Sir Jannis stood on the brown grass of the salt marsh, motionless as he stared at Midna. The white crystal in his chest glowed softly, an imitation of the brighter Sol laying nearby. After a long silence, he shook his masked head. "No, Midna. That can't be right. Link has the power of Farore. You found him as a wolf, and he came to the Temple of the Sols as a wolf. A wolf is an actual beast, while I'm just a monster. I can't be the beast of legend."
She gently pat at his round, metal mask. "Think about it. That prophecy was made by a guy with time magic that could see the future, right? He wasn't too vague, even though that's generally how prophecies are. He said that the Twili would be in enough trouble that they needed to be saved, and as somebody who had no context about the details of what he had seen, he summed it up. Even though wolves live on the surface, people know what they look like. I'm pretty sure the prophet would have said that he saw the hero as a wolf and not just call it a beast."
"I don't know..." He stubbornly continued to protest. It was so much like how Link had resisted his own appointment as hero, that he nearly laughed.
"The prophet wouldn't know what a Shadow Beast was, and would use a vague term like 'beast' to describe one. And you have to admit that the fact you wound up with a sacred weapon is not coincidence." Midna gestured at the glowing white lines on his body. "You've been infused with sacred power just like Link, but in a different way. He came here to help free our people, but you've been doing plenty of work to save them over the past two months. Think about all that you've been doing to bring people to safety and help the Sisters of the Sols."
"It does make sense, and so does my being here even though you're the Twili hero." Link told the reluctant hero. "For all that I've done over in Hyrule, I've had help. No man is an island, as they say. Midna came from the Twilight Realm and helped me, and now I've come here from the Light Realm to help you. The hero doesn't act alone. Not only that, but our work won't end once we kill the men who caused all our problems. Both our kingdoms lost our kings, and our governments are going to be messy for a while. Midna and Zelda will need their heroes, both to protect them and to help the people through a difficult time. We probably were meant to meet, so we can prepare one another for the things we need to do in the future."
"He speaks truly." Solaria had the cloak around her shoulders, but it only did so much to cover her naked body. She gently touched the Shadow Beast's dark arm. "I understand your trepidation, but you cannot refuse this role chosen for you. As your patron goddess, I officially declare that you are the Hero of the Twili."
Jannis sighed heavily. "I guess I have to listen to the naked sun goddess...and I suppose Link knows what he's talking about too. I was going to protect Midna anyway, no matter who I was. She and Chime are my friends, and I can't let anything happen to them." He paused. "Hey, Midna? Do you have any clothing tucked away in that shadow storage of yours? I'm trying to take this seriously but uh...there's a very attractive lady in front of me without a lot of clothing."
"I'm finding it pretty distracting too. Give her my tunic. She can wear it until we can find her something else." Link looked at Solaria's eyes, and was struck by how much they looked like Zelda's. He tried not to think about that, considering how the cloak did little to hide her bare skin. "Unless you have the ability to create heavenly robes for yourself?"
The light goddess laughed, a very human sound. "If only it was that simple. I am very weak from the curse cast on me, and it will be a while before my magic recovers." Her beautiful features became serious. "Hero, I must warn you of the one who cursed me. While you carry Farore's power, he carries Din's."
"Ganondorf. Of course." Midna waved a hand and the black tunic appeared in the air, and she grabbed it with her small hands. "Even Zant couldn't curse a goddess into a demon, but a warlock with the power of a god attached to his soul could possibly do it. I hate to admit it, but Ganondorf's really dangerous if he can cast dark magic strong enough to alter a light goddess." She handed the tunic over to the naked deity.
Solaria unpinned the cloak and let it drop to the ground, and Link tried to not look at her with minimal success. He could count the naked women he'd seen in his life on zero fingers, and Zelda's glowing soul didn't exactly count since he hadn't been able to make out her features. It was a relief when the goddess pulled the tunic over her head, even if it only came down to her hips. "You know of this man? He is a Gerudo, or I should say was. Now he has power beyond what mortals normally have, so I am unsure what to call him."
"I didn't know anything about this, only that Zant found something like a demon in the outer islands." Jannis sounded concerned. "You mean to tell me that there's another man even worse than Zant?"
"Since I think Solaria needs a minute, I'll give you an explanation. About two hundred years ago in the Light Realm, there was a Gerudo that invaded Hyrule…" Midna began to give her knight the shortened version of who Ganondorf was, and what he had done.
As the princess spoke, Solaria picked up the cloak and pinned it around her shoulders again. "While I would like to hear that story, I must speak to you, Link. Please, walk with me."
Unsure what the goddess wanted, he offered her his arm and the two of them walked away from the two transformed Twili and the Sol. Now that she stood next to him, he could see that she was just a hair taller than he was. Solaria smiled at his show of manners and rested her hand on his arm. "You are quite the gentleman. Most men would be afraid to touch a god, yet you treat me like a human woman."
He had to laugh at that. "That's because you are a human, just a different kind than I am. My race lives for about a century, and yours lives for thousands of years without aging, but we both have the same emotions. Ancient or not, you're still a woman that's recovering from a horrible experience."
"You speak the truth, although please do not tell anyone." It was interesting that this goddess trusted him enough to share that information. Perhaps his charisma even worked on gods. "The lesser races wish to worship us, and many of my people are more than willing to fall into the roles of higher beings in order to control others. My sister and I are different. Hylia lived among her people and ruled as their queen, but she loved the humans that surrounded her. Though she had love for her people as a queen would, she loved you as a woman loves a man."
The goddess stopped walking now that they were a considerable distance from the others, and was quiet for a moment as she watched pink and black cranes stalk their way through the salt marshes in a hunt for minnows. "I admit, I felt as if she was stolen from me because of how she reacted to your death, but it was selfish of me to think so. Hylia knew what she was doing, although part of her reasons were personal. She loved you so deeply that when you died fighting the demon king, she killed her own self while casting a spell that was almost like a curse, though she did not know it. It caused your two souls to be reborn to find one another again and again, through many lives."
Solaria sighed sadly. "Her personal feelings aside, she understood that the Hylians relied on her too heavily. They would not grow strong enough to face the demon tribe on their own, and so that is the other reason why your souls are reborn. She and you always find one another, so you may work together to keep your people safe. Your current lives are no different."
"I've only spoken with her a few times, but I feel like the two of us are meant to be together as friends. I'm not in love with her, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't love me, but I don't think that matters." Link smiled as the two of them watched the water birds hunt. "Just like you said, we found each other again, and I know we'll be friends for life."
