Author's Notes: I'm back with another chapter. There's nothing for me to say except that I appreciate the reviews for the previous chapter. I don't really like the chapter's title, but it's the best I could come up with.
Disclaimer: I don't own Link or anything else from the games. Nintendo has the honor to own it. I also don't own the quote. However, I own Celestria as well as my OCs.
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"Never deprive someone of hope... it may be all they have."
-- Unknown.
Chapter 6: A Decaying Kingdom
"There it is!" Veiviser shouted enthusiastically, a huge grin forming on his tired face.
He was pointing at the capital of Celestria; Lunaris. The large city was situated in the middle of a vast field on a small hill. Imposing gray walls with red runes on them surrounded the whole city. Another set of inner walls protected the castle grounds. These inner walls were meant to be used if the enemy breached the outer walls and they were heavily guarded. The tops of turrets could be seen from where the trio of travelers stood.
As soon as Link had awoken, they had hastily begun their journey again. They had not stopped since then. All three Messengers were exhausted and ready to fall, but the sight of the city renewed their energies. Eclipse gave out a bark of triumph, causing Veiviser to chuckle. Veiviser, Link, and Midna were all tired of clinging on to the Messengers. However, they did not tell the Messengers to halt as they charged across the field.
"We're finally here." Midna breathed quietly.
She was relieved that the travel would be over soon. The fatigue was wearing away at Link and while he had chewed on an herb meant to lend him strength, he was getting tired again. It would do him a world of good to sleep in a regular bed today with no need to get up and travel immediately when he woke up. A good meal would also do a lot to restore his energy. In fact, a good meal seemed like the best idea in the world at the moment.
Of course, they would probably have to travel the next day to nearby villages if Kamaria was not in the city. Midna could not see the wisdom of hiding in Lunaris. It would've put her too close to Galathron. While the city was large, meaning it was easy to lose people, a loyal Messenger would easily find its owner in the city. It was safer to hide away from Lunaris. If she had left Celestria, Midna knew that it would take a long time to find her. A lot of time, or a lot of luck, neither of which Midna was certain that she had plenty of.
Link, meanwhile, was having different concerns. One of these was just the idea that he had to hold on tighter. However, his biggest concern was what the Celestrian Twili would think of him. He looked nothing like a Twili, so trying to pass as one was futile. Perhaps with a cloak and a hood, he could pass for a mysterious Twili, if there was enough fabric to cover his face. Link didn't want to lie to them like that, and he had an idea that they would be curious as to who he was.
"Hey Vei," Link called over to the boy. Veiviser had been riding in front, but at Link's call, he turned around. "What do the Celestrian Twili think of light dwellers?" Worrying about something that might not be true was useless. He had abstained from asking earlier because he had simply cast it from his mind. A mob of Twili was the last thing they needed to hamper their mission especially since the Viduata Solis already hampered the mission enough.
"Some like them, some are curious about what they are exactly, some hate them and blame them for our past." Veiviser shrugged before a devilish smile appeared, "But most don't give a damn about them." Link laughed along with Veiviser. Midna rolled her eyes, but joined in on the laughter.
"That's reassuring." Link nodded his head.
"Well…" Veiviser paused. "They might not be careless when they see one. They just don't care because they have more real concerns in their lives. They're too busy to worry about other realms when they have tangible concerns. However, when they see you, they might not be happy." Link's smile faded.
Veiviser saw this and added, "I'm sure they'll be fine with you. The stories of a blue-eyed hero in a green tunic saving the realm from Zant have reached Celestria. We used to think Zant would try and invade us. Galathron was ready to fight him, but when you came along, well Galathron didn't think highly of you. But he didn't think highly of anyone, so it's fine."
Link sighed. "If you say so." He wasn't entirely convinced, but he was hopeful that they would do fine.
"It'll be okay," Midna murmured to Link as Veiviser turned back around.
They soon stood before the gates. Above the gates, the crest of Celestria was imprinted in glowing red runes. There was a moat around the walls. Midna could imagine Galathron stocking the waters with dangerous fish. A flick of water further enhanced that idea. The gates were open as usual. Two guards lounged against the walls. They were engaged in friendly conversation.
The guards didn't even look over at the trio. Instead one of them began laughing wildly. Midna marked this as strange behavior. Any good guard would have carefully inspected any travelers and perhaps questioned the goods they carried. She brought this issue up to Veiviser in a whisper.
