Inspiration: Shrodinger's Cat... this will be referred to as the LoZ character Tingle's Cat (the Law of Superposition Quantum Mechanics), Avagodro's Number, it will be the LoZ character Owlan's number (6.022 x 10 to the 23 power); The Theory of Relativity by the incredible Albert Einstein (for this story the scientist will be the LoZ character Gaepora); and the "Tree of Life," album by Audiomachine for the 2020 reedit.
Special Shout Out: This chapter is dedicated to Predatoform and Norkix for presenting me with the monumental challenge and task of implementing Shrodinger's Cat in this LoZ FF. ~ZR~
Original Shout Outs: ZeldaFan88, Decidecii, ambrose-nti, and sarahthorogoodaz.
Recommended Readings: "Love In a Hopeless Place," by the LegendofThunder. "Letters," by EternalNight1212.
Author's Note: The name's of the 'alchemists' will be characters from the LoZ universe. I used to tutor that's why you find so much science in my stories. Re-edited 6/18/2020.
Word Count: 10,772
Chapter 22
This was grave. Xavier could die out there all alone. Considering everything that was just disclosed, we needed to get him back to the palace alive. I decided then and there I was going to help. I actually had the power to do so now. However, before I had a chance to transform, Hylia stopped me.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
The goddess got straight to the point and nodded towards the unconscious twilight queen.
"You stay here and look after her majesty," she said to me. "The gentlemen and I will assist Xavier."
My mouth became agape at hearing that. I looked at her surprised, but my surprise soon became annoyance. I found her request ridiculous. The last thing I wanted to do was spectate. No one was going to disturb Midna here, especially with the barrier present. I didn't want to wait for things to happen. I wanted to be a part of the action.
"You can't be serious!" I said in protest. "I can be of help to you!"
However, Hylia wasn't in any mood to argue.
"You can be of more help by looking after Midna and deciphering that riddle," she said in rebuttal. "That is a priority."
I was frustrated and had no qualms about letting it show. Somehow I knew I was going to get saddled with this responsibility. Chaperoning. In the past, I would have been satisfied with a bystander's role. I had done so for years. However, after these past few months, I no longer wanted to sit on the sidelines. I had tasted adventure. I had tasted life. I wanted to be a part of the grind like my companions. I knew Hylia would understand that. But, I sensed her suggestion was coming from a place of pragmatism. Someone had to stay behind and look after the queen. I did not have the years of fighting experience, or the strategical mind that the others had. Then, of course, there was the obvious complication of my life standing. I am the Queen of Hyrule. If something were to happen to me here, then a whole host of other problems would succeed the kingdom at large. When I considered the situation from that point of view, I felt less hindered by being stuck in the palace. I still wasn't happy with the decision, but I was going to be diplomatic and conform. However, before I could say a word in reply, Link suddenly interjected.
His expression was even slightly upset.
"Midna's vulnerable right now," he insisted. "Don't be selfish. Come on, she needs you. Stop being argumentative."
I froze and stared at him taken aback. Stop being argumentative? Was he serious? I hadn't even gotten a chance to reply. If there was one person who exemplified in terrible timing today, it was Link. He seemed to be off in his own world without considering the thoughts and feelings of others. I really could not believe his behavior today. He was like a completely different person. Not only was he acting recklessly, but the only person that seemed to matter to him was his precious twilight queen. I understood that he was worried about Midna. We all were. But, for him to assume the worse of me because of his feelings for her was really telling. I think now he needed to stop fooling himself and just admit the truth. The truth being that he was in love with Midna. There was no doubt in my mind about that now.
It was time I stopped living in a fantasy. It was time to smell the proverbial roses and face reality. What he and I had was a nice holiday. It was something we could reflect upon when we thought fondly of each other. However, there was no mistaking how he felt about the twilight queen. He was doting on her the way a man should when he loved a woman. He did that with me when we traveled. He hunted. He stood watch. He kept me safe. He took care of me too. I think that was just part of his character. But, this... this display today. This was coming from a much deeper place of dutifulness. This was coming from seven years of desire. Seven years of want. Six months of company could not compete with seven years of longing. The guardian Eldin said it best that Link had a divided heart. It was apparent the other side was winning. At least my journeys would make for provocative entries in my diary, especially the night of the festival. I could always reread our escapades and private moments. I did enjoy them. Perhaps Link could do the same. He could tell his Ordonian friends he made the ultimate conquest. He deflowered the Queen of Hyrule. Ilia and I now had something in common. It would make great gossip.
I kept with my stare and tried hard to weed out the contempt I was beginning to feel in my heart. I was not going to be bitter. I was not going to act like a jealous charlatan. I was not going to be that weak woman I was before. A woman who couldn't handle rejection. A woman who couldn't take 'no' for an answer. I was going to do what was required of me so we could stop Ghirahim. Link's expression changed for a moment and it only annoyed me more because he just didn't get it. He didn't seem to understand.
So, I was right, it didn't mean anything to you.
Link was so damn dense at times. I didn't want his sympathy. I wanted him. I wanted his love and companionship. But... if he didn't want me, I was not averse to that. I finally spoke up.
"I was just about to say 'no problem,'" I did not hide the disregard in my voice. "Maybe you should let me finish, before you assume that I won't do it."
Link's gaze shifted to one of surprise, which he shouldn't have been. However, he didn't say anything to dispute it. He knew after everything he had done, the last thing he needed was to reinsert his foot in his mouth. Afterwards, I cut my gaze and decided to leave his company. I was done. I had nothing more to say. I glanced past him over at Elbourne to see if he needed anything. The dragon prince had been quiet. He didn't have very much to say regarding what was going on. He was probably worried about his father, so his mind was elsewhere. To expedite things, he went over to Midna's sprawled body on the ground and picked her up. Afterwards, he placed her on a chaise in a room nearby. I followed after him, leaving Link to stand alone. However, as I walked by, Link gently took hold of my wrist to halt me.
"Zelda-" he attempted.
I released myself from his grip.
"There's nothing left for us to discuss," I interrupted with a hint of finality.
