Inspiration: Phoenix the rebirth bird; the Anaconda; "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past;" Circular Dichroism (differential absorption of left and right polarized light); circular polarization (an electromagnetic field that doesn't change strength, but does change direction); exocytosis; peroxisomes; mitochondria; phospholipids; pi (3.14); gradus degree & illuminas ray, "Sidewinder," by Ax7, and "Tree of Life," album by Audiomachine for the 2020 reedit.

Original Shout Outs: This is for xLinkk, Xakousti, Angelanimexinf, R.J, myheartsafire, darkyami1214, hylianbeauty91, thanks for reading.

New Shout Out: 11lol11, thank you for reading and the critique.

Recommended Readings: "Twilight Princess with a Twist," by Mssbue (it is funny as hell).

Author Note: Sorry for the long wait thank you for reading. Reedited 8/20/2020.

Word Count: 19,689

Chapter 27

Two days later, the Valley of the Twilight Tuberosity

After leaving the Ethereal Canopy, we headed south and traveled for two days until we reached a region known as the Valley of the Twilight Tuberosity. This was the first place where there was a stark contrast from our previous surroundings. There was nothing beautiful here, just desolation. The valley was barren, with white sand that shined in the moonlight, and fissures that appeared in the cavities of the ground. Black trees were weathered and gnarled, having no leaves or foliage for shade. In fact, there wasn't a shrub to be seen for miles. It appeared like a wasteland, but with a constant cool breeze blowing from the east. There was also a melody playing faintly on the wind. It was strange. One would have to be concentrating to really hear it, but it was consistent. For a moment, I thought I recognized the song, but there was something obscure about it. Like it was a known descant, but being played backwards. I was perplexed by the landscape. What happened here? What caused such devastation? Even the marshes with all its mud and mayhem had more beauty than this place. This wasteland felt more haunting than anything else.

Grandfather once went through a place called The Haunted Wasteland in Hyrule, I thought. I wonder if it was anything like this.

I didn't give it too much thought because I was eager to hurry through here. Another problem I was coming to terms with, was through all our travels, not once had we come in contact with the dragon king. I was beginning to believe that our search was in vain. I had a strong suspicion that he was dead. If he were alive, surely we would have come across him by now. To be frank though, the inverse was also true. If he were dead, we would have come across his corpse by now too. So there was that. I just hoped something worse hadn't happened to him, like him getting captured by Ghirahim. I didn't think that was the case. Ghirahim didn't seem like the type to keep a person around he no longer had a use for. But, there were a great deal of unknown quantities to consider when it came to that monster. There was no telling what he was willing to do to get revenge. I had a tiny bit of confidence after our last encounter with him. He was not able to ward off the arrows of light, so that defense bought us some time. I tried to keep optimistic with that thought, but this valley didn't help those considerations honestly. This valley looked to go on forever. In fact, as we trekked along the music seemed to amplify.

It was very odd.

๐„žื“ืขืจ ื ื™ื’ื•ืŸ ื•ื•ืึธืก ื“ืจืึธื– ืื™ืจ ืื™ืŸ ื™ื ืคืึทื ืึทื˜ ืคื™ื ืฆื˜ืขืจื ื™ืฉ ... ืึทื– ืึทื‘ื–ืึธืจื‘ื– ืืคื™ืœื• ืฆื™ื™ื˜๐„ž

๐„žThe melody that draws you into infinite darkness... that absorbs even time๐„ž

It was unnerving, but then it played again, only in the inverse.

๐„žืืคื™ืœื• ืึทื‘ื–ืึธืจื‘ื– ืฆื™ื™ื˜ ... ื“ื™ ื ื™ื’ืŸ ืื™ืŸ ื“ื™ ื™ื ืคืึทื ืึทื˜ ืคื™ื ืฆื˜ืขืจื ื™ืฉ ื“ืจืึธื– ืื™ืจ ื“ืจืึธื–๐„ž

๐„žEven absorbs time... the melody into infinite darkness draws you๐„ž

I stopped when a shiver went down my spine. Something was not right. I felt like I knew this melody.

"Why does this sound so familiar?" I finally wondered aloud.

Soon after, the others stopped with me at my inquiry and listened.

"It's probably because it is," Hylia said simply.

As usual, that only left me with more questions.

"But where have I heard this before?" I went on anyway. "It's driving me mad that I can't conceive the thought."

Link looked to be listening intently too, but he seemed to understand my frustration.

"I get what you mean," he said. "There is something familiar about the music. It almost sounds like one of the melodies played by the great Sage of Time. It almost resembles what was faintly present at the Arbiter's Grounds. You were whistling it, remember?"

I stared at Link taken aback.

"Grandmother?" I whispered.

The hero nodded.

"Listen carefully," he mandated.

At his beckoning I did, and after a few moments, I heard what he was hearing. Then, it finally came to me.

"This is a variation of the Nocturne of Shadow, however it's playing the opposite way," I realized. "But why would it be playing here? It's not a Twili melody."

Hylia crossed her arms over her chest.

"You just said it yourself," she stated. "It's playing backwards. Nothing here will ever be exactly as in Hyrule."

The music then swirled and surrounded us. I found no comfort with it.

"Fascinating," I said anyway, "this realm never ceases to amaze me."

The hero nodded.

"I have to agree," he said. "When I fought Zant, it was only at the palace. I didn't set foot into the inland, but this place makes me wish I explored more back then."

I nodded.

"Indeed," I replied.

The music suddenly shifted to something more forlorn. I didn't think a song could be more forlorn than the Nocturne of Shadow.

It went like this:

๐„žืžื™ื“ืกืึธืžืขืจ ืฉืคึผืึทืœื˜ ...๐„ž

๐„žMidsommer cleft...๐„ž

๐„žืžื™ื“ืกืึธืžืขืจ ื˜ื•ื™ื˜โ€ฆ ๐„ž

๐„žMidsommer deathโ€ฆ ๐„ž

๐„žื˜ืจื•ืงืŸ ืขืจื“, ื˜ืจื•ืงืŸ ืคึฟื™ืก, ื˜ืจื•ืงืŸ ื˜ื•ื™ื˜, ื˜ืจื•ืงืŸ ื‘ืึทื–ื™ื’ ืŸ ...๐„ž

๐„žDry earth, dry feet, dry death, dry defeat...๐„ž

I repeated what I heard. It was so strange.

"'Midsommer cleft, Midsommer deathโ€ฆ dry defeat'," I said. "What a peculiar set of lyrics."

The obvious cadence change made us more attuned.

"Is it though?" Elbourne countered, finally speaking up. "You see where we are."

He had a point.

"This feels similar to the Whispering Wood," I said. "Why is this place called the Valley of the Twilight Tuberosity?"

The dragon prince was going to provide insight into that.

"I once thought the same thing," he said. "However, I was told long ago a plush forest once resided here. But over time it withered and died, leaving only its bones, thus the name tuberosity. Finally, it became barren like a wasteland. No one knows exactly why the forest decayed the way it did, or why a melody plays perpetually on the wind. But the Twili believe an ancient force came and sapped it of all its resources."

I was intrigued.

"An ancient force?" I repeated.

Link then chimed in.

"The guardian perhaps?" he added.

I raised a brow when I looked at the hero.

"That's a good point," I said, "but wouldn't the guardians bring prosperity like they did in Hyrule? This seems like the exact opposite of a guardian's influence."

"It depends on its function," Hylia stated adroitly. "Perhaps this forest needed to be sapped."

If she was stating this, then apparently there was more to what was meeting our eyes.

"Was this a battleground?" I asked the goddess.

Hylia was quiet for a moment.

"I'll tell you this," she started, "the Twili king of old prayed for a miracle to a devastating conflict and he got it. This wasteland is the byproduct of that, but you can hear the songs of the dead here. Some of them are clues, others are warnings."

The way she stated that sounded ominous. I tried not to let it show.

"We must be on the right track then," I said. "Azimuth must be the ancient force the Twili people were talking about."

Hylia said nothing definitively and merely shrugged.

"We shall soon see," she said.

Link appeared more hopeful.

"I think we are on the right track," he reassured. "It makes the most sense."

Elbourne spoke up once more.

"Well, whether it makes the most sense or not, we need to get moving," he said. "It's going to take us three days to get across this wasteland."

I wasn't expecting to hear that.

"Three days!" I repeated. "Are there any oases or outposts across this land mass?"

Elbourne shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "This would be my first time going across it. I was always told to avoid this area if I could."

That wasn't too reassuring. I looked back out at the desolate horizon.

Grandfather, I'm going to need a little of guidance, I thought. Give me the resolve you once had.

I took in a deep sigh and then looked over at the dragon prince again.

"Lead the way," I said. "The Virtue Key won't find itself."

Elbourne simply nodded then headed out front. Hylia followed after him, and I stayed in step with Link. We began the long trek across the valley. As we walked, the music swelled and changed once more. The song playing on the wind was unlike any I heard before.

It went like this:

๐„žืขืก ืกืœื™ื™ื“ื– ื“ื•ืจืš ื“ื™ ื•ื•ื™ื™ืกื˜ืœืึทื ื“ ืึทื– ื–ื™ื™ึทืŸ ื•ื•ืขืœื˜ ื–ื™ื™ืŸ ื”ื•ื ื’ืขืจ ื ืขืžื˜ ืื•ื ื“ื–ืขืจ ืœืขื‘ืŸ, ืจื•ื™ื‘ ืฆื• ื”ืึทืœื˜ืŸ ืขืก ืœืขื‘ืขื“ื™ืง, ืจื—ืžื ื•ืช ืื™ื– ืึทืœืฅ ื•ื•ืึธืก ืžื™ืจ ืคืจืขื’ืŸ, ืจื—ืžื ื•ืช ืื™ื– ืึท ืœื™ื™ื“ื™ืง ืฉื™ืกืœ๐„ž

๐„žIt slides through the wasteland that is its world. Its hunger takes our lives, preyed on to keep it alive. Mercy is all that we ask, mercy is an empty cask๐„ž

Chilling.

Is this song referring to Azimuth? I wondered. Why does it sound so sinister? Are these the voices of the dead Hylia was speaking of?

It went on.

๐„žืขืก ื”ื•ื™ื˜ ืฉืขื“ื– ื”ื™ื™ึทื ื˜ ื‘ื™ื™ึท ื ืึทื›ื˜, ืึธื‘ืขืจ ื“ื™ ืคืึทื ื’ื– ื–ืขื ืขืŸ ืฉื•ื•ืขืจ ืฆื• ื‘ืึทื”ืึทืœื˜ืŸ ืื•ืŸ ืžื™ืจ ื•ื•ื™ืกืŸ ืžื™ืจ ื•ื•ืขืœืŸ ืฉื˜ืึทืจื‘ืŸ. ืžื™ืจ ื‘ืขื˜ืŸ ืจื—ืžื ื•ืช. ืจื—ืžื ื•ืช ืื™ื– ืึทืœืฅ ื•ื•ืึธืก ืžื™ืจ ื’ืขื‘ืขื˜ืŸ ืคึฟืึทืจ. ืึธื‘ืขืจ ืจื—ืžื ื•ืช ืื™ื– ืœื™ื™ื“ื™ืง ืื™ืŸ ืขืก. ๐„ž

๐„žIt sheds its skin tonight, but its fangs are hard to hide. And we know we are going to die. We plead for mercy. Mercy is all that we asked for. But mercy is empty in it.๐„ž

Did the guardian really protect the Twili? I wondered. Or did something evil happen here? But the guardians cannot be evil. There is something missing that I simply do not understand.

The song ended with a warning.

