Zach and Midna found themselves cast in unnatural darkness. They reached out and grasped hands, both squeezing tightly against a pushing tide. Midna pulled herself closer and hugged Zach's arm.
"When all was chaos, the goddesses descended and gave order and life to the world." Three shining lights swirled around them. One a piercing red, one a serene blue, one a daring green.
"They granted power equally to all who dwelt in the light, and then returned to the heavens." The red light birthed land. The blue light flew over that land and birthed life. The green light flew over that life and birthed the spirits of law and order. Once their work was complete, the three lights met just above the land. A new, golden light blossomed over the land, taking the form of three triangles.
Midna stared at the triangles. "The... The Triforce..."
"The lands where the goddesses descended came to be known as the Sacred Realm. You both know the story of the Dark Interlopers." Atop the land, three figures emerged, each wreathed in black and red. "Wielding powerful sorcery, they tried to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm. We light spirits sealed away the great magic those individuals had mastered." As quickly as they appeared, they vanished, leaving only an enormous Fused Shadow behind. Soon enough, even the Fused Shadow turned to ash and blew away in a gentle breeze. "This magic was once thought to be one of the greatest threats to the Sacred Realm. There have been others; demon kings, masks of destruction, even fellow gods."
As the spirit spoke, a parade of figures marched beneath the Triforce. All tried to reach the three triangles but whenever they came close, a boy in green drove them off with sword and shield in hand. "Throughout our history, there has always been one who would protect the land from evil. One who would use his courage to defend what he loved. The chosen Hero, Link!"
Link raised his sword in salute to the Triforce, his head bowed and eyes closed. "The cycle of the Triforce is absolute: No denizen of Hyrule can break it. Evil always rises to claim power, and has always been met by a Princess of Destiny and the Hero chosen by the Gods. That is the way of things... until now." Just like that, Link disappeared. He left nothing behind, not even dust.
"What happened to him?" Zach asked.
"He has been lost to us. Hyrule has no Hero, and so it will fall." Lanayru appeared where Link once stood. "The Goddess of Wisdom devised a solution; choose an individual from another realm who shall be the new Hero in Link's stead. After much thought and careful consideration, Nayru chose you, Zach."
"Why?" Zach struggled to focus against his thrumming heartbeat. "Wait, let me rephrase: Why choose me again? What went wrong the first time?"
Lanayru tilted its head. "Do you not know yourself?" Zach's memory carried him back to the very meeting in which he had been offered the role of Hero. The conversations lined up exactly, until...
"Hyrule is in great danger," Nayru said, though it was more like a whisper. "Link has been killed before he can assume his role as Hero. Ganondorf is coming and the only one who can stop him... is you."
Zach blinked and then shrugged. "Well, can't argue with that logic," he said. "Sounds like fun."
What followed was a montage of Zach's time in Hyrule, from his departure from his family to his first venture into the Twilight to his meeting with Midna and Zelda all the way to their fight in Link's house. Everything was more or less the same, but this time Zach did not offer any apology for his part in that fight.
The rest of Zach's journey into the forest unfolded on a different path than what he had experienced. Without that apology, the animosity between Midna and him grew until it finally burst after defeating Diababa:
"You've had a whole day!" Midna yelled. "You've recovered enough, so let's not waste any more time here when we could be looking for the other two Fused Shadow!" She then vanished into Zach's shadow, as if that ended the conversation.
Zach remembered the conversation turning to things like how his clothes returned to normal and how Midna was going to open a portal to get him out of the marsh. He was not expecting to stomp his foot down and grab his own shadow.
"You listen to me, you fucking piss ant!" Zach shook Midna's shoulders, clearly surprising the both of them that he could even do that with her as a shadow. "I am the fucking Hero of Twilight! I deserve some respect for what I just did! I'm here to take down Ganondorf and if I'm gonna get poisoned and crunched on, I'm going to get a 'Thank you' and a 'You did good' and nothing else! Do you fucking understand me?!"
"You'll get what I say you deserve to get," Midna hissed through clenched teeth. "If you don't let go of me right now, I'll give you exactly what you deserve."
They glared at each other for a lifetime caught in a moment, and then Zach shoved her away. "Whatever. Just open the damn portal so we can get your precious Fused Shadow."
When they returned to the spring, Zach marched right past Coro without so much as a passing glance. The conversations Midna and Zach shared on the way to Eldin Province never happened, replaced by Zach's brooding silence and Midna's increasingly-biting remarks on his behavior.
They entered the second Twilight Wall, but this time there was no comfort to be found when Midna failed to teleport the whole Kakariko Bridge.
"Way to go," Zach muttered. "You've been doing a half-assed job so far, no surprise you did the same here."
"Shut up," Midna replied. She wiped her nose, smearing her glowing wrist and turning the light red. "I'm just not used to moving something so big, okay? Just. Drop. It." She stood up and limped over to Zach. "I can get you across the rest of the way, just give me a moment to catch my breath."
"But we wasted a whole day," Zach said in a very mocking tone. "You've recovered enough, so let's not waste any more time here when we could be looking for the other two Fused Shadow. That is what you said to me, right? Fair's fair, after all."
Midna slapped him in a most unfriendly way. "That's for mocking me." She zapped him with her magic and threw him to the other side of the chasm. "And that's for losing your temper on me."
