And the Clouds Parted

by FlowerOwl

To Midna, the world is a set of dichotomies, divided into the Twilight Realm, a world relegated to the shadows and history, and Hyrule, a world where the sun is reflected by the glint of weaponry. The world is divided into twos, but as the princess of Hyrule enters into her life, bringing the harsh sun along, the lines between them begin to blur.

22. Chapter 22

"Midna, are you all right?" as she looked up at him, Link shot her an apologetic look. "I am sorry, but it is just—well, you don't really look all that calm, not when you are pacing around in the corridor."

It would have been easy to look at him and say that he did not just not understand what was going through her head in that moment, that she had plenty to worry about without also having to question what Link might think about her and her way of handling the fact that, in only a few moments, she would have to convince an entire room of the people she had saved from the fate of having to pay for one of their neighbour's mistakes with their lives that they should risks their lives once more for a dream that was most likely not attainable. More than anything, Midna wished that she could be cold, uncaring, enough to do exactly that, but then she looked up at Link and knew better.

"No, I suppose I might not be," she confessed, shaking her head, "I just—I don't know what to do. If they agree—I can't even begin to imagine what would happen. We would have to actually come up with a plan—or what if they are expecting for me to have created a plan to present to them already?"

Instantly, her heartrate seemed to pick up on the idea that there might be something she had failed to consider, her heart skipping a beat as it got ready to supply every muscle in her body with oxygen, adrenaline mixing with the sheer energy of panicking. She couldn't—it would not be possible for her to go in there, not when she knew full well that her plan sounded hopeless. After all, how many months had she not spent telling Zelda the exact same thing? Midna did not know the exact number, but, already, she knew that it was enough to make it near impossible for her to convince any of the other residents that they should allow her to put them all in danger for a dream she had allowed Zelda to convince her could become reality if they only tried enough times. She might have—she could have doomed—they would never allow her to finish her speech.

"Hey!" the next moment, her panicked thoughts were interrupted as Link reached out to pat her on the shoulder. "Midna, I promise you that everything is going to be all right. They are going to listen to you, I promise you that much, and, if nothing else, you will go into that room knowing that I am on your side."

"You are?" maybe she should have known in advance, maybe she sounded incredibly stupid as she looked up at Link, but somewhere deep down, Midna had always assumed that all Link's talk about how they might have to act, showing Ganondorf that they were there, ready to fight against him, had been just that—talk, a lot of fancy words and dreams that Link would never act upon. But now, it would seem that, if nothing else, she would at least have Link on her side already, simply by virtue of her having finally moved to stand next to Zelda in the discussion of what to do.

"Of course I am." Link smiled, pulled her a little closer, into a hug that was so tight that Midna was sure he could feel how her heart was threatening to jump out of her chest. "I am always going to be on your side, even if I did not agree with you about this issue. But that does not matter, not right now at least, for I am always going to be for the idea of us finally doing something to show Ganondorf that he cannot continue this way, burning down the villages of every single person who has ever done something he did not agree with."

The way he said it, how he had waited for this moment for longer than Midna had even realised, quite possibly for years, long before Zelda had ever arrived, was not lost on Midna, her already frantic state becoming just a little bit worse as she struggled to find the words to apologise for having been so stubborn, insisting that they would have to stay in the base for all those years.

"Link, I—I know that I can't say that I didn't know about it, but I—I am sorry. I don't think I had realised just how much you wanted this."

Before she would have had to try to handle Link's response, before she would have embarrassed herself even more, making it even more unlikely that she wold be able to handle the thought of going in to convince the council that they should trust her, one of the youngest people in the room, to lead them, Cremia turned around the corner, walking through the corridor, taking long, goal-oriented steps towards them. Moments later, Midna realised the reason for that as she saw how Romani was hiding behind her older sister, clutching her hand as she peeked out from behind the safety of her sister's skirt. Midna tried to smile at her, realising that she had made a mistake the second Romani responded by quickly stepping to the side once more, letting the fabric hide her from Midna again.

At least she did not get the chance to think about it for too long, as Cremia walked over to her, her presence demanding Midna's attention, making her unable to fret over the question of what Romani's reaction had meant.

"Midna, thank the goddesses! I was told that I could find you here, but I was not quite sure if we would be able to reach you before the meeting would have begun." Cremia spoke quickly, clearly torn between the need to explain why she had arrived to interrupt their conversation and getting it over with to give what would come next as much time as possible. "I am sorry if this is a bad moment, but my sister," she gestured towards where Midna could see that Romani was pulling at her skirt, the younger sister finally stepping out from behind her again, "she really wanted to talk with you, and, well, considering what I heard about the subject you are going to discuss at this meeting, I did not want to risk it and wait until it was already over. But…" she sent a glance in Link's direction, "if you were in the middle of something important, we can easily wait."

"No, no let us just hear it now." it was not even really about the way they had saved her from having to come face to face with the fact that, despite everything that had happened, it still felt unreal to think about how she, in only a few, short minutes, would have to step into the meeting room and try to defend the idea of them fighting to overthrow the king that made Midna crouch down, trying to make herself smaller to seem more approachable for Romani, though it would have been the simplest explanation. "Just… what did you want to talk to me about?"

