Chapter 25

"Aw, Daniel, why'd you grab me so fast? I've faced bigger and more powerful heartless than him." Mickey asked Daniel when the ascended being finally set him down again. They were somewhere in a forest, though Mickey didn't recognize where just yet.

"That may be true, Mickey, but I saw your hesitation. He was right, in order to destroy the heartless, you would have had to kill the host too. You've destroyed heartless before, but you haven't killed a flesh and blood person before, have you?" Daniel asked him, explaining.

Mickey's eyes lowered to the ground. "No." He answered, taking a breath and sighing in his high voice. "No, I haven't." Then, thinking it through, he said, "You're right, Daniel. I couldn't have done it, not when there was a chance of saving the man, as much of a jerk as he might be."

Daniel gave a half smile and replied, "I don't think that's all him, not from what I was able to see in his mind. I think the shadow is influencing him a lot. Agahnison seems like just a convenient pawn to it, if I was to make an educated guess."

"You sound like you dealt with this kind of thing before." Mickey observed.

An expression of sadness crossed Daniel's face as he tried giving another small smile, "More often than I wanted to." He replied, painful memories of another lifetime crossing his mind.

"So what now?" Mickey asked. "What's our next move?"

"Well, neither I nor the Others can do anything about the shadow. The only reason I knew what was happening in the office was because I could see it through your eyes and mind. Sorry about the intrusion by the way, it's uh, something that's just a part of being ascended. I can't really help it." Daniel told him.

"It's okay, Daniel. I understand." Mickey said reassuringly.

"Right." Daniel paused for a minute, startled by how similar this real live person was to the cartoon character he had watched most of his childhood. Then he continued, "Okay, so our best bet right now would probably be to get a hold of Link and Zelda's children, the two Generals and the newly crowned queen and compare notes. But..." he trailed off for just a second, "if we do that, I have to stay out of it as much as possible, which means you'd be on your own with them."

"Why?" Mickey asked.

"Because I'm really only here on the good graces of the Others here in Hyrule, and while they tend to be a little more willing to act to prevent mass catastrophe, they still don't want any of us to interfere too much with those here on the mortal plane. And I've already pushed it farther than I probably should have. I've brought you here not far from the Sacred Grove command post where the new queen and royal guard are. You shouldn't have any problem getting in and making contact with them with your cloaking spell and trenchcoat." Daniel pointed in the direction of the security fence just beyond the trees.

Mickey looked in the direction he pointed. "Okay, thanks Daniel. So is this goodbye?"

There was no answer from Daniel's direction, and Mickey turned his head back towards where his friend had been standing, but there was no one there. "I guess so. Well, goodbye Daniel. I hope we see each other again." He said into the air, and then, covering his head and large round ears with the cowl of his black trenchcoat, he cast his cloaking spell over himself again, and began his stealthy march through the woods towards the Sacred Grove.

As Mickey walked off in the darkness through the trees, another presence that had been watching the exchange unseen and unrecognized began to follow the four foot mouse discreetly, filled with concern at all that had occurred in her absence. As she moved through the woods, two other presences fell into step behind her, and they began to move as one once more.

The Three questioningly acknowledged the presence of the one not from Hyrule briefly. He did the equivalent of stepping to the side in submission. Satisfied, they nodded and continued to follow the mouse.

Malona stood in the command center of the mobile R.H.M.G. headquarters established at the Sacred Grove command post. No one questioned her right to be there any longer. No one, that is, except her, but she kept her own doubts to herself as she watched the reports from the various guard posts come in through the computer systems. Two news networks were also running on two separate monitors with constant updates.

The command post was fully staffed around her, regardless of the late hour. The regular day staff had been relieved of their duties only to have another round of guardsmen come in and take over as though nothing had changed, except perhaps the amount of strong tea consumption, and the caffeine intake that went with it. Her own calloused but feminine hands, finally free of the white silk gloves held a now warm mug herself. The pink dress had finally been allowed to be retired to a closet as a fresh, gray guard field uniform in the smallest size possible with her name and "rank" on it was procured for her by a field wizard on staff. It made her feel somewhat "normal" again, though the Triforce diadem remained firmly encircled around her head. Her brothers had retired to bunks in the barracks some time before.

"Your majesty," the Guard Captain in command of the regular post here, a Hylian man, but with an Ordonian accent, named Daltus, had said, "wouldn't it be better for you to rest for now?" His voice had sincere concern for her in it. But she wouldn't have it.

"If I am queen now, then I need to know what's happening in my kingdom right now." She had responded. "I didn't ask for this job, Captain. But I'm going to do it right regardless."

"As you wish, your majesty." He had said in response thoughtfully before he ended his own watch for the night. His respect for the former farm woman growing with every encounter.

That encounter had been hours ago, but whether it was the caffeine from the tea, or the magnitude of all that had transpired that day, she still couldn't bring herself to be tired enough to retire. Most of the reports had died down as it approached an hour after midnight, and there wasn't much new, but she kept her eyes focused on the screens, taking in as much as she could while still trying to come to terms with everything which had happened to her that day.

