How Zelda Got Her Groove Back

by ZeldaRubix

Seven years after the events of Twilight Princess, Zelda is queen. However, she must right the wrongs of the past and help a broken hero heal. What lies ahead for the queen? She will be guided with the help of an unexpected friend. Reupload. Original upload May 2012.

20. Chapter 20

Inspiration: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, time compression; multiverse theory, Dirac seas ('Faroric' Seas in this story lol), Yiddish for the Twili language, the Liturgical word: ira (wrath), and the "Tree of Life" album by Audiomachine for the 2020 reedit.

Original Shout Out: CookieYamiAiri, Nikki, Jenny, LoZ Fan, Averan Skybane, Markky, Blurg, Max, Scramb1ed, Katia0203, CharmlessUnicorn, Nodoubttakenotice, Zelink-fevah-3, RandomButLoved, KuramaFTW, & SwilliamX thanks for reading.

Author's Note: My take on the villain is very, very dark. I think his depravity is deep. ~ZR~

Word Count: 21,493

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Chapter 20

Link and I remained still when this creature, this Ghirahim, finished uttering his name. When I saw Hylia in his capture, I felt an intense feeling of guilt overtake me. I couldn't believe that all this time she was the ninja giving chase to us. The goddess was the one trying so desperately to stop us... but why? I stared at her bruised and bloodied countenance, realizing I had beaten her within an inch of her existence. This was beyond bizarre. It was down right nonsensical. And, I sensed the explanation of why would give her actions due credence. However, that was after she was freed from this demonic creature's grasp. Link was readied in his battle stance, stationed in front of me. Ghirahim then slowly walked towards us from the other side of the chasm. At the center, where the sword had once been, the monster stopped his advance and simply smirked at us from afar. Hylia was squirming in his grip.

"I'm going to ask you again," he said very quietly, almost at a whisper, "who put the mirror together?"

His voice was beyond sonorous. It was so deep and brooding, it didn't even seem terrestrial. But then again, neither did he. Link nor I answered his question. It seemed like a sarcastic inquiry from this creature's point of view. Why did it matter who put the mirror together? Even so, our lack of cooperation seemed to test his patience. He stared us down with baleful black eyes. They were soulless, menacing. I had never seen such eyes.

"A course of silence is a course of cowardice," Ghirahim uttered suddenly. "Since neither one of you want to answer my question, you're leaving me no choice but to kill Hylia right in front of you."

My eyes widened at his words. Kill the goddess? Was that even possible? I was not about to stand here and find out. I immediately left the safety of Link's side and advanced forward to where Ghirahim was standing in the center of the room. Link reached for me as I hurried by, obviously to stop me, but I evaded his grasp. The hero looked at me like I was insane.

"Zelda!" he called in a slight panic. "Don't!"

Even still, I ignored the hero and stopped short of a few feet of the creature. Afterwards, I clasped my hands together, dropped to my knees, and looked desperately at the goddess.

"Please!" I begged, which probably wasn't going to make much difference to this creature. "I put the mirror back together!" my voice was trembling. "Let her go! She has nothing to do with any of this! Don't hurt her!"

Ghirahim appeared indifferent at my supplicating stance. His manner was stoic. It was probably the last gesture he was expecting from me. Slowly however, as he kept staring at me, a small smile crept his lips. It wasn't a usual smile of happenstance. His eyes had a very apparent look of desire in them. It frightened me to no end. The creature took another step forward.

"You?" he asked.

His voice was husky, low, with a seductive subtlety. I hesitated in answering as I looked between Hylia and Ghirahim. However, now I knew I initiated my stance and I couldn't back from it. I stood up and took several steps back. I needed to garner more space between us. I sensed an unpredictable nature about this creature. His presence was overwhelming.

"Yes," I said finally, "now please let her go!"

Ghirahim took another step forward and gave me a long once over, before licking his lips very slowly. His tongue was unusually long. The appendage could grapple around his head. Perhaps even beyond that if he wanted to. I couldn't lie, his intense gaze sent a shiver down my body. I innately wrapped my arms around myself.

Why... why is he staring at me like that?

I knew the apparent answer, but this seemed like more. His gaze was beyond desire. There was something more mysterious in that look, haunting... almost familiar? I could not make sense of it.

"You are the Queen of Hyrule are you not?" he asked.

His voice was gentle at this phase. I had to proceed with caution.

"I am."

His gaze narrowed slightly.

"I thought so," he said. "I can sense Hylia's blood within you. You really are a work of art, aren't you?"

He didn't bother hiding the sexual overtones in his voice. I inadvertently stepped back. I didn't answer, but the creature went on anyway.

"Make no mistake queen, I am a creature of cruelty," he stated without hesitation. "I hurt, I maim, and I destroy indiscriminately. I can't wait to get you alone in a dark room, strip you of all your defenses, and find out what truly terrifies you. Then, and only then, will I make all your worst fears come true."

My eyes widened at his utterance. I took several more steps back.

"What?" I whispered.

Link had heard enough and sprung to my side from the other side of the chasm. The hero readied his stance and stood back in front of me. He had his broadsword ready to fight the monster. Link turned his head slightly to scold me.

"Don't you ever leave my side to engage him again, do you understand me?!" Link then turned his attention back to Ghirahim. "You won't touch her you twisted deviant! You're going back to the-"

The creature sneered at the hero.

"Another nuisance, but it's no matter, you're nothing without the Master Sword."

Link narrowed his eyes.

"Why don't you put the woman down and find out?"

Ghirahim grunted in amusement.

"Don't make me laugh boy. You'd be dead in an instant, and be grateful I'm feeling so generous. I don't feel like killing anyone in the moment."

It was then Hylia wriggled her restrained neck to Link's and my direction to look at us. She was struggling a great deal with Ghirahim's grip, but she was alive. The goddess was able to croak out an utterance.

"Don't believe him for an instant," she said to Link. "He isn't as powerful as he thinks he is. He's merely a shadow of his former self. He can't kill you because he isn't at full strength yet. He knows that the spirit and courage of the hero who possesses the Triforce is too much for him to overcome. In his current state, he can be defeated without the aide of the Master Sword! He isn't-"

Before she could finish, Ghirahim turned her around to face him and slapped her hard in the mouth. A slight spray of blood sprinkled the air from his abuse.

"Shut up! Your incessant word vomit isn't going to add an inch to your life!"

Hylia merely stared back at him as blood seeped from her nose.

"You don't scare me. I've dealt with you before. If you had all your power, I would already be dead."

I looked at the mortalized goddess stunned.

Dead… I couldn't imagine Hylia dead.

Ghirahim growled and suddenly threw her already beaten body back into the ground. His rage was unrestrained in that moment. Apparently, there was truth behind what she was saying. He, in no way, attempted to rebut it.

"Well then, I'm just going to have to get to full strength, won't I?" Ghirahim was speaking more to himself than to her.

Hylia remained immobile for a few moments before turning her head to look up at him. She was breathing hard and attempted to wipe the blood percolating from her nose away. I had had enough of just standing there watching her suffer. I wanted to help her, knowing part of the reason she was going through any of this was because of me. I knew Link wouldn't approve, but I left his company again to tend to the wounded goddess. The hero reached for me once more at my departure, but I still evaded his grasp.

"Zelda!" he called to me in frustration.

However, I couldn't just stand by knowing Hylia needed help. It was an impulsive move. I dropped down on my knees at Hylia's side and cradled her head. I immediately applied pressure to her bleeding nose. Her bruised face made me feel and intense surge of guilt. Link then locked his eyes on Ghirahim. Based on his last utterance, this creature was going to try to escape. Knowledge of his weakened physical state was not information the hero or I were supposed to be privy to. Link stood in his pathway when Ghirahim started for the mirror. The creature was not amused.

"Move," he said, losing all of the subtle arrogance he had in his voice. It was replaced with anger. "I have an appointment in the world of twilight."

Link stood his ground.

"You're not going anywh-"

He couldn't finish.

Ghirahim suddenly held up his hand and shot out a sonic wave pulsar that sent Link flying backwards across the room. I turned and looked after him shocked.

"My goddess!" I gasped. I placed Hylia's head down gently on the dirt and scrambled to my feet to hurry to the hero. "Link! Link are you alright?!"

Ghirahim and I watched as Link's body slammed back first into a wall. Afterwards, the hero slumped to the ground and didn't move. I was mortified when I saw his body was limp. I couldn't get to him fast enough.

"Link! Link! Please, wake up!"

He was slow to respond, but he did open his eyes and wince slightly in pain.

"I'm... I'm okay," he managed to say through a labored breath.

When I got to him, I immediately hugged him tight, but I released him quickly and turned to face Ghirahim. The monster's irritation was surging.

"You're beginning to annoy me," he growled and started walking in our direction. "Do you have any idea how that makes me feel inside?"

Suddenly, there were these reverberations that started oscillating around him. They looked like orange and black electrical currents. Link was breathing hard, but he still managed to sit up. He pulled me from in front of him and acted as a shield by forcing me behind him. Even hurt, Link was still incredibly strong.

"If he tries anything, I want you to run, get the other woman, and get out of here. I'll hold him off until you're clear."

However, I shook my head.

"I'm not leaving you."

He groaned at my rebuttal.

"You have to. It's the only way to get you out of here safely."

Even so, I was not going to leave him.

"I'm not going to run away and let him kill you! I won't do it Link!"

Link turned his head and gave me a hard look.

"You're the queen!" he raised his voice. "You will do it! You need to think about the kingdom! The people need you!"

My throat tightened.

"Link I-"

"This isn't a time for negotiations! If the time comes, you will do it, do you understand me?!"

Before I had a chance to reply, the reverberations from Ghirahim became greater. The monster was making his way towards us and Link took of hold of me, using his whole body as a shield.

"When you see a break in his defenses, I want you to run," he whispered in my ear, keeping his eyes on the monster.

I, however, felt frozen. Ghirahim took another step towards us and the earth suddenly began to shake.

Where is he getting all this power?

Without a warning, I suddenly felt Link's arm on my back shoving me from underneath him.

"Run Zelda!" he ordered. "Go now!"

Link then attempted to stand up against the pressure gradient to ward off Ghirahim's attack. I in turn fell forward onto my knees due to my lack of balance. However, afterwards I scrambled to my feet and hurried as quickly as I could back to Hylia in the center of the chasm. I wasted no time picking her up and placing one of her arms around my shoulders. However, as we started for the escalator, I couldn't bring myself to move forward and just leave. I turned the both of us around to see Link's plight. The hero had somehow managed to pull out his broadsword and have it in front of him acting as a guard. But, I could tell from the way he was standing that he was suffering from several broken ribs. His slow but labored breathing was evidence of that. It was hurting him greatly just standing there like he was. Ghirahim was closing in on him to take advantage of his weakened state. The tremors in the room grew, and Hylia and I both stumbled to the ground from the impact.

The creature then started speaking again.

"It makes me furious," the monster was well within Link's personal space.

The hero's sword was being pushed aside by the pressure gradient. My heart was beating a million beats per second as I watched. Even still, Link didn't flinch.

"Does it?" he taunted.

Afterwards, the room suddenly darkened. I looked around the vault and held Hylia closer.

What is all this? What the hell is happening now?

The monster had more.

"Outraged!" Ghirahim continued

The creature then picked the hero up with one hand and held him against the wall. Link's painful breathing increased. I could tell he was braving it due to his extraordinary will. He didn't show an ounce of fear. He just stared the demonic foe down with his steely blue eyes. I was starting to realize something in all this, the pressure exerted on Link's chest was going to kill him if the oscillations didn't abate soon. I was sure that was Ghirahim's plan, since he apparently didn't have his full power to completely overwhelm him. I couldn't just let that happen.

I have to do something!

I looked for something to distract the monster with.

Even so, the creature didn't let up.

"Sick with anger!" Ghirahim finished, and another pulsar released from his body.

This time, Link felt the full impact of that.

"Ahhhh!" he groaned.

It was then Hylia lifted her weary head and stared over at the hero when she heard Link's cries of pain echo throughout the chasm. She offered some immediate advice.

"Hit-hit... the monster with a stick," she managed to say breathlessly.

I looked at her perplexed. She couldn't have been serious. What was a stick going to do?

"What?"

Hylia then got impatient with me, reached up, grabbed my collar, and yanked my face down towards hers.

"Throw something at that son of a bitch!" she growled bluntly. "A stick, a rock, an arrow, throw something at him! Don't just stand here! He's going to kill your hero!"

I wasn't expecting her to be so straightforward, but I understood her point. Afterwards, I let her go and placed her on the ground. A few yards away was a large rock. It was big enough to make an impact if I threw it hard enough. I hurried to fetch it, then went back towards the other side of the chasm. Link saw me approach from behind the creature and couldn't have looked more displeased, but he didn't utter a word. I crept up as close as I could and waited for a break in the reverberations. When I saw a pause, it was then that even Link saw the need to provide me with a brief distraction.

The hero cut his eyes back to the creature.

"Sick with anger? Sounds like you need some self control!"

Ghirahim smirked at the hero's words.

