Ok, so this took a while because of writers block, as well as some other factors, but I'm glad I managed to get this one out here! Its mostly just focused on developing the dynamic between Link and Verona, which is GREAT cause they have a really fascinating relationship, which you will see here! (Also, Frozen references) Now, I'd like to thank AGGXX5, mahteuss223 and espeonlover for following/favoriting! Now onto the reviews!

SkywardSwordMaster: If only Link knew... But yeah, things are only going to get worse from here on out so... :(

TheJediAvenger: Awesome as always bruh! Loved the cuccoo one! :D

clover: Glad you liked it!

bakuragrey1998: He certainly can identify... ;)

sippurp123: Glad you liked it! It really will be interesting to see how he'll react to her, though I really wish i could write some Zelink for this story... :(

RandomButLoved: Eh, that was more just a passing line. But yeah, Verona truly was desprate; I came up with Dehaan's name myself, but thank you anyway! And she certainly is able to flip really quickly. And even despite all that's happened so far, Link hasnt lost himself entirely yet, as this chapter will show! And indeed, as much as I hate to say it, Zelda will suffer...

Nintendoman01: Yeah, Verona's so morally grey that its hard to say whether she can be excused or not...

Pouda-P: Eh, don't hate Verona, even if she is pretty devious! Glad you liked the chapter though!

GO ZeldaXLink: I'm glad you liked it! And this whole chapter is about the powers, while we'll get Midna and Zelda next time around :)

ShadowRougeVII: Yeah, Verona's story was legit. And I seriously feel the same way about Link and Zelda, even though I know what's gonna happen :O Now the Twili markings are actually Twili markings (like the ones Puppet Zelda has on her face in TP), and they're caused by the residual magic of Verona's shard left in Link. However, you may be onto somethin with that hair whitening thing... ;D

Jarvis R. Yeriel: Relatable was what I was aiming for! And as far as the nobility thing, eh, i just needed a way to tear the two of them apart, so... And as far as Verona's idealogy on love, well a) she was young and nieve, as she admits herself and 2) she had never been in love before, so of course she was somewhat driven mad by passion, which is largely the same thing Link is going through, actually... The parallelism between those two is just great! :D

Ok, so that's all for now! But before we begin, I also need to point out that this chapter (like Ch. 18) Takes place over the course of several days. Keep that in mind!

Chapter 20: Let It Go

"Let it go! Let it go!
Can't hold it back anymore!
Let it go! Let it go!
Turn away and slam the door!
I don't care what they're going to say!
Let the storm rage on!
The cold never bothered me anyway."
(Let It Go, Frozen)

Verona watched Link intently as he tried and failed to execute one of the exercises in reining his magic in that she had tried explaining to him. Not long after their meal, the Queen of Shadows and the hero had taken to a large, rather empty room within the Palace of Twilight to train in, one in which there was relatively little that Link might accidently destroy or harm while trying to gain better control of his powers. At first, Verona gave him relatively simple commands, such as creating a small burst of flame or a light gust of wind. However, even beginner's tasks such as these proved to be difficult for the hero, who had no prior experience with magic whatsoever. Even despite his best efforts at using focus and concentration, he found that he still couldn't get any of it right, for in each attempt he was either unable to conjure up anything at all, or in the rare case that he did, it would quickly spiral out of his control. The Queen of Shadows took notice of this, though for the longest time she made no comment on it, instead taking a more hands off approach as she allowed Link to try and figure it out on his own, largely so she could figure out how his unique powers worked herself. They were quite different from the powers of Twilight and Shadows that Verona was used to, and though she had studied elemental magic in the past, the nature of the powers of the Triforce of Courage was relatively unknown to her. And so, she decided to observe them in action first before giving the hero any proper advice on how to use them, though considering the inconsistency of them, she was having a hard time getting a proper read on exactly how they worked.

At the same time, Link was becoming increasingly frustrated as time wore on into hours, and yet he still wasn't making any progress with honing his powers. Even though he was in a controlled environment, with nothing or no one around to cause his emotions to erupt and cause his powers to go out of control, he found that he still couldn't bend them to his will intentionally. The fact that Verona seemed to only be watching him from afar, only giving small commands or pieces of advice every now and then, only aggravated the hero further. After all, her lack of helpfulness certainly seemed like she was breaking the deal that she had made with him to aid him with his powers, something she had done relatively little of since they started. All of the seemingly good guidance she had given him back in the woods seemed to have vanished, and in its place the only things Link found were irritation and failure once more.

The hero let out another shout of aggravation as he tried once more to conjure up a burst of ice, only to no avail once more. "That's it!" he proclaimed angrily, glaring at Verona, who stood at the far end of the room, while he clenched his fists tightly at his sides, not noticing the soft red glow surrounding them. "I'm done! I can't do this anymore! We've been at this for hours and still nothing's working!"