Vei answered with a grim face, "Because there is no king, they don't get paid. I suppose they're just so used to taking the shift that they do it anyway, but they're only going through the motions. We'll speak more once we reach my house."
Midna nodded. She was curious as to how much the city had actually fallen apart. Riding through the city on the Messengers allowed her to see. It wasn't as bad as she had expected and she realized that Veiviser had been exaggerating when he spoke of anarchy. Yes, there was a lot of mess and Midna bet that crime had gone up, but most Twili were still going about their business. Unless they worked in the castle or for the royalty.
The cobbled streets were lined with a variety of shops (still functioning as if a king existed). Apartments sat on top of the shops. Odors, both delicious and disgusting, mixed in the air to create a strange aroma. Midna wrinkled her nose at the scent, but she soon got used to it since every city has this mixture of good and bad smells. Dark alleys held narrowed eyes that quickly disappeared when she looked in their direction. Midna bet that they were the eyes of criminals, but she had no time to pause and investigate. As in all cities, Twili jostled their way past each other. They stayed away from the travelers to avoid being crushed by the Messengers. However, these Twili did stop to stare at Link.
It wasn't long before a Twili shouted, "What are you?" The voice was rude and belonged to a grumpy-looking man. A chorus of "yeas" agreed with him. The groups of Twili circled around the three Messengers. They stared. Some had hostile eyes, but the majority of them had plain curiosity written on their faces. They had never seen someone with skin this color.
Link was startled at how quickly the Twili had gathered. He wondered what he should say, but fortunately for him Veiviser spoke up first.
"This is Link!" His voice boomed, quieting everyone. They turned to look at Vei, occasionally casting glances at Link and then at Midna. "And that is Midna, the Twilight Princess."
Murmurs spread across the crowd. At that moment, Midna could've slapped Veiviser. She would've preferred that her status be kept a secret until Kamaria was found. The last thing she needed was any Twili still loyal to Galathron hunting after her, if there were any Twili like that.
"She's the one who killed Galathron!" One shout said.
Another verbalized, "Is she going to take over now that we have no ruler? Celestria has been its own kingdom for so long. And what is that strange-looking guy doing with the Twilight Princess? A fiancé? Is he to be our ruler when the Princess is away?"
"Silent!" Veiviser roared. "I will explain."
"Who are you?" Someone called. Another voice answered, "It's a messenger from our realm, of course!"
"No he's not! He's an imposter messenger. He's only a young boy."
"But he's so tall for a little boy."
Veiviser opened his mouth, but no one turned back to him. They were turned around, in the direction where the two voices were coming. One seemed to know the boy and Veiviser recognized this Twili as an old tutor of his. He had tried teaching Veiviser how to fight with a blade, but Vei had given up the sword in favor of his trusty club. The other Twili was a surprised woman, who could not believe that such a tall Twili could be a boy.
"Early growth spurt." The teacher answered. The crowd chuckled.
"Can you just listen?!" Veiviser screamed impatiently. Eclipse let out a roar, blanketing the crowd in silence. There were a few moments of quiet before Veiviser began to speak, "Now then… My name is Veiviser. As you all know, Galathron died a while ago. Midna is here not to rule over us, but to give us a ruler."
This caused another outburst from the audience. "Give us a ruler? Who? The blonde boy? You?" This comment was meant with derisive laughter.
"It's not me. Or Blondie, for that matter." This caused more laughter and an indignant scowl to appear on Link's face. "She and Link are going to find the missing princess Kamaria."
The crowd burst into laughter. The Twili who had originally challenged the trio spoke up, "That's ridiculous! She's been gone for so long. Nobody knows where she is. And you think that the Twilight Princess and Blondie can find her?! What a joke!" The crowd agreed with the grouch.
"Midna has powerful magic. And as for Link… Well, he's the Hero of Twilight." This silenced the crowd. Their stares turned to Link, making him shift uncomfortably. "He's the one who saved Midna's realm from Zant."
"He comes from the Light Realm!" A Twili yelled, "What's he doing here? What problems are there for him to fix? If there are none, he should go back to where he belongs."
Veiviser waited with his arms crossed. Eventually the yelling subsided as Twili noticed that Vei was ready to relate more information to them. When all was silent, the boy smiled and began to speak, "Now, I want you all to listen and not interrupt me as I speak. Understood?"
The crowd mumbled their consent and Vei began, "Midna and Link are here to search for Kamaria." Veiviser began to explain the mission of how they were going to find the princess (though he wasn't quite sure how) and how they would crown her.