She had halfway expected for Cremia to be the one to answer the question, but as Midna kept looking over at Romani, she could almost see how the same kind of foolish courage that must have been the reason she had ever got the idea to attack the king's soldiers in an attempt at protecting their ranch in the first place shone through on her face, Romani letting go of Cremia's skirt, standing on her own as she looked over at her. "Romani heard that you might have to leave this base if you are able to convince the old people about it," Romani said, tilting her head to the side just a bit to make it seem like she did not already know the answer to that, "is that true?"

"Yes." next to her, Midna could see how Link was fidgeting, trying to keep himself from telling her that maybe it was not a good idea to share their plans with a little girl, but also not able to hide the fact that he did not agree with her plan to do exactly that, but that did not keep Midna from continuing. If anything ended up going wrong, if they would never return to the base again, Romani deserved better than to be left alone without any idea of what had happened, having to stay where she was, hoping and praying that they might come back soon. Of course, if the worst was to happen, she would have her sister with her; she would not be left completely alone, but that did not change the fact that Midna could not make herself lie to her, not even by omission. "I am going to go into that meeting room in just a couple of minutes and try my best to convince the council that we should go against Ganondorf, that we should prepare ourselves to be able to fight, to have to try to use what little power we have to fight alongside the people who share our dreams."

To Midna's surprise, Romani did not seem scared at all. But, as she realised when she looked into her eyes, it had nothing to do with any chance of Romani not understanding the full extent of the consequences that might follow if the council decided to listen to Midna. Instead, Romani looked almost excited at the prospect of them actively fighting back against Ganondorf, moving to look up at her sister, a bright smile already present on her face when she looked back over at Midna. "So we might be able to go home soon? We could return to our farm?"

She knew what she should have said, what Link would have told her. There was no doubt in Midna's mind that the reason Link was standing right next to her in that moment, looking almost like he was ready to shove his entire fist into his mouth if that was what it would take for him not to interrupt her, was that he wanted to assure her that, yes, soon, Romani would be able to return to her ranch with her sister and Grog. But that would have been a lie, and if there was one thing Midna was sure about, it was that she would not be able to leave a little child behind with a lie, no matter how well-intentioned it might have been.

So, making sure that she was looking directly at Romani, Midna shook her head. "I can't promise you that. I would love to, but I simply can't. There is a chance that you might be able to return to your ranch soon, but this could also be the thing that will bring an end to the safety we have enjoyed here. By this time next week, there might very well not be a base here anymore, but I will do my best to ensure that you and your sister will be back at your ranch, safe and happy. I just want you to know that I will not be able to promise you that that is what will happen."

"And we understand that," Cremia interjected, taking Romani's hand. Sitting down to look directly at her, she gestured towards Midna, "don't we, Romani?"

"Romani does." and despite everything, despite the fact that she had yet to grow used to Romani's habit of referring to herself in the third person, Midna knew that she was telling her the truth as she added. "But she hopes that you will succeed. Maybe then we can go visit Anju again."

Cremia let out a laugh that sounded only a little forced as her little sister looked up at her with wide eyes. "Yes, maybe we can go visit Anju and Kafei again. But for that to happen, Midna here will need to be able to collect her thoughts before the meeting will begin, so we should give her some space to do that."

Before Midna got the chance to protest, to tell Cremia that what she needed the most right then was actually for someone to be there with her, providing her with a way to distract her brain to keep herself from agonising over the fact that she still doubted she would be able to convince the council to trust her, Cremia had begun to walk away, Romani following along beside her. And, although she did look back over her shoulder for a moment, Romani did not try to stay for a moment longer, soon leaving Midna and Link alone in the hallway again.

"So," Link began once Cremia and Romani were out of earshot, having turned around the corner, "you just told her about the fact that this might be the end for this entire base."

"I know, I know." Midna groaned, barely able to keep herself from reaching up to tuck at a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked over at Link, already knowing how she would be met with a disapproving glare. "I know that I should probably just have let her believe that I knew what I was doing, that nothing bad would happen, but it just would have felt too much like a lie."

"No, you misunderstood me." as Midna looked over at him, moving her head so quickly that a sharp pain flared up in her neck, she was met with a little, unsure smile. "You actually made it sound like you were at least somewhat confident that we had a chance. If you are able to explain the plan just half as well as you did there once we are in that room, I am sure that everyone will have no choice but to agree with you."

"So I just need to do as well as when I tried to explain to a child that we might all die very soon? Great, well I should be able to do that." Midna had not meant for it to sound so pessimistic, but although she could hear exactly how her voice betrayed her, letting her anxiousness shine through, she could not stop herself.

That fact was not lost on Link, and he soon stepped over to her, extending his hand to her. As he pulled her back up from where she was still kneeling on the floor, he did not let go of her hand again, not even as she stood in front of him, once more a head taller than him. Instead, he tried his best to smile, still not able to completely hide his doubts about what was to come as he shook his head. "Midna, I know that you will do just fine. Almost everyone in the room are more than ready for us to do something, they have just been waiting for you to say the word. Besides, didn't you say that Renado and Shad already had a plan detailing what to do?"