"Yes, I am aware of that," the Queen of Shadows said calmly, her expression reserved and easy. "I have been watching, contrary to what you might think."

"And that's all you've been doing!" Link exclaimed in annoyance, crossing his arms bitterly. "You haven't taught me anything at all since we got here! If you're not going to help me, then you might as well just stop wasting my time and let me go back to Hyrule."

"So you can do what?" Verona asked, a frown crossing her features. "Try to figure them out on your own and fail? Continue to be pursued by Zelda's guards? Spend the rest of your life alone and on the run, knowing that you'll never truly get your magic under control?"

The hero was silence upon hearing this, knowing that as much as he didn't want to admit it, the Queen of Shadows did have a point. If he were to return to Hyrule now, he might never learn to control his powers and he certainly wouldn't be able to find relief from the suffering that Zelda had put him. If he was going to get even with the queen, Link knew that the only way to do so was to not only control his powers, but master them. And the only way he could possibly even try to do that was with Verona's assistance.

"Whether you like it or not, Link, you don't really have many other options left," the Queen of Shadows said, her tone firm, yet not condescending. "I genuinely do want to help you. But in order for me to properly help you, you must be patient with me, as I have shown patience towards you. I understand that you're eager, but this is going to a process that will take precious time. After all, no one masters something as complex as magic immediately."

"So why haven't we done anything yet?" Link asked, his tone still a little bitter as he crossed his arms.

"Ah, the answer to that is quite simple," Verona said with a smile. "I have simply been observing your powers, trying to come up with a conclusion as to what makes them work."

"I know what makes them work," the hero said, as if it were obvious. "My emotions."

"Yes, I know," the Queen of Shadows said with a nod. "But I mean specifically. What emotion ignites fire? What feeling creates ice? What sensation stirs up wind? I've been studying you these past several hours trying to answer these questions, and yet… I have to admit I'm still at a loss… I can see that you are trying, but it still seems as though you aren't getting the desired results…"

"Well, it's not like I can really help it," Link said with a frustrated sigh as he glanced down at his hands, wishing that he could use his magic intentionally at least once. "I don't understand any of this myself."

"And as I told you before, that's not your fault," Verona said with understanding in her tone. "But fret not. I have an idea."

"Oh, well it's about time," the hero said, not hiding the blatant sarcasm in his tone. The Queen of Shadows raised an unamused eyebrow upon hearing this, and though she wanted to call him out for his snarky attitude, she restrained herself, knowing that showing cruelty and condescension towards him would prove nothing.

"I believe that there is only one factor holding your powers back," Verona said, not acknowledging Link's prior comment. "Yourself."

"What?" the hero asked in confusion.

"It's all conjecture, really," the Queen of Shadows began to explain eloquently. "You've had recent traumatic experiences because of your powers, such as what happened in Castle Town or the guards that you killed. And because of those things, you're intentionally trying to suppress your emotions and your magic. You're holding everything inside of you, concealing instead of feeling. Not only is it unhealthy, but it's also blocking your powers from flowing forth the way they should."

"So what do you suggest I do?" Link asked a bit doubtfully, knowing that he wasn't intentionally trying to hold himself back, even despite the previous disasters his powers had caused.

"I suggest a release," Verona said with a mysterious, yet somehow encouraging smile as she began to saunter towards him. "Take all of the emotions that have built up inside of you over these past several days; all of that pain, anger, grief, misery. Combine them all, and then simply… let it go."

The hero let out diffident sigh upon hearing this, not believing that this method would actually work, much less let him gain control of his powers. After all, him letting his emotions run wild had gotten him in so much trouble in the first place. But even so, he didn't really have any other ideas, so he decided to give the Queen of Shadows' suggestion a try, even if he wasn't sure it would work. Taking in a deep breath, Link closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to focus on his emotions above all else. However, as he tried to think back to all of the hurt and frustration he had recently endured, he failed to see Verona finish her approach, slowly coming to stand behind him with an ominous smirk crossing her features. Though she knew she had to reserve more of her power before she could take another piece of the Spirit of the Hero, that didn't mean that she couldn't reap the darkness that she had planted inside of the hero. The Queen of Shadows' grinned deepened as she lightly ran her hand long his shoulder, already feeling the negative emotions that she was sparking within him flare up. Even without using her magic, Verona could feel the rage, hatred and grief stirring within Link, though she could see that he was indeed holding all of them back out of fear of what could happen if he let them lose. And so, to further this process along, the Queen of Shadows decided to remove the barrier that the hero had set in place herself.

As if from nowhere, a burst of sudden, almost unexplainable fury coursed through Link, one that made him clench his fists tightly at his sides. Anger filled his thoughts, clouding them as he remembered how he had been cast out and called a monster by those who had once lauded him as a hero. Their betrayal, and especially Zelda's betrayal, filled him with an unspeakable wrath. He could scarcely remember a time when he had been angrier, and he knew that he had every right to be. After all, he had lost everything: his home, his friends, his reputation, and even whatever shred of love had once been in his heart. Now, the only thing that remained was a deep, burning rage, replacing even the former grief and sorrow he had suffered before. Such mournful emotions were weak, after all; weeping over all he had lost would do nothing. His anger, on the other hand, would make his strong. His fury could sustain him. His wrath could give him power.