"I envy you. My heart aches that I may never speak to her again, since I must remain here to protect the Twili. As she loved your people, I love mine." She turned suddenly, and it caused him to do the same to see why. The Sol was vanishing due to Midna's magic, since even a large one could be stored away with the power of the Fused Shadows. The goddess didn't say anything, but she did look impressed.
"Zelda doesn't know that she's Hylia, and I don't plan on telling her until after we save everyone. Perhaps after she knows about it, we can come here so she can meet you in person. Until then, do me a favor and don't say anything about her divine soul in front of Princess Midna." He pointed at Midna, who stared at them with her hands on her hips. "Her soul is inside Midna's body. When she tried to protect her with the Triforce of Wisdom, she accidentally transferred her soul. Zelda is able to see what Midna sees, and so in a way, she's met you."
"She...she is here? And she has Nayru's power?" Solaria put a hand to her mouth, and her eyes filled with tears. It was such a human thing to do, and for a moment she did not seem like the god that was the savior of the Twili. Then again, she most likely was not herself at the moment, considering what she had just recovered from.
"I know you're talking about me and I don't like it!" Midna called from where she was.
"Get used to it!" he shouted back with a grin. "Yeah, she's here. Since I have Farore's power fused to my soul and Zelda has Nayru's, that's another way that we're bound together. I know it sounds scary that she left her body behind, but Midna says that she can put Zelda back." He patted the goddess on the back kindly. "It's all right. In a few years everything will be fine. You'll be able to talk to her one day. Until then, I'm going to do everything I can to help my soulmate." It felt fitting to call her that, because that's what Zelda was. He realized that a soulmate could be a close friend, and not necessarily a lover.
The goddess smiled sadly and lightly wiped at her eyes. "Thousands of years have passed, yet you are still the same kind soul. Thank you for your words, Hero of Hyrule. They give me the comfort I have been lacking for millennia." She sighed. "We must return. The sun will set before long."
"I'm fairly certain I only sent three of you out on that boat, not four." Derrik said as the skiff bumped against the hull of the Helmroc. "Who's the pretty lady wearing Link and Jannis' clothes?"
"I was the sea demon." Solaria said calmly as she stood in the rowboat. Even in her weakened state, she appeared to have a good sense of balance. "My curse was lifted due to these brave souls."
The redhead tossed the rope ladder down to them, but kept his eyes on the silver-haired goddess. "You look like that when you're not a demon anymore? What the heck are you? Are there people living in the marshes we don't know about?"
"No, but I will explain in time. Please, sir. I am quite tired and hungry, and I wish to recover before telling my tale." The goddess climbed the rope ladder and onto the deck with Midna's assistance. From his vantage point in the skiff below, Link was able to see Solaria's nakedness from a new and interesting angle, and he quickly lowered his face to stare at his own feet. He noted that Jannis was doing the same.
"I'm going to burn in hell for being turned on by my own goddess. It was bad enough her breasts were touching my arm earlier, and now this happens." the knight muttered under his breath. "I'm lucky I don't have a dick right now, or it would be so much worse."
Link stifled a laugh behind a hand, not expecting that line from Jannis. Then again, he should have if the man was supposed to be his counterpart. It was something Link would have thought in the same situation, but never have spoken out loud.
"What are you giggling at down there?" Midna peered over the rail above with a disapproving frown.
"Nothing worth mentioning." He eyed the front of Jannis' mask where he thought the Shadow Beast's eyes would be, and then stood to climb up the ladder next.
The six fishermen were watching the silver-haired goddess curiously. Solaria was wandering around the deck while looking at the piles of nets and supplies with almost a childlike wonder. Midna bobbed in the air behind her and watched the goddess only briefly before beginning her typical commentary. "This is the first time I was on a boat too. I had no idea that the nets would stink of fish so badly."
"I have only watched people fish at a distance, so it is quite different looking at things up close." Without asking permission, she lifted up the lid of a barrel to peer inside. "Ah, fresh water. Of course."
"Will you gentlemen stop staring at her like that?" Jannis had since climbed onto the deck, and now crossed his arms sternly while standing at his full height to loom above the fishermen. "She's tired and hungry, and obviously not from around here. She could also use a proper change of clothes, if you have any."
Derrik stopped gawking at the silver-haired woman, remembering himself. "Right. After we get the skiff and anchor up, I'll get her something. We should think about eating out here too, since there's no way we're getting back before dark. Hey, lady? If you want a drink of that water, there's a ladle hanging on the other side of it."
Midna watched her goddess as curiously as the men. "Do you drink water?"
Solaria reached for the ladle and patiently answered the question. "Of course. I am alive, after all."
"She isn't a demon anymore, so don't ask any weird questions." Derrik told his princess, completely ignoring the hierarchy. Then he turned to his crew. "All right, haul that skiff up and raise anchor. Get to it!"
The clothing that he gave Solaria were a baggy pair of black leggings that were far too large for her slender waist, a length of rope to function as a belt, and a sleeveless version of the gray robes that they wore. While two men stood aft and used long fishing rods to catch bream, the goddess stood at the bow and stared out at the purple-tinged sea. She had drank some water, put on the change of clothing, and then pointedly ignored the questions the fishermen asked her, remaining silent.
At least, she was silent until Link came to stand next to her. Solaria's long silvery hair was streaming out behind her in the wind off the sea. It was an odd color that almost reminded him of Sheikah hair. "My heart is heavy, hero. I can sense the evil in the islands above, and I know it is the same one that trapped me as a demon for years. I know not all that has transpired, but I do know that my people have been cursed."
"I'm pretty sure you could tell, but Midna and Jannis were cursed by the same magic. The curse on the Twili is the same one cast on my people, and they were changed that way in order to make a mindless army for Ganondorf to use in order to invade the Light Realm and Hyrule. The Shadow Beasts aren't in control of themselves anymore, and can spread the curse like a plague." He ran a hand through his hair, enjoying the breeze. "I could tell you the details of what happened in Palace City and the rest of the inhabited islands, but I think my friends should do it. They were there, and I wasn't."
"Perhaps after we eat. I do have questions for them, as I do for you." She softly sighed and looked down at her hands, which were lightly rested on the rail. "I must apologize for my actions, even if I was not myself. Light magic is not meant to kill, but I attempted to use it that way on Jannis. And I also attempted to use a seduction glamour on you."
"You didn't seduce or drown me, so it's fine." He heard Derrik shout orders behind him in regards to gutting fish, and was glad he didn't have to do it for once. He liked to eat them, not clean them.
"I would not have killed you, at least not at first. I was not lying when I said that you are beautiful." Great. Now a goddess was complimenting him on his looks. "I really was going to seduce you."
