Chapter Twenty-Four
Sapientia est potentia
"Wisdom is Power"
The Princess of Hyrule opened her eyes, not knowing what to expect but pleased nonetheless with the beautiful sight she was given. Zelda was standing in a courtyard; one she didn't recognize yet knew was on the grounds of Hyrule Castle from the blue flags that stood atop the battlements and towers high above her. Each bore the crest of her family as they snapped in the breeze. Zelda drew her gaze from above and looked around the location in which she resided. The Hylian understood that this was her home from long ago - that what she was witnessing was the past.
Zelda stood on a small stone bridge at the entryway to the garden. A little stream of water flowed beneath it and around the island of land in the center, separating the area from the grey stone walls that reached for the infinity of bright blue sky. In the middle of the hexagonal yard was a small patch of golden flowers, shining like the sun, and beyond that was half a dozen stairs that led to another bridge of sorts which met with the wall opposite of where she stood, stopping before a window. A young girl intently gazed out to whatever lie beyond the glass pane, just as she herself had done upon her imprisonment in her own castle not long after the land succumbed to twilight. Zelda took a step forward, making her way to the center of the courtyard. As she reached the bed of golden flowers, the child turned.
Her gown swung with the movement, the pink in her dress a shade more purple than the flowers in the planters on either side of the half-bridge. Zelda expected an expression of shock from the speed at which the girl spun about, seeming to be unaware of her presence until a moment ago. Instead, a serious face greeted the Hylian.
"You have come," the child spoke solemnly. Her demeanor and countenance was much more mature than one of her tender age should be capable of displaying.
"I see you were expecting me," Zelda answered in the same manner, secretly wondering as to how the child did, but simultaneously knowing deep down.
"In a way, yes. The flow of time is cruel like that. I knew we would meet one day, us being the same soul. The only question was of when. Yet you have come now, and I know you wish to address an important matter," the child reached her hand out towards the royal from the Era of Twilight, displaying the back with the Triforce of Wisdom a moment before turning the palm upward. "Come."
Zelda followed the orders of the child – of her past self – and approached the window.
"Look," the young Zelda instructed the Princess as she knelt before the glass pane. "You see that man?"
"Yes," the elder responded simply. Beyond the cold and clear divider knelt one that was quite recognizable, no matter the era.
"He will come again."
"I understand. Even if it is not by his hand the next time, evil will fall once more."
"And you will do nothing to stop this?"
"I have done all I could in this lifetime," Zelda the elder said, pushing away from the sill yet still gazing beyond. "Is this all you have to address?" she turned to the child, only for the girl to no longer be at her side. Zelda spun around, looking for her other self. Instead of seeing the Princess of Destiny, the blue eyes of the Hylian met the red gaze of a Sheikah warrior.
"No," the one in the garb of the ancient guardians spoke. The attire was quite similar to that of which Zelda had worn during her venture with Link and Midna to the Sacred Grove. Across the front of the outfit was a red eye – this time lacking the tear – symbolizing the shadows of the Royal Family before the war that drove them to another realm. "Do you fully understand the burden you have placed upon those that will follow?" spoke the one wearing an altered version of the guise that Zelda of the Era of Twilight had taken up. The Hylian shook her head in response as she stood confidently.
"It is no burden. The burden would be to leave it all in the dark, to not ever reveal the truth and plague them with a future they are unprepared for. As I have said, I have done all I can in this life. It is up to those that will follow to be guided by our light when once more an era of darkness cloaks this land."
"Wise words. I'm proud to know you and I are the same. I wish I could have seen that in my time. My ignorance caused much suffering," the Sheikah spoke with a hint of sorry.
"But you have taken heed of that, have you not?"
With the statement from the Hylian of the Era of Twilight, the guise slid from the body of the Sheikah before her and in its place stood a small young girl, garbed in a pale pink bonnet and complementary dress – the same child that gazed beyond the window upon the beginning of the vision.
"Yes, I suppose we have," she said with a tender smile. "You may leave now. Thank you for your time."
"No, thank you, Your Highness," Zelda spoke, nodding her head respectfully before turning to make her way over the small bridge opposite the window, walking out of the courtyard.
The Princess of Twilight resided in the body of an imp, hovering in the serene beauty of her world, yet there was nothing around her – nothing but the familiar glow and drifting geometric particles of the realm known as her home.
But was she home?
No. She wasn't.
The Twili looked to her hands; the tiny digits seemed as fragile as twigs and the lines on her skin painfully reminded her of those that plagued Link. Midna sighed. These markings were a curse of sorts, weren't they? It proved her people were corrupted… but they had moved on. They had become peaceful and free of the pained past. She knew that as a fact.
The sound of footsteps in the void broke the thoughts of the Twili, summoning memories from not all that many days – or nights – past. With all that had happened, she had forgotten about the nightmare that plagued her slumber, simply brushing it aside as nothing but a negative manifestation of her struggles. She didn't realize until now that it was a warning. A warning she hadn't taken heed of.
Fear gripped her like a vise and Midna's mind whirled as she tried to frantically recall the message she was given before and what it could mean now that she seemed to be facing it as reality. The rhythmic steps became louder, and although there was nothing to stand on in the emptiness, the echoing of feet fell heavily on what sounded like stone. Midna spun about to face someone she had never before seen clearly yet knew she had confronted before.
The robes the man wore were vaguely similar to those of Zant's – and her own that she had given to the Sheikah. The pattern on Midna's cloak which had become Link's adorned the front of the stranger's garment, and upon clearly seeing him, the Princess could tell he looked less like a Twili and more like a resident of Hyrule, even though she knew for a fact that he was the former from the eerily familiar eye that lacked a tear as it seemed to stare into her very soul from where it was embroidered onto the cloth.
"Who are you?" Midna asked apprehensively, fearing the response that she knew would come. In reply the stranger smiled. A twisted smile - one that reminded the Twilight Princess of Zant - sent a shiver down her tiny impish spine.
