Ok, so this really took quite a while to get out here because of a mess of troubles on my part: my laptop crashed (go figure, so I wrote this entire chapter on my iPad), and since I'm home on spring break I don't really have an internet connection. Also writer's block T_T Anyway, here comes the end of the Twilight arc as I like to call it, so I hope you all enjoy it (because we get Zant in this chapter, so you know). Anyway, lets get to the guest reviews!
Sigma73: Yeah, I get what you mean, but I didn't want to make this chapter too long, so it just starts with them arriving in the Twilight Realm. I do have plans for Morpha though instead of Dodongo, mostly cause I don't like to rehash things like that. :/
Chad B: Thanks! And yeah it was interesting to explore their lives after their missions.
Arrowsheena: Indeed. I'm not going to make this M, mostly because I'm pretty classy about things like this I'd like to think. But yeah, Cia is Cia, Volga is sympathetic, and Zant is certainly crazy, as this chapter will show!
PsycoFangirl: Indeed! Everyone be on the cray cray train! ANd yes, Zant madness is here!
GrayishGirl: Yes it was... And oh yeah, we're getting Midna and Agitha in here, so things will certainly be interesting!
Ok, well with all that out of the way, let's get started!
Chapter 14: Remnant of Twilight
The Goddess Butterfly had led them to the Twilight Realm.
It was a place unlike any of them had ever seen before, save for Midna, who was its sovereign. Lana had only seen small glimpses of it from gazing at it in the flow of time, but even then she had never seen it up close. As for Agitha, the Resistance, and the Hylian soldiers, the so-called realm of shadows was an entirely new sight.
Instead of blue, the skies of the Twilight Realm were a wide array of contrasting pigments and shades of violet, pink, gold, black, and orange, reminiscent of the colors of a Hyrulian dusk sky. Flecks of dark Twilight rained gently through the air, their substance weightless and without physical form. The air itself felt calm and still in a way that was both comforting and unnerving, for no winds blew in the Twilight Realm at all. The land of the realm itself was suspended in this eternal dusk upon stone outcroppings, many of which were connected via bridges and platforms. It was clear that the group, upon stepping through the temporary Mirror of Twilight that Midna had created, that they were in the heart of the Twilight Realm itself, the home of its royal family and the seat of its government, the Palace of Twilight. Its architecture was formal and unglamorous, rising high into the ever changing sky as its varying buildings gave of an air of power and foreboding. And, what only made this eerie feeling worse were the unnatural cries of monsters echoing through the courtyards, the clatter of beasts invading upon a place in which they did not belong.
The Hyrulian forces only had but a few moments to take in the drastic change of their surroundings before the Twilight Princess herself glided to the front of the pack, a look of dismay written all over her face as she took in the damage done to her domain. Midna had been present for the first battle that had been waged here but a few days ago, in which Cia had ripped not only her famed beauty, but her throne from her all in one fell swoop. And in that battle, many of her dear people, people she was sworn to protect, had fallen. Those who had survived were left to an uncertain fate, one that the Twilight Princess could only hope had been merciful. Since then however, her home had been battered brutally by the dark forces roosted away inside of it; parts of the newly-renovated palace were crumbling, and even the serene beauty of the place seemed to be diminished by the darkness flowing throughout the area. Midna let out a sorrowful sigh as she saw it, knowing that even if Cia had been the instigator of all this destruction, the Twilight Princess was the one to blame for letting it go so far. In all her rage towards the black witch for cursing her once more, Midna had chased her into the world of light, completely setting the plight of her already doomed world aside for revenge instead. But now, the Twilight Princess knew that she could not let her kingdom down again, especially not after the first time she had abandoned it. And so, Midna let out along sigh, clenching her tiny fists at her sides as she mentally prepared herself for the battle ahead.
The fight for the Twilight Realm was about to begin.
"Alright, listen up, everyone!" Midna said authoritatively as she spun around to face the entire legion behind her. Fortunately, Lana had managed to make peace between the Twilight Princess and the rest of her allies, and so the transition of trust had not been so awkward, especially as the group had gotten to know each other a little better during their trek to the Twilight Realm. "I know for certain the Gate of Souls is in the throne room near the back of the palace."
"She's right!" Agitha confirmed cheerfully, grinning at the Goddess Butterfly flittering above her palm. "Li'l Butterfly really wants to head that way!"
"Good," Lana said with a confident nod. "The sooner we close the Gate of Souls, the sooner things will go back to normal."
"And the sooner my realm will be free from all these pests!" Midna said, her tone disgruntled as she crossed her arms.
"Looks like that will be easier said than done," Telma cut in as her and the rest of the Resistance joined the conversation. "I'll bet my bottom Rupee that there's a whole mess of monsters holed up in there."
"Eh, they'll be no match for all of us, yeah?" Ashei said with a sly grin, her hand already on the hilt of her blade sheathed at her side.
"I'd say that all of us combined makes a pretty formidable team," Auru said, thoughtfully stroking his beard.
"As long as we go into this fight believing we can win, then we will," Rusl said with a smile and a nod of agreement with the sentiments of his friends.
"There is only one small predicament though…" Shad interjected with a frown. "This palace looks absolutely labyrinthine. Wherever are we even supposed to start?"
"There's no need to worry about that," Midna said, finally grinning as she glanced out at the Palace of Twilight. "This place is my home; I was born and raised here, and I've been running around these halls ever since I was little. I know this palace inside and out."
"Then maybe you should lead the way, Midna," Lana suggested, knowing that the Twilight Princess's inside knowledge would prove to be useful in their strike. "You did see the Gate of Souls firsthand, after all."
"Lead the way, huh?" Midna said with a clever grin. "I guess I could take charge… I mean, I do have great leadership experience... Ok, then! First things first; we need a solid base, preferably somewhere out here in the courtyard."
"There's an empty keep over there, yeah?" Ashei pointed out a keep not far to the northeast of their current location.
"Good," the Twilight Princess said with a nod. "Can you all secure it?" she asked the members of the Resistance, all of whom nodded in agreement and, with a few of Lana's soldiers, they quickly got to work setting up their allied base.
"Ok, what's next?" the white sorceress asked their commander, who seemed to be scanning over the Twilight Realm preceptively.
"I'll bet anything the way to the Gate of Souls is closed up tight," Midna said. "So, for now, I guess the only thing we can do is try to thin their forces out a little bit. Advance to the east first, and we'll work on capturing the enemy outposts there."
"Sounds good," Lana agreed, holding her Book of Sorcery close as she prepared to fight.
"I won't let you down, Miss Kitty!" Agitha chirped brightly, spinning her parasol in her hands as both Lana and Midna paused to glance at her with slightly concerned frowns.
"Uh… why don't you stay near the base, bug girl?" the Twilight Princess asked rather condescendingly, not wanting a wild card like the insect princess to ruin her precise strike.
Agitha frowned upon hearing this, her lips curling into a small pout. "But… I wanna come and play with you all!" she protested. "My insect friends and I won't slow you down, I promise!"
Midna was about to tell the insect princess no once more, but this time, Lana was quick to cut in. "Of course you can come, Agitha," she said with a kind smile. "Just stick close to me and Midna, ok?"
"Ok!" Agitha said with a wide grin, already skipping ahead along the path towards the palace.
"Are you crazy?" Midna scoffed as she floated alongside Lana, her tone unimpressed as she scowled between the white sorceress and the insect princess. "That kid's gonna get herself killed out here!"
"She managed to do just fine against you," Lana said with a sheepish shrug, knowing that it was a rather low blow, but a needed one nonetheless.
"That was totally different!" the Twilight Princess argued. "I was going easy on both of you guys. None of these monsters here will show any such mercy, especially considering… their leader…"
"Their leader?" the white sorceress said in sudden alarm. "You know who's in charge of these forces?"
Midna bit her lip apprehensively. "Know is a… strong word…" she said elusively. "Let's just say he's an old… rival…"
Lana frowned in confusion as she tried to press for more information. "What do you-"
Before the white sorceress could finish however, she was suddenly cut off by a loud, wild shriek echoing across the palace grounds. The Twilight Princess scowled upon hearing it, instantly recognizing its sound. "Speak of the devil…" she muttered to herself bitterly.