Oh. "Uh, right. That's not awkward at all." He rubbed at his face and tried to look anywhere but at her. "I guess I should be flattered, even if the idea makes me uncomfortable. Not that you aren't beautiful yourself, but uh...I have a girlfriend, and I'm.." He could have told the goddess about his frustrations with Ilia on the subject, but it was none of her business. "I'm taken."
"Dear me, your face..." She laughed at him, and he couldn't help but scowl at the sound of it. "I said was, you silly young man. Now that I am in my right mind, I would not dare lay a hand on you...nor do I desire to." Solaria sighed again, but this time she sounded happy. "You make me laugh. I very rarely speak with humans, and even more rarely do I laugh."
"I wasn't doing it on purpose, but I guess I'm happy that you're happy." He finally looked at her again. "For a goddess, you're being awfully informal with me."
"You were informal first." She smiled at him, and once again he was struck by how much she looked like Zelda. "I feel as if I can speak to you as a peer, much how I can speak to the Matron of my Temple. She is supposed to serve me, but we have become good friends." The goddess' smile faded and she lowered her eyes to stare at the sea. "I miss her. I hope that she is safe."
"She is, and she's one of the reasons we came down here. The man that took over the islands did so by kicking a bunch of the Sols off of their buildings, the Temple of the Sols included. That's the only reason he could spread the dark magic you sense up there. Your Sols had been keeping the Twili safe up until that point. Once we get them back, they'll do the same thing as they did before." He thought of something then. "Solaria...I understand that you're weak right now, but is it possible for you to sense where the Sols are in this area?"
"Quite easily. I do not have the power to create myself proper clothing, but I believe once I have eaten and rested, I will be able to detect them from a good distance. Perhaps I will even be able to retrieve them for you." She hugged her arms around herself and looked remorseful. "Regretfully, that is all I can do for now. I do not know how long it will take for my powers to return, but I will remain down here until then. I was unable to protect my people, and I fear that I will continue to be unable to do so."
"Hey, it's okay. This isn't your fault." When she didn't look up at him, he reached out to pat her shoulder. Maybe he was being fairly informal with her, but the woman seemed like she needed to talk to someone. "Look, I know I'm a bit of a hypocrite for saying this since I tend to feel guilty myself, but sometimes things are out of your control and you can't feel responsible for them. One person can do a lot for others, but they can't do everything." When she did look up at him, he smiled. "For all the powers that you or I have, we're still just people. I know that most of the Twili and Hylians will never realize that, but at least a few will. I know that the Matron understands, and both Midna and Jannis will too."
Now she smiled too, albeit a bit sadly. "You are very dear. I wish that our paths did not cause us to part soon, since it is rare that one of my kind can speak so with one of yours. I appreciate your kind words, Hero." Her blue eyes considered him thoughtfully. "In fact, I appreciate the fact that fate brought you to me, but not only for my own restoration from the curse. Link, I have a request."
"A goddess is asking me to do something? Normally I bite my thumb at the gods, but I think I can make an exception." When that made her laugh, he kept smiling. It felt good to make her laugh.
"You command great power, as you have admitted to me just now. Not many would understand how to use the power of two gods to remove the curse of a demon, yet you did." Solaria's beautiful eyes were pleading. "Will you do for my people as you did for me? Will you channel my power to restore the Twili?"
He stared at her. After restoring her curse, it hadn't occurred to him that he could do the same for the Twili. She was one woman, and they were many. "Uh...maybe? Casting it on one person is different than casting it on tens of thousands of people. Not only that, but you saw what happened to Jannis. He was hit by the spell and he didn't change back."
Master Link, if I may? The Master Sword had been silent since he had cast the spell earlier. Solaria startled as if she wasn't expecting the voice, and fixed her eyes on the purple hilt behind his left shoulder. Unsurprisingly, she could hear the sword. Jannis was infused with sacred light magic instead of purified due to his proximity to a spell that was not intentionally cast on him. If you had desired to cast the spell on both he and Solaria, then I do not doubt that he would have returned to his normal form as well.
"I'm able to do that? I thought Midna was going to used the Fused Shadows to fix them, not me." It suddenly occurred to him the way that he would restore so many transformed people. "Sword, are you sure I can make the spell big enough to cast over all the Twili?"
I am confident that if you use the combined power of the largest of the Sols from the palace, then you will be able to. It will stress your body since an ordinary mortal is not meant to process that amount of magic, but as I have said before, you are unique. Your physical and magical abilities have been designed to do what you must accomplish, and I believe that the restoration of the Shadow Beasts is one such thing that the hero must do.
"I would not ask you to do this if I did not believe you could do it." Solaria said. "I know it to be a difficult task, but this curse must be lifted with light, not darkness. Even though Princess Midna possesses the Fused Shadows and can resist its temptations, it is still an evil relic. For all her power, she cannot save her own people. You can."
"I…" He couldn't refuse to do this any more than he could refuse to face Ganondorf. As with so many other things, he was the only one who could do it. Link nodded solemnly. "I'll do my best to save them. You have my word."
The fare that one of the sailors cooked for them was fairly simple: grilled bream stuffed with a dried herb that tasted like cilantro, and slices of a pink citrus that proved to be strangely-colored oranges. The Twili did not use wood or even coal to cook, but instead had something that was little more than a thick ceramic-coated metal plate on four metal legs, which the man cooking kept hot with fire magic. Link then realized that Jannis must have prepared the tea in the infirmary in the same manner.
Solaria ate as if she was starved. At first the men joked and laughed with one another about the demon having an appetite, but once she started on her second full fish, the jokes stopped and they watched her with a quiet awe. Midna clicked her tongue at the group of them disapprovingly from where she and Jannis sat off to the side. "Gentlemen, please. It's rude to stare at a lady when she eats. She has a severe case of magic withdrawal and needs to recharge."
"I don't think these men deal with magic withdrawal. They're ordinary casters." Jannis said. Every once in a while, the knight would sigh longingly at the food.
"He's right. Everybody's heard of it, but it's kind of like anemia; you don't know you're looking at somebody who has it until someone tells you." Derrik had since finished his food and was drinking a strange fermented fruit tea that did not smell appetizing in the least. Solaria drank some anyway. "No offense, lady...but you're eating like a teenager."
"Not quite. I'm still eating more than her. Barely." Link felt that wasn't going to be the case for long.