"Who am I? Who am I, you ask? Midna, my dearest Midna… You know this already, as we have met before. Do you forget?"
No, she didn't forget, and she couldn't upon seeing it all with her own eyes once more. The Princess was only stalling as she tried to fully grasp what was playing out before her. She feared she wasn't prepared for what would come to pass, but the impish Twili didn't have a choice now. She had to face the truth – whatever that may be – here and now.
"I am the true King of Shadows that wished to free our people from this accursed realm long ago! I attempted to unite Light and Shadow by strengthening the dark magic our family held and forcing the Mirror open from our side. You know this history that I am! Why do you play ignorant?"
"I…" she drifted, holding her tiny hand before her face and inspecting it. She knew all that in a way before he spoke. She had sensed it, sensed the instability of him, of the past mistakes. Her ancestor continued as she brought her corrupted appendage to hang loosely at her side once more.
"I was driven mad! My attempt to bring together the two worlds proved to be for naught! I simply wanted to make darkness! Just as Zant did, just as you are doing here!"
His words caused the Princess to snap. She tensed for a moment before viciously rebutting his statement
"I am not making darkness, I am letting each know of the other's existence. I am showing the truth, not lies like what you hide behind!"
"Lies? I don't hide behind lies! I am not a lie!" he shouted, cackling maniacally. Midna shivered, yet tried not to let it show. He seemed erratic. "No, I am not a lie," he spoke a moment later, suddenly composed. "What our people did… I have told the truth, and you know it. So Midna, will you follow me? Will you take the same path I have, Twilight Princess?"
"No!" She shrieked; shrill impish voice piercing the void as she bore her fang. The one before her simply ignored the aggressive response she gave him.
"Look at yourself! You're cursed just as we all are! Cursed to be in the shadows! You cannot consort with their kind unless you wish for dominance over them just as I have, just as Zant had!"
"But we are of their kind!" she shouted back, not expecting herself to snap yet again after doing so only a moment before. The cursed Twili was unable to contain her aggression, letting the words flow without thought.
"We originated in the Light. We weren't Hylians, but we were by their side! Even if we were cast into the darkness, a shadow cannot exist without a source to create it! We can't destroy them, and I will not succumb to the darkness in that way!"
Midna was shocked at how confidently she spoke. It seemed the more he angered her, the more enthusiasm and drive she had to do what she saw was right, free of fear now. Maybe the warning of the dream prepared her for this deeply in her subconscious, it only surfacing once she faced the ordeal.
"Really now?" the King of Shadows from the past spoke, twisted smile on his face once more - only to slip away a moment later, seriousness taking hold. "Think on it all. Have you forgotten our past? Our people's history with those light dwellers? What had happened…" he drifted, smiling again. A moment later he disappeared into particles of twilight. Midna looked around frantically for him, completely still as her gaze cautiously scanned that of her empty surroundings. Suddenly the Princess felt warm breath on her neck but when she tried to move, Midna found she was unable. "It all worked in our advantage…"
Suddenly the imp was freed from the invisible force that had bound her up until a moment ago, squirming and falling to the nonexistent ground as she stared up at the King of Shadows who hadn't stopped speaking.
"The spirit of the one you love hadn't been born into the right world in that time! With my power though… with the blessing I had been given so ironically, I was able to escape from my imprisonment in another world and wreak havoc!"
Midna stared in horror as she realized that this just wasn't one of her ancestors… it was also the spirit of Evil from ages past; born into her kind and forced into the Twilight Realm only to fail escaping, dying from madness and after much time reborn once more to another form… one she had known and fought herself.
"He on the other hand… he was stuck somewhere beyond the influence of the Goddesses themselves! I know not where, but I thank him for it. Without the lack of Courage in the time long past, the Interloper War wouldn't have come to pass… but then too our imprisonment wouldn't have either…"
Midna was confused. The demon of sorts before her seemed to simultaneously blame and praise Link's previous lives. It was true. He had been driven mad. Nothing he said made sense. After a few moments the Princess spoke, trying to confirm something that came to her mind with his words.
"So… he didn't run away?" she asked as she stood.
"Run away? He never had the chance to! No matter how much he wished - if he indeed did - he couldn't flee! He was imprisoned! Like I have spoken already, I do not know where or how, but he was unable to follow his destiny for whatever reason."
Those words relieved Midna, knowing that Link hadn't abandoned who he was in the past. He would be glad to know that as well.
"But since he wasn't able to do anything, look what we did instead! The blood is on your hands too, Twilight Princess. Look," her ancestor spoke, gaze drifting to Midna's feet. The current ruler of the Twili followed his sight and gasped at what she witnessed. Once more she was in her true form, but at her bare feet in a pool of blood was the broken body of an all too familiar Hylian - one recognizable no matter the era.
"Z-Zelda…?" Midna's voice shook as she suddenly felt cold at the sight before her. The Twili knew it was the Hylian royal, even if this wasn't the same Princess she had come to know personally; the quickly fading crest of the Goddesses on the back of her hand proof enough. The one before her lay sprawled in an unnatural position, iced eyes vacantly staring into nothing as pale skin starkly contrasted the bright red liquid oozing from various gashes and soaking into the fine silks that had been torn to look like nothing more than scraps of cloth scantly covering her form. The Twili reached her hand out towards the deceased royal, only to see her own skin dripping with the bright liquid that until recently coursed through the veins of Hyrule's wisest one.
"So what will you do now? You know this – or worse – is fully possibly if you indeed bring together the two once more."
"N-No…" Midna spoke shakily, drawing her eyes from the corpse before her and focusing her intent gaze on the one standing a short distance away. He was toying with her in his twisted way, and the Princess knew that. All this was an illusion to get her to break down and succumb to the wishes of the darkness. The Twilight Princess took a deep breath before speaking. "We are peaceful now… we understand our mistakes… We understand them and know that even though this is possible, much worse may come to pass if we do not take heed of what has happened," the Twili spoke, voice becoming more and more confident with every word. She stepped over the body of the deceased Princess, which disappeared into fragments of twilight with her action.