The memory of the impromptu meeting, the way they had made the week pass with discussions with the two, Midna having to bite her lip to keep herself from telling them exactly how optimistic their plans had been, how much they would have to change about them to give them just a little bit of a chance of actually being able to succeed, instantly made Midna just that more doubtful about whether she would be able to win people over onto her side. Right then, the fact that, if Link was right, she might not have to fight as hard as she had thought was the only thing keeping her from simply giving up, running away from it all and leaving the responsibility of trying to keep everyone alive to someone else. It was not right that she was the one in the meeting to hold the most power, not when she was also among the youngest.

"I know." it should have been a lie, but as Midna whispered the words, she realised that there was no need for her to force them out. She knew that, no matter what, after the harsh winter, after all the winters they had barely been able to make it through, people would be more than ready to believe anything, as long as it would give them hope that they might be able to leave the mountain, that this would be the last time they would have to wait for spring to arrive, hoping that they would be able to make their food last for enough time to survive. "I just… if Rusl was here, he would know what to do. He would be able to go in there and know exactly what to say. I can't help but feel that, no matter what I do, he would always have been able to do it better than me, to be better at convincing people to trust him."

"I know." it was almost an relief that Link did not try to convince her that she was wrong, that she was just as good as Rusl at convincing people to follow her and her dreams. "But now, we might be able to avenge him. I am sure this is what he would have wanted."

Midna did not have to ask to know that Link was not referring to the fact that they might possibly die, but rather the atmosphere that had grown to fill the entirety of the base during that last week, the kind of excited chatter that had followed her wherever she had been as the rumours of how she was planning to try to convince the council that they would have to act now, that they should try to go against Ganondorf, had got out.

Before she got the chance to respond, the door opened, Jaggle stepping out of the meeting room.

Trying her best to make it look like she had not been mere seconds away from completely losing the last bit of hope that she might be able to leave the room without having made sure that the dream of finally being able to leave the mountain would remain just that, a dream, Midna stood up a bit straighter and looked directly at him as Jaggle gestured towards the room behind him.

"Midna. We are waiting for you."

The only thing that kept Midna from fleeing from both the room, the prospect of having to tell the same people she had once promised she would keep safe that she wanted them to risk their lives for nothing, and the ominous remark that Jaggle had seemingly decided would be the right way to ask her to enter the room, was the fact that Link was there next to her. If not, she was not sure that she would have been able to go into the room, walking alone to table, past the rest of the council, until she reached the only vacant chairs in the room—the one at the end of the table and the chair directly to the right of it.

Sitting down, it felt a little too much like she had just taken her seat as the leader of it all, but she pushed the feeling away. Thinking too much about things would do nothing good for her now. It would only make her even more likely to panic and leave the room, showing exactly why the others should not believe her.

In that moment, it was almost a relief that she was not only there to convince them to believe in her dream, instead representing the dream that both Zelda, Renado, and Shad had worked on convincing her could become reality, as it kept her from fully considering running out of the room as an option for her. And, maybe, if Link had been right, she would have more allies in the room than just them. Although Midna wanted to say that she did not need that, that she would be able to fight for the idea even if she had been on her own, it did help to tell herself that she was not alone, allowing her to make her heart beat a little slower as the rest of the council looked towards her.

"Yes," she began, her voice sounding incredible small in the otherwise silent room, "first of all, I just want to thank everyone in this room for coming. I know—I know…" she looked towards the other end of the table. With how they had been placed as far away from her as they could possibly get, it could not have been more obvious that Shad and Renado were not exactly part of the council, not yet, but it still gave her a bit of strength to look towards them and know that they knew what the plan was. Clearing her throat, Midna tried to recall everything Zelda had told her about how to talk to people, how to make herself seem more confident, letting the people around her know that they could trust her to know what to do, that she had it all under control, "I know that there has been a lot of rumours during the last week about what I was talking with Zelda about. And Renado and Shad as well, of course. So let me make it clear. What I am planning is for us to attempt to overthrow the king, something that might very well lead to nothing other than the death of everyone in this base."

"Do you have a plan for how to achieve this?" Hanch had gone to stand up, looking directly over at her.

"Yes. I—we have a plan. Shad?"

Shad rose immediately, and for once, Midna could not be anything other than grateful for the fact that he seemed to be prepared for anything, leaning in over the table the next moment, somehow managing to seem more confident than her despite the fact that no one really knew him, that he had not exactly given them any reason to trust him other than having lived among them for a little week.

"As I am sure you know, Renado, Luda, and I came here from Kakariko Village after Ganondorf had ordered his soldiers to destroy it all in an attempt at ensuring that we and our work would not survive. But since it failed, I was able to save the map we had been working on for years, a map that details ever corner of Hyrule Castle. With this map, we would be able to get a group into the castle that would then be able to know their way around in there. Then, they would have the best chance of bringing an end to Ganondorf's reign."

"How?" this time, Jaggle was the one to speak.

"By making sure that both the king and the crown prince would not be left in a state where they would be able to rule." Shad said the words so calmly that Midna was almost able to forget about the fact that they were discussing whether or not they would try to murder two people, making it sound almost like they would simply arrive at the castle to have a calm conversation about the state of the kingdoms with the king. "Once we have done that, Zelda will be next in live. With her on the throne, we will have the power to free the Twilight Realm and return home without fear of soldiers coming after us."

