As FFN continues to struggle with displaying updated chapters for the first few days they're posted, I'd like to remind everyone that this fic is also found on Ao3, same author name and same fic title. (You do NOT have to be logged in to read it, but you do have to have an account to comment there).
Happy reading!
Chapter 30 – A Twili of Royalty
"I would appreciate it if I may speak first," Auru began, standing at one end of the table. Under his direction, Ashei, Telma, Link, and Isha had gathered in their meeting room. Though the silencing curtain was drawn, Telma had closed her bar down early after a quick exchange with Auru. They were the only ones remaining in the building.
"The things we are about to discuss are not to be shared outside this group here," he continued when there were no objections. "Isha and Ashei have stumbled across something that was never meant for the common man to know of, let alone interact with. It is vital that we protect all information regarding this mirror." He nodded to Isha, who held up the quilted bundle she'd arrived with.
Next to her, Link tensed. Earlier, he'd barely paid any mind to that strange bundle she carried, but now he couldn't shake how uneasy it made him. It was clear that both women had fought hard to obtain it.
What happened out there? He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked to his shadow. Midna made no sound or movement, though he knew she would be listening.
"The girls have brought to this bar a piece of something called the Mirror of Twilight."
Link forced himself to remain still, though the wave of emotions that crashed over him pushed that control. Among them was relief - his days spent struggling through old books were already driving him insane.
"This artifact was supposed to be under the protection of the Ancient Sages, but it seems that our foes found a way around their guard. Though it was never intended to be an instrument of harm, it appears the shard was influencing the yeti of Snowpeak to protect it at all costs." Auru turned to Telma. "We will need three Light seals to keep this fragment under control."
The barkeep nodded. "You know I'll have it done in a jiffy, honey."
"It is also imperative that we keep it covered entirely. Staring into the mirror invites its influence, regardless of how well its powers are sealed away." Auru looked pointedly at Link and Telma. "You must under no circumstance undo its wrapping."
"It'll also burn you, so you can't touch it, even indirectly." Isha added, holding up her scarred palms. "I was wearing gloves, but it burnt straight to the skin. Gold potion did nothing for me, as you can see," she added, her tone falling.
The old man nodded. "The mirror is a divine instrument crafted by the gods. It has many protections laid upon it to ensure it does not end up in the wrong hands. You will be hard-pressed to find medicine that can heal an injury from the divines."
"Lotta good those fancy protections did, yeah?" Ashei commented, kicking her feet onto the table and leaning back in her chair. "It's broken now."
Auru nodded solemnly. "Before we theorize why, you must understand its original purpose. You see, we call it a 'mirror' for its appearance, but it is much more than that. It's a portal between worlds. This one, and one of eternal damnation."
Link bit his tongue. His shadow twitched.
"Historically, The Royal Family used this portal to dispose of our most dangerous and uncontrollable criminals. Men thought to be under the influence of the ancient demon Demise, who our legends say is locked in an eternal battle with the souls of our Hero," he gestured to Link, "and our dear Princess. Those who follow the demon are banished through the mirror, doomed to live out eternity as spirits in a land of darkness."
Next to Link, Isha curled her hands into fists and clenched her teeth. "Is that so?" she asked slowly. "Is this some sort of arrangement they made with the ones who already lived in that realm?"
An uneasy tension settled between all of them.
Auru cleared his throat, his face full of questions. "There are no residents of that world, save for the very monsters that have been tearing apart our land. There have been some… complications with those who protect the mirror and maintain the seal that prevents those demons from reaching our world. The man you encountered at the Lake is one of these demons, and we believe he is responsible for the mirror's sorry state."
"So we've been dumping our worst into another world for… what, centuries? And we're surprised that something worse came of it?" Isha jumped to her feet, nails digging into the table. "It almost sounds like the existence of these monsters are our fault."
"That world was created by our gods to house the demons and the criminals, and that is all that dwell there." Auru's voice rose as he leaned over table. "It was the goddesses' will that-"
"To hell with their will! You're wrong. I know for a fact that there's-"
"Stop." Link pressed a hand on Isha's shoulder, trying to guide her back to her seat and calm her down. "Don't do this," he hissed under his breath.
Isha slapped his hands away. "You know he's wrong! The Twilight realm is more than just a place to throw our unwanted!"
"Why do you claim to know so much about this realm?" Auru asked, his tone growing suspicious.
"She knows because she took the time to meet the one who rules it," a new voice joined the conversation, dripping with anger. Link's shadow shifted, and from it emerged a monochrome imp with cyan tattoos and a gleaming, angry red eye. "She knows so much about us because, unlike you, she knows better than to take the gods' words at face value."
"Did she say she 'rules' the Twilight?" Isha's wide eyes looked to Link, who could only return her confusion.
Heavy silence blanketed the room. Even Telma was visibly shocked by Midna's appearance. The imp hovered over the center of the table, her back to Link and Isha, her glare turned to Auru. "How dare you call my people demons? We are a peaceful race! We have not had war in centuries!"
"You brought their leader to our safehouse?" Auru roared. Ashei leveled her sword at Midna, who simply rolled her eyes at the threat.
"No, wait!" Isha cried and grabbed hold of Ashei's arm. "She has nothing to do with the shadow beasts. I had my concerns at first as well, but, please. Hear her out and you'll understand. She's not our enemy."
Midna glanced over her shoulder at Isha and dipped her head in a slight nod. Meanwhile, Auru looked to Telma, who had finally cleared the surprise from her face.
Telma looked to Link. "You trust this one, honey?"
He nodded. "She's been vital in every step of my journey so far. I trust her with my life."
Midna shot him a glance over her shoulder that was equal parts thankful and annoyed. Do you want them to trust you or not? Link wished she could somehow read his thoughts.
Telma waved a hand laden with jewelry in the air. "Alright, relax, you two," she said to Auru and Ashei. "It sounds like our information may be outdated, so I suggest we listen and learn."
