AN: I think I'm going to tentatively try to update this every other week. Because it's a drama and deals with a much bigger cast, it takes a lot more work to write than Hyrule Castle High and a lot of brainsy organization. I don't think I've been updating it every week anyways, and it's ended up being about every other week. I'm hoping that's more doable without me falling behind in the story and losing my groove.
Thanks for the follows/favs/reviews!
"We've been flying for a long time, Saria."
Tweet.
"I haven't seen anything. Have you seen anything?"
Tweet tweet.
"Do you even know what we're looking for?"
Tweet.
"So I should keep flying?"
Tweet.
He sighed. "By my calculations, we've been flying for three Light World days. Also by my calculations, we've gone in a pretty straight line."
Saria wasn't sure she believed this since the landscape or skyscape or WHATEVER this was made no sense to her eyes, but Vaati was smart and he grew up here, so maybe he saw something she couldn't. She twittered a sentence.
"I know, I know . . . there's not much else we can do . . ."
Midna sat in her large chair in her less-than large office, reading book after book about interdimensional travel. She knew breaking the link between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm had been the right idea, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try to find a way the two worlds could coexist while intermingling. She missed the people she came to know in Hyrule.
Especially Link, and to a lesser degree, Princess Zelda.
How had they been doing the past years? Did Hylians grow to the same old age as the Twili? Were Zelda and Link even still alive, or had they expired by now, by unnatural means? Link was always getting into trouble, after all, and Zelda wasn't any better.
Breezing down a page, she suddenly realized that because of her musings, she hadn't actually comprehended the last two pages she'd just read. Moaning grumpily, she turned back to pages to find what she remembered reading last. In all her studies she came upon the same problem that Zelda and Link were having, but on the opposite side. She needed Light magic with her Twili magic to create a doorway. There was no Light magic no matter how far she sent her influence—
Suddenly she stopped.
That's strange, she thought, closing the book. She stood and walked to her window, looking out at the beautiful twilit sky. A feeling reached her again, one she hadn't felt in a long time. She reached out a hand to the sky, to try to feel the sensation more closely. Light magic? How can this be?
It was faint . . . faint . . . it was gone.
Midna leapt to the windowsill and jumped out, her cloak billowing behind her. She landed lightly on her feet on a Twili magic panel, the kind that looked invisible except for green geometric lines across its surface. She used her magic to propel the platform. She didn't need the platform to move through the air, but recent years had taught her to save her magic where possible. She created a glass windbreaker in front of the platform and propelled it faster than a horse could run. Faster than Epona could run, she smirked.
She traveled over the Twilight City and into the mists of Twilight, trying to find the Light magic again. She had gone almost ten miles when she finally felt it again.
Fifty miles later, she had finally gotten close enough to perhaps see the source.
A young boy was flying ahead, which Midna found immediately suspicious. There were not many people who could do magic proficiently, much less levitate themselves like, well, SHE could. She levitated off the platform, made herself invisible, and flew a beeline toward the youth. As she got closer, she saw he was not a Twili, or else a very strangely colored Twili, all pale and lavendery, like a Twili who had no black patches and was made only of a purply underbelly color. The Light magic she'd felt seemed to come from a small point in his hat.
As she came within hearing distance, the boy suddenly shot straight up and halted, looking back, exactly at the point where Midna was. He looked right, he looked left.
Well, as powerful as he may be, she thought as her mouth curled up in cynical amusement, he's not as powerful as I am. He can't even see me!
He was talking, as if to himself. Then she noticed he kept glancing up, as if speaking to his hat.
A magic hat? A hat made of Light magic? Seeing the nervousness on the boy's face, like a cat whose hackles were raised, and the slight panic in his voice, she suddenly felt very confident that she would be in no danger by revealing herself. Making herself visible, she giggled and floated within ten feet of the stranger. "Excuse me, may I ask who you are, and where you are going?"
The boy's eyes widened, and she could feel his magic building up. "W-who are you?"
"Ah, but I asked first, haha! I mean you no harm. I am simply curious about your hat, which seems to exude Light magic."
Something popped from underneath the hat. A bird. Not just any bird. A Hyrulean bird, slightly green, with little swirly patterns on its body and wings, a lot like—
—like Link when he was in Wolf form. Surely this bird was the source of Light magic. The bird fluttered clumsily toward her, as though not used to being, well, a bird. It began twittering wildly and fluttered back to the lavender boy, who responded, "Huh? What?" The bird seemed exasperated and merely plopped into the boy's hands.
"Your bird seems to know me," Midna noted.
"What? Who are you?"
"I am Midna, Twilight Princess. I rule over the Twilight Realm. If I'm not mistaken, your friend is from the Light World."
The boy floated back several paces, holding the bird to his chest. "How did you know that?"
Midna held out a hand. She could really use Link's ability to go anywhere and get along with anybody right now. "Please, I mean no harm. I've told you my name. Won't you tell me yours?"
A single tweet came from the bird's beak.