"What was that?" Lana asked as she looked around for the source of the strange screech, something that Agitha had stopped to do as well. And, mere seconds later, her question was answered as a dark voice sounded out from behind them.
"I see you have come crawling back like the worm you are, Midna," the figure who had appeared behind the trio said menacingly. Lana, Midna, and Agitha all turned around to see a towering, imposing figure, a man, the white sorceress supposed based on his rather deep voice. He wore long black robes that concealed his entire form, including his hands, teal Twili markings lining them. A crimson tabard hung from his ornate, metallic shoulder mantel, which matched the strange, pointed helmet over his head perfectly. Though Lana and Agitha were taken aback by his sudden, disturbing appearance, Midna only scowled crossly at him, her fists shaking with rage as her hair coiled behind her in preparation for battle.
"And I see you brought some little friends with you, haven't you?" the man said, his tone dark and sadistic. "No matter. I'll crush you all like the insects you are!"
"Oh my!" Agitha exclaimed in horror. "Who would ever want to crush a darling little insect!?
The Twilight Princess ignored the insect princess's statement as she sent an angry retort flying back at their foe. "The only one who's going to be crushed is you, Zant!" she exclaimed hotly. "Of course, it only makes sense that the witch would leave a traitor like you in charge of protecting the Gate of Souls!"
"So… that's why you returned, hm?" the usurper king of the Twilight Realm asked with a mocking laugh. "Well, you will never get near it so long as my mistress demands its safekeeping of me! I will entomb all of you before you even come close! May the Twilight scatter my foes!" Zant's wicked laugher took on a hint of insanity as he disappeared in a cascade of Twilit flecks, most likely returning to his station before the Gate of Souls.
Midna growled in fury as she watched Zant flee, but Lana merely stood by in confusion, wondering exactly what the nature of the relationship between the two of them was. "Midna," the white sorceress began. "Are you friends with that… eccentric person in the freaky mask?"
"Friends?!" Midna scoffed bitterly. "Don't make me laugh! That was Zant, the traitor who stole my throne in the Twilight Realm! I got rid of him once before, but I guess Cia did something to bring him back somehow, because sure enough, here he is calling my realm his own once again!"
"So, he's the one in charge then?" Lana asked.
"I'm sure of it," Midna confirmed. "We have to take him down! It's the only way we'll make it to the Gate of Souls!"
"Then let's do it!" Agitha piped up, her expression determined and ready. "As long as I remain standing, I will not let that terrible ant man to harm any of my dear insects!"
"Oh brother…" the Twilight Princess said, rolling her eyes. But nonetheless, the trio got to work in liberating the Twilight Realm, throwing themselves into the fray against the vast hordes of aeralfos and bulbins. Just as the case had been in the field, Lana made quick work of the monsters using her magical barriers and quickly cast spells while Midna conjured her Twilit wolf up to plow through the beasts brutally, using her prehensile hair to aid in cutting them down. And though the two older women were solely focused on their fight, the insect princess battled in a much more archaic and carefree style, skipping daintily through the enemy forces and calling upon butterflies, beetles, and bees to spiral through the attacking hordes. Though it completely bewildered the Twilight Princess and the white sorceress, Agitha somehow managed to absentmindedly make her way through the enemy lines and into the eastern keep first, all without so much as a single scratch.
"I have to learn what her secret is…" Midna muttered to Lana as they stepped into the keep, the Twilight Princess gingerly covering a small cut that had been torn across her leg.
"I guess its like they say," Lana said with a small giggle as Agitha continued to fight playfully. "Ignorance is bliss.
Capturing the keep was rather simple work. With their abilities combined, the two princesses and the sorceress secured the area without complications. "All right," the Twilight Princess said as the trio regrouped in the center of the keep. "One keep down. The way I see it, if we take an entire side of the palace, Zant's bound to open up the enemy base in order to defend the rest of them. Can you two handle capturing the other keep to the north? I'm going to go check on our base to make sure its well fortified."
"Of course," Lana said with a nod.
"Aye aye, Miss Kitty!" Agitha said with a childish giggle.
"How many times do I have to say it: I'm not a cat!" Midna said with a scowl, before she commanded her wolf to head southward. "Good luck, you two!"
After bidding the Twilight Princess farewell, the white sorceress and the insect princess began to press on to the north with the intention of taking the nearest keep. The monstrous hordes were thicker in that area, but neither of them were deterred as they cut through them, hopefully getting ever closer to their ultimate goal.
Meanwhile, Midna steadily made her way back to the allied base, running into the occasional monster every now and and then, though it was nothing she couldn't handle. And, soon enough she had made her way back to the base, which was being dutifully guarded by the Resistance.
"So?" the Twilight Princess asked the group as she entered into the keep. "How are things going down here?"
"Its been smooth sailing," Rusl said with a relaxed grin. "Nothing has even tried to attack us once."
"Its almost kind of boring around here, yeah?" Ashei asked with a casual yawn. "Makes you wish there was a little action to liven things up…"
"I say, Ashei!" Shad exclaimed apprehensively, shaking his head. "Don't wish such a thing upon us! Our foes might hear you!"
"Like I'm afraid of any of them," the young woman said with a shrug as she drew her blade and ran her hand along the dull edge.
"Regardless, its clear that if things continue as they are, this battle will be easily won," Auru said.
"Knowing Zant, I highly doubt that," Midna said with a sigh. "In fact, I bet he's-"
Before the Twilight Princess could even finish her statement, a sudden crash sounded out across the entire area, followed by the sound of Zant's voice, though in a much higher pitch than before. "None shall set foot near the Gate of Souls!" he screamed shrilly, startling nearly everyone. "The Twilight King commands it!"
No more than a second later, a great shadow appeared in the dusky skies of the Twilight Realm, one that soon materialized into a beast that caught everyone by surprise. It was a massive dragon, with a dark black, scaly body held up by wide scarlet wings. Its tail was long and serpent-like, bearing a metallic hook at the end of it. The Twilit monster hovered high above the ground over a keep not too far away from the allied base, its sights set upon it as it prepared its first attack.
"What is that thing?!" Telma exclaimed in shock as the members of the Resistance all moved forward a bit to take it on.
"Argarok…" Midna muttered as she glared up at the dragon, remembering it from another encounter. "A Twilit dragon. Zant must have summoned it. Say what you want, but he knows his magic to be able to do that."
"How are we going to bring something that big down?" Rusl asked with concern.
The Twilight Princess pondered this issue for a moment as she looked up at the dragon, gliding nearly a mile above any of their reaches. Bringing it down to their level to even attack it would certainly be a feat, but before Midna could come up with a complete plan, it was clear that Argarok had finished preparing its attack. The beast sucked in a huge breath of air and let it go in a large ball of fire, which managed to strike one of the outer walls of the allied base, causing a resounding quake that nearly knocked everyone off their feet.
The blast was even heard by Lana and Agitha from inside the palace as they finished taking the next keep, something that the insect princess reveled in as the white sorceress wondered what the commotion outside the palace was.
"Oh goody!" Agitha exclaimed with a bright smile, allowing the Goddess Butterfly to perch upon her finger. "We've captured both keeps!"
"Yeah… but the gate to the enemy base still won't budge…" Lana frowned, glancing towards the far off doors that she knew the Gate of Souls was hidden behind. "And did you hear that rumbling out in the courtyard… I think we should go check it out."
"Ok!" the insect princess agreed unflinchingly, already following behind the white sorceress as the two of them hurried for the exterior of the palace. And of course, the very first thing they saw was Argarok in its spot high above, still sending a barrage of fire towards the allied base.
"Oh no!" Lana exclaimed worriedly. "That dragon is attacking our base! Agitha, I need you to stay here, ok? I have to go help Midna and the others.
"But I wanna help you, Miss Lana!" Agitha said pleadingly, hoping that the white sorceress would let her continue to join in on the fun that was to be had in this battle. "Please, let me come!"