"If you knew the size of the magic reserves I must refill, you would understand." The goddess had forgotten her manners once she began eating, and now spoke with her mouth full. It was a strange juxtaposition compared to her beautiful features and graceful movements. She chewed and stared at the wooden plate of food in front of her, and then swallowed before continuing. "I think it is time I tell you Twili who I am. As you can see, my hair and skin are not like yours, nor are my ears. Sir Jannis was correct in stating that I am not from around here. In fact, I am not from the Shadow Realm at all, but came here of my own choice through one of my people's portals."
"Why in the world would you want to come here? We Twili were banished here so we didn't have a choice, but I can't imagine why someone from the Light Realm would want to be here. Other than Link, of course." Derrik was only partially right in that regard. Link didn't exactly want to be in the Twilight Realm either, but did it out of necessity.
"Once my sister passed away while fighting a demon, I came to this world to continue to fight them, as did many of the other gods." She let that sink in as she took a sip of the fermented tea, and the men stared at her. "I will be blunt: I am the Silver Goddess and the one your people follow. I am Solaria."
Upon hearing her name, the six men scrambled to kneel on the deck, and bowed their heads to her with their hands on the wood planks, their foreheads almost touching them. When they did so, Solaria watched them with an unreadable expression, but the look she shot Link spoke volumes. This was how the average Twili reacted to her, and the way that he, Midna and Jannis had been treating her was unusual.
"Please do not bow to me, not as I am right now. I am recovering from a curse, the very same curse that was inflicted on the people in the islands above. Instead I ask that you treat me as an unfortunate woman that was cursed into a demon, because that is what I am. If you wish to do something for me, then I ask for a place in your town where I may rest and recover." She sighed since the six of them were still bowing their heads to her in respect. "Please stop. We gods have hidden ourselves to live among your people from time to time, and you were none the wiser. We eat, breathe and bleed like you."
"Are you certain, Your Grace?" asked one of the men, a burly fellow with curly orange hair. He sat up slightly to look at her with his red eyes. "None of us want to show you disrespect. Especially uh...after I asked you out for a drink earlier." Suddenly the reason why she had been ignoring the men when they came to talk to her made sense.
Solaria smiled at that. "You are not the first mortal man to make a pass at me, so do not fret. In fact I am glad that you all treated me like an ordinary woman before you knew who I was." She continued to smile and watch as the fishermen began to relax and look her in the eye. "We shall work together to recover my Sols, and then I will assume my Twili disguise before we return to town. Then I will go to Governor Anris. He has met me and knows who I am, even with my disguise. And then, I ask that you not tell a soul of what happened here."
"We were already told to do that, since Princess Midna is here." grumbled another one of the men. "Now I have to make up a reason why I was out after dark, or my wife's going to be furious."
"We'll catch some squid. It'll be a good cover." Derrik stood. "It was what I planned to do anyway. But first, let's get those Sols. You sit and keep eating until you've had enough, Solaria." The man did not even call his own goddess by her title, even though he had been bowing to her a minute ago. "All right boys, dinner's done. Back to work."
The sun goddess continued to recover while Midna resumed her watch at the top of the mast, whistle in hand. The sun was setting, so while it was briefly difficult for her to spot the Sols, she had an easier time of it once the reddish glare was gone. Unfortunately, that meant that Link had to resume diving to the bottom of the Inner Sea with a net and a line. Even though it was dark, it didn't affect his enhanced vision very much, and he was still able to see the terrifying sight of empty water surrounding him.
After he had brought up a Sol from water far deeper than his previous dives, he trembled and gripped at the rail while trying to calm himself. For some reason it was far worse after sunset, even though he could still see well enough underwater. Most likely a psychological reason was involved, but whatever it was didn't matter. He was terrified again, and this time it wasn't only in front of six strangers, but now their god as well.
Solaria came to stand next to him and put a hand to his back, both sympathetic and curious about his fear. Upon learning of his thalassophobia, she immediately declared that she was well enough to retrieve the Sols herself, and told him to go rest somewhere. Grateful that someone else could retrieve the damn things, he found a quiet spot on the deck behind the wheelhouse to curl up and let his fear run its course instead of trying to will it away. He knew that his fear of vast water was not at the level of his fear of spiders, so he told himself that it could be far worse. At least this time he didn't need to distract himself with inappropriate thoughts of Ilia, although he did wish he could hold her close while he processed his fear.
Not only was the goddess able to pinpoint where the Sols were at, but she was also able to use her magic to draw them towards her. No more nets were needed, and Solaria brought the shining spheres onto the deck one by one, where Midna kept stowing them away with her magic. While the princess and her goddess fished for Sols, the men fished for whatever seafood they could find. Jannis offered to help them with his enhanced Shadow Beast strength, and Link was left alone.
He hadn't realized that he dozed off until Midna shook him awake. It was well past dusk, but the ship was lit by magical lights. Considering that both the sky and sea were pitch black, he was grateful for any source of illumination. "Hey. We're pulling in to port soon. Let's get you out of the Zora armor and into your normal clothes."
"Oh." He stretched with a grunt and stood up. "Yeah, I should change. Did you get all the Sols?"
"Solaria thinks so, and I'm glad. I think I'm pushing the limits of how much I can carry with my magic. Jannis has plans to bring up some of the stuff the fishermen caught for the people in the hub, which means that we'll have to carry some. Not you, though. I don't expect you to carry anything with paws." She reached out to pat his face. "You're worn out already, what with casting difficult spells and swimming all day. I'll do my best to get you back to the Temple so you can get a good rest."
"It's like any other time." he said as he pulled the long-tailed helmet off his head, and then the Zora vision pendant. "My mind's too full for me to think about how tired I am. I'd probably be worse off if I didn't get to eat."
"You and Ria both. Oh, that's what we're supposed to call her. I guess she and Hylia used to have cute nicknames for one another. Ria and Lia. Sounds a lot like sisters." She snorted, and even though he had turned away from her, he knew she was rolling her eyes. "Not that you, me or Jannis know what it's like to have siblings."
"Somehow I'm not surprised to hear that he's an only child." He pulled off the now-dry Zora armor and rubbed at his bare chest. After wearing it for hours, it felt as if his ribs had been wrapped too tightly. "Ugh, why did you let me sleep in this thing again? It was bad enough when I did that in the Zora's Temple."
"We thought it best to leave you alone." She paused. "What are you doing here?"
He knew that Midna wasn't speaking to him, so he turned around after removing the webbed shoes of his outfit. Solaria stood there, patiently waiting while he changed. Why she couldn't wait elsewhere instead of standing there where she could watch him was beyond him. He had assumed that being so formal, Solaria would at least understand modesty. Then again she didn't seem bothered by the fact that they had seen her naked, and had even reached out to touch Jannis while in that state.