I didn't allow myself to be stopped again and continued to the anteroom. Elbourne was standing over the beautiful twilight queen when I approached. I went up to him and placed my hand gently on his shoulder. Of all of us, he had been embarrassed the most. I wanted to be sure he was okay. He looked a little better.
"Are you alright?" I asked anyway.
He looked my way and nodded. He even grinned.
"I'm fine," he replied softly, then reached up and caressed my cheek and looked at me seriously. "Don't let anything happen to either one of you, okay?"
I was surprised at his emboldened maneuver. I nodded.
"I promise I won't," I whispered.
Elbourne's serious expression never faded and he took me in his arms to hug me. It felt nice. Afterwards, he pulled back to take his leave. I followed him to the entrance and watched him walk down the large hall. He made sure to equip his double axe first. Before heading outside, he turned back and stared at me again. I grinned at him and waved, but his expression never changed. Afterwards he took his leave. I then turned back around to see both Link and Hylia watching me. I stared right back and had nothing to say. I wasn't in the mood to be lectured, especially after what Link just pulled. I was told to stay, so I was staying.
Just go.
I walked past them. Hylia looked disappointed. I was certain she was going to scold me later. For now, she merely shook her head and headed out. Link was the last to leave. Before doing so, he walked back over to me. I avoided looking at him, while he stood over me appearing upset. He wasn't the only one. I was upset too. Even so, I spoke up first.
"You better get going. They're going to need you."
The hero paused for a moment and gave me a quick once over.
"What was that all about with Elbourne?" he demanded quietly.
I turned and looked at him in complete disbelief. His tone was out of place.
"Excuse me?"
His eyes searched my face.
"You heard what I said," he replied. "What the hell was that?"
I shook my head.
"You're unbelievable," I whispered. "You have the nerve to ask that of me after what you just did?"
He stared deeply into my eyes.
"You have that all wrong," he whispered back.
I looked away. I felt frustrated. I couldn't keep composed with him saying these things. It was an obvious lie.
"Do I?" I asked. "It certainly doesn't seem that way."
There was a brief silence between us, but Link soon broke it.
"We'll continue this discussion later."
I shook my head.
"I don't think that's necessary."
Link gave me a hard stare, while I stared right back. Neither of us said anything in return and the conversation abated for now. Link then broke his gaze and started for the main hall entrance like Hylia and Elbourne before him. I stood there slightly shaken, but then turned to watch him as he headed down the hall. The hero paused when he got to the main foyer to look back at me. Our eyes met, but I looked away first. I hated quarreling with him. I hated it. Afterwards, Link headed outside. I took in a deep sigh, wishing we could have been more civil. I loved him. I truly did. It just hurt me that he couldn't see or respect my perspective. How was I supposed to act? Was I supposed to just stand there and take that dishonor from him? I had my goddamn pride too. Link couldn't have me and Midna.
I went into the room and closed the door. Afterwards, I turned, pulled up a chair, sat down, and focused my attention on the twilight queen. The blue hued beauty was in a deep slumber. Midna's long lashes rested on her cheeks and she looked at peace. I hoped her dreams were serene. There was no telling how long it would be until she awakened again. Inadvertently, my gaze shifted to her curvaceous silhouette. There was no denying it, she had the perfect body. Link probably fantasized about her for years. I could see why.
I raised a brow when my gaze lingered.
I could wear that, I thought of her dress.
The black, long sleeved, shoulder shawl half top that buckled in the front of her large breasts, along with her double thigh high split ankle skirt, left very little to the imagination. I shook my head of my silly thoughts, realizing I was only thinking this way because I was the other woman. I sat back in the chair, wishing I wasn't so insecure around Midna. What was wrong with me? What was I missing? I stared at her closed eyes again.
"You have Link's heart," I whispered. "Will another woman ever be able to obtain it?"
It was obvious Link and Midna's journey together was impactful. I wondered if my journey with Link would have the same lasting effect. I wondered if he would think of me the way he thought of Midna. It was possible. Anything was possible. It just made me a little sad to think we probably wouldn't be more.
Will you remember me the way you remember Midna, Link when you're old and grey? I hope so, because I'll always remember you.
I sighed.
"I hope at the end of all this everyone has closure. You Midna, me, Link, Elbourne... everybody. Hylia knows we need it."
I stared at the sleeping twilight queen and came to terms with the possible outcomes. What was going to be was going to be. Until then, I needed to remember the task at hand. Hylia instructed me to decipher Eldin's riddle. That was what I needed to do. With that, I opened my satchel and pulled out the Book of Mudora. I ran my fingers over the binding, realizing these pages had changed my life and my world so much. I then glanced at the sleeping queen once again.
"I'm doing this for you too."
With my new resolve, I opened the book and began my analysis. I turned to the back page where I wrote the riddle down.
'A relative nuance is manifested by seemingly empty matters,' I looked at the encrypted statement carefully.
First of all, I needed to understand what the first part of the riddle was suggesting. The word 'relative' could take on many meanings. In this case, the riddle surmised 'a relative nuance.' What nuance? I turned to the index and looked up the word relative. I was given three different reference points: the first was a page focused on familial definitions, the second was the Theory of Relativity related to spatial orientations, and the last had a reference to Quantum Superposition with a focus on the experimentation of Tingle's Cat.
I went to the familial definition first.
A relative was someone related by blood that shared the same matrilineal or patrilineal lineage, along with similar genealogical make up. The information was pretty straight forward, but it also gave a broader definition related to extended families and ambiguous relationships. I thought about that for a moment.
That does make sense in that the twilight guardians are related, or are 'relatives' to the guardians of Hyrule. Perhaps, that's what this reference is trying to tell me.
It was a start, but I needed more to go on. I continued on with the next reference. The Theory of Relativity was a complex concept developed by the brilliant Hylian alchemist, Gaepora. The idea behind it was quite profound: he surmised that space and time were relative to each other, meaning one cannot exist without the other. If there was no space there would be no time, and if there was no time there would be no space.
Maybe the 'relative nuance' was a vague reference to the time shift stones based off the concepts of Lord Gaepora. Maybe a displacement in space will cause the twilight guardian or 'relative nuance' to appear.