There was no ReDead in the shaman's basement, and so Zach did not get blinded by the shadow insect. He handled himself very well throughout the village, but when the mountain erupted, Zach did not slow down even while Midna clung to his back.
"Slow down," Midna ordered. "The mountain is trying to kill us!" Zach did not reply. He just kept going. "FINE! See how long you last without me!" Midna dove into his shadow but he did not so much as twitch.
Zach eventually reclaimed the Tears of Light and returned to normal. He faced down the horde of Lizalfos, but he refused to listen to Midna's warning regarding the horse Epona. He jumped on the mare's back, yanked her reins, and was promptly knocked off for his troubles. With no one to guide her, the horse ran straight into the horde.
Zach and Midna watched in horror as the horse fell to the Lizalfos. Without the ReDead to slow them down, they ransacked the village with wild abandon. Zach glared at Epona's corpse and screamed, "Useless piece of shit!" He kicked the dead horse for good measure, right in view of the children of Ordon. Once the monsters were dead, Zach washed himself off in the spring. He tried to explain himself but the children had none of it. They turned their backs on him and left him alone in the spring. "It's just a damn horse," he hissed. He looked down at his reflection and stomped his boot on it.
Midna retrieved the Silver Gauntlets but this time, Zach did not overreact. He simply donned them and went on his way, ignoring everyone in the village trying to wish him luck. In his quiet fury, he neglected to retrieve the Hylian Shield.
"They're trying to be nice to you," Midna said. "You could at least return the favor."
"They had their chance," Zach snarled.
"Why would the Goddesses choose you? You are the worst possible person to be the hero!"
Zach did not slow down as he replied, "I'm not Ganondorf, therefore I'm not the worst person."
The battle with Dangoro went even worse. Whereas before Midna convinced Zach to stand down, this time Midna did not even try. She watched as Zach's body was beaten to a pulp, and only when he begged her to save him did she carry him to the spring to heal. The Gorons were not pleased and so refused to grant him entry to the mining facility.
In his anger, he found the large rock that had fallen during the eruption and lifted it entirely on his own, his right hand glowing with an eerie golden light. He carried it back to its original landing spot and stabbed it into the ground, then ordered the Gorons to let him pass or he would leave it there.
Zach took the fire cloth from the Gorons and marched into the mining facility. The battle was surprisingly much easier this time. Fyrus had not sabotaged the cannon, and so Zach was able to effectively defeat him with minimal damage to himself. However, he had forgotten about King Dodongo.
By the time he and Midna made it back to Kakariko, half the village was up in smoke. The children of Ordon had been playing in the spring and were caught completely off-guard by King Dodongo. They were horribly burned but would live. The same could not be said for Renado; he had fallen in his efforts to save the children.
No one congratulated Zach when he defeated King Dodongo. They did not even acknowledge him, too distraught over the fates of their shaman and the children.
Zach did not stay the night. He ate what supper there was and went on his way. He climbed the gate rather than brute-forcing it open, and he and Midna ventured onto the great plateau alone.
When they discovered the bulblin patrols, Zach simply ignored them and made his way north. When he crossed the Bridge of Eldin, the middle segment of the bridge vanished into Twilit particles.
Zach smashed through a rock barricade with his Goron Hammer and made his way to the third Wall of Twilight. Midna did not wait for him; she picked him up with her hair and threw him to the ground on the other side. They did not speak for the entire journey through Northern Hyrule Field, barring one interaction as they approached the castle town:
"We should see if there are any supplies—"
"We have enough."
"We're running low on food."
"So we hunt in the wild."
"Zach, I... I know you're upset about what happened. There wasn't anything you could have done to save them."
"You do realize it was you who sent King Dodongo careening over the side of the mountain, right?"
"I... Look, we've been at each other's throats since we met. I'm trying not to be so hard on you."
"How gracious of you."
"... Nevermind. Sorry I tried to care."
"It's okay. I forgive you."
They did not go into the town market. Instead, they went down to the lake the same way as before, only they skipped the spring and headed straight to Zora's Domain. Without Zach's hoodie, Midna's skin was turning a sickly pale blue. She made no complaints, however, even as she helped Zach up to the throne room. They watched in secret as Zant threatened Queen Rutela. Once he left, they sprang into action.
Without warm clothing, the cold of the domain took its toll on Midna. Try as she might, she was unable to save Queen Rutela.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Zach bellowed. "Did you seriously just let that happen, Midna?!"
"SHUT UP!" Midna struck down the shadow beasts and glared at her 'companion'. "I didn't see you try to stop them!"
"Your parents would be ashamed of you!"
Midna halted in her tracks. Her mouth opened and closed as tears welled up in her eyes. "You... you dare say such a thing to me? What did I do to make you hate me so much? Ever since we met, you've been acting like a complete ass."
"And you've been completely useless! You never did anything for me!"
"You never deserved it!"
"I'm the Hero of Twilight!"
"You couldn't be a hero if you tried!"
"We'll fucking see! Summon up that rock from Death Mountain so we can thaw out Zora's Domain, then I'll have Lanayru itself tell you exactly what I've been saying from the start!"
And so they did. Without Queen Rutela to move the frozen Zora, the majority of them were crushed by the stone. The rest would live, but that provided so very little comfort to Midna.
Once the shadow insects were killed, Lanayru appeared before the duo.
"Tell her," Zach said, "that the goddesses chose me to be the Hero."
Lanayru tilted its head. "They never chose you to be the Hero."