Near as she could tell, two provincial governors, and the ruling councils of the Zora and the Gorons, the other "kingdoms" represented in the "United Kingdom of Hyrule", gave vocal and public recognition to her as their queen. Several local city politicians from all over Hyrule did the same, including, she noted with some amused appreciation, the mayor of Ordonville. Years before, when they were still in High School, Malo had been one of the less popular, more brainy kids in school who got straight "A"s and had a persistent crush on her. In retrospect, she thought, he probably would have been a better choice than her then boyfriend, the father of her two sons who got her pregnant out of high school and then took off. Malo had remained a decent friend though they had never been close, while her fencing team boyfriend moved to Castleton after graduation and she never heard from him again.

She was queen now. That made her sons, twins, both princes. Now there was a thought! She mused. As if they didn't have enough to swell their heads. She had not only accepted the burden for herself, but she accepted it for them too, because, once she was gone, one of them would have to take her place. Did she really have any right to do that to them? But then, she didn't have any say in it either. Not really. Not for a daughter of Zelda, and not for a direct descendant of the Lady Hylia.

No matter which way you cut that descent, that's exactly who Malona was, and it was also something she was struggling to come to terms with. Take your pick, you could say Hylia was Malona's ancient ancestor, or you could say she was her mother. Both were equally true. And as such, whether Malona liked it or not, it meant that she was born to protect and serve Hyrule with her life if necessary.

"Did you know?" She asked her mother in a whisper, a single small tear dropping out of her eye and down her cheek. She supposed she could hear her question now. Whether she would answer or not was another question.

Her mother had been her best friend all of her life. They were so much alike as she grew up that people often joked about it. Now, it didn't seem so funny as she understood why they were so much alike. For all intents and purposes, she was a genetic copy of her mother in every way.

"Did you know that too?" She asked again. Was it some fluke, or had her mother planned it? Or one of her "grandmothers," maybe? Was there something genetically programmed into all of Hylia's female descendants, or was it intentional somehow? The only person who knew the answer to that now no longer walked as a mortal woman to whom she could just walk the mile down the gravel road and talk about anything and everything.

Her eyes began to water more, and she set her mug of cooling tea down to head outside. She didn't think the soldiers inside needed to see their new monarch break down in tears crying for the loss of her mother.

She moved towards the door of the small room that had grown so much smaller with all the new equipment which had been brought from the capital. The guardsmen at the door snapped to attention and a quick salute as she passed by them. She wanted to tell them, "please don't," but she knew it wouldn't do any good, and probably wouldn't be good for anyone. It would have just been her trying to pretend that she was still just a farmer from south of Ordonville. That pleasant fiction would never be true for her again. "I am Zelda." She told herself silently, and then attempted to return the salute with the same respect they had shown her, and then she crossed the short hallway, passing two more guardsmen and returning their salutes as well, and then left the building.

Outside, the cool, early winter night air was more invigorating than the tea had been. Her goat hair lined field jacket kept her warm enough though. The smell of the woods around the post was somewhat intoxicating, and also added to her melancholy as it made her think of her home, just an hour or two's drive south of here, she thought. She wondered how her sons and her uncle and his family were doing. How had they taken the broadcast? She wondered.

"Your majesty, can I assist you?" One guardsman asked her as she walked away from the barracks' main building and toward the stables where the horses the post still maintained for traversing the Faron forest trails when necessary.

"No thank you. I'm fine guardsman." She said, lying. "I am just going for a walk."

"Of course, your majesty. If you require anything, I am at your service." He replied, and then went back to his guard duty.

She nodded, and continued towards the stables. Out of anything else here, the sight and smell of horses, even sleeping ones, sounded like the most comforting thing she could think of. It was as close as she was going to get to ever feeling at home again.

As she entered the stables, she was greeted with the familiar smells of hay and horse feces. Perhaps someone from Castleton would have found it revolting, but at that moment, it was the most magnificent perfume she could think of and she inhaled deeply, feeling just a little bit better as she entered and walked past the uniform gray and white painted stalls of the sleeping animals.

It looked like the Guard post here kept about ten or fifteen mounts. Most of them looked to be between fifteen and sixteen hands high, and all of them looked to be sorrel hill country breeds local to Faron and Ordon. She wondered if any of them had been sourced from her neighbors who raised horses. It was warm in the stable compared with the outside air. None of the animals had or seemed to need blankets against the cold night air which had dropped just below freezing, she was certain.

It might have seemed an insane thought to others, but she suddenly wondered if she could bed down in here with the animals. Then she chastised herself, and shoved the thought out of her mind. Yes, they might let her. She was the queen, she didn't have to give them the choice, but being the queen wasn't about her getting what she wanted, it was about giving everything for the people she was to rule. Part of that was maintaining a certain respect and dignity for the office. Her own desires didn't figure into it.

"Uh, hello?" Came a high pitched voice, and Malona was startled out of her own thoughts as she whirled around expecting to see someone attached to it, but saw no one.