The goddess now had pale gray skin and ruby-red hair, and her pointed ears were shorter like a Twili's. "I wish to speak to Link."
Midna crossed her arms. "Yeah? Wish a bit longer, he's getting dressed. He doesn't need an audience." Unsurprisingly, she was rude with her own goddess.
"But you are here. I assumed that he did not care." Solaria looked past the imp at him. "You do know that she is a woman, right?"
He wasn't about to explain to her why there was very little modesty between himself and Midna. "Of course I do, but she's the one holding my clothes. Turn around and you can still talk to me." He waited, and the goddess in disguise raised a thin eyebrow before turning her back to him. Once she had done so, he resumed changing. "Okay, 'Ria'. What did you want?"
"I spoke with Princess Midna and Sir Jannis, and they gave me the full story of what has happened here and in Hyrule. Things are indeed dire and far worse than I had assumed, but today brings hope. Even though most of the gods are gone from Hyrule, there are men and women such as yourself." The goddess of the Twili raised her face to look up at the smear of amber magic that wreathed the floating islands. It was the only source of light in the sky, since the islands obscured the moon. "That is why I plan to remain here, with my people. I know that what you must do is daunting and I understand that it would help you greatly to have a god on your side, but others need me far more than you do. Twili are starving and dying, and the city government is nonfunctional. I will not hide in the distance this time, and I plan to aid the humans that have suffered here."
"It's okay. At least you're giving me a good reason why you expect me to take care of Hyrule, instead of the other gods telling me through the Light Spirits. The golden goddesses are pretty absent from the world, no matter what happens to it." He pulled his gambeson on, and then began to tie the lacing at the neck. "Me getting a piece of their power wasn't planned, but they haven't come along to tell me how to use it either. They haven't even tried to take Ganondorf's from him."
"I believe I understand your statement about biting your thumb at the gods. Farore has not told you a thing about your powers, and Din has done nothing to stop Ganondorf. Both of those are true...but I must defend my elder goddesses." She tucked a long lock of red hair behind one of her ears, still facing away from him. "They may not interfere. Their power is so great, the stakes so high, that if they stepped in to alter the natural progression of the world that they created, it could lead it to ruin and cause it to become the lifeless rock it once was."
"Seriously?" Midna sounded disappointed. "I was on the same page as Link, and I thought they were snobs that believed they were too good to help us humans."
"You know otherwise, Princess Midna. You know why this world's sky has been corrupted, and why we can no longer see the stars. Even though many gods are helpless to watch the races of this planet struggle, the least that they can do for them is to fight the demons that infest it." Solaria glanced over her shoulder at the transformed Twili. "You are descended from the Gerudo, and their own goddess has been helpless as her people in the Light World have gradually changed. Even though the Gerudo of the Interlopers had equal amounts of sons and daughters when banished here, the others of the race have since been altered and now rarely birth sons. The Goddess of the Sands wishes she could help them and remove the source of their corruption, but as an elder goddess she may not."
"It's like we're all children, and the gods have to watch us grow up without anyone there to help us figure out how." He pulled his boots on. "I'm dressed enough if you want to turn around."
Solaria turned to face him, and her face was saddened. "That is the way of it. I am certain that Farore watches you, now that you have a piece of her power. I know her, and if she was permitted, she would speak to you. Please do not resent her, Link. She is caught in the trappings of her station."
Link continued to put his gear on and thought about what she had said. He found that he now did want to talk to Farore, after all that Solaria had told him. He was stuck in the role of the hero and had rules he had to follow, and it turned out that his patron god of life was the same. What would he say to her, if he could? That he understood? That he didn't hate her, now that he knew the truth?
The subject was still on his mind as the Helmroc pulled into port. Time and again, the things he had assumed were the truth were not what he had expected, and now the gods themselves turned out to be a different race of humans that were so powerful that they were afraid to interfere, no matter how dire things became. It made it seem as if they needed to rely on the cycle of reincarnation, even if it was Hylia's doing. For all he or Solaria knew, she had done it specifically because the gods were limited in what they could do.
At least he had been able to speak to Solaria, who was a kind and loving goddess that cared for her people in the same way that a mother would. Even though the Twili saw her as elevated above them, she herself did not appear to believe that they were lesser than her. He kept that thought in his mind as he followed Jannis off the boat and onto the dock, and realized that was why Solaria valued his willingness to talk to her. She told him that she viewed him as a peer, and it was only because he saw people for who they were first, and what they were second. By simply being himself, he had treated her the way that she wanted.
"Hey, are you listening?" Jannis prodded him with a long, dark finger.
He was pulled out of his serious thoughts about the gods. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I've had some expectations subverted again, and it's making my mind do cartwheels."
"I said that we're not going back to the governor's. He's at home right now anyway since it's late, so plans have changed a bit. Derrik will take Ria there in the morning and explain everything, so for now he and his crew are going to bring food to the teleporter." The Shadow Beast knuckled along like an ape, and his metal mask was pointed towards the goddess that walked in the midst of the fishermen with Midna. "She told me that she's happy I have the Cerulean Sword, and won't blame me if I'm forced to use it against other transformed Twili." He raised one of his hands to put it to his glowing white gem. "That's not all. Once things return to normal, she wants me to teach light magic to others that can learn. You've given me a gift, and she wants me to share it."
"It wasn't my intention, but at the same time I'm glad that you now have access to light magic." He watched Solaria ahead. "I'm not surprised that she's pleased about it either, being who she is."
"I don't think you understand. Most Twili don't have any light magic since we've been altered by the ambient shadow magic, but I had a little. The fact that I had access to any was really unusual. But now I'm full of light, and I think it's stronger than my innate lightning magic. I can feel that this light is different than the magic that Chime or any of the Sisters use. It isn't healing magic. It's like...like I'll be able to use light magic the same way Midna uses shadow. I think in time, I'll be able to reverse my own curse or maybe the curses of others. And then after that, I'll have the power to drive away or kill things like Ganondorf. That's what you've given me."
Link turned his head to look at the Shadow Beast that ambled along next to him, and the silvery mask was facing him. Midna had bent the rules when using shadow magic, and had been proficient with it even before she had the Fused Shadows. Now Jannis was going to have a similar ability, but with light magic. He had made him the true hero of the Twili, and was infused with sacred magic in such a way that he would be able to defend his people.
"We gave you the tools you need to help your people. Midna gave you the sword, I gave you sacred light, and you're the hero who knows what he needs to do with them. That isn't all that different than what happened to me." He looked at the back of his left hand, where he knew Courage was. "I'm you, and you're me. Two sides of a coin, but it isn't light versus shadow. It's light working with shadow, combining our powers to help one another. We're both different, but we're doing the same thing."