Zach blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Boy, you do not truly believe that you are the Hero of this story, do you?"
"Wha... yes! I've been getting my ass handed to me since I got here! I've faced down giant monsters and dealt with ancient evil magic! Who else would be the Hero if not me?!" Lanayru coiled up, its head just inches from Zach.
"You are not ready for this," Lanayru said. "Leave it alone, boy."
"My name is Zach!"
Midna reached for him. "Just calm down, Zach. Take a deep breath—"
Zach threw her hand away and screamed, "WHY AM I HERE?!"
Lanayru did not so much as twitch. Instead, it merely sighed. "So be it. You were never meant to be the Hero, Zach. Your purpose is to end the cycle of the Triforce."
Zach's face scrunched up in confusion. "That sounds pretty heroic. I mean, that's not something you ask just anyone to do."
Lanayru looked at both of them and said, "Without Link, Hyrule has no Hero. Evil will claim the Sacred Power and plunge the world into darkness. The Princess of Destiny will fade into legend spoken from person to person until at last, all the people will know is pain and death.
"Unless... unless a new Hero is chosen, one who can embrace the best of two worlds. One who is courageous, compassionate, wise, and devoted to a greater force than them."
Zach nodded with a scowl. "Yeah, hence, me."
"You are cowardly, disdainful, rash, and selfish. That is not the way of the Hero, Zach."
"So..." Zach licked his lips, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "If I'm not the Hero, then who is?"
Lanayru slowly turned its gaze to Midna. "The role of Hero has been given to Princess Midna of the Twili. Her heart is pure, her spirit is true, and she is willing to give her life for the good of the many."
"So my question remains unanswered!" Zach yelled.
Even after his outburst, Lanayru did not budge. Instead, it told Zach exactly the answer he did not want:
"In many of the legends of the Hero," Lanayru said, "there has been a companion at the Hero's side, to provide guidance and assistance when needed. As you know, Zach, in the original legend it was Midna who was the companion and Link the Hero. Now, Midna is the Hero and you are her companion."
"I'm the companion?" Zach asked. "But the Goddesses themselves told me I was the only chance to stop Ganondorf."
Lanayru bowed its head. "I warned you... On the path you now walk, Ganondorf will be defeated and the cycle of the Triforce will end, but at the cost of your life. It is inevitable. I am sorry, Zach. You left behind no legacy, no great mark on the world, and thus the perfect candidate to go to Hyrule... and never come back. You were chosen because you are expendable."
Zach turned on his heel and stormed out with Midna close behind. He leaned against one of the stone pillars beyond Lanayru's spring, his breathing shallow and quick.
Midna cleared her throat. "Look, Zach, I... I'm sorry. I didn't ask to be the Hero."
"No one does," he muttered. "At least, no one who deserves it does."
"We'll figure this out," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Zach merely nodded. His scowl never went away, even as he left his spot and made camp for the night.
Weeks later, three figures were locked in combat: two against one. Zach and Midna in her true form fought with the Ordon Sword and a sacred blade respectively against a tall, sinister man with greenish skin and malicious black armor, a sagely white sword clenched tight in his fist.
The battle was vicious; every swing was aimed to kill, every dodge a narrow escape, every second not fighting was spent recuperating. Midna locked blades with Ganondorf, her left hand aglow with golden light, its intensity matched only by the light emanating from Ganondorf's right hand. Zach jumped into the fray, his own right hand glowing as well.
"The Triforce parts are resonating," Ganondorf said with a pleased smirk. "They are combining into one again!"
The blade-lock ended with an explosion of pure divine power. All three were blown clean off their feet, their weapons cast from their hands.
Midna rolled from her stomach to her back, one hand nursing a gash in her shoulder, the other supporting her as she sat up. A golden light above the battlefield caught her attention. She looked up and stared in awe. There, in three shining parts, was the Triforce itself.
A scream rang out. Midna looked around wildly, finally finding Zach... with a glowing sword protruding from his back. In his hand was the Master Sword, its own blade imbedded in Ganondorf's chest. It was Ganondorf's scream that echoed in Midna's ears, though it soon faded as he died where he stood.
Zach had his back to Midna, his shoulders hunched as he shoved Ganondorf to the ground. He turned around, both hands resting on the hilt of the sword in his chest. "He who touches it," he whispered, looking up at the Triforce, "will have whatever he desires granted."
Midna clambered to her feet. Her lungs burned and her breathing was labored. One eye was bruised shut but that did not prevent her from watching the Triforce descend from the sky.
"Zach... Zach, don't..."
"I don't want to die," Zach whimpered as he took a very painful step forward. "But that... that can save me..." One hand reached out to the Triforce. "I don't want to die..."
"Zach, I'm begging you..." Midna took a step forward and hissed at the pain in her ankle. Zach took two steps in response. "Please, let the Triforce go. This is your chance to end the cycle forever, just like the spirit said. All you have to do is let the Triforce go! Let it go, Zach! Please, just let it go!"
"The Triforce," Zach hissed as he took another step, "is mine."
Midna lunged for the Triforce, her fingers reaching with every ounce of strength left in her body. She was so close! Just a bit closer and then—
Zach touched it first. Lightning crackled around them as the skies tore open, bathing the land in blood red light. Midna screamed, but her voice was lost in the thunder of Zach's newfound power. He removed the sage's sword, wrenched the Master Sword from Ganondorf's body, and took to the skies, leaving a trail of red and gold light in his wake.