Ashei sheathed her sword, and Isha thanked her quietly. Auru crossed his arms and gave an small nod. With order restored, Telma turned back to the shadow that still hovered above her table. "And your name is?"
"Midna," she replied in a haughty tone, lifting her chin. Her eyes darted to Isha as she sunk back into her chair. "Before I address your ridiculous claims about my realm…"
Midna jabbed a pointed claw Isha's way. "Does your stupidity know no bounds? By your miserable appearance, I assume you've already seen firsthand what this thing is capable of. So enlighten me, why would you risk your life to bring it here?"
"What else was I supposed to do with it?" Isha snapped back. "Bury it in a hole and draw you a map? Midna, for all I knew, you were dead! I-"
"Why do you need me?! Take it back where it belongs after you've recovered and cleaned yourself up, you damned pest!" Midna grabbed Isha's collar and shook the woman. "Was the blood at least dry before you decided to drag the damn thing halfway across the kingdom to its most populated city?"
"Your concern is almost heartwarming," Isha spat and ripped herself free. "I didn't know where it belonged when we found it. I did know it felt the same as your Fused Shadows, and it turned Ashei's friend into a monster. I could only assume it was yours, and I knew if I had any chance of getting it back into your hands, I would need to bring it here. And I was right, by the way!" Isha threw her hands in the air.
They held each other's hard stares for a long moment. Link cleared his throat, drawing an annoyed side-eye from Midna.
"You should be thanking me for saving you two that miserable trip," Isha said finally, sitting back and crossing her arms. "I don't think I'll ever properly thaw out."
"Hmph…" Midna rolled her neck, and caught a very critical look from Link. "...Thanks. I guess you did a decent job, little bug." Midna's hair came alive and snatched away the bundle Isha still held in her hand.
Auru nearly leapt the length of the table, arm extended to the imp. "Stop! You can't-"
"Oh, calm down, ya geezer, or your heart might give out from the excitement." With a quick snap, the mirror burst into a shower of black particles that faded into the air. The quilt that once wrapped it fluttered into Midna's waiting palm. "Even in this form, my magic is more than enough to pacify the mirror. I've handled far worse. No need to waste your very interesting magic on something I can handle myself," she added, glancing at Telma.
Auru slowly lowered himself back into his chair, finally conceding control of the meeting to Midna. The air in the room was thick with tension.
Midna tossed the quilt back at Isha, who looked up at her with those too-wide eyes. Damn you for speaking up, she wanted to say. This was all Isha's fault. Sure, the old man's comments were hurtful, and Midna felt her people didn't deserve such slander. She could have endured a few moments, though, for the sake of their larger goals.
Isha had shared those opinions, once, anyways. Such ignorance was nothing new to Midna's ears. She didn't have time to be bothered over words.
My people don't deserve this reputation.
"Moving on…" Midna finally said, clasping her hands behind her back as she paced the tabletop. "Regardless of what your gods may think, my people are not demons, nor are we violent by nature. Zant is a madman, an outlier." Midna's expression fell slightly, and she clasped her hands behind her back.
"He was once a member of the court, but found little satisfaction with his station. He always dreamed of sitting upon the throne, and uniting the three Twili kingdoms under his banner. When the crown passed to me, he stormed out in a fit and disappeared. We were foolish to think that he would never return…"
Midna stood on her balcony, admiring the heavenly glow of Twilight that bathed the floating islands of her kingdom. She smiled and ran a hand absently over her braided hair. Since Zant's departure, things in court had been running quite smoothly. No longer did she have somebody fighting her every word and wish, finding fault with every little thing she did and said. His honeyed words filled with half-truths were but distant memories. Her advisors were loyal and admiring, and her subjects happy and thriving. Relations with the other kingdoms had finally been smoothed over, now that there was no advisor in her court crying for an invasion.
Another golden age was upon them, and Midna would see to it that it was their most enjoyable one yet.
Shouting from the lower halls shattered her moment of silent glory. She frowned. Had the scribes gotten into another heated argument over translations? Midna sighed and left her balcony with some reluctance. The preservation of history was a very sensitive subject in her court, and fights often broke out in the library and scribes rooms over barest of nuance. Though they were hardly vicious occurrences, it still was not a good look for her palace.
More shouts reached the queen's ears as she descended the stairs. Something was not right. Her steps quickened, bare feet flying down the stairs with the grace that came with decades of diligent training.
An explosion shook the building, and Midna lunged for the nearest wall to keep her balance. Debris rained down from the ceiling above in a cloud of dust. She coughed, then pressed on.
"What is happening?" she called, using her magic to project her voice to every wing. She kept her ears open to the shadows.
Screams were her answer. Screams, the crackling of magic, and the gruesome sound of tearing flesh. Midna's skirts fluttered between her legs, threatening to trip her. She ripped the belt from her hips and threw it aside. Body décor hardly mattered when your castle was under siege!
"Who is attacking?" her projected voice boomed. Deep in her heart, Midna already feared she knew the answer. How foolish they had been to think that the palace was rid of Zant so easily. He never did know when to quit.
With a snap of her fingers, she was burdened with the weight of her armor. It was crafted of the smoothest shadows, stitched with holy cyan that came alive under her power.
She finally reached the bottom of the stairs, and came face-to-masked-face with her former advisor.
"You didn't have to dress up for me." The bottom of his insect-like mask curled upward, revealing lips curled into a wicked smile. "I have only come to make an offer. Surrender the crown, or watch your beloved people die, dear Midna," Zant purred. "Just a simple yes or no will suffice."
Midna staggered back. No, this can't be happening, she thought. Her magic welled up within her, tattoos shimmering with energy. She had bested him once before, she could do it again.
But this wasn't the coliseum, and there were no rules of engagement here. Zant never was one to respect tradition.
The weight of her trident brushed her palm for only a moment before it was ripped from her grasp. Red lightning imprisoned her and lashed at her skin, leaving behind burns and welts. She cried in agony and tried to reach for her fallen weapon. The lightning flashed, and her muscles failed.