Verona could see that her manipulation was working as she saw deadly flames surround Link entirely, none of them burning him as he was the one who had created them. She returned to her place on the far side of the room as she watched the orange flames burn around the hero, seeming to grow stronger with each passing second as his expression grew darker and more infuriated, giving the Queen of Shadows a pretty good idea as to what fueled fire.

However, anger wasn't the only thing Link was experiencing as he continued to keep his eyes closed, lost within his own emotions as he pictured all he had gone through, not even noticing the fire he had created. His fury was quickly growing into something even more intense, something that could not just exist temporarily anymore. For the first time, the hero was realizing exactly why he wanted the queen and her foolish people to suffer so much. It was more than just what they had done to him, how they had hurt him and ruined him. It was so much stronger than that, stronger than even his unquenchable anger and frustration towards the entire situation, and everyone who had caused it.

It was hatred.

As rage continued to swirl throughout the hero, hatred naturally followed it, crashing upon him in heavy waves. It only made sense, considering the fact that he had been shown so much contempt lately, that he feel that same malice in return. All at once, Link felt animosity towards nearly everything and everyone that had ever done him wrong. He hated the people of Castle Town for fearing him and his powers when they had no reason to. He hated his own inability to even come close to honing his uncontrollable magic. He hated the guards that had chased him all over Hyrule, burning his home to the ground and forcing him to flee from his own village. He hated the hand of fate that had forced such powers upon him, thereby destroying what his life had once been. But most of all, he hated Zelda for rejecting him, for emotionally crippling him, for using him, and for every single other way she had betrayed him and lied to him. And his hatred for her was the strongest of all by far.

Unlike the fire, Link could actually feel this hatred chilling him, and though he still didn't open his eyes, he could tell that ice was freely spiraling around his hands once more. And yet, for once he didn't care; he wanted the ice to flow out of him, he wanted the fire to burn around him. They both made him feel stronger than he had felt in a long time, like he could use them to destroy anyone who had hurt him. Regardless of the fire, which was still just as large as it had been before, wisps of snow and ice curled around the hero's hands as he held them up a bit, the wintry mix growing stronger in tandem with his growing enmity and contempt.

"That's right, Link!" Verona called out with a wide, conniving grin, watching with excitement as the hero's powers were flowing freely from him, just as she had wanted. "Let it all out! Let yourself feel all of those emotions! You are in control! You are powerful! You can do anything!"

Upon hearing this encouragement, Link smirked a little, knowing that every word Verona was saying was true. He was in control, he was powerful, and with magic like his, he certainly could do anything. Despite all of the emotional and physical abuse he had gone through, he had remained resilient. He still had his resolve and his determination intact, and even though he had been bruised, he had not been broken. Nothing could break him, not rejection, nor grief, nor anxiety, nor fear. He was more than just the mere hero that destiny had forced him to be. He was powerful. He was wise. He was courageous. He was unbreakable.

The hero's almost dark smile widened as a strong wind began to circle around him, not changing the fire or the ice as it sped up to cyclone levels, creating a heavy gale throughout the entire room, The Queen of Shadows gripped her black cape so that it wouldn't wildly blow about as she watched with enthusiasm as Link slowly began to rise off the ground, propelled upwards by the windstorm he was creating. Flames continued to whip around him, combining with the winds of the hurricane as they spread out around the hero. At the same time, he willingly flung his arms out, allowing powerful streams of bitter cold ice to fly out from his hands and crash to the ground several feet below him in dramatic bursts. Verona's cold smile slowly faded into a look of genuine awe upon seeing this immense display, and even she had to admit that she was impressed by the great deal of power that was radiating from Link in full force. She had seen elemental magic in action before, but never like this. Even the often devastating forces of nature themselves could hardly compare to the maelstrom of destruction and violence that the hero was creating, one that certainly had the capacity to easily level an entire city, something that gave the Queen of Shadows a sudden, sinister idea.

After several unabridged minutes of simply letting his powers go in any way he pleased, Link soon found himself calming down a bit as he came off the high of unleashing so much magic while he came to the ground once more, finally opening his eyes. It admittedly felt good finally letting his powers lose instead of bottling them up inside, constantly fearing that he would cause pain and destruction if he used them. But now, he was no longer near the few people he still cared about hurting, and everyone he did want to hurt would feel his wrath, hatred, and superiority soon enough. He no longer had to conceal or suppress them, or even view them as a hindrance. They were a strength, an asset, something that could be controlled instead of feared. And after feeling the catharsis of letting them all go in such a way, the hero couldn't wait to learn to command them in any way he pleased.