From the Master Sword burst an ethereal blue light, which then formed into a woman clad in blue and violet. Her metallic blue skin reflected the lightning around her, though she did not react to that at all. She simply stared at Zach and said, "I cannot allow you to do this."
"Oh, the spirit decides only now to voice her opinion," Zach sneered. "Look, what's the big deal? You have any idea the things I can do now that I have the Triforce?"
"Your actions will be tainted by your selfish ambition."
"I can end evil and suffering everywhere!" he declared. "And I can make what everyone did to me like it never happened."
"You have no one to blame but yourself for the events that have transpired."
"I... I'm sorry, but you can't get in my way."
The Master Sword cut the spirit from shoulder to hip, cleaving through her spiritual gem like it was nothing. Her mouth opened and closed as her body disintegrated in a flash of blue and gold light. Once she was gone, the Master Sword changed: its violet hilt faded to a mottled gray, its gold gem blackened, and its wings vanished.
Zach stared at the empty space the spirit once occupied, his fist clenching and unclenching. A bolt of energy struck him in the back. He whirled around just in time to get smacked aside by Midna wielding the power of the Fused Shadow. Her seven limbs reached for him, ready to crush the life from him.
With a wave of his hand, Zach sent her flying. "Midna, for once just listen to me! I can make right all the things that have gone wrong! I can undo my mistakes!"
"You cannot control the power of the Triforce!"
"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?!" His fist met the stone eye of the Fused Shadow, shattering the helmet entirely. Midna fell from the sky, only to be caught by Zach's glowing right hand. She gasped for air, her fingers struggling against the black-and-gold gauntlet clutching her throat. "Midna, I'm trying to offer you something your people's magic never could: Control over your destiny. Think about it! You can guarantee the safety of the Twilight Realm for generations to come. Why try and stop me?"
"BECAUSE YOU WILL FAIL!" she bellowed, her voice booming in Zach's mind. "You think I haven't heard this speech before? Zant and Ganondorf made such promises, my ancestors made such promises, and what happened? They all failed!"
Midna vanished in a burst of Twilit particles. She reformed right behind Zach and struck the side of his neck.
"I really think you're overreacting," Zach said as he grabbed at her. "I have the whole Triforce! Ganondorf only had one piece and Zant had even less. Your ancestors never had any of it! Why don't you believe in me?"
"I see the gleam in your eye." Midna batted his hand aside and shot another bolt of magic. It caught him right in the eye, sending him flying. "I'm sorry but I know that gleam. You only want to enforce your will and punish those who refuse."
Zach glared at her, his left eye socket now a black void. "So what?! What right have they to refuse a god?"
"You are not a god!"
"You're right, I'm bigger than that." Zach raised the Master Sword skyward. A bolt of lightning struck it, imbuing it with corrupted power. "I'll be the God they've always prayed for, the one who smites evil and wickedness." He slowly turned and faced Hyrule Castle, twirling his sword in deft fingers. "But I do admit, I'll have to make an example to make sure they know I'm serious." He let out a mighty roar and unleashed the energy directly at the castle.
Midna flew into the energy's path. Her fingers blistered and charred as she caught the energy and hurled it back at Zach. He had only a moment before it struck him in the chest, scorching his brand-new breastplate.
"Midna, you've been pissing me off since I got here. I'm being very lenient with you, I hope you realize that."
She teleported right up to him and sent her fist into his nose. They both screamed, he for the injury, Midna for the agony of striking him with a burnt hand. She vanished before he could retaliate, ready, ready to strike again—
His hand pierced through her sternum. Coughing up blood, Midna grasped his arm. Her legs dangled lifelessly now that her spine had been severed. His face was white with shock. "Midna, I..."
"You... You are..." She reached up and cupped Zach's cheek. The last thing she ever saw was his right eye's white sclera flooded with an evil red light. "You are a monster..." Zatam pulled his arm out of Midna's chest. She fell, fell, fell, though she had passed to the next world long before she hit the ground.
Zatam looked at his bloody palm, idly rolling Midna's broach in his fingers. A single red tear fell from his eye. "I never wanted this..." He flinched and crushed the broach in his hand. Shaking off the dust, he willed a long crack into the ground far below.
Using his completed Triforce, he pried the crack open, splitting Hyrule completely in half. The doomed world lasted for just a few more minutes, just long enough for Zatam to leave the atmosphere. Once he was clear, he snapped his fingers.
The once-great land of Hyrule disappeared, replaced by a field of debris with only the slightest hints that it ever held life.
Zach gasped as he awoke from the vision. He sank to his hands and knees, his eyes stinging with tears. He tried to speak but the sound that came from his mouth bordered on the inhuman.
Midna rested an arm over his shoulders and whispered, "Stay with me... just stay with me, breathe..." She reached over and gently guided his head so he could look at her. "It... it wasn't our future, Zach. It isn't our future at all."
"I killed you," he said through clenched teeth. Hot tears ran down his face. "I killed everyone..."
"No, it wasn't you." Midna wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "It wasn't you, Zach. I-I... I know you, Zach, and that was not you."
Zach looked up at Lanayru, and with a raw voice he asked, "Why did they choose me again? Did they not learn their lesson the first time?"
Lanayru hesitated. "The Goddesses... cannot undo a decision as important as this. Once you were chosen, you would always be chosen. This is the way of things now."