She looked with horror at her unmoving hand, where the gauntlet's stitching went dark. The shadows crumbled away.
"You may either pass the throne to me, and rule at my side as my consort," Zant said in a bored tone, "or I will purge this kingdom of all those loyal to you, and leave you with nothing but the shame of the weak and the guilt of knowing that you chose your pride over your people." He tapped a golden boot on her stone floor. "Choose now."
"You're…crazy…" Midna winced between labored breaths. "No one… will accept… your rule…"
"I believe you will find that many already do," Zant sneered, then turned to the side. Beyond the doorway, an army of twisted, dark figures waited, their chests glowing with red tattoos. Tentacles sprouted from their masked faces in all directions, writhing and lashing about the air. Their bodies were of solid black, and their limbs bent at odd angles.
Beyond the monsters, her palace walls were stained violet with blood.
"What have you done…?" Midna whispered in horror. "What are those creatures?"
"I have amassed an army, Midna," Zant replied. "I have grown stronger than even you. I have come to claim the throne, as is my right by law."
"Over my dead body!" With great effort, Midna burst from the prison of red and fell unceremoniously to the ground. She quickly rose to her feet, shadows still curling about her arms and legs, though her armor had long vanished. "There is no way I will let you run this kingdom to the ground with your pathetic rule! I drove you out of this palace crying like a babe once, and I will do it again!"
Midna swung her arm in a wide arc, bringing down a great tendril of shadow upon Zant. He met her swing with his own magic and pushed back.
His magic burned. It burnt through the shadow, scalding her skin where the shadow coiled.
The pain forced Midna to her knees, clutching her arm. Before she could raise another swing with her other hand, Zant closed the distance between them and struck her across the face with the back of his gauntleted hand. She tumbled to the ground.
Midna had never been struck in such a manner. A swat from the ruler by a tutor, maybe once or twice, when she was young and unruly. None had ever dared to raise a violent hand with such disrespect against the strongest mage of their time.
She touched her throbbing cheek gingerly, jaw slack with shock. Zant grabbed her hair at the scalp and drug her back up the stairs. The monsters filling her palace turned and began an orderly march outside the castle.
The splashes of their uneven steps through the bloodbath they'd created would haunt her for years to come.
"Stop it!" Midna cried, digging her claws into his hand. "You won't get away with this!"
Zant sighed and snapped his fingers. Midna's hands shot to her side, where they were bound by more of that painful lightning. Her arms failed after a few shocks. "Know that I gave you a choice, Midna. You could have prevented the slaughter."
"Stop!" Midna wailed again, kicking her feet around to trip her captor. He stumbled, then bound her feet as well.
"If you kill our people, what will your kingdom matter? You will have nothing over which to rule!"
"Oh, I will not stop with this kingdom, my dear," Zant said with another hard yank of her hair. "You see, this is only the beginning of something far, far greater. Everyone will have a choice. Join our forces and conquer the many realms together, or die by our hand."
"You've gone mad!"
"Perhaps," he chuckled. They reached the top of the stairs, where he finally allowed Midna to rise to her feet. She towered over him, should have been stronger than him, yet Zant kept her bound and pacified with magic. "To the balcony. Go on."
Left with no choice, Midna lifted her chin and strode across the room with as much pride as she could muster. Zant scowled and kicked her shin. "You are a queen no longer," he growled.
He half-dragged her to the balcony's edge. Midna's eyes widened in horror at the sight that waited below. Legions of those four-legged monstrosities now dominated the landscape she had been admiring only minutes earlier. In their clutches she found the terrified faces of her beloved people. Women, children, working men, nobles, the elderly. All of them.
"Stop this, Zant!" Midna cried. "You can't do this! This isn't right!"
"Worry not," he said with a sinister smile. "The strong will survive, and be reborn in my service. The young and weak will know peace in death. This is the punishment for resistance."
"No, please-!"
Zant lifted his arm, and the carnage began.
Beastly hands tore limbs and heads from their bodies as though the Twili were made of little more than the finest thread. Viscera and blood coated the ground and painted the faces of Zant's mutants. Gurgling screams quickly faded to little more than whimpers, and then silence as the last of Midna's beloved people drew their final, pained breaths.
Some of the corpses twitched. Only a few here and there, at first, and then more. The dead rose as if pulled by puppet strings. Shredded limbs grew back at incorrect angles. Crushed faces of those Midna had once loved melted away and grew flat plates, just like the monsters that had ended their lives. Their bloodstains shifted and lit up with the same magic that bound Midna, forming the brilliant red tattoos that each beast wore on their chest and backs.
Pain unlike any she had ever known constricted Midna's heart. Her voice had long left her, useless as it had been thus far. She hunched over her folded knees, eyes screwed shut and mouth agape in a silent cry.
Zant gripped her head in his hand and forced her to face him. "I never was enough for you," he sneered. "You always thought yourself above me. Wallow in your much-deserved misery, little princess. Live the rest of your days with the blood of your people staining your hands. All of this could have been avoided, had you practiced a modicum of humility."
Midna stared unseeing at the masked face of the man who'd haunted her life, who'd used love as easily as he used violence to manipulate, intimidate, and control. Her vision was filled with the horrifying final moments of her people. Their screams still lived on in her ears.
"Allow me to bestow you with a form befitting a pathetic creature such as yourself." Still holding on to Midna's head, Zant slid his oversized sleeve up his arm, revealing tattoos that were orange and red, instead of their original brilliant blue. Even their spiraling shapes were unfamiliar to her. His tattoos lit up with a light she had never known before, burning her bare skin and stealing away her vision. She did not cry, for she had no more tears to give. Not for herself.
When that cursed light faded, Midna was no longer the tall, lithe Twili she once was. Her legs and arms were far too short, her claws too long. Gone were her curves, her muscles, and most of her beautiful tattoos. She could feel her body dying around her.
"Now. Get out of my castle."