"I realized that, the more I thought about it." The knight chuckled. "Even though we're each other's counterpart, I don't look too much like you. Sure, I have Hylian features, but my Twili coloration aside I don't feel like I'm looking in the mirror when I look at your face." He reached up to run a hand over his mock hair. "My hair is yellow and my eyes are orange, and I'm sure that's why Midna chose those colors when disguising you. But my hair is long and a bit curly, and it's red at the tips. Sometimes we Twili will have hair that changes into a different color the longer it gets. If I can figure out how to remove my curse before you leave, you'll see what I mean."
"You won't have to reverse your curse. I'm going to do it." He put his hand on the hilt over his shoulder. "The Master Sword told me what to do when I helped Ria, and it's confident that I can do it again. I focused it on one person, but if I had decided to focus it on all three of you, you all would have become human."
"Seriously?" The Shadow Beast sounded impressed. "You said that Midna was going to use the Fused Shadows to do it, and I wasn't quite sure how that was going to work. After seeing you out there on the marshes, I think you can do it…" His voice became quiet, only for Link to hear. "If she and I are human, then I know I can help her better than I can right now. I don't want to follow behind her as a knight anymore. She'll be my queen, but I want to be her equal. I want to be her friend, no matter what ranks we have."
"I think you'll be fine. Hero of the Twili? That means you get to break a few rules. Don't worry about rank, because rank doesn't matter to you anymore. You're just as important as anyone else now, even if you don't feel that way." He watched as Midna used her hair to carry a barrel of what he presumed was fish. "And she needs you, the guy that's been friends with her since you were kids. She's been so lonely, and it breaks my heart. I know she's hard to be around, but I get the feeling she's like that because of how her life was after her mother died."
The metal mask watched the transformed princess as she laughed and talked with her goddess as if the two of them were suddenly good friends. "Yeah. Don't worry. Even if she doesn't want me to, I'm going to take care of her."
Link smiled at that, but didn't say anything. He knew that even though she currently acted tough around him, it was because she genuinely liked Jannis. It wouldn't be long before she dropped the act and was herself, and then perhaps she could find the close friend she needed throughout her life.
Solaria bid them goodbye within the cavern that held the teleporter. Jannis and Midna had brought several crates and barrels of fish, fruit and vegetables to said teleporter and used it to reach the hub, and had left them in the hall before the warded gate. It wasn't much food for hundreds of people and would perhaps only last days, but the three of them were determined to lift the Twilight and kill Zant within that time frame.
The goddess actually embraced the three of them, sighing sadly as she did so. "It is my wish that I may come and visit you, Princess Midna and Sir Jannis." she said after she gave the large Shadow Beast a hug. "I understand that I must still be the goddess to the other Twili, but you two do not seem to see me that way."
"Of course not, because I can relate." Midna took the goddess' hand in her own and patted it. "I'm going to be queen, so whenever someone sees me as a person first, it's a relief. I imagine it's the same with you."
"We got to see who you were, and not just what you were." Jannis' voice was kind, despite its growling tone. "Besides, after all you've told us, we need to find the rest of the Sword of Stars. You'll need some friends to help you with that."
"While that is so, I am still too weak to use it even if it was reforged. That is something for the future and not now. For now we must save those who cannot save themselves." That was a discussion Link had not been privy to, but he understood why the three of them would want to find the second sacred weapon. If the Shadow Realm was full of demons, it would be another way to protect the Twili.
"Don't worry, I'm in the middle of doing that." Link said. "I plan on getting everything taken care of here in only days."
"I believe that you three can accomplish that goal." Solaria pulled him into an embrace. "Goodbye, Link. I hope that we will be able to speak again one day." She put her mouth close to his ear and spoke softly so only he could hear. "If things had been different, you could have become my brother in your first life. I know it is a distant relation now, but please know that even though we have scarcely spoken, I still feel a kinship with you." The goddess pulled back from him with a sad smile. "I give you my blessing, Hero of Hyrule."
He put a hand over his heart and bowed slightly. "And again, I give you my word. I'm going to save your people, and your sister's. No matter what it takes." Link straightened to meet her eyes, and saw that she was genuinely unhappy that they were leaving. Yet another person had been all alone, had found others because of him, and then had to return to being isolated. It was very much like Midna and Zelda. His heart went out to her, but he couldn't stay. "Goodbye, Solaria."
She watched him with her beautiful blue eyes as Jannis activated the teleporter, and then the world dissolved into blackness. Knowing what was coming, Link steeled himself for his usual transformation into the wolf. His companions expected it as well, and the two of them turned to watch him expectantly.
And nothing happened.
Link frowned and held up his left hand to look at the back of it, and saw that Courage was not currently active. "Huh. Did somebody lift the Twilight here?"
"No...look." Midna moved away from the two of them, and she passed through a rippling veil that was barely visible due to the strange aqua lighting. It was perhaps five or six feet away from the two of them. "This is Twilight over here, but for some reason it isn't around the two of you."
"I wonder why that is?" The intelligent Shadow Beast began to step off the platform, but Midna hurried up to him to stop him with a hand held up before his mask. Jannis tiled his head to the side slightly. "What? Is something wrong?"
"Yeah. If you move, you take this bubble that's free of the Twilight with you. Jannis, you're working like a little Sol. That's why Link didn't turn into the wolf." She gave him a fanged grin. "And if that's the case, I think getting places to help people is going to go a lot more smoothly."
"Huh." The knight put a hand to the white gem in his chest, and cast a spell. The gem glowed brightly, and the space free of Twilight expanded around him. Jannis laughed. "Yeah! You two see that? I'm like a Sol!"
"There's no proper veil of Twilight either." Link said, looking around them. He could still see that the Twilight still dimmed to a purple color in the distance, but there was no nearly-opaque brown wall that was covered in symbols. "If you're our own personal Sol, that will make getting back through the town a lot easier."
"First let's get this food to these people here, then Midna can head out with the Sol that goes to the hub and put it on top of the building." The transformed knight went to put a hand to his chin, bumped his long fingers into his mask, and then muttered something under his breath about forgetting again. "I don't mean a specific Sol, just one that's the right size. We have only four sizes, and I'm sure you can tell which ones are for the palace and the Temple."
"I'll sort it out once I'm up there. I can't let the people here see me use the Fused Shadows in any way." She scooped up a barrel of fish with her hair. "Link, I think if you walk by Jannis, you can carry...one of these…" She trailed off as she watch him hoist two barrels up, one on each shoulder. "Sometimes I forget how strong you are without Courage."