It was an idea.
However, I still needed more and continued on.
The most elusive and cryptic form of the word 'relative' was in the insanely complicated idea of Tingle's Cat by means of the Quantum Superposition Theory. In short, the Quantum Superposition Theory was this: matter existed in all states, however, it can only be measured in one state. That was according to this philosophy. Tingle's Cat was an experiment conducted by the eccentric Hylian alchemist and adventurer Tingle. The idea behind the experiment was to prove that in multiple universes, or multiverses, matter was both composed and decomposed at the same time. The illustration of this concept was the cat. In the experiment, the cat was supposed to be both alive and dead because all universes, or multiverses, collide on each other at once, making matter exist in all forms, but only being seen in one state.
I rubbed the back of my neck, needing to expound on that more.
How did this relate to 'relative nuances?'
It could be deduced that the Twilight Realm, Hyrule, and the multiverse with which this guardian was residing in, needed to collide into one another for Exerion to appear. The question was: how was that supposed to happen? I looked back at the riddle. 'A relative nuance is manifested…' I stopped reading there and thought about the word 'manifested'. To manifest something, is to make something known.
How are we supposed to make Exerion known?
I turned back to the index and looked up the word 'manifest'. The definition was clear in that manifesting something was seeing the unadulterated truth. How were we supposed to see the truth? I thought about that for awhile, then it finally hit me. I had an epiphany. There was only one way to see the truth.
"This is referring to the Lens of Truth!" I whispered excited. "It must be talking about the Lens of Truth!"
I was thrilled. I was making progress. I looked to the riddle once more for the last section.
"'…Manifested by seemingly empty matters,'" I concentrated on what that possibly meant.
Matter could seem empty because the tiny particles that made it up, atoms, were invisible to the naked eye. A reference in the citation referred to Owlan's number for more information. Owlan was another brilliant Hylian alchemist who deciphered that within all matter there was a composite number. The number was 6.022 x 10 to the 23rd power of atomic molar sets of individualized particles. This composite number was said to be situated in everything.
Perhaps this 'matter' will appear hazy, or appear as if there is nothing there, and the only way to know for sure is by using the Lens of Truth. That must be it.
So, after all of my milling, my deduction was this: Exerion was located somewhere in the Twilight Realm under specific conditions. It would have to be something that alluded to the guardian's existence not being there. I needed to ask Hylia where such locations were. And Exerion, guardian of the twilight, would be a legend no longer. I set the book down, satisfied with my conclusion. My work was done for now, but I was worried about the others. None of this would matter if everyone was hurt. Hopefully that creature wasn't giving Link and the others too much trouble.
"Please come back in one piece," I whispered. "All of you need to come back in one piece."
~SSS~
The palace courtyards: Link
For now, I was going to have to put my problems with Zelda out of my mind. Nevertheless, she was insane if she thought I was leaving things as they were. We needed to talk. I needed to explain myself. I understood her disappointment completely. But, there was a clear misunderstanding going on here. I didn't want her thinking things were over between us. I hoped she would let me plead my case. Until then, I caught up with Hylia and Elbourne. They were waiting for me at the end of the foyer. While making our way to the courtyard, I noticed right away the palace was now empty. There wasn't a Twili in sight. This was strange. Where had everyone gone? What was going on? I didn't have time to ponder over it, but it was definitely something that needed to be looked into. The three of us hurried through the gate, and immediately we encountered a problem when we reached the outside gardens, the barrier. The black and orange electrical light was pulsating erratically. This was Midna's Twili powers at work. I had witnessed it before. However, I was protected from it in my wolf form. I wasn't sure how this was going to effect me as a Hylian. Hylia and Elbourne too stayed back, miring over the same dilemma. We were losing precious minutes.
"What now?" Elbourne demanded, looking beyond the force field at his fledgling father.
I tried thinking of a solution, but couldn't come up with anything concrete.
"I don't know," I replied. "I've always been on the other side of Midna's powers."
Hylia shook her head and looked around the entire perimeter.
"We're going to have to risk it and run through," she said finally. "Her powers shouldn't harm us. She uses it as a repellent of evil. It isn't as potent as the Master Sword, but we should be safe."
Elbourne nor myself looked convinced, but there were no other alternatives. The longer we stood here, the more danger Xavier was in. In a minute decision, I decided to go with what Hylia suggested. It was either do or die. I readied myself by setting my feet, then, after bracing myself, ran right through. I expected to feel some of the effects of the energy, but it was just as Hylia said. No harm came to me. Following suit, the goddess came through. She too was unscathed. However, something unexpected happened when Elbourne ran through. The current shifted slightly and he sustained a minor injury on his right forearm. It was substantial because he cried out.
"Ah!" he groaned.
Hylia and I both paused to check on him.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
The dragon prince looked at his wound then back at the barrier in surprise. He was just as taken aback as Hylia and I. He didn't know what to make of it.
"I don't understand... what could this possibly mean?" he asked more to himself than to anyone.
I looked from him to the barrier as well and found myself a little unsettled too. Why did Elbourne sustain an injury? I glanced over at Hylia, who now had her brow raised and was giving the dragon prince a suspicious look. No one said anything, but the undercurrent of distrust was there. Sensing our misgivings, Elbourne turned and caught us staring at him. He unsurprisingly got defensive.
"What?" he snapped. "Is that supposed to prove I'm evil or something farm boy?!"
I remained silent. I wasn't sure what it proved. But, this was unexpected. Even so, this wasn't the time or the place for this discussion. We had other problems to contend with.
"Forget about that," I said. "I just need to make sure you're okay so we can help your father."
Elbourne was surprised for a moment at my reasonableness and looked down at his arm. The wound was superficial at best.
"I'll live," he said after the examination.
"Very well," I replied, "let's go."