Zant grabbed Midna by the throat and lifted her over the balcony railing, high above the carnage she'd been too prideful to stop. With a flick of his wrist, he disposed of her as though she were nothing more than a bag of refuse. Midna closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact of the ground. The longer she fell, the brighter the world around her became.
Midna paused and looked around the silent room. There it is, she thought, swallowing the lump in her throat. My greatest failure.
A not-so-small part of her screamed that all of this was foolish, she was making a huge mistake. Revealing everything about herself and her people to these Light Dwellers had little to do with her mission, and very well might lead to more troubles for all of them down the road.
Damn that girl, Midna thought once more as her eye traveled over the young Kakarikan woman. If she'd simply kept her mouth shut, just let the old man say his falsities and move on with more important information, this meeting might have already been over. Damn you for caring.
"I'm sure he intended for me to wander forever in this world until I wilted beneath your miserable sun. He's likely the one who broke the mirror apart and scattered the pieces, to stop me from returning. Just goes to show the bastard never did bother to learn a thing about me," Midna spat with bitterness. "The study and preservation of records on other realms has always been my specialty, and unlike this forgetful kingdom, our ancestors went to great lengths to preserve and pass down as much history as possible."
Despite her pitiful tales, Midna felt the echoes of pride as she continued. "I knew how to avoid the light. I knew how to hide from the residents of this world. I knew that the reigning family here had ties to the gods. I thought that meant they would be a family of powerful sorcerers who would happily lend us aide to preserve their own kingdom.
"Instead, I found only a single weak princess, locked in her own bedroom and kingdom surrendered to Zant and his army. One desperate for anyone to talk to, apparently, because she accepted me immediately," Midna shook her head slowly, flaming hair rippling over her shoulder. "Started going on about the legends of your kingdom in great detail. It was from her I learned about our All-Important Hero here."
"Koto will have a fit if he hears you calling our princess 'weak,'" Ashei said with a dry chuckle.
"Compared to my people, all of you are lacking," Midna replied with a bored roll the eyes. "Which is why Zant is even more of a threat than I think you realize. I was the strongest of my people, stronger than him for all our lives. He had some talent, but little control. Nothing like the monster he's become. He is capable of things that should have been impossible, such as the creation of the shadow beasts and freely traveling both realms."
Simply talking about Zant's many affronts to the natural order of things flared Midna's temper further. She turned back to the presumptive old man, the one called Auru. Had she not been in such a sour mood, she might have laughed at the ridiculous tuft of hair that never seemed to lay properly flat on his shiny, bald head. What a silly look. "We must restore the mirror immediately. I get the feeling you know where it is."
Isha's head shot up - the girl had been staring at her lap for a while now, as though the sob story of someone who was still essentially a stranger was actually impacting her in any way. Midna hoped the girl wasn't about to heap pity upon her. The very thought made her feel nauseous.
Auru shook his head. "I do not know the exact location, but I can tell you that-"
"Yes or no is plenty, thanks," Midna snapped. Of course, this unimpressive elder would be useless.
"Midna," Isha whispered. "I think I know where it is. I know where to look, at least."
All eyes fell upon the Kakarikan, who simply shrugged at their surprise. Midna flashed Isha a fanged grin. "You really made the most of your little adventure, didn't you? We'll set out in the morning then."
"If I may speak," Auru cleared his throat. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but the ladies have had quite an exhausting journey from the mountains. I insist that Isha be fully rested and healed of her injuries before you three set off on this journey."
Midna started to protest, but Auru lifted his hand to stop her. "Your highness, I realize I know very little of your people, but I am more than familiar with my own. Exhaustion has a variety of methods with which to kill us, both directly and indirectly. I respectfully ask that you consider the health of those who have put everything on the line to help you."
Midna scoffed and crossed her arms. "Drop the titles. It's not right, not when I look like…this."
"Very well. Does anyone have any more comments to add before we part ways?"
Isha raised her hand slowly, then looked to Telma. "I feel absolutely disgusting, but don't want to travel to the bathhouse this late. Would you happen to have a washtub? Even just for my hair and face would be nice..."
The barkeep laughed and rose from her seat. "I'm sure we can find something, honey. Come with me, I'll get you settled."
"If we're done here, I've gotta get back to the barracks," Ashei said, also rising to her feet. "Link, it was nice to see you back in one piece." She extended a gauntleted hand to the swordsman.
He took her hand. "I suppose I should say the same."
Ashei then turned to Isha, who she embraced. "Sorry again for yesterday, yeah?"
"Don't worry about it," Isha assured her friend. "Our easy scouting mission turned into a fight for our lives. I won't hold it over your head if you don't hold it over mine."
With a parting hug, Ashei left with Auru close behind. Isha brushed her hand across Link's shoulders as she passed him. "If you're not too tired, join me in my room so we can talk freely. I… I'm so glad you're both okay."
Link nodded, earning him a soft smile before she swept around the corner and out of sight. He stared after her, feeling pride in how far his friend had come from the scrawny, haunted little thing who had nothing but vengeance on the mind. Sure, she looked like an absolute mess at the moment, but despite her injuries, Isha was looking more and more like the experienced adventurer she wanted so badly to become.
"I hate that you were right," Midna admitted as she sat on the edge of the table next to Link, kicking her legs over the side. "Isha has her moments, I suppose."
"Yeah," he replied absently. "She's saved us a lot of trouble."
"She finds one piece of a broken mirror, and suddenly you're looking at her as if she hung the moon itself," Midna scoffed. "You're hopeless."
Link rolled his eyes. "Don't be jealous, I'm proud of you too. You opened up today."
"The girl could have died, you know." Midna ignored his comment, crossing her arms and looking away. "What if she'd looked into the mirror? Or died fighting for it? What if she died in an ambush on her way back?"
"But she didn't."
"She didn't," Midna repeated. "Damn girl seems determined to make herself somewhat useful."
"You almost sound impressed," Link smirked and leaned towards her.