"I'm sorry, Agitha," Lana said apologetically, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder. "But not this time. That dragon looks really dangerous, and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I let you get hurt. Now please, stay here. I'll be back; I promise."
The insect princess pouted for a brief moment before hesitantly nodding in relent, hoping that she could prove her useful to the white sorceress by protecting the keeps they had captured within the palace. "Ok, Miss Lana…" she said with a fretful sigh. "But please do be careful! L'il Butterfly and I will be worried for you and Miss Kitty until you get back!"
Lana couldn't help but smile slightly at the young girl's kind sincerity, remembering that even though Agitha was an unintentionally good fighter, she was still just a child. "Don't worry," the white sorceress said, kneeling down to give the insect princess a consoling hug. "We'll be all right."
They held this embrace for a moment before finally breaking apart, Agitha watching worriedly as Lana headed off, already fully prepared to take on Argarok. In almost no time at all, the white sorceress managed to spot the Twilight Princess, along with a group of soldiers, en route to the keep that the dragon was flying above.
"Hey!" Midna shouted angrily to Argarok, who paid her no mind as it continued its rampage. "Get down here! No fair flying where we can't kill you!"
"Hey, Midna!" Lana called to her ally, running up alongside her to join her in her assault. "Any ideas on how to handle that thing?"
"I was thinking that I give it a little taste of my Twilight abilities to bring it down to size," the Twilight Princess said with a coy grin. "I'm going to make a magic circle directly beneath him. You mind covering me?"
"Not at all," the white sorceress said with a nod as the two of them worked their way through the monsters in their path. However, knowing that time was of the essence for their base, Lana and Midna left the underlings to the other soldiers, both of them breaking into the monster ridden keep and getting to work on clearing it. All the while, Agitha stood just within the entryway of the Palace of Twilight, frowning as she watched her allies fight and wishing she could join them, but she remembered what the white sorceress had told her mere moments before as she glanced at the Goddess Butterfly resting on her shoulder.
"You're right, Li'l Butterfly," the insect princess said with a kind smile. "Our friends are doing everything they can, so we'd better do everything we can too! Let's go!" With a light giggle, Agitha took off into the Palace of Twilight once more, knowing exactly what she had to do.
It didn't take too terribly long for Midna and Lana to clear the keep out and claim it as their own. Almost as soon as they did so, the Twilight Princess positioned herself in the center and focused her energy into creating a magic circle, which soon appeared glowing warmly underneath her. "All right! Its done!" Midna exclaimed as Lana joined her in standing in the magic circle. "Time to take that dragon down!"
The white sorceress nodded in agreement as they both rose their hands up into the air, channeling their magic through the circle. In response to this, large chains formed of Twilit magic shot out from the boarder of the circle and darted high into the air towards Argarok at frightening speeds, their sharp tips latching onto its widespread wings. The dragon let out a shrill screech as the hooks on the chains bore into its wings, tearing holes in their flesh. In a blind panic, Argarok spread its wings out powerfully, breaking the dark chains but not without causing substantial damage to itself.
"Great!" Lana said with a grin as the dragon began to fly away from keep and towards the back of the palace, a sign that their attack had been a success. "Looks like that shook it up pretty good!"
"It would have been better if we had brought it down, but I guess that this will work for now…" Midna said with a shrug. "Now, let's head back to the base and make sure everything's-"
"So, you think you've won, Midna?" Zant's deep voice echoed across the area once again, freezing the two of them in their tracks. "You may have chased away Argarok, but my plan doesn't end there, oh no! Witness the Twilight King's next stratagem. Forces, capture the enemy commanders!"
"What?!" Lana exclaimed as the usurper king's voice died out on a crazed burst of laughter. "Oh no… Agitha!"
"Who cares about her?!" Midna said as she already began to glide towards the allied base. "We have to worry about our base! If he actually manages to capture any of us, its as good as gone!"
The white sorceress bit her lip anxiously as she debated on whether or not she was going to follow the Twilight Princess or aid the insect princess. However, it was clear that Midna had already made up her mind as she rushed for the allied base, regardless of whether or not Lana intended to go with her. And because of this, the white sorceress decided that Agitha would certainly need her help in fending off their attacking foes.
Even from a distance, Midna could see the monsters that had suddenly began battering the allied base. The members of the Resistance were putting their all into fighting against them using their varying weapons, but even so, it was clear that they were getting overwhelmed. "Of course they'd attack the moment I step away…" she muttered in aggravation, contorting her hand into a fist as she prepared to leap into the fray. However, before she could even come close, the Twilight Princess found herself surrounded by a legion of monsters, and to make matters worse, not a single one of her allies was in sight. Midna rolled her eyes in annoyance as she called upon her wolf, commanding it to leap into their thick numbers as she mowed several of them down. And yet, what she couldn't have anticipated as she took on her foes was the increasing number of them behind her, or specifically the crafty aeralfos right behind her, which she didn't notice until its claws latched onto her hair hanging down her back. The Twilight Princess let out a startled cry as the monster ripped her brutally from the back of her wolf, causing it to dissipate into Twilit flecks as Midna landed brutally upon the stone ground, her head colliding roughly against it as the Fused Shadow only made the impact even more painful. Agony exploded across her vision and though she fought to keep her eyes open and her vision clear, she all too soon found herself slipping away into the void of unconsciousness, falling victim to the hordes of monsters all around her.
Lana dashed through the twisting halls of the Palace of Twilight the best she could, though she did wish Midna was with her as she honestly had no idea where she was going. The part of the palace she was in was fortunately devoid of monsters, but that meant nothing to the white sorceress so long as she couldn't locate the insect princess.
"Agitha!" Lana shouted as loudly as she could, hearing nothing but her own voice echoing back to her in response. The white sorceress's heart pounded with worry for the young, rather innocent girl whom she had foolishly left alone in such a dangerous place. Though she knew Agitha could fend for herself, Lana still didn't feel good about leaving her to fend for herself against so many monsters, especially since Zant had commanded his forces to specifically target the three of them. And it was because of this immense concern for the insect princess, that the white sorceress forgot that she was one of those targets as well.
As Lana rounded another corner, she was soon met with what had become a common sight for her: a dead end. With a weary sigh, she began to turn around, but before she fully had, her book was suddenly roughly knocked out of her hands. She let out a sharp gasp as she looked up to see the large, fat bulbin blocking her path, raising its cleaver to attack her yet again. Her eyes wide, the white sorceress rushed to reclaim her tome so she could use her attack magic once more, for without it, her powers were severely limited.
Unfortunately, the Book of Sorcery had landed behind the bulbin, which left Lana virtually defenseless against it. The white sorceress clenched her fists tightly as she tried to fire a simple spell towards it, but her weakened magic did little to deter it. Nervously, Lana began to back away from the monster as it slowly approached her until her back was against the wall, leaving her with nowhere to go and nothing to do. All she could do was watch with horror as the bulbin raised its weapon and brought it down roughly, its flat edge colliding with her head unforgivingly. Lana let out a cry of sharp pain as she weakly collapsed to the ground, her injured head swimming in pain and her vision growing dark as the world spun around her. One last time, she weakly attempted to reach out for her book, but she was quickly grabbed by the arm by the bulbin and dragged away, leaving her only weapon behind.
"A-Agitha…" the white sorceress murmured sadly as her eyes slipped shut, knowing that wherever she was going, the young insect princess was certainly about to join her.
"You have to control yourself! If you don't you could lose everything!"
"But I don't care about any of this anymore! There's only one thing I want now, and I'll do whatever it takes to get him!"
"But this isn't right! You know this isn't right! This is against everything you've been taught, everything you know to be true!"
"But we've been alone for so long now! We deserve this! We deserve HIM! And we will have him!"
"Please! This has to stop! The darkness inside of you is tearing you apart! You'll die if you let it consume you!
"I'll die of a lonely, broken heart if I stay with this wretched light any longer!"
"So… what are you saying?!"