"Yes…" he trailed in a low growl, "self…control…" The smile suddenly left his face. "Let me tell you about self-control miscreant. Self-control is keeping me from ripping you apart. Self-control is preventing you from leaving this world's existence. Self-control is allowing you to even have an utterance right now. You really do have the same spirit as that annoying little retch I dealt with a thousand years ago. I hated him as I suspect as I will hate you. Your insolence makes me want to use the attribute laced in my name, ira. It is why I'm called Ghirahim?"

Link didn't look impressed.

"I don't care why the hell you're called Ghirahim! You're a monster who needs to be stopped."

Ghirahim smirked and nodded.

"You will care... you will. If you don't die in this moment, I'm going to kill you… slowly. It will be pleasurable for me to kill. Wrath is my cardinal attribute. The other six are merely byproducts of my essence."

Link's features suddenly contorted with confusion. He seemed thrown off by the new information.

"What? What the hell are you talking about? Are you talking about the riddle?"

It was in this moment that I realized how out of the loop I kept Link. The hero was still very much in the dark about what Hylia revealed to me. Hearing those words were my cue. I hoisted the sizable rock and threw it with all my might at the back of Ghirahim's head. The small boulder had more of an impact on the right shoulder than the villain's head. Even so, it had the desired effect. The rush of oscillations vibrating from him halted. Ghirahim was forced to release Link as he stumbled and lost control. The monster then turned immediately in rage against me, but he didn't advance right away. I took several steps back before finally standing my ground. I saw no instant way out. What was done was done. However, I should have had a plan 'B' for an escape.

In any such case, after his brief pause, he stalked towards me, but then halted himself. His behavior was odd. He seemed more of a creature of perception than of irrevocable action. Nevertheless, his breathing did quicken and his black eyes widened. He stared at me for what seemed like an eternity: thinking, waiting, watching. What was he going to do next? Then, suddenly he opened his mouth and protruded his long obscene tongue. The appendage stretched until it touched his collar bone. I stared at him taken aback at the grotesque action. Afterwards, he twirled his tongue in a circular motion for some strange reason. The way the appendage flailed about, it almost appeared like a snake's tongue sensing the environment. I couldn't hide the sheer repulsion at his activity. I looked at him truly horrified.

"Dear goddesses," I whispered, "what is he doing?"

He took another step forward. I never got an answer to my question.

"I promise you... I promise you that one of these days I'm going to get you alone in a dark room and have my way with you with just my tongue," he threatened. "That exquisite body of yours is going to be left broken and violated. And only after I've terrified you within an inch of your life will I kill you." He lowered his tone and got more perverse. "Think about it… you all alone with me, where no one can hear your screams of pain… while I'm ripping your insides to shreds with nothing but my oral appendage. I rather enjoy causing pain to you women of light."

His words nearly induced me to vomit. I took another step back and said nothing.

Ghirahim just stared at me.

"You know... I think you might actually like it. What did your hero tell you before?" he asked, pretending not to know. "You were starved for affection. You won't have to worry about that. I'll give you plenty of affection before your death."

My eyes widened and I froze. I was stunned. How in the world could Ghirahim possibly know that? Link said those words to me months ago under very specific circumstances. Were the shards sensory too? Could they listen and record conversations? It didn't matter right now, but it was something I needed to know. Ghirahim being able to recall such things was a dangerous precedent for Link and I. There was no telling what he truly may know about us. Even so, Link had heard enough. The hero was getting more and more visibly upset with each perverse promise coming out of Ghirahim's mouth. Link was so riled up, that despite his injuries, he got up off the floor and unsheathed his sword once again. He even readied a stance to charge at Ghirahim. I looked beyond the monster to the hero in fear, hoping he wasn't going to do what I thought he was going to do.

Just stay down Link, I begged silently. Just stay down.

However, I knew that was wishful thinking.

"You won't touch her you twisted son of a bitch!" Link retorted, then using extraordinary strength of will, went to lunge at the monster.

The results were as I feared. During the hero's mid-aerial strike, Ghirahim raised his hand again and shot another pulsar. The pulsar was visibly lessened, but the aftereffects sent Link flying once again in the opposite direction. My eyes widened in horror as he landed even harder than before. And this time I heard the sickening crunch of the break that took place.

"Link!" I cried out to him in panic.

The hero landed against the wall and slumped back to the floor. This time he stayed down. I tried to hurry back over to help him, but during my approach Ghirahim stepped in my path. I stopped short when I saw the irises of his eyes were rotating like mini black vortexes. I had never seen anything like it. His tongue was still out and about sensing the environment. He stared me down like I was a brothel girl at a whore house. He walked towards me, bringing his appendage back to a normal size to lick his lips again.

"Now I know why he wants you so badly," he whispered cryptically, more to himself than to me. "You're absolutely captivating."

I assumed he was talking about Link. I swallowed hard and suddenly stepped back.

"And you're a deviant," I growled. "If the hero dies you have to contend with the wrath of Hyrule!"

Ghirahim didn't look threatened.

"If the hero dies then Hyrule dies with him because there is no one worthy to pull the Master Sword except him," he corrected. "Don't be mistaken, you know you are in no position of power or negotiation if this age's hero dies. You have only to look at your defeat at the hands of Zant as evidence of that fact."

I gasped, not expecting him to divulge such a thing. How was he privy to all this information? He only just appeared. Just what kind of power was truly in that mirror? I had no words. Ghirahim took my silence as deference.

"We will continue this discussion in the future," he finalized with a slight bow. "Until we meet again."

I took another step back. He obviously wasn't at full power, otherwise, he would have killed us. He was merely stalling to make his exit. Link, Hylia, and I watched helplessly as Ghirahim stalked back towards the mirror and walked through to the other side. His body disappeared in a haze of diffracted fractals and pixelated sequences. He was now en route to the Twilight Realm. I stood staring after him briefly, but immediately broke my gaze and went to check on Link and Hylia. Hylia was the most hurt, so I went to her first. I still couldn't believe how much damage I caused with her being a goddess. I felt guilty as I dropped on my knees and tended to her.

"Are you alright?"

However, the goddess fanned me away.

"Go see about Link. I'm fine."

I was slightly surprised at her stubbornness with some of the apparent injuries to her face, but I didn't want to object. I had done enough. I merely nodded at her request and hurried back over to the hero. I knelt down and helped Link sit up. He winced a little in pain.

"Would it be better if we didn't move you?"

Link shook his head.

"No, it hurts just the same, that bastard broke a few of my ribs," he moaned, closing his eyes briefly, but then nodded toward his bag at his side. "I have a blue potion in there, get it out for me and give it to me, will you?"

I nodded and promptly obeyed the request. I rummaged through his bag, pulled out the potion, and gave it to him. A few moments later, Link's general vitality returned to him. He already looked much better. Afterwards, I helped him to his feet, but his gaze was fixed on the mirror.

"He did all this to mitigate us from going after him. We have to stop him. There's no telling what kind of havoc he will wreak in the Twilight Realm. Midna has no idea what's coming her way."

I was in complete agreement with his reasoning. However, I was surprised Ghirahim went to the Twilight Realm at all, when his ultimate goal was Hyrule. Whatever he was planning there would definitively lead him back here. Even so, before we blindly ventured forward like we had been, we needed to speak to Hylia. There was so much up in the air. There were still so many things Link didn't know. There were still so many things I didn't know. The only consolation regarding this situation was that Ghirahim by his own admission was not yet back to full strength. We were going to need to allay our inquiries quickly from the goddess.

"We will go after him," I replied, "but we need to regroup. We must speak with Hylia before we do."

At my reminding the hero of the goddess's presence, he looked past me towards her. His eyes widened and suddenly his whole disposition changed.

"Is she the Hylia?" he asked me, lowering his voice.

I nodded.

"She is, that was why Ghirahim recognized her. They are from the same era."

Link seemed even more astonished at my divulgence.

"That's a thousand years."

I nodded again.

"Indeed it is, she will tell you that fact herself."

Link was still staring over at her.

"Great Farore," he whispered.

Afterwards, we wasted no more time and hurried towards the goddess in the middle of the chasm. We approached her with concern. Hylia greeted us with disdain. Her facial expression said it all. Even so, the hero knelt down and helped her to her feet. The goddess readily took it, but did not return the gesture.

"Are you alright?" Link asked her anyway.

Hylia just stared at the hero. Then, so no more questions could be asked, she snapped her fingers to change from her ninja gear to her normal wears of a white gown. The brown streak of hair at her bangs disappeared, replaced with her normal golden colored tresses.

"I'm fine."

Link stared at her stunned.

"How did you do that?"

Hylia merely raised a brow.

"I'm a goddess. I can do anything."

Even so, I reached out and touched her shoulder, not completely convinced of her statement.

"Are you sure? You look like you've sustained some pretty bad injuries."

The goddess then cut her gaze to me and stared at me hard for a moment. Afterwards, Hylia snapped her fingers again and instantly her bruised and tattered appearance vanished. She looked as good as new. Her complexion was perfection. Her bright blue eyes seemed bluer in this dark vault. There was not one shred of evidence that she had ever been in a fight.

"Is that better?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm. "You keep forgetting I'm built a little bit differently than you Hylians."

I avoided her eyes for a moment, understanding most of her frustration with me. However, she had to see the error in her ways too. How in the world was I supposed to know she was Shiek? How in the world was I supposed to know that an ancient evil would be released from the mirror if we put it back together? I didn't think it was fair that she was willing to scold me for such things when she could have easily prevented it by telling me the truth. Even so, I knew the tongue lashing was coming. I should have relinquished the shards to her the way we discussed. I should have told Link the truth from the beginning regarding Hylia's involvement. I should have listened to the guardians trying to warn me. I should have done all those things, but I didn't. However, this wasn't one sided in the least. Hylia had her fair share of explaining to do too. Even so, Link wasn't appreciative of the goddess's sarcastic tone of voice. He wasn't aware of why Hylia's frustration was so great with me. The hero came to my immediate defense.

"She was only inquiring about your health. There's no need to be facetious. You were on our tail."

Hylia then stared at him. She gave him a quick once over.

"No kidding pretty boy. Why don't you tell me what else I was up to while you're at it?"

Link stared at her in mild disbelief.

"Pretty boy?" He understandably got upset at Hylia's attitude. "If you hadn't-"

I realized then I was going to have to be the mediator.

"Link," I interrupted, before things went too far, "I should explain what's going on here before you get any more confused."

The hero then looked my way, showing his annoyance.

"Do you hear her tone? I could understand if we were being disrespectful, but nothing of the kind was on display here."

I nodded and reached over and touched his shoulder.

"I know and I apologize. Hylia isn't as conventional as one would think a goddess to be. However, there is more going on here than what meets the eye."

Link paused for a moment and milled through my words.

"What are you talking about?"

I didn't go on immediately to think of how I wanted to convey what I needed to tell him.

"It all started when I prayed to her at the onset of this quest," I began. "I needed guidance and she appeared to help me. She is the reason I decided to come to you and reunite you with Midna."

The hero had no qualms with that.

"You've explained that to me before," he said. "Not her coming to you, but everything else. I understand that."

Hylia rolled her eyes when I mentioned the twilight queen's name.

"Well I don't. I'm completely against Zelda helping you find another woman when I want you for herself. Why invite drama in your life when you don't need to?"

Both the hero and I looked at the goddess surprised. Her blunt speech was still novel to Link.

"Excuse me?"

Hylia raised a brow and placed a hand on her hip.

"Do you agree with her stance? I've been cheer leading the two of you getting together since I transmogrified. Why are either of you willing to tempt yourselves?"

Link was left dumbstruck, while I didn't want to go into this matter right now. We had more pressing issues than Hylia's disapproval of our reasons for going into the Twilight Realm. However, unfortunately the hero took the bait.

"Setting matters straight is not a temptation," he corrected. "Zelda knows how I feel about her, as should you if you were watching us. I happen to pride myself on-"

"Not the best syntax for this occasion," the goddess interrupted. "Don't be a fool. I'm telling you this because I have been watching you. What do you think is going to happen when you see Midna again? You think those dormant feelings you have for her won't rise within you?"

My eyes widened and I stepped back. I was hardly expecting her to be so forward so quickly, but this was Hylia.

"Ancestral mother, this is hardly the time or the place-"

She groaned audibly.

"This is both the time and the place. You are at the cusp of the whole reason you claim to have wanted to come here. And now because I'm making you uncomfortable you don't want to discuss it? You weren't saying that at Lake Hylia. You want to test and see if Link's heart is truly ratified before he has a future with you. That kind of thinking is just stupid!"

My mouth became agape. I didn't know what to say. And Link's displeasure became more apparent.

"Is that any reason to insult her? I told her I wanted to prove to her I deserved her! Given what I've done, I can't say I blame Zelda for being cautious."

I then looked over at Link surprised. Hylia shook her head and looked away without answering. There was a tense silence between us for a moment. After a few minutes, I found it to be appropriate to speak up.

"Link... please don't take what she is saying personally. She is naturally brash."

However, the hero wasn't going to let that slide.

