Rain was the first thing Sora felt. It pelted his already wet form and winds sent him shivering and clutching himself. He was dressed for nice weather, not rain and windchill. He looked around and realized he was at the castle he was charging into earlier.

"And now you care to guess where we are?" Midna quipped. Sora's teeth chattered, but he remained silent. She then yawned, "Isn't the black cloak of twilight lovely today?" Sora figured it was beautiful in a sense, but honestly it was too odd seeing clouds and skies being rendered in pale orange and dark grayish black. It looked sick, like he was.

Midna tugged at his hair, "Come on! I want you to go over to that tower!"

Sora shook his head to collect himself again and trudged off. It was pretty obvious which tower Midna meant, but it was still going to be a chore getting there. He jogged over to another spirit, catching another flash: "... monstrous birds..." He ignored it as he pushed a crate up to a elevated spot in the path and climbed up. He jumped down the other way, and froze.

"Big bird..." He murmured at the sight of an incredibly creepy bird of prey preening itself. Or, well, whatever it could do with its odd head that looked like what normal head it'd previously owned had exploded.

Sora cautiously backed up, "I don't think we should go that way-"

Midna hopped out of his hood and pushed him forward. The bird straightened, then took to the air with a warped and hornlike cry. Sora cursed under his breath and ran. He clambered over the dilapidated castle, picking up another bird tailing him. Midna kept yelling at him to fight but Sora was not going to fight an aerial opponent unarmed.

He saw some poles, "Midna!" She complied, surprisingly, and Sora jumped onto pole after pole and landed on the roof. He was dismayed to find that the birds had even more companions, and soon the air filled with frantic footsteps and blaring horns.

Sora climbed up and into the tower through a window, glad that the birds didn't follow.

...

Inside he collapsed against the wall, panting. Blood dribbled down his chin and he wiped it up. He then crawled in deeper, and jumped down to land on a staircase.

Midna flew off, going up the stairs, "This way!"

Sora ran after, "Hey, wait up!" He opened the unlocked door, "Midna I-"

He stopped himself as a cloaked, vaguely feminine figured turned to him. He could see a pair of grayish eyes in the shadows of the hood, darting to Midna, then him, then back to Midna, "...Midna?! Who is this? What are you doing here?" The voice confirmed the figure was female with its light pitch and graceful tone.

"I'm Sora." Sora walked to her, "I-I'm sorry if we're-"

"What an honor, you remember my name." Midna laughed.

The girl looked at Sora, "So this is who you were searching for..."

Midna punched Sora's shoulder, "Not what I had in mind, but he'll do." Sora glared at her, since she punched him exactly where he'd been hurt earlier and the area was still sore.

The girl noticed Sora's bandages, "You were hurt..." She looked away, "I am sorry."

"Hey now," Sora said, "That was monsters, not you."

Midna only plopped on his spikes of hair, "Poor thing has no idea where he is or what's going on. Don't you think you should explain to him what you've done and what's going on?" She giggled a little ominously, "Twilight Princess?"

Sora grabbed Midna and pulled her off, "If she is a princess you shouldn't be so disrespectful!" He nodded his head in a light bow, "And sorry for my previous disrespect-"

"Listen carefully," the girl stopped him with a whisper, "This land was once bathed in light and the place where the power of the gods was said to slumber. This was once the Kingdom of Hyrule." Sora sat down, deciding this would be a long story, and the girl did the same, "But that kingdom has been transformed by the king that rules the twilight..."

The girl continued to weave a tale of exactly what had transpired. A coup had been staged by this "King of Twilight", bringing monsters much more powerful than anyone in this realm could have prepared for. The army that the ruling princess (she had yet to be coronated to queen) had managed to summon for a counterattack had been decimated easily, leaving enough soldiers alive for the king's following leverage to be more effective; surrender to the twilight and live, or fight and die. Judging how the land was covered in twilight, it was obvious even to Sora what choice the princess had made.

"All the people know now is fear... Fear of a nameless evil..." The girl said, standing. She continued, "The kingdom succumbed to twilight, but I remain its princess..."

Sora's head snapped up. This girl was the Princess of Hyrule? He leaned back in surprise when the girl began undoing her hood, causing Midna to let out a small gasp as her hoodie bunk began swinging around.

"I am Zelda." The girl said softly, dark brown hair and an ornate crown now revealed.

Midna peeked out from Sora's hood, "You don't have to look so sad!" She leaned back behind Sora's hair with her hands behind her head, "We actually find it to be quite livable! I mean, is perpetual twilight really all that bad?"

Sora turned to her, "Well you grew up with it. As you've been seeing this stuff makes me sick! Literally!"

Zelda only shook her head lightly, "Midna, this is no time for levity. The shadow beasts have been searching far and wide for you." Midna jumped out of Sora's hood and floated around in the air, "Why is this?"

Midna laughed and shrugged, "Why indeed, you tell me!"

Sora glared at her, "Hey, give us a straight answer!"

"Sora, was it?" Zelda asked, "It's alright." She then glanced at the door, "The guard will make his rounds soon, you must flee." Sora grunted in annoyance when Midna crashed back into his hood, then shook his head before nodding to Zelda.

He began leaving, but not before he turned around, "Zelda?"

"Whatever question you have, ask it quickly." Zelda replied.

Sora then pointed to the tainted veins on his neck, "How come we're both still human, but I'm the one who's sick?"

Zelda's composure didn't slip, but her words sounded uncertain, "I don't know."

...

After wandering back outside, Sora was relieved to see that the birds had taken roost elsewhere. He sneezed a bit in the rain.

Midna danced around in the air a bit, "So, what do you want to do?"

Sora thought it over, then said, "Get me out of this twilight stuff already."

Midna gave him a smug look, "You sure?"

Sora nodded, "Yes I just want to get out of this stuff so I can help these people."

Midna held out her hand, "Okay then!"

Sora then felt himself getting torn apart and tossed away. He quickly realized it was teleportation, and managed to get out a cry of anger- after all, why didn't Midna do this earlier?! -but was swept away to parts unknown.

I swear those freaking Kargoroks were the death of me playing this game I always avoid them at this part. But annoyingly enough if Midna can teleport things why didn't she teleport Link in the beginning but oh well she's Midna pre-character-development who can really blame her