"Very well done, Link…" Verona said with absolute sincerity as she stepped forward, giving him a slow congratulatory applause. "That was quite an impressive display… I've never seen such a show of raw, untapped power before. It was truly incredible."

"Thanks," Link said with a small smile and a nod. "To be honest, that actually felt kind of… good, like a weight was lifted off my shoulders."

"You'll find it even more enjoyable once you completely hone them," the Queen of Shadows said, her tone pleasant and polite. "I can see so much potential in you, Link… And it's a potential that will only grow with time. I am certain that, with your powers, you will do great things indeed…"

The hero couldn't really hide his somewhat bashful smile, glad to have someone finally believe in him. Though he had his doubts before, it was clear that Verona did in fact want to help him. Perhaps she wasn't so bad after all. "So… what do you think?" he asked with hope in his tone. "Have you figured out how my powers work?"

"I believe I have…" Verona said smoothly, stepping closer to him. "It stands to reason that they feed off of your strongest emotions, and by applying those emotions in certain ways, you can find control. The most obvious conclusion I've come to concerning fire is that it comes about when you are angry. Blind frustration causes it to spiral out of control, but tranquil fury… that is the key to reigning it in."

"Ok…" Link said with a bit of a frown, not really sure how he was going to keep his anger under control enough to keep fire under control as well. "What about the other two?"

"Well, what were you feeling while you conjured ice?" the Queen of Shadows asked, only having directly felt his anger and seen his confidence.

The hero hesitated for a moment, remembering the sheer contempt for nearly everything that had flooded him during that moment. "Hatred," he said coldly, with little remorse in his tone.

"Towards what?" Verona asked, suppressing a satisfied grin.

"Towards everything really," Link admitted, glaring down at the ground. "The guards, the people, especially Zelda…" he said, nearly growling with fury upon simply saying her name.

"Then use that hatred," the Queen of Shadows encouraged. "Let its coldness fill you so that you can create coldness of your own. Hatred is a powerful emotion, and while many will tell you it is a wicked one, I don't see it as such. I see it as an emotion of justice, one that is even stronger and greater than love. Love is weak and faltering. Hatred is mighty and enduring. It can sustain you when love can't. Feel it, use it. It will do you well."

The hero nodded tentatively at this, not really liking the sound of what Verona had just told him. And yet, in a strange way, it made sense. After all, his love for Zelda and her kingdom had only led him to misery and ruin. Perhaps it was time for him to give into something as self-serving as hatred, to focus on his own wants and needs instead of the needs of those who had never cared for him in the first place.

"Now for wind," Verona continued. "It is a unique element, one that is often flighty and inconsistent. But I theorize, that in your case, it is created by feelings of confidence and self-adoration. When you believe in yourself, when you believe what you are capable of, when you believe yourself to be above those who condemned you, that is when you are in control…"

"Right," Link said, taking in a deep breath. He had never really considered himself to be very egotistic before; after all, he had largely attributed his work in saving Hyrule to Midna or other various factors. And yet, now such blatant narcissism felt natural. He deserved to think highly of himself after all he had been through. He had allowed others to take credit for his hard work and struggles long enough. "So what now?"

"Now…" the Queen of Shadows said with a daring smile, holding her hands behind her back as she came up with a plan that would suit her need perfectly. "We can truly begin…"

"Keep your stance steady," Verona instructed Link, watching him carefully as she taught him all of the different facets of fire. "And your eyes open. Fire is drawn from the breath, so make sure to breathe deeply." She nodded with satisfaction as the hero did everything physically as he was supposed to, standing still and firm as he held his hands out in front of him, his palms up in anticipation of the flames that would hopefully form over them. "Now, I want you to focus all of your anger on one target. Think of the one thing that enrages you the most, and let that anger burn inside of you until it reveals itself on the outside."

Link did as she said, centering his focus, as well as his anger, on the sole person that had struck such fury inside him in the first place: Zelda. However, he did not lash out in rage upon thinking of her as he might have been inclined to. Instead, he kept it under control, feeling a burst of passionate heat coursing throughout him, one that felt all the more satisfying as a tongue of even fire sparked above his hands. For once, it had come incredibly easily, and instead of growing wild and dangerous, it remained restricted and composed.

"Excellent," the Queen of Shadows said with a smile. "Now to put it into action." With a simple snap of her fingers, Verona made a shadow beast appear only a few feet away from Link, who quickly spun around to face the creature, his free hand moving to the hilt of his sword on instinct. "Wait," the Queen of Shadows called to the hero before he could draw his blade. "Don't kill it with your sword. Kill it with your fire."

Link moved his hand away from his sword upon hearing this, frowning a bit as he watched the shadow beast prepare to attack. He wasn't really used to fighting without a blade, but he knew that he would have to learn, especially considering the fact that he would still have his powers even if his sword was somehow out of reach.