He couldn't help but grin at her. "Farmhand, remember? I've carried a lot of goats. Lead the way, Jannis."
Since he needed at least one of his hands, the Shadow Beast carried a single crate of vegetables. Even though they would need to make at least one more trip to bring all the supplies they had brought up from Northshore, he made sure to re-activate the wards once they had passed through them. While it was doubtful that anyone would sneak into the military section of the hub, it was a precaution just in case.
Midna moved the chain with the "NO ENTRY" sign to the side to allow the two men to carry their loads, and they received a much quieter reception this time. Many people were asleep, including all the children. A few of the lights in the building had been dimmed, but even then it was rather bright to be sleeping. Link understood why so many people were trying to snooze the last time they came through.
One of the Twili that did greet them was the older gentleman that had identified the Cerulean Sword. Link remembered him because his white-streaked red hair was wispy and wild. "What's this? Did you find something to bring us, Sir Jannis?"
"I did indeed. Squid, eels, a few red bream, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes and oranges." He set down his crate, and many of the Twili stirred. "I'd prepare some ice magic if I were you, so you can chill these fish."
The old man was so interested in the food, he hadn't taken a good look at their group. "By the goddess...you and your friend are changed. Sir, is this your true form?" he asked, addressing Link.
"Yeah." He set down his barrels, glad he didn't have to carry them anymore. Even though he had napped on the boat, he was still tired. "My friend didn't change, but some things happened that altered me and Sir Jannis."
"We have more food to get from the teleporter, so if you'll excuse us—" Jannis began, but the old man cut him off.
"Now hold on. I'll keep my trap shut because a lot of people here don't understand what's going on, but I do. You're making a sphere of light magic around you, and this young man has a sacred sword that's also leaking light magic." He fixed his red eyes on Link's, and lowered his voice. "Please be honest, because I understand that the three of you are most likely more than you say you are. Are you the hero that came as a sacred beast? You were a wolf with blue eyes before."
Link brought his own voice down. "I am but I'm not. I'm part of the bigger picture, and so is Sir Jannis. If anything, he's been more of a hero to you and many other people since everything went wrong."
"If we have two heroes instead of one, that's for the best." The old man leaned forward to pat him on the shoulder, and spoke even more quietly. "Of course, this isn't really your true form. It's the best visual glamour I've ever seen, but a Twili would never carry the sacred sword of Hylia. I'm a librarian and scholar, and I know the Master Sword when I see it." He smiled pleasantly. "Good luck, hero from the Light World." Then the old man turned towards the Twili that were starting to gather. "Sir Jannis brought us fish!"
Link stood there staring blankly at nothing, surprised that out of anyone that could figure who he was, it was an elderly man that had been trapped in a building for months. He slid his eyes to the side towards Midna, and she shrugged wordlessly at him.
"Come on." Jannis tugged on his arm. "There's more to carry, and then we can do something about this Twilight."
Midna managed to put the Sol on top of the building, but didn't return any more to the surrounding area even though she wanted to do so. Jannis insisted that she shouldn't be alone outside, since Templars were patrolling along with normal Shadow Beasts, and they attacked anything suspicious. Even then placing the Sol in the city was a risk, since it would undoubtedly be noticed. They decided to take that risk, if just to give the people within the hub a sense of security. The few hundred Twili were left with food and a Sol for protection, and then the three of them made their way back to the island where the Temple of the Sols was.
Even though Jannis knew he could extend his light to prevent Link from being transformed, the Hylian hero insisted on using his wolf form in order to run more efficiently. He was too tired to run as a man, but knew that as long as he didn't have to run too quickly, the wolf would have reserves of stamina. Midna certainly didn't complain about it, and she snuggled her face into his fur before he shoved her away with a paw.
Even though he ran as the wolf, the intelligent Shadow Beast extended his light in order to prevent the former villagers from attacking them. They reached towards the three of them with their long, dark arms, but were unable to come close enough to touch any of them. Even though it was possible for Jannis to extend his light far enough to encapsulate the wolf, it was uncertain if he could do so for some of the villagers, or if they could even walk. It was for the best that they didn't try, due to how exhausted Link was by the time they cleared the Twilight and escaped the Shadow Beasts. Once they made it to the Temple of the Sols, he flopped down on the ground with his sides heaving. "Finally…"
"You're really worn out, aren't you?" Midna alighted on the ground next to him and put her small hands on his ribs. "I could have carried you."
"Or I could have. If you weigh the same as a wolf as you do as a human, it wouldn't have been any trouble." Jannis squatted down next to Link and the silvery mask looked him over. "I think you overdid it."
Link weakly laughed, still somewhat breathless. "Sounds like me. Midna's been getting on my case about that for a while. Apparently I'm not any good to anyone if I kill myself from working too hard." He rested his head on his paws. "I need another minute, okay? Then we can go in and see who is awake. I have no idea how late it is, but the sun's been down for hours so I'm guessing close to midnight." He looked up at the moon, which was tinged pink by the purple haze in the sky, but it wasn't a good indicator of what time it was. Perhaps if he knew more of astronomy he'd be able to guess the time of day due to the position of the moon, but all it did for him was let him know where east and west were.
A woman in a black leather vest with a long blade at her waist came out through the gilded gate, and turned her shaved head back and forth until she spotted the three of them at the wall. It was the Bladedancer that had initially trusted them when they had arrived the day before. "You're back already?"
"Hello, Erta." Jannis greeted her on a first-name basis, so perhaps they were friends. Or not, if Bladedancers were as stuck up as Midna claimed. "Things went a lot smoother than anticipated. There's a lot to tell. Is the Matron still awake?"
"Of course not. It's quarter past midnight. I should be sleeping, but I had a gut feeling that something was going to happen, so I got dressed and started to patrol the grounds." She walked over to the three and stopped next to the wolf. "...is this wolf the man from the Light Realm?"
"Yes." he said, raising his face to look at her. "I'll change back in a minute. I'm tired from swimming, running, casting big spells...that kind of thing. I don't suppose you have a place where I can sleep?"
"There are empty dormitories in the academy. In fact, you could probably use Princess Midna's room, since I'm going to assume she's cursed in the same way as Sir Jannis." The Bladedancer looked the imp carefully.
"You'd be correct in that assumption. If he's going to sleep there, I can show him the way." She floated up into the air to be on the level with the priestess. "You can go back to bed. If Jannis and I are here, then we'll know if anything bad happens."
The woman inclined her bald head politely. Out of the two Bladedancers Link had met, she was the more reasonable one. "Thank you, Princess Midna. I'm interested in watching your friend transform, however. Shapeshifters are rare, so I'm curious about how the spell works."