"That isn't an excuse Zelda," he gave the goddess another long once over. "For a goddess, you are certainly not what I was expecting. You seem..."

His disrespect was blatant at this moment, which was not helping. However, Hylia hardly seemed offended. In fact, she encouraged it.

"I seem like what?" she challenged. "Charming? Gorgeous? Witty? What?"

Link raised his brows.

"You're just... different from what I was expecting. I thought the position would construct a whole different persona."

Hylia scoffed.

"So in other words, you thought I'd be more serious, less spontaneous, and a stick in the mud? Sorry kid, that ain't me."

I couldn't say Link didn't have a point with his assumptions. I felt similarly when I first met her. However, after coming to terms with who she was, I found her much easier to talk to because of her unorthodox manner. In time, I believe Link would see that too. He was just put off right now because he was the target of her blunt veracity. Even so, considering everything that transpired, Hylia should have been a little more considerate regarding the hero's ignorance.

"I know it is a lot to take in right away, and initially, I felt the same as you do. However, once you get to know her, you'll realize she only has our best interests at heart."

Link grunted at my last saying cynically.

"Our best interests at heart? Is that what you call what she was doing while she was chasing us around like a psychopath over these past few months? That hardly seemed like the case to me."

My eyes widened and I didn't know what to say. He had a point. Why the ruse? Why the lies? What purpose did Hylia's other persona serve? At hearing that, the goddess raised a brow. She wasn't going to let that slide.

"If you had any reservations about what was going on, why didn't you say anything? Why did you allow yourself to be led without knowing full and well what you were getting in to? Or were you purposely being dense?"

This was not going well and it was degenerating quickly. Link narrowed his eyes as he spoke up again.

"I wasn't being dense about anything. I didn't want to unjustly question the queen. I find it very aggravating that you think you can be so snide, when on several different occasions you tried to have Zelda and myself killed! Your deranged alter ego set a precedent for violence against the royal family. Now you want to sit here and insult my intelligence because I wasn't more perceptive to what was going on? Am I hearing you right?"

This was only going to make our current situation worse. I needed to intercede.

"Will you two stop please. I know there are a lot of things right now that don't make any sense, but us sitting here going at each other's throats is not going to make any of what happened any better. We need to calm down, think, and collaborate on what to do next. That's going to take effort from all of us. Now isn't the time for us to go against each other. We can talk about personality traits and all that other nonsense later. Right now our specific goal should be to find out why that monster was unlocked when the mirror was put back together. That is the most important bit of information we need right now."

I was met with a bit of silence, but it seemed my change in subject had the desired affect. Link took in a deep sigh and looked away, while Hylia directed her gaze back at me. The goddess had to know the person who was the most at odds here was her. She had been acting suspiciously for weeks. She disguised herself, knowingly put us in harms way, and thought nothing of it. How was this acceptable behavior? It was high time she explained herself. Nevertheless, though Link's anger was justified, he needed to remember who he was talking to. This wasn't some marauder on the side of a road. This was the Goddess of Hyrule. The hero needed to control his feelings when he addressed the goddess, otherwise we were going to get nowhere. Though, I think the brunt of his frustration stemmed from being left in the dark for so long. He still didn't have all the facts. However, to be quite honest neither did I. I intended to remedy that right now and took a step forward.

I then addressed Hylia.

"Ancestral mother, you must be honest now with what you're withholding from us. Had I known such a horrible occurrence would have taken place, I never would have put that mirror back together." I looked her straight in the eyes. "Why didn't you tell me about this creature Ghirahim before now? Why would you have me even go after the shards when you knew the outcome would be so dangerous?"

At hearing that, Hylia was quiet and looked between the hero and I. The silence that followed was prolonged and contemplative. I raised a brow when she still had not spoken up. This was not the time for keeping secrets. Every second we delayed, that monster Ghirahim was potentially wreaking havoc in the world of twilight. Hylia needed to be forthcoming.

"Hylia?" I inquired after a few moments.

The goddess closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them, her expression was one of resolution. Finally, she decided to start talking.

"I've... I've known about Ghirahim being trapped in that mirror since I told you about this quest. The problem at the time was, as the Goddess of Hyrule my time here in the kingdom was over. It wasn't my place to forewarn you about the true nature of the mirror. If I did, it would have caused more harm than good. Simply put: it is forbidden for the goddess to get intertwined with Hylian fates. My interference would have caused a disturbance so great in the natural order of things, it would have possibly destroyed the kingdom. So, to rectify that problem, I didn't directly involve myself with getting the shards. I had you find the mirror for me instead. I reasoned I technically wouldn't be doing it myself, so it should not have satisfied the definition of interdimensional law."

I stared at her completely befuddled.

"Interdimensional law?"

The goddess understood my perplexity.

"It was a law created by the other goddesses and myself to keep the universe in balance," she explained. "There couldn't be unexplained phenomena for the sake of unexplained phenomena. Otherwise, dominion of this land would be futile. Fate was never to be messed with, no matter what the outcome."

What she was stating seemed reasonable to me, especially since she seemed to care about Hylians having free will. However, there were still some things that made no sense.

"If that was the case, how could you possibly not be breaking that law now? You are literally here. You disguised yourself. You literally tried to stop us. How is that not tampering with fate?"

Hylia seemed to be expecting the question.

"I don't have an answer that will satisfy you. However, the outcome that came was the outcome I foresaw. I never stopped it, though I attempted to thwart it. It will be up to the other goddesses whether my actions will be deemed as a breaker of interdimensional law."

Link looked keenly at the goddess when she uttered that.

"You mean like a court? A tribunal of some kind?"

Hylia nodded.

"That's exactly what I mean. I have accountability too."

The hero and I both stared at her dumbstruck.

"Had I known all this, I would have collected the shards for you and given them to you with no questions asked. I would hate for something terrible to happen to you because of fate."

The goddess rubbed the back of her neck and nodded waywardly.

"I understand your position and thank you for it, but the truth be told, there was no other way for this to happen. As I stated before, my divulging the truth to you would have interfered with the natural balance established by the goddesses along with myself."

Link crossed his arms over his chest. He found that to be an unfitting answer.

"So your plan was to trick Zelda into doing it instead? That's very noble."

I looked over at Link and gave him a knowing stare. He had to know his loose lips weren't helping right now.

"Link... please... that isn't going to get us anywhere."

However, Hylia was not offended.

"No, it's alright. In a way he's right. I did trick you, but I had to. I knew you wouldn't leave the kingdom under any other circumstances. I had to make my proposition sound alluring." She paused for a moment and grinned. "Besides, I also wanted you to mend things with Link. I watched you for years. I knew you wanted to leave that castle. I knew you wanted to make things right. I knew you wanted to go on an adventure. I thought this would be the perfect excuse for you to do so. I also knew you wouldn't do it on your own, so I figured this would give you that extra push. I've been rooting for you guys to make it for some time."

Her explanation caught both Link and I off guard. I knew my cheeks were glowing red because of it. There was a brief silence between the three of us after that.

"Ancestral mother..."

I didn't know what to say and Hylia fanned off my discomfiture.

"Don't feel embarrassed about it. It's perfectly normal for two people to reconnect, grow, and fall in love. For whatever reason you both seemed to have taken a lot longer than most."

After hearing her say that, Link glanced my way and stared at me vindicated. I didn't meet his gaze because I knew what it meant. I had no rebuttal. All I could do in return was stare at the ground. I was suddenly very uncomfortable.

"Could you please tell your ancestral daughter that again so it sticks?" he asked Hylia rhetorically. "She seems to think that's impossible to happen to her."

I blushed more.

"Link..."

Hylia raised a brow.

"He has a point. Will you stop being so coy about a man who apparently loves you very much? You're so silly Zelda."

Link finally grinned.

"I keep telling her that, and I will keep telling her that until she believes me."

My throat tightened and I didn't meet either of their gazes. There was another brief pause between the three of us. I didn't want to discuss this right now. It seemed so trivial in the grand scheme of things. To be honest, there was still so much embroiled in what was going on. Everything may have seemed fine right now, but that was because there was no real test to go by. The only way I would know for a certainty that Link loved me, and only me, was when we got to the Twilight Realm and he had a chance to see Midna again. The hero needed to do this for himself not just for me. That would determine if our love was real or not. Until then, I wanted to change the subject. This was not important right now.

"Though I appreciate you both, we need to focus. There are still other matters for us to discuss here."

At hearing me say that, Link just stared at me and shook his head.

"You are incredibly stubborn."

He was right.

"I am, and we can talk about this later. Ghirahim is out in the open now. We need to focus on that."

Hylia just grinned at our interaction and shook her head.

"You won't win against a goat pretty boy. That's my Zelly, stubborn, sometimes to her detriment. But anyway she does have a point. Getting back to what we were discussing, it's like I told you before, it was never my intention for either of you to find all of the shards and then reassemble the mirror."

Relieved at the subject change, I wanted to hone in on that.

"Without knowing the means, how were we ever supposed to know your reasoning? This is becoming circular and was a foolhardy quest."

Hylia raised her brows.

"That may be true in your eyes, but it was necessary. I had to try and get Ghirahim."

Link then took a step forward.

"There's something about that I still don't understand. If your only desire was to find and trap Ghirahim, why did you decide to dress like a ninja and pursue us? Why chase us like a madman, when all Zelda was trying to do was go by your suggestion to go after the shards?"

That was an important point that couldn't be understated. The ninja Shiek acted more like a terrorist than a protector of Hyrule. And knowing that it was Hylia all along made it even more shocking. There had to be something other to her reasoning than simply a disguise. The goddess looked between the hero and I for a moment and shrugged.

"You make a very compelling argument my boy, and I don't think I have an answer that is going to be satisfying to you," she said honestly. "But, I did what I did hoping to prevent you from pursuing the shards further. My only goal as Sheik was to stop you from getting the shards."

I gave Hylia an offhanded stare just then. I didn't want to appear overtly doubtful, but something in her explanation didn't make sense. Whether it was her intention or not, she attempted to kill Link and I on more than one occasion. Such actions couldn't simply be pushed aside. I was going to inquire on that, but Link interceded first.

"Then you need to explain what you were thinking at Zoras Domain, the City in the Sky, and the Hyrulean Festival! Say what you will about prevention, you tried to kill us."

Hylia cut her gaze to the hero. She was silent for a moment.

"I know it seems far fetched because of my actions, but I had no intention of killing either one of you."

That wasn't an answer that was going to sit well with me.

"Then why did you take it so far?" I couldn't help but ask. "You stabbed Link, and you choked me out repeatedly. In Zora's Domain I nearly died of poison from your shiruken. At the festival that explosion could have killed innocent bystanders. These encounters were not simply coincidences Hylia."

Hylia sighed, knowing she couldn't merely explain everything she had done away. It was confusing and irrevocable at the same time.

"At Zora's Domain my hope was to terrify you so badly, you wouldn't go for the last shard. It was then I realized I made a big mistake in having you do this. When I saw how much success you were having so quickly, how determined you were to solve the puzzles, and how intrigued you were with what you were finding, I panicked. The shards influence was becoming greater with each passing day. That was why I was so hell bent on you telling Link how you felt about him, stopping this quest, and why I never bothered to see you when you two were living together with Ashei."

Link suddenly looked at her taken aback.

"The influence of the shards? What are you talking about?"

Hylia understood his confusion, but then nodded.

"That's right, I'd forgotten you don't know what I'm speaking of," she stated, then went on to explain. "The shards exert a powerful influence because they have these embedded attributes in them. Evidence of those attributes were seen in the fiery colored words that appeared on the mirror. Those words coincided with the seven deadly attributes of the arbiter's kiss, Ghirahim. It was why he was able to overcome you so easily as of now. Those attributes were manifested in certain behavior sets you were both prone to acting on. Yours happened to be anger Link, anger from the past, anger from the present, anger from your own misgivings. That was why after each shard was found you may have had a stronger impulse to anger than before."

The hero's eyes widened at her utterance.

"I can't believe it," he whispered.

Hylia nodded.

"Believe it because it's true." She stroked her golden blonde hair behind her ears and focused her attention back on me before she continued. "When I saw how easily you were solving the riddles, I was determined to get the last shard from Prince Elbourne myself, hoping that would be enough of a factor to deter you, but it wasn't. I made the reference of fighting you and only you to frighten you Zelda." She looked down. "I know it was wrong and cruel of me, but I really had no choice. I knew once that mirror was assembled Ghirahim was going to awaken and try to revive his master, the true Arbiter. The thing is... all of this happening now is my fault." She bit her lower lip. "I should have thought of another way to capture the shards and stop Ghirahim. I never should have had you do this. That was why I came at you so strong when you got here, but I wasn't expecting you to whip my behind so easily."

I felt terrible when she put it that way.

"Ancestral mother..."

There was another brief silence between the three of us, but Link's puzzling gaze afforded the assumption he was going to break it. In fact, that preemptive assumption was correct as he took another step forward and gave the goddess a quick once over.

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way," he started, which wasn't a good sign, "but with you having the power of the divine, why were you defeated so easily? You're the Goddess of Hyrule. No mortal should be able to stand against you. How can an ancestral daughter even fight you when you are the ultimate divinity?"