Fado looked over at him. "How? How will you do all of this? How exactly will you get people into the castle?"

"Zelda. She thinks that she might be able to get one of us into the castle."

"And how does she intend to do that? Not even to mention the fact that we will have to figure out which one of us will be the one to accompany her. I am not saying that you have not thought this through completely, but you must be able to see that it will be incredibly dangerous for that one person."

"I will."

There was something almost magical about the effect Midna's words had, how everyone turned to look at her as she stood up, remembering everything Zelda had told her, lowering her shoulders, letting her chin be held up high, but not too high, just as Zelda had shown her. The effect was not one she could deny, not when it was about more than just the rest of the room instantly turning to look at her.

As Midna spoke, she could hear how her voice stopped shaking, growing more and more confident as time passed without her having made any major mistake. "Zelda and I, we will be the ones to try to make our way into the castle. If you agree to let us do this, we are both prepared to leave in a couple of days and make our way over to the nearest town. There, we will find the guards, tell them about Zelda's identity and give them a lie about how I was the person to save her. That way, Zelda will be able to demand that I should be brought back to Hyrule Castle along with her to ensure that they will be able to reward me for saving the princess."

The plan felt unfinished, Midna could hear it, but she continued, hoping that if she just ignored the way the holes in it seemed gaping to her, the rest of the council might ignore the fact that she would not be able to explain exactly how they were intending to make their way over to a town without first being attacked by soldiers who would not recognise their princess in time, much less exactly how they were planning to find the opportunity to kill both the king and crown prince. Even once they were inside the castle, Midna was not optimistic enough to believe that such an opportunity would be given to them on a silver platter.

But, as Midna realised the moment the murmurs began to pass around the table, she was not that lucky.

Really, Fado only confirmed the feeling when he looked back over at her, the deep crease between his eyebrows telling her everything she needed to know about his position on the plan already before he had leant in, an apologetic smile tucking at his lips as he shook his head. "I am sorry, but am I the only one who thinks that it sounds like a bad idea to send Zelda along with you?" looking around the table, it was clear that he tried to find support from the rest of the room. "I am not saying that I doubt her, but this—we are talking about murdering her father and brother. Are you sure that she will be able to go through with it in the end?"

"No, she won't do that, and none of us are in any position to say that she should be able to do it. That is why I will come along as well—I believe that there is not a single person in here who does not believe me when I say that I will not hesitate to do what I have to, should I get the chance."

"Of course not." her sharp tone of voice was not lost on Fado, not as he instantly backed down, already holding his hands up in front of him, trying to apologise. "I was just thinking that it might not be a good idea for us to send her to kill her own family. It will not feel right, no matter how well-earned it will be. But you are saying that Zelda has accepted this plan, that she has accepted that you will come along with her with the purpose of the mission being to give you the chance to kill the king and crown prince?"

Midna opened her mouth, but before she had said anything, Link had already beaten her to it, moving to stand up. "If you would want us to, I am sure that Zelda would be more than ready to join us and assure you that she has agreed to this plan. Most of it was, after all, her idea."

As the room was filled with whispers, Midna could hear how that little snippet of information, the fact that the princess had been the one to come up with the plan, had made the entire mission appear a little less safe. But there was no use in being angry at the rest of the council, not when Midna could easily understand why they would hesitate to risk their lives for a plan the princess of Hyrule had thought of, so, although it was frustrating to hear how the dream was beginning to slip away from her, the others no longer making it sound like it was a matter of simply asking a few questions more, but instead making it obvious how they would now have to prove that Zelda really was trying her best to heighten their chances, Midna turned to Link rather than the rest of the room.

"What are you doing?" she snapped at him.

Link simply sent her a short smile. "You will see, trust me." with that, he turned back to the council. "Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to find Zelda."

He left her behind, Midna instantly having to fight to not give in to the urge of hiding under the table. They were right; they were doing the right thing. Now, it was just a matter of convincing everyone else of the same thing.

However, it was difficult to remind herself of that when Jaggle turned towards her the moment Link had left the room, already prepared to try to find the points where the plan was not as robust as she would have liked it to be. "So, Midna, do you have a plan that will allow you to reach this town? Do you even know which town you are going to go to or will it just be the first one you are able to reach?"

She was losing control over the situation; Midna could feel it, hear it from the way the murmurs seemed to generally express a shared concern over those exact questions. "No," she began, having to clear her throat. Now was the moment to remember what Zelda had taught her, but even as Midna tried her best to stand up straight, it did not make her feel much more confident, her voice beginning to tremble again, "or, well, that is, we have planned to set out for Clock Town. It will be the town that is closest to us, making it so that, even though we have to cross the Eldin Mountains, it will still be the shortest distance to cover on foot."

"And how do you intend to make it to Clock Town without being spotted by the king's soldiers?" this time it was Hanch who asked. The fact that he sounded like he asked simply because he was concerned for their safety and not because he wanted to be against the plan as a whole only made Midna feel even worse than she would otherwise have done. If it had been a case of her having to show him that he was wrong, at least she would have had a clear and precise goal. Now, when she had to try to convince a group of people who had already lost everything simply because they had lived close to someone who had gone against the king that her plan would be different, she found herself at a loss for words.