๐„žื‘ืœื™ื™ึทื‘ืŸ ื™ืŸ ื”ื™ื™ึทื ื˜ ื‘ื™ื™ึท ื ืึทื›ื˜. ืžื™ืจ ื–ืขื ืขืŸ ื“ืึธ ืึทืœืข ืึทืœื™ื™ืŸ. ืคืึทืจืฉื•ื•ื™ื ื“ืŸ ืคึฟื•ืŸ ื–ื™ื™ึทืŸ ืจืื™ื”. ืคึฟื•ืŸ ื–ื™ื™ืŸ ื•ื•ืขื ืึธืžืึธื•ืก ืงืึธื ื˜ืจืึธืœ. ืžื™ืจ ืงืขื ืขืŸ ื ื™ื˜ ืžืึทื›ืŸ ืขืก ืจืขื›ื˜. ื–ื™ื™ืŸ ืึทืคึผืขื˜ื™ื˜ ืื™ื– ื’ืขื•ื•ืืงืกืŸ. ืžื™ืจ ืคืึทืจืœืึธืจืŸ ืื•ื ื“ื–ืขืจ ืœืขืฆื˜ ืงืึทืžืฃ. ืงื™ื™ืŸ ืœื™ื‘ืข ื•ื•ืขื˜ ื–ื™ื™ืŸ ื’ืขื•ื•ื™ื–ืŸ ... ืงื™ื™ืŸ ืœื™ื‘ืข ื•ื•ืขื˜ ื–ื™ื™ืŸ ื’ืขื•ื•ื™ื–ืŸ๐„ž

๐„žStay inside tonight. We are out here all alone. Vanish from its sight. From its Venomous control. We cannot make it right. Its appetite has grown. We lost our final fight. No love will be shownโ€ฆ no love will be shown๐„ž

When the song was over, I was left with a complete sense of foreboding.

What are we truly about to encounter? I wondered. Could it be possible that the guardians who protect this realm have an ambivalence not seen in Hyrule? Would they be willing to kill to keep the natural order in place?

I stared at the goddess ahead, wanting to believe the best, but my doubt was growing. This unrest began to fixate. I would just have to wait and see.

~SSS~

Three days later, the Serendipitous Sanctuary

Three days passed and we finally made it through the Valley of the Twilight Tuberosity. There were several small outposts that allowed us to rest, but they looked abandoned for quite some time. Admittedly, I was glad to not have to worry about songs of a lore I did not understand. On several occasions I asked Hylia if she would inform me of what really took place there. She was quiet, she didn't, and she stated it was nothing for me to worry about. I suppose I should have been satisfied with that, but I wasn't. In any such case, the mystery would still remain a mystery, but I would never forget the haunting lyrics of that song as we were leaving. It played again right as we left on the final day. I knew there was a reason for it and it was soon to come to me.

After departing the wasteland, we soon reached a place called the Serendipitous Sanctuary. Once again, the Twilight Realm showed its unique beauty. However, this was truly unlike anything I had ever seen. We headed south up a winding road and stopped short of a black and violet tree. The tree was surrounded by a translucent golden brown semipermeable type membrane. The membrane looked like it contained fats of some kind, almost like the phospholipids of an animal cell. In fact, the entire innards of the membrane resembled the organelles of an animal cell. This was extraordinarily odd because everything inside was plantlike. Why didn't the structures take on the morphology of an actual plant cell? Plants had their own genetic makeup. This was fascinating, and the scholar in me was intrigued to know more. I stopped as the others went about looking around the perimeter. I pulled out the Book of Mudora and read several passages, but nothing outstanding seemed to catch my eye. However, strangely enough, I found myself humming the melody of our previous three days of passage. It was subconsciously still with me. I thought about the words.

"'It slides through the wasteland, that is its world,'" I whispered. "'Its hunger takes our lives, preyed on to keep it aliveโ€ฆ' hmmm yes."

Link came up to me when he heard what I was humming.

"Are you singing that song?" he asked.

I nodded and put the book back in my bag.

"I think it's a clue," I replied. "I think it specifically wanted us to know something about Azimuth."

The hero looked at me intrigued.

"But what?" he inquired.

I was quiet for a moment. I needed to consider all elements of that lyric.

"What slides through deserts and wastelands, but preys in secret?" I asked.

Link then raised his brows and looked at the dome in renewed wonder.

"I don't follow you," he said.

I stared at the dome myself.

"I wager you do," I said, "think about it."

The hero was quiet for a moment as his eyes roamed. Then it hit him.

"Awwww," he said finally, "a snake."

I nodded.

"Exactly, so the logical explanation is that Azimuth resembles a reptilian creature of some kind, with the most obvious of those being a snake," I stated. "It would also explain why its lair is a unique cocoon of exotic sights. If you look closely you can see the structures that function like organelles of an animal cell, but this is clearly all photosynthetic. These are indeed plants, but plants with a function like an animal. Absolutely extraordinary. It is some kind of biome for a different breed of life."

Elbourne said it simply.

"It's Azimuth's lair," he said.

I suppose I could have been less winded.

"Precisely," I said.

We all stared in awe at the tree in the center acting as the nucleus. From that focal point, the branches elongated and stretched, creating a pseudo golgi-like apparatus. It acted as an irrigation line to move things in and out of the dome. As our vision panned downward, the roughened exterior of the tree, with its huge turquoise and red fruit, looked like vesicles. The fruit protruded outside the dome at certain points, creating the look of exocytosis. Odd. The smooth facets of the trunk resembled a pseudo smooth golgi-like apparatus. All the while, a dark green double flapped fern encapsulated the tree, acting similar to the nucleolus of the nucleus. At the surface, bubbling gulches of multicolored liquefaction paid homage to the peroxisomes and lysosomes of the cell -the enzymes that ate foreign material. A pyrotechnic phenomenon of winding helical light particles acted as the dome's energy source, its mitochondria. The helix had a fixated outer brim of light that acted as a secondary barrier to it. Everything inside the dome was extraordinary in size. A Serendipitous Sanctuary indeed.

This must be the natural logarithm in its truest form, I thought.

"My goddess," I whispered to myself.

It was one of the most captivating sights I had ever seen. Azimuth's lair was truly a place of wonder. But now, how were we suppose to awaken the guardian? Getting here was one thing, getting the guardian to appear was something else entirely. I was still mesmerized, when absently I stretched out my hand to touch the membrane. However, Hylia was quick to stop me.

"I wouldn't," she warned. "This whole place is like a living breathing organism. You wouldn't want to disturb something you don't completely know."

I sensed that and should have known better. I drew back.

"I see your point," I said.

Link crossed his arms over his chest.

"So, how are we supposed to get through?" he asked.

That was a question I was still working through. However, suddenly a dynamic epiphany gave us all a clue. My satchel flashed green and red with a mysterious sporadic light.

What in the world-? I thought.

I unbuckled my bag again and knew immediately it was coming from the Book of Mudora. Link looked on guard, but Elbourne looked on in alarm.

"Don't touch it!" the dragon prince cautioned.

Hylia glanced his way unfazed.

"Why ever not?" she asked him calmly.

Elbourne stared at her with a hint of disbelief.

"Did you not see what just happened?" he demanded. "What if it burns her hands?"

Hylia gave him an obvious stare.

"Calm yourself dragon prince, this isn't a singular occurrence," she reassured.

I then went to reassure him.

"Ancestral mother is right," I said, "this has happened before. The guardians of Hyrule all had similar incidences, as well as Exerion. There is nothing to fear."

Elbourne didn't look to reassured.

"Are you certain?" he asked anyway.

Hylia smirked underneath her bandages.

"Quite certain," she said, then added, "why don't you check the book to reassure his highness?"

I didn't need more of a hint than that. I opened the book to the back where the pages were previously emptied. Now they were filled with brand new sacred writings. There was new information on Exerion, as well as Azimuth, and no doubt Radian when the time came for it. Hylia went to further explain the phenomenon.

"After Exerion was rediscovered and it was able to give you the riddles for its brethren," the goddess stated. "At the guardian's dispersal, the Book of Mudora was able to encapsulate that data and record it for all time."

I was still in awe of the moment. Never in my wildest dreams did I think one simple request from her would take me to such magnificent places. I dreamed of adventure when I was a little girl, and even longed for it in my adolescence, but never did I think I would be traveling to such far off exotic places with the goddess of the world, the great hero, and one of my dearest friends as a young woman. For a moment, it almost seemed surreal. I nearly had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't daydreaming. However, it only took me a moment to remember Ghirahim's threat to the world. The daydreaming quickly subsided. I was shot back to reality.

"How wonderful," I whispered sincerely.

Link seemed to be thinking on the same wavelength as I. His words were in tune with my thoughts.

"You never thought you would see anything like this, did you?" he asked.

It was more of a rhetorical question than anything, but I answered anyway.

"I had no idea," I whispered. "I feel so privileged."

Link grinned at me.

"As you should," he said.

Maybe this quest wasn't exactly what Hylia intended, but it certainly opened my eyes to a great many things. The world was so much grander than anything I could have imagined. I didn't need to rule from a tower. I needed to rule within the thickets. This gave me so much more insight. I cradled the book to my chest. All the while, the dragon prince was staring at me waywardly, waiting for me to read what was inside.

"Well," Elbourne started, "don't leave us in suspense. Tell us what it says about Azimuth."

I needed to educate him for a moment.

"The Book of Mudora has never been exact in its references to things," I explained. "It merely gives suggestions to what is given by the guardians. It's up to us to figure out what those suggestions mean."

Hylia scoffed softly and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You mean up to you," she redirected, "I hate riddles."

I gave her a disingenuous look. She had to know that came off as high blown and false.

"I find that hard to believe since you are the one who instituted the ones I had to decipher," I said. "Will you please stop being ridiculous?"

Hylia chuckled at her own antics.

"Yeah, that's true," she said, "but I didn't expect you to solve them so quickly. It took me three weeks to think of them!"

Elbourne raised a brow at the revelation.

"You wrote the riddles?" he asked.

Hylia nodded.

"And I thought I did a good job too," she said. "It turns out Ms. Wisdom here is better than I thought."

Elbourne had a look of perplexity for a moment.

"Well, then why are we even chafing in this book?" he asked. "Why don't you just tell us how to get in?"

I interjected.

"It's not that simple," I said. "This is my journey. I made the request to Hylia at the onset. I have to be the one to overcome the trials set before it. These are considered Trials of Wisdom."

Elbourne looked at me surprised.

"Trials of Wisdom?" he repeated.

I nodded.

"Yes indeed," I replied.

The dragon prince looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Oh," was all he said, "I see."

I had more to add.

"Besides," I went on, "the goddess can only intervene so far in Hylian affairs."

Elbourne found that bit of information interesting.

"Really?" he replied, then turned Hylia. "Is that true?"

The goddess didn't reply right away.

"It's as true as it needs to be," she replied.

That was an odd reply, but I sensed she didn't want to be direct about the subject. Perhaps I said too much. In any such case, Hylia didn't go any further and turned her attention back to me.

"What does it say Zel?" she asked, getting back on task.

I refocused and skimmed the newly penned pages. I browsed a paragraph on semicircle computations related to biophysics. Biophysicsโ€ฆ it was the perfect subject for the surroundings. There was also an illustration under the text similar to the typography in front of us. The succeeding paragraphs referenced circular dichroism and circular polarization. In short, circular dichroism were the differential rotations of left and right highly charged electrons. Circular polarization was an electromagnetic field that could change direction, but never lose strength. What did differential rotations of electrons have to with summoning the guardian? I stared at the domed biome with pursed lips. A dome was a semicircle. Half of what was needed to solve this riddle. So, how did circular polarization effect a semicircle? Complete polarizations couldn't take place in a semicircleโ€ฆ could it? The reference would have to suggest something else.

Unlessโ€ฆ I thought

I tilted my head to the side and stared at the base for a moment. On the side view the dome was a semicircle. However, when I looked right side up again, I realized the base from an aerial view was a full circle. Thenโ€ฆ then I noticed something else.

"Wait a minuteโ€ฆ" I whispered, "is thatโ€ฆ?"

Link glanced over at me when I didn't continue.