Hylia grinned at his question, obviously already having anticipating it.

"I can understand your confusion, but there is a legitimate reason for it. It goes like this, years ago I fought the surface hordes with an army of Gorons, Parella, and Mogma. During that time I had complete and absolute power. No one could stand against me. However, after the battle for the surface was determined, and I sent the Hylian people skyward, I, along with the rest of the goddesses, created the Triforce and expended most of my power into it. With the creation of the Triforce, I was equal to the other goddesses Farore, Din, and Nayru. They expended their energies on the surface, making the land have more governance. They also all reinforced the Triforce, by making it one hundred times more powerful than when I solely had parsonage over it. In short, when I became a Hylian I lost most of my power as the goddess, and when I went back to my goddess form, I was strong, but not the ultimate goddess I once was." She paused for a moment. "The Triforce is now the ultimate power source because it has the essence and the wisdom of all the goddesses in it, not just me. Even divided it is stronger than when I was the goddess incarnate before," she divulged, "and as such, Link your courage was always able to match toe to toe with my skills as Sheik. The only reason I gave you that bracelet Zelda was to give you the fighting skills. The power of the Triforce of Wisdom was strong enough for you to defeat me. I knew that. I'd known that for centuries with my bloodline. I knew once you tapped into that true power I was going to be defeated by you."

Link and I listened to Hylia amazed at the revelations. This was hardly anything I was expecting to hear.

"The Triforce is stronger than you?" the hero couldn't help but ask, finding it a little hard to believe.

Hylia nodded.

"It is, why do you think individuals like Ghirahim and Ganondorf want all three pieces so badly? Once the Triforce is reunited the individual who possesses it will have absolute power."

That made sense and explained why everyone who vied for power was after the hero, myself, or sought the Triforce of Power. It meant ruling everything.

"You have a great power within you you two. Never lose sight of that."

I couldn't lie, this was beyond anything I was expecting to hear. I stared down at the bracelet she had given me and touched it. In that instance, I transformed back to my true self. My tresses turned back to their original dark brown hues and my dress and cloak reappeared as before. Afterwards, I took the bracelet off my wrist and handed it back to Hylia. I didn't want such power if it meant harming her.

"I can't take this knowing what I almost did to you. I could've killed you."

Hylia grinned and pushed my open hand back to me.

"I want you to keep that for the future, and don't worry, you wouldn't have killed me. You would have pummeled me within an inch of my life true, but you wouldn't have killed me. I am still a goddess."

That was true. Her logic was sound. Even so, Link was still astounded, taking all this in at once was very overwhelming. There was so much to digest.

"What about this Ghirahim character? Who is he? And why is he so powerful?"

Hylia nodded at the inquiries and went on.

"Like I stated before, Ghirahim is a servant of the true Arbiter, Demise. He's Demise's weapon or sword, that's why he was referred to as the 'Arbiter's kiss' in the riddle. There's a saying in battle that constitutes the 'kiss' of a sword results in a rolling of one's head." She paused for a moment. "Ghirahim has kissed many in battle."

Link was unsettled hearing that.

"Then we have to follow after him immediately and warn Midna of what's just transpired. She has no idea what has just been released in her kingdom."

Hylia nodded.

"I agree and we will." She stood up.

Link then turned to me and tightened his gauntlets.

"We're going to find him and stop him," he reassured, "I promise."

I just stared at him and nodded. I knew this was an inappropriate time, but my insecurities were starting to surface again. I wasn't sure what was waiting for us on the other side, but Ghirahim had to be stopped. I wasn't going to let my fear of losing Link negate that.

"I know," I looked to the ground.

Hylia took note of my action and subtly shook her head. However, she didn't say anything. Now wasn't the time for it, and I worked so hard earlier to defer it. But, she probably knew what was bothering me.

"We should probably get going. We've wasted enough time with these draw backs."

Link nodded.

"I agree."

I looked over at the rotating mirror and hesitated for a moment. There was still something I needed clarification on.

"Hylia there is something else I need to ask you."

The goddess then turned to look at me.

"What's that?"

I suddenly felt a strong sense of foreboding. I hesitated for a moment.

"Ghirahim started quoting some of the things he heard from conversations between Link and me. How was he able to do that? Were the shards able to record what we were saying?"

Hylia looked over at the hero, who seemed to have forgotten that aspect of our interaction with Ghirahim.

"Zelda does have a point. Ghirahim uttered something I said to her months ago. How would he know that unless he had the capacity to listen to us?"

The goddess remained uncertain.

"I think you both answered your questions. The mirror was able to make a record of your journey. I don't know how Ghirahim will use it against you, or if he will at all. But if he was able to quote you in any way it is definitely something to keep in mind when we come up against him again. He may try to use to it to his advantage."

This was all so sobering. I glanced over at the hero concerned. There was no telling what he could use as leverage if he listened to everything Link and I discussed. I shook my head worried.

"What do you suppose that creature's really after? What makes monsters like him tick?"

Hylia gave me an obvious stare.

"What all filth like him are after, the resurrection of his master and the destruction of Hyrule."

I glanced over at the goddess. I knew she was going to say that, but I still didn't understand it.

"But why?" I asked anyway. "Does he want to rule over a graveyard?"

Hylia stared into my eyes for a moment.

"None of us here could ever understand a creature like Ghirahim. We have love and understanding. Ghirahim only knows chaos and suffering. We will never truly know what makes him tick."

I paused for a moment and stared at the mirror.

"If his ultimate goal is Hyrule, what concessions does that monster have in the Twilight Realm? What could he possibly want there?"

Hylia was staring at the mirror now herself.

"I don't know, but we definitely have no time to waste, like Link stated before, we have to warn Queen Midna about everything that has just transpired. She's ignorant of all this and it could cost innocent Twili lives."

Link, who had been silent momentarily, nodded in agreement.

"I... I hope she's alright," he said more to himself than to anyone.

I heard the inflection he tried to conceal in his voice. It was already starting. However, I was not going to speak on it. I was not going to intervene in any way. What would be would be. I simply reached over and touched his shoulder.

"We won't let anything happen to her," I reassured. "Besides, Midna's a tough woman."

After my utterance, I glanced over at Hylia who was giving me the most peculiar stare. I knew what she was thinking, but I wasn't going to address it.

If I have to let go Hylia, then I will let go.

Her eyes narrowed slightly at me, and I knew it was in rebuttal to my thoughts. I couldn't worry about it. There were more pressing matters at hand.

"Shall we get going? We've wasted enough time as it is."

Link nodded, while Hylia continued to stare at me. She didn't say anything, but I knew she was disappointed in me. I was disappointed too. Afterwards, Hylia touched her bracelet and morphed her appearance back to that of Sheik.

"I'm going to travel this way. I don't want to make the political ramifications anymore convoluted than they already are."

I nodded, and was about to speak up, when another male voice interjected all of a sudden.

"It's about to get more convoluted than you think," the voice stated.

My eyes widened.

I know that voice.

We all turned and looked up at the overpass to see Elbourne of Dragon Roost peering down at the three of us. The expression on his face said it all.

"Elbourne!" Link said stunned.

I gasped and covered my mouth.

"Oh no," I whispered to myself, "how in the world did he find us here?"

~SSS~

Moments earlier, Elbourne

There were very few times in life where I was completely and utterly surprised. This was one of those times. I couldn't believe I just stumbled upon the 'Sacred Realm' of all secrets: the goddess was incarnated in Hyrule, the Mirrror of Twilight was placed back together, a monster of insane power was just unleashed, and now that said monster was going to cause possible destruction in the Twilight Realm. This was unbelievable. Completely and totally unbelievable. I knew Zelda wasn't simply making moves to make moves. She was on a mission and this was a gold mine of information. I had done my own research and uncovered her unsavory little secret. I knew about her mirror. I just had no idea her venturing would lead to anything remotely as incredible as this. Why was the goddess herself here?

I was very familiar with the tale of the powerful Goddess of Hyrule. She had vanquished the forces of evil and taken her rightful place back in the heavens after her stint here on earth was finished. I thought her destiny was now to rule for an eternity in the heavens. But, it seemed my texts were wrong. For the goddess herself to have to come back to Hyrule, showed me this new menace was a lot more dangerous than she was letting on. This menace was already showing a deviation from normal by deflecting into the Twilight Realm. Why go there when he apparently wanted the crown jewel, Hyrule? And after Hyrule, this monster could possibly try a coup and wreak havoc in Dragon Roost. Dragon Roost was thriving and on the cusp of an intellectual and industrial explosion. There was no way I could allow the proclivities of a demonic monster to deter that. My people were in a stage of a sensational boom. It was my duty as the crown prince to protect the invested interests of my people.

Then, of course, there were the personal concessions of this matter. Zelda, the woman I loved, was allying herself with that useless farm boy Linux. What purpose did he serve beyond being her bodyguard? I understood his role when saving the kingdom years ago, but what could he offer now? What did the twilight monarch have to do with him? Why was Zelda subjecting herself to more possible bouts of humiliation? That bastard had broken her heart once. If she wasn't careful, he was going to do so again. I overheard their petty talks of love and devotion. It was sickening at best. That peasant didn't love her and I was going to show her once and for all his true nature. This was simply a repeat of past transgressions. It was my duty to intercede when Zelda couldn't do so for herself. There wasn't a noble bone in his vagrant body. I didn't understand how such a brilliant woman could be so naive. Such introspection often left me wondering.

Even still, I knew one thing was for certain, I wasn't going to get the answers to my questions just lying here in wait. I was going to have to make my presence known. The interesting caveat here was that Zelda had no idea how useful I could be in this endeavor. If we all traveled together, she would see what a remarkable ally I could be for her. It was then I emerged from the shadows. I heard them speaking about going through that mirror. Without wasting another moment, I made myself known to the trio at the chasm below.

"It's about to get more convoluted than you think," I interjected into their conversation.

The three of them turned and looked at me as I got up and made my descent. They all looked appropriately surprised with the exception of the goddess. That, I could make a reservation for.

~SSS~

Zelda

I was shocked to see the dragon prince here. Distrust immediately enveloped Link's features as Elbourne made his way down the escalator.

"What the hell are you doing here?" the hero demanded.

Elbourne answered true to his nature, he scoffed and grinned.

"Besides overhearing your entire conversation, and knowing that the magnificent Hylia is now in Hyrule's presence… nothing."

The hero groaned at the prince's utterance and suddenly rested his hand at the butt of his sword. This was escalating quickly. I immediately got in front of Link and stopped him from taking any further action.

"There's no need for that," I told Link, then turned my attention to the dragon prince. "Elbourne this is not the time for cheap tricks and silly speeches, we have serious business to attend to in the world of twilight. You must promise not to utter a word to anyone."

Elbourne raised a brow, then jumped down from the overpass to where we were in the chasm below.

"I have no intention of revealing your secret…" he trailed, then stood up and narrowed his eyes slightly, "if you take me with you."

I wasn't surprised at his request, but I was annoyed with it. I closed my eyes. I knew he was going to come with an ultimatum. However, before I could say anything, Link interjected first.

"Absolutely not! You'll only get in the way!"

Elbourne crossed his arms over his chest.

"Since when do peasants give princes orders?"

The impulsive hero then unsheathed his blade.

"Since this peasant saved your pathetic royal behind on several different occasions! You're not in Dragon Roost now Elbourne. You have no power here."

I then moved quickly to stand between the hero and the dragon prince to prevent the two men from getting into a skirmish. They were both incredibly headstrong and impetuous. I knew if I didn't diffuse this now, a physical altercation was going to take place. Hylia surprisingly stayed back with her arms crossed over her chest. Her bandaged wrapped red eyes were studying both men. She appeared like she had more insight into this situation than she was willing to give. I on the other hand chose not to be a spectator.

"Both of you have to stop acting this way! This is ridiculous. The last thing we need is to start fighting in amongst ourselves when there is such an apt terror on the loose!" I then turned back to the dragon prince. "This isn't a recreational trip Elbourne. We have to inform the twilight queen of that monster."

Elbourne studied my face for a moment.

"Then I can be of help to you. I'm excellent with negotiations."

Link groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Give me a break. This is ridiculous."

Elbourne ignored him and kept his attention focused on me.

"It's either I go with you," he said to me, but then cut his gaze to Link, "or I tell everyone where you've gone. The Hyrule Historia would have a field day with this story."

I hid my frustration, knowing Elbourne wasn't calling a bluff. When he wanted to wreak havoc, he could wreak havoc. I only had to remember years ago what he did to one of his former councilmen when he betrayed him. The man became a laughingstock and had to relocate to Balaam. The man was never able to live his humiliation down. It seemed the people of Dragon Roost were not fond of men who acted on animalistic sexual provocations with... dragons. Elbourne made sure he no longer had any real standing in the kingdom. If the dragon prince said he was going to alert everyone in Hyrule about my whereabouts, he was most certainly going to do so. I had to mitigate this. There seemed like only one solution.

"Then it is decided," I said to Elbourne, "you can come with us."

Link stared at me stunned. He was incensed.