The dragon prince had no problem dropping the subject. He hurried to grip his double axe and continued on to the courtyard. However, before we followed after him, I glanced over at Hylia and stared at her unsettled for a moment. The goddess didn't offer much in the way of concessions. She was simply staring after Elbourne too. We were concerned. Very concerned. However, that concern was soon short lived. In the near distance was King Xavier fighting for his life. He was fighting a large shadowy, reptilian looking creature. It looked like a variation of a lizalfos and a shadow beast. At the sight, I unsheathed my sword, while Hylia went and unsheathed her kodachis from her breastplate. We then hurried to the king to help. Elbourne arrived first, jumping in in time to parry a strike with his adamantine axe. He saved Xavier's arm from being amputated. When he saw who came to his rescue, Xavier looked surprised. He didn't say anything, but gave him a silent nod of thanks. Elbourne returned it, but wasn't looking for adulation.
The dragon prince took his stance in front of his father.
"Are you alright?"
The king simply nodded and kept his eyes fixed on the creature.
"I'll live," he replied. "This demon appeared out of nowhere."
In his mid-sentence, Hylia too ran in quickly and somersaulted through the air before using her dagger to incise the creature's upper back. The creature wailed when she tore into its flesh. When she landed, she got into her battle stance.
"Did you see where it came from?"
Xavier reengaged his stance with his battle axe.
"When I was on my way out, suddenly this thing rushed me from the stairs," he divulged. "I have no idea where it came from. I thought monsters like this were long gone."
They should have been, but with Ghirahim on the loose, there was no telling what was lurking in the shadows now. We had no idea what had been unleashed with that mirror. I took the remaining unaccounted for side to attack the creature.
"So did we," I chimed in, as I stepped up. "My guess is this is the work of that demon lord."
With the four of us here now, we could make quick work of this monster. It wasn't a sophisticated fighter, but it did have more gravitas than a regular shadow beast. I looked around expecting to find the demon lord nearby. He was nowhere in sight. His absence convinced me Ghirahim was conjuring these creatures from afar somehow. Possibly from his realm. If the demon lord had this kind of power already, there was no telling what kind of menace he would turn into when he reconnected with his master. The Hero of Sky was a great hero indeed to have vanquished such a foe. We needed a little of his will to do it again. In any such case, when the creature swung my way, I dodged its attack and came at it with a powerful strike, cutting off its right appendage. The creature screamed, and afterwards it was subdued and put down by Hylia and Elbourne. Xavier took in a sigh of relief and looked exhausted from the fighting. He expended a great deal of energy fighting alone.
I went to check on the dragon king.
"Are you alright your majesty?"
The king was slow to answer, but then nodded. However, he didn't seem to be worried about his safety. His mind was elsewhere.
"This is grave," he whispered to himself.
That was an understatement.
"Indeed it is," I agreed.
However, before any of us could let our guard down, we were reminded of the danger we were still in. Coming up the stairs to the courtyard was another small contingent of shadow beasts. I was perplexed when I first saw them, but it seemed my previous hypothesis had merit. Ghirahim was doing this remotely somehow. And, it made me wonder now if the reason for the sudden disappearance of the Twili people was to protect them from an outside threat. Inside their homes under the barrier was probably the securest place for them to be. But how long would it last? Others outside the barrier were possibly taken into the barrier and hidden by it as a protection. Like Hylia stated before, it worked as a fail safe device in the anticipation of the queen's capture or fall. I just had no idea it would be this substantive. However, because of the breadth of the power, the realm itself was left unstable and probably more vulnerable to attack. The normal mechanism of the twilight had been disrupted and the gradients controlling it shifted. The twilight was more than ethereal energy. It was the life source of the Twili people. Meaning, if there was a sudden change, it could probably be manipulated.
This was a problem.
This was a serious problem.
"Stay on guard everyone," I said, getting back into battle formation. "I've fought these creatures before, they're shadow beasts. We have to stop groups of them at a time, otherwise they'll revive one another."
The dragon prince looked at me taken aback.
"What?" he demanded. "What do you mean they can 'revive' each other?"
I didn't have time to give a detailed explanation.
"I meant what I said," I replied. "If we slay them individually they will overwhelm us. But, if we work together they shouldn't be a problem. This cannot, and should not, be a solo act."
Everyone was on guard, but it seemed as though no one was taking my word for it. This wasn't a joke. This was life or death. We would soon see. The shadow beasts were a group twenty five strong: all over six feet tall, with interwoven shiny platinum black locks, and multifaceted faces with no facial features. The shadow beasts had long arms that dangled, creating a sharp kyphosis in their backs. The curvature made it impossible for them to stand all the way up. Their hunched state allowed for quick swipes, but it opened them up for poor posturing, which led to bad defense. For a lightening fast warrior, their hulking size was a terrible disadvantage. I was certain the goddess took note of that. She was going to use their disadvantage to her advantage. Hylia already set her feet and readied her ninpo ninjutsu niki stance. However, since the shadow beasts were unpredictable in their aggression, she attacked first, aiming for the back. The goddess lunged at her foe, then subdued the beast with a forward somersault that transitioned into a mid-aerial attack. She then used her blades across the beast's back. The shadow beast tried countering with a horizontal swipe but missed. However, when Hylia landed behind it, she sensed something was amiss.
"Something's off with these creatures!" she called. "They're not very skilled, but they should be more aggressive than this! Look out! They may be a decoy to thwart whatever Ghirahim really has planned for us!"
That was a good assessment. I supplemented my attack strategy accordingly. I took a moment to study my foe's behavior. The shadow beasts weren't acting belligerent at all, even for a shadow beast. They weren't even attempting to side step out of danger's way. That was highly uncharacteristic of this creature's natural instincts. They may have lumbered, but they sensed danger. Ironically, these beasts were acting like 'shadows' of their true selves. Even so, I didn't have time to ponder over it. Instead, I went to attack using my jump strike, and saw firsthand my adversary not retaliate. When I landed, I made sure I dodged and rolled away. These creatures were exhibiting almost no voracity. What the hell was going on? With the docile nature completely manifest, I had to wonder if these beasts were a trap. I went to inform the others.
"Hold off on any final blows!" I called out all of a sudden. "Shiek has a point in the behavior of these beasts. There's something not right about this!"