"You say that bringing the two together would create nothing but suffering, in effect making the past repeat," Midna's pace increased as she neared the King of Shadows. He took a step back from her, expression no longer menacing but instead almost fearful. "But no, you are trying to convince me to keep them separated by using that logic. It's what you want! You know that if Link's soul is born in a world other than the one you come into, then you will have your way… You will once more try to destroy it all. I can't let that happen…" the voice of the Twili drifted and she began to glow. The blood that was on her hands turned to a liquid golden light and the corrupt ancestor of hers cowered at the sight. "So I will prepare ourselves for the future."
The glowing liquid light slipped from her hands, falling to land in the nothingness at Midna's feet. A quiet plop echoed around the twilit void and from where the liquid made contact with seemingly nothing; four orbs of familiar light drifted from the point, growing larger as they came to Midna's eye level.
Suddenly, their brightness grew, forcing the Twili to avert her eyes. Once she brought her gaze back, the King of Shadows was gone and the four Light Spirits hovered before her in the void.
"You are wise for one not possessing the blessing of the Goddesses," a call echoed. Midna wondered if it belonged to the ethereal beings in her presence. The sound wasn't a singular voice, but rather many. It seemed like a choir of young and old speaking to her. "What you say is true… We are stronger together."
"Yes," Midna replied, thoughts suddenly going to Link now that she had banished the threat around her. "We are always stronger together… That is why I must do this. It's what his parents wished, too…" she drifted, wondering what Link was facing at this very moment. "I hope one day soon he's willing to reveal everything he keeps hidden, but until then I'll be patient. After all, I know I have to do the same as well."
"We all do… so we shall show you the choice you must make in order to bring about that reality… to create a portal once more, you must make a sacrifice."
"A… sacrifice?" Midna asked tentatively. She somehow had the vaguest feeling that those words were coming and feared what they meant, but the possibility for something better that lie beyond was more promising that whatever she would have to give. At least the Princess hoped so.
"Yes… You are here for that, are you not? The Fused Shadows are a power not meant for a time of peace or of worlds no longer plagued with hatred. Although struggling and pain are inevitable once more, this ancient sorcery will do nothing to either aid or hinder those events if kept in this form. They have served their purpose forevermore. So, will you give them up? Are you willing to make this the truth? To forever destroy that of your ancestors? Think on it. You may be eager, but think on what this magic means to you."
Midna did as she was instructed, recalling all the events that centered on the Fused Shadows. Their creation was the birth of the struggle against the Hylians, the starting point for the ones that defected from their masters to throw the world into chaos. Sacrificing them would be best… but they also held another meaning. They were, in a sense, her crown for a time – sins that followed her wherever she went, constantly making the Twili contemplate her people's history on her journey with the one she had grown to love. They were a power that allowed for so much, but they were also a power that had brought upon even more. They needed to be remembered for what they had done so pain and suffering from them would not come to pass in a future time.
"Yes," she spoke simply after a pause she felt lasted a moment and simultaneously an eternity. The gaze of the Princess was determined as she looked to the spirits before her. "They are no longer needed in this form, yet they must live on in another. They must be remembered as to never again let what has happened repeat, and I understand that."
The spirits looked at her in silence following the words Midna spoke. As the time dragged on she began to wonder if they would approve of her decision. Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak once more, they replied.
"We accept your choice, Princess of Twilight, and we thank you for it."
The Light Spirits nodded to Midna with those words and the Twili let out a sigh of relief as she drew the Fused Shadows from where she magically stored them. Each piece came to hover before the respective guardian that sealed it; the fragment that adorned her head as a crown now in the care of Ordonia – just as it would have been if her kind hadn't managed to frailly grasp it and drag the accursed power with them during their banishment.
The Princess watched with patience as the already worn stone began to age further; each segment becoming enveloped in light as the grooves wore down to a smooth surface like a blank slate, allowing for a new history to be carved in another form. The Twili watched almost sadly as the ancient stone started to crumble into dust, eventually disappearing into nothingness. It had been her only hope of sorts on her journey with Link to stop Zant. No, it wasn't the only hope and no, she wasn't sad because it. She was happy. That horrid power was gone now. It was becoming something new, being reborn.
It was part of the cycle.
Bad and good, they continue in a pattern. That pattern can never be broken, but it mustn't be gone against. That was the lesson Zelda had wished for the Twili to grasp, and silently the Princess of the world of Twilight thanked that of her Hylian counterpart as the final speck of dust from the ancient relics winked out of existence.
Nothingness.
That's what he saw all around him: blackness, devoid of warmth even. A shiver went down his spine at the nihility that somehow seemed to press inward on the Sheikah. Link didn't want to ever face this again, and fear took its tight hold. He forced himself to inhale deeply for a few moments. No, he wouldn't be afraid. He would embrace the courage his soul still held and would forevermore as part of the choice he made during the previous trial within himself; the choice that was right and had been reinforced by those close to him with their subtle kindness of simple presence that he had begun to fully see only now that their existence wasn't on this plane.
Link thought back on the last time he was in a darkened void, alone. He recalled every word spoken, now knowing that some were lies and others were truths, but still confused about some things. He thought on everything he experienced in his nightmare from before, wondering what to address first and if any further truths would come to light in this darkness. Eventually, after a long time of silent thought, the Sheikah spoke cautiously; his own voice echoing around him as he addressed something he hadn't cared to think on in depth, but suddenly came vastly important now that he was here once more.
"Is… the Sacred Realm really within me?" the once Hero questioned, afraid of the answer to the query he asked to no one, knowing – no, hoping – that something would reply to his frail call. After a few lengthy moments that he felt lasted an eternity, brightness filled the expanse, causing the Sheikah to close his red eyes. With the words that belonged to one he had never before heard, he opened them once more.