"Is that what Zelda?" he asked.

I shook my head and took a step closer. Within the membrane were these tiny particles of light. They were moving in continuous revolutions at the circumference of the base.

"I think these light particles are electrons," I divulged. "They might be acting as a barrier in the dome's membrane. The book talked about circular polarization. These light particles traveling at a constant rate represent that finding. The problem is in order to break through this shield we have to reverse the polarization, but how?"

Hylia shrugged.

"Good question," she said, "why don't you look in the book again and find out?"

Another obvious suggestion. There was no sense looking a gift horse in the mouth. I picked back up where I left off previously reading. The following paragraph read 'reversing the dynamic state would need to byrn.' It was an odd play on words.

"'Reversing the dynamic state would need to byrn?'" I read again aloud.

The perplexity spread.

"'Burn?'" Link repeated it as it sounded, and then came up to me to look where I was reading.

I noticed Elbourne too studying the membrane closely. He was actually very astute when it came to complicated subjects. I decided to pick his brain.

"Any ideas?" I asked.

Elbourne grabbed his chin and kept his eyes on the optical pattern in the dome. He then came up with a clever question.

"How is 'burn' spelled?" he asked.

If he was asking that, then he must have been privy to something I was not. Link looked up intrigued.

"Why?" the hero asked.

Elbourne shook his head.

"Just answer the question," he said with a hint of impatience.

The hero ignored the inflection and called out the spelling.

"B-y-r-n," Link spelled.

It was then Elbourne came to a realization.

"B-y-r-n," he repeated. "Hmmm, you don't suppose it's referring to Byrna do you?" he asked absently. "Like in the-"

It then came to all of us.

"-Cane of Byrna!" Link, Elbourne, and I said in unison.

We all looked at each other in surprise.

"You think that could be it?" Link asked me.

I wasn't sure.

"It might be," I said, "it's the best clue we've got thus far."

Hylia stared at all of us and grinned. A moment later, she snapped her fingers and in her hands appeared a long blue cane. The rest of us looked at her shocked.

"The Cane of Byrna!" I whispered stunned. "I thought it was a legend."

Link shook his head in minor disbelief.

"So it does exist," he said more to himself. "This is unbelievable."

Elbourne raised a brow and eyed the goddess.

"It seems there are a great many things you hold secret to Hylia of Hyrule," he said.

Hylia merely smirked back.

"You and me both Elbourne of Dragon Roost," she half-joked.

Elbourne chose to ignore her. He turned his attention back to me.

"Why is the staff so significant?" he asked.

I wasn't at first sure, but then an idea came to my head. I looked at the membrane surrounding the dome again and looked at the goddess.

"May I have that please?" I asked of the staff.

Hylia handed it to me with no qualms.

"Of course," she said.

I took the staff and slowly approached the dome. I struck the earth three times below to activate it. A moment later, a beam of highly energized light suddenly surrounded me. It went about in a continuous revolution, and that was when I realized what I had to do. I knew then exactly how to 'byrn the dynamic state.'

"Of course," I whispered, "it's so obvious. Stand back everyone."

Link was not as confident as I.

"What are you doing?" he demanded with a hint of alarm.

I ignored his concern, but answered him anyway.

"You'll see," I said.

The beam rotated around me so that the energized revolution was going in the opposite direction of the one constituted in the dome's base. I deduced that once the two energies met, the end result would be a hyperpolarization of electrons. That polarization would 'byrn the dynamic state' and make Azimuth appear. I stepped closer and the two energies converged. Suddenly, the membrane began to shift. The resulting force caused the membrane to close in on itself. The gelatinous goo gathered in on itself and went skyward above the black and violet tree. The balled up membrane then exploded and a rain of fatty pulp landed on everyone and everything.

It was not pleasant.

This is disgusting, I thought.

"Great," I heard Elbourne mutter in regards to his white and black cape.

Link and Hylia said nothing, accepting their gelatin bath and continued to watch. Above the tree, a beam of light rose and then swelled into a sphere. The sphere then elongated and wrapped around the tree, taking on the form of a snake. The creature had crystalline orbs for eyes and a long optical succinct tongue that protruded in and out of its mouth. The skin glowed dark green and yellow. The color was magnificent.

"'The inverse to the lag of what is natural will purport the conservation of all things,'" I whispered to myself. "My goddess, how true that was."

Azimuth had awakened.

"Greetings to you Queen of Destiny and Hero of Twilight," Azimuth said. "I see you are accompanied with the Goddess of Hyrule and the Prince of Dragon Roost. Your journey to my lair was a tedious one no doubt, but I, Azimuth of the Serendipitous Sanctuary, am grateful that you seek my counsel."

We all bowed respectfully.

"Greetings Lord Azimuth," I started, "we have grave tidings to bring before you."

Azimuth stared at all of us with those shifting orbs for eyes and listened carefully.

"I know what concerns you great queen," the guardian stated. "The Queen of Twilight has fallen ill under the slumber of otherworldly means. You wish to bring her back to this reality by means of the Virtue Key."

I nodded.

"Yes my lord," I stated.

Azimuth stared directly at me again.

"Well then, let me give you what you seek and send you on your way," the guardian said. "Time is of the essence."

I stared at the guardian surprised. I didn't expect it to be so swift. It was the first time a guardian had shown a real sense of urgency.

This is unusual, I thought.

"No," Hylia said suddenly in reply to my thoughts, "it's necessary. Once one part of the Virtue Key is found the other must be retrieved within seven days," she divulged. "Azimuth simply doesn't want to waste our time. It has always been the no nonsense guardian."

I looked at her stunned.

"Seven days?" I repeated.

The goddess nodded.

"Yes," she said, "or the key will be rendered useless."

This was graver than I thought.

"I see," I replied.

Link had no qualms with that.

"Then we must receive the first half and be on our way," he said. "This edict forces us to use the time we have left with definite expediency."

Not much could be said after that.

"True," I replied.

Azimuth then opened its mouth and a ball of light proceeded out. The light floated above us, and then synthesized into the shape of a key fragment. Afterwards, the golden fob floated into my hand. The first half of the coveted Virtue Key was now in our possession. One more to go. I held onto the treasured implement tightly. The urgency was not to be underscored.

"You must make haste Queen of Destiny," Azimuth said to me suddenly. "The Dragon King's life is in mortal danger. The pact he made with the Demon Lord is going to be reprieved with his own blood."

We all stared at the guardian stunned now, possibly all for different reasons. I was shocked to learn Xavier was still alive. I immediately looked over at Elbourne. He was staring at the guardian in disbelief.

"Reprieved with blood?" he whispered.

I quickly went to reassure him.

"We won't let that happen to him," I promised. "We will find your father. The good news is he is still alive."

Link too looked over at Elbourne. The hero actually looked concerned.

"The dragon king is still an ally of Hyrule," he said, then came up and put his hand on Elbourne's shoulder. "It's our duty to help our allies."

Hylia was silent at Link's utterance and I think it spoke droves without anything being said of the goddess. Xavier was alive, which was good, but he had a great deal to answer for. There was a reckoning due, and the fledging king had to know it was coming. He was in league with the demon lord, but for how long. Azimuth's reaction was noteworthy as well. It hovered above us and said nothing. The guardian knew as we all knew, Xavier's time was coming. When we got back to Hyrule the tribunal would be the last of the king's worries. I still didn't understand Xavier reasoning. What would push him to join such a demonic creature? What pull did Ghirahim have over him? What was the real story? For now, I needed to keep Elbourne centered. He needed to know that no matter what, we would help him find his father.

"Link is right," I said, "we will find him. He must not be far from here if Azimuth has given us confirmation of his life."

Elbourne looked troubled, but tried to hide it with a grin.

"Right," he said quietly.

Hylia was growing slightly impatient.

"Shall we be going then?" the goddess asked, wanting to bring the conversation to a close. "We have to make haste."

I nodded, and then turned my attention back to the guardian.

"Thank you so much Lord Azimuth," I said. "You have no idea how grateful we are."

At my words, Azimuth raised its head and drew back into itself near the top of the tree.

"Farewell Queen of Destiny, and Goddess of Hyrule," Azimuth said and then turned its attention to Link and Elbourne. "Hero of Twilight, and Prince of Dragon Roost be of good fellowship with the two women you are traveling with. They are of great importance. May we meet again at the crossroads of life."

With that, Azimuth curled into a ball at the top of the tree and soon after its body dispersed across the twilight sky. The guardian returned to its slumber. I looked on at the iridized heavens.

Soโ€ฆ that was the great Azimuth, I thought. The twilight guardians are unique indeed.

I then turned to look at everyone.

"We have to go," I said. "We haven't a moment to lose. I must solve this next riddle quickly."

Everyone was in agreement.

"There's a fork in the road down the mountain," Link said. "We'll break there while you decipher the next riddle."

There were no objections.

"Sounds good," I said, "let's go."

~SSS~

Six hours later, the Crepusculum Meadow

Not far from the Serendipitous Sanctuary was the Crepusculum Meadow. The Crepusculum Meadow was a field of white bioluminescent grass that stretched for miles. There were no voices here. There was no singing here. Only solace. The grass glowed in the perpetual twilight of this region, making the area feel ethereal. It never got dark, nor did the sun ever rise. It was an area where dusk reigned eternal. I wasn't sure how we were supposed to sleep tonight, but the decision was made. We decided to camp here and my first task was to decipher the riddle. There were only seven days between us and finding the other half of the Virtue Key. I went right to work. I sat down on a blackened log and pulled out the Book of Mudora. Link, Hylia, and Elbourne all stood watch. I had no time to delay. I needed to solve Radian's riddle immediately, and with that insistence I proceeded.

"'Avenues turn to a certain degree and revolve around a sweet kind of tart,'" I said aloud.

First of all, I needed to understand 'avenues to a certain degree.' An avenue was a roadway or street. That concept was pretty simple to deduce. However, the context of the riddle inferred the idea of direction. How was an avenue to be turned to a certain degree? Was it a specified direction? Was there more needed in the implementation? Was the codex suggesting something else entirely? I needed more information.

I focused on just the second half of the riddle for a moment.

"'โ€ฆAnd revolve around a sweet kind of tart,'" I said, putting my hand to my chin. "'A sweet kind of tart..." I repeated.

What was a 'sweet kind of tart?' I wondered. An 'apple' tart perhaps vaguely referencing Owlan's Gravitational Law? A Hylian law with a play on words for the word 'tort' for 'tart'?

I soon let that idea go, realizing I was probably thinking too deeply on the concept.

"A sweet kind of tart..." I said aloud, and then after pondering over the idea it came to me. "Ancestral mother this one was just too obvious."

'The sweet kind of tart' was a double entendre for pi, or 3.14, in mathematics. Pi was the numerical computation used in calculating circles, finding chemical roots, and in trigonometry it was the sign forโ€ฆ radians. Now that was interesting.

I looked up from the book for a moment.

Radiansโ€ฆ I thought, this whole riddle is focused on the appellation of the guardian. Radian your name couldn't be any more obvious, but that obviousness is meant to obscure what's hidden.

"'Avenues turn to a certain degreeโ€ฆ'" I whispered, saying the first part several more times. "Maybe whatever it is we're looking for can't be measured in degrees. Maybe the measurement is relative to radians."

It was beginning to make sense. I tried to find a reference for what I was hypothesizing. In chapter three hundred fourteen, under the subtitle Radian, it read this: 'revolutions must be measured on a trigonometric table by means of radians.' That was clear as water. The lantern came on in my head after that.

There it is, I thought. Whatever roadway we're going to manipulate, the arc to finding it needs to be measured in radians, not degrees.

With the context of the riddle understood, I now needed to figure out where we were supposed to find this guardian.

"Where in the Twilight Realm are you hiding Master Radian?" I whispered.

I checked the riddle once again.

"Avenues turn to a certain degree and revolveโ€ฆ" I trailed and paused there for a moment.