"Zelda…"

I turned my attention back to the hero.

"What choice do we have? Every minute we waste, could be a minute that monster is causing more trouble. We're going to have to make an exception this time and try to get along."

Link's aggravation was paramount. He looked away to control his temper.

Elbourne simply grinned at the hero's irritation.

"Don't fret farm boy, your precious Twilight Realm is still going to be there, settle down."

I raised a brow. There was something about his tone that was too auspicious to simply be condescension. Elbourne then locked eyes on me and smirked. Afterwards, he winked to get under Link's skin. I was tempted to let the matter go, but something told me I needed to address his statement now. Without consenting, I took hold of Elbourne's hand and led him to the side where we could have some privacy. The looks of surprise and disapproval were on both Hylia and Link's faces, but I understood Elbourne better than both of them. We communicated in a way that only we understood. The dragon prince even seemed surprised at my actions.

"Well, well, well," he said quietly, "I wasn't expecting this."

I ignored his inflection.

"Stop being silly and tell me honestly," I whispered, searching Elbourne's face, "are you hiding something from me?"

The small smile on his lips faded with my question.

"What makes you ask that?" he whispered back.

I stared deeply into his eyes.

"Because I know you. I know how you operate."

Slowly his grin returned. He gave me a quick once over.

"Is it true that you and the farm boy are supposedly in love again?" he whispered without answering my question. "I couldn't help but overhear that."

My eyes widened a little.

"Elbourne..."

He raised a brow.

"Is it?"

I didn't understand why, but I hesitated to answer for some odd reason.

"Yes... yes it's true."

The dragon prince didn't react right away. His eyes searched my face.

"Hmph, I see. He's lucky, and I think you better ask me that question later."

I stared at him puzzled.

"What?"

His slick smile widened.

"Ask me that question again when we get to the Twilight Realm," he whispered, then came a little closer and said in a normal voice. "By the way, you look very sexy in peasant clothes. It almost entertains one of my fetishes I have about you."

I knew Link heard that.

"What the hell did you say?" the hero demanded from behind us.

I shook my head at the dragon prince, then turned back around to put a stop to what was inevitably going to happen next.

"It was nothing Link. He sometimes says pernicious things like that."

Link didn't appreciate my defense of him. He looked at me disapprovingly.

"So that makes it okay?"

I guess I did imply that with my response, but I needed to quell this.

"That's not what I'm saying at all. Just expect to hear things that may or may not aggravate you."

Elbourne merely smiled.

"It's true Linux. She loves my wood."

Link cut his eyes to Elbourne, fighting to keep his temper in check. Hylia finally decided to interject.

"Shall we get going gentlemen? Is the knight academy of hyper masculine theatrics over?"

Link rolled his eyes and groaned, while Elbourne continued to grin.

"I'm perfectly fine, if the Hero of Twilight is good." Elbourne then glanced over at Link. "You okay Linux?"

Link narrowed his eyes.

"My name is Link, Link. Get it right or don't address me at all."

There was an uneasy silence that followed. This was not going to be an easy trip. I already saw the fallout coming. Even still, Hylia and I both looked at the hero, who in turn looked away from the both of us.

"I'm fine, let's just go," the hero muttered in frustration.

Link in turn started ahead of us to the mirror. I stared after him, while being watched by ancestral mother and Elbourne. Hylia had her arms crossed over her chest.

"After you my dear," she said in her deepened voice.

I nodded, then hurried for the mirror. Elbourne stared at the goddess for a brief moment before following after me. Finally, Hylia came in at the rears and was the last one to jump through the mirror. We were finally on our way to the Twilight Realm.

~SSS~

Two weeks later, reflections of an unexpected monarch

Time was running out.

Time was not on my side. The years seemed to creep up on me and now the moment was here. I made a deal. I made a promise. Now it was time to pay. I felt it when the atmosphere shook. I sensed it when the chill went down my back. He was out. And he wanted blood. I was a hardened warrior and that creature was the only thing that frightened me. Nothing brought me solace. I can still recall her screams. I can still see her suffering. I can still see his vicious eyes. And yet, I was at his mercy. My life was intertwined with a terrible fate.

"Xavier… Xavier…" that monster's voice reached out to me, "the time is now…"

Dragon Roost had prospered. The people were doing well. My treasury had tripled. All that he promised had been given me, with the exception of Hyrule. Hyrule was no longer a desire of mine. I made my deal with the devil and now it was time to pay. I wanted to be through with my bargain so my people could be free. I looked down at the strange amulet given to me to give to her. It was a strange configuration, but I clutched it tight, knowing what I must do. I contemplated my treachery. She looked to me as a counselor. She looked to me as a friend. She looked to me as a father. We had an alliance going back to the days of her father. Was I really going to trick her by giving her this? Truth be told, I didn't even know what it was. Only that it came from that monster's world. Anything from that region could not have been anything a mortal would want.

I hesitated.

I had been out of the world of light for about a week, which probably accounted for two weeks time here. Only my wife and closest stewards knew I was gone. The twilight queen was nothing but accommodating. And I would pay that hospitality with disloyalty unfortunately. I had no choice. I had to think of my people. I walked slowly down the Twilight Palace halls and watched as the eclectic, but interesting Twili people interacted. There were many aristocrats who lived within the palace as with any power structure. But what always amazed me about the Twili people were how they communicated. Their language was unique. They didn't just speak, they gestured thought bubbles so their ideas could be seen and heard. This was primarily from the Twili who had no faces. However, they spoke traditionally as Hylians did as well. I just found it interesting.

In the moment, I was greeted by a magistrate of the Twilight Forest District. His name was Twilo. He had a very prominent position in the court and he was serving as my emissary during my visit. Most of the Twili had no idea I was coming, even her majesty. Even so, I was treated with the greatest respect just the same. I had no complaints about my visit. It was just a shame I could not visit under better circumstances.

The dignitary stepped forward and bowed.

"גרוס מיין האר, עס איז ווונדערלעך צו זען איר אַמאָל ווידער," Twilo spoke in Twili. "Greetings my lord, it is wonderful to see you once again."

I nodded at the official.

"Thank you, it's wonderful to see you too. Please tell your family I appreciate the luminescence show they put on for me yesterday. It about made my visit."

Twilo was pleased.

""איך טראַכטן גאָרנישט וועגן אים, מיר טווילי האָבן אַ לאַנג שטייענדיק רעספּעקט פֿאַר די ראָאָסטיאַן און ראָאָסטיאַן קולטור. עס איז מיין האָפענונג איין טאָג צו שאַפֿן אַ טעכנאָלאָגיע וואָס וועט לאָזן טווילי אַרומוואַנדערן די וועלט פון ליכט ווען איר אַרומוואַנדערן אין די טוויליגהט מעלוכע," he spoke in Twili. "Think nothing of it sire, we Twili have had a long standing respect for the Roostian and Roostian culture. It is my hope one day to create a technology that will allow the Twili to roam the world of light as you roam the Twilight Realm."

The implications for that were immense, both good and bad. I could not say I agreed with that conjecture. I knew there were Twili who did not care for the world of light, let alone Dragon Roost, especially with the provocative relationship my country had with its queen. However, I could not concern myself with that now. Such technology would be an obscure thought soon. There was no way that monster was going to allow that to happen. I had a task to fulfill and I couldn't let anything deter me from fulfilling it… no matter how much it hurt me personally. Even so, I thought to conclude my conversation with the magistrate and move on.

"Sounds promising," was all I said in reply and changed the subject. "When I get an opportunity, you'll have to show me your orchards. I hear Twilight ferns are particularly beautiful this time of year."

Twilo looked pleased.

"טאַקע זיי זענען, איך קען צולייגן צו אַ פּריוואַט רייַזע צו זיין מאָרגן," he replied in Twili. "Indeed they are, I can arrange for a private tour to take place tomorrow."

I had no plans on being here tomorrow. After my delivery, I planned on returning to Dragon Roost tonight. The sooner I completed my treachery, the sooner I could get over it. Either way I looked at it, my position was one of loss.

"I appreciate the offer," was all I said in reply, "I might have to postpone such a leisure."

Twilo took no offense.

"ווען איר קענען נוצן זיך, מיין משפּחה וואָלט ווי דאָס אַ כּבֿוד," he spoke in Twili. "Whenever you can avail yourself, my family would consider it an honor."

I nodded.

"Thank you," I replied, then finalized the conversation. "I must be going. I have a meeting with her majesty."

Twilo bowed.

"זיכער," he said in Twili. "Of course."

With that, I presented myself to the door to be announced, and soon I was in the presence of her majesty.

Of Queen Midna.

~SSS~

Reflections of a Twilight Queen: Midna

רעפלעקטיאָנס פון אַ טוויליגהט מלכּה: מידנאַ

עס איז נישט גענוג צו זאָגן איך ינדזשויד ווייל אַ רויאַל, איך ליב געהאט ווייל אַ רויאַל, די אַפפעקטאַטיאָן עס איז געווען דערייווד אין מיין זייער נשמה. מיין פאָטער האָט ינסטילד אַז שטאָלץ אין מיר יאר צוריק ווי אַ קינד. טווילי בלוט איז די בלוט פון אַ איידעלע שטאָלץ מענטשן, אָבער מיר זענען אַ מענטשן וואס זענען אָפֿט רידאַקיולד און מיסאַנדערסטוד. אָבער, איך געמאכט עס מיין מיסיע צו דערמאָנען מיין סאַבדזשעקץ פון די שיינקייט און ווונדער וואָס איז געווען יוניקלי זייער אייגן. עס איז קיין אָרט ווי די טוויליגהט געביט און עס איז געווען קיין קולטור ווי די טווילי קולטור. דאס איז געווען ריין קענטיק אין ווי מיר דערציילט אונדזער מעשיות, געלאָפֿן אונדזער פּאָליטיק, און יקספּאַנדיד אונדזער השפּעה.

es iz nisht genug tsu zogn ikh injoyd veyl a royal, ikh lib gehat veyl a royal, di affektatyon es iz geven dereyvd in meyn zeyer nshmh. meyn foter hot instild az shtolts in mir yar tsurik vi a kind. tvili blut iz di blut fun a eydele shtolts mentshn, ober mir zenen a mentshn vas zenen oft ridakiuld aun misanderstud. ober, ikh gemakht es meyn misye tsu dermonen meyn sabjekts fun di sheynkeyt aun vunder vos iz geven iunikli zeyer eygn. es iz keyn ort vi di tvilight gebit aun es iz geven keyn kultur vi di tvili kultur. das iz geven reyn kentik in vi mir dertseylt aundzer meshius, gelofn aundzer politik, aun ixpandid aundzer hshpeh.

א דערציילונג איז נאָר אַ מיינונג און געדאַנק פּראָצעס פון אַ יחיד מיינונג. אין דער וועלט פון ליכט, די געדאנקען זענען ענקאַפּסאַלייטיד אין וואָס זיי גערופֿן ביכער, אין די טוויילייט געביט אונדזער מעשיות זענען פּרעסערוועד און סקאָרד אין וואָס מיר גערופֿן טווילי אָרבס. די אָרבס יוטאַלייזד אַ ביסל פון די טווילי ענערגיע געפֿונען גרינג אין אַלע אַספּעקץ פון די לאַנד און זענען פילטערעד סטעדאַלי זיך אַ קאַמפּאַקטיד טעמפּ פּלאַץ. דער מחבר וואָלט פאָקוס ווי לאַנג ווי זיי דארף צו און ייַנפלאַנצן זייער געדאנקען אין די אָרב אָן אלץ בעת צו זאָרג וועגן דעם שוואַך און אַרויסגעוואָרפן מידיאַ פון טינט און פּאַפּיר. אויב אַ יחיד געוואלט צו גאַרנער די געדאנקען פון דעם מחבר, אַלע זיי וואָלט האָבן צו טאָן איז געווען פאַרבינדן די אָרב און אַ קאָנפלאַגראַטיאָן פון דער מחבר 'ס בילדער, שפּראַך, און סינטאַקס וואָלט סיימאַלטייניאַסלי באַשייַמפּערלעך זיך צו פּראָדוצירן די געשיכטע אָדער געדאַנק געוואלט. עס איז געווען אַ בריליאַנט וועג צו וויטרינע ידיאַמז און אַזאַ וואָס וואָלט אַנדערש זיין אוממעגלעך צו קאַנוויי. פילע פון יענע אָרבס זענען געניצט צו פּילאָט אידעישע פּראַפּרייאַטי און די מאָראַל באוווסטזיין פון די מענטשן, ספּעציעל אין די מעלוכע פון פּאָליטיק.

dertseylung iz nor a meynung aun gedank protses fun a ikhid meynung. in der velt fun likht, di gedanken zenen enkapsaleytid in vos zey gerufn bikher, in di tveyleyt gebit aundzer meshius zenen preserved aun skord in vos mir gerufn tvili orbs. di orbs iutaleyzd a bisl fun di tvili energye gefunen gring in ale aspekts fun di land aun zenen filtered stedali zikh a kampaktid temp plats. der mkhbr volt fokus vi lang vi zey darf tsu aun aynflantsn zeyer gedanken in di orb on alts bes tsu zorg vegn dem shvakh aun aroysgevorfn midya fun tint aun papir. aoyb a ikhid gevalt tsu garner di gedanken fun dem mkhbr, ale zey volt hobn tsu ton iz geven farbindn di orb aun a konflagratyon fun der mkhbr 's bilder, shprakh, aun sintax volt seymalteynyasli bashaymperlekh zikh tsu produtsirn di geshikhte oder gedank gevalt. es iz geven a brilyant veg tsu vitrine idyamz aun aza vos volt andersh zeyn aummeglekh tsu kanvey. file fun yene orbs zenen genitst tsu pilot ideishe prapreyati aun di moral bavustzeyn fun di mentshn, spetsyel in di melukhe fun politik.

