'd likely be dead," Midna narrowed her glare, refusing to lose the argument.
"He doesn't belong here, your Highness. He's not one of us, and he never will be."
Malore's thoughtless words cut Midna like a blade. She retaliated furiously, "Don't you dare tell me who belongs in mykingdom! I will not be spoken to like a child! He came here to help, and I'll not have him believing that he is a burden in any way."
Malore hesitated, and decided to take a different approach. "Your Highness, the boy has needs in his world, too. He has family in his world, too. You can't deny him that. You can't deprive him of his own familial responsibilities. Surely you, of all people, should know that."
Midna pondered this for a few seconds, for as much as she hated to admit it, Malore was right. Link had to return home at some point. Surely they'd noticed that he'd been gone. Surely they were worried. She was immediately flooded with guilt as she realized she was keeping Link from everything he'd grown to love.
At that moment, Link was headed down the corridor, on his way to find Midna for dinner.
"You're right," Midna spoke finally.
Link stopped at the corner of the dimly lit hallway. Midna's grim voice concerned him, and he stopped to listen.
"He has to go back. He can't live here. As soon as Taro is taken care of, he'll go back. The Twilight Realm is no place for a light dweller. He doesn't.." Midna swallowed. "He doesn't belong here."
Link drew in a sharp breath.
How could she say that? He thought, how could she say that after everything I've been through? After everything we've been through? Angry and hurt, Link left the way he'd come.
"He doesn't belong," The words repeated over and over again in Link's mind. They hung over his head like a dark cloud, a reminder that he was an outcast; that he didn't belong.
A/N: I'm SO sorry I haven't uploaded in so long. I've been so busy. But I worked hard on this chapter and I hope you all enjoy!