Revolving dealt with a continuous motion around an object. A revolution was a complete 360 degree rotation of a circle. The interesting thing about a circle was that all the angles within it could be measured in degrees or radians. Wherever Radian was located, the environment had to have some resemblance to a trigonometric table, or at least have an evidential marker of one. Also, the roadway was going to somehow be manipulated by means of a converted measurement.

"That has to be it," I whispered, then closed the book. "I'm sure ancestral mother will be pleased with this progress, and Elbourne will lead us to the next destination."

This one was done. I was excited. I couldn't wait to let the others know that the last riddle was solved. However, before I could approach the group as a whole, Elbourne came walking towards me alone with a semi-smile on his face. The last few days had been tense. We were so focused on finding Azimuth that we didn't allow our differences to get in the way, which I was grateful for. However, I could feel it brewing beneath the surface between Link and Elbourne. They stayed away from each other as much as they could. It was sad really, because I knew if they put their differences aside they could be really good friends. The idea sounded preposterous, but I had seen evidence of it over the last few days. The two of them couldn't spend the rest of their lives quarreling. They were going to have to make a compromise at some point. Even so, that compromise didn't look like it was coming today. I decided to stay my ground as Elbounre approached.

"Hello there," I greeted with a slight curtsy.

Elbourne chuckled at my mannerisms.

"Always diplomatic aren't you?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"I was just trying to be polite," I replied.

His smile broadened.

"I know," he said, "I was just teasing." He then looked down at the Book of Mudora. "Any success?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Actually yes," I said with a hint of confidence. "I think I solved it."

Elbourne looked at me impressed.

"So soon?" he replied. "It hasn't even been half a day."

I giggled.

"You can't expect me to waste time when something so serious needs to be done," I said. "We only have seven days more to find the Virtue Key."

He nodded.

"True, true," he said, then stated, "but I think I need to make you aware of something."

I raised a brow.

"What's that?" I asked.

He gave me a quick once over.

"I was watching you while you were thinking through the riddle," he revealed. "You do realize you talk to yourself when you postulate, right?"

I smiled at his inquiry.

"It can't be helped," I said, "talking to myself helps me stay focused."

Elbourne chuckled.

"As long as that's the case," he said.

I nodded.

"Always," I said.

Elbourne gave me another once over and his smile lessened a bit. His expression turned slightly serious and he preemptively sat down on the log. I paused at his activity and looked to Hylia and Link in the distance. They were engaged in a conversation of their own. I then sat down next to Elbourne and waited while the silence prolonged. Elbourne then turned my way. I reached over and touched his shoulder.

"What's on your mind my friend?" I asked when he still didn't speak.

Elbourne kept silent a moment longer, then looked my way.

"Tell me the truth," he said, "do you really believe father is still alive?"

I was surprised at the inquiry.

"I have no reason to believe otherwise," I said. "Besides, Azimuth gave us that reassurance."

Elbourne nodded.

"That's the only thing keeping me going," he said.

I felt for him.

"Don't lose hope," I whispered. "If your father is still alive we will find him. We have all the motivation to."

I didn't bother to add that Xavier would be facing a litany of allegations once his safety was determined. Elbourne was quiet for a moment before he looked my way.

"I feel I should apologize for him," he said suddenly.

My brows raised slightly.

"You've done nothing but try to be a good son," I said. "There's nothing to apologize for."

Elbourne shook his head.

"I let him down," he said. "Somehow, I feel as though he joined the likes of Ghirahim because of me."

I couldn't let him reconcile that.

"Don't do that to yourself," I warned. "You'll drive yourself crazy. That was a decision your father made for himself."

Elbourne was quiet.

"I suppose," he said.

I attempted to reassure him.

"I know," I said with a hint of confidence.

There was a brief silence between us before Elbourne spoke up again. Then, there was a familiar gleam in his eyes, and for some strange reason, his eyes appeared dark even in the twilight. It made me slightly worried.

"Areโ€ฆ are you alright?" I asked.

Elbourne looked right into my eyes and the color never changed. It was very strange.

"I'm fine," he said simply.

I wasn't convinced.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Elbourne smirked again, then leaned in and lowered his voice.

"I'm perfectly fine," he whispered.

I wasn't certain about that, but he preempted me before I could speak.

"What do you think the true power of the Virtue Key is?" he asked me suddenly.

That was a question I hadn't considered. I didn't know what it was supposed to do outside of what Exerion said. It was supposed to unbind any spell, undo any cast, release any hold, and tell all truths. Those were vague statements in their own right. I wasn't sure definitively what any of that meant. I did not have a clear answer.

"I hadn't considered that," I said, then asked, "why?"

Elbourne looked away for a moment.

"I know it's supposed to help awaken Midna," he said to me, "but I'm wondering if more is involved. What if it wields power similar to the Master Sword?"

I couldn't say for a certain.

"That would be something," I said.

Elbourne focused his gaze back on me.

"What do you think though?" he asked. "You seem to have these extraordinary ideas."

I grinned, that was very kind of him to say.

"I appreciate your confidence," I said, "but I don't have much to add to what Exerion said. I had no idea what the Virtue Key was until I came here to the Twilight Realm."

Elbourne's eyes searched my face.

"Do you think it will allow you to grant wishes?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "That would be something."

"Do you think it has the power to make you fall in love?" he went on.

I unintentionally blushed at his question.

"Iโ€ฆ I don't know," I know.

Elbourne took note of my reaction.

"You're beautiful when you blush," he complimented.

His words made me blush more.

"Ohโ€ฆ well thank you," I said softly.

His eyes searched my face again. They were still darker than usual.

"Have you thought of any of the things we discussed a few days back?" he asked suddenly.

I looked away just then and avoided his eyes.

"I have," I said quietly.

Elbourne waited with a raised brow.

"And?" he asked.

I took in a deep sigh, hoping to say the right things.

"I'm afraid I can't accept your proposal of marriage," I said quietly, "I'm sorry."

He was quiet for a minute.

"Can I ask why?" he countered.

He knew the reason.

"I am courting the Hero of Twilight," I said formally. "I love him and he loves me."

Elbourne turned away. He was quiet for a long time.

"Has he offered you a proposal of marriage?" he asked.

I hesitated.

"No," I said anyway, "but he will."

Elbourne cut his eyes back my way. It was an intense stare.

"And what if he doesn't?" he demanded.

I remained calm.

"Then he doesn't," I said.

Elbourne's eyes searched my face.

"Do you desire to die an old maid?" he demanded. "Do you not care about a legacy?"

I met his gaze.

"If that is to be my destiny," I said with a hint of defiance, "then so be it."

He looked at me at a loss.

"Zeldaโ€ฆ" he said and his eyes softened, they reverted back to hazel, "I love you. We could get married. We could have children. More than anything in this world I want to father your babies."

My heart skipped a beat hearing that.

"Iโ€ฆ Iโ€ฆ" I didn't know what to say.

Elbourne looked hopeful just then.

"Before you make the decision to say no completely, please think about it," he begged gently. "You have no idea how much my heart yearns for you Zelda. You're the only thing that gives me hope in this world."

My eyes stung slightly at that, but I tried not to get emotional.

"Elbourneโ€ฆ" I trailed, "Iโ€ฆ Iโ€ฆ will think about it."

My mind was already made up, but what harm could a little hope do? Hope was all some people had. He looked relieved and he smiled at me.

"Thank you," he whispered.

I nodded.

"Of course," I whispered back.

I tried to smile again and redirect the conversation. Elbourne stared into my eyes and I knew things were getting more convoluted, but I couldn't bring myself to break his heart today.

Focus on the task at hand Zelda, I told myself. This other stuff can wait.

I then stood up and alerted Link and Hylia in the distance.

"I think I have it you two!" I called out excitedly, waving my hand.

The hero and the goddess stopped talking and looked my way. Afterwards, they both headed towards Elbourne and I. It seems they concluded their conversation. Elbourne stood up when the others arrived. He looked calm, but I saw the renewed spirit in his eyes. I didn't want him to lose that. However, there was going to come a time when he and I would have to sit down and I would need to be honest with him. Link gave him a quick once over when he approached and caught the look on his face.

"What's going on with you?" he asked.

Elbourne looked my way again and then back to the hero.

"Nothing a long soak in a hot spring won't cure," he replied.

With that, the dragon prince smirked at the hero and turned and walked away. Link stared after him for just a second before he cut his gaze to me. I could see the displeasure there, but he said nothing to justify it. Instead, he changed the subject.

"You've solved it already?" he asked impressed. "That was quick. You did this last one in less than half a day."

I grinned and did a short curtsy. Elbourne uttered the same thing.

"Thank you," I replied, "but I could hardly delay when we have such an important task at hand."

Hylia nodded, impressed as well.

"Your timing is impeccable," she said. "We'll set out to find Radian in the morning. Now all we need is to find the highest peak amid the deepest valley."

That certainly sounded like a task.

"The highest peak amid the deepest valley?" I repeated.

It was then Elbourne spoke up again.

"That sounds like Twili Mountain," he stated, already staring at the horizon.

We all looked at him.

"Twili Mountain?" I inquired.

Elbourne nodded, pointing to the mountains in the distance.

"Death Moutain's dark and mysterious sister," he replied, "That's the only place I can think of that has the highest peak amid the deepest valley. If that is the main crux of the clue, we will find Radian there."

I stared at the dragon prince impressed, while Link kept his expression tempered. I hoped the hero maintained his self-control. It was good for all of us.

"Then Twili Mountain it is," I said, "let's go."

~SSS~

Moments earlier, Link

Zelda was sitting on a branch working diligently to solve the last riddle when all of a sudden Elbourne walked up to her. I kept silent, but I was getting tired of these private conversations between the two of them. For all of Zelda's talk about relationships, she certainly had no qualms giving herself a pass when it came to Elbourne. Yes, she was with me the majority of the time, but for the time she gave to Elbourne they often had private conversations. I did not like that, and I was at my wits end just sitting here taking it. I was about to go approach them, when a hand reached over and grabbed my shoulder. It was Hylia naturally, and as soon as I turned to look at her, she was giving me a disapproving look.

"What?" I snapped.

She gave me an obvious stare.

"You know what," she said, "let them be."

I groaned in frustration, knowing she was going to say that.

"I have to tell you I am not okay with what is going on here," I said honestly. "Could you imagine how Zelda would be reacting if I were doing this with Midna?"

Hylia saw my point, but she didn't yield anyway.

"Link, I know this may seem hard for you to understand, but it is important for Zelda to be there for Elbourne," she said. "She keeps him centered. He needs her."

I was tired of hearing this.

"I need her too!" I snapped. "I love her too!"

Hylia stared at me for a long moment and sighed.

"Linkโ€ฆ I get it," she said. "I get how you feel, but your jealousy is misplaced at this time."

I shook my head and looked away from her.

"Zelda loves you," she divulged. "She loves you more than any person she has ever had the pleasure of knowing. I can say that with confidence because I can read her heart. Just like I can read your heart and know your displeasure is coming from the right place, but it is misplaced right now."

I still said nothing.

Hylia eyed me for a moment.

"You have to look at Elbourne the way you look at Ilia," she said suddenly.

I turned her way surprised.

"Excuse me?" I replied.

The goddess had no qualms.

"You heard me," she said. "Elbourne is to Zelda what Ilia is to you. Ilia is complicated just like Elbourne, but in a different way. A part of you loves her. A part of you would never abandon her. You have to understand the bond between Elbourne and Zelda is the same way."

It was a sobering thought, one I didn't consider.

"Ilia is nothing like Elbourne," I said stubbornly.

The goddess grunted.

"True," she said, "but she's no saint either, none of you are. That's why you need to learn to be more reasonable."