"You can say the Sacred Realm is within all of us," a divine voice spoke. "It, just like everything in existence, is a creation of the Goddesses. It is all connected; everything is part of a greater cycle. Even the Interlopers had that pureness within them; yet they were blinded - unable to see the light they held and instead shunned it. For they could not be what they had become without at least a soft glow to cast the deep darkness within their hearts."
"Who are you?" Link asked; eyes wide as he vaguely recognized the woman, her simple white gown swaying in a nonexistent breeze as long blond hair almost hovered about her weightlessly. She seemed to have features familiar to Zelda, Midna, and somehow himself as well as every person he had ever seen in this life and that of the one he had witnessed during his time within himself at the Sacred Grove.
"I am Hylia," she smiled, dipping her head the slightest. "I protected what the Goddesses left behind, acting as a watchful eye over their creations. I do not know why they departed from what they brought into existence, as that is a mystery even to me. All that I understood is it was my duty to witness what they created. Then without warning they intervened from wherever they hid; telling the Light Spirits to seal the darkened power your dearest one currently possesses. All I could ever do until this moment of our meeting was watch. For I cannot interact on the same plane as you without assistance, this aid provided by the spirits you have summoned. In a sense, I am a guardian of sorts. I am also known as the Goddess of Time. I have witnessed everything, unable to directly take part in anything myself unless aid is provided. The Golden Goddesses have more power in that sense than I, although they had abandoned their creations and I took up their duty for a time. A time before I shed my divinity in a legend of long ago. In a way it is because of me that the curse seen as a blessing is placed upon you, and that of Zelda too. She is I, reborn as a mortal."
"Then… who am I? You say Zelda's soul is yours…" Link asked, eye wide from shock upon knowing that the one before him was the first form of the Hylian Princess.
"You…" she drifted, gaze sorrowfully falling from his face only to a moment later meet his red eyes with her own that seemed to rapidly shift though every color known, blending into an ethereal glow. "Link, you are very special. Your spirit is one of great mystery. In each life you have been different, but your essence the same. You have lived many times - many pains and imprisonments, many joys and freedoms and possibly most important: many loves by the simple happiness of being near the side of one you would do anything for. Your first self… not even I truly know, but that matters not. Every era, whatever you have been, you have risen to accept your duty. You need to see now that you are no longer plagued by it, happiness waits. Yet you must take action and grasp it quickly, before it slips into the darkness we all carry within us to balance that of the light. You hesitate, falter with each step you take… For this is your way in this life, and I know of it. Yet you must expose the truth soon, even if there is the risk of a greater pain… because even one as pure as I isn't solely of truths," Hylia's gaze became hurt, and Link couldn't help but feel sadness deep within himself from the Goddess that was somehow a part of all living beings, just as the Sacred Realm was.
"I must accept that as truth from what I have put the ones dear to me through by keeping secrets; hiding who I am and what I was… I have pained them but haven't clung to that sorrow," she reached her hand out and Link looked to it. "Kneel, and take this blessing as a final test. For from the endurance of momentary pain comes happiness in the wake of sorrow."
For a few moments the Sheikah stared at the extended appendage of the Goddess before him, contemplating her words and what this last ordeal of his would be. Link took a deep breath, gently resting the palm of his hand on that of the Hylia's; faint mark of courage visible to the divinity from where the symbol gazed upward. With her touch, Link was given a vision.
Color suddenly flooded his senses and next to him sat a woman in a pick dress, her feet dangling in the water of the pond below as the two rested atop a rock. She gently caressed a golden lyre as she turned her head, bright blue eyes meeting his while she laughed.
"So, what do you think?"
Link felt his mouth hang open. Just as during the time in the Sacred Realm within himself and the visions of the Hero's Shade, he had no control over his words or actions.
"But… you're a Goddess – you're Hylia. I —" She cut him off, pointing a finger at his face and causing his eyes to cross as he tried to focus his sight on her elegant digit.
"No, you don't understand. I'm not Hylia," she drew her hand away, relaxing once more; face somewhat sorrowful as she took a deep breath, drawing her gaze from his to look down at the water as she watched small fish swim about her toes. Link sensed what the one before him was about to say would be possibly the most important and wisest thing she ever told him, even though he had never met this the blond-haired woman before but knew the two of them were deeply intertwined in a past life – the life he was witnessing here. Eventually she met his gaze.
"Sorry… I'm not Hylia anymore, I mean. I only want everything to go back to normal and us to be, well, us. As for me being the Goddess… that's something in the past. We have to embrace who we are right now, and who we were before all the pain began, what we came to know of one another as we grew up side-by-side. We can't forget what's happened but at the same time, we can't be held back by it. Moving forward while being guided by wisdom from the past…" she drifted, looking down to the harp in her lap.
"We can run from it, we can fear it... but there is something we must never do." She looked up to him, face unreadable. "We must never forget it. Long kept secrets breed hatred and pain. It will happen again – I know it will, and there isn't any way to prevent it…" her voice drifted once more and her sight fell. Not a second passed before her bright blue irises gazed into his again. "But… there is a way to learn from it. The next time the Evil comes, we just might be ready. We can shorten the suffering and lengthen the happiness. The peace that follows is something we deserve from the knowledge we acquire and pass on to the ones who must face it next."
The girl sighed after her short speech, leaning her shoulder against his. She was silent for a few moments, absentmindedly plucking one of the strings on the lyre. She let the sound fade to nothingness around them before propping her chin on his shoulder, their faces close.
"Even after all this, it doesn't matter what I have been or the changes I've gone through. I'm still your Zelda and… I hope you can be mine, Link."
Link felt his mouth curve into a smile.
"After all we've endured to be by the side of the other again, there is no one else I'd rather spend my life with. Besides," she spoke, grinning. The one who was previously a divine being pulled back from him and sat fully upright, drawing her fingers across the stings of the lyre as she continued. "You'll still need someone to make sure you wake up in the mornings, don't you, Sleepyhead?"