Link groaned and lay a paw on his snout to partially cover his eyes. "Oh gods, no. I think both you and I'd prefer you to not be around for that."
"It's rather immodest so I don't blame Link for not wanting to show you. He glows white as his shape changes, and then he's naked for a second before his clothes and weapon form on him." Jannis did not laugh this time, thankfully. "And when he turns into the wolf, he glows gold. It's two different spells. Here, let's give him some space and I'll tell you about some of his magic, and what the heck happened to me." He walked next to the Bladedancer and the two of them disappeared around the corner and through the gates.
Midna politely turned her back to him, and he appreciated the gesture. While she did poke fun at him about his squeamishness, she was far kinder when he was exhausted. "I think Solaria's interested in you."
He wearily stood, and then tilted an ear back in annoyance. "You know, women can like me without having romance in mind. Okay Sword, go ahead."
She patiently waited until the spell had finished, before turning around while the Master Sword informed him that the purification was complete. "I had heard the gods are supposed to be reserved due to how old they were, but she sure seemed familiar with you."
"Please, Midna. I'd rather not think of the implications of a goddess that wants to date me." Or a goddess that could potentially fall in love with him, which was what started the entire cycle of reincarnation. That wasn't anything he planned on telling Midna, and nothing he planned on telling Zelda for a while. "She seems interested in me because one of my previous incarnations personally knew Hylia."
"I had gathered that, although I don't know how a previous Link led Hylia away from her. Maybe there was a Link even more powerful than you, and he was almost like a god." She shrugged, dismissing the subject. "In any case, let's get you to bed."
The dorm room that was once Midna's was unremarkable, and was at the far end of a hall in the dark wooden building. The doors to some of the rooms were shut, so there were still some students within the academy. They had been fortunate to have been in the best place to avoid being cursed or trapped in the Twilight. It was dark in the room, but Midna didn't do anything to illuminate it. "I never was able to turn on the lights in here. Sorry about that. It requires light magic, something I tried to learn for years but I simply can't use."
"Everybody's got their weak points. I can sing, but I can't whistle. You have no idea how much grief people gave me over that one, being a goatherd and all. Best I could do is blow on a piece of grass." He held up his left hand and Courage glowed softly, illuminating the room enough for him to see. It was spartan and contained a bed, dresser, washstand with mirror and a writing desk. It wasn't too different than his room in Kakariko. He began to unbuckle his baldric, feeling a bit peckish but unable to do much about it. As much as he enjoyed fish, it didn't seem to keep him full for very long.
He had removed his chain and rolled it up when Jannis came into the room. "Oh, you figured out a way to see." the knight said. He was holding something luminous in one hand, and what looked like a glass in another. "I bought you something, since you used a lot of magic." He set the glowing pear and glass on the dresser. "You can drink cow's milk without feeling sick, right?"
"Yeah, I have no problems." He reached for the luminous pear and stared at it as it he clutched it in his hand. Weird. At least it still smelled like a normal pear.
The Shadow Beast's runes threw off enough white light for Link to see, and so the Hylian extinguished Courage. "I wasn't sure. There are some people here of Gerudo descent that have problems." Jannis said, and then his mask turned towards his princess. "Midna, I want to discuss some things for tomorrow. Neither one of us can sleep, so if we figure out exactly what we're doing it'll go faster."
She landed on the bed and swung her little legs over the side. "Sure. I'm happy to have somebody to talk to while he sleeps. Usually I sit around and read to pass the time." She stared at him flatly. "I can't see your face, but I know what expression you'd have. No, Jannis. I haven't been reading dirty novels."
"Mph." Link swallowed the pear he was chewing. "Except in Hida's fortress."
Midna rolled her eyes dramatically. "Except there, yes. It's quite a bit of what the Gerudo had to read, you know. A few of them even had illustrations."
That made Jannis laugh. "Of course they did. Your choice in reading material has always been risque. The kinds of things you read make other girls go red in the face. Nice girls tend to read poetry."
Midna snorted. "I'm a nice girl, and I'm not crazy about poetry. It's stupid, artistic and pretentious...not to mention there isn't much of a story to poems."
"Maybe you think that because you've only read bad poetry, or some of the weird abstract stuff. Good poetry is certainly better than smut." He turned his mask towards Link, who had just set the core of the pear next to the empty glass. The Hylian had practically devoured the snack. "What's your opinion?"
He didn't want to take sides in the stupid debate, which was subjective. He really didn't care for poetry, and reading something dirty made him feel...well, dirty. Instead of agreeing with one or the other, he decided to give them a non-answer. Link dramatically raised his hand in front of him, and ad libbed what he hoped was an incredibly dramatic verse comprised of random bullshit:
"The sun sets on my soul,
cloaking it in darkness.
Alas, I cannot keep what I have found!
It is lost, gone in a wave of embers.
I am undone,
withered like a rose left in the cold.
And thus, all that I am shall die."
He held his pose, arm extended dramatically before him, and only moved his eyes to look at the two Twili. Midna looked at him like he had just sprouted a second set of arms. Meanwhile her knight was completely immobile, as if he was staring with the same expression. Link began to laugh, both at the absurdity of his improvisation and their reactions.
"You made that up, didn't you?" she said flatly. "You totally just made that up right now." This only made him laugh harder. He probably was a little giddy from being tired, but at the same time he needed a laugh after a depressing day within the Twilight Realm.
"It also doesn't answer our debate." The Shadow Beast crossed his long arms and huffed a breath in frustration, and Link could see his shoulders rise and fall with that breath. "Fine, smartass. If that's how you're going to be about it, I'll give you an example." Jannis did not pose dramatically, but stood there with his arms crossed as if he was remembering something instead of fabricating it like Link had done. Then he recited:
"In dreams, the world is hushed yet bright and clear.
Lacking all fear, we search for calm safety;
the peace and succor one may find in sleep.
That comfort supplies us with serenity,
stones that we may use to build a bastion.
A slumber all can use as sweet escape
from violet mists that plague our floating lands."
After he was finished, Midna snorted at the verse derisively and floated over to him. "Of course you'd quote Sir Kennit, you snob. I'd still rather read about two people railing one another over one of his sonnets."
Link tossed his gambeson on the floor and climbed into the neatly-made bed, still navigating by the gentle light shed by the transformed knight. "Please don't recite an example of yours for me to judge."
"Oh, you good boy. I can picture how red you'd get, so I'll be kind." She waved her small hands at Jannis to shoo him out the open door, and then turned back towards Link. "Get some rest, hero. Tomorrow's another busy day. We have some Sols to restore."