Meanwhile, Midna glanced over at Link. His skin was beginning to pale and fear that he would faint once more rushed over Midna. The mob would go wild if their so-called savior fell over. They wouldn't believe him capable of finding Kamaria and they would think him weak. Any possible assassins would take the advantage.
"Hang in there, Link," Midna murmured to him.
The Hylian nodded his head, but he didn't dare speak. His head was starting to throb and the shouts from the crowds were not helping him either. Macha's mane curled around Link's lower arms, so that he didn't have to use as much energy holding on. His chin fell down, so it leaned against his chest.
Veiviser finished off by saying, "No one shall harm either of our guests for they're here to help us. You all know how chaotic things are becoming. If we do not find Kamaria soon, we shall have to find another leader without the royal blood to take the throne. The fighting that will come of it will not be good. So what do you all think? We can show them how hospitable us Celestrians really are, right?"
The crowd roared their approval. One of them piped a question to Veiviser, "Where shall they sleep? We can prepare a room in the palace."
"We already have safe sleeping arrangements. It would help if all of you just let us go on our way now."
Slowly the crowd began to leave to go to other business. They stared at Link and Midna for a while as they passed, but no one made any threatening moves or stinging remarks at either of them. However, pessimistic mutters about the impossibility of their quest did reach their ears. Eventually it was possible to resume their ride to their living quarters.
"I think that went well." Veiviser said with a grin.
"Better than I expected," Midna replied honestly. "However, they don't have much hope that we'll succeed, do they?"
Veiviser shrugged, "They just don't understand."
"We'll prove them wrong." Link added with a nod. His head fell, so that he was staring at Macha's broad shoulders. "How much longer?" He asked, not wanting to sound pushy but knowing that he could not take a long journey through the streets.
"Just a bit. My house is a bit closer to the palace, but fortunately it's away from the bustle of the markets."
They plodded on in silence. Finally Eclipse let out an excited yelp and Veiviser said, "This is it!"
They had stopped in front of a nice house among other homes. This was a purely residential district. Because the district was near the castle, many Twili who worked for the monarch lived here. Some of the houses were deserted from the looks of them and Midna wondered whether their inhabitants had been blood bound. Other homes still seemed to hold all their members. These were the lucky ones who had held members of lower ranks.
The walls of the house itself were made of a dark wood. There was grass growing in front of the house and Midna could see a small cobblestone path that took a visitor to the backyard. A squat building in the back served as the stables for Messengers. Like all the buildings in Celestria, red runes traveled across the outside walls. An intricate rune was etched on to the door. The door was a smooth slab of dark stone. No knobs or handles of any kind existed on it.
The trio dismounted from their Messengers. Eclipse barked at them and began to walk towards the path leading to the path. Sleipnir gave Midna one last protective glance (though you really couldn't tell his expression from his masked face) before trotting after Eclipse. Macha trailed behind them, casting concerned looks at Link. The Hylian smiled at her reassuringly. They disappeared out of sight as they turned the corner of the house.
Link turned away from Macha and gave a questioning glance at the odd door. Veiviser saw and grinned. "It's our way of locking up." He placed a hand on the rune. It glowed red momentarily before the door slid up. "Presto!"
"All the doors function like this in Celestria." Veiviser lectured with a fond smile. "Only certain Twili know the spells to open each door, so it's well-protected. I think there's some sort of magic that allows only certain magical signatures to open doors, further protecting the house."
Link asked, "What do you mean by magical signatures?" Magic had never been used in Ordon Village and while Link had seen plenty of it on his adventure, he had never been given any tutorials about it.
"Every Twili has a different magical signature, like your fingerprints." Midna explained. "Objects can be enchanted, so that only certain signatures will allow them to open. Some of the doors back home work like this, but we also have a lot of non-magical doors."
Veiviser waved his hand, allowing Link and Midna to step into his house. The dark halls were lit by the light trickling in from the outside as well as supplementary lighting from candles. The wood floor was dark. There were a few paintings on the wall, but the hall's walls were mostly unadorned. A stairway led upstairs and there was an opening into the joint living room and dining room. Bustling sounds came from the end of the house. From the aromatic scents that drifted from that direction, Midna assumed that it was the kitchen.
As the door slid shut, the sounds stopped. There was a brief clattering and then quick footsteps slapped the wood flooring.
"Oh Veiviser, you're finally back!" A motherly voice shouted in delight.