I did understand her point now, though I wasn't completely willing to accept it. Ilia and I would always have a convoluted relationship, but I understood Ilia. I knew why she was so emotionally fragile. Elbourne must have had his own issues, and it seemed the only person he confided in was Zelda. It had been that way for years and I guess I needed to accept that if I ever wanted to be okay with their relationship. However, Zelda and I would need to have a serious talk about our priorities. If she couldn't let him go to a certain extent, then we couldn't be together the way I hoped. I loved her. I wanted to marry her. I could see myself having a family with her. But, I couldn't do that with Elbourne always around. She was going to have to make a choice, much like I did when it came to her and Midna. For now, I would let it be, but she and I needed to talk, and soon.

"Alright," was all I said in reply, "alright, I hear you. I don't one hundred percent agree, but I hear you."

The goddess was willing to take that.

"Just keep calm for now," she said. "Understand that this is important and we need to stick together."

I heard her loud and clear. However, there was something else puzzling me. I looked over at Elbourne talking to Zelda then back to the goddess. It had to do with us fighting Ghirahim back in the marshes. Something didn't sit right with me.

"I need to ask you something," I said suddenly.

Hylia gave me her full undivided attention.

"Fire away," she said.

I looked back over at Elbourne before I spoke.

"I need you to be honest with me," I said, lowering my voice, "what is going on with Elbourne?"

She stared at me for just a moment.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

I didn't want the run around.

"You know what I mean," I said. "When we all thought he was dead you told me to take him and Zelda and flee. You wanted me to protect him. Why?"

Hylia was silent for a long time.

"Because he doesn't deserve to die," she said simply.

I shook my head.

"That isn't the reason and you know it," I said. "You're hiding something from me. You're hiding something from all of us about him. It was the reason you left the first night we got here, isn't it?"

Hylia didn't flinch.

"Look Link, now isn't the time for this conversation," she said. "We need to find the Virtue Key and we need to keep Elbourne in our sights. Ghirahim cannot capture him."

I caught that inflection.

"So then you admit Ghirahim wants him," I said.

The goddess looked over at the dragon prince.

"I'll tell you that yes, but not for what you think," she said. "Elbourne is a lot of things, but he has been instrumental in helping us here. Without him, I doubt we would have traversed the land so easily.'

I gave her a knowing look.

"Hylia, you know Hyrule and the Twilight Realm like the back of your hand," I said. "If push came to shove we wouldn't need Elbourne."

The goddess was quick to correct me.

"You forget, I wouldn't have been able to guide you," she disclosed. "You would have had to figure it out all on your own. And trust me when I say you would not have found our next destination in the next seven days without a guide."

I wasn't so sure about that.

"I traversed Hyrule without a guide," I said, "I could do the same with the Twilight Realm."

Hylia groaned and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Let that pride go Link," she warned. "It isn't worth it."

I looked away from her and understood her warning all too well.

"I suppose," was all I said in reply.

Suddenly our conversation was cut short when Zelda stood from the branch she was sitting on and waved to us. She had a big smile on her face, which signaled to me she solved the riddle and in record time too.

"I think I have it you two!" Zelda called to us excitedly.

I paused and glanced over at the goddess.

"She's solved it," I said. "That was quick."

Hylia waved back.

"I didn't expect anything less," she said with a hint of pride. "She is after all a Nohanseen."

The goddess walked on ahead before me. I lingered behind for a just a moment.

Sooner or later Hylia you're going to have to tell me what's going on here, I thought.

The goddess paused for a moment.

"I know," she said.

My eyes widened slightly. I somehow forgot in that instant she could still do that. It didn't change how I felt, but I realized how much I could never have a true private moment around her. I looked from her to the dragon prince.

"What are you hiding Elbourne?" I whispered. "What's the real story?"

~SSS~

The next day, the Grasslands of Twilar the Great, Zelda

After concluding the matter of the riddle, we made camp and rested for the night. The next morning we got an early start and set out for Twili Mountain. We could see the fiery mountains in the distance. However, before we made our way there, we traveled through a region called the Grasslands of Twilar the Great. According to Elbourne, Twilar was considered the greatest monarch of the Twili people. He was the first Twili to institute a treaty with Hyrule. I remember reading about this king in one of my history books, but he was never named. It seemed disrespectful to me to not name the king who became the first emissary to the world of light. I didn't understand that, but I knew it needed to be rectified. I was going to make sure his name was rightly restored when I returned to Hyrule. It was a blight to the world of light's history to be so irresponsible. Completely unacceptable.

As for the pastures we were traveling through, the grasslands named after King Twilar were green with a blue hue. The fields seemed to shimmer with a blue glow in the twilight. It was lovely. There were also white and black bioluminescent flowers puckered throughout the entirety of the countryside, giving it the illusion of mini vortexes waiting for transmission. It was then I realized these were the same flowers Elbourne gave me on our first night here in the Twilight Realm. What a miraculous field. It was like something out of dream. I was enjoying the sights and smells of honeysuckle and white rain, when suddenly something caught the attention of the entire group up ahead. There was something disturbing the tall grass.

It was an oddity that preempted the hero to raise his hand and signal for the rest of us to stop. He was met with no objections.

"I'm going to investigate what that is," he stated. "Something is not right. You all stay here."

Elbourne then raised a brow.

"I'll go with you," he offered. "No sense not having any back up if you need it."

Link didn't look like he agreed, but he didn't argue either. He simply nodded. With Elbourne guarding the rear, both men proceeded with caution. Hylia and I watched, as the dragon prince kept his hand readied at his axe, while Link kept his fixed on his sword. However, neither one of them were prepared for the surprise to greet them. As they approached, the figure they found prostrated among the reeds was a bloodied and bruised Xavier of Dragon Roost. Link dropped his guard immediately and tended to the king.

"Sire!" he exclaimed, as he dropped to his knees. "Sire!" he said with more urgency. He then turned and called to me. "Zelda come quickly!"

The hero didn't have to utter another world. I was on my way. Hylia and I both. Elbourne appeared deku shell shocked at the sight of his father and shook his head to bring himself back to reality. When I approached, I quickly opened my satchel and pulled out a bottle of red potion. I handed the bottle to Link, who immediately put the elixir to Xavier's lips.

"Come on your majesty," Link said, "wake up, give us a sign."

Elbourne stared down at this father with open concern. He tried to conceal it, but he look terrified for him. I got up when I saw the expression on his face and stood next to him. I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"He's going to be okay," I assured. "Azimuth told us we would find him."

I said those words, but didn't rightly believe them entirely until now. Elbourne merely nodded, but didn't acknowledge my words with any of his own. Hylia stood back with her arms crossed over her chest. She was observing everything intently.

Link was patting Xavier's face to bring him to.

"Sire," he said in earnest, "sire! Wake up!"

Eventually, Xavier coughed and gagged as the potion began to circulate. At seeing the response, we all took in a deep sigh of relief.

"He's going to live," the hero whispered.

Elbourne didn't let it show right away, but I could sense the tension ease off him.

"Thank Hylia," he muttered to himself.

Hylia looked over at Elbourne and grinned.

"There's no need for that," she said as more of an inside jest.

The goddess was careful to keep her identity concealed now that we were back in Xavier's presence. The dragon king sat up, still coughing. Link was percussing his back to clear his airway.

"Are you alright sire?" Link asked.

Xavier nodded, but avoided everyone's faces. There was a long silence where we allowed him to get his bearings. After a few moments, I finally took a step forward.

"What happened?" I asked.

Xavier was still trying to catch his breath when he stood up with the hero's help.

"I was ambushed," he revealed.

I wasn't surprised by the disclosure. However, I was surprised to find him all the way out here. How was he able to travel so far when he was less than a day ahead of us? Why was he out here near Twili Mountain? Xavier must have been a hell of a fighter.

"Ambushed?" Elbourne repeated.

Xavier nodded, but he knew he had to choose his words carefully. He paused before he spoke again.

"Yes," he said, "there was another horde of Twili that followed me."

There was another brief silence.

"How did you get all the way out here with your injuries?" the hero asked. "This field is days from the palace."

I was glad I wasn't the only one thinking on those lines. Xavier appeared frustrated, as the thought of whatever caused it quickly came to his mind.

"I was teleported here," he divulged without thinking. "I was teleported by that mon-"

Once he realized his mistake, he immediately clamped his mouth shut. He cut himself short. He caught what he was about to let slip. Unfortunately, little did he know we already knew what he was going to say. Even so, everyone waited for him to go on. Xavier naturally hesitated.

"You were teleported by what monster your majesty?" I continued for him.

Xavier didn't reply right away and avoided our gazes. His hazel eyes turned glassy, as if he were in his own world.

"A demon," he said finally.

A silence fell on all of us again at the disclosure. We all knew he was talking about Ghirahim. The question was, why did the demon lord choose this place to take Xavier to? Also, Xavier still needed to account for his disappearance after our initial contact in the Twilight Realm. Ghirahim must have attacked Xavier as soon as he left the palace again, teleported him here, then left him to come after the rest of us.

"Who attacked you?" Hylia demanded all of a sudden. "You said a demon. What demon? That implies you recognized who or what the creature was."

Subtlety wasn't the goddess's forte, but I understood her aggravation. Time was not on our side, and we were currently using resources that could have been dedicated to finding the Virtue Key. The other half still needed to be found.

Xavier was quiet for a long time.

"I didn't mean to imply that," he muttered.

This run around was not going to be acceptable. He needed to start telling some truths. We knew way too much for silly derisions. It was time to be direct.

"Your majesty listen, we know," Hylia said bluntly. "We know about your affiliation with Ghirahim. He told us himself. You might as well stop with the semantics and tell us the truth. It's for your own good."

Elbourne gave his father a quick once over and still said nothing. He had to know his father was probably still hiding more secrets from him as well. It was probably why Elbourne saw no need to come to the king's defense.

"Shiek is right sire," Link confirmed, "the only reason we were able to find you is because one of the guardians of this land told us you were still alive. We were looking for you to protect you. Ghirahim has sworn to take your life."

Xavier barely flinched when he heard that. It was probably something he was privy to for a long time.

"He wants his reprieve of blood," the king said more to himself than anyone. "It is time to pay."

It was then Elbourne spoke up.

"If that were the case you would already be dead," he brought to his attention. "Your reprieve is not yet due with that monster, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

Xavier's eyes widened slightly and he finally looked over at the dragon prince. He stared at him for a long time.

"You say those words as though you're actually concerned," he said.

Elbourne narrowed his eyes slightly.

"That's easy to refute," he replied, "it's because I am."

Xavier was surprised for a moment, but tried to circumvent it.

"You don't have to pity me Elbourne," he said.

The dragon prince shook his head.

"Trust me," he said, "I don't."

The tension was more than apparent between the two of them, but I didn't want this discussion to become derailed. There were too many things to still account for.

"Sire, how long have you been involved with the demon lord?" I asked, getting the conversation back on track. "This may be untoward, but we really must know."

Xavier cut his gaze form Elbourne to me. He didn't answer, which prompted Link to interject. The hero raised a brow at his gaze.

"Sire?" he asked.

Xavier continued to stare at me until he finally looked to the ground.

"Quistisโ€ฆ" he whispered to himself.

My eyes widened slightly at my mother's name.

"Sireโ€ฆ" I trailed.

Elbourne appeared more frustrated at hearing that.

"Her name is Constance! Constance!" he said angrily of his mother. "Why the hell are you stalling? Answer the question!"

I turned to Elbourne surprised at the anger in his voice. We were heading into unfettered territory with this conversation. I knew how much Elbourne loved his mother. I was also aware of how much of an infidel Xavier was to her. Elbourne struggled with wanting Xavier's respect and protecting the honor of his mother for years. However, this was an added dimension of the dragon king mentioning my mother's name. What did my mother have to do with any of this? I had a feeling I knew, but I wasn't sure I wanted to ask. Elbourne was now struggling to conceal his contempt. He just needed to stay focused.

"It's alright," I told the dragon prince, then turned my attention back to the king. "Sire, you have delayed long enough, please answer the question."