"Watch it. Don't you have somewhere to be? You shouldn't keep a lady waiting, you know." Midna rose and flitted over to the doorway, where she stopped and looked at a small white tag hanging at the corner of the room. "You wanted me to get to know the barkeep, and I suppose now is a good a time as any."
"Really?" Link rose to his feet.
"I have many more days ahead of spending my time in your shadow. I might as well take advantage of what little freedom I have, right?" She smiled over her shoulder, then disappeared.
Link stared at the empty space for a moment before finally leaving the meeting room behind, feeling strangely bittersweet. Was she going to do this often? Would his shadow no longer be her only safe space in this world?
He left his thoughts behind and made his way to Isha's room.
"You can come in," her voice responded to his knock on her closed door.
He entered to find Isha seated at the edge of her bed, scrubbing away at her face with a damp cloth. Several more clean rags were waiting in a pile next to her crossed legs. She looked at the dirt and blood she'd wiped from her face and sighed. "Never thought I would miss wearing makeup and taking baths every day so much."
Link chuckled and took a seat beside her. "I wish I could say you don't look that bad, but…" he trailed off and gave her a pointed once-over.
"Thanks," Isha replied dryly, replacing her dirty cloth and soaking a new one. "Where's Midna?"
"Getting to know Telma, apparently."
Isha raised an eyebrow and started scrubbing at the blood on her neck. "Seriously?" At Link's nod, she sighed. "Do you remember the things I said when I first met her?" Her hands fell to her lap. "I accused her of being the same as Zant…"
"Isha, you didn't know-"
"That doesn't make it any less awful," she cut him off, wringing the cloth in her fidgeting hands. "I didn't really believe her at first, either. And then at the spring, I asked Lanayru to save her, and almost caused her death instead." Isha turned to face Link, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Sure Midna's kind of a bitch, but I still could have tried to be more understanding, maybe a little less of a problem…"
Link gently took the dirty rag from her hand and set it aside with the rest. "She also could have shown herself to you any time before then and saved us the fight. I could have tried harder to convince her that you were a friend worth having." He picked up a new cloth and looked to Isha.
"It's fine, I can do it myself." She held out her hand.
"You can, but you don't have to," he replied gently.
Isha studied his face for a moment, then looked away. "Well, whatever," she mumbled, closing her eyes. "I'll just talk to Midna later, if she'll even listen. I don't know what good 'sorry' will do, but…"
"She'll listen," Link assured Isha as he took over cleaning her neck and face. "Midna's already changed so much from when I first met her."
"How long did it take her to stop calling you an idiot?"
"I'll let you know when it happens."
They shared a laugh, and Link dragged the cloth along her jawline. Isha leaned into his touch. "Gods, I was really afraid you both were gone. What happened to you? Why did you take so long to come back?"
Link considered his words carefully - he and Midna had decided it would be best to leave Zelda's fate a secret, for now. The town was buzzing with rebellion, beginning to believe that their princess really was still fighting for them from within the castle. News of her passing would only send the town into further chaos. Isha would probably blame herself for Zelda's sacrifice, too…
"Princess Zelda was able to save Midna, but not lift the curse on me," Link finally said. "She told me to go back to Faron and look for a legendary sword that could cut through any evil. We-"
Isha's eyes shot open, and she jumped back. "You found it? Is it here?"
"Yes, it-"
"Go get it!" she exclaimed, shoving Link to his feet and ripping the cloth from his hands. "Why wasn't that the first thing you told me?!"
Link laughed and pushed her hands away from him, but complied with her eager demands. When he returned to her room, Master Sword in tow, Isha could hardly contain her shock. "I… wow." She stepped closer and ran a hand over the golden pattern on its scabbard. "Just hanging out in the forest, huh?"
"That's an understatement," Link scoffed, pulling the blade free. Isha's eyes sparkled in its reflection. She admired the smooth finish, the stitching in its grip, and the delicately-carved wings. "There's a part of the forest where time just… doesn't move. We didn't know days had passed until I made it back here."
"You really are the reincarnated Hero," she breathed, looking up at Link.
"You told me that back in Ordon, remember?" He chuckled, feeling suddenly awkward at her awestruck expression, and sheathed the Master Sword.
Isha shrugged, returning to her spot on the bed. "You look more like a Hero now than you did back then," she said casually, pulling her hair over shoulder. She winced at the clumps of dried blood tangled within. "Guess I need to start taking better care of my own appearance, or I might embarrass us both."
Link rolled his eyes and picked the wash bin up from its place on the nightstand. "You should have seen me after I left the Goron Mines. At least you weren't bathed in your own sweat for the last several days," he said, moving to the vanity and turning its wooden chair around. "Come here. I'll wash your hair for you."
Isha cocked her head to the side and looked at him with a suspicious stare. "You're being strangely helpful."
Link's face flushed, and he looked away. "With nothing else to go on, Midna and I thought it was a good idea to look for information on the Mirror of Twilight in books. It's only been two days, and I thought I was going to lose my mind. Compared to what you've done for Midna and I, helping you wash the blood out of your hair is nothing. I don't know how you know which books to look for, let alone where to look for them."
"Did you try asking anybody?" Isha teased, rising to her feet. "Usually, the librarians or archivists know their collections from front to back."
His blush deepened, and Isha laughed as she closed the distance between them. "I'm kidding. It sounds like there would have been no information to find, anyways. I'm glad to hear there was a purpose to my suffering." She patted his shoulder before dropping into the chair. She pointed towards a bag laying by the dresser. "Soap's in the front pocket."
"How did you do it?" Link asked as he fetched her soaps. "How'd you figure out where the mirror is?"
Isha laid her head back and closed her eyes while Link wetted down her hair. "I really didn't want to go looking for it, you know," she began, her voice dropping to a whisper. "After what happened at Lake Hylia, I wanted nothing more to do with whatever destiny the Light Spirits have been hinting at. I joined with Ashei because I… almost hoped it meant I'd find somewhere else to go. At least I'd get my mind off things for a bit. But now I'm being called by the Ancient Sages to find their shrine, and they've given me…vague directions. More information than anyone's known for who knows how long."