"Is it hopeless?" Zach wiped his face and averted his eyes. "What about the good things I've done so far?"
"What about them?"
The wind left Zach's sails. "I... doesn't all of that count for something?"
"No," Lanayru said. "Your destiny has not changed. The path on which you walk ends in your death, but in the process, you will end the cycle of the Triforce and bring peace to Hyrule at long last."
"Is there... Nevermind." Zach slowly rose to his feet, his shoulders sagging and his chin trembling. "I was going to ask if there was any way to avoid it, but you would have said so."
"... I am sorry, Zach." Lanayru bowed its head. "You have the capacity for great good, but your selfish tendencies will be your undoing. Those who do not know the danger of wielding power will, before long, be ruled by it. You cannot change who you are, Zach, and who you are... is Zatam." The spirit faded into the darkness of its spring, leaving Zach and Midna alone.
"Zach, I..." Midna wiped away a few tears of her own. Zach stood up, rolled his shoulders, and left the spring. Midna watched him leave, one hand reaching out to him. She let him go, however, because she had something to say to the spirit. "You should be ashamed of yourself."
Midna found Zach at the same spot outside the spring as in the vision, but his posture had very little anger in it. His breathing was very slow and deep, his gaze fixed on his reflection in the moonlit water of Lake Hylia. Midna opened her mouth to speak but closed it when her words failed her.
"Come on," Zach muttered, startling Midna as he turned to leave. "Let's get that last Fused Shadow."
She caught his hand in hers. "Zach, wait." He stopped but did not face her. "I... I'm so sorry, Zach. I... I don't know what to say."
He shrugged half-heartedly. "Not much to say, really. I'm not a hero." He sighed and looked up at the night sky. "I never was."
"That isn't true!" Midna floated in front of him and cupped his face. "Look at me, Zach." When he did, Midna's heart broke at the pain and sorrow in his eye. She wiped one of his tears away and kissed the spot. "You are a hero, Zach. You're my hero." Desperate to give him any comfort at all, she hugged him around the neck again. He returned the hug, squeezing as much as he could without hurting her. "You're my hero. Mine! You're mine...!"
Zach drew in a deep, ragged breath as he released her. "We should set up camp. You feel really cold."
"A little," she said with a nod. She stayed by his side as he walked to the nearby islets, watched as he set up their tent and campfire, and finally sat beside him once the fire was nice and warm. "This may be a dumb question but... are you okay?"
"It's a dumb question," Zach said with an empty chuckle. "I... no. No, I am not okay." Midna held his hand in both of hers. "I thought I was here to do something great. Be a hero and all that, you know? But... turns out I'm just here to... Well, let's not beat around the bush. I'm here to die. Not get badly wounded, die. That's..." He trailed off and stared down at the dirt. "I'll be okay."
"Don't do that," Midna said. She squeezed his hand and leaned against his shoulder. "Don't try to play this off, Zach. It's okay to be upset about this. In fact, I'd be more worried if you weren't upset."
Zach sighed. "I promise I will talk to you about how I'm feeling about all of this but for right now, can we just sit in silence? I just... I need some time to process all of that."
"Of course." Midna threaded her fingers with Zach's and made herself comfortable. She looked up at the night sky and idly traced imaginary lines from one star to another. If she focused enough, she could create images out of those lines. Did anyone ever think of doing that before?
She was not fooling anyone, including herself: That vision terrified her to her very soul. Such hatred, such malice, such destruction! Her own death came at the hand of one whom she...
He was not the same person. Zach was not Zatam, not at all! He was good, considerate, compassionate! But how to get Zach to see that...?
Midna shook her head. She had to concede the severity of the situation, denying all evidence would solve nothing. Zach and Zatam were similar, but yet so very different.
Zach shuddered. He slouched and leaned on his knees, one hand still holding Midna's while his other hand gently traced along the glowing runes on her fingers. As she was on his left, she could not read his eye, but she did not need to. The tears on his cheeks told her enough.
"I... I need to be alone for a little bit," Zach whispered as he pointed to a lookout tower further up the terrain. "Is it all right if I go up there? I just want... privacy, I guess."
Truth be told, Midna had some serious concerns about leaving Zach alone on a precariously high tower. "Okay," she said instead. "If there's anything you need, just let me know."
He finally looked at her and gave her a weak smile. "Thanks. I also, uh, want to take the phone. I have a playlist with the right music for stuff like this."
"Stuff like this happens often?" Midna asked with a quizzical brow.
"Well, not exactly like this," Zach admitted with a shrug, "but it's what I listen to when I'm... not happy."
Zach stood up but Midna floated to meet his eye. "Hey, I just want to say... You're a good person, Zach. No matter what that spirit said, you're a hero. To those kids from Ordon, to the villagers in Kakariko... and to me. You're a hero to me."
His breath hitched as he nodded and averted his eyes. "Th-thanks, Midna. I... thanks." With that, he went on his way. Midna watched him go, wishing she could go with him. But he asked to be alone and she would respect that. Maybe she needed privacy as well. She sat by the fire and yet never took her eyes off him as he climbed the tower and perched on the edge, his feet idly kicking against the tower's black stone.
