"Beauty and the Blue Eyed Beast"

by Mase992 (-chan)

(A/N): First off, even if the title is misleading, this story isn't based on Disney's Beauty and the Beast. It's not the typical fanfic where the characters are placed as the ones from the movie and follow the same plot with a few twists (not that there are any problems with those fics, actually I love them to death). This story is different in many ways and it's far from following the happy Disney storyline. Also, I'm basing myself on Twilight Princess's version of Hyrule wii-wise.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from "The Legend of Zelda", Shigeru Miyamoto does and also Nintendo.

Chapter 3:

"The Seventh Princess"

The following days passed by quickly and the castle was bustling with daily activities for the preparation of Midna's coronation ceremony. Servants ran in every direction and occasionally bumping with each other. They carried plates or silver utensils, tablecloths, chairs, and flowers of distinctive colors. The Courtyard was constantly filled with the racket of people and guards working on the ornaments. Women bickered about how to fold the napkins or how to place the various buds on each table. Musicians had started to arrive days ago and they practiced the many suites and arias that would be played during the feast. The cooks were still considering which dishes to prepare and many had asked Midna which one she'd like. Of course she simply grunted annoyed and shrugged them off. She had no time to care for frivolities such as her favorite food. She would simply mutter something of "anything but Ordonian pumpkins" and then take off inside the hallways. At that moment, Midna's mind was set on something far more important than the ceremony. Two things actually. She would wander aimlessly along the corridors of the castle talking to herself. Her profound eyes looked tired as the same questions hovered around her head endlessly. Her stomach churned with each new thought, irking her. She would curse countless times when she found no answer to her doubts. The servants knew better than to ask her what was wrong and avoided the troubled princess. She had been acting strangely ever since the last meeting with the Council. Gossip had spread like water throughout the castle and everyone learned about Zant's threats and how he had attacked the princess. The Twili had not set foot in the palace since that last meeting, though and some feared he was planning something. Midna believed that too and even though she had told the Council of her fears they had told her that Zant was taken care of and that she should rather concentrate on her future for once.

"Stupid, useless goats. Thanks for nothing!" she grunted as she headed to her private library where Professor Rilas was waiting. She was so not in the mood for a lesson at the moment and seriously, she just wanted to strangle someone. Cleverly, every passing servant decided to maintain their distance from her and simply bowed before quickly darting in the opposite direction. Black robes tailed behind the princess as she finally reached the room and proceeded to enter. The elderly Rilas remained concentrated on his book even when the door was slammed loudly next to him. "Good morning, Your Highness."

"Morning..." grumbled the female as she plopped herself on a chair across from the older Twili. No more words were exchanged between the two as Rilas continued reading in silence and Midna sulked about her many problems. She hated to admit it but she was scared, scared of Zant. Ever since he had cast that binding spell on her, she learned that he was serious about recuperating the throne and that he would easily dispose of her in the process. She placed her hand over her forehead thinking. He hadn't been mentioned again by the Council that clearly didn't understand her dangerous situation and she was left to her thoughts as always. As she was alone in the corridors she would be careful while expecting for a blow to come from nowhere. And every time she could, Midna would call a guard to accompany her on her walks by the Courtyard when it wasn't crowded by noisy attendants. The gardens were always the perfect place to calm her nerves or ease her doubts whenever they were silent. Sitting by the fountain or resting on the bench while looking at the sky was just the solution to her uneasiness since admiring the calm beauty of nature always managed to soothe her quelling interiors. But even now, the Courtyard had turned into an eerie place. Ever since she had spotted that bizarre creature, walking by the fountain felt strange. If she stood on the exact same place the creature had appeared on, shivers would creep through her back and the air mysteriously grew colder than usual. It was as if the traces of that apparition had haunted the place with an ethereal aura of gloominess.

Crimson eyes darted toward the window across the room searching for an invisible answer to the many fears and questions bubbling inside the princess's head. All of a sudden, the elderly professor smashed the bulging volume against the desk forcing Midna to snap from her trance. She had totally forgotten he was still there.

"...Wha—what is it?"

"Your Highness, I just asked you to recite the lesson I left you last time, remember?" A frown etched across the old markings of the severe looking Twili. Midna exhaled loudly, receiving an even nastier look from her tutor and she slumped her head to the side.