פּאָליטיק איז טריקי אין קיין פאָרום, צי עס זייַן אין דער וועלט פון ליכט אָדער די וועלט פון טוויילייט, ווייל סטייטיד אַז, די וועלט פון מיין מענטשן איז געווען ווייניקער שטרענג צו די וועלט פון ליכט. הירולעאַן פּאָליטיק זענען קאָמפּליצירט און אָפֿט באַרראַגעד מיט נאַנסענסיקאַל טריטיז אַז קיינמאָל סאַלווד קיין פון די פּראָבלעמס זיי צוגעזאגט צו ויסמייַדן. אין די טוויילייט מעלוכע, פּאָליטיק זענען באהאנדלט מער ענג מיט די קונסט. אויב די אַגענדאַ פון איין פאָלק פּאַראַללעלעד די אַגענדאַ פון אן אנדער לאַנד אָפֿט מאל די מענטשן וואָלט שטעלן אויף אַ שפּיל צו זען ווי די קאַנסאַקוואַנס וואָלט אַקט אויס. עס סימד ווי אַ מאָדנע וועג צו צוגאַנג פּאַלאַסיז און פּראָצעדור, אָבער פֿאַר הונדערטער פון יאָרן עס פּריווענטיד מיין מענטשן פון דיסטרויינג און ענגיידזשינג אין ומנייטיק קאָנפליקט ינעווייניק. עס איז קיין ווונדער וואָס די בלויז פּראָבלעמס די טווילי מען האט געווען פֿון אַן אַרויס מקור, דער הויפּט פון די וועלט פון ליכט. איך איז געווען ניט זיכער וואָס די גאַדלעס פון ליכט דוועלערז איז געווען ספּרינגקאַלד מיט אַזאַ קאָנטעמפּטואָוס דיסדיין פֿאַר די רעכט פון אנדערע, אָבער עס געווען צו זייַן ימביוד אין די זייער שטאָף פון זייער ווייל. איך קען דערציילן די מלחמות און ינסורגענסיעס פון די וועלט פון ליכט, אָבער די געשיכטע וואָלט זייַן אויך לאַנג און אויך ניט גרינג צו שטאַט. אָבער, אַז איז ניט צו זאָגן עס זענען נישט ליכט דוועלערז איך האט נישט צוטרוי, עס זענען געווען, זיי זענען נאָר ווייניק און ווייַט צווישן. עס איז געווען פון לויף מלכּה זעלדאַ, איך טראַסטיד איר אַפֿילו כאָטש איך האט ניט געזען איר אין יאָרן, אָבער מיר געמאכט אַ פּאַקט און איך איז געגאנגען צו שטעקן צו עס. זי און איך זענען עמאַסעריז צו אונדזער מענטשן, מיר דארף צו ווייַזן די מאַקסימאַל כשיוועס און רעספּעקט אין סדר פֿאַר אנדערע צו נאָכפאָלגן פּאַסן. דעריבער, פון קורס, עס איז געווען אַז אנדערע יונגערמאַן פֿון דער וועלט פון ליכט איך האט ניט געזען אין יאָרן, די גרויס העלד לינק ... איך געהאט מער דרינגלעך געדאנקען וועגן אים, אָבער מער איז געווען צו קומען פון אַז שפּעטער. אין קורץ, פּאָליטיק זענען די וועגן פון דער וועלט, און ווי יעדער קולטור פּראַסידאַד מיט אים באשלאסן צי אָדער ניט זייַן מעטהאָדס זענען פעאַסיבלע אָדער ניט. אזוי ווייַט, טווילי מעטהאָדס האָבן געארבעט פֿאַר טווילי מענטשן.

itik iz triki in keyn forum, tsi es zayn in der velt fun likht oder di velt fun tveyleyt, veyl steytid az, di velt fun meyn mentshn iz geven veyniker shtreng tsu di velt fun likht. hirulean politik zenen komplitsirt aun oft barraged mit nansensikal tritiz az keynmol salvd keyn fun di problems zey tsugezagt tsu oysmaydn. in di tveyleyt melukhe, politik zenen bahandlt mer eng mit di kunst. aoyb di agenda fun eyn folk paralleled di agenda fun an ander land oft mal di mentshn volt shteln aoyf a shpil tsu zen vi di kansakvans volt akt aoys. es simd vi a modne veg tsu tsugang palasiz aun protsedur, ober far hunderter fun yorn es priventid meyn mentshn fun distroying aun engeyjing in umneytik konflikt ineveynik. es iz keyn vunder vos di bloyz problems di tvili men hat geven fun an aroys mkur, der hoypt fun di velt fun likht. ikh iz geven nit zikher vos di gadles fun likht dvelerz iz geven springkald mit aza kontemptuous disdeyn far di rekht fun andere, ober es geven tsu zayn imbiud in di zeyer shtof fun zeyer veyl. ikh ken dertseyln di mlkhmus aun insurgensyes fun di velt fun likht, ober di geshikhte volt zayn aoykh lang aun aoykh nit gring tsu shtat. ober, az iz nit tsu zogn es zenen nisht likht dvelerz ikh hat nisht tsutroy, es zenen geven, zey zenen nor veynik aun vayt tsvishn. es iz geven fun loyf mlkh zelda, ikh trastid ir afilu khotsh ikh hat nit gezen ir in yorn, ober mir gemakht a pakt aun ikh iz gegangen tsu shtekn tsu es. zi aun ikh zenen emaseriz tsu aundzer mentshn, mir darf tsu vayzn di maximal khshives aun respekt in sdr far andere tsu nokhfolgn pasn. deriber, fun kurs, es iz geven az andere iungerman fun der velt fun likht ikh hat nit gezen in yorn, di groys held link ... ikh gehat mer dringlekh gedanken vegn im, ober mer iz geven tsu kumen fun az shpeter. in kurts, politik zenen di vegn fun der velt, aun vi yeder kultur prasidad mit im bashlasn tsi oder nit zayn methods zenen feasible oder nit. azoy vayt, tvili methods hobn gearbet far tvili mentshn.

קולטור איז אָפֿט Defined ווי די ניט וויכטיק און די מאַטעריאַל גייַסט שטעלן פון די מענטשן עס רעפּריזענטיד. אין די פאַל פון מיין מענטשן, קולטור איז געווען ימבאָסט אין די זייער ערד אַרום אונדז. וואָס האט איך מיינען? א טווילי נאָר קען נישט באַזונדער זיך פון די טוויליגהט געביט און עקסיסטירן עקסיסטענטיאַללי. די טוויליגהט איז געווען אַ מעקאַניזאַם פון עניגמאַטיק באוווסטזיין אַז ימביוד יעדער טווילי מיט אַ לעבן מקור פון ענערגיע. אין קורץ, אויב מיין מענטשן סטעפּט אַוועק פון די טוויילייט אויך לאַנג זיי וואָלט אומקומען. וואָס איז געווען וואָס עס איז נייטיק פֿאַר מיר צו צעשטערן די שפּיגל צו פאַרמייַדן ווער עס יז פון ווייל טעמפּטעד צו שריט אין דער וועלט פון ליכט. ליכט דוועלערז האט נישט האָבן די זעלבע שטאַרביק צושטאנדן ווי טווילי מענטשן, און קען פרעעלי אַרייַן און אַרומוואַנדערן די טוויליגהט געביט אָן מורא פון לוזינג זייער קאָלעקטיוו זיך. אָבער, ליכט דוועלערז וואָלט אויך טראַנססענד אָדער אַראָפּגיין צו אַ אַנדערש ווייל פון באוווסטזיין דיפּענדינג אויף די שטאָף פון זייער מאַכן אַרויף. פֿאַר בייַשפּיל, רובֿ ליכט דוועלערז וואָלט ווענדן אין טרערן פון ליכט און בלייַבן אַז וועג ווי זיי געמאכט זייער וועג דורך די טוויליגהט מעלוכע. אבער, עס זענען אנדערע וואס האט ניט יבערמאַכן אין טרערן פון ליכט פֿאַר פאַרשידן סיבות. עס מייַ האָבן געהאט צו טאָן מיט די טריפאָרסע, אָדער אויב די מענטשן זענען געגעבן פּאַרדאָנס און באקומען ספּעציעל קאַנטינדזשאַנסיז פון די רויאַל משפּחה, אָבער ביידע געשען פֿאַר פאַרשידענע סיבות. א באַזונדער יחיד פון די וועלט פון ליכט האט באקומען אַז שענקען געזונט, די אנדערע אָבער, איך האט ניט געזען זינט די צייַט פון מיין באַגעגעניש אים ווי אַ וואָלף ... אַז מענטש איז געווען לינק.

kultur iz oft Defined vi di nit vikhtik aun di materyal gayst shteln fun di mentshn es reprizentid. in di fal fun meyn mentshn, kultur iz geven imbost in di zeyer erd arum aundz. vos hat ikh meynen? a tvili nor ken nisht bazunder zikh fun di tvilight gebit aun existirn existentyalli. di tvilight iz geven a mekanizam fun enigmatik bavustzeyn az imbiud yeder tvili mit a lebn mkur fun energye. in kurts, aoyb meyn mentshn stept avek fun di tveyleyt aoykh lang zey volt aumkumen. vos iz geven vos es iz neytik far mir tsu tseshtern di shpigl tsu farmaydn ver es iz fun veyl tempted tsu shrit in der velt fun likht. likht dvelerz hat nisht hobn di zelbe shtarbik tsushtandn vi tvili mentshn, aun ken freeli arayn aun arumvandern di tvilight gebit on mura fun luzing zeyer kolektiv zikh. ober, likht dvelerz volt aoykh transsend oder aropgeyn tsu a andersh veyl fun bavustzeyn dipending aoyf di shtof fun zeyer makhn aroyf. far bayshpil, ruv likht dvelerz volt vendn in trern fun likht aun blaybn az veg vi zey gemakht zeyer veg durkh di tvilight melukhe. aber, es zenen andere vas hat nit ibermakhn in trern fun likht far farshidn sibus. es may hobn gehat tsu ton mit di triforse, oder aoyb di mentshn zenen gegebn pardons aun bakumen spetsyel kantinjansiz fun di royal mshpkhh, ober beyde geshen far farshidene sibus. a bazunder ikhid fun di velt fun likht hat bakumen az shenken gezunt, di andere ober, ikh hat nit gezen zint di tsayt fun meyn bagegenish im vi a volf ... az mentsh iz geven link.

