"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 5:

"Escape"

Dawn, morning, evening, twilight, and then night. The days quickly passed by for the royal attendants, in fact, the days seemed to flash before their eyes almost too quickly to notice. The coronation ceremony grew nearer and all they could do was wish for a few more days to make things perfect for the princess. When actually, the princess didn't give a damn about the ceremony. Everyone soon noticed that Midna had spent the last days locked in the library which was a quite unusual site. In spite of her strange actions and her baggy eyes, everyone believed she was practicing some sort of long gratification speech or other princess stuff. Soon, with all the hassle and movement in the corridors or the gardens, no one had their mind set on Zant anymore. Quite literally, the Twili had slipped from everyone's memory as if his sole existence was but a bad dream, especially for the princess who seemed to have forgotten him as well. Even if Zant wasn't troubling her thoughts, the dark shadows under her tired eyes meant she was still uneasy and everyone soon noticed it. It wasn't normal to see the princess staying too long inside the library or anywhere near books to say least. Also, some maids had seen her head toward the library late at night and there were rumors circling, saying that she had been seen talking to herself or to the complex books she was reading. Professor Rilas had been surprised one chilly morning when he found the dozing princess inside the study, fast asleep over an old tome's pages while books were scattered carelessly around the marble floors of the reading room. He had picked one of said volumes and read the title out loud: "100 Ways to Contain Dark Magic". He frowned and took another book from the floor. "Basic Steps for Spell Casting." His eyes wandered to Midna's sleeping form for a brief minute before returning to the golden title on the book's cover. He brought his hand to his chin pensive. Whatever had the princess so thrilled about dark artes? He knew perfectly well about her dislike of said magic and remembered she was utmost reluctant when he had to teach her a few offensive spells of that kind. He then leaned over Midna's slumped shoulders and peered at the page she had been reading before picking the poor books as her unplanned pillow. His eyes swiftly went over the inked words joining sentences together and their meanings dawning within his brain. An expression of horror masked his curious features for a brief second and then he carefully removed the tome from Midna's grasp. He slammed the book close and then with a disdainful glare at the ruler he slipped it inside his robes and left the room quietly.

Midna woke up by the sweet smell of honey smeared delicately over a pair of warm waffles. A slice of butter was placed on top of the pastries carefully and a glass of fresh Lon Lon milk rested next to the dish. Her deep carmine eyes opened lazily, beckoned only by the lovely odor of her breakfast whilst her tummy wailed in response. Moaning she straightened herself and yawned loudly, then rubbed her tired eyes and as soon as the foggy room became visible once more she saw the food placed neatly before her. She then peered next to her chair and noticed the tiny figure of Mirian stepping cautiously toward the door, attempting to be as quiet as possible. She smirked playfully and cleared her throat. The blue-haired maid stiffened on the spot and Midna was able to hear low muttering. If she didn't know the Twili any better she could easily tell she could be mustering an excuse or scolding herself for waking her up.

"Going anywhere, Mirian?"

The Twili yelped slightly and slowly turned back at her ruler, blushing madly with embarrassment. Midna only frowned at her frightened attitude. She was used to Mirian acting all flustered like that, fighting to not lose her formality. Or perhaps, trying not to forget their titles.

"M-morning, Your High—"

Midna's frown deepened with exasperation.

"I mean, Midna..." she added quickly.

A smile curled Midna's purple lips as she returned the curtsy to the shy woman. "Did I oversleep?" she added groggily as she proceeded to fork the fluffy pancakes.

"Not at all, Princess Midna— Midna I mean..." The latter sighed and munched a mouthful of her breakfast. "Alright..." Silence crept from the corners of the room as Midna ate and Mirian stared at her feet. Tired of that tension in the atmosphere Midna was about to say whatever came to her mind when Mirian's squeaky voice poke first.

"Um... I beg you forgiveness for my impertinence..." she trailed off, "...Midna but, everyone is talking about your strange behavior this past days..." Midna's chewing stopped. "Strange behavior? How so?" She said with her mouth full of food. She didn't seem to care about her manners at the moment. Rumors about her? So her nightly visits to the study didn't go unnoticed after all...

"Well..." Mirian hesitated but Midna's intense gaze made her look back down. "Mirian." She pressed and the other female shuddered because of the princess's tone. "I'm sorry I..." She sighed. "Some people say that you have gone mad." Midna's left eye twitched. "What? Are you all stupid or what?" She grumbled and rubbed her face with fatigue. "Whatever made you think that?" "W-well..." Stammered the short Twili, "They have seen you talking to yourself and all these reading is well..." She looked around at the many books on the floor, "...odd, coming from you, Your Highness."

Midna shrugged her comment off and chugged down the milk from her glass. Mirian stared expectantly. "First, it's Midna, and second, I'm just... you know, nervous about the whole ceremony thing coming up in... uh..."