"I didn't read it..."

"I know that too well."

She groaned. "Then why bother asking?"

Rilas sighed deeply and then began rubbing his temple while muttering some sort of prayer. Meanwhile Midna examined her nails carelessly. He lifted his gaze before opening a book on a random page, "Turn to page 220, Your Highness." He only received a tired sigh from her. Lazily, the princess turned the yellow pages of an antique book until she reached the desired chapter. She frowned grandly after reading the title marked in big brown letters: "Remnants of the Magical Artes from the First Assault".

"Professor, why this particular lesson?" She said before adding with a devilish smirk, "Shouldn't we be practicing proper etiquette or the twenty different ways to wave during a coronation ceremony?"

Rilas cleared his throat and adjusted his whiskers, scoffing at her joke. "Princess, this is not a matter for you to make fun of." The female rolled her eyes at his comment. "See, I've chosen this particular subject for today's lesson simply because it is your duty to learn more about the First Assault now that you will be the Queen."

"Please don't remind me about that..." she muttered.

His features darkened. "And because you must learn about the many important secrets that the Royal Family keeps."

Midna's eyes glittered for a moment as she accommodated on her seat in a more proper fashion. Her long hair fell over her bare shoulders as she moved. "Secrets? Of what kind?" Now the classes were really starting to turn interesting. Upon noticing Midna's sudden interest on his words, the Twili's expression softened as he began reading from the first paragraph on the worn out page.

"Our ancestors were a tribe from the country Twilightïa on the far west. They were interlopers who excelled at magic and easily mastered the many ways of magic and invented various spells used for both good and evil. "

Midna nodded while paying full attention. This was by far, the most interesting lesson from this month. This was possibly the only reason she would have to thank the upcoming ceremony. Magic was something she had particular interest on and thanked her royal blood for it. The Royal Family was known for its mastery of magic and their vast knowledge on the field since their ancestors learned many techniques and possessed great masters under their jurisdiction. So, ever since she was little, Midna had learned to control protective barriers and cast simple attacking spells. Yet, her frail figure made her rather weak against offensive charms, such as the one Zant had used against her last time. She shuddered at the memory.

"Talented sorcerers crafted various tools that they amplified with magic and were used for learning purposes. With time, many of these powerful artifacts fell in the wrong hands and people started fighting among themselves searching for power. Battles ensued, in the process many were killed and thus Twilightïa was wasted and destroyed. The survivors, blinded by the accursed magic, in an attempt to reestablish dominion headed toward the capitol of the neighboring country: Hyrule. Their advanced abilities easily beat Hyrule's primary defenses and with use of their most powerful gadget: the Fused Shadows, they killed the current Hylian Royal Family and set dominion in their stead."

- Fragment of "First Assault Records" Chapter 3 by Trauss Twïlfen, Twili historian.

Midna's expression darkened and she looked at her reflection on the polished table. Her heart suddenly started aching as she suddenly felt like she wanted to cry. She felt ashamed about her past, ashamed that she was a part of that group of ambitious and corrupted Twilis that had fallen prey to dark magics. She pitied the olden Royal Family and even started agreeing with the current Hylians who despised Twilis. It wasn't entirely their fault for hating them, on the contrary; they had every right to do so. It surely would feel terrible if all of a sudden, a group of greedy foreign magicians appeared and took away all that you knew and owned. She had read before about the last members of the Hylian Royal Family and that before the war with the Twilis, Hyrule was in peace under their reign and that the king, named Harkinian III was a loyal and rightful ruler. She had also read brief mentions of his daughter: Princess Zelda VII Harkinian (apparently it was a Hylian tradition to name all female born members of the Royal Family Zelda). The few sentences she had read about her depicted her as a beautiful and wise woman with a righteous heart. She was said to be the most valuable treasure of Hyrule.

Midna sighed and prayed silently for the deceased rulers whose tombstones rested in the shades of the Courtyard where her mother's grave was too. Wait... then that thing she had seen by the fountain the other day was... Memories of her previous lesson with Professor Rilas dawned back into her mind and words she had believed meaningless were colored with significance. Final battle... Hyrule... siege... supreme magic... same conclusion... Hirulia... death... Royal Family... deadly beast... roam... nightfall... princess...grave... atonement...!