She was saved from having to come to terms with the horrible realisation that she had no idea about what she was doing by Link.

Throwing the door open, he stepped into the room, Zelda following right behind him. But, as Midna saw only a moment later, they were not alone. No, Cremia and Romani were following along right behind them, Romani clutching Cremia's hand as they followed Link and Zelda through the room.

The moment Link was standing next to her, the second she decided that she could send him a signal, a subtle question about just what he was doing, Midna did just that. Link simply smiled down at her, shaking his head ever so slightly. The meaning could not have been clearer. She should relax and trust him, trust that he knew what she was doing. And Midna did that. She knew that, of all of them, Link was probably the one who had the best odds of being able to convince the rest of the council, with how he was still the hero who had arrived when they had needed one the most, offering them a safe place to stay, good at talking, and simply better than Midna at keeping track of the plan.

"I found Zelda," Link said, the way he motioned towards Zelda only making it all the more obvious, "I am sorry about the fact that it took so long, but I ran into someone on the way, someone who offered to help with the plan. Cremia?"

From her spot next to her, Midna could see how Cremia had reached out, grabbing the back of Link's chair so tightly that her knuckles became white, but, thankfully, it did not look like it would be noticeable to anyone who did not sit right behind her, having just the right angle to see how nervous Cremia was as everyone in the room turned to look at her.

Taking a deep breath, Cremia looked down at the table in front of her as she began to speak. "Yes, as Link said, I think that I may be able to help with the plan." the pause that followed her words was horrible, tense and awkward, and with how Cremia blushed, her ears becoming red, it was clear that she had noticed it as well. But, if nothing else, Midna had to admit that she could admire her courage, for, instead of completely losing heart, Cremia simply swallowed, blinking a little bit quicker as she continued. "Zelda told me about the plan just a few minutes ago, and from what I could understand, you are going to need someone to help you make your way over to Clock Town. Is that right?"

Before anyone else got the chance to respond, Zelda had already answered. "Exactly."

With the encouraging tone to Zelda's voice making her relax just a little bit, the grip around the chair becoming less tight, Cremia continued. "In that case, it would be an honour for my sister and me to be the ones to lead you to Clock Town."

"Wait. Your sister?" Fado frowned. "You cannot actually be thinking about bringing your sister along. I know that you must know this, but it might be dangerous—"

"You are right. I do know that." Cremia's tone did not leave any doubt about the fact that, even though Midna had known Fado for enough time to rule out the possibility of him having meant to offend her with the question, she had taken it as an insult. "I know first-hand how dangerous such a journey can be. And that is why I know that Zelda and Midna will need someone who knows the way to go with them to make sure that it will not take any more time than what is absolutely necessary. And, given the fact that Grog is still not in a place where he would be able to handle both the physical and mental burden of such a mission and Romani will not allow me to leave her behind, we are the only ones here who will be able to do that. But, even if that had not been the case, I would still have offered to help. To help with the mission, to be a part of the reason for why the king fell in the end… it would be the biggest honour I could ever imagine. Even if it fails, I will be proud to have helped."

As Cremia stepped back, looking out over the table, Midna could almost feel how they might just have secured their victory. Who would have thought that all it would take would be to bring Cremia into the room, that, after everything Zelda had tried to tell her about how she had to stand and speak, how to make it seem like she had everything under control, it would be Cremia's outburst after Fado had accidentally implied that she was bringing her sister into dangerous territory that would make the difference? Midna hadn't. But then again, given how Zelda had seemingly been the one to bring Cremia and Romani along, she supposed it should not have been so surprising.

"So, let us pretend for a moment that we agree to try this, that we agree to risk everything to gain this one chance of being able to live freely again." Hanch placed both hands on the table, leaning in over it slightly, just enough to look directly at Midna. "Do you believe that we will stand a chance? Do you honestly believe that it might end up with a result that is not just every single person in this base dying alongside all the people who might try to help you?" he sent a barely hidden glance in the direction of Renado and Shad, who, to Midna's surprise, did not even respond. "Midna, I think that we all know that this is what Rusl would have wished for all of us, but what about you? You were always the first person to remind us of how our primary goal should always be to stay alive. What it is that has made you change your mind about that?" he did not have to ask the next question, not with how it was already hanging in the air. Was she able to tell them a reason that had been convincing enough to make her change her mind?

"I—" her throat itched, and more than anything, Midna wished that she had been able to drink a glass of water, perhaps even with a bit of honey in it—anything to make her feel like she knew what she was doing.

But then someone took her hand, the sheer softness of both the skin that pressed against hers and the gesture instantly letting her know that it was Zelda.

She didn't need anything, not now, and as Midna rose again, she knew that everyone in the room could see it. "I found myself in a situation where I had to realise that this life that I have been living for all these years, constantly ready to flee any place at a moment's notice, never really able to relax since I had to be prepared for an attack at any moment—it is not really a life. But it is more than just that. I have seen that there are people out there, more people than we might be able to imagine, who are ready to die for a chance of freeing the Twilight Realm." Midna might have nodded towards Renado and Shad at that, but really, her thoughts were with the maid and the way she had not hesitated for even a moment before doing everything she could possibly have done to help her. "I knew that I would not be able to stay in here, doing nothing, while they were out there, fighting to overthrow the king. And with Zelda here, now that we both have a map of the castle and a way to get in there, I had no excuses left, no way to try to justify the fact that I was just staying here and letting others fight for me."