The hero took in another deep breath as he and the shadow beast began to circle each other slowly, the burning flame still flickering above his palm as steadily as ever. Link let his anger swirl within him as he glared at the shadow beast, focusing his frustration and rage upon the creature as the fire began to grow. And then, just as the shadow beast leapt into action, so too did the hero. With a strong shout, he rushed at the creature, precisely flinging the ball of flame at it. The shadow beast screeched in pain as the flames began to consume its dark body, but Link was far from finished yet. Adrenaline continued to warm him in an exciting way as bursts of orange fire surrounded both of his hands, and without wasting a single second, he allowed continuous streams of fire to pour forth from them. The hero smirked darkly as the shadow beast continued to suffer, and, much to his delight, the Queen of Shadows gave him more of them to practice on as the first one finally burned to death.

Three more shadow beasts appeared surrounding Link, who took no time to even let them gather their bearings before he was upon them. With flames still circling around his hands, he turned a wide, quick circle, sending out a thin, yet dangerous stream of fire towards all three of the monsters, igniting them almost instantly. For a moment, Link paused to watch as the shadow beasts burned in the fires he had created, a brief burst of anxiety filling him as he remembered accidently burning Midna in the woods. Indeed, fire had the capacity to cause incredible destruction and devastation, but the hero was quick to remind himself that he no longer had any reason to fear it. After all, he was finally starting to gain control over it, and with such control, he could do incredible feats.

"Keep going!" Verona encouraged, conjuring up a small force of various types of Twilit monsters this time, from shadow beasts to dark keese and everything in between. Fire seamlessly burst from the hero's hands as he leapt into action, feeling more full of energy than he had in a long time. Tirelessly, he launched his flames upon the monsters, watching with fervor as they steadily burned under his power, letting out agonized cries all the while. But Link simply ignored them, as well as the flames filling the room, which would not harm him so long as they were his own. The Queen of Shadows used her own magic to shield herself from the fire lining the entire room and simply grinned triumphantly as the hero stood amidst the inferno he had made as each shadow creature fell in succession to his might. Link couldn't help but let out a small, almost cruel laugh at the violent sight around him himself, knowing that somehow, the feeling of destroying those weaker than him was oddly liberating and euphoric.

Verona only needed to hear that dark laugh to know that her manipulation was working perfectly.

The bitter chill that came along with using his ice powers didn't feel as cold to Link anymore as he allowed a slow stream of ice to flow out of his hands, accumulating evenly on the ground below him. Verona had instructed that he cover the entire floor with a solid sheet of ice, and so, utilizing the deep hatred he felt towards the Hylian queen, the hero was at last able to tap into his wintry abilities whenever he desired. Unlike the jagged spires or twisted frost he used to create on accident, this ice was even and firm, and in almost no time at all, the entirety of the stone floor was completely blanketed in it.

Upon completing this task, Link turned to Verona, who merely smiled and nodded in approval. However, as he began to take a step forwards, he accidently slid a little bit upon the slippery ice-covered ground. And though the hero was prepared to use a quick burst of fire to melt the ice all in one fell swoop, another, much more entertaining idea came to him instead.

The Queen of Shadows raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she watched Link hold his hands out widely behind him, not understanding what he was doing as he smirked daringly, a mischievous glint in his silver eyes. The hero, however, focused as he grinned, remembering what Verona had told him about his wind powers. And, as he internally bolstered his confidence, steady, directed gusts of wind flew from his hands, instantly propelling him forward over the ice. It took a little doing and a few near-falls, but after a moment or two, Link gathered his bearings completely and soon he was gliding across the ice with both ease and speed. He was able to control his path by redirecting the winds he was creating as he let out a small laugh of enjoyment, scarcely remembering the last time he actually had sheer, rejuvenating fun like this.

Verona couldn't help but chuckle a bit herself as she watched Link continue to speed across the icy floor, experimenting further with his ice powers all the while. As he continued to use one hand to create wind to keep him going, he lifted his other hand up, easily creating a sharp ice spire within his hand. While still sliding along, the hero threw the icicle as hard as he could, smirking with satisfaction as it shattered roughly upon colliding with the wall on the far side of the room.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" the Queen of Shadows asked with a knowing grin as the hero skated past her and the raised platform she was standing upon.

"Yeah!" Link called back to her with a laugh, spinning around so he was gliding backwards to face her. The almost childlike smile on his face was undeniable as he tossed his free hand up, letting loose a burst of ice that exploded into countless snowflakes on his command. They fell down slowly and beautifully in accordance to the artificial wind, and the hero couldn't help but take pride in them, wistfully wishing that Midna was there to see just how much he had progressed.

"So are you quite finished?" Verona asked, her tone not that impatient, though she did somewhat think that Link was merely wasting time with such games.

"Not even close," the hero said, still smiling as he cut the wind off so that he could slide to the gradual stop before the Queen of Shadows. "Don't you want to try?"