The boy hesitated, then finally said, "Vaati. I'm a wind mage. And I'm super powerful so don't try anything! And my dad's a sorcerer, and he'll destroy you!"
Vaati? Sounds like the villain from a bed time story . . . "Your dad, huh?" she said wryly, raising her eyebrow as his claims. "Well I don't sense anyone else out here but you. Come a long way?"
Vaati bit his lip. Another tweet. Vaati glanced at the bird questioningly, and the bird gave another, longer, pointed tweet. "A long way, yeah."
"What are you looking for?"
His eyebrows crossed worriedly.
"Your little bird friend seems to trust me. Why don't you?"
"It's just I've not talked to a lot of . . . people."
The bird leapt from the boy's hands and flew to Midna once again, twittering in agreement with what Midna was saying. Midna held out a slender hand, letting the bird perch on her pointer finger. "Oh my. You know, little bird, I have something that will turn you back into a Hylian. That is what you are, aren't you?"
TWEET!
"Really?" Vaati asked, still suspicious but much more eager. "You can help her?"
"Perhaps. Who is she?"
"Her name's Saria."
That name struck a note. It sounded familiar. She levitated closer to Vaati and began, "Usually when Light Worlders come into the Twilight Realm, they become spirits, not birds. The only one to ever turn into an animal was a holder of the Triforce of Courage—Link." Suddenly she became very distraught. What if this bird was another hero, born after Link died? Could there be two Heroes at a time? She masked the pain in her heart and forced a smile.
Vaati gasped. "Link! Yeah, Link's her dad! Oh my gosh, Saria, is this where you were taking us?"
Saria twittered once, proudly.
Her father. Link is her father. She looked at Saria. "And is Link . . . alive?"
Saria's head sank slightly into her body, and she did the bird version of a shrug.
Midna nodded once. "Your desire to get here must have been strong to guide you this close to the Twilight Realm through the endless mists. Vaati," she suddenly turned to the pale boy. "What kind of magic do you use?"
"Um . . . wind magic?"
"But not just that."
"I don't know. Dark magic?"
"Hm. Well, follow me. We should return your friend to her original state, but not until we get back to the Twilit Castle. Why don't you fly beside me and tell me everything?"
"FEET! I HAVE REAL FEET AND NONE OF THE TOES ARE FACING BACKWARDS!"
Saria was running up and down the twilit hall, arms in the air, staring at her hands in happiness.
Vaati sat in a corner, worry painted on his face as he sat with his knees pulled up and his arms around them. Midna regarded him closely, both magically and with her eyes. His magic was very powerful, but he was so young he had barely tapped into it. What scared her is that it was entirely similar to her own—true Twilight magic.
And she wasn't sure she could trust him. He seemed to care about Saria a great deal, but what happened when she was taken out of the equation? From what she could gather from his befuddling tale of the last few weeks, the only people he'd ever known besides Saria was his father, who was in a frenzy, and his grandfather, who sounded even less pleasant. She felt great sympathy for him, as well, knowing what it was like to be completely cast out from your own. He must be so confused. Midna sat next to him. "So, Vaati. I may be able to help Saria return to the Light World, but what about you? Are you going with her?"
"Yes he is!" Saria shouted cheerfully. "He's gonna come live with us at the ranch, we have it ALL planned. We're going to ride horses together and chase after poes at night and become super awesome sorcerers together! Right, Vaati?"
Vaati turned his face away, looking sad.
Saria stepped closer and asked in a hurt voice, "What's wrong, Vaati? Isn't that what you want?"
Quietly, Vaati responded, "Yes."
"Then what's the problem?"
"I can't."
Saria's jaw dropped. "What?"
Midna frowned. His magic must really be Twilight magic. The only reason Midna had survived in the Light World was because Zelda bestowed her Light upon her. Someone like Vaati, who had grown up in Twilight, could never hope to live in the Light World.
Vaati had, in much simpler terms, explained the same thing to Saria.
"But Princess Midna can help you!" Saria sat down and cuddled next to Vaati, clutching his arm. She looked pleadingly at Midna. "Can't you?"
"I'm . . . not sure,"
"See? She's not sure! That's not a definite no, Vaati! We're gonna figure this out, okay? You and me. Together. I promise. I won't leave you behind. I pinky promise and cross my heart and hope to die."
The first smile, albeit a tiny one, Midna had seen from the boy appeared. "You really won't leave me?"
Saria grinned. "Nope!"
"Gosh, Saria, I don't know what I'd do without you. Can you really help her get to the Light World?" he asked Midna.
"I sense Light magic within her, and if it's enough, we may be able to establish a bridge. Temporarily. Long enough to get her across."
"But I'm not going without Vaati," Saria restated.
Midna chuckled. "I understand. You're just like your father." This was why she'd basically had to trick Link into letting her break the mirror, waiting until the last moment to let him know what she was doing so he wouldn't and couldn't stop her.
"My dad said something about a seal being broken," Vaati began.