The two of them laughed and the vision faded, colors becoming muted and blurring into nothingness. Not a moment later a much darker sight greeted Link. He was standing alone in ankle deep water that glowed golden, the color the only light in the blackness. Hylia was nowhere to be seen and the shallow sea extended out into darkness for infinity. This scenery was just as when Zelda had asked the then Hero to lend his abilities during the final battle with Ganondorf. The Sheikah looked down to the water that lapped at his boots, his shadow slipping away from him and coming to hover before Link. It was a little imp, one all too familiar with a single pointed tooth jutting out over her lip as she let out a laugh – that beautiful, wonderful, and memorable laugh that meant so very much to him.
Link couldn't help but smile at the comforting noise. The imp's face took on a serious expression and a moment later she summoned the dark magic of her – of, in a way, their – ancestors. The Fused Shadows hovered around the small cursed form as her large flaming eyes followed them. The ancient magic then converged on the tiny body of the one that accompanied him, enveloping her small shape in the foreboding stone mask of dark sorcery. Bright light flooding the once-Hero's vision and after it faded, the royal stood before him.
Link stared in shock at the transformed Twili; just as he had done when he first laid eyes on her true form.
"What? Say something? Am I so beautiful you have no words left?" she joked, same laugh - albeit a little deeper - echoed about her as she tilted her head the slightest. As the chortle faded the royal took a step towards him, suddenly stopping a moment later and balling her hands into fists, face once more becoming serious as a single tear slid down the pale blue skin of her cheek. Link's expression turned to one of concern at the abrupt sorrow of the Princess. "See you later," she mumbled, quickly turning on her heel and walking away from him.
Link gasped, rushing towards the Twili, but she was faster, her pace increasing as he attempted to chase after the one he loved. The glow of the water slowly faded to nothing; the only proof of its presence came from the splashing of their feet as the two ran into the unknown. Link was losing her. She was becoming distant - fading into the blackness around them, the subtle aquamarine glow of the markings on her skin the only thing still visible in the darkness he suddenly found to be so very oppressing.
Link's strides became more difficult - his feet refusing to follow the orders of his brain. The Hero looked down. Ice had now begun to crawl up his legs, binding him in place to the water that had before seemed so pure and innocent. His gaze traveled from the ground, distressed as he watched her run further and further into the void, leaving him behind just as she attempted to do the day she shattered the Mirror, but this time so much closer to succeeding.
"Midna!" Link shouted in what he thought would be a vain attempt at stopping her. With his cry the ice unexpectedly shattered, freeing him from his prison. The royal abruptly came to a halt at his word, her feet no longer sloshing in the liquid. The Sheikah was frozen for a moment even though the cold prison no longer bound him, unbelieving that simply calling her name had worked. He began to run, memories of the moment the Light Spirits brought her back to him as he crested the hill in Hyrule Field flooded his mind.
After what he swore was an eternity, he finally reached her; grabbing the hand of the Twili to make sure she wouldn't leave him behind again - alone once more. Slowly she turned to face the Sheikah, tear still gradually making its way down her skin. Before it could reach her chin, Link lifted his arm; extending his hand towards her face and wiping away the single shining drop of precious liquid with a sorrowful expression on his own face.
"Don't go," he spoke, pained and confused by her actions.
"But you tried to leave me even though you said you cared… You locked yourself away from me just when I thought we could be happy together. Link, I'm just doing what you did. It hurts so much to see you not being yourself like before you became ill. I can tell you're trying to get away in a sense. Now that you're better, I thought everything would be back to how it should but… it isn't. So if it means you will be back to your normal happy self, then I'll not just give you space, but leave for good."
"What are you saying? That's not true! It would hurt more if you were gone, so, so much more. I-I love you… I just don't want to see you hurt and I'm back to how I was before, not distancing myself from you," he stuttered, struggling to keep his voice even. He couldn't lose her. Not after everything they had gone through. Somehow it felt as if she ran from him here, she would forever leave him in the world of Light and return to her own - just as she had attempted to do over a year past.
"Then why did you act like that? Why were you being so different with me? You know I love you too. Link, this shouldn't be so hard for us… after all we've faced together."
For a while there was a cold silence between them, Link breaking it as he slowly spoke words he had no intention of finishing, not knowing just exactly how to explain his actions that he had now learned from and had begun to change for good.
"Because… I…" his voice drifted into the nothingness of their surroundings, not knowing how to respond.
She looked to him, tilting her head the slightest. "What? Princess still got your tongue?" her joke was only half-hearted; smile detached from emotion. Without a word he suddenly embraced her, burying his face against the crook of her neck. The Sheikah hadn't realized how much he'd changed since he first held her close the day the Mirror shattered, and just how much the two of them had gone through because of that now shattered ancient relic. His newfound height was partly an attribute of the Sheikah blood within him that had caused his physical pains since returning from the Sacred Grove, his body adapting to that of what he was now.
Midna rested her hand on his head, ruffling Link's hair as she let out a small chuckle.
"Then just be yourself. You know you can tell me anything you want whenever you want, okay? Let's not keep doing this. I liked what we had going before. We were on the right track then."
Link drew back, ignoring his messy bangs from the process of her disheveling them and instead focusing all his attention on the beautiful Twili that stood in his presence; even if she was merely an illusion of the one he loved as the once-Hero was tested in his devotion to that of the woman he saved and had come to deeply care for. The Sheikah hadn't noticed when his eyes began to water, obscuring his view of her. Link nodded at the words of the Twili; in response a genuine smile displayed on Midna's face.
"See you later, Link."
And with that, the Twilight Princess disappeared into little black square fragments of the familiar magic that the two had come to know so well from their time spent together.
The three that had done much in saving two worlds opened their eyes to be greeted with an awe inducing sight. Before them stood the gateway that once more connected the realms of Light and Twilight. They had finally done it; created a portal to bring them together permanently once more - and it was stunning. It looked vastly different from the one created by the Mirror of Twilight and it didn't hold the serene beauty of the previous gateway, but nonetheless the door still had its own allure.