"The Twilight Realm?" Jaggle drew his brows together. "Midna, you do realise that if we win, we would not have to stay here anymore, don't you? We would not be dependent on this base, nor would we have to hope for the king to never find us here. So why does the fate of the Twilight Realm matter so much to you?"

It was the perfect moment to tell him, the perfect moment to tell everyone. Really, even if she had got the chance to do so, Midna doubted that she could have planned for it to happen in a better way. It was easy, she just had to say the words, and then she knew that she would have won the discussion, that the news about her would have reached even the most remote corners of the base within a minute after the end of the meeting. And still, she found herself struggling to open her mouth, unable to say anything even as she tried to remind herself of the fact that she had nothing to hide, that she had no reason to feel ashamed for having kept it secret for so long. It had all been a way for her to protect herself after all, it did not mean that she did not trust them; they would understand that, she knew they would. And yet, it was more than she had ever thought she would have to admit, making her shake slightly in her seat.

And then Zelda was there, leaning in from behind, just enough to whisper into her ear, pretending that it was not blindingly obvious to everyone that she was trying to be discreet as she muttered to her. "Hey, it is all right. I will be right here."

Midna was rewarded with the sight of seeing Zelda sending her a tiny smile as she turned her head to the side, just enough to look at her. But that was all she had needed right then. Maybe it would be all she would ever need. Only time would tell that. For now, Midna instead made sure to keep her shoulders relaxed, back straight, head up, looking just as confident Zelda had shown her to look

Breathing in, out, she looked directly at Jaggle. "The reason I care about the Twilight Realm is that I am its princess."

Instantly, chaos erupted, Jaggle simply gaping at her while others, Fado, Shad, and Hanch included, began to ask questions, raising their voices in an attempt at making sure that she had no choice but to hear them.

However, for once, for what felt like the first time in months, Midna knew what to do. Even if she hadn't, Zelda would have been right behind her, still giving her hand an encouraging squeeze, as Midna yelled to make herself heard above the general noise. "My mother was the last queen of the Twilight Realm, and as such, I am its princess—that is, I would have been, had it not been for Ganondorf. And although I had abandoned the duty that came with the title for years, now, I am ready to repay everyone who has ever believed in me and my existence. For those people exist." Midna risked a glance in Renado and Shad's direction, not sure of what to think about the sight that met her.

Where Shad seemed almost as surprised as everyone around him, his mouth opening and closing, but no sound ever coming out, Renado looked almost amused, like he had guessed it already and was now just ready to lean back and watch the reaction of those around him.

It did not make sense, and Midna knew that trying to force it to do would only be a waste of her time, so she did not even try, instead focusing on the task at hand once more as she continued. "I have met some of them already. We can thank a maid in Hateno who recognised me for the fact that we have food and medicine now. We can than the few servants who were able to escape from the palace during the attack for how my mother survived for enough time to have an heir and the fact that we have an airship now. Really, I suppose that we should also thank Renado and Shad. Although they might not have known who I was, they were still willing to risk their lives to make this map that will now give us the chance of bringing an end to all of this. Because is that not what we want? To be able to know that it is over? If nothing else, I know that it is what I want, so, although I swear that I will not go through with this if you tell me not to, I will beg you to reconsider if you are still, as I was only a few days ago, letting your fear rule over you. Thank you."

The air felt almost as tense as it did after a thundercloud had just passed around them while they were aboard the Shadow, bolts of lightning flashing around them. Then Jaggle rose, slowly looking around at the table before he nodded at Midna. "I am with you."

"So am I." this time it was Fado's turn to rise, looking over at her with eyes that revealed how he was still not really done trying to process what she had just told him, but that he did still mean each and every word. "If all of you, Cremia, Romani, Zelda, and then you, Midna—if you are all prepared for the risks and the danger you will put yourself in, if you promise that, should the worst thing happen, you will try your best to keep yourself from giving up the location of this place no matter what might happen, then I will support you."

It was only natural to assure him that, of course, she would do everything in her power to make it so that, should she be caught and brought to Hyrule Castle against her will, they would never be able to get her to tell about the base. And while Midna in that moment knew that she would do everything to make it so that the fact that Zelda repeated the promise immediately after her, Cremia and Romani chiming in as well would never be a point they would have to discuss, she knew that they were all prepared to do what it would take. Being dead was better than having to live with the knowledge that she was the person responsible for making them lose the last place in the two kingdoms where they could be safe.

Slowly, little by little, everyone around the table agreed with them, Renado clearly trying his best not to cry as he looked over at Romani. Midna could not claim not to understand why. With how she was still clinging to her older sister's hand, smiling so brightly that, had Midna not been present for the entire meeting, she would have assumed that they had merely been discussing some harmless subject, whether they should try to bake a cake, making use of the sugar she had got in Hateno, Romani made it seem like they could truly win.