"Oh, that's right!" Saria had yet to tell her version of the story. "So basically the seven sages—one of them is named Saria, by the way, like me!—the sages told me that the seal on Vaati's dad and grandpa was broken and they could go anywhere in the Sacred Realm that they wanted. Or, Twilight Realm. Or Dark World." She crossed her eyes. "Whatever. So anyway, they told me to come find you because you could help me get back home," the joviality left her face and a thoughtful look appeared instead, "but . . . the sages are in trouble. And so is Hyrule. And now so is the Twilight Realm because of Vaati's family."
Midna's voice lowered in pitch slightly. "This is more serious than I first considered. Saria . . . I am not sure how to return you to the Light World as of yet, nor do I have the strength to do both that and protect my city at this time."
"That's okay," Saria responded understandingly, clasping her hands behind her back and swaying back and forth. "I'm not going without Vaati anyway."
Midna pursed her lips, not sure how Link would feel about that, not sure how SHE would feel about that. She stood. "I the very least, I may be able to send a message to Link telling him you are alright."
"You should tell my mom. She's probably had a cow worrying about me."
"Who is your mother?"
"Her name is Malon, from Lon Lon Ranch!"
The ranch girl? I never would have guessed. "I would love to contact her, but I'm afraid I can only contact someone I know from the Light World. Your father will have to do."
Saria groaned. "I am going to be in soooooo much trouble! I'll have to much out all the stables for weeks!"
Midna grinned at the punishment. Just like Link to use farm work to teach lessons. She suddenly turned to Vaati. "Wait a minute. You told me of your father. Who is YOUR mother?"
"Father never told me," Vaati replied sadly.
"Was she a Light Worlder?"
Vaati shrugged.
Midna shook her head. He knew about as much about his mother as Link did. "Very well. You are welcome to stay in the castle, of course. Actually, you have to. Adult's orders."
"You're not my mom," Saria protested.
Midna raised an eyebrow. "But I AM an adult." She bent down and grinned her sharp teeth at the little girl. "And if you misbehave I can totally tell on you to your father."
Saria puckered her lips and squinted her eyes, putting her hands on her hips and lowering her chin. "Fine. I wanted to stay in the castle anyway," she said airily.
"Great! Now you're both probably hungry, so let's go eat."
Vaati was super uncomfortable. He'd just barely gotten a glimpse of the Light World, and then he was in that crazy "mists" place, and now he was in the Twilight Realm.
It was just getting to be too much. He didn't know what he was eating. He didn't know much about plates and forks. He didn't know what he was drinking or looking at, it could have been animal or vegetable. Or fungus, for all he knew.
As Saria chatted animatedly at the live version of a character from her father's history, Vaati ate what little he could and cut the rest of his food into nervous little bits and shoved it around his plate.
Midna seemed to notice, since she said, "We have an extensive library if you'd like to explore, Vaati."
He pushed his seat back. "If you don't mind, I'd rather fly around the city and look at stuff. Is that okay?"
"Certainly."
Standing, he said goodbye to Saria, who looked sad he was leaving, but didn't try to stop him. Then an idea sparked on her face. As Vaati headed toward to nearest open window, he heard Saria ask, "Can you turn me back into a bird?"
"Not right now," Midna replied, "I think he wants to be alone."
What did SHE know? She was right, this time, but what did SHE know? He flew out the window. He traveled away from the castle and to the little city at its base. The buildings were small, some the size of his bedroom, really. They were strange. He landed and was stared at curiously by strange-looking people who spoke a funny language. Some had big faces or tall bodies. They were strange. The sky never changed colors but it kept pulsing. He hated it. It was strange, too.
Strange, strange, everything was strange! He rocketed back into the sky. All he wanted was his own room, his own bed, and that none of this had happened. He wished he'd never heard of the Light World, or the Dark World or any OTHER world. He just wanted to go home, to fight with his stupid grandpa and be annoyed by his stupid father.
WHY did things have to change?!
Saria said she wouldn't leave him, but really? She'd have to leave sometime or her father would come get her, and he had no hope that Midna could help him at all. She hadn't gotten herself to the Light World, after all. His vision became blinded by tears. He would never fit in anywhere, but at least at home he hadn't been alone and things stayed the same. He knew his dad. He knew his grandfather. They were . . . familiar.
It was all hopeless.
He glanced back at the Twilit Castle.
I'm sorry, Saria.
"Vaati hasn't come back yet," Saria noted when the Twilight Princess came to check on her before bed.
"Really?" Quelling her doubts and suspicions, Midna sat at the edge of the bed and laid a hand on Saria's arm, saying, "I'm sure he'll come back when he's ready."
Truthfully, she already knew he was gone. She would have noticed sooner and tried to stop him, but she had been using her magic and a little of Saria's to get a message sent to Link. It took several hours, and by the time they were done, Midna could sense the young sorcerer was gone, with no trace as to where he went. Perhaps she could trace his magic?
AN: Meh. I'm not very good at writing Midna yet. I've never done it before . . . 's not terrible, though.