A glow emanated from the portal; light from the markings drew the gazes that looked upon it across the surface of the newly rebirthed powers. The gateway had features of that from the world of Light in addition to the Twili magic reminiscent of the Fused Shadows, but now pure and uncorrupted. Around the edge were golden twisting runes that resembled those seen on the bodies of the Light Spirits and their orbs of power. As these markings snaked their way inward, they began to transition into that of the ancient Twili magic, runes becoming less like those on the Light Spirits and more similar to the patterns seen in the Twilight Realm. Eventually the symbols began to turn into a spiral design, exactly the same as what was in the center of the portals that dotted Hyrule during the time of the battle between the forces of light and dark.
Within the very core surrounded by a small section of blackness, where the markings similar to the warping portals began to fade, was the mark of the Divine Three. A shimmering Triforce was directly in the middle of the gateway and within the hollow place between the three connected triangles hovered the symbol of the Sheikah; eye wisely gazing outward and single shining tear slipping from the bottom lid, but the tear that fell from it was not one of sorrow, hate, or regret. No - it was made of the purest golden light that held understanding and knowledge.
Zelda eventually let out a breath she wasn't aware of holding and the two to either side of the Hylian royal drew their gazes from the sight, looking to one another.
Link turned to face Midna and smiled widely, a single tear streaming down his face. After the event, the Sheikah wasn't afraid or hurt, but rather, greatly relieved. There was one final step, and knowing he had faced everything so far, Link truly felt he was ready for the last thing he needed to do, even if nervousness still gripped him tightly.
The Twilight Princess didn't expect Link to give her a look of joy so pure it held a tear, she and almost jumped back in shock from the sight. She wondered what he could have possibly witnessed to show emotions such as that. Upon seeing her reaction Link quickly wiped his forearm across his face.
"It has been done," Zelda spoke with relief, the red eyes of the other two settled on the Princess a moment or so later. "We have once more brought together Light and Twilight, but not to create darkness. We have done this to pass on knowledge and to learn from what has happened. I thank both of you for your efforts."
"No," Midna spoke, the others turning to her. "I… thank you Zelda. I should have seen it; back on the day I shattered the Mirror… We could have avoided all this if only I never used my powers. I should have stopped to think everything through. All I've done… I've been selfish in a way, thinking I knew best. We could have opened up the two realms then, ridding both worlds of the heavy secret they were bound with… but I was afraid and ignorant," the Twili explained, briefly looking to her hand that would nevermore be that of an imp's before her gaze once more settled on the other Princess.
"We cannot change the course of history, only learn from it," Zelda replied. "What you have done here is proof that we have come far since the days of the Interloper War. Mistakes are meant to happen for a reason. Without them, we would never learn or understand and be stuck in a vicious cycle of regret. Now that we have experienced a time of sorrow, we can finally attain what has been out of reach for so long. It will not last forever, but it is something we must embrace now. We are stronger together and very well may not have succeeded in any of the ordeals that have come to pass without each other's aid. We need to keep the worlds of Light and Twilight in balance, connected in peace and sharing the knowledge of one with the other.
"The Goddesses designed the Sheikah to watch over and protect the Royal Family. I believe that indirectly the creation of the Twili was meant to do the same, in a way of sorts. The Twili are meant to show that even with past transgressions, we can heal our wounds and move forward, not be trapped by and in the past. It is a design we should meet with all of our actions. Hopefully then we will be better prepared for whatever comes to pass in the future before us. Evil will return again no matter what. It is a never-ending cycle as I am sure the two of you have come to understand. The form it will take and when it appears, there is no way of knowing… but for now we must live in this peace. It is the happiness we deserve from the struggles we have had to endure."
"Wise words as always, Zelda," the Twili replied once the Light Princess finished her short speech. The Hylian ruler smiled softly and Link nodded, expression the same as that of Zelda's.
"So this is finally it…" he drifted, countenance becoming serious once more as he tore his eyes from the other two to look upon the gateway.
"For now, yes," Zelda spoke. "I do believe you have much to address in the world of Twilight upon your arrival back there, and I expect sometime in the near future that you will once more cross back, bringing news of your realm's status, will you not, Midna?" the Hylian addressed the Twili.
"Yes. I'll inform my people about what's happened and that the world of Light is now once again connected to ours. The council will be interested in all this and I think they will be looking forward to it."
Link sighed, bringing his gaze back to the others. "I'll have more work as well now."
Midna smiled a bit. It wasn't exactly a full smile, knowing that all this did indeed give Link more work. She thought on it for a moment and her smiled grew the slightest bit wider.
"Then I believe you two finally understand everything, do you not?" Zelda spoke. She wished to confirm that they would be able to mend their bond once and for all; never again allowing themselves to hurt one another in this way. If indeed they struggled again, she would gladly provide support. The Princess just hoped they didn't have to suffer any more than they had. After what she said and what they must have faced just moments ago, Zelda understood that the two wished to move forward now just as much as she wanted them to.
"Yeah… I'm sorry. I didn't think my actions through either when I followed Midna to the Twilight Realm. It's partially my fault, but from everything I've faced, I've learned from it... and I'll keep learning like you said, Zelda," the Sheikah drifted, looking to the Triforce on the back of his hand. It wasn't as obvious on his skin as it was before the ordeal in the Sacred Grove, but it hadn't completely left him, and it never would. Link thought he finally understood everything fully. His bright red eyes looked back up to Midna. "Ready then? I know you've been wanting to go back… and I do too, especially since I know we can come here again."
"Link…" Zelda drifted as Midna took a step towards the Sheikah and the portal. "I do understand that the two of you are eager to return, and I too wish for you to do so, but do you think it would be best to wait a short time before you enter the Twilight Realm once again?"
"What do you mean?" Midna asked concerned. She was itching to go home, but also knew the Hylian would have valid reason for delaying their departure. Zelda wouldn't prevent them from their happiness without a deeper meaning.