The owner of this voice came into view a few seconds later. This Twili had curly red hair that fell down to her shoulders. She was a bit on the plump side and she had small wrinkles on her face, but one could tell that she had been beautiful in her youth. Like Veiviser, she had teal runes on her body. However, her most striking feature was her cheerful yellow eyes. They looked so exactly like Vei's that Midna instantly knew that it was his mother.
"Hello mother," Veiviser said, accepting the hug from her.
"I'm so happy to see that you're back." Her shoulders shook slightly as she sobbed into Veiviser's chest. The boy stood a head taller than her. He patted her on the head before saying,
"Mom, we have guests. This is Link and this is Midna, the Twilight Princess."
Veiviser's mother tore away from her son to look at the two newcomers. Subconsciously, her hands drifted down to dust some flour off her apron. A kindly smile spread over her face as she inspected the two of them.
"Hello Link, Twilight Princess." Veiviser's mother bobbed her head in greeting. "I'm sorry to say that we don't have too much, but I'll do my best to make sure you have every luxury we can afford."
"Thank you for your hospitality. Your house is beautiful." Midna smiled at Veiviser's mom. "You can just call me Midna."
"Midna." Veiviser's mom repeated before adding, "You may call me Naeva."
Link and Midna both smiled at her. She was a pleasant woman. It would be easy to stay in her company. "It's nice to meet you, Naeva."
"Likewise," Naeva smiled cheerfully before turning around. "Now how about you three go and wash yourselves off? I'll have a plate of snacks ready by the time you return. Then you can tell me what exactly you are doing here." She walked off at a quick gait, returning to the kitchen that was her haven.
When everyone had settled in and washed away the dirt of travel, they proceeded to Veiviser's living room. There was an area with a comfortable couch and three overstuffed armchairs situated around a fireplace. A table sat in the middle of this. Above the fireplace, there was an interesting array of things. Two crossed blades hung there along with a large mounted fish Vei had caught a few years ago with his father. There was an axe, an empty place where Veiviser hung his club, and a few trophies proudly proclaiming "Best Baker of the Year". A cracked mask from a fallen Messenger (probably a Messenger who had served the family) hung among these objects.
Midna sat down on the couch with Link who sank down into the comfortable cushions gratefully. He was sure that his headache would leave now that he no longer had to work to hold on to Macha. Veiviser leaped into an armchair. Naeva soon came into the room with a tray. There were four cups of tea on it. Along with the tea, there was a delicious assortment of jam buns. Naeva set these carefully on the table before sitting down.
Veiviser quickly snatched a jam bun and began stuffing it down his throat. The boy was ravenous. Midna and Link each took one. Taking a bite, Midna found that it was sweet. She savored the taste before swallowing. No wonder Veiviser tore into the pastry at such a speed. The slightly bitter tea was a nice contrast to the sweetness of the jam bun.
"Now Veiviser, I would like you to explain what these two are doing here. I know you said that you were fetching help to keep chaos from engulfing Celestria, but what exactly do these two have to do with it?" Naeva asked, sipping at her tea.
"They've agreed to help me find Kamaria!" Veiviser said with a grin. His mother let out a small gasp.
Midna examined Naeva silently. The Twili's face was creased with worry lines. It was clear to see that she did not believe they could accomplish such a task. At the thought, Midna felt some irritation. Why was it that no one believed the task was possible? Was it because it really was that hopeless, or was it because the Celestrians doubted their abilities?
"Princess Kamaria has been missing for years. How are they going to find her?" She glanced at them and murmured, "Not that I doubt your abilities, but how do you find someone who has been missing for years?"
Veiviser shrugged. "They said they would do all they could." He himself really wasn't sure what the two of them planned to do. Perhaps magic of some sort? He looked over at Midna and Link.
Midna took over, "I might be able to use some magic to find her. If that doesn't work, I'll think of something. We promised to help Vei and your kingdom."
"Oh, bless you both." Naeva smiled, nodding her head sweetly to both of them. "It won't be easy. Princess Kamaria may not want to come back, but she was such a sweet girl… I'm sure she'll come if you explain things to her." Her tone suggested that she wasn't as sure as her words led one to believe.
The sound of a door sliding open halted the conversation. Veiviser stopped munching on his third bun. "Dad!" He cried happily.
A tall Twili walked into the room. His face was haggard from the work of the day. Slate-green eyes accessed the scene in his living room. He was wearing a gray shirt with red runes on the sleeves. Leather pants, gloves, belt, and boots completed his uniform. It was similar to Veiviser's and it was easy to see how Veiviser had gotten his messenger disguise. Veiviser's father had a crew-cut of orange hair that complimented his dark orange markings. There was a small scowl on his face, but it changed into a weary smile at the sight of his son and his guests.