Xavier continued to stare at the ground. His hazel eyes looked more crystalline in the twilight.

"Twenty-eight years," he divulged finally.

I thought I almost heard him wrong.

"I beg your pardon?" I replied.

The dragon king slowly nodded.

"I have known of that monster for twenty-eight years," he said again.

Hearing it a second time made it seem even more surreal. A feeling of foreboding surged within my gut. This conversation was about to take a very distinct turn.

Thatโ€ฆ that means Xavier knew him even when my father was aliveโ€ฆ during his entire reign, I thought.

Everyone was stunned by that revelation, except Hylia. Exerion did state there was a great darkness that enshrouded the Twilight Realm at that time that blinded the goddess from seeing what was going on, but it didn't negate her instincts now. I was quite sure she was putting the puzzle together in her head in this moment.

"Twenty-eight years?" Link couldn't help but repeat.

Shame then enveloped Xavier's face.

"Don't remind me Master Link," he stated, "I know how traitorous my actions truly were."

Hylia's sympathy was lacking.

"Why in the world would you make a pact with Ghirahim?" she asked. "What would compel you to do such a thing?"

Xavier met the goddess's gaze and shook his head.

"I'd rather not say," he replied.

Hylia scoffed.

"I'm afraid that's a luxury you no longer have your majesty," she countered. "You must come clean. This is not a time for secrets."

For some odd reason, Xavier then shifted his tired gaze towards me again. He stared at me for a long time. It honestly made me a little uncomfortable. I inadvertently blushed because of it.

"Sire?" I asked.

The dragon king then looked away.

"It's obvious isn't it?" he said bitterly. "I wanted power."

Hylia crossed her arms over her chest.

"The demon lord is the last person you should have made such a pact with," she divulged. "He cares for no one or nothing but his master."

Xavier raised his eyebrows.

"I know that, but..." he trailed, not wanting to go on.

Link pressed him.

"But... what sire?" he continued.

The dragon king groaned.

"It wasn't that simple," he said. "You see, Iโ€ฆ I wasn't the only one in cahoots with the demon lord."

We all stared at him shocked.

"What?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

Xavier seemed lost in thought and didn't reply right away. The goddess's patience was wearing thin.

"Your majesty?" she pressed.

Xavier then closed his eyes.

"Theโ€ฆ the king of Twili and I both made a pact with Ghirahim," he divulged.

My heart skipped a beat. Nothing could prepare me for that admission, because it only implied one thing. The Twili king and Dragon Roost made an alliance to take out Hyruleโ€ฆ to take out my father. That was the only explanation that made sense. But that couldn't be. Xavier was my father's best friendโ€ฆ his dearest friend. They were like brothers. They fought together. Served together. Made treaties together. Xavier couldn't be saying he betrayed my father. However, not just him, but the Twili king too? This was the unholy alliance Exerion spoke of. This was the 'unholy alliance forged between kings and the demon lord.' Hylia guessed right of the dragon king, but she had no idea it encompassed the Twili king as well. That was why the Twili king never informed my father that he encased Ghirahim in the second mirror. He had his own agenda against Hyrule.

I was at a loss for words.

"W-why?" I stammered. "Why would you do such a thing?"

My words were rhetorical, but I wanted an answer anyway. Xavier was quiet for a long time before he spoke.

"Why else great queen?" he asked. "We wanted your country. We wanted Hyrule."

I shook my head knowing that wasn't the full answer, but I couldn't bring myself to say more. My eyes stung at the thought of my father. I hope he didn't know before he died. I couldn't bear the thought of him feeling betrayed before he left this earth. I tried not to be emotional, but it was impossible. Both Link and Elbourne tended to me.

"Are you alright?" the hero asked.

I didn't know how to reply.

"Zeldaโ€ฆ" the dragon prince trailed, "I'm so sorry."

I was still reeling.

"Then the treaty wasโ€ฆ" I trailed.

Xaver wouldn't look at me now.

"It was all a lie your majesty," the dragon king finished for me. "I betrayed my dear friend, your father Daphnes II because I wanted his kingdom. I had been jealous of him my entire life."

I stared at him stunned.

"But youโ€ฆ you were such good friends," I said. "What would compel you to do such a thing?"

The dragon king looked away, as shame engulfed him once more.

"Some things you will never understand my queen," he started quietly. "It wasn't just Hyrule I wanted Zelda my dear. I wanted his wife, your mother, the dark haired beauty Quistis Baalam. I was in love with her since the moment I saw her. I even pursued her, but she forewent my engagement to marry your father. I never let the bitterness of him having her go. It was my goal in life to be greater than him, to show her her folly." He paused for a moment and directed his next statement to Elbourne. "That was why I was so cold to your mother, to Constance. She was always a decent and kind woman, but she wasn't the woman I wanted."

Everyone listened astonished. I turned to look at Elbourne, who appeared more angry than anything.

Even so, Xavier continued.

"It turns out I found an unlikely ally in the king of Twili when he came as an emissary of his people to Dragon Roost," he said. "It was a secret meeting, one that he did not want Hyrule to know. He stated the King of Hyrule wronged his people, and he wanted to exact revenge upon him. He never stated what that wrong was, but I didn't care. It gave me all the incentive I needed. It was then he gave my kingdom access to his realm. It was a vow we made for all eternity."

Tears filled my eyes when I thought back to my father. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to be betrayed. I thought about some of the struggles he endured in his short life.

I'm so sorry father, I thought.

Surprisingly, Hylia came up and placed her hand on my shoulder. She must have read my thoughts.

"It's alright," she said to me, "King Daphnes was a good man."

I wiped my eyes.

"I know," I said, "thank you for that."

Xavier stared at me like a man defeated. The guilt was all over his face.

"Ghirahim fooled us both," he went on. "That demon promised a swift insurrection of Hyrule if we helped him destroy the Master Sword and revive his master. However, the Twili king found out about a betrayal plot Ghirahim set in motion against him. That was when he reneged on the demon lord and used the second Twilight Mirror to trap Ghirahim. That event occurred twenty-six years ago. However, over the past several, I started hearing a voice."

Link raised a brow.

"A voice?" he inquired.

Xavier nodded.

"A voice," he repeated. "It told me to 'prepare for my return'. I was told to keep my preparations secret, especially from the Twili king. I knew it was Ghirahim. I had been waiting with one eye open at night for years. I knew his return was inevitable. Ganondorf may have used Zant to kill the Twili king, but Ghirahim's influence to make such an event happen had been around for years -the Arbiter's Cult, the increased hatred for the Twili. All of it. That was why I was so angry when I saw you all the other day. My plans became completely unraveled with you all in the fray. I knew I would have to begin again. That, or he no longer had a use for me and was going to kill me."

This was all so unbelievable.

Link then chimed in.

"Were you the one to give Midna that necklace?" he demanded.

The hero was trying to keep his tone respectful, but I understood his frustration. It was an obvious answer at this point.

Xavier paused, but then finally nodded.

"Yes, I did," he confessed.

Link shook his head.

"Did the twilight queen know anything about this?" he asked.

That was a point I had not considered and I was glad he asked. We all waited for Xavier's reply. However, the king shook his head immediately.

"Queen Midna had no idea," he said. "She was only a child when the pact was made, and she didn't know the workings of her father. When Zant murdered her father, she was hidden away for a while before she defiantly decided to go back and face him eight years ago. That was when she was transformed into an imp. And, of course, we know the history from there. A year later she met you great hero and liberated her people. The two of you along with Zelda saved everyone."

Xavier's disclosure was a relief, but there was something else lingering. What did ancestral mother mean about the twilight queen being resistive even if she weren't under a spell? That didn't make any sense. Even so, now wasn't the time for that inquiry.

The dragon king went on.

"In fact, that was why I was so hell bent on you marrying her Elbourne," Xavier continued. "She may not be in love with you, but she told me the last three years were some of the best in her life."

We weren't expecting to hear that. Link merely raised a brow and looked over at Elbourne. Elbourne stared defiantly back at his father.

"You know how I feel about that sire," Elbourne said, not wanting to discuss the matter. "She doesn't love me, I don't love her, so what would be the point? I wouldn't even be sleeping with her if you didn't ask me to. Our relationship would be like that of you and my mother, and we both know how much you hate my mother."

The tension was mounting. Elbourne's voice was scathing. I could hear the vitriol, the bitterness. It was quite telling. Unfortunately, Link unwisely decided to interject.

"Watch how you discuss your affairs with the queen of twilight," he warned.

Elbourne cut his eyes to him.

"Or you'll what?" he demanded. "Stop living in a fantasy farm boy. You know as well as I that I'm telling the truth. If you must know, Midna is in love with you. She will tell you so when she awakens. Just you wait."

Link's eyes widened involuntarily at the disclosure. That wasn't exactly a revelation, but the conversation didn't suggest it was going to allot for it. I wasn't sure what to make of the hero's expression. He appeared both stunned and relieved, not the biggest confidence booster for me. However, in any such case, now wasn't the time to concern myself with this. Hylia glanced my way and then at the hero. She decided to once again take over the conversation before it got sidetracked even more.

"How is Ghirahim going to revive his master?" the goddess demanded. "How much time do we have?"

Xavier sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "Ghirahim once spoke of a resurgence of the land of Hyrule. He wants to storm the Temple of Time and purge the Master Sword into darkness and blood. How he plans to do that, I don't know."

Link and I both looked at him taken aback.

"Purge the Master Sword into darkness?" I repeated. "The Master Sword is a holy blade to destroy evil's bane. It cannot be purged into darkness!"

Xavier had no answer for me.

"That may be true," he said, "but whatever Ghirahim is planning, the purging of the sword may mean the purging of his master from the sword."

The dragon king did have a point. Maybe Ghirahim wasn't trying to destroy the sword, but free his master because of the seal of the sword.

"Ganondorf or Demise," I whispered. "It could be either or."

Hylia closed her eyes at hearing that.

"This is worse than I could have imagined," she said.

Link stepped forward immediately.

"Then we must make haste," he said. "We have to wake up Midna to stabilize the realm. Then head back to Hyrule to reclaim the Master Sword. Once we have it we can trap Ghirahim back in the mirror."

So much was coming out of all this. It was hard to process. We now had a full blown crisis on our hands. Not that we didn't before, but the stakes seemed so much higher now. We seemed to get more information than we bargained for, but Elbourne was not yet through. His focus was fixed on the dragon king.

"What did you let him do to me?" he demanded all of a sudden.

Xavier stared at him taken aback.

"What are you talking about?" he countered.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!" Elbourne snapped. "What did you let him do to me? You have so many secrets, I'm certain you have one more!"

The dragon king looked at him confused.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," he replied. "I cannot explain what I do not know."

Elbourne then walked up and got in the king's face.

"See if you know this," he seethed, "that bastard was able to control me, why? Did you let him put some spell on me? Was I a bargaining chip?"

Xavier's eyes suddenly got wide.

"Heโ€ฆ he was able to elicit control over you?" he whispered.

The dragon prince started breathing hard. He could barely contain his anger.

"Yes!" he replied. "Why?"

Link then walked up to act as a mediator. He sensed where this was going to go if he did not intervene.

"Elbourne, try to calm down," he reasoned. "Now isn't the time for this. We need to stick together."

The dragon prince cut his gaze to the hero.

"You say that, but I know you don't trust me for that very reason," he replied. "I need answers for myself." He then focused back on Xavier. "Well?"

Xavier surprisingly was staring at Elbourne with open piety. I was taken aback considering their relationship, but it left me puzzled at the same time.

What is this all about? I wondered.

However, before Xavier could utter a reply Hylia came up and placed her hand on Elbourne's shoulder. She too, had a look of empathy. She intervened before the dragon king could speak.

"Elbourne, now is not the time for that question," she advised. "I understand your frustration, but right now we need to focus on the task at hand."

Her words didn't sit well with him.