"Oh, I couldn't possibly," Verona said with a half-smile, shaking her head. "I hardly think such a wild activity is very dignified."

"Who cares if it's dignified?" Link asked, knowing that was a rather poor excuse, one that, in a way, sounded like something Zelda would say. "It's fun!"

"Link, I don't think I should-" the Queen of Shadows began to say, however, before she could finish, she gasped in surprise as a strong gust of wind pushed her forward from behind. The hero slid backwards and stifled a laugh as Verona stumbled forward onto the ice, her usual grace and elegance broken as she nearly slipped and fell to the ground, only barely managing to maintain her balance. However, even then she struggled to remain standing steady on the ice, shooting a cold glare towards Link, who was skillfully skating towards the other end of the room.

"Link!" Verona shouted angrily, clearly flustered as she nearly fell once more, her high-heeled shoes doing nothing for her on the slick ice. She was only met with the hero's teasing laughter however, the fact that he was enjoying her embarrassment only angering her more. And yet for some reason, she found that she couldn't stay too angry at him as she looked towards him and the roguishly charming, encouraging grin he was giving her.

"Come on, Verona!" Link goaded, still laughing a bit upon seeing the Queen of Shadows' frustration. "Can't you just let go and have a little fun for once?"

Verona's bitter glare turned into a devious smirk upon hearing this as she straightened up, stepping out of her high heels and conjuring shoes more appropriate for ice-skating. "Oh, I'll let go…" she said, her tone jokingly sinister. "But only so that I can teach my mischievous little pupil a lesson in respect!"

The hero grinned brightly in excitement as the Queen of Shadows rushed forward, showing much more grace and precision this time as she swept across the ice after him. Once more, Link used wind to push himself to go faster, though Verona utilized a similar tactic in the form of shadow magic, which gave her just as much speed as he had. The hero tried to shake her off his tail by cutting tight turns and curves across the floor, however, what he hadn't been expecting was for the Queen of Shadows to outsmart him and cut him off. Link let out a surprised gasp as Verona suddenly appeared right in front of him, and, to avoiding colliding with her, he impulsively created a large burst of ice to try and slow his momentum. The Queen of Shadows' eyes widened as the blast exploded into a huge flurry of snow, which was enough to stop both of them as they both slipped to the ground clumsily, the snow falling upon both of them in heavy piles.

Link laughed loudly and heartily as he fell back in the snowdrift that he had unintentionally created, not even caring that the residual snowfall was heavily falling over him. At first, Verona was not as amused as she rose to stand amidst the snow, a scowl on her face as the snow chilled and soaked her. However, even the Queen of Shadows could not hold her amusement in for too long upon seeing the hero's contented expression as he reveled in the lovely wintery conditions he had created. He was getting better, to be sure, and in his progress, Verona found some strange sense of satisfaction and happiness. She knew that she could feed off of his negative emotions for her purposes more, she could not deny that she actually almost enjoyed seeing him happy.

"See?" Link asked her as he sat up, giving her a sardonic grin. "Wasn't that fun?"

The Queen of Shadows had half a mind to deny him that she had actually enjoyed herself, but even she knew that would be a blatant lie. And so instead, she simply gave him a bemused smile as she gracefully began to head for her place at the head of the room once more. "I suppose it was," she said, still grinning as she glanced back at him. "Now, let's get back to work."

Out of all of his powers, wind was surprisingly the easiest one for Link to use and control. It was not as blatantly dangerous as fire or ice, even if it did have the potential to cause disaster if gotten out of hand, something Verona had made very clear to the hero when they began practicing with it. And yet, creating wind felt very natural to Link all the same, to the point that he felt right at home forming a harsh tunnel of wind right in front of him.

"Perfect," Verona said with a pleased nod. "Now… make it bigger."

Link kept his steady focus up as he did as she said, spreading his hands apart wider as the whirlwind expanded in response to his commands. "Bigger," the Queen of Shadows encouraged, and the hero followed her instruction as the spiral of wind grew even larger, to the point that it was nearly half the size of the room, and yet that still wasn't good enough. "Bigger!" Verona nearly shouted and this time, Link did not hold back. He threw his arms out wide as the whirlwind encompassed the entire room nearly, increasing in speed drastically.

The Queen of Shadows used her magic to shield herself from the hurricane winds while the hero continued to stand firm amidst them, slightly awed by how fast they were. He had never known such a wild, deadly gale before, and he had certainly never made one like this before as it continued to race around him, blowing his hair and clothes about without care. There was something strange about it though, especially as the otherwise unseeable breeze took on a slightly greenish tint, something that Verona couldn't see, but Link could. He took in a small, somewhat shaky breath as he felt something stir within him, something strangely nostalgic and instinctual. With his arms still held out at his sides, the hero closed his eyes, the winds seeming to pick up even more, even though he could feel the world around him begin to fade away until his senses were basically numbed.