Link added some of her soap to the water and began working it through blood-soaked strands. "Do you know what the sages want?"
"To… talk? I guess?" Isha groaned - from frustration and absolutely not from the glorious feeling of someone massaging her scalp - and raised a hand to her forehead. "Sounds so stupid when I say it out loud. All they've said is 'come to us.' I considered that they might be intending to punish me for all the things I've said against the gods, but… they promised me answers to the questions that keep me up at night. They said I'd find my 'divine purpose' if I go west, and showed me what the shrine looked like. It's deep in the desert."
Link hummed, unsure of what to say, and dipped Isha's head back into the water to rinse. It ran red. "Are you sure you aren't still bleeding?" he frowned.
Isha pressed her hand to the back of her head in several places. "Feels healed to me," she shrugged.
For his own assurance, Link ran his thumbs slowly over the back of her head. There wasn't even a bump to indicate where she'd been injured. "How did this happen?" he asked.
Isha sighed as he worked another round of soap into her hair. "Don't remember the details, but Ashei said I hit a wall. When I came to, the fight was over and she'd already picked me up and fed me a red potion. Thank the gods for her. I would have bled out otherwise."
Link bit his tongue, deciding not to argue that Ashei should have been doing a better job of protecting Isha from such harm in the first place. It hadn't gone unnoticed by the hero that Ashei had been in remarkable shape compared to Isha.
Instead, Link let the silence hang between them and continued to lather her hair. He thought of the many times he'd done the same for Ilia or Beth back home, when Talo's pranks got messy. Of course, that used to be a lot more trouble than Isha was now. The girls were usually thrashing and crying the entire time. Isha seemed fit to doze off at any moment.
"What are you smiling about?" Isha interrupted his thoughts. "I'm the one getting a spa treatment here."
"Thinking about home," Link answered honestly. "Talo loved a good prank involving mud or worse. The girls would come crying to me to help them wash it out."
"I can see why," Isha purred and sank deeper in the chair. "It feels nice."
"Don't fall asleep on me yet," Link chided, rinsing her hair once more. "You're almost done."
Isha grunted a response and rubbed her eyes. Link wrung her hair out as best he could, then pat her on the shoulder. Isha opened her eyes and her smile fell. "How do you think Ilia's doing?"
"Better than you have been these last few days," Link assured her, tossing her a towel that had been left folded on her dresser. He took a seat at the corner of her bed and hesitated before adding, "I've been wishing we could go check in with her, though."
Isha froze, the towel half-wrapped about her hair. "We can! We need to!" she said excitedly. "Kariko would make traveling the desert so much easier!"
"The…pig?" Link asked with disbelief.
"Yes!" She grinned and continued wrapping her hair. "Wild bullbos are native to barren places like the desert! Epona wouldn't stand a chance out there, but Kariko's built for it. I know it's the opposite direction, but you've got to help me convince Midna that it's a worthy delay. We can spare a night back home, right?"
"It was cheaper to board Epona in Kakariko than it is here…" Link said thoughtfully. "And we don't have much reason to stay here, besides Auru's demand that you rest before we leave for the mirror."
"Surely he won't stop me from a short, completely safe trip back home to check in on some old friends. I've been dying to check on Prince Ralis, myself." Isha rose to her feet and pulled on Link's arm. "Alright, get out. Now that my hair's clean, I need out of these clothes. No, your help isn't needed there."
Though she'd made the joke, it was Isha who blushed. Link complied with a roll of his eyes. "It's good to have you back," he said, picking the Master Sword up from its place by the wall before heading for the door.
Isha huffed and crossed her arms, turning away from him. "I missed you, you know. Don't ever make me worry like that again," she requested softly.
"I won't," Link promised.
"I'd been wondering if I would ever get the chance to meet you, honey."
Midna froze in the shadow cast by the barkeep's desk, where Telma was flipping through a large notebook, occasionally adjusting the violet frames that kept slipping down the bridge of her nose. There was no sign of anybody else in the tavern's back room, and Midna had yet to reveal herself. Who is she talking to?
"You don't have to hide, Midna, dear. Auru had me close down the bar for a few days to all but our inner circle. You'll find nothing but friends here."
ME? "How did you know I was here?" Her head peeked from the surface of shadow.
Telma smiled and leaned back in her chair. "My ancestors once walked those same shadows, you know. I've always wondered what it would be like, but I'm afraid I've never been all that great at hiding."
Midna rose to be eye-level with the strange woman. "How long have you known about me?"
"I shouldn't toy with you, I'm sorry, sweetie. Until tonight, I didn't know much." Telma admitted, pulling off her frames and flicking them closed. "I did know that every time that young man crossed my doorway, there were two visitors in my bar, not one. And I knew that you passed my barrier without issue, so you were no more dangerous than any other regular here."
"Hm." Midna crossed her legs and leaned against the air. "What do you call this sort of magic?"
Telma rose and walked over to her kitchen, where she began pouring herself a drink. "Would you like anything?"
Midna frowned. "I never cared for spirits, thanks. I want to know about your magic. I've never heard of Light Dwellers being able to manipulate or look into shadows. Is that related to the barrier you have up? How have you put together such a strong shield, over such a wide area?"
"Do you think our drinks taste the same?" Telma asked, lifting the cup to her lips. "What does your food taste like? How do you decide when one day ends, and a new one begins in your world?"
Is she just mad? Midna's eyes narrowed. "You're a strange one," she snipped and floated to Telma's side. "My questions came first."
"What you're asking me to tell you are things my forefathers would have died to protect," Telma replied softly. "Secrets that eventually led to the eradication of nearly the entire race. To my knowledge, I am one of the last, if not the last, to know what little I know."
"I…see." Midna shrunk back, her chest suddenly tight. No, she's not. "If you can't tell me anything about you, then I won't waste your time."
"I can tell you plenty, if you ask the right questions."