I expected some response, but got none. Elbourne and Xavier may have heard my call for concession, but they did not acknowledge it. Whether it was pragmatism or just plain stubbornness, it was the motto of the dragon masters to fight until the enemy was dead. The shadow beasts in front of them were being shown no mercy. They plowed through two almost on cue with my words. I couldn't lie, there lack of discernment was making me angry. Now wasn't the time for an ego trip.
"I told you no death blows!" I called to the dragon prince. "You have no idea if one of these creatures will create a chain reaction!"
Elbourne turned sharply.
"I don't take orders from you!" he called back and attacked another shadow beast.
I groaned and kept my battle stance.
"You're missing the point! This isn't the norm for these beasts! This could merely be a testing ground! Stop acting like a hothead and use some restraint!"
When Elbourne heard that, he seemed to finally grasp the supposition of my argument. He paused for a moment.
"What the hell do you mean 'testing ground'?" he demanded. "A testing ground for what? Why would Ghirahim test us when he wants to kill us?"
That was my point.
"I don't know," I replied, "but something else is propagating these conditions, we have to figure out why that is!"
It seemed I finally got through to the dragon prince. Elbourne drew back and became more defensive in his stance instead of offensive. His father, however, stayed his course. While Elbourne's attention was temporarily diverted, a shadow beast did try to take a strike at him from behind. Xavier quickly countered the attack in good measure, but then angrily turned to scold his son.
"If you aren't going to fight then get out of here!" Xavier growled unnecessarily.
Ironically, his exploit nearly caused the same fate. Another shadow beast now attempted to attack him. Fortunately for Xavier, Hylia was there to counter it. She made sure to make him see the point of that.
"Let's not have the pot calling the kettle black now, shall we?" Hylia countered.
Xavier groaned and had no reply. As he shouldn't have, he was clearly wrong.
With the four of us somewhat on the same page, I concentrated my focus on the why the shadow beasts were attacking, not so much on the how. I backtracked their route of transmission from the shore bed to a moat adjacent to the courtyard. The crystalline waters were rippling slightly. It was as if something was actuating upon the surface above it. That was odd. A generator needed to provide that kind of surface tension. That assumption drew my attention upward to the treetops. Something was pulsating in the trees. A translucent black and white orb flashed inconspicuously from a high branch. The orb was oscillating sound waves to the water below. It must have been amplified to a frequency that only the shadow beasts could hear. This coup must have been orchestrated to assassinate the king, but it was also a means test to see if the shadow beasts could be controlled remotely by these energy orbs.
Ghirahim, I thought immediately, he somehow found a way to tap into the mechanism of the twilight and use its unique features like these orbs to create a diversion.
Just then Hylia looked over at me.
"You would be right," she said suddenly.
She caught me completely off guard. I cut my eyes from the tree to her taken aback. I thought I was losing my grip on reality for a second. I gave her a knowing look.
Wait a minute... did she just reply to my thoughts?
The goddess crossed her arms over her chest.
"Yes I did," she said openly, "but ask me about that later, now isn't the time."
My eyes widened and I stared at her stunned. However, it seemed all our interaction did was confuse the dragon prince and the king. They looked between the both of us.
"What are you two going on about?" the dragon king demanded.
Elbourne was not amused.
"Yes, what was that?"
Hylia didn't bother to clarify.
"It's on a need to know basis gentlemen," she replied, then nodded towards me. "right now you don't need to know."
I was reeling from the revelation. If Hylia was able to do this all along, then I was in some serious trouble. She knew exactly what I thought of her ancestral daughter. I was aware this wasn't the time to be worried about this, but when the dust settled, she was no doubt going to tell me I needed to have purer thoughts. In the mean time, I needed to rectify this spherule situation. On a hunch, I took out my bow and fired an arrow at the crystalline orb. I thought it might simply go through the sphere, acting only as a shape. However, when the ball of energy shattered, it seemed my instincts were right. The energy was contained within a vessel. The reverberations immediately stopped, and the shadow beasts standing at the roadway suddenly fell to the ground dead. Before anyone in our party had a chance to investigate, their bodies abruptly disappeared.
I knew something was amiss.
"I thought so..." I muttered.
Elbourne raised a brow at my utterance.
"What just happened?"
I pointed to the boughs of the gnarled tree above the moat in the distance.
"The creatures were being controlled by some strange orb hidden in that tree over there," I explained. "This was more or less a trap than anything else."
Hylia looked over at me puzzled. That was significant considering her station in life. But then she turned her attention back to Xavier.
"Do you have any idea as to what that was?" she asked him.
The goddess didn't bother to hide her distrust of the Roostian monarch. I couldn't blame her. Xavier had acted treacherously since before we got here. If we hadn't showed up when we did, he would have been dead. Even so, he still hesitated to reply. I found that telling.
"It was a propulsion orb," he replied anyway.
I was slightly off on my guess.
"A propulsion orb?" I repeated. "It wasn't an orb native to the Twilight Realm?"
Xavier paused for a moment, and fixed his axe back on his back.
"No," he replied.
I then glanced over at the dragon prince, assuming he may have had some questions for his father, but he remained silent. I couldn't say I blamed him. After what happened only a short time ago, I was certain there would be no viable reconciliation between the two of them for quite some time. However, Hylia obviously had more to garner from the stubborn secretive king. Rather than approaching this tactfully, she auspiciously grabbed the monarch by the collar of his ruffled under shirt and pulled him to her. I stared at Hylia with open frustration just then. Such brawny tactics weren't going to work on a man like Xavier. Not all situations called for aggressive measures. However, I didn't exactly stop her either. She is the Goddess of Hyrule.
"You have some explaining to do," she said to the king, narrowing her red eyes..
Xavier got indignant and yanked her hand from his clothing.
"Get your hands off me!" he demanded. "Since when does a Sheikah give orders to a king?"
Hylia had no qualms about grabbing Xavier again, but this time she utilized a little of her other worldly strength and lifted him off the ground.
"Since a king decided to put the welfare of his own ambition over the welfare of his own kinsmen! The Sheikah are protectors of the world of light! My allegiance lies with Hyrule!"
I caught that undercurrent of guilt in Hylia's voice. I knew she blamed herself for what was going on.
Xavier's eyes widened.
"Put me down at once!"