"How the hell could you possibly say that to me?" he demanded. "I deserve to know if something's been done to me!"

I couldn't help but feel for Elbourne. Ghirahim did make some rather stunning accusations regarding his character. It was only natural that Elbourne would want to know the truth about it. However, it seemed today wouldn't be the day.

Hylia nodded.

"You're right," she said, "you do have a right to know, but right now is not the time."

Elbourne was heated.

"Sheik-" he tried.

"Please," she interrupted, "you'll know the truth soon enough. Calm your mind and try to be free. We have to stay focused and get the other half of the Virtue Key."

Elbourne was visibly frustrated with her words, but understood their importance. He looked away from her, but eventually regressed. I hated to admit it in this instance, but Hylia was right. We really needed to get back on task. However, I did make it a point to remind myself to speak with Elbourne privately later. He was going to need someone now more than ever. I was not going to let him carry this burden alone.

"Elbourne," I said from behind him. "Please don't let your anger get the best of you. You will have closure at the end of all this I swear."

Elbourne then turned my way and looked me in the eyes. There was so much sadness there. His eyes shined with the same luminescence as Xavier's. He swallowed hard before cutting his gaze away. I looked beyond him to the dragon king. He too had a pitiable look on his face. In a strange way, I felt for him. His whole life he lived showing himself as one way, when he was really a much different person. A person whoโ€ฆ was in love with my mother. I never would have guessed. He experienced disappointments and allowed those disappointments to consume him. He went to a point of no return. At least now his conscience was clear. However, there would be a reckoning. A tribunal was in his future. He had to know that.

Afterwards, Link looked between Elbourne and me, then turned his attention to Xavier.

"Sire you're coming with us," the hero said to the king. "The threat on your life is too great. You'll be safe in our company."

Xaver nodded absently. He was lost in his thoughts. I wasn't surprised. He had a lot to ponder.

Link took note of the king's expression.

"Are you alright sire?" he asked.

Xavier shook his head.

"No," he whispered, "no son, I'm afraid I'm not."

It was a reasonable response. How could he be? His world was in a shambles. The future was bleak. Xavier knew this was only the beginning. Even so, the matter with the dragon king was concluded for now. He was safe, he was in our company, and he informed us on some rather important events. The day had been eventful. It was time we continued on to Twili Mountain.

Radian was waiting.

~SSS~

Two days later, the road to Twili Mountain

Radian's lair was definitely our objective, but I couldn't help but be concerned about Elbourne. He was so upset at Xavier's disclosures the other day. That, coupled with everything he went through in the recent past, I knew he needed somebody, regardless as to whether he was willing to admit it or not. Even now, I noticed him lingering behind as we traveled. He looked thoughtful, but his thoughts were making him lost -taking him away from the moment in this reality. I needed to bring him back. I knew it was a gamble, but I decided to linger too so I could speak with him alone. Link was up ahead speaking with Hylia and keeping an eye on the king. I appreciated the hero's efforts in keeping Xavier preoccupied. It showed he still respected the man without losing sight of the complicated situation. It was important because these next few days were going to be troublesome for all of us.

I stopped in my tracks and waited for Elbourne to approach. The dragon prince saw me waiting for him and paused at my action.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"I thought I would walk with you for a little while," I replied, then asked, "how are you holding up?"

Elbourne raised his brows and shrugged.

"I've had better days," he admitted, but attempted a grin.

I grinned back and took his hand when he finally approached. I squeezed it affectionately. I wanted him to know everything was going to work out. We then started trekking slowly down the mountain. The others were way ahead of us now.

"You know," I started, "when we were children you used to hold my hand when I was afraid of the dark."

Elbourne looked at me surprised by the recollection.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

I grinned and went on.

"I distinctly remember when we were thirteen and we went exploring in one of your father's newly excavated caves," I said, "I had fallen behind from you and the rest of the group, and you were the only one to come back and retrieve me. You told me to hold your hand and you would guide us home, and you did. I never forgot that Elbourne."

Elbourne smirked all of a sudden.

"Do you remember what I did to everyone once we got back?" he asked.

My smile then faded, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes unfortunately," I said, "you had them all stripped naked and sitting in the dragon square for an hour."

Elbourne laughed at the thought.

"Serves those bastards right for deliberately leaving you when you were relying on them for assistance," he said.

I shook my head and smiled again.

"You're incorrigible," I said.

He nodded.

"I am," he said.

I gave him a quick once over.

"That's the Elbourne I know," I said, "always confident, always smirking."

Elbourne looked down at me.

"Is that how you see me your majesty?" he asked. "Confident? Smiling?"

I nodded.

"Yes," I said, "and when you aren't like that, you aren't you. The Elbourne I know is always like that assertive thirteen year old boy..." I paused for a moment. "Like me you looked like you needed a guide just now."

Elbourne's smiled faded at my utterance and he squeezed my hand back. He stared into my eyes with that familiar look of love.

"I suppose you're right lady of Hyrule," he whispered. "I suppose you're right indeed, and... that's why I have my new unwavering resolve regarding you and I."

I suddenly tensed up. I had a feeling I already knew.

"What resolve is that?" I asked anyway.

Elbourne stopped us from walking for a moment, the others continued on without noticing us. However, they would inquire of us soon if we weren't quick. We needed to be mindful of that. I took a step back when his gaze intensified.

"Elbourneโ€ฆ" I trailed, "pleaseโ€ฆ"

He ignored my plea.

"I'm in love with you," he said, "and I'm not giving up on a chance for us because of your uncertainty. I know you don't feel the same way right now, but I think one day you could. You've already stated you loved me in a way, and that's good enough for me right now. I am a prince of Dragon Roost Zelda, and you are the only woman I want."

My throat tightened at the conviction in his voice.

"Iโ€ฆ" I tried, not knowing what to say, "I- don't you remember what I said before?"

Elbourne nodded.

"Yes, you said you'd think about it," he replied. "I don't expect an answer right away. However, you're so quick to discount us. I could be good for you. I know I could."

I bit my lower lip.

"Elbourne-" I tried.

"We could get married Zelda," he went on interrupting me, "have some children. I know how much you love children. I'd love to have eight little princesses that all look like you."

I stared at him taken aback.

"Eight children?" I repeated.

Elbourne chuckled at my inflection.

"I was initially going to say twelve, but eight will suffice," he said. "For whatever reason, my father chose not to have any more children. I wish he had of. It would have been nice having a brother or sister to tussle with. However, we both know the reasons why he never touched my mother again." He looked to the ground for a moment. "I don't want you to ever feel like I don't want you, or that I don't want you to bear any of my sons or daughters. I could keep you pregnant Zelda."

I appreciated his honesty, but constant pregnancy was not my idea of perfect married life. I raised a brow.

"You want eight children?" I repeated. "Are you mad?"

Elbourne chuckled at my inflection and felt a slight reassurance.

"I wouldn't call it mad," he said, "just goal oriented. Our kingdoms could be united under one banner. You could be the Queen of Dragons bearing the Triforce of Wisdom. There isn't a monarch who could come close to that kind of power. We could bring peace to Hyrule and Dragon Roost."

Admittedly, there were times when I thought about that very thing. I wanted a united banner between Hyrule and Dragon Roost. Marriage was ideal, but it wasn't realistic in our case. I was going to marry the hero if he would have me. Elbourne could still have the things he desired if he settled down, courted a nice lady, and kept our treaties. I couldn't have him acting as king as he was as the crown prince. He was breaking treaties right and left. If he got aggressive with any other nation the way he was with Hyrule, we would be at war. Balaam out at sea, nor the Gerudos in the desert, nor the Zoras of the north would put up with such antics. It was important for me to be Elbourne's guide, but I was not going to lie to him. I couldn't marry him when he was such a loose cannon. I had to consider his treatment of the Gorons, his disregard for the Ooca, and his dragon flying in Hyrulean air space. That was all proof he preferred an aloof approach to a diplomatic one. I needed a proletariat monarch, not a divisive dictator. I couldn't entrust the throne of Hyrule to such an individual.

I was shaking my head as I considered all this.

"I'm sorry Elbourne, I-" I tried.

Elbourne then reached up and silenced me with his forefinger.

"I knew that was what you were going to say," he interrupted. "Give me a little hope. Just think about it."

My throat tightened because I was genuinely confused. More than anything in the world I wanted him to be successful, but I knew I wasn't the realistic person in his equation. I should have just said that, but I didn't. Instead, I chose the path of diplomacy.

I nodded.

I knew it could never be, but I felt obliged to let him have a comforting lie. If it was going to keep his head in the right place, it was worth it.

"Alright," I whispered, "alright, I will think about it."

Elbourne then grinned. He had a beautiful smile.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

I grinned back.

"You're welcome," I said.

There was a brief silence between us when I looked down the road and saw that the others had now stopped because we were so far behind. This was what I was dreading. I tugged on Elbourne's hand so we could catch up to everyone else.

"Sorry!" I called out to them. "We're coming!"

Elbourne spoke out too.

"You can blame me, I asked her to stay!" he called to the others. "Just please no scolding! As punishment for my crimes I will man the front when we catch up!"

I chuckled, but as we approached Link and Hylia were both looking at me with nondescript expressions. Elbourne went to the front as promised, but before he left, he stopped, took hold of my hand and kissed the back of it. I wish he hadn't done that, but his actions appeared genuine to me. He looked happy.

I glanced back at the hero and the goddess.

"What?" I asked.

Hylia didn't bother answering and went on ahead alongside Xavier. Link on the other hand stayed behind and gave me a quick once over. Admittedly, I blushed, but then he offered me his hand and nodded for me to walk with him. I got in step, but he was still quiet. I was getting nervous with the continued silence.

"What's the matter?" I asked again.

Link shook his head and shrugged.

"Nothing," he replied, clearly showing he wasn't telling the truth.

I raised an eyebrow.

"That face you're making states otherwise," I replied. "You want to try me again?"

Link grinned at hearing that, then turned his head to look at me.

"I wanted to apologize if I seem distant," he divulged. "That isn't my intention. I just have a great deal on my mind."

I thought nothing of it.

"You have nothing to apologize for," I said. "This ordeal has been stressful on all of us."

The hero then looked back ahead.

"Yeahโ€ฆ" he trailed.

That signaled to me he had more to say.

"Anything else you want to unload?" I asked. "The least I can do is listen."

Link was quiet for a moment.

"I have no right to claim ownership over you," he said suddenly.

I stared at him surprised.

Where was this coming from? I wondered.

"I never saw anything you said or did as ownership over me," I stated. "You've been nothing but chivalrous."

Link wouldn't look at me now.

"You don'tโ€ฆ" he trailed, "you don't belong to me, you belong to Hyrule. I have no right to say such a thing to you when I still haven't made an absolute stance in your behalf."

I was getting more nervous with this talk and stopped in my tracks. I tugged on his arm to prompt him to stop too. He turned to look at me, but he avoided my eyes.

"I want to belong to you," I reassured. "I love you Link."

He was still quiet for a moment.

"I hold nothing against you if you have your doubts," he said suddenly.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Link-" I tried.

"Please let me finish," he interrupted.

I closed my mouth, but my heart began to race. Now I looked away.

"When we get the last part of the Virtue Key and Midna awakens," he said, "promise me you won't do anything... rash."

I didn't understand what he meant.

"Why would I?" I countered.

Link then looked over at Elbourne now guarding the front.

"I know he made an offer to you because in a lot of ways we're alike," he said. "I hate to admit it, but it's true. Just know I have every intention of treating you like the queen you are. As I told you before I'm older, I'm wiser. I know what I want in this life. I just hope you want the same."

I felt like he was preaching to the choir. I wanted everything he wanted. All of it. I just didn't understand why he felt the need to talk like this.

"I do," I said simply.

He took in a deep sigh and nodded.

"Good," he said. "I can't stake a claim for someone unless I know they are truly mine. That's why I'm looking forward to finding this Virtue Key. If it does everything it's supposed to we can speak with no barriers."