Midna scowled and did not respond. Instead, she turned and traveled the room slowly, inspecting every shelf and frame. Telma remained by the counter and continued to sip her drink.
Feeling confident that her face was hidden even from this all-seeing woman, Midna grit her teeth and exhaled slowly. Of course, the tears did not come. She hadn't cried since the day her kingdom fell, though the pain was as fresh as ever.
She reminds me of Ornatus… her mind wailed. One of Midna's favorite tutors, and one of her most mysterious. The elder mage had specialized in warp magic, and could even sustain herself in-between several portals, where she could see through each as if looking through a window in the shadows.
She had also specialized in refusing to ever give Midna a single answer willingly. She instead would lead the mind down whatever path she wanted it to go, eventually coming to an answer only after she felt she'd sufficiently dragged her students through enough philosophy to justify a minor specialization of its own. A lesser Twili would have used her quick wit to manipulate her way to power, but Ornatus had eyes only for the pursuit of higher thinking.
Midna took a steadying breath and buried her pain, locking it away in her mind. She would have the rest of her life to mourn the lost, and she had not yet earned that right, anyways.
"What do you get out of helping everyone like this?" she finally asked, turning back to Telma, who had not left her place by the counter. "I don't understand why a barmaid would want to involve herself with a war against evil."
Telma laughed - a deep, joyous sound from deep in her belly. "I quite enjoy living, dear. The desire to thrive will drive us to extremes." She gave the imp a pointed look.
"Tch. You're just as maddening as the rest of them." Midna dropped into the shadows to take her leave. If this bothered the older woman, she did not let it show.
"My ancestors were designed by Hylia to serve the Royal Family," Telma added after a long silence. She took another sip from her cup, then opened the wine bottle for a refill. "To fail to do so was to forfeit the right to live."
"Sounds miserable," Midna's voice came from right beside Telma. The woman started and found an impish face peering out from the shadow cast by the wooden cabinet door to her right, still slightly ajar. "Gotcha," the shadows taunted.
Telma smiled. "It was considered a great honor. The organization is long gone, but there's at least half of me that feels driven to follow their footsteps. Besides, it has its perks. I've met some truly interesting people thanks to my abilities, you know!" she winked.
Midna pushed her way back into the air and spun an empty cup on her clawtip. Her one eye looked to the bottle the barkeep still held. "Are your wines as bitter as dried leaves, too?"
"They can be," Telma's smile only grew. "This one's a bit more sour than bitter, but has a sweet aftertaste. It's made with blueberries and lemons."
The cup kept spinning, and Midna stared into it with the fascination of one watching a play. "Interesting," she mumbled after a while. She wasn't about to admit that the barmaid had lost her already.
"Did you like learning about the other realms, before that Zant turned everything upside down?" Telma asked.
"I really did," Midna responded honestly, surprising herself at the ease at which she'd answered. She stopped spinning the cup, allowing it to hang in the air from her claw. "I took to the subject easily. Not that it's the most demanding of specializations… The archives we keep would likely shock you, but they're still overwhelmingly incomplete. On top of that, you cannot escape the loss of information. Even in the Twilight realm, time is an unstoppable force. Memories don't last forever."
"A universal truth," Telma agreed with a sigh. She bumped her hip against the countertop and swirled her drink. "Makes it all the more important that we're creating new ones. Can't cling to what's gone, but we can embrace what's coming."
Midna's eyes narrowed. "The past still deserves to be remembered and treasured."
"Of course, within reason," Telma shrugged. "At some point, even the past needs to rest and let the future take hold."
"When we forget the past, we open ourselves up to make the same mistakes as our ancestors, often at a greater cost."
"We also open ourselves up to the chance to be better than those who came before us." Telma lifted the wine bottle towards Midna.
The imp eyed her slowly. With a sigh, she held out the empty cup with a limp hand. "I still find value in preservation."
"Of course you do, sweetie. You're a historian." Telma eagerly filled Midna's cup. "It's in your nature."
The imp stared down at the deep blue liquid that swirled in her cup. "Most of our spirits are more orange or brown," she commented.
"Sounds like you don't know what a blueberry is," Telma winked.
Midna scowled and took a hesitant sip. The drink seemed to shock her mouth, as though she'd swallowed a bit of lightning. She forced down a cough along with the small sip she'd taken. Her tongue and cheeks tingled. If there was any sweet aftertaste, it was lost in the burn. "It stings! Why would anyone like this?"
"I take it you're not a fan of sour. Might be a bit too strong, too." Turning to her shelves of bottles, Telma drug her finger across the labels. "Hm, try this one." The bottle placed between them held a much lighter spirit, one that looked an awful lot like water.
Midna narrowed her eyes. "Are you making fun of me? That's not even alcohol."
"It is!" Telma poured her a new cup. "This is made with a variety of sweet fruits and honey - it's a smooth drink. I think you'll like it."
With trepidation, Midna pulled the cup through the air back to her waiting hand. She eyed the barkeep while sniffing the contents. It smelled like the average bitter dinner wine.
"Go on, try it," Telma insisted at her unsure gaze.
With a roll of her eye, Midna conceded and braced herself for another disappointment. Unlike the first drink, this one didn't immediately cause her to recoil. A minor improvement. She swirled it in her mouth a bit before swallowing.
"…I suppose it's not the worst I've had," Midna said slowly, taking another, longer drink.
Telma's smile stretched ear-to-ear. "I'll be sure to have a bottle ready for you when you've defeated Zant, honey."
Midna snorted and tapped a claw against her cup. "The gesture is kind, but don't waste your good drinks. Once I make it back to the Twilight Realm, I intend to make sure that barrier is never crossed again, from either side."
"Hmm. Do the kids know that?" Telma leaned an elbow on the counter and rest her chin on her fist. When Midna did not respond, she clicked her tongue. "You should give them some warning. They seem quite fond of you, honey."
"They put up with me, and I put up with them." Midna turned her back and rested her arms on crossed legs. "Besides, they've seen firsthand what happens when Light and Twilight mix. They'll understand." She raised her cup once more.