"Then, I suppose that we have reached an agreement, haven't we?" Link said, clasping his hands together while he waited, giving everyone a chance to speak up, to disagree with him. When no one did so, he nodded, the smile already tucking at his mouth. "Great! Now, we should all try to prepare ourselves for the mission. Although only Midna, Zelda, Cremia, and Romani will actually leave this mountain, I believe that I speak for all of us when I say that I would not want to leave things unsaid now."

It would have felt more appropriate for people to remain silent, for them to stay in there to share a moment of silence with each other, wordlessly trying to instil strength and courage in one another, but the moment Link had stopped speaking, the room was filled with the sound of chairs being pushed back, everyone hurrying to leave the room. As Midna found herself pushed forward, barely able to follow along after Zelda, she was certain that she could hear someone cry, but even as she tried to turn around to see who it had been, the person had either left the room or found the strength to simply let the fear build up inside, if that was even something that could be called strength without one of the two words being a lie. Midna really was not sure of anything anymore.

But, at last, the push from people behind her began to lessen as she made it over to the door, and finally, Midna could leave the meeting room. It should have been a relief, but rather than smiling at the prospect of never having to go in there again, Midna had to force herself to continue, not to stop at the threshold to cast one last glance over her shoulder. No matter what would come now, no matter what would happen with their plan, she would never return to this base, she knew that much already.

Her body was aching, but even then, Midna was sure that her mind had it worse. She was exhausted and more than anything, she just wanted to head back to her cabin. There, she could spend her last couple of days sleeping, trying her best to convince herself that she did it because her body would need all the energy it could get if she wanted to have a chance of actually being able to succeed, that it had nothing at all to do with the fact that she could still remember the way the people had looked at her, how they had whispered, eyes wide and mouths agape, when she had told them about her mother.

But Midna had barely made it out of the room before someone had reached out, tapping her on the shoulder.

Ilia. Midna knew it would be her already before she had turned around. There was no one else who moved like that, no one else who could convey as much information in just a single touch as her, letting Midna know that she had to talk with her right in that moment, that it would not be able to wait for later. But even with how it gave her a few seconds to prepare herself, as Midna turned around and saw Ilia smiling up at her, she still found herself instantly thrown back to the moment she had let it all become too much for her, beginning to yell at her.

The few seconds of silence felt almost like torture, Midna at once finding herself staring at Ilia, unable to tear her gaze away, taking in everything from the way Ilia was clearly struggling to smile to with the way she continued to push strands of hair out of her eyes, and still aware of the fact that Link had paused, staying behind with them while Zelda continued walking away from them, Cremia and Romani following along with her.

But then Ilia began to speak, and while it felt almost like Midna should not have been able to recognise her after all those weeks, her voice was the exact same as it had always been as she looked up at her.

"Hi. I—Link told me about what you would try to do, and, well, I was thinking that you might want to have someone standing out here who would support you no matter what. No, you know what, that was a lie." Ilia shook her head, the smile disappearing along with the cheery attitude. "Truth to be told, I—goddesses, Midna, is it true? Link told me that it was, but I had to hear it from you. Are you really preparing to travel to Hyrule Castle with Zelda to kill everyone standing between her and the throne?"

"You make it sound much worse than it really is, I mean, when have two murders ever seemed like that big of a deal to us?" but Midna could already hear how the attempt at a joke sounded flat, instead showing itself as exactly what it was—a way for her to try to pretend that she was not frightened as well.

"So you are really doing it? You will go to the castle to try to save us all?" Ilia might have stepped back, but with how her hands shot through the air, almost bridging the distance between them, only for Ilia to pull away the moment before she would have taken Midna's hand, it was clear she wanted to do the exact opposite.

Midna smirked at her. "Yes, I know, who would have thought, me agreeing to help someone else? The next thing I know, I have probably also begun to help the wolves we catch in our traps escape." she laughed, the sound echoing through the now almost empty corridor, making her sound just as scared and alone as she felt.

More than anything she wished that Ilia would not have stopped herself the moment before she would finally have been able to reach out to touch her hand. If she had just done that, if she had just given her a sign that they might be able to reach each other again despite everything that had happened, maybe it would have been easier for her to say what she knew she had to say.

It was most likely only something that she was imagining, a way for her mind to try to focus on something other than the fact that the thoughts where whirling around, forming a vortex, but as Midna stood there, she was almost sure that she could hear Link whisper to her that she had to continue. Maybe later she would try to tease him about it, telling him that, although he had been silent, she had grown so used to how he would always try his best to make sure that she was happy and did the right thing that she had still been able to hear him. But that would be later.

In that moment, when Midna finally forced herself to speak, nothing about the situation was fun, something she would ever want to think about later. "Ilia, I—"

But Ilia interrupted her. Any other day, it might have been a relief, but right then, Midna knew that she had been about to do the right thing. The fact that she would now have to somehow summon the strength to do so again felt almost like it was towering up in front of her, a daunting task she did not have the courage for, but considering everything that had happened between them lately, she was not exactly in a position to ask Ilia to let her finish. And so, Midna stayed silent, allowing for Ilia to cut in.

"Midna, if you were about to apologise for—well, I think we both know about what." at least Ilia was not that much better than her at faking a smile, the grimace looking more like a frown than anything else. "I don't want for you to apologise. Not when I should be the one to do it."