"It's good to see you, Veiviser." His dad said with a nod at the grinning boy. He looked over at the guests and then at Naeva, "Hello Naeva."
As he said her name, she stood up and swept her arm towards Link and Midna, "These are Veiviser's friends, Link and Midna. Link's the hero while Midna is the Twilight Princess."
Veiviser's father bowed, first to Midna and then to Link. "Greetings, Twilight Princess, Hero of Twilight." His baritone voice sounded in the room. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. You may call me Aleron."
Midna smiled at Aleron, "It's nice to meet you too. Seeing as we're staying at your house for a few days, you can call me Midna."
Link smiled too. Aleron's face was a serious one, but it was a friendly one as well. "Hello Aleron. I'm just Link. I don't go by any titles."
"Very well." Aleron nodded his head to both of them before sinking down into an armchair. He reached over and picked up a jam bun.
Naeva stood up and began walking towards the kitchen. "They're here to help Veiviser find Princess Kamaria."
Aleron's eyebrows rose in surprise, "Are you sure you'll be able to find her? She hasn't been seen for years. No one's even sure she's alive anymore."
"I know she's alive." Veiviser said, eyes burning. "She has to be," he muttered.
"Well then, I wish you luck in your desperate search." Aleron nodded to both Link and Midna. He still believed it would end as a failure, but there was nothing he could say to convince them to drop the mission. Which is why he wisely kept his mouth shut.
Naeva came back in, carrying a cup of tea. She handed it to Aleron before sitting back down. "What's the castle like right now?"
Aleron sighed, lowering the teacup from his lips. "Things are hectic. Everyone still shows up, mainly because we're so used to it. Most of them don't do their job anymore. The guards sit around and gossip. The servants do the same. Everything's a mess. There are a few Twili who are looking to establish some working order, but we're failing." Aleron had not begun to shirk his duty. Despite only being a messenger, he had finished relaying news of Galathron's death to surrounding villages and was now working on helping establish order.
"Don't you have a Parliament that aided the king? A group of advisors? Someone who could become regent until another is crowned?" Midna questioned, thinking of her own council of advisors. They could be annoying at times and it was dreadful to sit through the sessions, but they were useful and Midna valued their advice. She knew that she could count on them to keep things in complete order when she was away.
"All dead." Aleron said with a sorry nod. "One day they all just fell over dead, with three diagonal slashes running through their chests. We assumed that Galathron had been killed, and we were right."
"He blood bound all his advisors?" Midna asked in disbelief. Sure, she had always known Galathron as a paranoid king who trusted no one, but to leave no one behind as a regent?
"He feared that one of them would rebel." Aleron answered. "If he had left someone behind, things wouldn't be in such a state." He let out a sigh.
Veiviser muttered darkly, "He didn't care what happened to the kingdom after he died." He reached for another bun.
"Veiviser! Don't say such things!" Naeva gasped in shock. "Every king cares for his subjects." She had never known Galathron personally, but he had been an okay ruler. He had built up defenses in case Zant invade and he had kept thieves off the streets. But as Naeva thought about it, she had to agree that what Veiviser said was likely. He had rarely invested in long-term building projects unless they related to the military or to him.
"If Kamaria is alive, then I hope you find her. We need a capable ruler and while she would only be 12 right now, she was always an avid studier. She would be able to restore order especially if she chooses loyal advisors." Aleron said. "Meanwhile, I will work with the others to get rid of any chaos in the city. As you know, crime rates have been soaring. A lot of the guards won't do a thing about it because there's no one to manage their paychecks."
"Isn't there any Twili capable to act as regent?" Midna asked.
Aleron shook his head, "We haven't been able to establish anyone on the throne. The smartest and strongest Twili all died when Galathron did. The only ones left are the ones who were in low positions. None of us have the education to govern a kingdom, and no one respects us anyway. I would ask you to do the job, but the people would not be pleased to be ruled by a foreigner."
Midna nodded head in agreement. She had never thought about ruling Celestria herself. While she was willing to help them, she had no desire to take the throne. "We'll find Princess Kamaria as quickly as we can. Surely the people will accept her."
Naeva nodded her head, but Aleron remained silent in thought. "The people loved her when she was young, don't you remember?" Aleron nodded his head to Naeva's comment.