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וואָס קען איך זאָגן וועגן לינק? ער איז געווען העלדיש. ער איז געווען טאַלאַנטירט מיט דער שווערד. ער איז געווען מויסער-נעפעשדיק. ער איז געווען אַלץ אַ פרוי קען פרעגן פֿאַר אין אַ העלפּער. איך געדענקען דעם טאָג ווען איך געזען אים אין אַז צעל, קוקן צעמישט און דיסמייד ווי צו וואָס זייַן אומשטאנדן האט אויסגעדרייט אויס ווי אַזאַ. 'וואָס איז ער אַ וואָלף? ער איז געווען מיסטאָמע וואַנדערינג. 'ווער איז דאָס מאָדנע באַשעפעניש סטערינג בייַ אים?' רעפעררינג צו זיך. צוריק דעמאָלט איך געקוקט זייער אַנדערש ווי איך האט איצט, איך איז געווען אַ קליין ביסל ימפּ מיט אַ דעווילישלי כיינעוודיק באַזייַטיקונג. איך קיינמאָל פאַרפאַלן מיין מאָקסיע אָדער וואָס געמאכט מיר מיר, אָבער איך האט שוין געשאלטן דורך אַ פאָאָלהאַרדי יחיד געהייסן זאַנט בייַ די צייַט, אַזוי קיין איינער געוואוסט וואס איך באמת איז אָדער וואָס איך באמת געקוקט ווי. עס איז קיין ווונדער נאָך אונדזער פּאַסירונג צוזאַמען לינק איז געווען אַזוי אַסטראַק ווען ער האט געזען מיר פֿאַר וואָס איך טאַקע געווען. איך האט צו אַרייַנלאָזן עס איז שפּאַס רענדערינג אים אַזוי ספּיטשלאַס, ספּעציעל זינט איך האט געפֿאַלן אין ליבע מיט אים בייַ אַז פונט. איך איז נישט געגאנגען צו פאַרהיטן אַז די בומבלינג וואָלף וואס האט יראַטייטאַד מיר צו קיין סוף געוואקסן אין מיין האַרץ און געווארן אַ יראַפּלייסאַבאַל פרייַנד, אַליירט, און ליבע פון מיין לעבן. איך געוואלט צו דערציילן אים אַזוי באַדלי אַז איך ליב געהאט אים. איך געוואלט אים צו קומען צו מיין מעלוכע און לעבן און פּרעסידע מיט מיר פֿאַר די מנוחה פון זייַן טעג, אָבער ... עס איז געווען ניט צו זיין. איך קען נישט נעמען אַוועק פון דער וועלט פון ליכט איינער פון די ביסל מענטשן עס האט געגאנגען פֿאַר אים. איך געדאַנק אפֿשר לינק וואָלט זאָגן יענע פאָאָלס צו טוישן, געבן זיי אַ אַנדערש פּערספּעקטיוו אויף וואָס די טוויליגהט געביט איז טאַקע ווי. מיר זענען נישט די סקערי פינצטער דוועלערז וואס כאָנטאַד זייער נייטמערז אָדער זענען די פּראָדוקטן פון עטלעכע פינצטער פאַנטאַסיעס. די טווילי געווען אַ ווערדיק מענטשן מיט אונדזער אייגן קולטור, שפּראַך, און וועג פון לעבן. אויב לינק קען טאָן אַז, ער וואָלט אויף אייביק האָבן מיין דאנקבארקייט.

vos ken ikh zogn vegn link? er iz geven heldish. er iz geven talantirt mit der shverd. er iz geven moyser-nefeshdik. er iz geven alts a froy ken fregn far in a helper. ikh gedenken dem tog ven ikh gezen im in az tsel, kukn tsemisht aun dismeyd vi tsu vos zayn aumshtandn hat aoysgedreyt aoys vi aza. 'vos iz er a volf? er iz geven mistome vandering. 'ver iz dos modne bashefenish stering bay im?' referring tsu zikh. tsurik demolt ikh gekukt zeyer andersh vi ikh hat itst, ikh iz geven a kleyn bisl imp mit a devilishli kheynevdik bazaytikung. ikh keynmol farfaln meyn moxye oder vos gemakht mir mir, ober ikh hat shoyn geshaltn durkh a foolhardi ikhid geheysn zant bay di tsayt, azoy keyn eyner gevaust vas ikh bams iz oder vos ikh bams gekukt vi. es iz keyn vunder nokh aundzer pasirung tsuzamen link iz geven azoy astrak ven er hat gezen mir far vos ikh take geven. ikh hat tsu araynlozn es iz shpas rendering im azoy spitshlas, spetsyel zint ikh hat gefaln in libe mit im bay az funt. ikh iz nisht gegangen tsu farhitn az di bumbling volf vas hat irateytad mir tsu keyn suf gevaxn in meyn harts aun gevarn a irapleysabal fraynd, aleyrt, aun libe fun meyn lebn. ikh gevalt tsu dertseyln im azoy badli az ikh lib gehat im. ikh gevalt im tsu kumen tsu meyn melukhe aun lebn aun preside mit mir far di mnukhh fun zayn teg, ober ... es iz geven nit tsu zeyn. ikh ken nisht nemen avek fun der velt fun likht eyner fun di bisl mentshn es hat gegangen far im. ikh gedank afshr link volt zogn yene fools tsu toyshn, gebn zey a andersh perspektiv aoyf vos di tvilight gebit iz take vi. mir zenen nisht di skeri fintster dvelerz vas khontad zeyer neytmerz oder zenen di produktn fun etlekhe fintster fantasyes. di tvili geven a verdik mentshn mit aundzer eygn kultur, shprakh, aun veg fun lebn. aoyb link ken ton az, er volt aoyf eybik hobn meyn dankbarkeyt

איך איז נישט געגאנגען צו פאַרהיטן איך האט ניט געדאַנק וועגן אים אין אַלע דעם מאָל. איך געדאַנק וועגן לינק אַ גרויס האַנדלען. איך געחידושט וואָס ער האט געטאן מיט זיין לעבן. האט ער געזעצט אַראָפּ? איז ער נאָך אַדווענטורינג? איז ער אַ טאַטע איצט? האט ער געפֿונען זייַן ריגהטפול אָרט אין די וועלט? האט ער נאָך טראַכטן פון אונדזער פּאַסירונג צוזאַמען? האט ער וויסן אַז טיף אַראָפּ איך ליב געהאט אים און געוואלט אים צו זיין מיט מיר? האט ער וויסן אַז מיין פלירטאַטיאָוס אַקט איז געווען ניט נאָר אַ אַקט? אויב איך אלץ גאַט צו זען אים ווידער איך וואָלט מאַכן זיכער צו פרעגן אים די זאכן, און איך איז געווען זיכער ער וואָלט פרעגן זיי פון מיר. פֿאַר מיר איצט, מיין לעבן איז געווען עמבראָילעד אין פּאָליטיק, און ליידער עס איז געווען אין אַ פלאַגראַנט וועג, אָבער איך וואָלט טאָן עפּעס פֿאַר מיין מענטשן, עפּעס. איך וואָלט ניט גיין אין וואָס איך סטייטיד עס ווי אַזאַ, אָבער עס זענען געווען זיכער זאכן וואָס האט אַ דיפּער אָפּקומעניש ווי אויף די ייבערפלאַך פאָרמאַליטיעס ... מאל אַ בעדפעללאָוו געמאכט אַ בעסער פּאָליטיש אַליירט ווי אַ שטייענדיק איינער. אבער, איך דייגרעס ווי איך איז געווען אָט אין דעם בייַזייַן פון אַ אומגעריכט גאַסט ווי פון שפּעט און ער איך האבן קאַנקלודינג אונדזער באַגעגעניש. די מאַנאַרק דערלאנגט מיר מיט אַ מאָדנע טאַלאַנט, אָבער איך טראַסטיד אים זינט איך האב אים לאַנג

ikh iz nisht gegangen tsu farhitn ikh hat nit gedank vegn im in ale dem mol. ikh gedank vegn link a groys handlen. ikh gekhidusht vos er hat getan mit zeyn lebn. hat er gezetst arop? iz er nokh adventuring? iz er a tate itst? hat er gefunen zayn rightful ort in di velt? hat er nokh trakhtn fun aundzer pasirung tsuzamen? hat er visn az tif arop ikh lib gehat im aun gevalt im tsu zeyn mit mir? hat er visn az meyn flirtatyous akt iz geven nit nor a akt? aoyb ikh alts gat tsu zen im vider ikh volt makhn zikher tsu fregn im di zakhn, aun ikh iz geven zikher er volt fregn zey fun mir. far mir itst, meyn lebn iz geven embroiled in politik, aun leyder es iz geven in a flagrant veg, ober ikh volt ton epes far meyn mentshn, epes. ikh volt nit geyn in vos ikh steytid es vi aza, ober es zenen geven zikher zakhn vos hat a diper opkumenish vi aoyf di eyberflakh formalityes ... mal a bedfellov gemakht a beser politish aleyrt vi a shteyendik eyner. aber, ikh deygres vi ikh iz geven ot in dem bayzayn fun a aumgerikht gast vi fun shpet aun er ikh habn kankluding aundzer bagegenish. di manark derlangt mir mit a modne talant, ober ikh trastid im zint ikh hab im lang ...

...

...

...

Pardon my Twili.

It is almost indicative of my nature that I think and contemplate in my native tongue. However, due to the fact that my life currently has a reasonable amount of duality in it, I shall also propagate my introspection to Hylian for the ease of clarity and understanding as well. With that being stated, I shall recall what I previously rendered:

It wasn't enough to say I enjoyed being a royal, I loved being a royal. The affectation of it was derived in my very soul. My father had instilled that pride in me years ago as a child. Twili blood was the blood of a noble proud people, but we were a people who were often ridiculed and misunderstood. However, I made it my mission to remind my subjects of the beauty and wonder that was uniquely their own. There was no place like the Twilight Realm and there was no culture like the Twili culture. This was purely evident in how we told our stories, ran our politics, and expanded our influence.

A story was simply an opinion and thought process of an individual mind. In the world of light, those thoughts were encapsulated in what they called books. In the Twilight Realm our stories were preserved and scored in what we called Twili orbs. These orbs utilized Twili energy found readily in all aspects of the country. They were filtered and compacted steadily into dense space. The novelist would focus as long as he or she needed to in order to implant their thoughts into the orb. This was orchestrated so that the author wouldn't have to worry about the weak and useless media of ink and paper. If a Twili wanted to garner the thoughts of the journalist, all he or she would have to do was touch the orb the writer filtered their thoughts to. When activated, a conflagration of the author's images, language, and syntax would simultaneously manifest to produce the story or idea. It was a brilliant way to store our language and culture. Without it, some ideas would otherwise be impossible to convey. Many of those orbs were used to pilot ideological propriety, and the moral consciousness of the people, especially in the realm of politics.

Politics was tricky in any forum, whether it be in the world of light or the world of twilight. Having stated that, the world of my people was less austere than the world of light. Hyrulean politics were complicated and often barraged with nonsensical treaties that never solved any of the problems they promised to avoid. In the Twilight Realm, politics were treated more closely with the arts. If the agenda of one nation paralleled the agenda of another nation, often times the Twili people would put on a play to see how the consequence would act out. To Hylians it was an odd way to approach policies and procedure, but for hundreds of years it prevented my people from destroying and engaging in unnecessary conflicts internally. It was no wonder why the only problems the Twili people had were from outside sources. Mainly, the world of light. I wasn't sure why the arrogance of light dwellers was conflated with such contemptuous disdain for the rights of others. It seemed to be imbued in the very fabric of their being. I could recount the wars and insurgencies from the world of light, but the history would be too long and too arduous to state. However, that wasn't to say there weren't light dwellers I didn't trust. There were, though they were few. There was of course Queen Zelda, I trusted her even though I hadn't seen her in years. But, we made a pact and I was going to stick to it. She and I were emissaries to our people. We needed to show the utmost dignity and respect in order for others to follow suit. Then, of course, there was the great hero Link. Of all light dwellers, I trusted him the most. I have more pressing ideas regarding him, but I would explain that later. In short, politics was the theater of the world. How each culture proceeded was their own where with all. So far, Twili methods have worked for Twili people.

Culture was often defined as the immaterial and the material mind set of the people it represented. In the case of my people, culture was embossed in the very earth around us. A Twili simply couldn't separate themselves from the Twilight Realm and exist existentially. The twilight was a mechanism of enigmatic consciousness that imbued each Twili with a life source of energy. In short, if my people stepped away from the twilight too long they would perish. That was why it was necessary for me to destroy the mirror to prevent anyone from being tempted to step into the world of light. Light dwellers didn't have the same mortal circumstances as Twili people. They could freely enter and roam the Twilight Realm without fear of losing their collective self. However, light dwellers would also transcend or descend to a different being of consciousness depending on the fabric of their make up. For instance, most light dwellers would turn into tears of light and stay that way as they made their way through the Twilight Realm. However, there were others who didn't transform into tears of light for various reasons. It may have had to do with the Triforce, or if the individuals were granted pardons and received special contingencies from the royal family of the Twili, but both happened for different reasons. A particular individual from the world of light had received that pardon. The other however, I hadn't seen since the time of my meeting him as a wolf. That person was Link.

Link...

Link...

Link...

What could I say about Link? A great deal actually. He was brave. He was gifted with the sword. He was selfless. He was everything a woman could ask for in a companion. I remember the day when I saw him in that cell, looking confused and dismayed as to why his circumstances had turned out as such. 'Why was he a wolf?' he was probably wondering. 'Who was this strange creature staring at him?' referring to myself. Back then I looked very different than I do now. I was a short little imp with a devilishly charming disposition. I never lost my moxie or what made me me, but I had been cursed by a foolhardy individual named Zant at the time. So no one knew who I truly was, or what I truly looked like. It was no wonder after our adventure together Link was so awestruck when he saw me for who I really was. I had to admit it was quite fun rendering him speechless, especially since I had fallen in love with him at that point. I wasn't going to pretend that the bumbling wolf who had irritated me to no end grew in my heart and became an irreplaceable friend, ally, and love of my life. I wanted to tell him so badly that I loved him. I wanted him to come to my realm and live and preside with me for the rest of his days. But... it wasn't to be. I couldn't take away from the world of light one of the few people it had going for it. I thought perhaps Link would tell those fools to change. Give them a different perspective on what the Twilight Realm was really like. We weren't these scary dark dwellers who haunted their nightmares, or were the products of some dark fantasies. The Twili were a dignified people with our own culture, language, and way of life. If Link managed to do that, he would forever have my gratitude.