"…I want nothing more to do with you. If you wish to keep me from him, from everything I've ever wanted… then away with you…"
"…Fine. If this is really what you want…. Then you'll have to see the mistake you're making the hard way… I only hope I can save you before that happens…"
With a soft grown, the white sorceress slowly opened her eyes, only to feel the cold, hard sensation of the rough stone ground she was lying upon. She had no idea how much time had passed since she had been knocked out, but as she sat up, she was quick to see the chains around her wrists, connected to the floor, though they were long enough that she was able to stand and move around a bit. With a concerned gasp, Lana noticed Midna lying on the ground not too far away from her, still unconscious and chained as well. Glancing around, the white sorceress could see that the two of them were alone, locked inside of a keep with all four of its doors sealed shut, barring any form of escape.
Lana let out a disappointed sigh as she remembered that her Book of Sorcery had been knocked away, meaning that she could not use her magic to try and get out. The only consolation she received was the fact that Agitha wasn't here, meaning that at the very least, the insect princess had not been captured. Yet.
"Comfortable, my dear?" a voice sounded out throughout the keep, one that Lana quickly recognized as Zant's. The white sorceress quickly rose to stand, placing herself in front of the listless Twilight Princess in a protective stance as she waited for the usurper king to appear. And sure enough, he soon did, only this time, his helmet had been removed to reveal his face. As was the norm of the Twili people, Zant had pale blue skin, though a set of Twili designs was marked upon his forehead. His eyes were a haunting, glowing orange, devoid of pupils as they set their sights upon the defenseless white sorceress who watched him warily.
"Stay back," Lana cautioned with a warning glare. "If you hurt her, then I'll make sure you pay for it."
"Using what?" Zant asked knowingly. "Your little book? I highly doubt that." The white sorceress drew in a nervous breath as the usurper king began to pace around her, his piercing gaze almost staring right through her. "Mistress Cia warned me about you… The white sorceress… So pure and kind…" Lana involuntarily shuddered as Zant stood behind her, his cold, bony fingers slowly tracing along her jawline as his other hand held her tightly in place. His cold breath tickled her neck as he whispered in her ear, filling her with an unspeakable revulsion. "You're quite lovely, my dear…"
Lana sucked in a deep breath as she quickly pulled herself away from him, letting out a sound of disgust as she did so. "Leave me alone!" she hissed firmly, refusing to be treated in such an untoward way.
"I suppose it doesn't matter," Zant said dismissively. "I've never had much of a penchant for you simple light dwellers anyway."
The white sorceress took in a deep breath as she remained on the defensive, unsure of what her strange foe planned on doing next. "There's no point in you keeping us here," she said defiantly. "We'll find a way out and we'll get to the Gate of Souls, I can promise you that."
"And how do you intend to do that?" the usurper king asked caustically. "Your base is currently being beset by Argarok once more and none of your allies even know you're here. Who will come to save you now?"
Lana bit her lip, knowing that her situation was indeed quite pragmatic, but she refused to give up, even despite that. However, Zant didn't give her a chance to reply as he spoke up once more. "Of course, even if they do find you, it will be too late," he said with a dark grin. "By then, both you and 'her highness' will be nothing more than Argarok's latest meal!"
The white sorceress let out a gasp of shock at this as the usurper king merely let out a wild laugh. "You're insane!" Lana exclaimed, wishing that she had her book with her so she could properly take on this unpredictable foe.
Zant shook his head as his eyes narrowed at her. "I've been called that many times before, my dear…" he said ominously. "And I've never denied it even once."
With one more crazed laugh, the false Twilight king vanished once more into a burst of Twilight, leaving Lana and Midna alone at last. The white sorceress took in a diffident breath as she glanced over at her injured ally, who was finally starting to stir a bit. Midna slowly opened her eyes to see Lana kneeling down beside her, looking over the gash that had been torn across her forehead when she had been captured. The Twilight Princess had been hurt more than the white sorceress, which was why she let out a soft groan of pain as her vision finally began to clear.
"L-Lana?" Midna asked softly, pain lacing her tone as she attempted to sit up, something Lana was quick to advise against.
"Careful," the white sorceress cautioned. "You got banged up pretty badly out there… What happened?"
The Twilight Princess let out an aggravated sigh as she slowly rose to float once more, taking note of the chains binding her tiny wrists. "I got pulled off my wolf and hit my head," she said, crossing her arms. "What about you?"
"I was knocked out by a monster," Lana said with a frown. "My book was knocked out of my hands too, meaning I really can't do any magic at all, except for a few simple healing spells. Do you want me to see if I can do anything about that cut on your head?"
Midna simply nodded and allowed the white sorceress to get to work, slowly sealing up the injury as the Twilight Princess scowled at the sealed off doors. "So I guess we're stuck in here, huh?" she asked sourly, knowing that certainly Zant was taking advantage of this situation.
"At least until someone from the Resistance comes," Lana said. "But I'm sure they'll be busy protecting our base, so I guess that only leaves Agitha."
"Agitha?" Midna scoffed. "You really think that kid can break us out of here? I hate to break it to, but she's an absolute ditz . The only thing that girl has on her mind is bugs, and Nayru only knows why. If we have to rely on her, then we're doomed!"
"She's the only one we have left to rely on," the white sorceress said firmly, coming to the insect princess's defense. "And besides, she's surprised all of us thus far. I'm sure she'll find a way to surprise us again."
"Whatever," the Twilight Princess said sidedly, not really showing much faith in their young ally. It was clear to Midna that the only way either of them were going to escape would be through a miracle, one that the flighty insect princess certainly wouldn't be able to provide.
Agitha pranced through the halls of the Palace of Twilight with determination in her lavender eyes, the Goddess Butterfly flittering loyally at her side. She had checked several times and sure enough, both of the keeps her and Lana had captured were still safe and sound, though she did notice that several monsters had begun to flood them. The insect princess frowned upon seeing this, knowing that such pests would certainly harm the bugs that she was allowing to rest inside of the keeps along with the allied soldiers, something she certainly wouldn't stand for.
And yet, something else had begun to bother the girl; though the white sorceress had promised she would return safely, she had been gone for quite a while. Agitha couldn't help but be troubled by this, especially considering the fact that she looked up to the kind older girl who had allowed her to tag along on this mission, even despite its apparent dangers. And yet, unlike everyone else, the insect princess did not see this battle as such; instead, she saw it as a wide scale game, in which her and her friends were hoping to win against the ugly monsters who were trying to take their keeps. Their ultimate goal was to find that Gate of Souls that Lana had spoken of, and whoever did that first would win the game. It sounded simple enough, but Agitha knew that winning wouldn't be so easy without the help of her newfound friends, which meant that she had to join up with Lana and Midna once more as soon as possible, before the tides turned against their favor.
With a spring in her step, the insect princess continued onward, her parasol protecting her from any of the enemy's advances as she looked out for any signs of her allies. However, as she went on her way, she soon began to notice a rather large bulbin heading right for her, a deadly-looking cleaver in its hands as it set its beady-eyed gaze upon her. The other monsters made way for it as Agitha watched it with a curious frown, wondering what exactly it planned on doing.
"Oh?" the insect princess said, glancing at the butterfly gliding near her. "That baddie is running right up to me! Does it want to talk?"
The Goddess Butterfly of course did not offer a response as the bulbin continued to approach the girl, who suddenly grew nervous as it began to raise its weapon. "H-hey!" she exclaimed fearfully. "What do you think you're doing, Mr Monster!?"
The bulbin growled ferociously as it prepared to bring its cleaver down, but as scared as she was, Agitha acted quickly. "Li'l Beetle! Help!" she shouted, hoping that her friend would come to her aid. And sure enough, a not-so-little green beetle, larger than even the girl herself, materialized out of thin air, dropping down upon the bulbin and all the monsters near it from above, crushing them all almost instantly. Agitha smiled warmly at the bug, giving it a tender scratch of gratitude on its horn before it flew away, the insect princess waving it farewell as it departed.