"Although we have created another portal to that realm once more, we must keep in mind the form of this magic is new. It may not be immediately stable. I hope you can understand my precaution and possibly wait a day before you go forth," Zelda spoke seriously, a mild smile filling her face a moment later. "In the meantime I do wish for you two to enjoy yourselves, maybe even leaving the castle grounds now that you will be able to freely travel between worlds without regrets. I will make a formal announcement to my people of our alliance once you have enlightened your council, Midna. Yet in the meantime I do hope it isn't a trouble if you can be cloaked if you decide to venture out of the castle."
Link and Midna looked to one another, remembering the terror of the unstable portal collapsing upon their arrival in Hyrule.
"With the power of the Light Spirits having aided in the redistribution of the ancient magic I believe I am being far to vigilant, but I do wish to be cautious. This time tomorrow evening should prove to be ideal for your return," Zelda spoke reassuringly, looking out the balcony past that of the portal; her blue eyes reflecting the almost twilight glow of the slowly setting sun beyond. It was the same time of day that their initial departure upon the shattering of the Mirror took place. It seemed the creation of this new gateway took longer than the three had anticipated if the light was drawing to a close. Yet maybe that wasn't a coincidence, the hour of twilight cloaking the land exactly as it had a year past during the event opposite of what the three had just endured.
"No, you're right," Link spoke, following Zelda's gaze for a moment, then bringing his sight back to the Twili next to him. The Princess of Hyrule looked to the two before her as the Sheikah continued. "I also think we should wait a bit. Now that we know we can travel freely back and forth, I'd like to finally go out and see Castle Town for a bit, even if people are wrapping up for the day."
"Excellent. I will leave you two and see if I may be able to inform some of my council regarding our success thus far," the Hylian replied with a nod, the ones before her returning the gesture before the Princess briskly turned and walked away to attend to her duties that she had fallen behind on.
Once she rounded the front of the throne, the Hylian and Sheikah met the eyes of the other.
"You have plans?" Midna asked, brow raised.
"Well…" he drifted for a moment. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to Telma's."
After finding something to cloak the features of the Princess, she and the Sheikah set out to Castle Town. Link wasn't as overwhelmed by the crowds as he had been before. It was in part thanks to the fact that many were packing up their wares for the day and heading home, but also due to Link almost completely having become adjusted to his Sheikah senses.
"Do you have any special reason for wanting to go to Telma's?" Midna asked as they made their way down the south street.
"I just thought we'd let her know about the portal. Yeah, I know she said she didn't want to get caught up in everything when she left us outside Castle Town, but still. I feel like we owe her at least that. Besides, it's not like she'll be able to stay away from it all considering that the Twilight Realm and Hyrule are now connected."
"You have a point," Midna laughed as they made their way down the stairs leading to the woman's establishment. This lightheartedness between her and Link made the Princess feel wonderful. The Sheikah held the door open to let the Twili enter, and the two stepped over the threshold into the familiar bar.
"Welcome to –" the owner of the pub stopped mid-sentence, realizing who her patrons were as she looked up from the counter she was leaning against and tapping her fingers on. A smile spread across her face at the sight of the Sheikah and cloaked Princess accompanying him. "Well, well. What brings you two here?" Telma asked, standing fully upright. She was a bit surprised to see them, but simultaneously glad the two decided to drop by her place before going to the other world, whenever they would return, that is.
"We wanted to let you know something and needed a bit of time away from the castle," Link spoke as he and Midna approached the counter. The pub owner glanced around her bar, noticing that the only person present was the town doctor, sleeping at the end of the counter as usual. For some reason it had been a surprisingly slow day, especially at this time, but maybe that was for the best. She could focus on her guests.
"What would that be?" Telma questioned as she began preparing two mugs, filling them each with a separate drink and setting them on the worn wooden surface between her and her customers.
"Well, it's kind of a lot," Link spoke as he reached for the mug that was before him. The Sheikah took a sip; a questioning yet mildly happy expression crossing his face as he swallowed the white liquid he was given. "Ordon goat milk?"
"I thought you'd like it hun," she spoke with a wink. "I stocked up from our travel south. I'll be frank and say I'm surprised you didn't notice it on our journey back, but I do suppose that could be expected thanks to what you had endured and all that was on your mind. Besides, you didn't have to sleep next to it. So, as you were saying?"
"We have some good news," Midna interjected, speaking before Link had a chance. The Sheikah gladly let her take over, savoring the familiar taste of his favorite drink. Something he had wondered if he'd ever be able to enjoy again, but now...
"Link and I will be traveling back to my kingdom tomorrow, but we hope to visit again in the near future, and I think you'll be glad to have more customers," the Twili continued.
"What do you mean?" Telma asked; glancing to the mug she placed before the Twili. Midna picked it up a moment later but didn't yet drink any of the golden liquid in the container.
"As you know from Zelda's tale on our way back here, I had shattered the Mirror that was the previous connection between my world and this one, but Link and I managed to cross between the two by creating a temporary portal that drained the magic of my ancestors, " the Princess explained. Telma nodded, recalling the explanation. Ever since then she'd so far managed to mostly understand it all, but was curious as to where the conversation was going. She saw from Midna's actions and the royal Hylian's tale that the past of the Twili was wrought with strife, but much had changed with time.
"Thanks to Zelda's help and the power of the Light Spirits, well, long story short, we made a permanent one," Link finished.
The leader of the Resistance looked between the two before her, mouth hanging open the slightest.
"So you're saying you can go freely back and forth now? Just as it was before?"
Midna nodded in reply, speaking after a moment as she tapped the nails of one hand on the side of her mug.
"Yes. We're in the process of getting everything finalized between the two realms. When we return tomorrow I'll have the paperwork approved by my council and then at some point Zelda will make a formal announcement of it all. Knowledge will be brought to light for the general public and our realms treated as neighboring countries in a sense."
Link nodded with the Twili's words, Telma smiling.