After a few minutes, Midna turned around and walked to the edge of the islet. Moonlight reflected over the surface, allowing her to see her reflection. She sat at the islet's edge and dipped her feet in the cold water, shivering at the sensation. The spring water had been so pleasant and comforting that it was easy to forget that not all water sources were magic in nature. She quickly removed her feet from the water once she decided cold water was overrated.
Midna sighed and lay on her back, looking up at the stars. Yes, they were beautiful. Yes, they were fascinating. Yes, she still tried to draw shapes between them. But she knew she was only trying to distract herself from thinking about Zach.
Was he... was he really destined to turn into that monster?
That was an easy question to answer: No.
… Which meant he was destined to die at Zatam's hand. Midna squeezed her eyes shut and fought against the image of Zach with that horrible sword impaled in his chest. Why did it hurt so much to know she was going to lose him? It was not like she... no, she could not possibly have those kinds of feelings... He was a friend, a good one at that. He was her hero! It was only natural she would be in pain at the thought of never seeing him again, never hearing him laugh or tell a silly joke, never feeling the warmth in his chest and the beating of his heart.
Midna gasped, hugging herself. Zach was going to die and there was nothing she could do to save him. It... it was not fair! Why did he deserve that fate? What did he do that condemned him? He was doing everything he could for the land of Hyrule and his grand reward was to die at his own hand?!
She groaned and rubbed her temples. Just breathe... Getting into a fit would help no one. She needed to focus, figure out how best to help Zach.
Why was she worried so much about him and not more worried about herself? Because she saw how cruel she had been to him in that other life and she knew, whether she wanted to admit it or not, that she had a hand in what happened. In that life, she explicitly told him to let himself die rather than take the Triforce! For everyone's sake, she had to try, damn it!
And... she owed it to him. Even his other self gone mad was able to save her when Zant attacked her, therefore Zach would be able to as well. What was the old expression? Ah yes, she was 'paying it forward'.
"Hey," Zach said. Midna squeaked and whipped around to find him standing behind her, a bundle of clothes in one hand. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
"It's fine," she said quickly. "What, uh, what are you up to?"
Zach sighed. "I still can't really... I still need some time but I feel the need to be active, so I think I'm gonna go for a swim."
"A swim? Zach, the water is very cold."
"I know but it's the only thing I can think of. I've always liked swimming, so it should help me think. I think."
Midna smiled sympathetically at him and said, "I think that's a good idea but maybe it should be put off until tomorrow when the water is warmer. I'm sorry, Zach."
"I... yeah, you're right."
Midna gave him a quick hug and they returned to the camp, propping her feet on a blanket so they could bask in the fire's warmth. Once she was comfortable, she leaned on Zach and let her eyes drift shut, only to snap them back open at the image of Zatam stabbing his arm through her chest. The sound of her bones breaking echoed in her ears. The smell of ash and blood stung her nose.
Was that vision just a vision? Or was it real? Well, it was real to an extent, it was an account of a previous Hyrule and it just dawned on Midna that it actually happened. It was another time, another life, but it did happen.
Deep breath, she reminded herself. It-it happened, yes, but it won't happen again. It can't! We've been working so hard and there is no way she was going to die just because some spirit says she will! She... wait, what? She pressed her hands to her temples. A thousand angry thoughts beat against the inside of her skull. That was her entire purpose? To die like a dog because the Goddesses made the wrong choice and refused to own up to it?! Or worse, to become the very thing they brought her here to stop?!
Her fist shot out and struck at the ground, stopping just short of contact. Her lungs forced out ragged, desperate gasps for air as she turned to her friend. "Zach," she groaned, "you have to calm down. Your anger is bleeding over into me."
A flash of white-hot guilt stabbed her brain. She nearly slammed her head on the ground, it hurt so much! "I can't get away from it," Zach muttered. "I-I keep hurting you even when I'm just trying to sort all this out, and—"
"Breathe," Midna said in as gentle a tone as she could manage. She reached over and held Zach's hands in hers. "Talk to me, Zach."
He looked up at her with one reddened eye. "I... what's there to talk about?"
"You promised you'd talk to me about how you're feeling."
"I know," he said, rubbing his face. "I just... don't want to. I will, I just won't like it."
Midna reached up and brushed her fingers on Zach's cheek. "Let's start from the top: How do you feel about all of this... this?"
"I don't like it," he said. "Actually, to be perfectly accurate, I fucking hate it." His chin and lip trembled but he took deep breaths all the same. "I thought I was doing really well. I didn't get Epona killed, or the shaman, or the Queen. They're all still alive thanks to us, and that's a fuckton better than how it went for him."
Midna nodded with a smile. "That's very true."
"But it's selfish of me to point that out."
"No, it isn't."
"Why not?"
"Because it's true, for one. For two, and I mean this with all due respect, it's not selfish to take pride in your accomplishments."
"... you really think so?"
"I know so." Midna squeezed his hand. "We've been doing great and it's all thanks to you. Clearly, I wasn't of much use the last time around or I would have saved everyone myself. I can admit that, even if it was me from a different life."
"It doesn't bother you?"
Midna snorted. "Of course it bothers me, Zach. I think back to what I saw and I wish I had been better, but I can't control that Midna just like you can't control that Zach. All I can do now is be better now."
Zach's face fell, yet he still had the courage to pull Midna's fingers to his lips and kiss them. "I'm glad we're friends. I just wish I had gotten my head out of my ass sooner—"
"Don't talk like that," Midna said. She scooted closer and settled her cheek on Zach's shoulder. Her free hand wrapped around the small of his back. "We both acted like asses. And now look at us; friends! Yay for us!"