With the menacing bulbin defeated, Agitha happened to glance down to see that the monster had happened to drop something that it had been holding onto: a thick, leather bound tome. "Oh my…" the insect princess mused as she picked the heavy volume up. "Isn't this Miss Lana's book? We should return it to her, Li'l Butterfly. Do you know where she is?"
The butterfly's blue wings shimmered upon this request and immediately it began to fly off towards where the white sorceress supposedly was. With a gracious smile for her insect friend, the young girl followed its lead, hoping to finally reunite with her friends once more.
"So…" Midna said casually as her and Lana sat against the side of the prison keep, waiting for something, anything to happen. "I guess we're stuck here for a while, huh?"
"I guess so…" the white sorceress said with a frown, still hoping that the insect princess would somehow come to their aid before the usurper king made good on his promise to feeding them to Argorok.
The Twilight Princess let out a sigh of disappointment as she ran her fingers through her tied up hair. "We were both being careless," she said scornfully. "That's the only reason why Zant's goons were able to capture us. This never would have happened if he were here…"
"If who was here?" Lana asked curiously, noticing how Midna had muttered her last statement.
The Twilight Princess's eyes widened slightly upon realizing the white sorceress had heard her, but she decided not to dodge the question since there was no point to. "Link…" Midna said with a sigh and a fond smile, averting her ally's gaze as she allowed her mind to drift into fond memories.
"You mean the Hero of Twilight, don't you?" Lana asked, knowing that there was no way the Twilight Princess could be referring to the hero of her era.
Midna was still smiling as she nodded solemnly. "Yeah…" she said wistfully. "But he was never one for titles like that. I used to tease him by calling him my 'little wolf', and yet he'd always just take it. That was just the thing about him… He made it through everything with his head held high and his courage unshaken…"
"You really miss him, don't you?" the white sorceress asked gently, knowing from her observing the flow of time that the Twilight Princess and the Hero of Twilight had a close bond through their journeys together.
"All the time…" Midna said with a small, humorless laugh. "And… a lot of the time I wonder if he misses me… I mean, he has Zelda and Ilia and all of his other friends… I highly doubt he's as lonely as I am…"
Lana bit her lip as she remembered the rest of the Hero of Twilight's story after him and the Twilight Princess has parted ways, and she knew that it was anything but pleasant. And yet, she couldn't tell Midna that, lest it discourage her even more. "Do you ever regret breaking the Mirror of Twilight?" she asked.
"Of course," the Twilight Princess said with a bitter frown. "I wish I could reverse time and keep myself from ever doing it."
"But if was for the best, wasn't it?" the white sorceress asked with a frown. "The worlds of light and shadow needed to be separated in order to keep them both safe."
"A lot of good that did," Midna scoffed, before she paused and gave Lana a curious look. "Wait a minute… How do you know about all this anyway…? I know your from the future, but I doubt that Princess Zelda would have let all this stuff about the Twilight Realm and the Mirror of Twilight become common knowledge in her kingdom for it to be passed down to future generations…"
"Uh… well…" Lana began, knowing that she had slipped up once again and revealed too much about herself. And yet, she knew that keeping secrets from her allies was anything but healthy, especially when she really had nothing to loose. "Its kind of hard to explain… But… I'll try. I'm not just from the future; I'm also what's known as a Guardian of Time, someone who's able to look through the ages and watch the past in full detail. Cia and I both were guardians actually, until she defected and started causing all this chaos…"
"No kidding?" the Twilight Princess asked in intrigue. "That's really impressive. So you know everything that's happened in the past?"
"Most things," the white sorceress said with a shrug. "I paid special attention to things pertaining to the most well-known legends of Hyrule."
"So… you would know what happens to him… after I break the Mirror of Twilight, then?" Midna asked, her tone hopeful. "I don't care to know about my own future that much, but I… I just want to make sure he finds happiness… After everything he went through, he deserves it more than anyone else…"
"Midna… I… I can't…" Lana said hesitantly, knowing that she very well could, but revealing the truth would be painful for both of them.
"Please," the Twilight Princess said earnestly, almost pleadingly. "Please, Lana. I… I just need to know… I need to know whether or not I… I ruined his life by leaving him…"
The white sorceress was silent for a long moment as she took in the pain and desperation in Midna's eyes, which was what ultimately made her relent. After all, even if it was painful, the truth was too strong to remain hidden. "After you broke the Mirror… he grieved for the longest time…" Lana began, her tone solemn and gentle. "In fact, he never really stopped grieving. He tried for the longest time to find a way back to you, but there was none that was within his reach. Princess Zelda tried to reach out to him, to honor him for his service and sacrifice, but the two of them never really bonded in the way that you and him did…"
The Twilight Princess showed no reaction aside from her troubled expression as she pressed for the white sorceress to go on. "But… he does find happiness eventually… right?"
Lana sighed sadly and slowly shook her head, wishing that she didn't have to deliver a tale of such woe. "There's a war in Hyrule that will take place in about five years from now," she went on. "And, of course, he'll fight in it. He'll give his all for his kingdom, just as he did during the Twilight Invasion, but as he fights, he'll still have pain and loss in his heart. He'll be so caught up in all of it that he won't even see the poison-tipped arrow that punctures his chest from behind…"
"No…" Midna whispered in grief as her eyes filled up with oncoming tears, but even so Lana continued.
"The princess will try her best to save him, using all of her magic and resources that she can spare," the white sorceress said, her voice low and sorrowful. "But… he doesn't make it… He dies from both his wounds and his broken heart, at the age of only twenty two…"
"No!" Midna shouted in desperation, her tears flowing freely now as she let out a pained sob. "No, he can't! He… he still has so much to live for! He can't die that young!"
"I'm sorry, Midna," Lana said sincerely. "But… that's what the fates reveal will happen… There's no changing it…"
"So, what you're saying is that he's only going to live for five more years, spending them completely miserable and devastated, before dying a painful death?!" the Twilight Princess asked harshly, her grief translating into anger. "But that's not fair! He gave up so much, fought so hard, and that's how he's ultimately going to be rewarded for it?!"
The white sorceress prepared to say something consoling before she realized that her ally was correct about the cruelty of fate. "You're right…" she muttered as she looked down to the stone ground, wondering if the hero of her time would also meet a similar bleak future. "Its not fair…"
The two of them were silent for a long moment, a lingering sadness settling upon both of them as they both thought about the abysmal fate that awaited the Hero of Twilight in this era. However, as they sat there, the Twilight Princess soon reached a conclusion that quickly turned into an idea, one that she could hopefully use to defy fate's design for the hero she had gotten so close to. "Wait…" Midna said to Lana, her grief turning into ingenuity. "What if… what if I saw him again, what if we reunited? Maybe that would change things! Maybe he wouldn't get so depressed and heartbroken. Maybe then… he wouldn't have to die so early…"
"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Midna," Lana said with a frown. "Changing the fates… it's a risky thing…"
"Well isn't Cia already doing just that for her own selfish ends?" the Twilight Princess asked, her resolve steadily growing. "The way I see it, if Link sees me again… it could save his life… Please, Lana. I can't let myself be the reason for his death… I… I care about him too much…"
The white sorceress didn't say anything for the longest time as she pondered this request. She knew the Twilight Princess was asking for her aid in meeting the Hero of Twilight again, but at the same time she was apprehensive. While she didn't like the idea of any of Hyrule's heroes meeting their end in such a tragic way, she knew that time was a fragile thing that shouldn't be tampered with. And yet, weren't her and all her allies doing that very thing by venturing into these other eras to close the Gates of Souls? How much harm would it really do to reunite two companions who were so clearly lost without each other?
"All right," Lana finally agreed, something that brought a warm smile to Midna's face. "I'll help you reunite with him as soon as all this mess with Cia is over. I promise."
"Thank you…" the Twilight Princess said, her eyes still shining with tears, though they were happy ones this time. "Thank you so much. And in return, I'll help you save the Hyrule of your age from her. After all, its only fair."
The white sorceress smiled and nodded her thanks. However, before either of them could say anything else, a sudden crash sounded out from the other side of the prison keep door, one that startled both of them as they rose to stand, though they were still bound by the chains around their wrists.