Hylia narrowed her eyes again in anger.
"I think not!" She dropped Xavier onto his behind and grabbed him by the back of his cape. She started dragging him back towards the palace. "You are going to share your secrets today, your majesty."
I stared at Hylia concerned, knowing her aggressiveness would only go so far. This wasn't going to help any of us. I glanced over at the dragon prince again. He was viewing his father's treatment with indifference. I shouldn't have expected otherwise. He remained silent and followed after Hylia and Xavier towards the palace. I followed in suit as well. However, I did notice something when we came to the barrier once more. I noticed Elbourne's reluctance. He hesitated. He paused. He didn't want that suspicion cast on him again. Eventually, he went through, but remarkably this time he was unscathed. I halted for a moment. This was interesting. Why was the barrier reacting differently now? Was earlier merely a mistake? Was Elbourne now above suspicion? I had questions, but I knew now wasn't the time for them. My inquiries would have to wait. However, there would be a reckoning. This was not going to go unchecked. I watched the prince go up the stairs of the courtyard, and thought about his confession to Zelda.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
If you think I'm giving her up, you have another thing coming Elbourne of Dragon Roost. Zelda is mine. Zelda belongs to me.
I was aware I needed to make amends because of my actions with Midna, but I wasn't letting the light queen go. I wasn't letting her go by a long shot.
~SSS~
Palace of Twilight, the counsel room: Zelda
I promptly shut my book when I heard the others return from the skirmish outside. The door to the chamber abruptly opened, and I was surprised to see Hylia dragging Xavier by the collar of his cape. The goddess then helped the king up and shoved him inside the room.
I stood up astonished, hardly expecting to see this.
"What's going on?" I asked, caught unawares by Xavier's rough treatment.
Hylia didn't answer right away.
"That's what we're trying to find out," the goddess said, sitting Xavier down forcefully in a chair.
Link and Elbourne soon followed inside. I looked to the two of them perplexed.
What just happened?
Xavier groaned and crossed his arms over his chest in defiance.
"Your head will be-"
"Shut up," Hylia interrupted, "I'm done hand holding you like before, you're going to tell me what I want to know. What the hell were you planning against Queen Midna that precipitated a coup to have you murdered? Someone wants you out of the picture, sire!"
Xavier stared at her with complete indignation.
"As if I'd tell a worthless retch like you."
Hylia narrowed her eyes, then shocking everyone in the room, raised her hand and backhanded Xavier across his face. I covered my mouth.
What is she doing?
"Shiek!" I couldn't help but say.
Even Elbourne couldn't be silent on the mistreatment.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded of Hylia. "He is still a king! A man worthy of some respect!"
"You stay out of this!" the goddess snapped to the dragon prince. She then grabbed Xavier by the collar once more. "I'm going to ask you again," she said angrily, "what the hell were you planning?"
Xavier stared at her with an unwavering resolve.
"You will not break me you insolent-"
The goddess back handed him again, and this time pulled out her kodachi.
"Oh no?" Hylia interrupted. "We'll see about that, I'm going to use some of the tactics on you that you've used on your prisoners your majesty!"
A sudden onset of panic came over.
Oh my goddess! I thought ironically.
Hylia raised her hand to strike, but soon Link came up and caught her by the wrist.
"Stop this!" he interjected. "Can't you see this isn't going to work?"
Hylia stared at the hero hard for a moment before snatching her wrist from his grip. The tension in the room was palpable.
Link tried to reason with her.
"You're becoming irrational. If you can't keep your emotions in check, you should not be conducting an interrogation."
Hylia scoffed at Link's words and sheathed her kodachi.
"You're one to talk after your display earlier, but fine, if you think you can reach him, you talk to him. I've had enough of these silly Hylian tactics."
Hylia then walked to the other side of the room, leaned against a wall, and crossed her arms over her chest. Link stared at her for a moment, not appreciating the dig at his character, but stated no rebuttal. The goddess may not have agreed with Link, but she couldn't deny his point. The hero then turned his attention back to Xavier.
"My lord," Link began respectfully, "let's begin this in another way. We need to know what is going on here. I understand your meeting with Queen Midna was one of significance. One with which you do not wish to disclose, but we need some kind of explanation. There was just an attempt on your life. Someone knew you were going to be here today and set this up."
Xavier was quiet, but then shook his head.
"I... I can't tell you."
Link raised a brow.
"I'm afraid that's not a viable answer sire. You have to disclose something."
The king cut his eyes to the hero.
"You don't understand."
Link gave the monarch a quick once over.
"Then help us understand."
Xavier glanced over at me suddenly. I thought that was a little odd. I was uncomfortable by the gaze.
What is this all about?
Link took note of that too and raised a brow.
"Your majesty?"
The king then looked to the ground. He was at a loss.
"Fine," he said finally, "I will... I will tell you what I can."
That was a start.
"Very well," Link replied, "tell us about your discussion with Queen Midna."
Xavier sat up and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I won't disclose everything," he began, "but I will say I was working on a more permanent alliance with the Twilight Realm. I worked for many years to keep the Twili people happy. I wanted to make sure that our alliance was set in stone."
I had a feeling I knew what that 'setting in stone' meant.
"Permanent?" I chimed in anyway.
Xavier then cut his gaze towards his son. Elbourne met it and was already shaking his head. It was apparent he already knew what his father was going to say. However, he stared his father down with a relentless resolve.
"My father wants me to marry Queen Midna," he revealed suddenly, then turned his attention to me. "That's the permanence he wants -that's the setting in stone. The problem is I won't do it. I'm certain that's why he came in secret. He probably wanted to force the issue without my being present."
My eyes widened slightly and I looked back over at the king. I figured as much.
An alliance through marriage... Dragon Roost and the Twilight Realm would become a super power.
Xavier narrowed his eyes at his son.
"That's because you're shortsighted!" he said to him angrily. "That's because you are unwilling to see the big picture! I finally find a task where you can please me and you defy me vehemently!"
Elbourne took a step towards his father, having had enough of his insults.