She mentally slapped herself for not paying attention in class and she hastily jumped from her seat and pressed her face against the glass of the window. Rilas looked at her with great confusion and then cleared his throat to call her back to her place. Apparently, the lesson wasn't over yet. But Midna's attention was set on the lonely fountain in the center of the garden. She stared and stared, waiting for the odd shadow from last time to appear.

"Princess..." He said seriously.

Where was it? Why wasn't it coming out? Then it struck her. How could she be so stupid? The creature appeared by nightfall, not in the morning!

"Princess..." Urged the Twili as his tone grew threatening.

Pressing her forehead against the cool surface again she sighed defeated, glanced at the stone spring one last time, and then returned to her chair somberly. She was still lost in thought, trying to make out the true meaning of that supposedly "deadly beast", when she heard Professor Rilas clear his throat for the third time. "Sorry..."

"Well said, Your Highness." Coughed the old male before pointing with his long, bony finger at the paper. "Is there something you did not understand from what I just read?"

"No sir." She answered monotonously. Then a line was drawn in her petite face.

"What is it, Your Highness? You seem troubled."

Midna looked up quickly, noticing her pondering over the other matter had been quite perceptible. She blushed slightly since she hadn't been wondering about the history study at all. Midna was well known for musing in her classes or during tedious reunions. Professor Rilas and the Council knew that trait of hers more than well.

"I— I was just wondering about some things..." she stammered. Lying was also her second best known attribute. The tutor simply frowned, seemingly expectant. She sighed as new thoughts rushed through her mind, though she was sure that she wasn't telling that old Keese about the apparition. Then a new doubt formed itself within her. "Whatever happened with those accursed artifacts, Professor and what does this have to do with the secrets of my family? I thought I already knew about the forbidden spell books..."

Rilas beamed and coiled one of his white whiskers on his scrawny finger. "Ah, that's exactly what I wanted you to ask, Princess."

Midna blinked slightly with confusion.

"You see, most of those damned devices were destroyed by the time of Second Assault when the Hylians and Twilis formed an alliance. Also, some of the most dangerous books of magic were burned but the Royal Twili Family kept some of them secretly."

Midna nodded since she already knew about the chained books in the forbidden section of the castle's library, protected by a barrier erected by a former magician said to have been Professor Rilas's ancestor for only her teacher knew how to weaken it down.

"The King decided to keep those books hidden safely because he believed that their knowledge would be useful in future wars but only if it was used by the right hands. The origin of that magic is from the forefathers of us Twili who some people believe to having been Hylians since the Hylian race is well known for their grand skills on magic, unlike Hyrulians or other races. Oh, gracious, look how much I've gone out of topic!" The Professor chuckled for a moment and Midna tilted her head impatiently. He wiped a few tears from his eyes before he cleared his throat (yet again) and continued, "Well, as I was saying, the King ordered for a few books to be rescued and also commanded that the Fused Shadows were not destroyed." The princess gaped with utter horror. "What? Those things are still inside the castle? You got to be kidding!"

"Nay, Princess. All that I have said is, sadly, true."

"Then why hasn't anyone ordered their destruction?!" She stood up with such force that the chair fell to her side. The blood boiled inside her veins as she glared angrily at her tutor who in return stood firmly. "Simply because the passage that led to their location crumbled long ago."

"Well, one can send an excavation group down there!"

Rilas coughed, attempting to keep his anger at bay. "Princess, even if we cleared the place, the Fused Shadows are protected by a powerful barrier that no one has been able to break."

The princess scoffed irritated and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. "Surely you can! That supposed barrier was likely placed by that old magician from the forbidden books."

"That is where you are wrong, Your Highness. That spell was cast by another powerful sorcerer far stronger than the one you mentioned." He leered victorious as Midna's ruby orbs narrowed dangerously. Offended she turned away from the old man and stomped toward the exit. Huffing, she pushed the doors open and stormed down the hallway.