"You?" there was no need for Midna to fake confusion, it was all genuine. "But why? You remember what happened; I was completely and utterly horrible to you—"

"And so was I. I should have listened to you when you told me to stop—"

"It wasn't exactly like I gave you much of a chance to do that."

"Maybe not, but still. These last few days, well, to be honest, I suppose it would really be these last few weeks, I have had a lot of time to think about what you were talking about all those times when you told me that you did not want for anyone to leave this mountain and the safe place you had created I here and offered to share with all of us. And, Midna, I am so sorry for how it did not realise just how much it meant to you until now. I have been a poor friend."

Midna supposed she should only be grateful as Link cut in, stepping in between them, having already raised his hands up in front of him as he let out a chuckle that sounded much more sincere than any of what they had been able to make. "All right, how about this: you both agree that you are sorry about what happened and then let it end at that?"

The look Ilia sent Midna as she nodded could only be described as pure fondness. "Yes," she said, "I like that suggestion very much."

"So do I."

"Great, then it is settled then, there is no need to thank me for any of that." stepping back, Link reached out, not much, just enough to poke Midna in the side.

He had not said anything, and yet, the message could not have been clearer. Acting quickly, not giving herself a chance to change her mind, to lose courage, Midna took Ilia's hand, sending a tiny smile, a gesture that Ilia luckily returned with one of her own.

And then, almost like she had just thought of something so incredibly funny that Midna might never be able to understand it, Ilia let out a little giggle and looked at her. "Actually, Midna, there was another thing I have to ask you about. Now, I am sure that it might just be rumours, but as I waited for you to exit the meeting room, I am almost certain I heard someone discuss the fact that you are the princess of the Twilight Realm. Why did they say that?"

Looking into Ilia's eyes, Midna knew that she already knew the answer. Perhaps that was why it was a thousand times easier to tell it now, though Midna knew that it might also simply be due to the fact that Ilia was standing so close to her, still smiling. "That would be because I had told them that I was the Twilight Princess."

Ilia's eyes became wide, her eyebrows rising as she looked back and forth between her and Link, clearly waiting for the moment where they would laugh and tell her that they were just kidding. When that moment never came, she let out a sound that sounded halfway between a laugh and a gasp, loud and silent at the same time. "You are lying to me—you have to be! What, I can't be alone for a few days, working on Epona to distract myself from my thoughts, without my friend having to reveal that she is really the long-lost princess of the kingdom we are currently in. How long have you known, no, how did you find out about it?"

As Midna tried her best to retell the story as quickly as possible without forgetting anything, Ilia's eyes only grew wider.

"Really? You have known for your entire life? All this time with my friend just walking around with this knowledge, and I never once realised that there might be a connection between you and the fact that you had found this base, that you were flying around in a ship with the crest of the royal family of the Twilight Realm on the side." turning to face Link, Ilia took a step towards him, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "How long have you known? And don't try to tell me that you have only found out about it just now, because you are not at all surprised enough for me to believe that that is the case."

"Would it help if I said that I had promised Midna not to tell anyone?"

"I suppose it would. Goddesses, Midna, to think that you might be the princess of an entire country, it feels almost unreal."

"I know." the lie was small enough for Midna to not feel bad at all. Sometimes, it just was better to lie, to try to pretend that she had any idea about what Ilia must be thinking right then. "But I thought that it would give me the advantage I would need. Not only did it finally bring an end to all discussions, but I know that if I only get the chance to tell the people about this, to prove that the queen really didn't die during some coup d'état that had then prompted Ganondorf to seize control, they will rise up with us. If we are all there, if we are all fighting back, there is nothing he can do about it."

"But do you have a way to prove that you really are related to your mother?"

That question had been one that had agonised her for years when she had been younger. However, back then, it had not been about how she wished she would have a way to show the entire world who she was. Instead, it had been about the fact that she had nothing to remind her of a mother, no pictures, no clothes, nothing. At least the fact that people would most likely not exactly be looking forward to giving up their lives for the first person stepping forwards, claiming to be the long-lost princes without being able to present any evidence to prove it, was one she could find an easier answer to, the way the maid had recognised her immediately telling Midna that there might not be any need for them to worry about it at all.

"Yes," Midna said, "yes, I think I have a way to show them."

"Well." she had assumed that Ilia would be happy, but as she looked up at her again, Midna could only see concern in her eyes. "Midna, I know that I usually only tell Link this, but don't think that it means that it does not extend to you as well. Please, promise me that you will be careful. Promise me that you will return home alive. Promise me."

Had Romani told her the same thing, Midna was not sure what she would have done. Perhaps she would have lied then. But now, as she was standing in front of Ilia, she already knew that she could not do that.

"Ilia, you know that I can't promise you that."

The tears made Ilia's eyes reflect the dim lightning in the hallway, but she blinked them away. "Then promise me that you will try."

"Of course. I will try my best to succeed. For everyone. But don't think that I will not be thinking of the two of you when I finally get the chance to fulfil my part of the mission."

There was nothing else she could say, nothing for any of them to say or comment on, and as Link pulled them both into a hug, Midna feeling how both he and Ilia held her as close to them as she could, she knew that she could not afford to fail. Maybe it was selfish, but if being selfish was what it would take to win and return home unharmed, then Midna would be selfish.