"Three days, Miss Midna."

"Yeah, three days." She blinked a few times, fully awake and then, shocked, she placed the glass roughly against the desk. "THREE DAYS?!"

Mirian nodded repeatedly while Midna wailed about it. How many days had she spent on her investigation about the First Assault? Had already five days passed since she discovered about the Fused Shadows? Five days and she still had no clue how to suppress the evil energies from the basement! Thankfully the barrier still seemed to be able to resist the artifact's powers but Midna (and Zelda) knew that it wouldn't hold it for too long. That explained her exhaustion too. No wonder everyone had noticed her at night after all these nights! She grumbled to her carelessness and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Miss?"

"I... I'm just tired Mirian, that's all..." she lied and stood from her armchair. She walked toward the window and placed her palm against the delicate glass. She stared at fountain, expecting something to come from behind of it. Zelda had no clue when she talked about the supposed "deadly beast" and no books said anything else about it. It was but a legend that she had grown to believe in and Midna, somehow, found herself yearning to see that creature again. She remembered those dark blue eyes and she knew she wanted to see what was hidden beyond them. She desired more than anything to know why those tired orbs indulged such deep loneliness. There was something special about that creature, she knew it, but there was something blocking them. There was something she still couldn't put her finger on yet.

"If I may, Your Highness (Midna let it slip this time), but is something else troubling you?" Midna looked back at Mirian whose bulky brows were drawn together with concern as she stood next to her. The ruler beamed at her. Mirian was perhaps the only person that she liked from the castle. Somehow, her shy attitude made her quite likable and fun to tease at all times but above it all, what made her different from the other servants or noblemen was that she was very perceptible. Especially when it came to Midna's mixed feelings. But this time, Midna couldn't trust her worries to her. She wouldn't understand unless she saw it and by doing so prove that she wasn't going nuts. She could always try though.

"Tell me Mirian, have you seen anything ominous inside the castle during the night?"

Mirian shot her a puzzled look. "I-if you refer to Zant, Your Highness, I can assure you that he's—"

Midna sighed. Apparently she had imagined the whole thing and now she had Zant to worry about again. She added him to her list of trouble: In first place, the Fused Shadows and the mystery from the First Assault, second was that eerie beast, and third was Zant again. Great.

"Never mind Mirian, I'm better now." She responded sarcastically.

Mirian blushed and lifted her hands before her tiny chubby face in panic, "I'm so sorry, Princess! I-I only wanted to—"

The doors suddenly flung open and there stood Professor Rilas stiffly with an elderly scroll wrapped under his left arm. He grasped a dripping quill with his other hand. For a moment, both females tensed under his sturdy gaze until his whiskers quivered as he spoke. "I am terribly sorry for intruding like this..."

"Intruding? Barging in is the correct word." Midna whispered to Mirian who suppressed a laugh with her hands.

Rilas' expression was stone. "If I may have a minute with you, Princess?"

"Sure you can." Replied Midna nonchalantly as she sat back on her cushioned chair and Mirian excused herself. Rilas didn't speak until Mirian left the room. He glared back at Midna who stiffened and held her breath in fear that he would explode with the slightest movement. "P-professor...?" she whispered confused.

"I noticed you have been reading books about dark magic." He stated grimly.

Midna grimaced, "So?"

"Books from the forbidden section."

Midna choked her following words and couldn't help to return her tutor a terror-filled expression. The last book she had started reading last night was one she had never laid eyes on and Zelda was the one who had given it to her. When she asked the blonde where she had found the tome titled "The First Assault: Nights Colored Red" the late princess simply replied she took it from the back shelves.

"How did you do it? How were you able to cross the barrier?" He spat and Midna couldn't understand why Rilas' current attitude scared her a little. Almost as much as Zant. He seemed so desperate to know and she couldn't just tell him about Zelda and that she had found the passage that led to the Fused Shadows.

She hesitated and then masked her fear-stricken face with a serious facade. "I found some on the back shelves. I didn't know those were from that section."

Rilas scowled knowing she was lying but Midna remained calm. "Maybe you forgot to place them back one time you were reading them..."

"Nonsense!" Midna gasped as he placed his hands hardly against her shoulders shaking her as he screamed, "You have learned a new kind of forbidden magic by using those books, haven't you? Tell me how to get past that barrier! I'm getting them, certainly! So tell me!" His old eyes shimmered with desolation and rage. She whined as he shook her violently once more and for a second she had the feeling that the man before her wasn't her Professor. Her back hit the chair once more as he pushed her briskly deeper into the chair, urging her to talk about something she didn't know.

