Die Rachegötter schaffen im Stillen. (The gods of vengeance act in silence.)

- Schiller


The children ran with the short guy across nextdoor's field. A stables left wide open awaited them, a redhead unpacking her wagon's crates. "There! Last crate of milk…just for old Mr. Mutoh!"

She wiped her hands down her apron and turned, eyes widening as bloodied children approached her. "Jaggle!? What's going on!?"

"Sorry to bother you, Malon! But these children need help!" the short man stated.

"I can see that!" The woman knelt, surprised when Zelda brushed off her comforting hand.

"I'm not asking to be coddled, lllady!" the princess snapped.

"Don't bother, already tried…" Jaggle commented.

Malon covered her heart. "Uh… I really think you need some help!"

"We don't. Thank you very much, milady." Sheik bowed. "But we are alright, really. We've had many scratches and bruises before, really, we have. Right now, we only need to find…her."

"Already tried…" Jaggle mumbled.

Malon looked at the silent Luna. "A…fairy child?"

Luna's blank eyes were so strange to look at. She just slowly shook her head.

Malon checked her things. "I have some cloth somewhere…"

Zelda cleared her throat. "We don't need that kind of help. Why is it you plebeians can't understand what's said to them?"

Jaggle sighed. "Like I said… Already tried…"

"Sorry about my sister's mood… We are in a hurry. Everyone at Hyrule Castle is gone."

Malon blinked once, twice. "Was our milk really that bad?" She nervously chuckled. "I sang my best to the cows, really!"

"It's not that! Lon Lon Milk is always good!" the princess defended. "Hyrule Castle is overtaken by some sort of evil. People vanished, these weird arms crept through fluttering portals in the air, some sort of shadowy Beamos also came… It was all so strange, something out of a nightmare!"

Malon was troubled. She looked at Hyrule Castle, the silent infrastructure quite normal despite some damages. Her eyes went back to the children. "What should we do?"

"We need to find the Queen of Hyrule," Princess Zelda said.

Malon's eyes went big. "She left the castle?"

"Snuck out," Sheik corrected. "Not her first time…"

"I didn't see any royalty passing through," Malon said.

"Neither did I," Jaggle admitted.

"She'd be disguised. Not that you'd ever notice," Zelda said. "We need a horse to catch up to her, if you haven't figured it out already."

Luna's gaze lowered. "You won't be on time…"

"Ah! Why didn't you say so?" Malon took a breath and sang a short, wordless tune.

A distant neigh echoed.

"Here she comes!" Jaggle almost cheered.

Thudding hooves sounded. A strong, reddish mare appeared, slowing to a canter to fetch a carrot from Malon.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Malon asked.

"She is!" Zelda agreed.

Chewing the carrot, the mare turned her head and noticed Luna, pausing mid-chew. She raised her head, as if to rear.

Malon patted the mare's side, calming her. "Looks like she's scared of you, fairy girl!"

Luna just stared blankly, though Malon smiled anyways.

"Alright, we have a ride…" Sheik said, then bowing to the grownups. "Mr. Jaggle, Ms. Malon, sorry if we seem odd, but thank you for all your help. We have a ride, now we gotta go. We cannot lose anymore time."

Malon nodded. "Keep her as long as you need. She is a lady of horses. Take good care of her."

Sheik nodded. "Thanks for everything! While we are gone, tell everyone that Hyrule Castle is under attack from dark forces! Don't let anyone near, it's very dangerous."

"I won't let you down!" Jaggle assured.

Princess Zelda climbed Epona's saddle, Sheik next and sitting behind his sister; he gestured to Luna. "Just wrap your arms around the person in front of you. Let's hope you don't faint, too."

"Aren't you a bit small to ride horses?" Jaggle asked as Luna seated Epona, the mare's ears pricking.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "HEIAH!" Epona raced off.

Jaggle coughed as dust settled.

Malon chuckled. "I had a feeling not to ask that question."


Epona ran across Hyrule Field, the homesteads far behind, sunset edging the faraway hilltop ranch.

"So, Luna…" Zelda spoke. "I think now's a good time for some explanations."

"About what?"