Veiviser grinned and clued Link and Midna in on what they were speaking about, "Kamaria was always kind to anyone she met. She helped them out if she could. She gave money to the poor, she helped elderly Twili. She was a perfect little girl." His voice was full of adoration for his playmate. "The people would love to have her as their ruler."
"Hopefully." Aleron added gloomily. Veiviser looked at his dad in question. "They might doubt her ability to lead at such a young age. Or perhaps they will be unhappy that she hadn't returned sooner."
"Everything will be fine once Kamaria's here." Veiviser said forcefully. He didn't want to believe anything different and his childish mind blocked out any doubt about it.
The table lapsed into partial silence. The only sounds came from the quiet sipping of tea and the sounds of chewing from Veiviser. Each of them was in their own world of thought. Would Kamaria be found? Would it be possible to put her back on the throne? Would the people accept her? Would she accept the crown? So many questions and only one way to answer them.
Midna broke the silence. "You said we could use the library, right?" Her question was directed at Veiviser and he nodded his head. "When can we go there?"
Midna knew that they would not begin their search for Kamaria today. Tomorrow would be the start of their search. Today was free for any activity they wished to participate in.
"Anytime," Veiviser said with a shrug that indicated it didn't matter to him.
"Except today." Naeva said sharply. "I want you three to rest. You cannot rest in a dusty library. I will cook a real meal and then you shall all head to bed. Tomorrow after you finish your search for Kamaria, you can visit the library if you like."
Midna opened her mouth to complain before closing it when Link put a hand on her arm. She looked at the Hylian in mild irritation and a face that clearly asked, "What?"
Link nodded at Naeva. "Thank you. We'd love a good meal." He looked back at Midna. "We'll go tomorrow or the next day after that. I know you won't admit it, but you're just as tired as me and Vei. You'll need your energy for tomorrow."
Midna glanced around at all the faces. Naeva's was determined and motherly, a face that didn't want her to go. Link's was similar. Veiviser's was mostly apathetic (seeing as most of his attention was on his next jam bun), but he was shaking his head slightly to tell her not to go. Aleron spoke up,
"I would be happy to show you there tomorrow, but I am far too exhausted to go right now." His tone was strict and it ended the argument. She would head there tomorrow or perhaps the next day if they spent too long searching for Kamaria.
--
Two figures sat tucked away in one of the booths of a shady bar. The atmosphere was dark and there was the poignant scent of alcohol and smoke. It was an unpleasant place and it disgusted her. However, she had learned that it was a useful place for information. Twili seemed to spill out all their secrets when they had drunk enough.
The figure across from her was eagerly slurping down another drink. The man disgusted her. How could he drink something so putrid? She would never know. As she thought over the news he had given her, her fingers tapped on her full glass.
"So the Twilight Princess has finally arrived in Lunaris?" There was a nod from the Twili who had given her the news.
A scowl formed on her face, but it went unnoticed by the drinking Twili. Her face creased in concentration. How would this affect her mission? Certainly it would hamper it. The tempo at which her fingers tapped sped up.
Suddenly a thought occurred to her. Her scowl became a twisted smile. Perhaps the Twilight Princess and the Hero would not prove to be an obstacle? They could even be an asset, if she played things right. They could lead her right to her victim. She had been searching uselessly for weeks now, but they might be able to do the hard work for her.
She stood up abruptly. Her companion glanced up at her. "Leaving already? I could use with some company for the night." His eyes focused on her figure momentarily. A stupid smile formed on his lips.
She scowled at him and left without a word. Stupid drunk, they were only good for one thing and that was easy information. He would not remember her by tomorrow, which was important for a stealthy mission such as this one.
The fresh air hit her face as she left the bar. A sigh of relief left her. The air was still not as clean as what she was accustomed to, but she figured it was a city thing. Tomorrow she would be able to leave this dump of a city. That is, if the Twilight Princess and her friends chose to leave the city as well. She hoped they would. It would be a relief to get out in the open air again.
Yes, tomorrow would be the day she would finally be able to complete her mission. It would be a glorious day of blood and sweet vengeance.
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A/N: Cut! I hoped you enjoyed that little teaser I placed at the end. It was actually the easiest and the hardest part to write of this entire chapter. Easy, because it's a simple scene, but hard because I had to be careful not to give too much away. At first I was going to leave the gender ambiguous, but that turned out too tough to do. Reviews are appreciated.
Twilight Phantom Dragon