Storm's Edge

"To think," Midna smirked ruefully. "We'd find ourselves back here so soon."

"I know I've asked this already, but are you sure-"

"Link," she all but shoved him towards the familiar gilded door. "This is your choice, and I'll be damned if I get in the way."

She twisted the knob and dragged him in by the arm.

Zelda's first reaction was to blink, not quite comprehending the scene – or rather, the people – before her eyes.

She inclined her head, however, ever the courteous host despite her bewilderment.

"If you're here to kill us," she spoke over the rim of her teacup, eyes a calm, stormy blue. "Be advised that we tend to scratch and bite."

She looked pointedly at Ganondorf, who let loose a deep-seated chuckle.

"Tempting," Midna drawled. "But not why we're here. Least, not yet. This is his show."

She nodded to Link, who gave them a bright smile. In the span of a second, the other three remembered what he was, and imagined the smile draped in a curtain of blood, a shower of stars, swathed in the embers of hell and the greenery of paradise all at once, and were at once taken aback and not surprised at all by the seeming sweetness of he who murdered in cold blood for so long and often.

"And where he goes," Midna elaborated, recovering instantly in the next moment. "I go. All there is to it."

"Uncanny, since you were just asking us to help kill him not too long ago," Ganondorf mused, a crinkle to the corner of his lips.

"And why should you be confused, anyway?" Midna asked, pointedly ignoring him and addressing Zelda. "You're the ones who sent that letter. Or did some imposter falsify the royal seal? Wouldn't surprise me that your security's so lax."

"Oh, we sent it, yes," Zelda nodded pleasantly, placing her cup and saucer on Ganondorf's desk. "We just didn't think you would respond so quickly, if at all. Given the circumstances, of course."

"Like I said," Midna grunted. "Wasn't my call to make."

"Well," Link interjected. "As much fun it is to be teetering over whether or not any of us are out for blood, I'd…I'd like to hear about it. Why you need us."

"Because," Ganondorf sighed. "We don't make the cut. We've held off for years, but it's not going to be enough anymore. Our ordinary means, that is. We need the extraordinary, and the only ones in the world who fit that criteria are you two."

"Why now?" Link prompted as he twiddled his fingers almost nervously.

"Our worst fears have been confirmed. The Goddesses are returning, and this time we'll be wiped out without question unless a miracle occurs," Ganondorf stood with his arms folded behind him. "And the closest thing to a miracle we have are the very weapons once used to decimate us."

"You think we're gonna answer your every beckon like lapdogs?" Midna snapped. "You've used me once. Come hell or high water, it won't happen again."

"We never aimed to use you," Zelda said softly. "And if it seemed that way, it'll be because we were desperate. Do you not understand?"

And she fixed them with her maelstrom of blue, of deep sorrow that had traveled along her bones to get there.

"You are all we have left. All anyone has left. Any feeble, flickering hopes that humanity has remaining die with you."

Midna was struck silent, but Link, ever the ray of bloodied sunshine, stood stalwart.

"When?" he ventured, because acquiesce or not, they at least needed to know.

"It's already started," Ganondorf rumbled. "Their first assaults. In a small, backwater region called Outset."

And his blood drained from his face, and Midna turned to him in concern of what was wrong, or perhaps to ask what he's decided, but he knew that his convictions mattered little at this point, because his decision had already been made for him.

Author's Note: AHHHHHHH, I'M SORRRYYYYY, it's been a month, and ohmygoodness what. To all of you who've been waiting, I feel like I've let you down in some small way. Not many stupid excuses this time around. Part of it was that I had trouble with this chapter and the direction of the story in general, part of it was because of the transition to my new laptop (I've received it and it's working great, woohoo!). So yeah, it's just me being a total bummer. Promise I won't leave you hanging like this in the future if I can help it! Please, review? I hope that at the very least the chapter was up to par.