The princess turned her head and growled. "You know what."

Luna needed a few seconds. She shook when thoughts about the castle town swirled in her mind. "Everything after those bloody footprints…was The Beyond."

"So what's The Beyond?" Zelda asked.

"Something about what doesn't exist, well, suddenly existing."

"You're not making much sense, Luna," Zelda complained.

"I think it's something outside our world that fills the gap between dimensions, creating rifts that pulls things from other realms into ours"

"How did you find that out?" Sheik asked.

"Mīkāʼēl told me."

A heartbeat passed, then another, and another, then another…

"You know, Luna, when nobody says anything after your reply, it means we're waiting for you to explain yourself," the princess said.

Sheik squeezed Zelda's ribs, chuckling when she winced. "So tell us about this Mīkāʼēl fellow! You said he didn't like you?"

"Yeah, he doesn't like me… Talks a lot, tho. I kinda didn't pay much attention. I'm not good at remembering talking."

"What does he want?" the princess inquired.

"Not sure, he sort of, well, doesn't make much sense. I think he mentioned something about The Beyond being after him, though he also uses it for his own benefit. Can't remember anything else."

"Weird. Why can't we see him?" Sheik asked.

"Not sure. When I met him the first time, I saw his outline in the darkness. He wears strange red clothes."

Epona snorted, Zelda patting her mane. "He's some sort of bloody ghost. I bet he tried to get the Master Sword but it deterred him so hard he exploded, forcing him to exist as what little remains of him."

Luna pushed her fingers through her hair. "I…guess so?"

"Do you even know what the Master Sword is?" asked Zelda.

"A…magical sword?"

"Never mind, I forgot you're hopeless… Anyways, I recall you saying that Legion was an assembly of demons, but who were nice to you. Mother's friend mentioned they were corrupting people, causing problems in Hyrule and all… Do they have anything to do with this…The Beyond…stuff?"

Luna shrugged. "I don't think so. They just want to find their son before their world dies."

"So their world's dying," Sheik butted in, "while other worlds are coming into ours, while someone stole their son, while evil men are trying to kill them, while they are corrupting people, while Mīkāʼēl uses it for personal gain while also being its target…"

Luna shrugged again. "I guess so!"

Sheik sighed. "Talk about complicated…"

Zelda contemplated. "Hmm… Mom said something about someone bringing outside forces in…what was that guy's name? Can't remember. But I bet he's had something to do with all this."

"You mean the skull-man?" Sheik suggested.

"No, Mom never said skull-man… Luna, tell us about skull-man again."

"He's the one who wants revenge against the man who betrayed him, but also against someone who slew him. I don't remember specific details."

"Mom showed her friend a scroll. Must have been something really important… I knew I should have checked it out when they left! Oh, well."

"I think that scroll was just a big letter," Sheik said. "Didn't Mom talk about how a letter described her dreams?"

Zelda put her hand on her chin, thinking deeply. "Oh, yeah, something like that. The scroll must be a description of her visions, but some info must have been missing. That's why they're going to the Great Deku Tree, to find more answers…"

Luna shivered, her grip tightening against Sheik.

"...But Legion went ahead to the Great Deku Tree, as Luna said. If this Legion is corrupting people… And evil men are trying to kill them… While skull-man wants revenge against a young man, undoubtedly Mom's friend… And Luna just happened to know one of Legion went to find the Great Deku Tree… Then Mom and her friend will run into them and those trying to kill Legion."

Luna's fingernails dug into Sheik's clothing.

"Hm? Everything alright, Luna?" Sheik asked.

Zelda shuffled in the saddle. "And Luna told us Legion and skull-man were nice to her…"

A few seconds of silence…

"So?" Sheik asked.

A few more seconds of silence.

"Well, brother… I think your friend isn't a friend."

Luna's shoulders drooped. "I am your friend. I just…" She sighed. "I never knew Legion and skull-man would be so evil. I thought they were misunderstood, lost, forgotten souls…like me."

Zelda huffed. "Well, whatever... Your poor judgment really shows. If only you told Mom what you knew, she would have stayed… And Hyrule Castle wouldn't have been overtaken."