"Son of Courage…" a strangely familiar, feminine voice faintly whispered to Link as he remained unaware of everything going on around him. It didn't belong to anyone the hero knew, but he was still almost certain he had heard it somewhere before. "Link… my son…" The voice was very soft to the point that Link could barely hear it, even though he was striving to. And yet, as it spoke to him, brief, snapshot visions flashed throughout his mind. They were all very short and vague, but he was able to pick apart a few select images: a beautiful woman with verdant hair, garbed in emerald clothing, a heart-shaped mask with sinister, glowing yellow eyes, a pure green orb colliding with a dark blue one, and a mysterious figure with snow white hair and empty, blank, soulless eyes.

The hero had no idea what any of this meant, but after it was all over, he heard the gentle voice beckon to him once more, and this time, it spoke a little bit louder and more clearly. "Beware, my son…" the voice said, the slightest hint of worry in its tone. "Your walk in the darkness will lead to nothing but your own demise… You were not meant for these dark shadows… You were born of the purity of light… Of my light…"

"Link?" Verona's voice began to break through the other voice that the hero was hearing, but he heard it plead once more before he opened his eyes again, the winds at last dying down as it faded away to whence it came.

"Please, my beloved Son of Courage… Listen to my words… Return to me… before it's too late…"

Hours seamlessly rolled on into days as Verona continued to train Link, making sure that the hero was honing his skills beyond just control. She wanted to ensure that he had complete mastery of them, and so she taught him techniques that were quite advanced for each type of magic he possessed. It was tiring, yet satisfying work, and with each skill Link learned, he felt more and more capable of not just keeping his powers reigned in, but actually applying them in every aspect of his life, especially fighting.

By the time two entire days had came and went by without notice, the Queen of Shadows finally announced to the hero that their training had reached an end. Link had figured it was about time, as by that point he had learned to do things he had never thought possible, even with magic, such as engulfing the Master Sword with fire, sculpt an entire building out of ice, and even use wind to nearly fly without any other assistant. His confidence with magic had certainly grown, and he had come to the point that he viewed himself ready to put all he had learned into action.

"Now, before we call it quits entirely, I do believe that one final test is in order," Verona said with a sly grin. "I think one final battle will allow me to assess your skills properly."

"Alright," Link said eagerly, ready for anything at this point. "So… what am I fighting this time?"

"Oh, not 'what'," the Queen of Shadows said as she stepped off the platform, still smirking ominously. "But 'whom'…"

"Wait…" the hero said with a sudden frown. "I'm supposed to fight… you?"

"Well, of course," Verona said as she conjured her scepter. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Um… no…" Link said with a shrug, even if he did have a few reservations about this. "There's no problem. It's just…"

"You're afraid I'll be too much for you?" the Queen of Shadows said with a smooth laugh. "Well, don't worry. I promise I'll go easy on you. After all, you're still largely a beginner."

The hero took in a deep breath and nodded at this, taking up an offensive pose, though he decided to not use his sword so that he could properly practice his magic alone without having to rely on a blade. And, with a single word from Verona, the battle was on.

On instinct, Link was the first to rush forward, conjuring up an ice spire in each hand as he ran for Verona. The Queen of Shadows used her own magic to dispel both of them as he swung at her with them, and she was quick to counter with a burst of shadow magic. The hero hurriedly sparked fire around his hands as he blocked the shadows, before sending the flames Verona's way with a strong gust of wind. However, the Queen of Shadows was level-headed as ever as she used only the metal of her staff to protect herself from the fire, quickly using her magic to briefly teleport out of Link's sight. Yet even despite her sneaky tactics, the hero was onto her as he quickly created a shield of ice and spun around, just as Verona tried to ram the end of her scepter into his exposed back. Link grinned confidently as the metal of the staff shattered the icy shield, winds swirling around him as a result. The hero used the wind to his advantage as he commanded it to lift him up and out of her reach, not even wasting a single second as he launched a burst of ice at her. The Queen of Shadows narrowly dodged it, glancing briefly behind her as it shattered into jagged icicles upon colliding with the ground. However, what she didn't see was the fireball rushing for her until it was almost too late. With a surprised gasp, Verona held her scepter up in front of her, recoiling backwards as the flame exploded brightly, momentarily blinding her. She stumbled backwards even more upon feeling something else collide with her staff, and once her vision cleared she was able to see what had happened. Link had launched himself from the funnel of wind he had been hovering upon, drawing his sword as he did so. His blade had squarely met the Queen of Shadows' scepter and brought it down a bit as he landed, and as Verona's eyes widened a bit at his speed and precision, the hero couldn't hide his clever, confident grin.

"Excellent…" the Queen of Shadows said with a proud smile, withdrawing her staff from its tension against Link's sword. Likewise, the hero sheathed his blade, knowing that the battle was over. "By all intents, I'd say you passed with flying colors. Congratulations, Link. You're ready."