---

The moon was high on the dark sky as the stars twinkled occasionally, casting their sheer light over the monumental walls of the castle. The winds were unfriendly that night, hurling powerful gales and cold slashes at the vulnerable trees of the Courtyard. The greenery shivered at the fierce touch of the gusts and the few dry leaves spun in a merciless storm, silently crying out in fear and pain. Their low whispers were hushed by the sound of trudging against the wailing grass. Wrapped safely with a dark cloak, stood the tall silhouette of a female looming over three headstones of marble, which stood motionless on the ground. Frail hands reached for the black cloth and removed the hoodie, uncovering long strands of orange hair. Exhaling a great puff of air, Midna smoothened her tangled locks, and squatted before the graves, studying the writing carved on the cold stones. She looked at them with a melancholic expression as the winds brushed her matted hair into knots. Was she losing her mind? Perhaps the constant pressure of Zant and ruling the kingdom has finally made her snap. Midna knew she was a strong willed person but anyone living like her would eventually go mad. She was just tired of it all. All her life she had worried about her future, even as a child living in the streets and now as a princess. It all was just so exhausting. And now she had seriously lost it, allowing fairy tales and stupid legends to get the better of her. Maybe the "creature" that she saw was just a refraction of a glass because of the illumination and she believed it was real because her mind was still thwarted by Zant's spell. Yes, that had to be it. But no, she had to let her imagination get the better of her and so she had come to see it again. She let out a laugh. Of course it didn't appear because it wasn't real and it certainly had nothing to do with the dead princess she talked to in dreams, the same princess buried before her. Her breaths quickened as a cloud of vapor escaped from her nostrils. The air was certainly chilly that eve. Her body shivered under the raven cloak as her hair tailed on her back. Her expression darkened as tears welled up in her eyes. Whether it was because of the harshness of the weather of her feelings, Midna began to cry. She stretched a hand and traced the name of one of the gravestones and muttered a muffled "Mother..." The garden was left in silence.

"Back again?" Whispered a soothing voice behind her.

"I had to." She replied as in nights prior, choking back tears.

Midna felt a warm hand resting on her shoulder and instinctively shoved it from her. Then, the limb gently reached for her again and giving in, the princess gladly grasped it, intertwining her fingers with the apparition's gloved fingers. She looked up and saw the maiden from her dreams. Flowing golden hair, a white revealing dress, kind azure eyes, and pale skin... just as she remembered. Yet this time, she bore a grim expression. Midna held her hand tighter waiting for the maiden to speak for her melodious voice would always usher knowing words.

"I can feel your pain, Midna and I must tell you it is all right if you need to cry. Forcing back your feelings will not help you at all."

Midna looked away ashamed that she had seen her cry. She knew she was weak. "I can't help it. I'm used to act tough."

The blonde nodded in reply and helped the princess to get up. Midna didn't bother to clean her robes. They looked at each other's eyes for a long time, neither speaking. The caressing waves of the maiden's ocean orbs soothed the crying flames of Midna's.

"What is troubling you, Midna?"

Looking back at the ornamented gravestones, Midna was hesitant to speak. "It's... it's about you... that grave is yours right?" She signaled to one of the stones that read: "Last princess of Hyrule. May she find a haven by the Goddesses side."

The blonde was quiet for a moment, her eyes growing melancholic. She turned away, "Yes."

Midna wasn't sure if she had the right to ask her next question but she wanted to know more about Hirulia and Hyrule's past. At least so when she was queen she could redeem her ancestors' mistakes and make sure history didn't repeat itself. And she knew very well that to do that she had to destroy the Fused Shadows, the only dangerous remnants of that bloody event. "...Is your name, by chance, Princess Zelda VII Harkinian...?"

The grass hissed its secret song when the cold winds of the night exhaled over them, chilling the air as the moon shimmered longingly on the ethers.

The figure remained silent as Midna held her breath, worried if she had offended her and stretched her hand in attempt to make the blonde take it. Then she noticed a sparkling river of tears cursing its way down the maiden's cheeks as her nude shoulders shooked. Low sobs reached the Midna's ears.

"Yes." Came her faint voice. She finally looked up and Midna was able to see her eyes full of sorrow and their gentle aura had vanished losing their warm, soothing light. Midna's worry was replaced by the frigid feeling of helplessness. The crying female's shaking hand reached and grabbed Midna's strongly, searching for consolation.

"Yes, my name was Zelda." The tears didn't stop.