"What was that?" Lana asked wonderingly, however, she quickly received her answer as all four doors of the keep began to rumble open, revealing a lone figure standing in one of the entryways, a downed bulbin lying on the ground not too far away.
"Oh my!" Agitha exclaimed as she saw Lana and Midna. "I was wondering where the two of you were!"
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" the Twilight Princess exclaimed in complete disbelief, realizing that the insect princess had completely surprised her yet again.
"Agitha!" the white sorceress greeted the girl with a wide smile. "I knew you'd come! How'd you find us?"
"Well, I thought that the baddies had invited you to a tea party, and I wondered why I wasn't invited!" the insect princess said with a huffy pout. "Has it been canceled?"
"Oh, for the love of Farore!" Midna scoffed to Lana, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. "Where'd you even find this one?"
"Anyway, I found your book, Miss Lana!" Agitha said, returning the Book of Sorcery to the white sorceress, who accepted it gratefully. "And Li'l Butterfly led me all the way here. Of course, I ran into a few baddies on the way here, but me and my friends taught them a lesson they won't soon forget!"
"You did a great job, Agitha!" Lana said with a wide smile. "Thank you so much for coming to find us! Do you think you can get us out of these chains?"
"Sure thing!" the insect princess said cheerfully, reaching into her basket and pulling out a bottle with a pincher-bug in it, allowing it to work its feelers into the locks around Lana and Midna's wrists until they clattered to the ground unlocked.
"All right," the Twilight Princess said, her tone serious and resolved as she knew she had something to look forward to once all this was over, namely reuniting with the Hero of Twilight after so long. "This was a bit of a setback, but we should still be ok. Right now, we need to make sure that our base it still standing. Come on!"
Without any further deliberation, the trio rushed for the exit of the palace, only to break through it and see something that made their hearts sink. Somehow Argarok had returned, its former wounds healed as it hovered over an enemy keep and continued to launch fireballs towards the allied base. Several parts of the base had caught fire, which the members of the Resistance as well as the soldiers were desperately trying to quell as they also continued to drive off the monsters relentlessly trying to invade it. The allied forces were in dire straits indeed without their commanders, but before anything else, the three of them knew that the menacing dragon had to be taken care of first.
"Not that dragon again…" Midna muttered in aggravation. "I'm so sick of it!"
"Mister Dragon sure does like to fly way up there!" Agitha remarked as she watched Argarok hover high in the air. "He's as stubborn as some flies I know! I wish there was some way to reach him…"
"You're right…" Lana said with a frown. "If only we could get it down to our level, then we'd be able to give it a fair fight… But how?"
"Well, its obvious another magic circle isn't going to get the job done," the Twilight Princess said, crossing her arms. "We need a new strategy…"
Almost as soon as Midna said this, the Goddess Butterfly resting on Agitha's shoulders began to glisten once more. "Oh, Li'l Butterfly has something she wants to say!" the insect princess exclaimed as the butterfly flew up towards her ear as the white sorceress and the Twilight Princess exchanged a confused glance. "Yes? Hm…" Agitha grinned and nodded as she appeared to listen to whatever the butterfly was saying to her, if it could even communicate at all. "She said she wants to lead us somewhere!" the girl reported to her allies as the Goddess Butterfly glided ahead to take the lead.
"Fine," Midna said with a diffident sigh. "We might as well follow the butterfly. After all, there's an old rumor that says there's supposed to be an ancient Fairy Fountain hidden around here somewhere, though I've never been able to find it. Maybe it knows where it is."
"Its worth a try," the white sorceress said, nodding in agreement. "Let's go!"
Another fireball rammed into the side of the allied base, rattling its foundation yet again. The members of the Resistance were all beyond exhausted as they tried to avoid the raining shrapnel and debris from the explosion, all while bulbins rushed to claim their last stronghold.
"They won't stop coming!" Rusl exclaimed as he ripped his sword into another mosnter. "What should we do?"
"Hold your ground, everyone!" Telma ordered as she feverishly tended to the many wounded soldiers inside the keep. "This base is all we've got left!"
The base was shaken yet again as another fireball plummeted into its side, critically wearing down the integrity of the wall. "I don't think we can take any more of this, yeah?!" Ashei shouted, quickly getting overwhelmed by the bulbins surrounding her.
"We need nothing short of a miracle to get us out of this disaster," Auru commented, shaking his head as they all glanced towards the dragon reigning in the Twilit skies, the very source of all their troubles.
However, just as Argarok sucked in another heavy breath to create another fiery projectile, it didn't notice a sudden magic circle being instantaneously formed upon the ground directly below it. The circle glowed gold for a moment, before an array of Twilit hooks suddenly shot out from it, just as they had when Midna had created a magic circle earlier. And, once again the hooks latched onto the dragon's wings, but this time it was quick to shake them all off before they could do any damage. But what Argarok didn't see was the second set of chains, darting from the magic circle and into the sky, this time ascending right past the dragon's wings and even higher above it. Agrarok paid them no mind until they seemed to latch onto something high above it, an object concealed above the dark clouds of the Twilight Realm. And yet, everyone, including the forces on the ground and even the mighty Twilit dragon itself froze in shock and terror upon seeing what the chains were steadily pulling down.
It was the moon, or at least it looked like it. However, it was a far cry from the often beautiful orb of the night that usually appeared. This moon was dark and frightening, bearing a menacing face that frightened all who looked upon it. Its large eyes were piercing yellow and bloodshot with small black pupils, and its toothy grin was malevolent and forced. The members of the Resistance all watched on with absolute shock as the hooks pulled the strange moon down from its perch on high, until its pointed nose struck Argarok squarely. The dragon let out a piercing screech as its right wing was battered by the heavy impact, sending it plummeting from its place in the sky towards the palace below. As Argarok continued to helplessly fall, the wicked-looking moon suddenly dissipated into hundreds of fairies, giving everyone a sign of where this miraculous attack had come from.
"I say…" Shad murmured in amazement as the dreaded Twilit dragon continued to fall, relief filling all of the members of the Resistance as they realized they finally had a chance at winning this battle. And of course, it was a chance that they all readily took.
"That was a bit of an overkill, don't you think?" Midna asked the Great Fairy sarcastically as she, Lana, and Agitha watched the dragon's downfall from the doorway of the Fairy Fountain.
The Great Fairy simply laughed and shrugged a bit. "Perhaps," she said. "But you did ask for my assistance in bringing that fell dragon down, Twilight Princess, and that's exactly what me and my little fairies did."
"Thank you for your aid, Great Fairy," Lana said graciously, smiling at the Great Fairy as she returned to her celestial pool of water. "Ok," the white sorceress said, turning to her allies. "Now that the dragon's been knocked out of the sky, out attacks should finally be able to reach it! Let's finish it off!"
The trio rushed forth from the Fairy Fountain and out into the courtyard of the palace, only to find a rather encouraging sight. Now that the base was no longer being brutally beset, it was allowed to recover, especially since the hordes of monsters attacking it had been thinned out. Already engaging the dragon in combat were Rusl, Shad, and Ashei, while Auru and Telma had stayed behind to help the base reinforce itself.
"There you all are!" Ashei said to the three of them as they regrouped, all of them circling the dragon as it flew only a few feet above the ground now, clearly crippled by the Great Fairy's attack. "We were starting to think you got lost, yeah?"
"No," Lana said with a casual laugh. "We just got a little sidetracked. How are things going?"
"Much better than before," Rusl said with renewed confidence. "All we need to do now is find a way to drag the dragon down just a bit lower so we can defeat it once and for all!"