"Thank you," Link said with a genuine smile of gratitude. Even though it was strange to admit, he was truly thankful to the Queen of Shadows for all she had done for him, from supporting him, to teaching him, to encouraging him and everything else. After the time he had spent with her, he felt as though he had come to know her as more than just someone to be hated or feared. She was an actual person, with actual feelings, and though she had done her fair share of wrongs, certainly she had good intentions. After all, no one could ever be perfect. "But… what exactly am I ready for?"

"Well…" Verona said a bit leadingly as she glanced away from him. "I… would like to extend an offer to you, Link. Of course, you're completely free to turn me down and if you do, then I'll be more than happy to return you to Hyrule. But… if you do go back on your own, then you'd just be one person standing against all of the many people you want to exact revenge upon, which, even with your newfound skills, would certainly be a grueling task."

The hero frowned a little upon hearing this, knowing that he didn't particularly like the thought of having to be alone, both figuratively and literally. Even though he now had legitimate control over his powers, certainly the people of Ordon would still see him as someone who had coldly murdered five men right before their very eyes. Even Midna, who had vowed that she wouldn't leave him, certainly would have her reservations about being around him after how he had burned her, forever tearing a rift in the strong bond they had once had.

"Go on…" Link said after Verona gave him a brief moment to think, willing to at least listen to what she had to say after how she had helped him so immensely.

The Queen of Shadows' smile deepened as she slowly sauntered around the hero, placing a gentle hand upon his shoulder as she used her unseen dark magic upon him yet again. "The way I see it, you and I have very much the same goal, Link…" she began, her tone smooth and easy. "You wish to make the people of Hyrule, as well as their queen, see the error of their ways for rejecting you. I also wish to teach them a lesson. To long have they languished in their precious light, to the point that they despise and revile the beauty of the shadows that my people and I come from. We would have much to gain by continuing this alliance we have built into the foreseeable future. Together, we could make all of them pay. Together, we could make the entirety of Hyrule bow at our feet. Together, we could rule them all! Now… doesn't that sound absolutely… wonderful?"

Though there was once a time when Link would have been completely against this sort of thing, he found himself strangely comfortable with the idea of working with Verona to make his enemies suffer. After all, they all deserved it after what they had put him through. And yet, even still, he had his doubts. The last thing he wanted was for the Queen of Shadows to see him as her slave and little else. He was so tired of being used by everyone and everything: Zelda had used him, Hyrule had used him, destiny had used him, even Midna had used him. But he refused to be used by anyone else ever again. He belonged to no one but himself now.

"Let me make one thing very clear," the hero said, his tone cold and serious as he gave Verona a discerning look. "If I do agree to this, then I expect to be nothing less than your equal, got it?"

"I wouldn't dare try to make you anything else," Verona said with absolute sincerity. "After all, power like yours is to be respected, not simply used as a mere tool."

Link nodded in acceptance of this, knowing that if the Queen of Shadows dared to retract on her promise of their equality then he wouldn't hesitate to break things off with her. "So what exactly do you plan on doing?" he asked, almost ready to accept her offer, though he still wanted more information first.

"I'm thinking something along the lines of… wide-scale destruction…" Verona said with a dark grin. "A way for you to flex your powers a bit. A little fire set to Castle Town would be enough to show all of those fools just who they respect and honor. Plus… it would also be an excellent way to lure Queen Zelda into our hands…"

The hero clenched his fists upon hearing the queen's name, more than ready to do anything to make her suffer in any way he could. "What are we going to do with her?" he asked, not even really caring that much just as long as it caused her pain, both physical and emotional.

"Capture her of course," the Queen of Shadows said. "Force her to watch as her people pay the price for their sins, for her sins… So what do you think?"

Link watched with an unreadable expression as Verona held her hand out to him once more, this time extending an even more enduring offer to him. The thought of putting Zelda in her place certainly tantalized him, and it was perhaps the point of this entire deal that excited him the most. And even beyond that was the fact that he would have the means to show the people of Hyrule that they had been prejudgemental fools in casting him out. Perhaps the Queen of Shadows was right; perhaps Hyrule was being corrupted by light after all. Maybe it was time for shadows to be equal with them, if not greater. Maybe it was time for everything to change.

"I'm in," the hero said with finality, taking her hand and shaking it firmly to prove their newfound alliance.

"Perfect…" Verona purred, a hint of sinister darkness in her tone as she knew that everything was falling into place exactly as she had planned. "In that case… let's get started…"

Ok, so I know this chapter was all over the place emotion-wise, but I thought it was pretty good! Now, next time around, we're getting a HUGE chapter, complete with tons of action, drama, and split focus on Link and Verona and Zelda and Midna. So hooray! Now, before i go, I just wanted to get a little hype for HYRULE WARRIORS 3DS! I am SO hyped for this, especially getting to play as TETRA (my girl!) Ok, ok, hype time over. Now don't forget to leave your love in the REVIEWS! Until next time!