"Well, I think this calls for a celebration, don't you hun?" the bartender spoke with enthusiasm, taking Link's now empty mug and refilling it as he smiled in reply to her question.
Midna took a sip of her own drink while watching the two. Immediately she slammed the container on the counter, causing some of the liquid inside to slosh out. Link and Telma snapped their heads to the side to look at the Princess with wide shocked eyes. The Twili forced herself to swallow before speaking, face twisted in an unpleasant expression.
"Tastes like rotten apples…"
"You don't like cider, hun? I got this batch in just yesterday and haven't yet taste tested it myself, but if it's bad…"
Link stared at Midna, then the mug of hers that sat on its lonesome on the counter.
"I suppose that could be why it cost me so little," Telma spoke, reaching for the drink and taking a sip herself, only to grimace. The Sheikah looked between the two, their expressions absurd. Link couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, and soon he was laughing so hard he almost fell off of the barstool.
Once Midna managed to suppress the unpleasant taste, she joined him in his joyous action and was soon followed by Telma. From there on the three spent the rest of the evening talking and drinking Ordon goat milk while the town doctor slept through it all.
The next day they prepared for their departure to the other realm. Little needed to be done thanks to the fact that the two hardly brought anything with them, and Zelda arranged much behind the scenes during Link's strange actions upon their arrival at the castle. Now they were back to normal completely and fully. The two could move forward.
Link and Midna decided to simply walk throughout Castle Town, admiring the changes it had undergone over the course of the year they had been in the other world. After some time they left through one of the side gates, making their way towards the crumbling amphitheater and away from the crowds the Sheikah had found to be overwhelming now that the market was at the peak of its busy period. He thought he would be used to his senses by now, but maybe he still needed more time.
After settling on the worn stone steps, the two looked out towards the Great Bridge of Hylia at the afternoon sun. Silently Midna pulled two apples from beneath her cloak, handing one to Link without drawing her eyes from the view.
The Sheikah looked to the bright red fruit, taking what she offered from the hand of the Princess.
"Do you have an infinite supply of these in some sort of twilight pocket of yours?" Link asked, taking a bite of the juicy food and once more gazing into the distance. Midna laughed the slightest, sinking her teeth into her own fruit and chewing for a few seconds then swallowing before she spoke.
"Hmm… Maybe. The apple thing is going to be regular between us now, okay?" the Twili replied. Link grinned, as he chewed, a little juice dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. The Sheikah quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand before Midna had a chance to see it. Swallowing, he looked to the apple in his hand, turning it.
"Then lets hope that we find another way to eat them. I really might get sick of eating plain apples this often. Maybe we could have them as a drink?" he joked.
"Shut up," the Twili mumbled, remembering the previous night. Link didn't say anything after that, and the Princess hoped he didn't take it rudely. Neither spoke for a while and they finished their apples in the silence they shared.
"Midna…" Link eventually broke the stillness, sun now noticeably lower than it was upon them first arriving in the amphitheater. The Twili looked to him. "Thanks for just… being there for me through all this."
The Princess didn't exactly know what to say, staring at Link for a short while. The Twili drew her gaze from him once she noticed she had been simply admiring the way the glow of Hyrule's sun cast its light upon the Sheikah. Midna suddenly pushed herself into a standing position from where she sat, Link snapping his head to the side with the unexpected movement of the royal.
"I think it's about time we go back. Zelda shouldn't be worried about the portal any longer and I'd like to finally sleep in my own bed for a change."
The Sheikah smiled at her words, standing and tossing his apple core into a nearby patch of grass. Midna did the same as Link replied.
"Let's go then."
"Things will change greatly for our realms from today onward," Zelda spoke to the two as they stood before the gateway created the previous day. "I thank you for this and all that both of you have done for our kingdoms."
"No, thank you Zelda," Link spoke. "I… would have been lost – dead even – if it weren't for your help in all this."
The Hylian smiled sorrowfully at the words of the Sheikah. "This truly is the least I could do in return for all the selfless acts you have committed. You've reached the time where happiness is finally within your grasp, so I hope you can attain it after all this suffering."
"We will," Midna spoke simply. "I'm sure of it. Are you ready?" she turned to Link. In response he nodded and the Twili took a deep breath, stepping towards the portal with Link following her actions. He glanced over his shoulder to the Hylian that watched them go.
"See you later," Link spoke to Zelda, who nodded in reply. She knew this was best for them; best for all now the broken past was finally mended and an era of peace was on its way.
So once more Link and Midna stepped into the realm they had come to call home.
A/N: In case you didn't see the notice on my profile page (that I have now removed) I'm just going to say that I was an idiot and spilled tea all over my computer just the other day, causing it to immediately shut off. Long story short, I got it back up and running (seemingly) fine right now. Close call! (Also, FF's site seems to be having troubles again. Joy. -_-)
Anyway, I know this chapter was going to be long, but I didn't expect it to be over 10,000 words… so sooooooorry about that…? I guess. :P
I really like writing "vision-like" scenes since I get to let my imagination run wild. Could I just do a whole story of random visions? I was actually listening to Puella in somino from the Madoka Magica OST on repeat the entire time when working on the vision scene parts.
Also, the "cider" Midna was drinking is some ill-made hard cider that contained rotting apples, hence the foul taste (and cheap price poor Telma got it for). I thought I'd clarify that since it seems 'Murica is really the only country that refers to fermented cider as "hard cider" and I have no idea why. ._. I just really felt like writing something a bit amusing after the seriousness that's happened over the course of the story. Anyway, you have no idea how much I wanted to make Link get drunk and stand on the table in Telma's bar; rocking out on a pitchfork as if it were an electric guitar while singing about a nautilus (try getting that mental image out of your head) but that wouldn't exactly work since they don't have the concept of "rocking out on a guitar" in Hyrule, now do they?
…Phoenix, you know what I'm talking about. Don't play dumb because we had that discussion and you know it. :P