Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make excellent games for the rest of his days.) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Syrilla and Okam (sorta).

Chapter 9

"So... you must be Veran," Jack guessed.

"Indeed my dear Jack," the Twili sorceress said with a soft laugh. "Well Cleo, still running errands for my pathetic excuse of a sister?"

"So you two really are sisters! So what happened? Was it some kind of sibling rivalry?"

"You jest! It was nothing of the sort... I was banished from the Palace of Twilight for using the forbidden magic of the Dark Interlopers. I was fascinated by the old magic, you see, and experimented with it in my fascination. But my lust for more power caused the people to fear me for what I can do. Midna began to see me as a threat and the moment she became the Twilight Princess, did she banish me! Her own twin!"

"I'll bet you experimented on those innocent people against their will, like some abused guinea pigs!" Cleo countered in disgust.

"What of it. They served their purpose for a greater cause!"

"And what about the Essences of Light? How is it that you are learning of their whereabouts?" Jack asked.

Veran chuckled. "I have my sources... and they also told me that you Jack are to be removed."

"What?! Why?" asked Cleo in surprise.

"Because without him, you're nothing. In fact, his death will be your doing!" Before Cleo could realize what Veran meant, the sorceress swooped down on her. She became vapor and started engulfing the child. Cleo struggled to get it off her, but it seeped into her skin and she became still. Then Cleo lifted her head and let out a cruel laugh, her eyes filled with malice. "This body is so young and refreshing! Now her life is mine to control!"

"NO!" Jack shouted in fear and anger. "Let her go!"

"You won't have to worry about her once you're dead." She lifted the Skribal Sword to strike down the spirit when she suddenly stiffened. "What?!" She tried to swing down but her arm seemed frozen. "Why can't I move?... Get out... What?!... I said get out!... NO! Impossible!..." She fell onto her hands and knees. "You're not taking me! GET! THE HELL! OUT! NOW!" She let out a mighty scream. The dark smoke issued from her body and Veran reappeared before her.

The sorceress was panting hard from an apparent struggle. "...How?!"

"I'm not as weak as you think..." Cleo got up. "I was possessed once and I'm not going through that again!"

"Curse you! If you don't succumb to the darkness, then you will be destroyed by it." Veran lifted her arms and an electrical energy shot up into the air, creating a warp hole. A giant combusting moth appeared from it, then Veran dissolved away into the warp and it vanished. Cleo got her sword ready.

Cosmic Moth:
Actias Nova

It circled above her head and then nose-dived. The heat from its harshly illuminated form was hot enough to burn the skin and Cleo had to roll out of the way. She tried Sagittarius to shoot it, but didn't hurt it one bit. Jack noticed a blue crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and told her to aim for that. She shot it and the room went back in time. The time shift field also effected Actias Nova, reverting it back to a molten rock imitating larva. Cleo ran in to slash away at it. It defended itself by growing spines and shooting them at her, Cleo blocked them with her shield. While she was guarded, the worm shot another spine at the crystal and the room changed back. It laid eggs and the babies hatched out to attack her. Killing them off and dodging the flaming moth, she turned back time and attacked the monster again. She repeated the whole process one more time before it was finished.

The worm thrashed about in pain and then crumbled apart, its ember glow went out as smoke billowed from the body. Then a new glow appeared from within the time shift stone and it shattered. White round cut diamonds connected by silver chains floated down to her hands.

She got the Star Formation. The lights draw a map for the lost and traces their image!

...Mother!... ...our home... it is... gone... everything is gone!

Please be brave my son... we have escaped.

But father... he is... taken from us.

Do not fear for him, remember your destiny.

No mother, please!... Do not leave me!

One day... you will return here... and take back what is ours... I will wait for you... ...be strong...

... ...Mother...

Goodbye for now... my little boy...

Cleo and Jack walked out of the observatory and across the bridge. She gave a time shift stone shard, as big as her hand, to the carpenter ("This should cover it") as they passed. Meteroi gave them a ride on another cart back to the quarry. "Why were the beetles mining the gems?" she asked him.

"Because gems possess magical qualities, they give power to a wielder with supernatural abilities. The army seeks them out here in the Tempis Mine for Veran."

"So she's getting stronger..." Cleo concluded.

"Yes, she was. But you put a stop to that."

"Really, how?"

"By flattening the whole lot with that cave in. I know that wasn't your intention, but you just saved all the Mortrams from this enslavement, thanks to your dumb luck."