"I'm to the point I don't care about pleasing you!" he shot back with quiet defiance. "For as long as I can remember you've hated me! You were disgusted with my birth! You hate my mother! Everything I am you seem to have an issue with! So yes, I sleep with your twilight queen to make you happy! To make sure the alliance stays intact! But, I don't love her, and I never have! And I will not marry her! Never!"
Elbourne's words soon enticed indignation from the hero.
"Watch your tongue!" he warned. "Don't think you were ever worthy of Midna in the first place! You will not speak about the queen of twilight in such a fashion! She is a-"
The dragon prince interjected.
"-woman I've been sleeping with for the last three years. Not worthy of her? She begs me for it! I've fucked her in ways you could only imagine! I haven't said anything that wasn't true hero! Even so, I won't marry her, especially when I'm in love with another woman."
It was then Elbourne paused and looked past Link at me. We locked eyes for a moment. I immediately felt my heart race.
Oh goddesses, I did not want to get involved, please leave me out of this.
The dragon prince shook his head when he cut his gaze back to Link.
"You don't even realize what you have in front of you. You're so hell bent on Midna you have no idea what you're about to pass up!" He then walked right up to Link and got in his face. "Well guess what? I'm putting you on notice farm boy. If Zelda gives me so much as an inkling that she loves me, I'm taking her from you. No… questions… asked…"
Link stared at Elbourne in complete disbelief, but apparently didn't feel threatened by Elbourne's warning.
"You're delusional if you think you'll get your hands on the Queen of Hyrule. You're not going to treat her the way you treat every other disposal woman in your life! She's not going to be treated like some no account trash like you've treated Midna. I won't let you."
Elbourne scoffed again and suddenly smirked at Link's comments.
"You can ask Midna yourself when she wakes up how I treated her when I was with her," Elbourne divulged. "I guarantee she will tell you it's the best sex she's ever had... ever. And no one will put it on her better, not even you."
This conversation certainly derailed quickly.
The best sex ever? That's quite a boast.
Elbourne took another step towards Link.
"They don't call me the dragon prince for nothing," he taunted.
Admittedly, that did make me raise a brow.
Oh really? I thought, only half joking.
Hylia, having read my mind, glared at me. I groaned and rolled my eyes.
I'm joking ancestral mother, I thought.
Link nearly lost his temper, but kept his composure intact.
"You son of a bitch!" he growled. "How dare you speak about Midna like this?! She is not one of your brothel whores! She is a queen worthy of your respect!"
Elbourne went further.
"It just needles at you, doesn't it?" he continued on. "It bothers you so badly that Midna had me over you. That she writhes and moans for it when we're together." He looked him straight in the eyes. "Well guess what? Now you know how it feels. It's nice to finally one up you, hero."
This had turned from a serious conversation to a penis measuring contest. This was ridiculous. Link and Elbourne stood in each other's faces like they were ready to fight.
Hylia ran a hand over her bandaged visage and sighed.
"These men are idiots," I heard her mutter. "Why are they discussing this now?"
I couldn't have agreed more and thought this was the perfect time to intervene. I cleared my throat and stepped forward.
"Um… excuse me," I said, not really sure why I was being so polite.
Both Elbourne and Link turned to look at me. They were like twins being rallied by their mother.
"Uh…" I trailed, "now really isn't the time for such talk. We still have pressing matters to discuss with his majesty."
Elbourne didn't seem to care about interrogating his father further. He was unhinged now. He was his most volatile when he was this way.
"It never is a good time Zelda," he said to me, then turned his attention back to his father. "I'm actually glad you disowned me," he said to him, "now I don't have to concern myself with whether my actions displease you or not."
I stared at Elbourne for a moment and knew he wasn't being truthful. He cared too much about what his father thought to simply cast it aside. Although, twenty seven years of fault finding would wear any man down. Elbourne was tired of it. I didn't blame him. I understood his frustration of trying to please a man who would never be pleased. I glanced over at Link just then and thought something I never thought I would think.
If you don't want me Hero of Twilight, just tell me so I can find someone who can. I shifted my gaze to Elbourne once more. Maybe... maybe I already have and just never realized it.
Almost immediately, Hylia looked my way and narrowed her eyes in disappointment. She must have read my thoughts. She didn't look pleased with me at all. I couldn't concern myself with that.
I'm sorry Hylia, but it is what it is.
I decided if anymore questioning was going to be done I was going to have to do it myself. This whole ordeal had been turned on its head. I spoke to Xavier myself.
"Sire," I began, "perhaps you can enlighten everyone more on the origination of the original treaty between you and the former king of twilight. That would be most helpful."
Xavier's gaze then shifted my way, but instead of promptly answering my question, he instead just stared at me. He stared at me hard. I raised a brow, finding his response odd. Something in what I asked must have struck a nerve.
"My... my lord?" I inquired.
Soon after, he cut his gaze and continued in his defensive posture.
"I'm a afraid I have nothing further to say here your majesty," he finalized.
I wasn't too surprised by his reaction, but I knew my question boded something he found intrusive. Now he locked up and refused to speak.
"I beg to differ," I rebutted anyway.
The king then stood up and stared at me as if to promise a threat. However, both Link and Elbourne responded to it.
What's this?
"Sire..." Link warned.
Elbourne said nothing, but he kept his gaze fixed on the king. This was getting worse and worse by the minute. Xavier stared deeply in my eyes before looking away.
"Dear goddesses," he whispered to himself, "you look so much like your mother."
My eyes widened slightly at the unintended disclosure. I was certain he didn't mean for that to be uttered aloud.
"I beg your pardon?" I asked anyway.
The king groaned in open frustration and never answered my question. Instead, he turned and headed for the counsel room door.
"I'm retiring for the night," he redirected. "There's nothing more that can be done here."
I stared after him shocked. I didn't know what to say. He deliberately walked away from that. However, Hylia wasn't about to let him go so easily.
"We're not done here," the goddess said, stepping in his path.
Xavier had had enough of the temperamental goddess. He boldly put his hand on his battle axe in warning.
"Yes," he said, with a definite air of finality, "we are."
Hylia looked at him surprised, but didn't flinch.
"Oh really?" she said, readying her hand on her kodachi.