I wasn't going to pretend I hadn't thought about him in all this time. I thought about Link a great deal. I wondered what he had done with his life. Had he settled down? Was he still adventuring? Was he a father now? Had he found his rightful place in the world? Did he still think of our adventure together? Did he know that deep down I loved him and wanted him to be with me? Did he know that my flirtatious act wasn't just an act? If I ever got to see him again I would make sure to ask him those things, and I was sure he would ask them of me. For me currently, my life was embroiled in politics, and unfortunately it was in a flagrant way, but I would do anything for my people, anything. I wouldn't go into why I stated it as such, but there were certain things that had a deeper derivation than surface formalities... sometimes a bedfellow made a better political ally than a standing one. However, I digress as I was presently in the presence of an unexpected visitor as of late. I appreciated his company over the last week and he I were concluding our short meeting. The monarch presented me with a strange gift, but I trusted him since I knew him long before now.

"דאַנקען איר פֿאַר די פּרעזענט, Thank you for the present," I stated in both Twili and Hylian.

The Roostian monarch smiled and bowed.

"It suits you," the king then paused and looked me over for a moment, "your father would be so proud of you Midna my dear."

I looked down and became solemn when he mentioned my father. I knew how close the two of them once were.

"דאַנקען איר פֿאַר דיין סאָרט ווערטער, Thank you for your kind words," I whispered, "and I'm sure he would appreciate your presence and your being here to assist me."

The king scoffed and chuckled.

"I'm afraid there's very little for me to do for a person as grand as you," he replied.

I grinned at his flattery, but was halted in what I was going to say next. The door to the throne room suddenly opened and a Twili soldier presented himself.

"איך בין נעבעכדיק צו ינטרוד מיין דאַמע, אָבער אַ רובֿ כידעשדיק שטעלן פון וויזאַטערז איז אנגעקומען," he said slightly breathless in Twili, then repeated in Hylian, "I'm sorry to intrude my lady, but a most surprising set of visitors have arrived."

I looked at him taken aback. I was hardly expecting to hear anything like this.

"א חידוש גאַנג פון וויזאַטערז? A surprising set of visitors?" I repeated. "איבער וואס רעדסטו? What are you talking about?"

The soldier took another step forward.

"דיין מאַדזשאַסטי, איר מאַדזשאַסטי מלכּה זעלדאַ איז דאָ און זי איז באגלייט דורך צוויי זכר גאַרדיאַנז און אַ נינדזשאַ. איינער פון די מענטשן קוקט ווי דער העלד פון טוויליגהט!" he said in Twili. "Your majesty, her majesty Queen Zelda is here and she is accompanied by two male guardians and a ninja. one of the men looks like the Hero of Twilight!"

My amber eyes widened when he said that. I immediately stood up.

"What?" I whispered in complete disbelief.

The guard didn't hesitate.

"One of them looks like the great hero my lady," he repeated.

That was what I thought he said. My heart began to race.

"די קווין איז דאָ און דער העלד, אָבער ווי? פארוואס? The queen is here and the hero," I repeated more to myself, then shook my head, "but how? Why?"

I immediately turned my attention to the Roostian king in my company. My expression turned to one of open accusation. However, he in turn raised his hands in surrender, promising he had not betrayed the treaty he made all those years ago with my father.

"I had nothing to do with this," he swore. "I have no idea how they all got here."

My frustration was growing when I cut my gaze back to my servant. I didn't have time to dissect this now. If the queen was here, she must have had a good reason to come. However, that still didn't account for why she came unannounced.

"Send them in," I said finally.

The soldier bowed, turned, and hurried back to the door. I looked back to the king who appeared just as confused as me. But, when the guests came into the hall, his confusion only deepened. Soon his confusion morphed into anger when he saw that one of the men was his son. He recognized him immediately.

"Elbourne?" he demanded.

The dragon prince looked equally surprised.

"Father?" he replied. "What in the world are you doing here?"

The others with him, then turned their perplexed eyes on the monarch

"Wait a minute," the Hylian queen said, "what in the world is going on here?"

Link didn't say anything right away, as his eyes were suddenly fixed on me. I couldn't believe he was really here. He had gotten more handsome over the years. He looked older, wiser, but that same innocent yearning I once saw so long ago was still very apparent in his eyes. I was taken aback to those yester years when I first met him in that dungeon. He still carried that same impetuous spirit with him... that same zeal. I felt so overwhelmed that I involuntarily took a couple steps forward when I saw him. However, I stopped myself when I saw that his hand was interlocked with the queen's. It wasn't an action that was by accident.

My eyes widened slightly.

What's this?

I didn't have time to ponder it, as Link let the Hylian queen's hand go and hurried to me. I was initially stunned by the action, but not more stunned when I was suddenly in a tight hug in his arms. I was frozen for a moment before I finally managed to hug him back.

"Midna," he whispered in my ear, "Midna, Midna..."

I closed my eyes at his voice.

"לינק ... איך קענען ניט גלויבן איר ניטאָ דאָ," I whispered in Twili, "Link... I can't believe you're here."

When I opened them, beyond the hero's shoulder I was met with a peculiar look by the dragon prince and the down cast eyes of her majesty. The dragon prince's face suddenly went from perplexed to a furtive grin in a matter of seconds. It was as if he had an epiphany with what was going on. He was about to start a dialogue of interesting questions.

"You... two know each other?"

The instigation was clear, but I was dumbstruck. I wasn't sure I wanted to utter the truth. However, that was when Link pulled back finally and suddenly looked at me taken aback.

"Of course we do," he answered anyway, staring into my eyes. "Midna's a very dear friend."

My throat tightened, while the dragon prince's smile widened.

"Hmph," he moaned, "I see."

It was that inflection that made Link release me completely and look at me with a sudden bout of suspicion.

"Wait a minute..." he started, then turned to look at Elbourne, "do you two know each other?"

It was then the Hylian queen finally looked up and glanced over at the dragon prince.

"Elbourne... is that true?"

The dragon prince glanced back over at his father, who for whatever reason was fuming.

"Yes," he said matter-of-fact, "actually it is."

Link then turned back to me.

"Is he serious?"

I understood why the hero suddenly looked upset. I glanced back over at Elbourne, who now had his eyes fixed on the Queen Zelda. Afterwards, I gazed back at the perplexed hero.

"Yes Link..." I said finally, "I'm afraid it's true."

~SSS~

Entering the Twilight Realm, two weeks passed, Zelda

The portal was like a time compression. Scenic occurrences from other dimensions acted upon itself in a cluster of kaleidoscopic imagery. One moment a black haze was in front of us. The next moment a white haze was in front of us. The space around us differentiated inward and outward like a metallic cadence of silver at one point. Then the space swayed and acted as if it were decelerating and accelerating at the same time, creating a static state of polar energies. The energy became multifaceted when the space directly in front of us shifted into a fractal sequence of dark and light matter. The particles once again acted upon itself into an opening -spitting us all out as it were into a bed of time. We were now in the Twilight Realm. However, considering how space and time worked, I couldn't determine how much time had passed. A week? Two weeks perhaps? And all in a blink of an eye. We landed in a chasm below the entrance of the Palace of Twilight. The convenience could not be overstated.

That's a relief.

I turned to see if the others were okay.

"Nothing's broken right? Everyone's alright."

Hylia nodded.

Elbourne smiled.

Link simply raised a hand.

With everyone accounted for, I looked around and was momentarily awestruck by the realm's mysterious beauty. It was incredible to say the least. Bioluminescence surrounded us. The trees were black, with rounded and gnarly branches covered in white leaves. The water wasn't crystal clear, but multi colored and translucent like a painting. The pinks, the greens, and the blues all bled into each other, creating a magnificent umbra effect that could only be seen to be believed. The ethereal light perpetually cast was golden brown, with the atmosphere sprinkled with evidential markers of squared shaped fractal components of space. The dimly lit incandescent dimension resided right next to Hyrule as her sister country. The idea of its existence could better be explained with the use of the multiverse theory. In multiverse theory, several universal spaces could exist together at once. It is believed that each individual universe was separated by a nano-thin membrane of space called a 'Faroric' Sea. A 'Faroric' Sea was an inverted space within itself. In a word, the Twilight Realm was enchanting.

The Palace of Twilight was a large adamantine, four towered edifice, with ancient grooves replicating circles, triangles, and squares in a very distinct pattern. It was rumored the ancient markers were the Twili royal family's cote of arms. However, the mystery was never verified. The language and culture were vastly different from Hyrule's. Even so, a clue deciphered that the code wasn't a message of ill conceived means for the land of light. As proof of that, there was an emblem of the Triforce embedded in the center of the seal. Seeing this all made me wish I had more time to explore the land properly, but this was hardly a social visit. Link, Hylia, Elbourne and I headed past all the ornate architecture for the entrance of the Palace of Twilight. The Twili guards were beyond surprised at our arrival, but immediately let us pass through when they realized who we were. We walked down the hall in haste. My heart was pounding a thousand beats per second. We had no idea of knowing whether or not Ghirahim had already made an attempt on Midna's life. We stopped outside the throne room to speak with the guard.

"I know this is very untoward," I said, "but will you please alert her majesty that Queen Zelda of Hyrule is here along with the Hero of Twilight."

I didn't bother to mention the others as I didn't think it was necessary. I looked over at Link, who then walked up to me and took hold of my hand. I think this was his way of making his statement of solidarity with me. I appreciated it to be sure, but the real test was to come. The guard hurried through the door and went to announce us. I glanced up at Link.

"Are you nervous?"

He appeared calm, but I could see the excitement in his eyes.

"Not as much as I thought I was going to be."

I tried to smile, but I was extremely nervous. I had no idea how these next few days or weeks were going to turn out. I just hoped Ghirahim hadn't attempted anything yet. It was quite possible that he only arrived a few moments earlier. From his first encounter, he proved he was extremely dangerous. I could only imagine what he would he would be like at full strength. I glanced over at Hylia and Elbourne. They both had nondescript expressions on their faces. Elbourne though was particularly hard to read. He appeared to be carrying a variation of a smile and a sneer. I had no idea what he was thinking.

'Are you alright?' I mouthed to him.

The prince caught my question, but never answered. He just stared back at me without replying. I knew something was amiss. Soon after, the guard returned to the door and announced our audience.

"Her majesty will see you now," the Twili guard said.

Link and I nodded graciously and hurried inside. The hero was particularly fleeter in his approach. He was practically yanking on my arm. Soon, however, I could see her... and she appeared every bit as amazing as the last time I saw her. It seemed that time stood still for the stunningly beautiful monarch. She hadn't aged a day. She stood up and looked at all of us temporarily dumbstruck. However, I quickly saw she wasn't alone. Surprisingly, in her company was the presence of another monarch: Xavier, Lord and Sovereign of Dragon Roost. I was taken aback when I saw him. What was he doing here? How did he get here? I turned to look at Elbourne who appeared just as befuddled as I.

Xavier, however, was less than pleased to see his wayward son.

"Elbourne?"

The dragon prince gazed at his father taken aback.

"Father? What in the world are you doing here?"

I stared at Xavier, but then that feeling of foreboding I felt earlier only deepened. Something wasn't right about this.

"Wait a minute..." I trailed, "what is going on here?"

The four of us stopped short of her throne. Link remained silent, but his eyes were fixed on the woman before us. The look therein was undeniable. Even her walking towards him spoke droves about her apparent feelings before she stopped herself. Finally, Link stopped pretending, and did what his heart compelled him to do. He let go of my hand and hurried towards his beloved twilight queen. Link took her in his arms and they embraced for what seemed like forever. It had been a long awaited reunion. It was actually quite touching.

"Midna..." he whispered in her ear, "Midna, Midna..."

She closed her eyes and hugged him back.

"לינק ... איך קענען ניט גלויבן איר ניטאָ דאָ," she whispered back, "Link, I can't believe you're here."

All I could do in that moment was look down at the ground. There was nothing I could do or should do to interrupt their moment. They hadn't seen each other in seven years. I would probably jump into the arms of the man I loved too if I hadn't seen him in that long. I glanced over at Elbourne, who was now eyeing Link and Midna in a most peculiar way. I was slightly puzzled by that because he looked like he was in the know of some very important things.

The dragon prince took a step forward.

"You... two know each other?"

There was a brief pause before a reply.

"Of course we do," the hero said finally, "Midna's a very dear friend."

Elbourne then grunted and smiled.

"Hmph," he moaned, "I see."

The inflection didn't sit too well with the hero. Link pulled back and stared at the twilight queen for a moment before letting her go and turning to look at Elbourne.

"Wait a minute... do you two know each other?"

Elbourne looked from him to the queen. Then, my eyes widened.

It can't be... I had a feeling I knew what was truly going on here.

"Elbourne... is that true?"

The dragon prince looked at his father before answering.

"Yes," he said matter-of-fact, "actually it is."

Link looked stunned, then turned his attention back to Midna. He gave her a brief once over.

"Is he serious?" he whispered.

Midna's amber eyes searched his face.

"Yes Link," she replied, "I'm afraid it's true."

Link's throat tightened and he swallowed hard before taking a step back.

He looks like a spell was just cast on him, like he's been bewitched.

Hylia, who had been silent all this time, merely crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against a pillar in the background.

"I told you some things are better left unsaid," she muttered to herself.

I glanced over at Hylia, then back to Elbourne.

How could this even be possible? How?

---

The next chapter will be up soon.