"Heh. Yay."
"Come on, you must be proud of yourself in some way."
"A little."
"That's the spirit!" Midna rubbed the small of his back, smiling up at him. "Like how you saved me from that eye thing in Diababa's stomach. That was pretty heroic if I do say so myself."
Zach glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, that was a spur of the moment thing. Not sure if that counts. Besides, you looked after me for a full day while you had to worry about much bigger things. That's way more heroic."
"Thank you," Midna said. "But we're losing track of things. We're trying to pep you up, not me."
"What's the big—?!" Zach exclaimed, only to cut himself off. He took a few deep breaths, and then another few deep breaths. And then some more deep breaths. "Why are we talking about me? You've got a whole realm to worry about—"
Midna ran a hand down her face. "I'm trying to help you sort through your emotions. Remember what I said about equity? About how we have different needs and that's okay?"
"What about this is okay?" Zach asked, lurching to his feet. "Midna, I'm... I'm the bad guy! I don't save the day, I don't ride off into the sunset... and I don't get the girl." He paced around, rubbing one hand in his good eye. His hitching breaths echoed in Midna's ears.
"Zach... Zach, look at me."
"Didn't you hear what Lanayru said? I'm a failure. Everything I've done and will do, it's all for nothing. It's pointless. It's... it's the end of all things for me."
Midna could take no more. She flew up and threw her arms around him. Her fingers nestled into his hair. "I don't care what that spirit said. It doesn't know you like I do. I know you, Zach, and you are not the bad guy. You're a hero, Zach. I'm a princess so I have that kind of authority, y'know?"
He almost chuckled. Almost. "I'm sorry but all the talk in the world doesn't really mean much. Unless you can feel exactly what I feel, how can you know how to help?"
Midna nearly conceded his point. Nearly. "I can strengthen our connection so we can do exactly that. With your permission, I can willingly feel exactly what you feel, and vice versa."
"What?!" Zach gently pushed her away. "That's crazy, Midna. Why would you do that?"
"Because it will help. I'll know exactly how you feel and so I'll be able to help you manage your emotions, and you'll know how I feel and that will help prove that... well, that you've got a true friend. It's one of the purest displays of trust for us Twili."
Zach shook his head. "That's an incredibly bad idea. You're not my therapist, you shouldn't be doing all that for me. It isn't right."
"Says who?"
"Says everyone! I've seen this scenario play out before: You're the sensitive and empathetic good girl and I'm the emotional wreck who just needs someone to fix him, thus making me abusive for needing you in the first place. It's selfish! I-I can't let you do that, not for me."
"I... I understand that you're hesitant to trust anything now." Midna pulled back and cupped his face. She smiled at his blue eyes and the spark of hope she found in the healthy one. "If I heard that from a spirit of light, I wouldn't believe someone telling me good things either. I can't make you trust me, I can only ask if you will." She leaned down and kissed his fingers, then guided them to rest over her heart. "Will you trust me, Zach?"
Zach looked her in the eye, his breathing so quiet Midna thought it was stopped entirely. His heart beat furiously in his chest, hard enough that a vein visibly throbbed in his neck. One tear rolled down his cheek, then another, and then another still. "I don't want to die," he whimpered as he sank to his knees. He drew in a desperate, agonized breath and let out a desperate, agonized howl. "I don't want to die!"
Midna hugged his head. His arms wrapped around her and held her close. His shoulders quaked as he wept, his emotions pouring freely into Midna's heart. She took many deep breaths as she absorbed wave after wave of Zach's raw feelings, stroking the back of his head. She let her tears fall as she hummed a soft melody. The crackling of the campfire flickered in her ears. A terrible weight settled in the pit of her stomach, threatening to sink her into the ground.
Pain, loss, loneliness, anger, hatred, disgust, pride, love, joy, sadness, so many emotions within him! They were far more intense than Midna anticipated, so powerful she nearly believed they were hers.
Trapped! Trapped like a wolf in a cage! No one would come to save her, no one cared about her. She was destined to either die or become the greatest threat ever faced. The gods themselves set her up to fail, and why? Because she was different? Because she had a fucking temper?! Because she—
Focus... breathe...
Her life really was pointless. All the intelligence she possessed, the creativity and imagination, they did not matter at all. Her entire existence was a farce! She would never have children, never feel the warmth of loving another, never know what it meant to be the pride of her family—
Breathe... just breathe...
She disgusted herself. The selfish and pointless cruelty that dwelled within her, it sickened her! Why did she have to be the way she was? What was the point of it?! It served no logical purpose and yet it continued to pervert everything she wanted to be! She just wanted to be the Hero! What was so wrong with that?! Why was she not better?! WHY?!
Breathe... keep breathing...
Was this all she had to live for? Was there nothing else to look forward to? She... she did not even have any friends waiting for her back on Earth... No one actually liked her, they saw right through her little act. She was a spoiled, selfish, unkind person and they all knew it. The second one of her 'friends' stopped being useful, they were cast aside. The guilt of her callousness tasted vile. Maybe she should have been put down years ago, save everyone the headache of dealing with her—
Breathe... Breathe...