"Allow me," Midna said with a sly grin as she contorted her hair behind her. "I think I can handle this one." With a fierce battle cry, the Twilight Princess launched her hair-hand up into the air, gripping the low tip of the dragon's tail tightly. Argarok let out a screech as it tried to fight against her hold, but since it was already injured, she was able to pull it down with relative ease. The large dragon landed on its back in the middle of the square roughly, thrashing and flailing around in a desperate attempt to rise again. The allies didn't hesitate to take advantage of its vulnerability as they got to work attacking it, everyone taking on a different part. Shad and Ashei teamed up on cleaving its wings to further inhibit its ability to fly, while Rusl aimed his attacks at its tail. Agitha and Lana cooperated together on wearing its long spine down with both insects and magic while Midna took on its weak point: the small eye on top on its back, which she rammed her wolf into unforgivingly. The Twilit wolf bit savagely into the eye, causing the dragon to let out a wild scream of pain, but the Twilight Princess did not relent as she ordered the wolf to repeat this attack over and over again, until at last, Argorok squealed in defeat. Everyone backed away from the dying dragon until it disappeared in a burst of Twilight, gone once and for all.
"We finally beat it…" Midna said as everyone let out a sigh of relief. "Good riddance to the beast too…"
"You guys should head back to the base and rest," Lana said to Rusl, Shad and Ashei. "You've certainly earned it. We're going to go deal with the commander of the enemy forces."
The Resistance members hesitantly agreed to this as the trio began to set off for the enemy base, Agitha skipping ahead excitedly the entire time. "Hooray!" she exclaimed brightly. "Mister Dragon is all gone, so now let's go take care of that mean old Mister Ant next!"
"That's a good name for a insane fool like Zant," the Twilight Princess said with a snicker as the three of them approached the enemy base, seeing that its doors had finally opened. The only obstacle standing between them and the Gate of Souls now was the usurper king himself.
"So, Zant," Midna said, her tone hostile as the trio stepped into the otherwise empty enemy base to find only Zant standing before them with his back to them, his gaze set upon the Gate of Souls, from which darkness was pouring. "Are you ready to go down just like that stupid dragon of yours?"
"I don't know how you managed to bring Argorok down and defeat him…" the usurper king began, his tone dark and ominous. "But you will not do the same to me!" Zant suddenly turned around in a movement so quickly that it startled all three of them, his eyes wild as he began to twist his body in an unnatural way. "I am the King of Twilight! This realm is my domain! I will lead the charge against you fools myself if I have to! You all shall meet your doooom!"
Upon proclaiming this, the usurper king's helmet covered his face once more as he held his arms out to his sides, sharp scimitars darting out of his thick sleeves as he gripped one in each hand. As he pointed both of them towards the trio, it was clear that the deciding battle had commenced. At once, Lana, Midna, and Agitha all split up to different corners of the keep, hoping that their number would overpower Zant. But the Twilight Princess had cautioned her allies not to underestimate the usurper king and his strange powers, for even though it was clear that he was not entirely sane, he was still incredibly strong and incredibly dangerous.
Lana was the first to try and attack Zant from behind, using her book to conjure up a barrier and send it flying towards him. However, the usurper king was surprisingly nimble as he deflected it with a dizzying spin, one that continued as he held his scimitars out and attempted to hit one of his foes as he spun around the room. He couldn't keep this up forever though as he eventually stopped and nearly collapsed out of dizziness. Agitha saw this and giggled, knowing that certainly Zant was merely playing with them like the rest of their foes.
"Oh my!" the insect princess exclaimed, clasping her hands together in enjoyment. "Mister Ant, are you dizzy? I'm sure my bee friends will be able to help you!"
Without any further words, Agitha called upon a horde of golden bees, sending them Zant's way. The usurper king let out a frightened scream as the bees began to sting him, and he wildly thrashed his arms around to try and get rid of them. Midna let out a snide laugh at seeing her sworn enemy in such pain before she gave the insect princess a wide grin of approval.
"Nice job, kid!" the Twilight Princess said to the insect princess, who curtseyed back graciously. "Leave the rest to me!" Still grinning triumphantly, Midna positioned herself on the back of her wolf and commanded it to charge upon the still-distracted usurper king. However, right before she made it to him, Zant manage to reclaim his bearings and let out an unhinged screech, using his magic to somehow grow instantaneously from his original size until he was so large he could barely fit inside the keep any longer. Unfortunately, the Twilight Princess was close enough that when the usurper king brought his large foot down, it nearly crushed her. Midna narrowly managed to dodge it, but she was knocked off her wolf and sent skidding across the floor. Likewise, the resounding quake sent Agitha and Lana to the ground as well, but Zant paid them no mind as he reverted to his original size and began to approach Midna slowly, his scimitars aimed to take her out.
"Well, well, my dear princess," the usurper king hissed as the Twilight Princess lay on the ground, weakly trying to pick herself up off the ground until Zant slammed his heavy foot down upon her tiny chest. "It looks as though I'm finally going to succeed where I had failed in months ago in that spring when I tried to kill you. Only this time, there will be no little lapdog hero to come to your rescue…"
"Zant, you… you bastard!" Midna nearly screamed in burning fury, resolved to show no fear even though she was certain that Zant was in a position to kill her. "You don't deserve to rule the Twilight Realm. All you deserve is death!"
The usurper king merely ignored her hateful words as he leaned in close to her, the tip of his scimitar starting to dig into her neck. "If only you could have seen your little hero one last time…" he said, his tone a low whisper as he mocked her in a way that would certainly bring her emotional pain in her last moments. "Now, he'll never know that all his work to try and save you was in vain…"
The Twilight Princess's eyes widened upon hearing these haunting words, her rage growing to unspeakable levels. And though Lana stood right behind Zant, ready to launch a surprise attack on him, she didn't have to. Midna's hair-hand gripped the usurper king by his waist tightly, and he wasn't even able to let out anything but a strained scream as the Twilight Princess squeezed him brutally as she rose from the ground. There was a fire in Midna's eyes, one filled with hatred and fury as she continued to grip her foe to the point that he could hardly breathe. "Don't you ever speak of him again!" she nearly screamed in uncontrollable anger. "He brought you and your stupid 'god' down, and don't you dare think he couldn't do it again! You've brought so much suffering to me and my people, so I think its only fair that you get some of that suffering back in return, you worthless, heartless, despicable-"
"Midna!" the Twilight Princess was suddenly broken out of her blind fury by the sound of the white sorceress's voice coming from behind her. Midna quickly glanced back to see Lana and Agitha standing behind her, both of them looking at her with both shock and concern. Though the insect princess was still widely innocent, the white sorceress could tell that the Twilight Princess had every intention of killing the usurper king, which would make her no better than their insane foe himself.
"Is this what Link would have wanted?" Lana asked Midna softly, hoping to get her back to her senses. The Twilight Princess glanced down guiltily upon hearing this question, tears starting to form in her eyes once more due to her high emotional state. She knew that the hero would be horrified upon seeing her like this, even though she knew that he had quite a bit of a temper of his own, but it was nothing uncontrollably murderous like this. As much as she hated Zant and all he had done, she knew that killing him in such a savage manner wouldn't solve anything.
At last, Midna hesitantly released Zant from her grip, letting him collapse to the ground as he let out a wheezing breath, his entire body shaking from the pain of his several broken ribs. "You're not worth it," the Twilight Princess said to him coldly as she began to glide away from him. "Go find a shadow so deep you'll never see the light again."
As Midna washed her hands clean of Zant, Lana took over, approaching the heavily injured usurper king cautiously as she prepared to dispose of him properly. "You… you worthless… wretches!" Zant shouted between ragged, shaky breaths. "I am the Twilight King! I will not be mocked by youuuuu!"
"You're not the king of anything," the white sorceress said firmly, holding her hand up to create a barrier. "You're just a product of your own greed; you and Cia both.
"Bye bye, Mister Ant!" Agitha said as she recovered her usual chipper attitude, while Midna continued to sulk in one of the corners of the keep. "Maybe you'll learn to play nicer for next time!"
Enraged that he was being mocked by a mere child, the usurper king prepared to send a retort flying back at the insect princess, but before he could, Lana conjured her barrier and used it to push Zant towards the Gate of Souls, knowing that once he was inside of it, he would be unable to come out on his own again. The usurper king let out one last wild, insane scream before he was pushed into the gate, and, even after he was finally gone, his screams still echoed throughout the throne room hauntingly.