"Who?" She called out, her voice and expression retreating from the vulnerability she had allowed herself over the past little while into something harder. "Guardsman, show yourself immediately." She ordered, and for a minute she almost wondered who had given the order because it had sounded so unlike how she had been feeling. She felt the weight of the Master Sword still secured in its scabbard at her back. Her left hand went to it instinctively, though she didn't draw it yet.

"Uh, okay." Came the voice, "But I'm not a Guardsman, your majesty. You could say I'm an old friend of your parents." The voice came from behind her, and she turned around again.

Stand in front of her on two legs hidden by a long black trenchcoat was a four foot tall black rodent with a tan face and black nose. On his head were two large, circular ears. His four fingered hands were hidden in white cloth gloves. He had kind, friendly eyes, and a matching smile. "Well, here I am."

"Who are you?" She demanded from him, her hand still on the hilt of her sword.

"My friends call me Mickey." He gave a small, high chuckle which died a little in his throat upon seeing the hardened expression in her eyes. It reminded him of the expression her father had when there was "work" that had to be done. "Uh, Mickey Mouse, your majesty. I'm sorry to surprise you like this. I promise, I don't mean any harm. I really am, or I was, a friend of your parents from a long time ago. Uh, I'm just here to help, honest." He said, eying her hand on the hilt. He knew there was every probability he could best her in combat, but that didn't mean he wanted the chance to try. He was really here to help.

Malona looked in his eyes for several seconds, weighing his words against what she saw there. Then, she slowly took her hand of the hilt of the sword. "Alright, Mickey. Let's talk." She said.

About twenty minutes later, Malona burst back into the command center, a mouse in a black trenchcoat in tow. "Wake my brothers!" She gave orders to the Guardsmen on duty. They moved immediately to carry out her orders. When one of them began to question the presence of the unusual guest she cut him off, "The mouse is with me." And no one questioned him after that.

An hour and a half later, by order of her majesty, all R.H.M.G. units in Castleton, assisted by Guard field wizards, surrounded the darkened parliament building, though none attempted entry. Spells were enacted to surround the building in a bubble with radiant light magic turned inwards towards the building itself in an attempt to contain the darkness within. Though when the guardsmen arrived, it hadn't appeared like it had spread any farther than the building itself.

Except for the parliament building, the rest of Castleton's late night life was still in full swing as theater goers, late night workers, and other denizens of Castleton's streets at night looked on in confusion at the obvious show of force by the R.H.M.G. against the parliament. They began to complain loudly as the guardsmen attempted to clear a zone around the building from any onlookers or bystanders. A few made remarks to the effect that maybe the Prime Minister was right, though these were in the rare minority.

And then, in a flash of green light, there stood a blond Hylian woman with a royal diadem dressed in a gray military field uniform, a large sword with a sapphire blue handle strapped to her back. With her were two men dressed in archaic green and red tunics and chain mail carrying standard issue R.H.M.G. swords and shields, and a short black figure that resembled a large rodent. In his right hand was a gold and silver weapon shaped like an old skeleton key. The four materialized with the array of police-soldiers in-between them and the parliament building contained in light.

"CAPTAIN!" The woman shouted with authority towards the guardsmen nearest to her, and everyone on the street heard her voice as they turned and looked. The guardsmen at the scene appeared to be somewhat stunned at her appearance, but not surprised as a muscularly built man with graying hair ran up to the woman and dropped to one knee in front of her.

She tapped him on the shoulder, and he got to his feet and began speaking to her. "The building is contained with the strongest light magics the field wizards know, your majesty. I've seen these kinds of spells repel some pretty nasty redeads and gibdos in my time of service, your majesty. If there's any dark shades in there, they're not getting through the containment wall."

As the people on the streets watched the scene with the strange but very familiar characters before them, a hushed quiet descended over them and then a whispered name began to pass along on their lips with reverence, "It's Zelda." And again, "Zelda's come back." One older man pulled out a one rupee bill and held it up, comparing the image on it to the face of the woman he could see clearly across the street. As he confirmed what he suspected, he held the rupee note high for everyone to see and shouted joyfully with tears in his eyes, "Our Princess has returned!" And then the chant was taken up as others pulled out one rupee notes and held them in the air, "Zelda! Zelda! Zelda!"

Then a news van pulled around the corner and a cameraman and reporter jumped out and began to film the scene, as the four newcomers waded into the mass of guardsmen, the crowned woman still listening to what the guard captain was telling her. Two more news vans pulled into the city center and began filming as well.

The blond woman turned her face towards the growing, chanting crowd. Her eyes were filled with a sad determination, but she smiled at them anyway. Then she turned her face back to the parliament building, and drew the blue hilted sword from her back, gripping it in her left hand with purpose.

She gestured for the man who came with her dressed in red to remain with the R.H.M.G. field wizards. His expression became somewhat uncertain, but he nodded his head in obedience and joined the group of men, who all saluted him and snapped to immediate attention in his presence. A golden glow flashed from his left hand as he lifted it and added his own power to theirs.

And then the remaining three newcomers walked up towards the containment shield, weapons in hand, and crossed through it.