"I know you see it that way, and I find myself agreeing, but they're young-"
"My decisions are not up for debate. Would you argue with your own Princess like this?"
It was Telma now who fell silent. "I don't mean to offend you," she finally said.
"Of course. Thanks for the drink." By the time her emptied cup touched the counter, Midna vanished into the shadows, this time leaving Telma alone in the back room.
"Packed you all a little something for the road," Telma announced proudly, sliding a cloth-wrapped bundle over the bar to Link, who'd just finished the last bites of his breakfast. "You should enjoy the easy journeys while you can."
Before he could move, the bundles disappeared, joining the rest of his and Isha's supplies in Midna's care. Link smiled. Happy as he was that Midna had finally opened up to his friends, there was something right about having her in his shadow, by his side in every adventure.
"Thanks, Telma." Link smiled and leaned on over the bar as she gathered his dishes. "Don't know what we'd do without you."
"Don't mention it, honey."
"WHAT?!" A shout from behind Link made both he and Telma jump. Link jerk his head around to look to the back of the main room, where Ashei and Isha sat at a small round table. Isha slammed her hand over her mouth and looked apologetically to Telma and Link. Ashei pressed a hand to her temple.
With a wave to Telma, Link stood and made his way over to the two women.
"I didn't do this to get paid!" Isha continued in a far quieter voice, hand slowly falling from her face. "Why don't you take it? You live here, you probably need it more-"
"I have a steady job, a roof over my head, and three meals a day thanks to the crown, yeah?" Ashei pushed a small brown bag into Isha's chest. "Just take it already. You'll need it."
The sack fell into Isha's limp hand. She turned her stunned expression to Link as he pulled up a chair to join them.
"Are you okay?" he asked, taking in her wide eyes with a laugh. To Ashei, he asked, "What did you do to her?"
"Isha here just learned how bounties work," Ashei slapped her friend's back. "Zora wanted something done about the 'monster' lurking around their domain, poaching their fish. Put out a bounty of four-hundred to get it handled. Soon as I saw the request cross our desk, I took it on. Not that I need payment to go see old friends, yeah?"
"You never said anything about this being a paid job," Isha grumbled, tying the bag onto her belt. "Not when you brought it up, not on the way there, not on the way back. I owe a lot to the Zora, you know, I would have happily helped for free."
Ashei rolled her eyes. "If it weren't for you, I don't think I would have come back, yeah? All this magic from the gods and other worlds is far over my head. To be honest, I hate dealing with this stuff. I'd have either given up or died without you there. My life's priceless, but two silvers are a good start, yeah?"
Isha looked to Link, apparently expecting help. He held up his hands defensively. "Don't look at me. Sounds like it's your money."
"Thanks for the help, hero," she growled at him and balled her fists under her chin, elbows resting on the table. "Well, whatever. Maybe we can spend some of it in Kakariko."
"She's kinda grouchy in the mornings, yeah?" Ashei laughed, and Link couldn't help but agree.
"Shut up." Isha's eyes drifted to the weapon she'd left leaning against the nearby wall. Link and Ashei followed her gaze.
"Find out anything good?" Ashei asked, picking up the staff.
"No." Isha sulked further. "We came back too fast. Telma didn't get very far in her research on the damn thing," she said dejectedly. "Told me what kind of rocks are molded into it, but she says they're not working right, basically."
Ashei ran her fingertips over the jagged stones. "Because they're broken, yeah?"
Isha nodded and twirled her braided hair around her finger. "I'd love to see what it once looked like."
"I think it looks pretty cool the way it is now, yeah?" Ashei held the weapon out.
Isha snorted and extended an open palm. "Telma said it's made with Morion crystal. Apparently, a large enough piece could absorb the malice out of evil creatures - no idea how large that would have to be. Bigger than these shards, at least. Morion is rare nowadays, so even if we figured out how to fix or replace them, getting new stones is a challenge in itself." When the staff dropped into her hand, Isha rolled it absently over her wrist as she went on.
"Whether it's misbehaving because the stones are the wrong size, broken, or some other problem we haven't figured out yet, we may never know. Morion was a tool of the Sheikah, and secrets like these died with the rest of the tribe."
"Are you going to keep using it?" Link asked.
"I don't see why not. Hasn't killed me yet," Isha replied, laughing with little humor. "Besides, so far it's only hurt me when I was underwater. Considering we're heading to the desert… I suspect we'll be fine."
The staff stopped spinning suddenly. Isha whipped around to see Midna holding the rock-studded head with her hair. "Good morning to you, too," Isha said after a moment.
"What did you say that group was called?" Midna asked, though she sounded indifferent already. "The one that died."
"The Sheikah?"
"Never heard of 'em." Midna released the weapon and crossed her arms.
With a side-long glance to Link, Isha rose to her feet. "If you'd like, I can tell you what little I know on our way to Kakariko. Are you guys ready to head out?" she asked, leaning against her staff.
"Beats hiding in the shadows while you two waste time, I guess," Midna replied with a roll of her neck. "I can't believe you want to go the long way. I could have us there immediately."
"And we'd be staying the night in Kakariko whether we get there now or this evening," Link replied, rising to his feet.
"It'll be a good time for the three of us to talk," Isha added. She glared at Midna. "Since you couldn't be bothered to visit last night."
"You're welcome," Midna replied with a roll of her eyes.
"May I cut in before you two start in on one another?" Ashei placed a hand on Isha's shoulder, then held her arms out for a hug. "If you see Shad, tell him to get a move on. His fantasies can wait. The real world's getting dangerous, yeah?"
"I'll make sure he knows you're worried," Isha replied, winking when they dropped the embrace. Ashei jabbed her side with an elbow, and Isha laughed despite her mood. "I'm sure Renado will be glad to kick him out of town, anyways. Can't imagine they're enjoying him poking through every pile of rubble."
Turning and looping her arm in Link's, Isha urged him onward. "Come on. For some reason, I'm almost excited to go home."