"Yeah..." Cleo felt a little embarrassed by that. They almost got killed by her reckless moves. "I just hope they never come back." They stopped at the now empty quarry. "Take care of yourself, now."

"Will do and thank you again." Meteroi reversed back into the cave while Cleo and Jack went back to the warp.

The moment they returned to the Palace of Twilight, Cleo went up to the roof to think. "Jack, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you that one time, when you warned me not to blindly charge into danger."

"Please, there is no need to apologize. You were merely acting out of compassion. You did the right thing in saving Meteroi."

"Do you really think I'm honorable? Cause... well, I know I've been acting like an idiot."

"We all act foolish sometimes. There is no shame." Cleo smiled at his comment.

"He's right you know," said a voice behind them. She turned to see Midna. The tall Twilight Princess stood radiant out in the half-light, then she walked over to them and was now in imp form. "You know I can't help but worry about you every time you leave to find the essences. I know I'm not your mother... but every time you're gone, I start to wonder when and if you will return safely. The thing is... you're risking your life to save my realm, and I could've stopped you out of concern for your safety, but I haven't. And sometimes I wonder if I have made the right decision in letting you do this."

"Midna, you don't have to pin this on yourself, this whole thing was my decision. If something were to happen to me, it wouldn't be your fault."

"What about your family, your brother Finn. He's no doubt out there somewhere looking for you, worried sick."

"...I can't contact him, so he can't know what's going on. I don't like to leave him hanging like that, but there's nothing I can do about it. I'm sure, if he knew what I was trying to do, he'd understand."

"Well then, let say we go to the library to ask Okam of the next essence," Jack suggested. "The sooner we finish this quest, the sooner we can go... home..." Suddenly, there was an alarming flash and he grunted in pain. The spirit fell to the ground and started to dim.

"JACK!"

Two Hylian guards stood watch by the main castle doorway as someone rushed toward them. It was a teenager. They crossed spears to block him. "Hey, is Zelda home?" He sounded out of breath.

"What's it to you?" one of the guards asked.

"I need to talk to her, it's an emergency!"

"What's your big excuse for trying to barge in?"

"It's my sister, she's been taken by a huge shadow. I think she's in the Twilight Realm."

"Twilight... Realm?" They looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"This isn't funny you guys!"

"Look," the guard said between barks of laughter. "Don't you have better things to do than play practical jokes?"

"What part of 'my sister is kidnapped' do you not understand?! You know what, screw this!" The kid tried to get past them, but they knocked him down and each grabbed him by an arm.

"I think you've had enough of Chateau Romani for one day." Then they escorted him (or rather half-dragged him) to the fountain.

"You don't understand! My sister, Zelda, I need help!" They threw him into the water with a splash.

"There, that outta clear your head. Now why don't you go home and sleep it off." Then they went back to their post, still laughing.

Telma was wiping a glass when Finn barged in. She looked up. "Well hello there hon, what can I-" But Finn walked right passed her without a word and started to climb up onto one of the tables and onto the high shelves. "Can't get past the guards, I take it?"

"Shut up." Finn was almost dangling from the shelf. A pot fell over and smashed onto the floor in his haste to get to the secret passage.

"Want me to fix ya something when you get back, Finn?"

"Yeah, would ya? I'll need the strength." Finn managed to crawl into the hole.

"Blue Chu Fizz it is then..."

*Cue Pink Panther Theme*

Finn came out the other side into the underground waterways and walked up the stairs to a trap-door. It opened up to a courtyard garden and he snuck his way past the guards, climbing over walls and up vines to the roofs. He stumbled once or twice and nearly fell off. He was approaching a window that would lead to the stairway which would lead to Zelda's room when he suddenly sank through a weak part of the roof and crashed into the hallway. He quickly hid behind a tapestry before a guard showed up to check out what was going on. Finn snuck up and knocked him out, then placed a piece of debris on his head so it would look like an accident. After he traveled down the hall into the kitchen, he heard someone ahead coming his way. He hid in the large dumbwaiter (it was a tight fit) and pulled himself up.

He finally reached Zelda's room, but she didn't seem to be there. He tried to get out and quickly realized that he was stuck. "Oh, great!"

*End Theme*

The door handle turned and in came Princess Zelda. She glanced at Finn and jumped with a gasp.

"Hey princess, I need your help... But first, can you help me?"