"My, my, that was exciting!" Agitha said with a smile as she allowed the Goddess Butterfly to take up a perch upon her finger. "I believe that the insect kingdom will retell legends about this battle for centuries!"
Lana frowned as she approached Midna slowly, knowing that the battle had effected the Twilight Princess on a deeper level. "Hey," she said softly, placing her hand upon her shoulder gently. "Are… are you ok?"
Midna let out a long sigh as she slowly turned around to face the white sorceress. "Yeah, I'll be good," she said diffidently. "Its just… what he said about Link… I just… I couldn't… Link saved my life, Lana. More than once really. I couldn't just let his sacrifices be mocked like that, especially by someone like Zant."
"I understand," the white sorceress said with a consoling nod. "But… like we promised; you'll see him again. And then… maybe you can properly thank him."
"I don't think I could ever really thank him enough for all he's done for me…" the Twilight Princess said with a small smile. "But hey, looks like that gate of yours is finally unguarded. Wanna try closing it up?"
"Sure," Lana said with a warm smile as the two of them rejoined Agitha and stood before the Gate of Souls at long last. The white sorceress closed her eyes as she held her book close and held her hand out, summoning her magic with the hopes that she would be able to dissipate it once and for all. The Twilight Princess and the insect princess watched with interest as a golden glow surrounded Lana's hand, one that she gently pushed towards the Gate of Souls. The glowing orb struck the center of the dark gate and it slowly ebbed out until the entire gate was covered in it. And, as the glow brightened, the Gate of Souls shrunk in on itself, until there was nothing left at all save for the throne of the Twilight Realm, which was exactly as it should have been.
"Well that's one down," Lana said with a relieved smile. "Only two more to go!"
"Two more?!" Midna exclaimed in disbelief. "You mean we have to go through this two more times!?"
"Oh, no," the white sorceress said with a small giggle. "The other two gates are located in other eras in Hyrule's past, but my allies from the present are taking care of the other ones. By the time we make it back to my era, they should all be as good as closed."
"That's what you hope…" a new voice sounded out from behind the trio, one that startled all three of them as they quickly spun around to see who was behind them: the black witch herself.
"Hello, Lana," Cia said with a superior grin, her hand on her hip as she stood several feet away from them. "Fancy seeing you here…"
"Cia!" Lana exclaimed in surprise, wondering why in the world the black witch had come in wake of the usurper king's defeat. She no longer had a foothold here in the era of Twilight, so she had no purpose in coming here.
Midna remained completely still and silent for what seemed like ages as she stared at Cia with absolute rage, all of her former anger reserved for Zant returning to her in heavy waves. However, before she could let it all go, Agitha fortunately spoke up first.
"Are you the wicked witch that Miss Lana and Miss Kitty keep talking about?" the insect princess asked rather innocently, something that only made the black witch laugh haughtily as she ignored the girl's question and looked to Lana once more.
"Oh, and I see you even gathered a motley little crew for yourself, Lana," Cia said arrogantly. "A bug-loving child and an ugly little imp. How quaint."
"Ugly?" the Twilight Princess finally spoke up, fury already fueling her words as her voice steadily rose. "Ugly?! I only look like this because you cursed me! Change me back now!"
The black witch only laughed mockingly at this demand, shaking her head. "That's funny," she said coyly. "Really, it is. I know you can't see because of my mask, but I'm just rolling my eyes right now."
"I'll roll your whole head!" Midna nearly screamed in rage, her fists clenching tightly. "I do not play games!"
"Oh come now, Midna," Cia said, laughing once more. "If I may say, that look suits you. In fact, its quite fitting for the big-headed princess of Twilight…"
The black witch snickered deviously at her own teasing words, not even seeing as the Twilight Princess's rage grew to exponential levels. Lana took notice of this however and she knew that there would be little she could do to curb Midna's anger this time. "Agitha," she whispered tensely, grabbing the insect princess, who was watching the scene with interest, by the shoulder and pulling her away from the Twilight Princess. "Stay back."
Midna's breathing was heavy and uncontrollable now as she closed her eyes, unable to merely let her rage go. Behind her, her hair was coiling into a tight fist, one that she had every intention of letting fly as she looked to the black witch once more. "You!" she shouted in fury as she thrust her hair-first forward so quickly that Cia had no time to react to it. The fist connected with the black witch's jaw brutally, sending her birdlike mask flying clean off her face. Cia let out a pained scream of surprise as she stumbled backwards, covering her face to make sure that she was uninjured. Midna was still panting as she drew her fist back in, feeling the smallest bit of satisfaction in what she had just done, though it was only a small consolation for the curse that had been placed upon her.
The black witch was hunched over as she recovered from the strike for a moment or two, and as the white sorceress saw her discarded mask lying on the ground not too far away, she drew in a nervous breath, knowing that her cover was about to be blown. And indeed it was the moment Cia lifted her head, finally revealing what she looked like underneath the mask. As was to be expected considering her perfect body, her face was incredibly beautiful and flawless as well, her skin just as warm and dark as the rest of her body was. Her hair was short and snow white, her bangs sweeping to the side as a red gem was pinned in them. Her lips were full, dark and blood red, and her features were surprisingly soft and graceful. However, what was most striking were her violet eyes, which were dark and piercing and intensified by the noticeable hint of red tainting them, a simple line painted underneath both of them. And yet, what took both Midna and Agitha by surprise the most was something that Lana tried to forget as her and Cia's eyes met, both of them glaring at one another with hostility.
Lana and Cia looked almost exactly alike.
The semblance was incredible, to the point that they easily could have been twins, and the Twilight Princess theorized that perhaps they were, though it wouldn't have made any sense for the white sorceress to not inform them that the black witch was her sister. But all the same, her and the insect princess only had a moment to think about this as Cia straightened herself, regaining her composure as she scowled at all three of them.
"Unfortunately, I have no more time to spare on playing with children," the black witch said coldly as she turned to leave. "Have fun wallowing in your own insignificance."
Cia didn't leave on a laugh as she vanished in a cloud of darkness, leaving the trio alone in a stated silence after what had just happened. However, Midna was the first to speak up as Lana simply remained standing silent, ignoring the amazed looks that both princesses were giving her.
"Lana… her face…" the Twilight Princess stammered in bewilderment. "It looks exactly like yours!"
"Is that mean witch your sister?" Agitha asked the white sorceress curiously, also uncertainly of what to make of this revelation.
Lana hesitated for a long moment, biting her lip anxious as she realized that she needed to stop hiding the truth from her allies both old and new. "No…" she said guiltily, averting both of their gazes. "The truth is… Cia… I… Oh, how do I even put this? Simply put…. I'm Cia's… other half…"
Midna and Agitha exchanged a confused glance before the Twilight Princess pressed for more information. "Other half…" Midna repeated, her expression slightly disturbed. "As in…?"
"Oh, oh no!" Lana exclaimed, catching onto what she was implying as her cheeks lit up in embarrassment. "What I mean is that Cia and I were once the same person. Its really hard to explain, but we used to be the same being, until one day we just… split apart…"
"Why?" Agitha asked with a frown, not really understanding what Lana was talking about, a sentiment that Midna honestly could agree with as well.
The white sorceress sighed as she began to head out of the keep, regret already filling her as she recalled the day that she had split apart from the black witch, or what broke her heart even more, the long-forgotten peaceful days in which they had been the same person, united as the sole Guardian of Time. "It's a long story…"
Alright so I'm not gonna lie, this chapter was actually a ton of fun to write! Mostly because it foreshadowed some stuff that will be important later, and also because I honestly think that Lana, Midna and Agitha is such a great team up. For next time though we'll be journeying to the Water Temple with the Ocarina of Time gang, and I am really excited for it since I have so much planned for that chapter! But for now the chapter question: In honor of the boss pack coming out in today in the US, What is your favorite DLC pack for Hyrule Warriors? I'm torn between the Twilight and Termina ones, mostly because I love both Twili Midna and Young Link so much! Answer in the REVIEWS! Until next time!