Some of this seemed misplaced.

"We already speak with no barriers," I said.

Link was silent for a long time and raised a brow.

"Do we?" he asked.

My eyes widened slightly.

"Why are you talking like this?" I asked.

The hero stared at me hard.

"Because it's necessary," he replied.

My eyes searched his face.

"Link-" I tried.

Link then silenced me by putting his forefinger on my lips. It was the same action as Elbourne. However, I had no intention of bringing that up.

"Promise me that you'll leave everything up in the air until after we find the last part of the key and talk," he interrupted.

I stared into his eyes again.

"I promise," I whispered.

Link then reached down and kissed me.

"Thank you," he whispered back when he pulled away.

I was a little shaken. I couldn't believe he was saying any of this.

"What brought this on?" I asked.

Link looked away and back ahead of the pack at Elbourne.

"I'm just keeping everything in perspective," he said.

That wasn't a definitive reply.

"As far as I knew, I thought our perspectives were fine," I divulged, "am I wrong?"

Link was quiet at my words. He never answered the question.

"Just know," he began again, "that I will support any decision you decide on Zelda."

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

"Link-" I tried.

"We have to focus," he interrupted quietly, "we still have a bunch of ground to cover."

I didn't appreciate being silenced like that, but I didn't want to take this conversation any further than it needed to go. With that, I said nothing on the matter and allowed Link to guide me towards Hylia and Xavier while he went on ahead and joined Elbourne. Before he left, Link nodded towards Hylia, and she in turn nodded back. At times I swear Hylia and Link were in league with each other.

Hylia looked at the two men ahead and then to me.

"All is well?" she asked.

I shrugged.

"As it can be," I replied.

Hylia shook her head.

"I don't envy your position my dear," she said. "Having two equally strong willed men goading for my attention would be too much for me."

I grinned at her, but her comment precipitated an odd look from Xavier who had been silently listening.

"Youโ€ฆ" Xavier trailed, "court men?" he asked Hylia.

I worked hard not to giggle. He still had no idea who Hylia really was. Xavier saw her as a male warrior named Sheik.

Hylia looked at Xavier and shrugged.

"Uhโ€ฆ" she began, "only when it's convenient for me."

I pursed my lips together and looked away.

Really ancestral mother? I thought.

Xavier raised his brows and decided to forego any further explanations. It was just as well. Hylia would probably have a field day teasing him. With that, we focused the rest of our energies heading up Twili Mountain. I knew from the surroundings we were getting close as dangerous terrain, with broken cascades of twilight and volcanic ash suddenly enveloped us. It became unbearably hot soon. The lava appeared purple, blue and red. The multiplicity of colors made the deadly pits look deceptively beautiful. Even so, we traveled up the mountain until we reached the peak. It took several hours with several stops. When we hit a precipice that bifurcated into two directions, we encountered our first dilemma. It was then the riddle came to mind.

How can this roadway be turned to a certain degree? I wondered.

I then looked around the landscape and noticed a sundial carved into the mountain across the ravine. It had the same configurations as one on land, but it looked like could be manipulated if it were stuck with an object. I noticed right away that the circular rotary resembled a trigonometric table. That had to be the implement we needed to change direction, but how? When I looked down over the cliff, I took note of something I didn't discern before. The Twili Mountain had a circular interface.

Revolving around a tart alright, I thought, recalling the last aspect of the riddle.

"Do you all see that?" Link asked, pointing to the sundial I already took note of.

Elbourne and Xavier squinted to see the marker. Hylia stood back, saying nothing.

Elbourne shielded his eyes for a better look.

"We're going to have to have to shoot," he stated.

The dragon prince was right, but I was beginning to think the way it needed to be shot was more of a play on words. I deduced this when I considered Radian's name again. It had to have been more than a converted measurement the way I initially thought. However, I wasn't quick to dismiss my previous conjecture either until I had proof. I panned my vision upward and noticed two inlets carved above the stone aperture.

"What's that?" I whispered.

Link looked my way.

"You found something?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I think so," I said to the hero, "can I borrow your sniper sight for a moment?"

Link stared at me puzzled, but then did as I obliged. I took the goggles and looked through them to see if there was a difference between the apertures. True to my guess, there were two words written in ancient Hylian: gradus or degree, and illuminas or ray.

"I thought so," I said to myself.

Everyone was looking at me eagerly.

"You thought what?" Link asked with a hint of impatience.

"There's an inscription above the sundial," I said. "We're going to have to strike the one that says illuminas for Radian to appear."

Link raised a brow.

"Are you sure that's the right cubbyhole?" he asked.

I gave him a confident smile.

"Have I ever steered you wrong before?" I asked. "Trust me."

Link returned my smirk.

"No," he said.

The goddess added the confirmation.

"Just do it," Hylia said, "just know that she's right."

The hero needed no more reassurances after hearing that. He pulled out an arrow and readied his bow.

"Just tell me when to shoot," he said.

I looked ahead.

"Fire now!" I ordered.

I watched as Link aimed and perfectly targeted the diamond shaped device in the tiny alcove. However, as with all these trials, nothing happened right away.

"What in theโ€ฆ?" Link said surprised.

I had a feeling it wasn't going to be that simple.

"It was just as I suspected," I said aloud, and then took out the Book of Mudora. "Before you shoot again I want to take another look at the clue."

I opened to the back page and paid close attention to the wording once more. 'Avenues turn to a certain degree and revolve around a sweet kind of tart.' We knew now the avenue was a junction. We knew the sundial was the implement to 'revolve'. The circumference of the mountain is the 'sweet kind of tart' with its obscured latent reference to pi. Pi is a reference to radians and thus illumines. What was missing?

I glanced over at Xavier casually. It wasn't even incidental. I stared at his black and white cloak and noticed his cote of arms while I was reasoning. It was his saurian insignia: a fire breathing wyrym tamed by the hand of industry.

I raised a brow.

Could it be that 'illuminas' is referring to a source of light? I thought. Not actual light?

"Fire," I whispered suddenly.

Link looked at me perplexed.

"What?" he asked.

It finally hit me.

That has to be it, I thought.

"Fire!" I said with more conviction.

Link, Elbourne and Xavier were still lost.

Hylia grinned underneath her bandages.

"What about it?" she asked me.

I turned back to Link.

"Fire arrows!" I said excitedly. "We have to hit the radian insignia with fire arrows because of the word 'illuminas'! That way the pathway will turn and Radian will appear."

Everyone looked at me impressed, but the dragon prince was cautious.

"Wouldn't that make more sense with light?" Elbourne inquired.

I shook my head.

"The word illumnas in ancient Hylian is a verb, denoting an action," I explained. "Since it's not a noun, it can be deduced that the action is taking place from something else. In this case the illumination of a ray is caused by means of fire."

Elbourne and Link both nodded.

"I always feel a little awestruck in your presence Zelda," Link said respectfully. "You do Hyrule proud."

"Indeed," Elbourne agreed.

With that, I said a quick prayer to Din, and the fire imbued arrows appeared in my hands. I handed the arrows to Link. He then released another perfect shot into the small cubbyhole, and soon a significant occurrence happened.

Here we go, I thought.

Smoke and particles of ash began to spray as the cliff suddenly shifted to the left. Everyone braced themselves up against the wall until the rotunda stopped. Next, the top of Twili Mountain began to awaken as smoke and ash gave way to more of that strange multi-colored lava. The lava rose high in the sky and swelled into the heavens, then substantiated into a molten ball. The ball instantly crystallized and began to crack. The pressure on the inside was forcefully breaking through, until finally the outer shell burst completely. Out came an aqua blue and fiery red bird that resembled a phoenix, the rebirth bird. Radian's wing span was one hundred feet into the atmosphere. It had long seriated optical shifting feathers and crystal blue orbs for eyes. It was one of the most beautiful creatures I had ever beheld.

"My goddess," I whispered.

Radian hovered above us.

"Greetings Queen of Destiny and Hero of Twilight," the guardian's deep voice beamed across the expanse. "Your fellowship has expanded to incorporate the King of Dragons and the Prince of the Roostians. A Sheikah Warrior too, is within your midst and has great responsibility, even though their true identity garners the respect of one such as Radian of the Twili Mountain."

At hearing that, Xavier looked over at Hylia with a raised brow.

"True identity?" he asked surprised.

Hylia didn't answer right away.

"You never know who you're keeping company with dragon king," she said simply.

Xavier was intrigued, but was forced to let the matter go.

"My lord," I began to Radian, "we come to you with great urgency. Certainly you have heard of our circumstances."

Radian stared down with those incredible crystal blue eyes.

"I am aware of the situation," it said, "and I shall give you what you seek to awaken the Queen of Twilight."

One thing I had to appreciate about Azimuth and Radian was their sense of urgency. They didn't dawdle when they saw no need for it. However, considering the time constraints I understood why they were so rushed in their manner. Radian then opened its mouth and produced a ball of light. The light shifted and shaped itself into the second part of the Virtue Key. The golden fragment then floated down into my hands. I stared at it amazed. It was finally here. We finally had it. The other part in my bag suddenly floated out and fused together with the other fragment. We were all mesmerized. This key signified so much. Midna was finally going to awaken.

I gripped it tight.

"Thank you lord Radian," I said finally. "We shall make haste and leave."

Radian flapped its wings, nearly sending us flying.

"As you should," it said, "the queen of this realm is waiting for you."

On that note, I thought the conversation was going to be over. However, suddenly Elbourne spoke up. It was completely unnecessary, but he didn't seem to consider that.

"Before you leave my lord, I have something to ask," he started.

The rest of us looked at Elbourne with a bit of surprise. Hylia and Xavier in particular were staring at him inquisitively. Radian did not answer for a long time, but it eventually addressed him.

"What is that Dragon Prince?" Radian asked.

Before he asked, Elbourne looked over at me. His gaze took me by surprise.

"What is the true power of the Virtue Key?" he asked.

A silence fell across all of us.

Why is he asking this now? I wondered.

Even Radian was paused for a moment.

"Why great prince?" the guardian asked. "Do you seek the power for yourself?"

The dragon prince shook his head.

"No," he said, "I have no desire to capture its power for myself. I just wanted to know what its true essence is. Can it make a person fall in love?"

My eyes widened at the question.

Radian stared at him for a moment.

"Ah, I see," it reasoned. "A factor motivating your question is the strong feelings you have for someone present here."

If that wasn't obvious, I didn't know what was. I said nothing.

"Yes," Elbourne said with no hesitancy.

Radian went on.

"Patience my dear prince, for life cannot be sprawled upon a person," it said. "Matters of the heart must be handled with confidential talk. Of this, the Virtue Key can help you. That is all I can say."

There was still silence within everyone else, but Elbourne looked satisfied.

"Thank you," he said, "you have no idea how much you helped me."

Radian beamed with iridescence that made the whole sky light up.

"Think nothing of it," the guardian said. "Now you must go. You must head back to Twilight Palace and reinstate the queen. Make haste, for the demon lord is getting stronger as we speak."

That wasn't reassuring, but we were all aware of that fact.

"We will," I spoke up again finally, "thank you again."

Radian enveloped its wings around itself.

"It is my pleasure," the guardian said. "Farewell Queen of Destiny, Hero of Twilight, King of Dragons, Prince of Dragons, and the Shiek too Powerful to Hide in Disguise. May fair winds proceed you. May we meet again at the crossroads of life."

With that, Radian rose high in the sky, stretching its wings heavenward, and then dispersed like a cosmic explosion of color in the twilight sky. Everyone was silent. I stared at the Virtue Key again. Everything is about to change. When Midna awakens and tells us what she knows, the truth from everyone was going to come out. Seven years of wondering was finally going to come to an end. We finally had it. We finally had the Virtue Key. It was time to awaken the Queen of Twilight.

Please write a review and tell me what you think.