However, I prompted to stop this. This was getting out of hand.
"Let him be Sheik," I said to her. "We're going to get nothing out of him tonight. If he wants to retire, let him retire. Tomorrow is another day."
The king stared at the goddess. And, while the goddess hesitated in letting him leave, she finally digressed to my reasoning. She stood down. Xavier then walked past her and headed out of the room. The room got quiet immediately with him now gone. There was no doubt in my mind something much bigger was going on here. Why else would my question have precipitated such a reaction?
He's hiding something huge.
Hylia then stood back up and headed towards the chaise where Midna was sleeping.
"Indeed he is," she said in answer to my thoughts, "but there's nothing we can do until he wants to talk."
Elbourne gave her an offhanded look at her reply. He looked over at Link then back to me.
"Are you talking to yourself?" he asked the goddess.
Hylia shook her head and didn't bother to clarify. She was staring at the sleeping queen.
"We have to act quickly because Midna's life force will leave her if we don't find the Virtue Key soon," she said suddenly. "She's expending a lot of energy protecting all of her people. That barrier will not sustain itself forever and Ghirahim is going to try and take advantage of that. I say she has a month tops before her energy gives out."
The reality of that was so sobering. Where did we even begin?
"A month?" I repeated.
Hylia nodded and looked my way.
"Indeed," she replied, then asked, "did you decipher that riddle?"
I almost forgot all about it. I nodded.
"I did, it's not full proof, but I think I know where we need to start."
The goddess crossed her arms over her chest and continued to stare at the sleeping queen.
"Good, we'll go with whatever you've got. You're a pro at this now Zel. Before we even think about any strikes regarding Ghirahim we need to wake up Midna... she knows more than she's letting on."
Link then looked over at Hylia taken aback. Soon, it turned to indignation.
"She was under a spell," he defended sharply. "She can hardly be considered deceitful because of that."
Hylia narrowed her eyes at Link and placed her hand on her hip.
"Even if she wasn't succumbed pretty boy, she still would have withheld the truth," she divulged. "There are secrets galore here and we need to extract them."
Link looked at the goddess with a sudden onset of frustration.
"You don't know her like I do!" he snapped. "She isn't that kind of person!"
Hylia stared at him long and hard.
"Correction," she said, "I'm a goddess, I know her better than you do." She then glanced over at Elbourne. "And you may not like this, but even pretty boy number two over there knows her better than you do now too."
The hero looked beyond upset. His breathing increased.
Hylia simply shook her head.
"Stop letting your penis do your thinking Link, use your other head for a change," Hylia reprimanded him. "I'm telling you, she would have held out initially."
I was certain the hero didn't appreciate her bluntness, but it was necessary. However, I then looked at the goddess puzzled.
"What makes you think she'll change her mind when she wakes up?"
Link looked at me in disbelief by my question.
"Zelda... seriously?" he countered.
I simply stared at him and shrugged. With the way he was acting, I didn't care if he found my question insolent.
"She'll be more willing because of the Virtue Key," Hylia divulged, ignoring Link's inquiry. "It unlocks the seven vices, but it also unbinds all the secrets a person has. Even if she wanted to withhold something, she couldn't."
That was compelling information. I looked over at the sleeping twilight queen.
What in the world could you be hiding?
Hylia then cracked her knuckles and rotated her neck.
"We better retire to bed," she said. "We have to find Exerion tomorrow."
I glanced over at her, realizing we were still in need of a specific device.
"We're going to need the Lens of Truth," I divulged. "The riddle calls for it."
She nodded.
"I know," Hylia replied, "I know exactly where it is. We'll retrieve it tomorrow."
In all this finalized talk, Link was staring at Midna. It was then I decided to make a quick suggestion.
"It would be foolish to leave Midna alone in here," I stated. "Why don't you stay with her and watch her for the night?"
The hero glanced over at me dumbstruck when he saw I was talking to him.
"What?" he asked. "Why me?"
I didn't reply for a moment as my eyes searched his face. He already knew that answer. He had to.
"Because I know how much she means to you," I said softly. "I know how much you care about her. You got an opportunity to show her earlier. With you watching her, you can ensure that she's safe."
The hero's features dimmed a little at my utterance. He apparently didn't appreciate what I was doing. Hylia too was staring at me disapprovingly. I didn't care. I was done being treated like an afterthought. Link could protect the woman he loved and I could have my self respect. Elbourne was the only one who seemed to approve of my suggestion.
"I think that's a great idea," the dragon prince spoke up.
Link then cut his gaze to Elbourne. All the dragon prince did in return was stare right back. It was clear the friction between these two was at an all time high. It wasn't going away any time soon. When Link went to address me once more, Elbourne mouth something to me silently at the same time.
Link said: "Zelda, you and I need to talk."
Elbourne mouthed: 'I need to speak with you alone later.'
I almost didn't catch the latter. However, I looked at Link and didn't know what he wanted me to say. It was clear to me what he wanted. There was nothing to talk about.
"I don't think that's necessary," I said quietly to the hero.
Link's eyes then widened slightly.
"Zelda-"
He obviously didn't get the gist of my words, so I said them again.
"It isn't necessary Link," I interjected once more. "You have what you want, alright?"
The hint of finality in my tone made the hero stare at me in disbelief. I didn't bother to try and dispel it. Instead, I turned, and headed out of the counsel room. I was going to have to hunt and find a comfortable chamber to lodge in. The palace was huge. I was sure it would be more than accommodating. The others would break ranks soon and do the same. However, something prompted me to stop for a moment and turn back around. When I did, I caught both Link and Elbourne staring at me. Link looked concerned. Elbourne looked confident. Both had their own agendas.
I just raised a brow.
"Isn't this interesting," I whispered.
I then turned back around and headed down the hall to the main foyer. From there, I went upstairs and found a myriad of empty chambers. I chose one and I got ready for bed. However, I didn't go to sleep yet. I had a great deal to think about. Ghirahim was out there somewhere. The world was in peril. He needed to be stopped. But also, there was something else for me to consider.
I was expecting a visitor.
A very unexpected visitor.
The next chapter will be up soon.