"Let.me.go!" She screamed and tried to shove him off her. The strength he had suddenly gained was inhuman! Midna wasn't sure how such an old Twili as him could easily keep her pinned to her place. Suddenly, she felt as his old fingers were placed around her slender neck, constricting her. She gagged trying to breathe desperately and she continued trying to force him off her. Her hands trembled as she lost strength and her eyes occasionally dropped. She tried to keep them open but she couldn't stand it anymore. It felt like at that meeting when Zant had cast that spell on her. She heaved trying to breathe and grasped Rilas' sleeves hoping he would stop strangling her. Midna tried screaming for help but her voice was gone and the only sound that escaped her lips was a helpless whelp. She looked back up at her attacker's eyes, the sight before her growing blurry as much as she tried to stay awake. His mouth was twisted in a maniacal smirk and Midna's hands quivered even more at the sight. But she gasped with realization when she noticed the yellow beady eyes glaring down at her. A name flashed before her. Zant!

The sounds were growing fainter and she couldn't make out what he was saying to her. Then, she heard a second voice— a female's. It sounded familiar but she just couldn't remember the name of its owner. The only name in her mind at the moment was Zant's. Her mind hollered the name at her and the silhouette of the Twili turned like a shattered reflection by the ripples of a pool. She hardly caught a glimpse of the fractionating light that shimmered before her eyes, causing her enemy to let go and back away. She heard voices again and soon she fainted with only one name drumming her ears:

Zant. Zant. Zant.

---

Midna gasped for air and forced herself into a sitting position hastily. At first, her eyes could only make out blurs of black and turquoise, seconds after she was able to see forms and silhouettes until her eyes adjusted to the dim moonlight. Cold sweat trailed down her temples as she looked at her surroundings. She saw a mirror, windows, shelves, and then she noticed she was in her own room covered under the sublime protection of her velvet sheets. Panting, the princess brought her hands to her abused neck and felt her maimed skin. She stroked her skin carefully feeling for any bruises.

"Fear not Midna. He's gone."

Her eyes turned sharply at the voice and she spotted Princess Zelda sitting on the edge of her bed, gazing at her with her deep blue oceans. Midna's suspicious glares made the blonde sigh as she reached for the Twili who flinched. She simply passed her fingers through Midna's hair and gently caressed her cheek. After a while, Midna's stiff shoulders relaxed and her deep crimson eyes looked back at Zelda without fear. "What happened?" she choked. Her voice was hoarse and she felt her throat raw. It was the same disgusting feeling she had after throwing up. Then her eyes flared open widely, "Where is Zant?"

Zelda looked at her sternly and then placed her hand on Midna's fist, relaxing the Twili's tensed muscles. "Away for now. But he is a powerful sorcerer and in no time he could come back."

Midna stared at Zelda with fear imprinted in her eyes. "How soon?" she stuttered.

Zelda's grave expression turned darker and she clenched Midna's palm. "I am afraid, that he could return too soon. I was only able to blind him until someone came into the room and he fled." She looked slightly disappointed. Midna smiled slightly and grasped Zelda's hand in return. "You were very helpful and I want to thank you." She blushed slightly. "If it wasn't for you I would have probably died..." She looked away.

Zelda remained silent, then a smile graced her own delicate porcelain face. "You do not need to thank me, Midna. It is my duty to keep you safe as we share a special bond..."

"But... how did you know I was in danger and where did you come from—"

"Do you remember what I told you in our meetings through your dreams? Do you know why we are linked by fate?"

Midna shooked her head puzzled. Her mind was such a mess at the moment. Zelda's eyes shone with kindness under the flickering light of a candle. "Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin... One cannot exist without the other..." Midna gaped at the familiarity of those words and even though she still couldn't make out the true meaning of what Zelda had said, her chest felt lighter at the sudden mention of that wise comment.

Exhaustion overtook Midna once more and she laid her head back on the soft pillow, her flaming hair spread around her head like water. She sighed deeply, "Zelda... how long have I been out?" She could hear the second princess getting off the bed and then her sweet, musical voiced responded in her mind. Midna didn't need to know that she wasn't in the room anymore. But Zelda had told her earlier that they were together and then Midna knew that the princes never truly left. "All day..." she whispered and then a soft tone played in her ears, lulling her to sleep once more.

---

The following day Midna didn't see Professor Rilas at all but maybe that was because she was confined to her room, resting on her bed all day, and the Council had forbidden her to go leave her chambers and especially if she wanted to go to the library. Mirian remained by her side all morning, occasionally bringing her treats from the kitchen. She said those were part of the feast for tomorrow's ceremony. She also cooed her by telling her everyone was worried after finding her fainted the other day at the library. Everyone believed it had been due to fatigue since no one had seen Zant. Only Midna knew the truth and was in constant fear for her life. She knew that the Council wouldn't help at all. Her current condition was all thanks to their carelessness and Midna was aware that they only wanted her to rest so she would be in shape for the coronation ceremony. The only people who really seemed to deeply care about her at the moment were Zelda and Mirian. Well and apparently this fellow named Denivar who had visited earlier and after kissing her hand courteously he had presented her with a box of candy. She sniffed with annoyance. Why would he care about her? Surely he had been sent by those swaggering politicians to represent them in her time of need. She scoffed and hurled the candies to the edge of the room with fury. Then she dove her face among the pillows and sobbed quietly all day. She couldn't worry about the Fused Shadows anymore! Her mind was full of many other things that she couldn't push away anymore. She knew that Zant had threatened her life twice and she had barely escaped his grasp both times with rash luck. And now it was obvious it would be impossible to know how or when he would strike again. She paused, pondering about her situation and then she bit her quivering lip. Somehow, the coronation ceremony sounded like the perfect moment to attack.