She had been doing so well, done things she never imagined she could do. But she knew deep down in the bottom of her heart that she did them for herself, not for others. She was well aware of the fact that she was more upset about herself than what that other future her did to the entire world. And so, she proved Lanayru's point: she could never make the ultimate sacrifice. Never. It was not possible. To do that would be to surrender herself—all of herself—to the greater good. In that, she knew her fate was not to die but to live with the guilt and anguish of causing the deaths of untold billions.
She could see it now; coming home, entering her house, finding her brother watching television. He would smile at her and offer to put something on for her, or play a game together. Her heart burned when she imagined him crying and bleeding in a corner, begging her to spare him. She hated him for what he did to her eye, but hated herself even more for letting that control her. But she wanted—needed!—to hurt him, to give him some semblance of the pain his reckless youth had wrought on her.
Keep breathing... just keep breathing...
He was innocent! Accident or not, he was only a child at the time! He could not possibly have known what his actions would do, but why should she forgive him? No one ever let her forget her moments of temper, so why should he not be reminded of a far more heinous act?!
Why was no one willing to take responsibility?! WHAT MADE THEM BETTER THAN HER?!
Breathe...! Breathe...!
She really was alone... no one cared about her, they were all wrapped up in their own little worlds and she had to care and respect for them but no one would ever reciprocate...
What did she really want? Did she want admiration and respect? Love and care? … Fear and obedience?
A great sorrow stabbed her heart when she realized she truly wanted her peers to fear and obey her. That was the kind of respect her parents demanded of her, therefore it was the only form of respect worth attaining. Mutual understanding? Camaraderie? USELESS! Even Midna herself demanded complete obedience when they first met! If that was not the right answer, what was?!
Breathe! Breathe!
The answer was that she did also want genuine respect and love but had no idea how to earn them. Perhaps that was another manifestation of her narcissism; she would rather take the easy route and be feared than work on understanding others and be respected. Work meant less time doing anything she wanted, therefore it was not worth doing. Fun time was her time, damn it! Love was confusing enough, it was better to just never try and thus never fail. She remembered how it went the last time; the constant messaging, the showing up unannounced, the expecting her partner to drop everything whenever she wanted... it was a sign that she was just not good enough for a relationship.
There was nothing for her now. This world did not need her, it needed Link. She was only here as a placeholder, a facsimile. The only thing that brought any comfort was Midna's smile. For reasons unknown to her, that smile meant more than all the power in the world. It drove her, pushed her further than she thought possible. What a strange feeling.
But would it be enough? Was anything enough for one such as her? Sure, she liked Midna now but after all the times she hurt Midna... white-hot shame seared her mind at the images of Midna bleeding after their fight in the forest. How could Midna possibly have feelings for her? It made no sense, but at the same time, it felt... genuine. She never once doubted Midna's sincerity, and perhaps that is what scared her the most.
Midna was beautiful, intelligent, funny, and such a good person it made her feel so miniscule just to be in Midna's presence. Midna was a good person and she... was not. But damn it all, she wanted to be! Why was that not enough? She was just fooling herself, she would never be good enough for Midna.
And even if she was, she was not going to live to prove it.
Her death... Midna was at risk of being gravely injured but she on the other hand was going to die. It shamed her to feel such a way when Midna had similar circumstances on the horizon. She was being selfish again. She was a useless, self-obsessed narcissist who could never understand how others felt, she could only guess at best.
In the end, all of her feelings, all her hang-ups and setbacks, they were entirely irrelevant. She was all alone...
No.
No, she was not alone.
She had Midna, the Twilight Princess herself. The one person who has been at her side since they met—barring that moment in the forest when Midna's trauma regarding the shadow beasts forced her to flee. That was a tragic circumstance for which she held no judgment against Midna. It was simply logical, but she digressed. Midna was giving her very soul to her at that exact moment. If that was not friendship and sacrifice, what was?
If they had more time... if only they had more time, she would tell Midna...
Midna's heart slowed down. She took a deep, deep breath and let it out slowly. Her vision returned and the thoughts in her mind quieted. "I... I understand, Zach," she whispered. "I understand you now."
Zach said nothing. He kept his face buried against Midna's stomach. His weeping ceased and replaced with gentle breathing, save for a hiccup here and there.
"I'm sorry," she said, kissing the top of his head. "I am so, so sorry. You carry a heavy burden, one I don't think I could ever handle as well as you have." She gently lowered herself onto Zach's lap. Their foreheads touched, their eyes met. "I am so proud of you, Zach. I am proud to know you and to fight by your side."
Zach said nothing. His eye never left hers. He rested one hand on her cheek.
Midna kissed his palm and leaned into his hand. "You are a good man, Zach. You're afraid to think so because you can see your failings and you believe they stain you, but they are simply a part of you. I can't make you understand that, but I... I am honored to call you friend."
Their noses touched. Midna felt the warmth of his body, the slight trembling in his stomach. Her eyes drifted shut, her lips moved closer and closer...
Two strong hands held her back. "I... I don't think that's a good idea," he muttered. "It's... not right. I can't... I'm sorry."
Midna stifled the lump in her throat and nodded. "Yes, you... you're right. I'm sorry, I came on too strong. It... it isn't right."
"Thank you... for everything. I feel better. Not... not all better but... I'm getting there."
"I'm happy to help."
"For once, I believe you."
Midna smiled as she pulled away, her hands still cupping Zach's cheeks. "I'm glad. I'll always be your friend, Zach. I promise."
Zach gave her a small smile. "And I'll always be your hero. I promise."