---

Midna woke up that night because of a horrible nightmare. She looked around her room for anything abnormal but soon noticed everything remained still under the pale rays of the moon. She sat on the matress sulking, trying to calm her rushing nerves when the sound of thunder deafened her and the room quivered. Gasping slightly by the violent quaking of the floor and roof, Midna tried to stand up but it took her a great deal of effort to properly balance herself. Thunders rumbled outside her windows as rays of white light flashed before the glass, making it shiver under its force. Raindrops plummeted against the castle's walls and the air soon grew moist and breathing became hard. Once more the ground shook under her bare feet but this time, the princess was forced to her knees by the sudden noise caused by an explosion coming from the bottom floors. She screamed and covered her face before she crashed against the cold, smooth marble. Moaning she tried getting up again and took deep breathes before she heard a great racket coming from below. She could clearly make out grunts and listen to steel clashing. Her brow furrowed with fear. They were swords! Somebody was fighting inside the castle and in this case it was no friendly fire match. Shaking, she pushed herself up and was able to hear the panicked voices of the woken servants who rushed through the hallways. Then, the lock of the door clicked and Midna stepped back in alarm. Mirian ran inside her room and the princess couldn't be more relieved to see her at that moment. The tiny woman tried to keep her terrified face calm but it was impossible due to the racket from outside. She quickly headed for her closet and drew out a long black cloak.

"Your Highness, please—!" she handed the black garb to Midna who nodding slipped the nightly cape over her body. Shielding her own short body with a blue sweater, Mirian lead Midna into the trembling hallways and both females could hear armor falling limply against the ground with the defeat as a deadly shriek pierced the noisy night. Mirian squeaked with fear and kept walking through the dark halls. They touched the humid walls to avoid crashing into someone or something hidden within the shadows.

"This way..." Midna heard the Twili whisper and followed her into an even darker room and both descended a set of spiraling rock stairs. Around the encasing walls spinned as they flew to the lower floor and below, into the basements. Midna could hear the screams and swords drawing closer as she stepped down another stair, careful not to lose Mirian out of sight in the black. Their steps echoed over the walls and then another abnormal scream deafened them for a few minutes.

"Wha-what is that sound?" Thought Mirian out loud and Midna just drew closer to the maid, looking out for anything unnatural to pounce at them. "I don't know Mirian but we have to keep moving..." "Right...!" Responded the short Twili, mustering her courage. They both continued running until the faint odor of mud and rain reached their nostrils. A second explosion made the ground rumble and both females lost their footing and fell to the stone floor with a thud and grunts. From outside of the room they had reached, they could see the dim reflection of spiraling flames as creeping shadows were outlined through the oranges of the fire that headed their way. Midna and Mirian both reached a small trapdoor and pulled it open, meeting the cold falling drops of rain. Both raced out of the room and found themselves on the right entrance of the castle facing the destroyed gates and stood on the road that led to the neverending grays of Hirulia Field. Midna's ebony hair, now wet, fell to the side of her nude shoulders as she clutched the robes closer to herself. The soaked garbs clung to her frail body like a mantle as she looked down at Mirian who was shivering because of the harshness of the weather. Behind them stood the east tower of Hirulia Castle burning from the top while the chaotic flames engulfed the rest of the palace.

"It was Zant..." hissed Midna as he eyes narrowed at the horrible sight. She turned to the broad field opening before their feet and tugged Mirian's trembling arm. "We have to go now, Miriam! We mustn't get caught! If we do, Zant will likely kill us..."

Faltering for a short minute, Mirian nodded and led the way out of the fortress. The princess took one last glance at the towering castle, recalling its former splendor. Unnoticed tears ran down Midna's cheeks as the rain continued falling down. Then she turned and followed where Mirian had headed and into the foreign grasses of Hirulia Field. Midna could hear in her mind that Zelda's soft voice ushered her, telling her that she was doing right.

"I'll get you for this, Zant...!" she cursed and at last got lost among the mist of the gloom.

(A/N): Ah... finally the good things are going to start! I hope you guys continue reading since the real story is just developing. I also hope you enjoyed this chapter and well, I'll see you in the following one:) R&R